Sounds more like a deal to make a deal, then an actual flushed out deal.
Video embedded below.
This is what Boehner is sending out - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/debt_framework_073111.pdf.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Biden Charging Secret Service Rent
It is all perfectly logical, but still seems unseemly.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/31/biden-charging-secret-service-cottage-rental
"The U.S. Secret Service does more than protect Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. — the agency also pays him rent.
Since April, Mr. Biden has collected more than $13,000 from the agency charged with protecting him and his family for use of a rental cottage adjacent to the waterfront home he owns in a Wilmington, Del., suburb.
Mr. Biden, listed not as vice president in federal purchasing documents but as a “vendor,” is eligible for up to $66,000 by the time the government contract expires in the fall of 2013, the records show.
Officials say the arrangement came about when a previous tenant moved out of the cottage and the Secret Service moved in.
Edwin M. Donovan, special agent in charge at the Secret Service's Office of Government and Public Affairs in Washington, said the agency pays $2,200 in rent per-month, the same amount a previous tenant had paid before moving out."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/31/biden-charging-secret-service-cottage-rental
"The U.S. Secret Service does more than protect Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. — the agency also pays him rent.
Since April, Mr. Biden has collected more than $13,000 from the agency charged with protecting him and his family for use of a rental cottage adjacent to the waterfront home he owns in a Wilmington, Del., suburb.
Mr. Biden, listed not as vice president in federal purchasing documents but as a “vendor,” is eligible for up to $66,000 by the time the government contract expires in the fall of 2013, the records show.
Officials say the arrangement came about when a previous tenant moved out of the cottage and the Secret Service moved in.
Edwin M. Donovan, special agent in charge at the Secret Service's Office of Government and Public Affairs in Washington, said the agency pays $2,200 in rent per-month, the same amount a previous tenant had paid before moving out."
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Gmail 'Snooze'
It is an interesting idea; make an email disappear and then get sent back to you a few days later.
Video embedded below.
See also http://googleappsdeveloper.blogspot.com/2011/07/gmail-snooze-with-apps-script.html.
Video embedded below.
See also http://googleappsdeveloper.blogspot.com/2011/07/gmail-snooze-with-apps-script.html.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Obama Takes Debt Debate to Twitter, Loses 40,000+ Followers
If only he encouraged jobs the way he loses Twitter followers.
http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2011/07/29/2011-07-29_bams_spam_president_barack_obama_takes_debt_battle_to_twitter_loses_more_than_20.html
"President Obama brought his debt battle to Twitter and he lost – more than 40,000 Twitter followers.
Obama asked Americans Friday to call, email, and tweet Congressional leaders to “keep the pressure on” lawmakers in hopes of reaching a bipartisan deal to raise the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt limit ahead of an Aug. 2 deadline."
http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2011/07/29/2011-07-29_bams_spam_president_barack_obama_takes_debt_battle_to_twitter_loses_more_than_20.html
"President Obama brought his debt battle to Twitter and he lost – more than 40,000 Twitter followers.
Obama asked Americans Friday to call, email, and tweet Congressional leaders to “keep the pressure on” lawmakers in hopes of reaching a bipartisan deal to raise the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt limit ahead of an Aug. 2 deadline."
Government Overregulation Threatens Economic Growth
I think the proper phrasing would be 'has hindered' economic growth.
Video embedded below.
Video embedded below.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
NASA Data Blows Gaping Hole in Global Warming Alarmism
Before we condemn a billion people in Asia and a billion people in Africa to abject poverty, we should be reasonably sure such action is absolutely necessary to save the planet. We are far from sure...
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-data-blow-gaping-hold-global-warming-alarmism-192334971.html
"NASA satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted, reports a new study in the peer-reviewed science journal Remote Sensing. The study indicates far less future global warming will occur than United Nations computer models have predicted, and supports prior studies indicating increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide trap far less heat than alarmists have claimed.
...
In addition to finding that far less heat is being trapped than alarmist computer models have predicted, the NASA satellite data show the atmosphere begins shedding heat into space long before United Nations computer models predicted.
...
In short, the central premise of alarmist global warming theory is that carbon dioxide emissions should be directly and indirectly trapping a certain amount of heat in the earth's atmosphere and preventing it from escaping into space. Real-world measurements, however, show far less heat is being trapped in the earth's atmosphere than the alarmist computer models predict, and far more heat is escaping into space than the alarmist computer models predict.
When objective NASA satellite data, reported in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, show a "huge discrepancy" between alarmist climate models and real-world facts, climate scientists, the media and our elected officials would be wise to take notice. Whether or not they do so will tell us a great deal about how honest the purveyors of global warming alarmism truly are."
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-data-blow-gaping-hold-global-warming-alarmism-192334971.html
"NASA satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted, reports a new study in the peer-reviewed science journal Remote Sensing. The study indicates far less future global warming will occur than United Nations computer models have predicted, and supports prior studies indicating increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide trap far less heat than alarmists have claimed.
...
In addition to finding that far less heat is being trapped than alarmist computer models have predicted, the NASA satellite data show the atmosphere begins shedding heat into space long before United Nations computer models predicted.
...
In short, the central premise of alarmist global warming theory is that carbon dioxide emissions should be directly and indirectly trapping a certain amount of heat in the earth's atmosphere and preventing it from escaping into space. Real-world measurements, however, show far less heat is being trapped in the earth's atmosphere than the alarmist computer models predict, and far more heat is escaping into space than the alarmist computer models predict.
When objective NASA satellite data, reported in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, show a "huge discrepancy" between alarmist climate models and real-world facts, climate scientists, the media and our elected officials would be wise to take notice. Whether or not they do so will tell us a great deal about how honest the purveyors of global warming alarmism truly are."
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
No Ties, No Draws And No Compromise: Republicans Can't Cave on The Debt Ceiling
It would be a huge mistake if they did...
Video embedded below.
Video embedded below.
EmailIntervention.com
EmailIntervention.com is a interesting marketing trick from Google to try and make you convert your friends to Gmail. I was converted a long time ago, back when you needed an invitation to get an account. If you do not use Gmail I would recommend giving it a try.
Video embedded below. (and)
Video embedded below. (and)
Jon Stewart on Obama's Addresses to The Nation on Dangers of Default
Stewart was not impressed; along with the rest of us...
Video embedded below.
Video embedded below.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
America by The Numbers: With The Economy Down, Will Obama Join The Growing Ranks of The Unemployed?
If he stays on the course he is on now, I think that would be the safe bet.
Video embedded below.
Video embedded below.
Jay Carney (White House Press Secretary) Admits That Obama Has no Debt Plan
He spends a good 10 minuets trying to avoid saying that, but there is simply no getting around it. I guess this is what leading from behind looks like.
Video embedded below. (via)
Video embedded below. (via)
Monday, July 25, 2011
Entitlement Bandits Rob Medicaid/Medicare
Stop the fraud, save a tremendous amount of money; just try not to spend more finding the fraud than you save.
Video embedded below.
Video embedded below.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Make Multiple Calls in Gmail
The ability to make multiple calls at the same time is a nice simple addition. It would be nicer if the first caller did not have to be on hold and you could conference.
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/make-multiple-calls-in-gmail.html
"Over the years, we've expanded Gmail's communication abilities by allowing you to make voice and video calls to other computers and more recently call phones. Until now, though, you were limited to making one call at a time. Today we're excited to relax that restriction and allow you to make or receive multiple calls in Gmail.
If you’re in a call and make a second one, your first call will be put on hold while you talk on your new call. You can switch between calls by pressing the “Resume” button on the call you want to talk on, which will automatically put the previous call on hold.
Receiving incoming calls while you're in another call is just as easy: you'll receive a notification of the incoming call and can choose to accept it or not. If you take the new call, the previous call will be put on hold.
Whether you make a second call or not, you can now put any call on hold — useful in case you need to talk to someone in the room or grab something off the stove. Just press the “Hold” button and then “Resume” to start talking again."
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/make-multiple-calls-in-gmail.html
"Over the years, we've expanded Gmail's communication abilities by allowing you to make voice and video calls to other computers and more recently call phones. Until now, though, you were limited to making one call at a time. Today we're excited to relax that restriction and allow you to make or receive multiple calls in Gmail.
If you’re in a call and make a second one, your first call will be put on hold while you talk on your new call. You can switch between calls by pressing the “Resume” button on the call you want to talk on, which will automatically put the previous call on hold.
Receiving incoming calls while you're in another call is just as easy: you'll receive a notification of the incoming call and can choose to accept it or not. If you take the new call, the previous call will be put on hold.
Whether you make a second call or not, you can now put any call on hold — useful in case you need to talk to someone in the room or grab something off the stove. Just press the “Hold” button and then “Resume” to start talking again."
White House Confirms It Will Likely Sign Any Debt Deal Congress Passes
I doubt it is a waving of the white flag. Nothing can pass the Senate without the Democrats approving of it, and they are not going to pass something that Obama does not want passed. If they did, just as a practical perception matter, Obama could not veto a bipartisan deal triggering the 'default-cataclysm' he has been hyping over there not being enough tax hikes. It may be an 'accidental moment of honesty', but it is also perfectly logical.
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/07/24/white-house-confirms-it-will-likely-sign-any-debt-deal-congress-sends
"In an accidental moment of honesty, White House Deputy Press Secretary Dan Pfeiffer today admitted on Twitter that President Obama will likely sign any debt deal Congress sends his way. This revelation came in an exchange with Stephen Gutowski, the blogger known as The College Politico. Gutowski asked Pfeiffer: “Do you see a scenario where the house & senate pass a deal but the President doesn’t sign it?” and Pfeiffer responded: “No, bc only something that has R and D support can pass both bodies”.
Up until today, the White House has attempted to portray President Obama as the mediator of a grand bargain, but his role has increasingly diminished as Congressional leaders have lost faith and trust in the negotiations taking place in the West Wing. It is now clear that President Obama is on the sidelines, without a plan or position, hoping Congress can solve the impasse without him."
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/07/24/white-house-confirms-it-will-likely-sign-any-debt-deal-congress-sends
"In an accidental moment of honesty, White House Deputy Press Secretary Dan Pfeiffer today admitted on Twitter that President Obama will likely sign any debt deal Congress sends his way. This revelation came in an exchange with Stephen Gutowski, the blogger known as The College Politico. Gutowski asked Pfeiffer: “Do you see a scenario where the house & senate pass a deal but the President doesn’t sign it?” and Pfeiffer responded: “No, bc only something that has R and D support can pass both bodies”.
Up until today, the White House has attempted to portray President Obama as the mediator of a grand bargain, but his role has increasingly diminished as Congressional leaders have lost faith and trust in the negotiations taking place in the West Wing. It is now clear that President Obama is on the sidelines, without a plan or position, hoping Congress can solve the impasse without him."
Deadly Attacks in Norway. Is Terrorism The Price the West Must Pay For Its Freedoms?
Yes, and it is a price worth paying. That does not mean we should not do whatever we can to minimize it, but the simple truth is that freedom to choose means some people will choose wrong. The alternative of taking away choice from everyone would be far worse.
Video embedded below.
Video embedded below.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Terrorist Attack in Norway
There has been a horrific attack in Norway with explosions targeting government buildings and than a camp shooting. The latest reports I heard say at least 80 dead, with the death toll likely to rise.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/jul/22/oslo-explosion-live-coverage
"Police have confirmed 17 deaths in the Oslo bombing and youth camp shooting spree but expect the number to rise, according to AP.
National police chief Sveinung Sponheim says seven people were killed by the blast in Oslo, four of whom have been identified, and that nine or 10 people were seriously injured.
A homegrown terrorist set off an explosion that ripped open government buildings in central Oslo on Friday, he then went to a summer camp dressed as a police officer and gunned down youths as they ran and even swam for their lives, according to police.
These are the worst attacks this peaceful nation has seen since the second world war."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/jul/22/oslo-explosion-live-coverage
"Police have confirmed 17 deaths in the Oslo bombing and youth camp shooting spree but expect the number to rise, according to AP.
National police chief Sveinung Sponheim says seven people were killed by the blast in Oslo, four of whom have been identified, and that nine or 10 people were seriously injured.
A homegrown terrorist set off an explosion that ripped open government buildings in central Oslo on Friday, he then went to a summer camp dressed as a police officer and gunned down youths as they ran and even swam for their lives, according to police.
These are the worst attacks this peaceful nation has seen since the second world war."
State Department Sold Military Grade Weapons to the Zetas (Mexican Cartel)?
Who thought this would be a good idea? It is the same with Project Gun Runner. There is a pretty simple concept that you would think has been universally agreed upon. That is that you should not give your adversaries working weapons they can then use against you. Apparently people in the Obama administration thought it was worth giving our enemies and our allies enemies military grade weapons in exchange for being able to track them. I would have opted for a way to try and track them without making it easier for them to kill our friends. What makes this all the more absurd is that we apparently forgot the whole 'track them' part and ended up just giving away the weapons. Instead of trying to cover it up, heads should roll.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/worse-than-gunwalker-state-dept-allegedly-sold-guns-to-zetas
"Phil Jordan, a former CIA operative and one-time leader of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Intelligence Center, claims that the Obama administration is running guns to the violent Zetas cartel through the direct commercial sale of military grade weapons:
...
An El Paso Times article – as of now ignored by mainstream media — went into much more shocking detail:
“They’ve found anti-aircraft weapons and hand grenades from the Vietnam War era,” Plumlee said. Other weapons found include grenade launchers, assault rifles, handguns and military gear including night-vision goggles and body armor.
“The information about the arms trafficking was provided to our U.S. authorities long before the ‘Columbus 11′ investigation began,” said Plumlee, referring to recent indictments accusing several Columbus city officials of arms trafficking in conjunction with alleged accomplices in El Paso and Chaparral, N.M.
Jesús Rejón Aguilar, the number three man in the Zeta’s hierarchy, disclosed last week that the Zetas bought weapons in the United States and transported them across the Rio Grande. Mexican federal authorities captured Rejón on July 3 in the state of Mexico, and presented him to the news media the next day. His recorded video statement was uploaded on YouTube.
Jordan agreed with Plumlee’s allegations that the Zetas are operating in the Columbus-Palomas border.
Plumlee, who has testified before U.S. congressional committees about arms and drug trafficking, said the roads in Southern New Mexico provide smugglers easy access to Mexico’s highway networks.
Insight.org provides a map of the air-smuggling route originating in Dallas at Alliance Airport and ending in Columbus, New Mexico — a small town that has also been rocked by the arrests and guilty pleas of the town mayor and other elected officials who were running guns to a cartel safehouse, and then apparently into Mexico."
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/worse-than-gunwalker-state-dept-allegedly-sold-guns-to-zetas
"Phil Jordan, a former CIA operative and one-time leader of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Intelligence Center, claims that the Obama administration is running guns to the violent Zetas cartel through the direct commercial sale of military grade weapons:
...
An El Paso Times article – as of now ignored by mainstream media — went into much more shocking detail:
“They’ve found anti-aircraft weapons and hand grenades from the Vietnam War era,” Plumlee said. Other weapons found include grenade launchers, assault rifles, handguns and military gear including night-vision goggles and body armor.
“The information about the arms trafficking was provided to our U.S. authorities long before the ‘Columbus 11′ investigation began,” said Plumlee, referring to recent indictments accusing several Columbus city officials of arms trafficking in conjunction with alleged accomplices in El Paso and Chaparral, N.M.
Jesús Rejón Aguilar, the number three man in the Zeta’s hierarchy, disclosed last week that the Zetas bought weapons in the United States and transported them across the Rio Grande. Mexican federal authorities captured Rejón on July 3 in the state of Mexico, and presented him to the news media the next day. His recorded video statement was uploaded on YouTube.
Jordan agreed with Plumlee’s allegations that the Zetas are operating in the Columbus-Palomas border.
Plumlee, who has testified before U.S. congressional committees about arms and drug trafficking, said the roads in Southern New Mexico provide smugglers easy access to Mexico’s highway networks.
Insight.org provides a map of the air-smuggling route originating in Dallas at Alliance Airport and ending in Columbus, New Mexico — a small town that has also been rocked by the arrests and guilty pleas of the town mayor and other elected officials who were running guns to a cartel safehouse, and then apparently into Mexico."
Senate Votes Down Cut 'Cap And Balance' Bill (51-46)
It was a party line vote with the Democrats killing the bill. If they are going to reject the Republican plan, it would be nice if they would put forth their own.
http://michellemalkin.com/2011/07/21/harry-reid-feeling-ignored
"10:57am Eastern…The Senate just voted down the House Cut Cap and Balance bill, 51-46. Reid danced on its grave, proclaiming it “over, dead, and done.” Back to the Democrat plan:
Nothing!"
Someone should ask the 20 Democrats in this clip shown supporting a balanced budget amendment why they decided to vote against it the first chance they had.
Video embedded below.
http://michellemalkin.com/2011/07/21/harry-reid-feeling-ignored
"10:57am Eastern…The Senate just voted down the House Cut Cap and Balance bill, 51-46. Reid danced on its grave, proclaiming it “over, dead, and done.” Back to the Democrat plan:
Nothing!"
Someone should ask the 20 Democrats in this clip shown supporting a balanced budget amendment why they decided to vote against it the first chance they had.
Video embedded below.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Police Officer Threatens Concealed-Carry Driver With Execution
There is something seriously wrong here...
Video embedded below.
The officer has since been relieved of duty and is under investigation.
Video embedded below.
The officer has since been relieved of duty and is under investigation.
DHS Video Characterizes White Americans as Most Likely Terrorists
This kind of willful, politically-correctness -induced blindness, will do much more harm than good. They should save the money wasted on the production of clips like these, make a giant sign that says "use your common sense", and spend the money on preventing attacks.
Video embedded below. (via)
"Despite encouraging viewers not to pay attention to a person’s race in determining whether or not they may be a terrorist, almost all of the scenarios in the clip proceed to portray white people as the most likely terrorists. Bizarrely, nearly every single one of the “patriotic” Americans who reports on their fellow citizen is either black, Asian or Arab. Imagine if the video had portrayed every terrorist as an Arab and every patriotic snoop as white, there’d be an outcry and rightly so, but this strange reversal must have been deliberate on the part of the DHS, but why? Is this merely political correctness taken to the extreme or is something deeper at work?
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the DHS’ own internal documents list predominantly white conservative groups as the most likely terrorists, such as Ron Paul supporters, gun owners, gold bullion enthusiasts, and a myriad of other comparatively banal political interests that are largely the domain of white middle class Americans."
Video embedded below. (via)
"Despite encouraging viewers not to pay attention to a person’s race in determining whether or not they may be a terrorist, almost all of the scenarios in the clip proceed to portray white people as the most likely terrorists. Bizarrely, nearly every single one of the “patriotic” Americans who reports on their fellow citizen is either black, Asian or Arab. Imagine if the video had portrayed every terrorist as an Arab and every patriotic snoop as white, there’d be an outcry and rightly so, but this strange reversal must have been deliberate on the part of the DHS, but why? Is this merely political correctness taken to the extreme or is something deeper at work?
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the DHS’ own internal documents list predominantly white conservative groups as the most likely terrorists, such as Ron Paul supporters, gun owners, gold bullion enthusiasts, and a myriad of other comparatively banal political interests that are largely the domain of white middle class Americans."
Space Shuttle Atlantis Lands For The Last Time
With the mothballing of the Shuttle program we are now dependent on the Russians to get us into space. The country that won the race to the moon has been reduced to glorified hitch-hikers. Time for the private sector to kick it in to overdrive to reclaim our place among the stars.
Video embedded below.
Capcom Barry 'Butch' Wilmore - "Having fired the imagination of a generation, a ship like no other, its place in history secured, the space shuttle pulls into port for the last time, it's voyage at an end."
Shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson - "Mission complete, Houston. After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle has earned its place in history. It’s come to a final stop."
Capcom Barry 'Butch' Wilmore - "We copy your stop and we’ll take this opportunity to congratulate you, Atlantis, as well as the thousands of passionate individuals across this great, space faring nation who truly empower this incredible spacecraft, which for three decades has inspired millions around the globe. Job well done America."
Video embedded below.
Capcom Barry 'Butch' Wilmore - "Having fired the imagination of a generation, a ship like no other, its place in history secured, the space shuttle pulls into port for the last time, it's voyage at an end."
Shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson - "Mission complete, Houston. After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle has earned its place in history. It’s come to a final stop."
Capcom Barry 'Butch' Wilmore - "We copy your stop and we’ll take this opportunity to congratulate you, Atlantis, as well as the thousands of passionate individuals across this great, space faring nation who truly empower this incredible spacecraft, which for three decades has inspired millions around the globe. Job well done America."
The Alameda Incident: 'First Responders' Who Don't
Police officers and firefighters stood on the shoreline for the better part of an hour and watched a suicidal man kill himself without intervening. Then they left the recovery of the man's body to a bystander. If a one-off incident it would be horrific enough story, but upon reflection and questioning the fire chief seemed to say that this was policy. Now I really do not like to second guess the police or firefighters as they have an exceedingly dangerous job. It is what the chief added to the comment however that should get people outraged. If he was off duty he would save a hypothetical victim, but if on he would have to follow procedures and let the person die. There is something seriously wrong with policy if first responders are less likely to respond when on the clock then when off.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-greenhut-police-firefighters-un20110720,0,2999499.story (via)
"On Memorial Day, a suicidal man waded into San Francisco Bay outside the city of Alameda and stood there for about an hour, neck deep in chilly water, as about 75 bystanders watched. Local police and firefighters were dispatched to the scene after the man's desperate mother called 911, but they refused to help. After the man drowned, the assembled "first responders" also refused to wade into the water to retrieve his body; they left that job for a bystander.
The incident sparked widespread outrage in Northern California, and the response by the Fire Department and police only intensified the anger. The firefighters blamed local budget cuts for denying them the training and equipment necessary for cold-water rescues. The police said that they didn't know if the man was dangerous and therefore couldn't risk the safety of officers.
After a local TV news crew asked him whether he would save a drowning child in the bay, Alameda Fire Chief Ricci Zombeck gave an answer that made him the butt of local talk-show mockery: "Well, if I was off duty, I would know what I would do, but I think you're asking me my on-duty response, and I would have to stay within our policies and procedures, because that's what's required by our department to do."
If you stand a better chance of being rescued by the official rescuers when they are off duty, then what is the purpose of these departments, which consume the lion's share of city budgets and whose employees — in California anyway — receive exceedingly handsome salaries?
...
The unions defend their members' every action; to the extent that they admit a problem, they always blame tight budgets.
The unions that represent first responders also have a legislative agenda to reduce oversight and accountability."
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-greenhut-police-firefighters-un20110720,0,2999499.story (via)
"On Memorial Day, a suicidal man waded into San Francisco Bay outside the city of Alameda and stood there for about an hour, neck deep in chilly water, as about 75 bystanders watched. Local police and firefighters were dispatched to the scene after the man's desperate mother called 911, but they refused to help. After the man drowned, the assembled "first responders" also refused to wade into the water to retrieve his body; they left that job for a bystander.
The incident sparked widespread outrage in Northern California, and the response by the Fire Department and police only intensified the anger. The firefighters blamed local budget cuts for denying them the training and equipment necessary for cold-water rescues. The police said that they didn't know if the man was dangerous and therefore couldn't risk the safety of officers.
After a local TV news crew asked him whether he would save a drowning child in the bay, Alameda Fire Chief Ricci Zombeck gave an answer that made him the butt of local talk-show mockery: "Well, if I was off duty, I would know what I would do, but I think you're asking me my on-duty response, and I would have to stay within our policies and procedures, because that's what's required by our department to do."
If you stand a better chance of being rescued by the official rescuers when they are off duty, then what is the purpose of these departments, which consume the lion's share of city budgets and whose employees — in California anyway — receive exceedingly handsome salaries?
...
The unions defend their members' every action; to the extent that they admit a problem, they always blame tight budgets.
The unions that represent first responders also have a legislative agenda to reduce oversight and accountability."
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
I am Officially a NY Lawyer!
This afternoon I was officially sworn in as a NY attorney. My NY admission is in addition to my NJ admission. While it goes without saying, I will say it anyways; nothing I write in this blog in any way constitutes legal advice. I bring up this mile stone in my life to explain a format change here at the Berman Post. You will notice that there will be a drop off in the number of posts while each post will get longer. The transition will be away from the more link-blog type posts to one with more analysis of each story, more toward what I had originally intended.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Aldous Huxley vs George Orwell
Given the choice between an information glut (Huxley) and deprivation (Orwell), I choose glut with no hesitation. The real fear behind Huxley's dooms day view is that people will just stop being citizen watch dogs overwhelmed with the amount of information to sift through. Once pacified the government would have a free hand. Orwell feared that the government would misinform or otherwise prevent those who would want to act as watch dogs from doing so by blocking the relevant information. The government would then have a free hand. In that context, the choice is clear.
Picture embedded below.
Picture embedded below.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Google Docs Viewer Now Supports ZIP And RAR
A simple time saver, especially for the ZIP files.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/gco-official-url-shortcut-for-google.html (and)
"Downloading files that you only need to preview can create unnecessary clutter on your computer. While you can already use the Google Docs Viewer to view over 15 different file types in Gmail without downloading them, today we’ve added support for archive file types ZIP and RAR. Now, if someone sends you a ZIP or RAR file in Gmail, you’ll be able to view its contents from within your browser by clicking on View.
When you hover over the list you can activate a menu by clicking the “Actions” button. You’ll be able to View items supported by Google Docs Viewer and Print (PDF) those that we offer PDF support. Save to Google Docs and Download appear for all files."
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/gco-official-url-shortcut-for-google.html (and)
"Downloading files that you only need to preview can create unnecessary clutter on your computer. While you can already use the Google Docs Viewer to view over 15 different file types in Gmail without downloading them, today we’ve added support for archive file types ZIP and RAR. Now, if someone sends you a ZIP or RAR file in Gmail, you’ll be able to view its contents from within your browser by clicking on View.
When you hover over the list you can activate a menu by clicking the “Actions” button. You’ll be able to View items supported by Google Docs Viewer and Print (PDF) those that we offer PDF support. Save to Google Docs and Download appear for all files."
Brian Calle - Fail-ifornia: Other Than The Weather, What's so Golden About California?
Video embedded below.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Herman Cain (R) - 'Communities Have The Right to Ban Mosques'
No they do not.
Video embedded below. (via)
"Cain retorted that “to the people of Murfreesboro, it is hallowed ground” and that he agreed with them in their objection to “the intentions of trying to get Sharia Law.” “They’re objecting to the fact that Islam is both a religion and a set of laws,” Cain continued. So Wallace asked the inevitable question: does any community have the right to ban mosques? “Yes, they have a right to do that,” Cain replied, without skipping a beat. He later added that, while he is not willing to discriminate based on religion, “I’d rather err on the side of caution.”"
Video embedded below. (via)
"Cain retorted that “to the people of Murfreesboro, it is hallowed ground” and that he agreed with them in their objection to “the intentions of trying to get Sharia Law.” “They’re objecting to the fact that Islam is both a religion and a set of laws,” Cain continued. So Wallace asked the inevitable question: does any community have the right to ban mosques? “Yes, they have a right to do that,” Cain replied, without skipping a beat. He later added that, while he is not willing to discriminate based on religion, “I’d rather err on the side of caution.”"
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Congressmen Demanding Answers About "Operation Castaway"
Exactly how many 'operations' did the government run for which the goal was to get guns into the hands of our enemies?
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/update-congressmen-are-now-demanding-answers-about-operation-castaway
"We at the Blaze told you on Monday about reports that a joint ATF-ICE gunrunning program similar to “Operation Fast and Furious” existed in Tampa, Florida called “Operation Castaway.” The methods were apparently the same- ATF agents allowed straw buyers to purchase weapons knowing that they would end up in the hands of criminals across international borders. Only in “Castaway,” the weapons supposedly found their way to the notoriously violent MS-13 gang instead of Mexican cartels.
Now three Congressmen- led by Rep. Bilirakis of Tampa, Florida- have sent a letter to the John Morton, Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), demanding answers on “Castaway.”"
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/update-congressmen-are-now-demanding-answers-about-operation-castaway
"We at the Blaze told you on Monday about reports that a joint ATF-ICE gunrunning program similar to “Operation Fast and Furious” existed in Tampa, Florida called “Operation Castaway.” The methods were apparently the same- ATF agents allowed straw buyers to purchase weapons knowing that they would end up in the hands of criminals across international borders. Only in “Castaway,” the weapons supposedly found their way to the notoriously violent MS-13 gang instead of Mexican cartels.
Now three Congressmen- led by Rep. Bilirakis of Tampa, Florida- have sent a letter to the John Morton, Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), demanding answers on “Castaway.”"
Senate Republicans Now Blocking Spending Bills Until Democrats Produce a Budget
Video embedded below.
"Something highly exciting happened on the Senate floor yesterday. Ten different GOP senators took to the podium to say they’ll vote to block any and all spending bills until Senate Democrats agree to produce a budget. Better yet, they and 30 Republican colleagues backed up the talk by supporting Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) when he raised the appropriate point of order against a military appropriations bill (that passed the Republican House and has broad Republican support!) — ultimately demonstrating their ability to block the bill to underscore their fundamental seriousness about the law, which requires the Senate to produce a budget before it considers appropriations bills."
"Something highly exciting happened on the Senate floor yesterday. Ten different GOP senators took to the podium to say they’ll vote to block any and all spending bills until Senate Democrats agree to produce a budget. Better yet, they and 30 Republican colleagues backed up the talk by supporting Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) when he raised the appropriate point of order against a military appropriations bill (that passed the Republican House and has broad Republican support!) — ultimately demonstrating their ability to block the bill to underscore their fundamental seriousness about the law, which requires the Senate to produce a budget before it considers appropriations bills."
US Officially Recognizes Libyan Rebels as Legitimate Government of Libya
Pretending that he is not there is not going to make him go away. The move may be lest political than economic letting the rebels have access to some much needed funds.
Video embedded below.
"More than 30 nations, including the United States, on Friday declared that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi‘s regime is no longer legitimate and formally recognized Libya’s main opposition group as the legitimate government until a new interim authority is created.
The decision will keep up the military pressure on Gadhafi and potentially free up cash that the rebels fighting Libyan forces urgently need. The front lines in the Libyan civil war have largely stagnated since the popular uprising seeking to oust Gadhafi broke out in February. Rebels, backed by NATO air force bombers, control much of the country’s east and pockets in the west. But Gadhafi controls the rest from his stronghold in Tripoli, the capital."
Video embedded below.
"More than 30 nations, including the United States, on Friday declared that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi‘s regime is no longer legitimate and formally recognized Libya’s main opposition group as the legitimate government until a new interim authority is created.
The decision will keep up the military pressure on Gadhafi and potentially free up cash that the rebels fighting Libyan forces urgently need. The front lines in the Libyan civil war have largely stagnated since the popular uprising seeking to oust Gadhafi broke out in February. Rebels, backed by NATO air force bombers, control much of the country’s east and pockets in the west. But Gadhafi controls the rest from his stronghold in Tripoli, the capital."
Obama Has a Low-Key Meeting With The Dalai Lama
No 'walk past the garbage' shot this time...
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/16/president-obama-meets-with-dalai-lama-at-white-house-as-china-complains
"The White House said that during the 45-minute private session in the Map Room, Obama "underscored the importance of the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China." In a statement issued after the meeting, the White House also said Obama reiterated his support for the preservation of Tibet's religious, cultural and linguistic traditions.
Obama restated U.S. policy that it does not support Tibetan independence, a goal that the Dalai Lama said he also does not seek.
In a nod to the criticism from Beijing, Obama also stressed to the Dalai Lama that he considers a cooperative relationship between the United States and China to be important, according to the White House statement.
...
The White House kept the meeting low-key, closing it from news reporters and photographers. It chose the Map Room for the visit instead of the Oval Office, which is reserved for visiting heads of state."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/16/president-obama-meets-with-dalai-lama-at-white-house-as-china-complains
"The White House said that during the 45-minute private session in the Map Room, Obama "underscored the importance of the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China." In a statement issued after the meeting, the White House also said Obama reiterated his support for the preservation of Tibet's religious, cultural and linguistic traditions.
Obama restated U.S. policy that it does not support Tibetan independence, a goal that the Dalai Lama said he also does not seek.
In a nod to the criticism from Beijing, Obama also stressed to the Dalai Lama that he considers a cooperative relationship between the United States and China to be important, according to the White House statement.
...
The White House kept the meeting low-key, closing it from news reporters and photographers. It chose the Map Room for the visit instead of the Oval Office, which is reserved for visiting heads of state."
The US Space Retreat: The Shuttle Era is Over. Will The Next Man on The Moon be Chinese?
Video embedded below.
Friday, July 15, 2011
S&P Places US AAA Rating on Negative Credit Watch
First Moody's, now the Standard & Poor's.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/14/market-ratings-creditwatch-us-idUSWNA372820110714
"Standard & Poor's has placed its 'AAA' long-term and 'A-1+' short-term sovereign credit ratings on the United States of America on CreditWatch with negative implications.
-- Standard & Poor's uses CreditWatch to indicate a substantial likelihood of it taking a rating action within the next 90 days, or in response to events presenting significant uncertainty to the creditworthiness of an issuer. Today's CreditWatch placement signals our view that, owing to the dynamics of the political debate on the debt ceiling, there is at least a one-in-two likelihood that we could lower the long-term rating on the U.S. within the next 90 days. We have also placed our short-term rating on the U.S. on CreditWatch negative, reflecting our view that the current situation presents such significant uncertainty to the U.S.' creditworthiness."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/14/market-ratings-creditwatch-us-idUSWNA372820110714
"Standard & Poor's has placed its 'AAA' long-term and 'A-1+' short-term sovereign credit ratings on the United States of America on CreditWatch with negative implications.
-- Standard & Poor's uses CreditWatch to indicate a substantial likelihood of it taking a rating action within the next 90 days, or in response to events presenting significant uncertainty to the creditworthiness of an issuer. Today's CreditWatch placement signals our view that, owing to the dynamics of the political debate on the debt ceiling, there is at least a one-in-two likelihood that we could lower the long-term rating on the U.S. within the next 90 days. We have also placed our short-term rating on the U.S. on CreditWatch negative, reflecting our view that the current situation presents such significant uncertainty to the U.S.' creditworthiness."
Police in Shut Down Girls' Lemonade Stand
Again...
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_LEMONADE_STAND_SHUT_DOWN
"Police in Georgia have shut down a lemonade stand run by three girls trying to save up for a trip to a water park, saying they didn't have a business license or the required permits.
Midway Police Chief Kelly Morningstar says police also didn't know how the lemonade was made, who made it or what was in it.
The girls had been operating for one day when Morningstar and another officer cruised by.
...
One girl, 14-year-old Casity Dixon, says the three had to listen to police and shut down."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_LEMONADE_STAND_SHUT_DOWN
"Police in Georgia have shut down a lemonade stand run by three girls trying to save up for a trip to a water park, saying they didn't have a business license or the required permits.
Midway Police Chief Kelly Morningstar says police also didn't know how the lemonade was made, who made it or what was in it.
The girls had been operating for one day when Morningstar and another officer cruised by.
...
One girl, 14-year-old Casity Dixon, says the three had to listen to police and shut down."
Obama’s Popularity in The Arab World Lower Than Bush’s
I thought the world was supposed to love us after we elected Obama...
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/07/13/obama’s-popularity-in-arab-world-now-lower-than-bush’s
"James Zogby, the anti-Israel pollster who released these findings today, blames the drop in support for Obama in the Arab world on Obama’s failure to put the amount of pressure on Israel the Arab world wanted and expected. But according to the poll, the Arab world doesn’t seem to be happy with any of America’s foreign policy positions. Respondents rated Obama’s policies as the least popular, when compared with other leaders, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
...
Most surprisingly, Obama’s approval ratings are even lower than President Bush’s before he left office in 2008. They dropped from 26 percent to 12 percent in Morocco, 9 percent to 5 percent in Egypt, 16 percent to 10 percent in Jordan and 22 percent to 12 percent in the UAE (though they did improve in Saudi Arabia, and tick up slightly in Lebanon)."
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/07/13/obama’s-popularity-in-arab-world-now-lower-than-bush’s
"James Zogby, the anti-Israel pollster who released these findings today, blames the drop in support for Obama in the Arab world on Obama’s failure to put the amount of pressure on Israel the Arab world wanted and expected. But according to the poll, the Arab world doesn’t seem to be happy with any of America’s foreign policy positions. Respondents rated Obama’s policies as the least popular, when compared with other leaders, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
...
Most surprisingly, Obama’s approval ratings are even lower than President Bush’s before he left office in 2008. They dropped from 26 percent to 12 percent in Morocco, 9 percent to 5 percent in Egypt, 16 percent to 10 percent in Jordan and 22 percent to 12 percent in the UAE (though they did improve in Saudi Arabia, and tick up slightly in Lebanon)."
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Moody's to Place US AAA Bond Rating on review For Possible Downgrade
There will be enough revenue to pay the the interest and principal due without a deal, if Obama chooses to pay it...
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/moodys-may-downgrade-us-triple-a-rating-2011-07-13
"Moody's Investors Service said late Wednesday it placed the U.S. government's triple-A bond rating on review for possible downgrade due to rising risk of default. "The review of the U.S. government's bond rating is prompted by the possibility that the debt limit will not be raised in time to prevent a missed payment of interest or principal on outstanding bonds and notes. As such, there is a small but rising risk of a short-lived default," Moody's said."
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/moodys-may-downgrade-us-triple-a-rating-2011-07-13
"Moody's Investors Service said late Wednesday it placed the U.S. government's triple-A bond rating on review for possible downgrade due to rising risk of default. "The review of the U.S. government's bond rating is prompted by the possibility that the debt limit will not be raised in time to prevent a missed payment of interest or principal on outstanding bonds and notes. As such, there is a small but rising risk of a short-lived default," Moody's said."
Owl Graffiti Made by an Owl
That owl must be a Hwoooo-Hwooooooudlum. Don't worry, it flew away apparently unharmed after crashing into the window.
Picture embedded below.
"A woman returned to her Cumbrian home to find a near perfect imprint of an owl on her window.
The bird had apparently crashed into the window of Sally Arnold's Kendal home, leaving the bizarre image - complete with eyes, beak and feathers.
Experts said the silhouette was left by the bird's "powder down" - a substance protecting growing feathers.
Mrs Arnold said she could find no sign of the owl, so assumed it had flown off without serious injury."
Picture embedded below.
"A woman returned to her Cumbrian home to find a near perfect imprint of an owl on her window.
The bird had apparently crashed into the window of Sally Arnold's Kendal home, leaving the bizarre image - complete with eyes, beak and feathers.
Experts said the silhouette was left by the bird's "powder down" - a substance protecting growing feathers.
Mrs Arnold said she could find no sign of the owl, so assumed it had flown off without serious injury."
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
South Sudan Celebrates Its Independence
A new country is born...
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/07/south-sudan-celebrates-independence-thanks-to-efforts-by-george-w-bush
"South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir wore his black hat given to him by former President George W. Bush as he signed the interim Constitution.
...
South Sudan celebrated its independence today thanks to US president George W. Bush.
The New York Times reported, via Ace of Spades:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/07/south-sudan-celebrates-independence-thanks-to-efforts-by-george-w-bush
"South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir wore his black hat given to him by former President George W. Bush as he signed the interim Constitution.
...
South Sudan celebrated its independence today thanks to US president George W. Bush.
The New York Times reported, via Ace of Spades:
Christian groups had been championing the southern Sudanese since the 19th century. And their efforts paid off in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected president of the United States. He elevated Sudan to the top of his foreign policy agenda, and in 2005, the American government pushed the southern rebels and the central government — both war weary and locked in a military stalemate — to sign a comprehensive peace agreement that guaranteed the southerners the right to secede.
On Saturday, one man held up a sign that said “Thank You George Bush.”
The American-backed treaty set the stage for a referendum this January in which southerners voted by 98.8 percent for independence.
At 1:20 p.m. on Saturday, the southerners officially proclaimed their freedom…
…South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, wearing his signature black cowboy hat given to him by Mr. Bush, signed the interim Constitution. Then the speeches began.
George W. Bush liberated more than 50,000,000 people during his time in office. Today the people of South Sudan were liberated thanks to his efforts.
"
American And French Embassies Attacked in Syria
Looks like Assad is trying a new distraction tactic; and in doing so may have committed and act of war against us and the French if his fingerprints can be found on the attack.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/syrian-troops-storm-central-city-amid-reform-talks-090421629.html
"Hundreds of Syrian government supporters attacked the U.S. Embassy in Damascus Monday, smashing windows and spray-painting walls with obscenities and graffiti that called the American ambassador a "dog." Guards at the French Embassy fired in the air to ward off another group of protesters.
The sharp escalation in tensions followed a visit last week by the American and French ambassadors to the city of Hama, a stronghold of opposition to authoritarian President Bashar Assad. Syrian authorities were angered by the visit and American Ambassador Robert Ford's harsh criticism afterward of the government crackdown on a four-month-old uprising. Ford's residence was also attacked on Monday.
The U.S. and France both accused Syrian forces of being too slow to respond and demanded the government abide by its international obligations to protect diplomatic missions and allow envoys freedom of movement. The U.S. formally protested, calling the attacks "outrageous," and saying protesters were incited by a television station heavily influenced by Syrian authorities."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/syrian-troops-storm-central-city-amid-reform-talks-090421629.html
"Hundreds of Syrian government supporters attacked the U.S. Embassy in Damascus Monday, smashing windows and spray-painting walls with obscenities and graffiti that called the American ambassador a "dog." Guards at the French Embassy fired in the air to ward off another group of protesters.
The sharp escalation in tensions followed a visit last week by the American and French ambassadors to the city of Hama, a stronghold of opposition to authoritarian President Bashar Assad. Syrian authorities were angered by the visit and American Ambassador Robert Ford's harsh criticism afterward of the government crackdown on a four-month-old uprising. Ford's residence was also attacked on Monday.
The U.S. and France both accused Syrian forces of being too slow to respond and demanded the government abide by its international obligations to protect diplomatic missions and allow envoys freedom of movement. The U.S. formally protested, calling the attacks "outrageous," and saying protesters were incited by a television station heavily influenced by Syrian authorities."
Lining up to Ban Books at Literature Festival in Chicago
Video embedded below.
"While there were in fact less than two handfuls of individuals who did tell us they don’t think any books should be banned, unfortunately there were a shocking amount of guests at this book fair who were quite open to the idea, and in fact lined up quite excited for the opportunity to voice their opinion.
Participants overwhelming chose Sarah Palin who received 53 votes putting her at 36% overall, Glenn Beck at 23% and Ann Coulter at 22%. All of the other choices received a very minimal amount of votes, with the next most popular to ban being Adolf Hitler at 0.5%. Ironically, Michael Savage, who has been banned from entering Britain over things he often says, did not receive one vote to have his words banned in Chicago."
"While there were in fact less than two handfuls of individuals who did tell us they don’t think any books should be banned, unfortunately there were a shocking amount of guests at this book fair who were quite open to the idea, and in fact lined up quite excited for the opportunity to voice their opinion.
Participants overwhelming chose Sarah Palin who received 53 votes putting her at 36% overall, Glenn Beck at 23% and Ann Coulter at 22%. All of the other choices received a very minimal amount of votes, with the next most popular to ban being Adolf Hitler at 0.5%. Ironically, Michael Savage, who has been banned from entering Britain over things he often says, did not receive one vote to have his words banned in Chicago."
Sargent Leroy Petry Receives The Medal of Honor
Video embedded below.
"The second living recipient of the Medal of Honor since Vietnam, just nine months after Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta became the first. What kind of man are we talking about here? One who didn’t have to participate in the raid for which he was awarded the MOH but went voluntarily, had his hand blown off by a jihadi grenade during that raid after he picked it up and tried to toss it away before it detonated, thereby saving the lives of two of his men, and then reenlisted in the Army after being fitted with a robotic arm and went back to war. Total deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan: Eight and counting. He has four kids.
"The second living recipient of the Medal of Honor since Vietnam, just nine months after Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta became the first. What kind of man are we talking about here? One who didn’t have to participate in the raid for which he was awarded the MOH but went voluntarily, had his hand blown off by a jihadi grenade during that raid after he picked it up and tried to toss it away before it detonated, thereby saving the lives of two of his men, and then reenlisted in the Army after being fitted with a robotic arm and went back to war. Total deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan: Eight and counting. He has four kids.
As usual, the Army’s done a bang-up job creating a Medal of Honor webpage for him. The Profile and Battlespace graphics are a must, but take time to read this Army news story too about his recovery and experience with his new robotic hand — all the way to the part where one of his kids names the damaged arm “Nubby.”
"
Obama - 'I Cannot Guarantee Social Security Checks Will go Out on August 3 Without Debt Ceiling Deal'
Time to turn up the scaremongering to 11.
Video embedded below.
"President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.
"I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it," Mr. Obama said in an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, according to excerpts released by CBS News.
The Obama administration and many economists have warned of economic catastrophe if the United States does not raise the amount it is legally allowed to borrow by August 2."
Video embedded below.
"President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.
"I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it," Mr. Obama said in an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, according to excerpts released by CBS News.
The Obama administration and many economists have warned of economic catastrophe if the United States does not raise the amount it is legally allowed to borrow by August 2."
Monday, July 11, 2011
James Delingpole Talks New Book "Watermelons: The Green Movement's True Colors"
Video embedded below.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Selective Outrage Over Expensive Drinks
If you are using your own money you can buy whatever you like. If you are using tax payer money you should be significantly more restrained.
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/124033
"JONAH GOLDBERG ON SELECTIVE OUTRAGE: “Good Lord this is just one of the dumbest ‘gotchas’ in modern memory. I can only assume the adults at TPM regret running this in the first place. They probably got seduced by an exclusive ‘story’ and ran with it before thinking it through. That it hasn’t been picked up outside the more feverish leftwing blogs — so far — is a sign that TPM stepped in it. At least I hope that’s the case. Regardless, I think it reveals a certain level of desperation and panic on the left side of the aisle.”
Indeed. And, of course, it just lets people on the right side of the aisle issue reminders like this: Libs Outraged Over Paul Ryan’s $350 Bottle of Wine… But Were Silent When Nancy Pelosi Pounded Down $101,000 of Booze On “Pelosi One” …Update: And Obama Served $399 Bottles of Wine to Chi-Coms.
Which, in neither case, was paid for out of their own pockets, but rather by taxpayers. Unlike Paul Ryan’s wine. Which does make a difference."
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/124033
"JONAH GOLDBERG ON SELECTIVE OUTRAGE: “Good Lord this is just one of the dumbest ‘gotchas’ in modern memory. I can only assume the adults at TPM regret running this in the first place. They probably got seduced by an exclusive ‘story’ and ran with it before thinking it through. That it hasn’t been picked up outside the more feverish leftwing blogs — so far — is a sign that TPM stepped in it. At least I hope that’s the case. Regardless, I think it reveals a certain level of desperation and panic on the left side of the aisle.”
Indeed. And, of course, it just lets people on the right side of the aisle issue reminders like this: Libs Outraged Over Paul Ryan’s $350 Bottle of Wine… But Were Silent When Nancy Pelosi Pounded Down $101,000 of Booze On “Pelosi One” …Update: And Obama Served $399 Bottles of Wine to Chi-Coms.
Which, in neither case, was paid for out of their own pockets, but rather by taxpayers. Unlike Paul Ryan’s wine. Which does make a difference."
Obama Refers to The Internet as "The Internets"
It is a 'what if Bush said it' that does not need the "what if". Bush did say it and was roundly poked fun at for it. While Obama's mistake was worse given the context, barely a peep has been uttered.
Video embedded below.
"George Bush got years of ridicule for referring to “the Internets” during the 2000 and 2004 elections. Will Obama get the same grief for his use of the term ...
There is one difference between this and Bush’s widely-ridiculed usage (which prompted its own Saturday Night Live sketch in 2004). Obama specifically wanted to conduct his townhall on the Twitters in order to impress younger voters with how hip he is. So will SNL do a skit about how that backfired on Obama? Color me … doubtful."
Video embedded below.
"George Bush got years of ridicule for referring to “the Internets” during the 2000 and 2004 elections. Will Obama get the same grief for his use of the term ...
There is one difference between this and Bush’s widely-ridiculed usage (which prompted its own Saturday Night Live sketch in 2004). Obama specifically wanted to conduct his townhall on the Twitters in order to impress younger voters with how hip he is. So will SNL do a skit about how that backfired on Obama? Color me … doubtful."
Walker (R) Signs Must-Issue Carry Permits in to Law For Wisconsin
49 states down, one more to go...
Video embedded below.
"Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that made Wisconsin the 49th state to allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms. Walker had tried to get the bill passed for years while a state legislator, but his Democratic predecessor, Jim Doyle, and Democrats in the legislature had stymied those efforts. This time the bill passed with bipartisan support and allows Wisconsin residents to get permits on a must-issue basis — meaning that the state cannot deny a permit application without justifiable cause, such as a felony record"
Video embedded below.
"Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that made Wisconsin the 49th state to allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms. Walker had tried to get the bill passed for years while a state legislator, but his Democratic predecessor, Jim Doyle, and Democrats in the legislature had stymied those efforts. This time the bill passed with bipartisan support and allows Wisconsin residents to get permits on a must-issue basis — meaning that the state cannot deny a permit application without justifiable cause, such as a felony record"
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Derek Jeter Homers For His 3,000th Hit
Joining an elite club in style, Jeter is one of a mere 28 to reach the mark, the first Yankee, and only the second to do it with a Home Run.
Video embedded below.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/derek_jeter_for_at_hits_Iya0ob09DkdDRJJG6kKyUM
"The fairy-tale life of Derek Jeter added a stirring chapter Saturday nobody could have predicted.
On a flawless summer day inside a packed Stadium, the perfect Yankee not only reached 3,000 hits with a monster home run in his second at-bat, but he went 5-for-5 with the game-winning hit in a 5-4 victory over the Rays.
...
Jeter admitting to fibbing about there not being pressure on him to become the first Yankees player, and 28th player in major-league history, to reach 3,000."
Video embedded below.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/derek_jeter_for_at_hits_Iya0ob09DkdDRJJG6kKyUM
"The fairy-tale life of Derek Jeter added a stirring chapter Saturday nobody could have predicted.
On a flawless summer day inside a packed Stadium, the perfect Yankee not only reached 3,000 hits with a monster home run in his second at-bat, but he went 5-for-5 with the game-winning hit in a 5-4 victory over the Rays.
...
Jeter admitting to fibbing about there not being pressure on him to become the first Yankees player, and 28th player in major-league history, to reach 3,000."
Friday, July 8, 2011
Unemployment Rises to 9.2%
A mere 18,000 jobs were added to the economy; not nearly enough to reverse the unemployment trend.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-08/u-s-payrolls-rose-18-000-in-june-jobless-rate-climbed-to-9-2-.html
"American employers added jobs at the slowest pace in nine months in June and the unemployment rate unexpectedly climbed to 9.2 percent, sending global stocks sliding on concern the world’s biggest economy is faltering.
Employers increased payrolls by 18,000 workers, less than the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of economists, which called for growth of 105,000. The increase followed a 25,000 gain that was less than half the initial estimate. Hiring by companies was the weakest since May 2010."
To put this in the contexts of the last two years; after rising to %9.5, 'fake' falling to %9.4, rising to %9.7, and then rising again to 9.8%, and rising again to 10.2%, dropping to 10%, held steady, dropping to 9.7%, held steady, held steady again, increased to 9.9%, dropped to 9.7%, fell to 9.5%, holding steady, rising a tick to 9.6%, held steady, held steady again, increased to 9.8%, 'fake' falling to 9.4%, 'fake fallen' again to 9%, dropped to 8.9%, falling again to 8.8%, rose to %9, rose to %9.1, and has risen again to %9.2.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-08/u-s-payrolls-rose-18-000-in-june-jobless-rate-climbed-to-9-2-.html
"American employers added jobs at the slowest pace in nine months in June and the unemployment rate unexpectedly climbed to 9.2 percent, sending global stocks sliding on concern the world’s biggest economy is faltering.
Employers increased payrolls by 18,000 workers, less than the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of economists, which called for growth of 105,000. The increase followed a 25,000 gain that was less than half the initial estimate. Hiring by companies was the weakest since May 2010."
To put this in the contexts of the last two years; after rising to %9.5, 'fake' falling to %9.4, rising to %9.7, and then rising again to 9.8%, and rising again to 10.2%, dropping to 10%, held steady, dropping to 9.7%, held steady, held steady again, increased to 9.9%, dropped to 9.7%, fell to 9.5%, holding steady, rising a tick to 9.6%, held steady, held steady again, increased to 9.8%, 'fake' falling to 9.4%, 'fake fallen' again to 9%, dropped to 8.9%, falling again to 8.8%, rose to %9, rose to %9.1, and has risen again to %9.2.
Obama Administration Plan - No Mortgage Payments For 12 Months For Unemployed
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/no-job-obama-now-says-you-dont-have-to-pay-your-mortgage-for-a-full-year
"The Obama administration is making it easier for out-of-work homeowners to stay in their homes, as it tries to revamp its troubled foreclosure-prevention program.
Starting Aug. 1, the Federal Housing Administration will extend the period for unemployed homeowners to miss mortgage payments to a full year from three or four months. That will allow qualified homeowners to go without making a monthly payment for 12 months before the foreclosure process begins.
The extended grace period only applies to FHA-backed loans, which are usually given to low- and middle-income borrowers and represent about 14 percent of all active mortgages and roughly 25 percent of new mortgages, and homeowners in the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program.
But the change will likely only help “tens of thousands” of homeowners, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said Thursday."
"The Obama administration is making it easier for out-of-work homeowners to stay in their homes, as it tries to revamp its troubled foreclosure-prevention program.
Starting Aug. 1, the Federal Housing Administration will extend the period for unemployed homeowners to miss mortgage payments to a full year from three or four months. That will allow qualified homeowners to go without making a monthly payment for 12 months before the foreclosure process begins.
The extended grace period only applies to FHA-backed loans, which are usually given to low- and middle-income borrowers and represent about 14 percent of all active mortgages and roughly 25 percent of new mortgages, and homeowners in the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program.
But the change will likely only help “tens of thousands” of homeowners, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said Thursday."
Project Gunrunner Was Funded by The Stimulus
Worse than a prank...
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/07/too-bad-to-check-project-gunrunner-was-funded-by-the-stimulus
"I really did think it was too bad to check, despite posts about it at PJM, Weasel Zippers, and Free Republic. But I checked. You’ll find complete PDF and text versions of the final stimulus bill right here. Scroll down to page 16 (of 407!) in the PDF version and behold:
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/07/too-bad-to-check-project-gunrunner-was-funded-by-the-stimulus
"I really did think it was too bad to check, despite posts about it at PJM, Weasel Zippers, and Free Republic. But I checked. You’ll find complete PDF and text versions of the final stimulus bill right here. Scroll down to page 16 (of 407!) in the PDF version and behold:
For an additional amount for ‘‘State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance’’, $40,000,000, for competitive grants to provide assistance and equipment to local law enforcement along the Southern border and in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the Southern border, of which $10,000,000 shall be transferred to ‘‘Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Salaries and Expenses’’ for the ATF Project Gunrunner.
And to think, you guys say the stimulus didn’t produce anything. It produced guns for Mexican drug cartels, didn’t it? Says Ben Domenech, in a stroke of perfect black humor: “Shovel ready.”
Actually, as Ed reminds me via e-mail, this is old news. The boss emeritus was all over the stimulus angle to Gunrunner back in March.
"
Optimus Kruiser! Plus, Democrats Transform GOP in to Terrorists And Suicide Bombers
Video embedded below.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
New George W. Bush Statue Unveiled in Albania
Picture embedded below.
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/06/town-thanks-w-bush-with-statue
"A tiny Albanian village that President George W. Bush visited in 2007 has unveiled a short-sleeved statue of him, in a square named for him.
The 2.85 m- (9.3 ft-) tall statue of the former president, raising his left hand in greeting, was unveiled on Wednesday in the square festooned with Albanian and American flags for the occasion.
"Albanians' pro-Americanism has its roots in our attempts... to build our deserved future as a free nation, as a free country," Prime Minister Sali Berisha told the crowd.
Bush was the first U.S. president to visit post-communist Albania, which is hoping to join the European Union."
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/06/town-thanks-w-bush-with-statue
"A tiny Albanian village that President George W. Bush visited in 2007 has unveiled a short-sleeved statue of him, in a square named for him.
The 2.85 m- (9.3 ft-) tall statue of the former president, raising his left hand in greeting, was unveiled on Wednesday in the square festooned with Albanian and American flags for the occasion.
"Albanians' pro-Americanism has its roots in our attempts... to build our deserved future as a free nation, as a free country," Prime Minister Sali Berisha told the crowd.
Bush was the first U.S. president to visit post-communist Albania, which is hoping to join the European Union."
Tina Brown (Newsweek) - 'Republicans Are Suicide Bombers'
Video embedded below.
"Newsweek's Tina Brown compared congressional Republicans to suicide bombers on Wednesday's Morning Joe after lamenting their refusal to agree to the tax hikes demanded by Democrats. "I think they’re the suicide bombers in all of this," said Brown. Will Tina Brown be banned indefinitely from Morning Joe? Sounds harsher than a crotch reference."
"Newsweek's Tina Brown compared congressional Republicans to suicide bombers on Wednesday's Morning Joe after lamenting their refusal to agree to the tax hikes demanded by Democrats. "I think they’re the suicide bombers in all of this," said Brown. Will Tina Brown be banned indefinitely from Morning Joe? Sounds harsher than a crotch reference."
I am a Democrat (Remix) - The Young Cons
Video embedded below.
Past Songs:
Berman Post: "Young Con Anthem" - Conservative Rap
Berman Post: "Power of the Individual" by The Young Cons
Berman Post: The Young Cons - "The Problem"
Berman Post: "Who are The Young Cons?"
Berman Post: The Young Cons - "Health Care Nightmare"
Berman Post: The Young Cons - Airplanes Remix
Berman Post: "Master of my Destiny" - The Young Cons
Past Songs:
Berman Post: "Young Con Anthem" - Conservative Rap
Berman Post: "Power of the Individual" by The Young Cons
Berman Post: The Young Cons - "The Problem"
Berman Post: "Who are The Young Cons?"
Berman Post: The Young Cons - "Health Care Nightmare"
Berman Post: The Young Cons - Airplanes Remix
Berman Post: "Master of my Destiny" - The Young Cons
Stealing You Blind: How Government Fat Cats Are Getting Rich Off of You - Book Review
Video embedded below.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Facebook Rolls Out Video Calling (Facebook.com/VideoCalling)
Skype plus Facebook equals video calling through Facebook...
http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=10150223135777131
"Today I'm excited to introduce video calling and other improvements to chat.
See The Friends You Message Most
The new chat design includes a sidebar that lists the people you message most. Now it's easier to find your friends and start a conversation. The sidebar adjusts with the size of your browser window, and it automatically appears when the window is wide enough.
Create a Group Chat Instantly
We're also launching multi-person chat, which is one of our most requested features. Now when your friends can't figure out what movie to see, you can just add them to a chat and decide together. To include more friends in your conversation, simply select Add Friends to Chat.
And just like your other chats, the history of your conversation is available in messages.
Bring Your Conversations to Life
Video chat has been around for years now, but it's still not an everyday activity for most people. Sometimes it's too difficult to set up, or the friends you want to talk to are on different services.
So a few months ago, we started working with Skype to bring video calling to Facebook. We built it right into chat, so all your conversations start from the same place. To call your friend, just click the video call button at the top of your chat window."
http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=10150223135777131
"Today I'm excited to introduce video calling and other improvements to chat.
See The Friends You Message Most
The new chat design includes a sidebar that lists the people you message most. Now it's easier to find your friends and start a conversation. The sidebar adjusts with the size of your browser window, and it automatically appears when the window is wide enough.
Create a Group Chat Instantly
We're also launching multi-person chat, which is one of our most requested features. Now when your friends can't figure out what movie to see, you can just add them to a chat and decide together. To include more friends in your conversation, simply select Add Friends to Chat.
And just like your other chats, the history of your conversation is available in messages.
Bring Your Conversations to Life
Video chat has been around for years now, but it's still not an everyday activity for most people. Sometimes it's too difficult to set up, or the friends you want to talk to are on different services.
So a few months ago, we started working with Skype to bring video calling to Facebook. We built it right into chat, so all your conversations start from the same place. To call your friend, just click the video call button at the top of your chat window."
Federal Warning: Al Qaeda Wants to Surgically Implant Bombs in Terrorists
This is not exactly breaking news as there were reports of this type of attack having been implements almost two years ago. It could be a serious problem as detecting such explosives would be extremely difficult. The biggest problem with such an attack (beyond the technical implementation) is that the body is a rather effective blast shield. It is not a pleasant thought in the abstract, but think of the heroes who have jump on grenades sacrificing themselves but saving their buddies. The terrorist would in essence be jumping on the grenade they are throwing. The problem is overcome with more powerful explosives, but fortunately as far as terrorist attacks have gone they have had trouble with 'regular ones' (not being able to lite a shoe and flash frying undies instead exploding). This is something that merits defensive brain power, but hopefully they are not getting around to that just now.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/07/06/federal-warning-al-qaeda-wants-to-surgically-implant-bombs-in-terrorists
"A new and insidious twist on terrorist suicide bombs has federal officials issuing new warnings to international and domestic airlines and stepping up security measures here and abroad.
In 2004 al Qaeda tried a shoe bomb to take down an airplane. Five years later their so-called “Christmas surprise” was an underwear bomb on a plane.
In both cases, they failed.
However, new intelligence indicates al Qaeda now wants to surgically implant bombs directly into a suicide bomber’s body, reports CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer."
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/07/06/federal-warning-al-qaeda-wants-to-surgically-implant-bombs-in-terrorists
"A new and insidious twist on terrorist suicide bombs has federal officials issuing new warnings to international and domestic airlines and stepping up security measures here and abroad.
In 2004 al Qaeda tried a shoe bomb to take down an airplane. Five years later their so-called “Christmas surprise” was an underwear bomb on a plane.
In both cases, they failed.
However, new intelligence indicates al Qaeda now wants to surgically implant bombs directly into a suicide bomber’s body, reports CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer."
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
US Ambassador Skips Dinner Honoring Reagan
He did make it to the statue unveiling, so it is not as bad as it may seem.
http://politics.standard.co.uk/2011/07/the-missing-us-ambassador-at-the-feast-for-ronald-reagan.html
"Last night's Guildhall dinner in honour of Ronald Reagan's centenary was a truly glittering and warm occasion.
The British roasted lamb and the sunny Californian chardonnay evoked the close Anglo-US relationship of Reagan and Thatcher as much as the fine speeches by Condi Rice and William Hague.
But guests were left asking, where on earth was the American ambassador to London, Louis B Susman?
"Our ambassador should be here," said Lynn de Rothschild, the American entrepreneur who is married to Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and was one of Hillary Clinton's key fundraisers in 2008 as well as a supporter of several Republican presidential candidates. "This was an historic dinner to mark Reagan's centenary and to celebrate him as the man who ended the Cold War. What could not be more important?
"Why is our ambassador not here on Independence Day? No excuse. How is it that America is not represented in this room by our ambassador? It is appalling that no representative of our government is in this room. This has the feel of petty partisanship."
Ambassador Susman is, of course, a long-standing Democrat fundraiser, nicknamed the vaccuum cleaner for his skill at sucking donations out of the wealthy. And his efforts to fill Obama's campaign pockets was said by many to be his main qualification to come to London."
http://politics.standard.co.uk/2011/07/the-missing-us-ambassador-at-the-feast-for-ronald-reagan.html
"Last night's Guildhall dinner in honour of Ronald Reagan's centenary was a truly glittering and warm occasion.
The British roasted lamb and the sunny Californian chardonnay evoked the close Anglo-US relationship of Reagan and Thatcher as much as the fine speeches by Condi Rice and William Hague.
But guests were left asking, where on earth was the American ambassador to London, Louis B Susman?
"Our ambassador should be here," said Lynn de Rothschild, the American entrepreneur who is married to Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and was one of Hillary Clinton's key fundraisers in 2008 as well as a supporter of several Republican presidential candidates. "This was an historic dinner to mark Reagan's centenary and to celebrate him as the man who ended the Cold War. What could not be more important?
"Why is our ambassador not here on Independence Day? No excuse. How is it that America is not represented in this room by our ambassador? It is appalling that no representative of our government is in this room. This has the feel of petty partisanship."
Ambassador Susman is, of course, a long-standing Democrat fundraiser, nicknamed the vaccuum cleaner for his skill at sucking donations out of the wealthy. And his efforts to fill Obama's campaign pockets was said by many to be his main qualification to come to London."
Mother to Have Dead Son's Baby
This is all kinds of creepy...
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3678481/Mum-to-have-dead-sons-baby.html
"A WOMAN is set to fulfil her dream of becoming a grandmother — using her dead son's sperm.
Marissa Evans was shattered when beloved son Nikolas died after he was punched on a night out with friends.
The 21-year-old suffered a devastating brain injury after he was knocked down and his head hit a pavement.
He spent five days in intensive care, before Marissa, known as Missy, made the agonising decision to switch off his life-support machine.
But before his life slipped away the divorced 44-year-old controversially asked to harvest his sperm.
...
Now Missy has hand-picked a surrogate mother and an egg donor to have her son's child.
She found a clinic in Mexico which will let her make several attempts with one of their registered surrogates for £18,000.
Missy has faced criticism over her decision — even from her ex-husband Chris, 42."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3678481/Mum-to-have-dead-sons-baby.html
"A WOMAN is set to fulfil her dream of becoming a grandmother — using her dead son's sperm.
Marissa Evans was shattered when beloved son Nikolas died after he was punched on a night out with friends.
The 21-year-old suffered a devastating brain injury after he was knocked down and his head hit a pavement.
He spent five days in intensive care, before Marissa, known as Missy, made the agonising decision to switch off his life-support machine.
But before his life slipped away the divorced 44-year-old controversially asked to harvest his sperm.
...
Now Missy has hand-picked a surrogate mother and an egg donor to have her son's child.
She found a clinic in Mexico which will let her make several attempts with one of their registered surrogates for £18,000.
Missy has faced criticism over her decision — even from her ex-husband Chris, 42."
Monday, July 4, 2011
Fox News Twitter Feed Hacked
Someones in trouble...
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/04/foxnewspolitics-twitter-feed-hacked
"FoxNews.com's Twitter feed for political news, FoxNewspolitics, was hacked early Monday morning.
Hackers sent out several malicious and false tweets claiming that President Obama had been assassinated. Those reports were incorrect, of course, and the president was spending the July 4 holiday with his family at the White House.
The tweets have been removed from the feed.
FoxNews.com alerted the U.S. Secret Service, which will investigate the hacking and do "appropriate follow up," spokesman George Ogilvie said."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/04/foxnewspolitics-twitter-feed-hacked
"FoxNews.com's Twitter feed for political news, FoxNewspolitics, was hacked early Monday morning.
Hackers sent out several malicious and false tweets claiming that President Obama had been assassinated. Those reports were incorrect, of course, and the president was spending the July 4 holiday with his family at the White House.
The tweets have been removed from the feed.
FoxNews.com alerted the U.S. Secret Service, which will investigate the hacking and do "appropriate follow up," spokesman George Ogilvie said."
Happy Independence Day! Go to a Parade, Become a Republican!
Happy Fourth of July!
Video embedded below.
Video embedded below.
Supreme Court Unleashes Kiddie Commandos; OKs Sale of Violent Video Games to Minors
Video embedded below.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Got Fireworks? (by State)
Have fun tomorrow, but as I have said before just make sure your fingers' are still attached to your hands' when the festivities end.
Picture embedded below. (via)
Picture embedded below. (via)
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