Obama Bumper Sticker on The Front

My father noticed this Obama bumper sticker on the front of the car.

Picture embedded below.

Wal-Mart to Launch 'Green Tags'

Products that are sold at Wal-Mart may soon have 'green tags'. These green tags will let costumers know the full environmental impact the product will have over the course of its 'life' (from creation to disposal). At least that is the idea. Even without knowing the exact details, there is concern that it will raise the prices of goods.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124766892562645475.html

"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. unveiled an environmental labeling program for the products it carries, in a step that could redefine the design and makeup of consumer goods sold around the globe but also boost costs for suppliers and customers.

Wal-Mart Thursday will tell suppliers they must calculate and disclose the full environmental costs of making their products, then allow Wal-Mart to distill the information into a rating system that shoppers will see alongside prices for everything from T-shirts to televisions.
...
Consumers are not likely to see the first labels for years. The company estimated it could take a half decade or longer, although outside experts involved in the project said it could start sooner, perhaps as early as 2011. What the labels will look like and exactly what they will attempt to illustrate has yet to be determined.

The most immediate impact of Wal-Mart's latest drive will be felt by its 100,000 suppliers, which will bear the costs of the company's environmental mandates, at a time in which many are struggling economically. Wal-Mart said it was premature to estimate the cost to suppliers. ...

Wal-Mart insisted there will be no exemptions. Asked what relationship Wal-Mart would maintain with suppliers that don't supply the data, Chief Merchandising Officer John Fleming said bluntly, "We probably don't have one.""

Preexisting Condition Insurance Coverage Makes Zero Sense

One of the big issues regarding the healthcare overhaul is the problem with people not being able to get insurance coverage on Preexisting Conditions. Of course they should have trouble getting that coverage. Indeed they should not be able to. Insurance is all about what might happen, not what already has happened. People pay a certain amount of money to the insurance company so that IF something happens to them the damage will be mitigated. The amount of money they pay is generally less then what the damage would cost them. Insurance companies make their money because the catastrophe does not happen to everyone. If that did happen then the insurance company would fail (think AIG).

Let us look at this 'preexisting condition' notion in a field outside of healthcare. Someone does not get car insurance, then has a major accident. Should they be able to go to a car insurance company after the accident and get insurance to fix that damage? The answer is obviously not. What about a person without home insurance trying to get a policy after their house burned to the ground? Again, of course not. Insurance companies would all go bankrupt if people did not have to pay to be covered and instead could wait until after the damage was done to sign up.

It just does not make any logical sense. Insurance companies do not exist to heal people, nor to help them out of benevolence. Those organizations are called charities, and you may note that none of them are profitable relying on continued donations to keep running. Insurance companies are there to offer risk mediation. You pay them and then they take on the risk of you having an accident or coming down with a serious medical condition. If you did not have to pay the monthly fee to keep your coverage, and could still force the company to pay your medical bills by rejoining (or joining) later with a preexisting condition, everyone would do that. The result would be no more insurance companies as they are forced to pay out huge claims without getting any money from the monthly upkeep fees.

People without coverage and with a condition do present a problem to the system in how to deal with them. Forcing insurance companies to pick up the tab is not the answer. Instead of solving the problem it will create a much larger problems. It will create a huge incentive to become one of the uninsured knowing you do not have to keep paying the maintenance on your insurance to get coverage and bankrupting health insurance companies.

If I were a slightly more cynical man, or one more inclined to conspiracy theories, I might think the resulting problems may actually be the goal. With all the private insurance companies forced out of business and the masses uninsured, a single government system would be the likely result. Unintended potential consequence, or a means to the true end goal? Either way, that would seem to be the most probable logical result from this otherwise illogical policy objective.

Obama - 'I do Not Have All The Facts, But The Police Acted Stupidly'

Obama's comments regarding the arrest of Black Harvard professor Gates by White police officer Crowley were making the rounds last weekend. If you missed the back story; Gates got home from a trip and did not have his keys, so he 'jimmied' his way through the front door. Neighbors saw and reported the incident as a home invasion. The police responded and found a belligerent Gates, who then arrested him for disorderly conduct, not because they thought he was a home invader. Gates accused Crowley (the arresting officer) of racial profiling. Obama weighed in at his healthcare press conferences basically saying 'I do Not Have All The Facts, But The Police Acted Stupidly'.

Video embedded below (from http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/24/obamateurism-of-the-day-84)



In the aftermath it came to light that Crowley actually teaches a class on how not to racially profile and the black officer who was there supports his partner completely. Demands for apologies flew back and fourth, threats of lawsuits were also bantered about, Obama has backtracked a bit (sort of), and now Obama wants to host the two for a beer and to make up.

It seems to me (and Patterico) that Gates was the one that stereotyped Crowley, not the other way around (http://patterico.com/2009/07/24/the-officer-didnt-stereotype-henry-louis-gates-henry-louis-gates-stereotyped-the-officer). Obama came down on the wrong side of this and if he did not know enough about the situation (which he admitted he did not) he should have said that and left it there.

Rick Sanchez (CNN) Attacks Fox News, Fox News Responds

First what Sanchez said, Fox News response after.

IMAO (In My Arrogant Opinion) gives you the play-by-play.

http://www.imao.us/index.php/2009/07/rick-sanchez-were-all-the-same-except-that-im-better-than-you (language warning)

"

Here’s the summary: Rick Sanchez is a douche bag, and thinks he’s better than the folks at Fox News. He also denies that, so he’s a lying douche bag.

Here’s what he said:

if i didn’t believe in doing right thing, i’d be rich anchoring at fox news

11:19 PM Jul 24th from web

He followed that with:

do u know how much money i’d make if i’d sold out as hispanic and worked at fox news, r u kidding, one problem, looking in mirror

11:22 PM Jul 24th from web

Seems that Huffington Post picked up on what he said, and he didn’t like it:

ok im back, just saw huffpost. good story but headline wrong! i say i couldn’t work there, im not criticizing those who do. never said that

about 8 hours ago from web

I’m not here to support Huffington Post, but Sanchez did say that he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror if he worked at Fox News.

What about those that could? Are their standards lower? Does Sanchez think he’s better than them because his standards are higher? Seems that way, doesn’t it?

Somewhere, in the midst of all this, he said this:

i guess people really are essentially same.

12:29 AM Jul 25th from web

I assume he meant “people really are essentially all the same” and not “people really are essentially sane.” If “all the same,” then he’s saying that, well, he’s just like everybody else, except that he’s better. Because he has higher standards than the Hispanics that work at Fox News.

Sounds like something a douche bag would say.

Oh, and he offered this:

wow, really getting heat from neocons and far right wing fox viewers for saying truth. must have hit nerve

about 8 hours ago from web

No, Sanchez didn’t hit a nerve. But he did offer more proof that CNN hires douche bags that think they are better than others.

"

http://www.mediaite.com/online/cnns-rick-sanchez-pokes-at-fox-news-fox-news-smacks-him-away

"A Fox News spokesperson tells Mediaite: “Everyone knows that Rick is an industry joke, he shows that he’s a hack everyday. And he doesn’t have to worry about working at FOX because we only hire talent who have the ability to generate ratings.”
..
• ICN noticed a response on Twitter from FNC’s Julie Banderas.

• Johnny Dollar notes the response from FNC pundit Marc Lamont Hill.

"

This round goes to Fox News.

Iranian Revolution (Day Forty-Four)

Update (7/27/2009):Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Forty-Five). End of Update:

A lot of 'Cabinet Drama' for Ahmadinejad; see http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/more-cabinet-drama-as-ahmadinejad-fires-intelligence-minister, http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/despite-spat-with-leader-ahmadinejad-names-mashaei-special-advisor and http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/harandi-resigns-ahmadinejad’s-cabinet-no-longer-official.

Clinton takes a hard line against Iran's nuclear ambitions; "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and reiterated Washington's commitment to protect close ally Israel from any threat posed by Tehran.

"We are going to do everything we can to prevent you (Iran) from getting a nuclear weapon. Your pursuit is futile," she told NBC's "Meet the Press" program, adding that Iran did not have the right to develop a nuclear weapon."

She did not take nearly as hard a line on protecting the protesters; "Clinton said she had been "moved" by Iranian protesters' actions following the June election.

"Clearly, we would hope better for the Iranian people, we would hope that there is more openness and that peaceful demonstrations are respected," she said, criticizing the Iranian government's quelling of dissent." (http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2651064120090726).

Obama's Daily tracking poll rating hit a new low; "The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 29% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11. That’s the first time his ratings have reached double digits in negative territory
...
Overall, 49% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Fifty percent (50%) disapprove." (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll). Chances are good that this is from a lot more than just his handling of the situation in Iran, but it likely contributes to it.

Past related posts:
Berman Post: Iranian Election Viewed as Rigged
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Protest (NYC)
Berman Post: Iranian Riots Continue
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Three)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Four)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Protest at Union Square (NYC)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Five)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Six)
Berman Post: Prayer Vigil For The Fallen Iranian Protesters (NYC)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Seven)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Eight)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Nine)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Ten)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Eleven)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twelve)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirteen)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Fourteen)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Fifteen)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Sixteen)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Seventeen)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Eighteen)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Nineteen)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-One)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Two)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Three)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Four)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Five)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Six)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Seven)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Eight)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Twenty-Nine)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-One)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Two)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Three)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Four)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Five)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Six)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Seven)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Eight)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Thirty-Nine)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Forty)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Forty-One)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Forty-Two)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Forty-Three)

Palin Resigns as Governor of Alaska

She announced that she would a few weeks back (Berman Post: Sarah Palin to Resigns as Governor of Alaska). Now it is official, Sarah Palin has resigned from being Governor of Alaska.



More at http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99MF9KO0&show_article=1.