Monday, May 17, 2010
Charlie Crist to Republican donors, screw you.
Now that he has changed to an independent, Charlie says to all of the Republican donors that sent him money when he was a Republican, too bad for you. He says he is keeping the money. Charlie Crist, a real "for the people" kind of guy.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Eric Holder, grade A "tool"
Watch the video and read the transcript. Sorry but no other description comes to mind after view this than "what a tool!". He just can not bring himself to use the phrase "radical Islam" in describing these fanatics! What do that have to do to qualify in Eric's eyes? Wear a t-shirt that says "I am a radical Islamist!" on it?
That bit about "not constant with the teaching...", yeah right. Every other Imam in the world is preaching "death to the non-believers" but I guess it does not count until at least 51% of them do.
My final question is this: is this position Eric's or Obama's? Is Eric enacting his own PC position here or is he following orders from higher up?
That bit about "not constant with the teaching...", yeah right. Every other Imam in the world is preaching "death to the non-believers" but I guess it does not count until at least 51% of them do.
My final question is this: is this position Eric's or Obama's? Is Eric enacting his own PC position here or is he following orders from higher up?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
An ACORN by any other name...
Looks like the ACORN name re-branding is in full swing. Just remember, the name may have changed but it is still the same tune...
Monday, May 3, 2010
GM, big fat liar?
It would appear so. The president of GM has been appearing in commercials claiming that GM has paid back all of the "$6.7 Billion government loan in full". Is he telling the truth? Only if you complete ignore the $13.4 Billion escrow account that is still outstanding and was used to pay back the $6.7 billion loan. This was all part of the total $50 Billion that was part of the bail out plan. Sure the government got some stock for their (our) $50 Billion but what is that stock worth today?
So GM gets almost $20 Billion in loans and escrow monies. They then use part of the escrow to pay back the loans and attempt to call it all done. Sorry, have to call BS on that.
Why is the government allowing them to report the loans paid back "in full" when they are not? Maybe because the bail out was not very popular and there are a lot of people that refuse to buy GM cars as a result so by allowing GM to say that they have paid back the "loans" when they still owe a lot of money allows both GM and the government to save face and (they hope) get people buying GM cars again.
So GM gets almost $20 Billion in loans and escrow monies. They then use part of the escrow to pay back the loans and attempt to call it all done. Sorry, have to call BS on that.
Why is the government allowing them to report the loans paid back "in full" when they are not? Maybe because the bail out was not very popular and there are a lot of people that refuse to buy GM cars as a result so by allowing GM to say that they have paid back the "loans" when they still owe a lot of money allows both GM and the government to save face and (they hope) get people buying GM cars again.
Monday, April 19, 2010
What hath Viagra wrought?
What is wrong with this article, oh were to start, where to begin…
First off quoting a lesbian comedian (Wanda Sykes) about Viagra is kind of like quoting a man on tampon usage, you are kind of looking in the wrong place. I can understand why Wanda might not be able to wait “for the dick to break” but that might not be a universal position for women that actually prefer men.
What a fantastic opening to set the stage for the rest of the article which treats us to all manner of stories as to how old (and young) married women just want to be left alone (sexually that is) but do want to have their men (how else to get a house, car, money, etc.). Well if all you want is a room-mate, there is a solution to that. Get a room-mate. A healthy sexual relationship is part and parcel of a healthily marriage.
What hath Viagra wrought? It has wrought an extended period of sexual intimacy for older couples that would not otherwise be able to enjoy “that” type of relationship.
I just love this other quote:
“I think there’s a lot of women who are married to older men who now have to perform and they find it annoying,” says Judith Regan.
And this one:
Or as Judith Regan, the former editor-publisher and purveyor of the tastes of millions of American women, puts it: “I think there’s a lot of women who are married to older men who now have to perform and they find it annoying. They didn’t get married to have sex with these geezers. They married them for money, houses, and companionship. Sex with them is an irritation.” (As Regan sees it, women are “almost” as horny as men, though somewhat more selective about sex.)
So it is perfectly fine for these young women to marry older men so long as the men don’t get the wrong idea and expect sex (it is ONLY a marriage after all). These sorts of women (that Judith seems to support) are the worst sort of gold diggers. At least with a prostitute you know what you are getting, in this case, you pay but she does not expect to have to play.
According to Jacob Bernstein, for many married women it was just fine when their husbands had the will but not the way (for sex). It was just fine for these men to suffer with the desire that they could not satisfy. The wives were finished with sex so done is done, none for hon. Now Viagra has gone and made a mess of things. These wives still would rather not “play house” with hubby but can’t understand why hubby would (now that he could) look elsewhere for satisfaction.
This is just such a badly written, one-sided, women first article, I can not believe that it got published. It barely hints that the “little blue pill” might be just what the doctor ordered not only for millions of men but also for millions of women that are not really to give up on intimate relations with their men. Nope, according to Jacob Bernstein, men are just such a bother and it is such a relief to women of all ages when “the dick breaks” and they can stop with the irritation of sex.
First off quoting a lesbian comedian (Wanda Sykes) about Viagra is kind of like quoting a man on tampon usage, you are kind of looking in the wrong place. I can understand why Wanda might not be able to wait “for the dick to break” but that might not be a universal position for women that actually prefer men.
What a fantastic opening to set the stage for the rest of the article which treats us to all manner of stories as to how old (and young) married women just want to be left alone (sexually that is) but do want to have their men (how else to get a house, car, money, etc.). Well if all you want is a room-mate, there is a solution to that. Get a room-mate. A healthy sexual relationship is part and parcel of a healthily marriage.
What hath Viagra wrought? It has wrought an extended period of sexual intimacy for older couples that would not otherwise be able to enjoy “that” type of relationship.
I just love this other quote:
“I think there’s a lot of women who are married to older men who now have to perform and they find it annoying,” says Judith Regan.
And this one:
Or as Judith Regan, the former editor-publisher and purveyor of the tastes of millions of American women, puts it: “I think there’s a lot of women who are married to older men who now have to perform and they find it annoying. They didn’t get married to have sex with these geezers. They married them for money, houses, and companionship. Sex with them is an irritation.” (As Regan sees it, women are “almost” as horny as men, though somewhat more selective about sex.)
So it is perfectly fine for these young women to marry older men so long as the men don’t get the wrong idea and expect sex (it is ONLY a marriage after all). These sorts of women (that Judith seems to support) are the worst sort of gold diggers. At least with a prostitute you know what you are getting, in this case, you pay but she does not expect to have to play.
According to Jacob Bernstein, for many married women it was just fine when their husbands had the will but not the way (for sex). It was just fine for these men to suffer with the desire that they could not satisfy. The wives were finished with sex so done is done, none for hon. Now Viagra has gone and made a mess of things. These wives still would rather not “play house” with hubby but can’t understand why hubby would (now that he could) look elsewhere for satisfaction.
This is just such a badly written, one-sided, women first article, I can not believe that it got published. It barely hints that the “little blue pill” might be just what the doctor ordered not only for millions of men but also for millions of women that are not really to give up on intimate relations with their men. Nope, according to Jacob Bernstein, men are just such a bother and it is such a relief to women of all ages when “the dick breaks” and they can stop with the irritation of sex.
The Most Spectacular Sun View to Date
Amazing video of a solar ejection. Not sure what would have happened to the earth if that thing was pointed as us and just glad that we don't need to find out!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Resonable Men
Another outstanding essay by Bill Whittle. His logic and eloquence never ceases to humble me, while his essays always inspire. As always, a must read.
Tea Parties too successful?
It would appear the that Tea Party movement is getting a little too successful for some people and they are pulling out all of the stops in an attempt to crush this growing "real" grass roots movement to get government under control.
The press first tried to ignore the Tea Parties and when that did not work, they (with help from a lot of Democrat politicians) tried to make fun of them and belittle them by using a derogatory sexual term to describe the participants. That failed too so now they are trying to paint the various groups as racist.
So far that tactic does not appear to be working either so it is time for them (those on the left) to step up their game.
The new plan is to infiltrate the various Tea Party groups and act in various bad ways. Disrupt the events how ever possible. Hold up racist signs. Shout racist comments. Talk the "truther" talk. Whatever they can do, preferably in front of the MSM so as to taint the Tea Party movement as extreme and racist.
Where is the proof that the left are planning to subvert the right to assemble and the right to protest by various groups that they disagree with? Glad you asked. Here is Former Democratic State Party Chairman Kathy Sullivan planning to disrupt the lawful assembly of a group she is opposed to. Here is another individual, Jason Levin who actually launched a web site dedicated to helping those on the left organize to disrupt Tea Party gatherings.
This is the sort of subversive behavior that the left often complains that those on the right are doing, squelching dissent, disrupting the right of the people to protest their government, etc. As history shows (verses the reporting of the MSM) it is in fact the left that leads in doing all that they can to crush opposing views. The left fears actual debate and discussion of various opinions because they are rightly afraid that their views do not stand up to investigation. Their failed and failing policies do not work. It is far easier to shout down your opponents, discredit them and dismiss their ideas than it is to argue that "1 + 1 = 5" which is what they try to do with their various policies and programs. It is a LIE that the current health care plan recently signed into law will do ANYTHING to reduce costs, improve service and expand benefits. Can't happen. Show me any government run agency or service that is more efficient and delivers better service and a lower cost than comparable private sector companies. Can't be done but instead of discussing the actual merits, pros and cons of this health care program, the backers chose instead to lie about what was in the bill, lie about what it would cost and said "you will like it and know what is in it once it passes" when (they hope) it is too late to un-do the damage.
Well more people are more fed up with this current government than ever before and it has a lot on the left worried and scared. So, what to do? Adjust your policies so that they actually could work and could benefit America or attack those who you see as standing in your way? Well we can see what path the left has chosen. I fear that things will get a lot worse before they start getting better.
The press first tried to ignore the Tea Parties and when that did not work, they (with help from a lot of Democrat politicians) tried to make fun of them and belittle them by using a derogatory sexual term to describe the participants. That failed too so now they are trying to paint the various groups as racist.
So far that tactic does not appear to be working either so it is time for them (those on the left) to step up their game.
The new plan is to infiltrate the various Tea Party groups and act in various bad ways. Disrupt the events how ever possible. Hold up racist signs. Shout racist comments. Talk the "truther" talk. Whatever they can do, preferably in front of the MSM so as to taint the Tea Party movement as extreme and racist.
Where is the proof that the left are planning to subvert the right to assemble and the right to protest by various groups that they disagree with? Glad you asked. Here is Former Democratic State Party Chairman Kathy Sullivan planning to disrupt the lawful assembly of a group she is opposed to. Here is another individual, Jason Levin who actually launched a web site dedicated to helping those on the left organize to disrupt Tea Party gatherings.
This is the sort of subversive behavior that the left often complains that those on the right are doing, squelching dissent, disrupting the right of the people to protest their government, etc. As history shows (verses the reporting of the MSM) it is in fact the left that leads in doing all that they can to crush opposing views. The left fears actual debate and discussion of various opinions because they are rightly afraid that their views do not stand up to investigation. Their failed and failing policies do not work. It is far easier to shout down your opponents, discredit them and dismiss their ideas than it is to argue that "1 + 1 = 5" which is what they try to do with their various policies and programs. It is a LIE that the current health care plan recently signed into law will do ANYTHING to reduce costs, improve service and expand benefits. Can't happen. Show me any government run agency or service that is more efficient and delivers better service and a lower cost than comparable private sector companies. Can't be done but instead of discussing the actual merits, pros and cons of this health care program, the backers chose instead to lie about what was in the bill, lie about what it would cost and said "you will like it and know what is in it once it passes" when (they hope) it is too late to un-do the damage.
Well more people are more fed up with this current government than ever before and it has a lot on the left worried and scared. So, what to do? Adjust your policies so that they actually could work and could benefit America or attack those who you see as standing in your way? Well we can see what path the left has chosen. I fear that things will get a lot worse before they start getting better.
Friday, March 26, 2010
It's all about the diplomas
Really? It is all about the diplomas?
Peter Orzag, the head of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has explained the differences in pay by saying that public employees have more diplomas.
However, in my opinion if the government we are getting is the result of all these diplomas, I would like high-school drop outs to run Congress.
Ain't that the truth! Most of the government workers I have direct experience with are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, diplomas or not. There is some innovation but the cost of that innovation is much higher than in the private sector. Additionally, most of the government workers are bureaucrats following the rule book. To what end are higher level diplomas?
Actual comparisons of education levels between public sector and private sector dispute that statement so try again...
It used to be that public sector pay lagged that of the private sector because you traded money for security. It was and still is very difficult to loose a government job compared to losing a private sector job. The salary discrepancies have been removed and so now you have "tenured" government employees that make on par or more than the private sector, have great benefits and can't be fired easily. The best of all worlds. The big dirty little secret is the pension obligations that are unsustainable at both the Federal and local government levels that will result in either massive tax increases and/or cuts in other current/future services to pay for retirement benefits.
Peter Orzag, the head of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has explained the differences in pay by saying that public employees have more diplomas.
However, in my opinion if the government we are getting is the result of all these diplomas, I would like high-school drop outs to run Congress.
Ain't that the truth! Most of the government workers I have direct experience with are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, diplomas or not. There is some innovation but the cost of that innovation is much higher than in the private sector. Additionally, most of the government workers are bureaucrats following the rule book. To what end are higher level diplomas?
Actual comparisons of education levels between public sector and private sector dispute that statement so try again...
It used to be that public sector pay lagged that of the private sector because you traded money for security. It was and still is very difficult to loose a government job compared to losing a private sector job. The salary discrepancies have been removed and so now you have "tenured" government employees that make on par or more than the private sector, have great benefits and can't be fired easily. The best of all worlds. The big dirty little secret is the pension obligations that are unsustainable at both the Federal and local government levels that will result in either massive tax increases and/or cuts in other current/future services to pay for retirement benefits.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Resisting ObamaCare, Gandhi Style
After all, this issue is not just about the fate of an industry. It is about maintaining control over basic decisions about one's own life and health. The stakes are too high to let ObamaCare stand.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Obamacare
Well, Obamacare looks to very soon, be the law of the land. The Democratic leadership managed to bribe, brow beat and twist enough arms to get this 2000 plus page monstrosity passed. I firmly believe that if it is not repelled, we and our children will suffer as a result if the enacting of this thing.
1) This bill is so massive that even after talking about it for a year or more, there is no single congressman that has read it all and understands it.
2) It is full of special deals, favors and vote buys.
3) I have lost count of the number of promises broken and lies this administration has told about this bill (i.e. it will be available online for at least 3 day before it is voted on). So much for that transparent government thing.
4) As has been noted before here and elsewhere, if real reform were the goal, there are two or three simple things that could have been done to do that. 2000+ pages was not needed. This has never been about health care, it has been about power and control.
I hope that all of the Democrats that voted for this stinking pile learn to regret their betrayal at the next election (a "sorry I did not know what I was voting for cause I did not read it" will NOT cut it).
1) This bill is so massive that even after talking about it for a year or more, there is no single congressman that has read it all and understands it.
2) It is full of special deals, favors and vote buys.
3) I have lost count of the number of promises broken and lies this administration has told about this bill (i.e. it will be available online for at least 3 day before it is voted on). So much for that transparent government thing.
4) As has been noted before here and elsewhere, if real reform were the goal, there are two or three simple things that could have been done to do that. 2000+ pages was not needed. This has never been about health care, it has been about power and control.
I hope that all of the Democrats that voted for this stinking pile learn to regret their betrayal at the next election (a "sorry I did not know what I was voting for cause I did not read it" will NOT cut it).
Friday, March 19, 2010
I called and thanked them for voting "NO" on Obamacare (last time), did you?
I am sure that it would not hurt to call and encourage them to stand firm!
Allen Boyd, (D., Fla.) —202-225-5235
Suzanne Kosmas, (D., Fla.) —202-225-2706
It sure was not easy getting though!
Allen Boyd, (D., Fla.) —202-225-5235
Suzanne Kosmas, (D., Fla.) —202-225-2706
It sure was not easy getting though!
Health care, government style
Our current government (headed by Obama if you have forgotten) wants to take over an additional 1/6th of the economy, in the form of their new health care proposal.
According to Attorney General Eric Holder, Medicare which currently accounts for 14% of all federal spending, is rife with waste, fraud and abuse. “By all accounts, every year we lose tens of billions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid funds to fraud.”
So lets give them an even bigger program so that they can lose even more money!
Harvard Professor Malcolm Sparrow, a specialist in health care fraud teaching at the Kennedy School of Government, has estimated that as much as 20% of the federal health program budgets – or approximately $150 billion – is eaten up by improper payments every year.
So let me get this straight, the current portion of medical spending that the government does is so inefficient that there is actually "a specialist in health care fraud" teaching at the Kennedy School of Government! The current medical spending is so racked with fraud that there are specialists in the field of Medicare fraud! That must mean that this new health care proposal by Obama is actually two bills in one! Health care and a jobs bill! Cause if this monstrosity passes, there will be a need for many more "specialists in health care fraud" along with other types of specialists in navigating what will become a quagmire of rules and regulations that will make the current insurance maze look like a straight line.
Call your representative and tell them to say NO to this pile of garbage!
According to Attorney General Eric Holder, Medicare which currently accounts for 14% of all federal spending, is rife with waste, fraud and abuse. “By all accounts, every year we lose tens of billions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid funds to fraud.”
So lets give them an even bigger program so that they can lose even more money!
Harvard Professor Malcolm Sparrow, a specialist in health care fraud teaching at the Kennedy School of Government, has estimated that as much as 20% of the federal health program budgets – or approximately $150 billion – is eaten up by improper payments every year.
So let me get this straight, the current portion of medical spending that the government does is so inefficient that there is actually "a specialist in health care fraud" teaching at the Kennedy School of Government! The current medical spending is so racked with fraud that there are specialists in the field of Medicare fraud! That must mean that this new health care proposal by Obama is actually two bills in one! Health care and a jobs bill! Cause if this monstrosity passes, there will be a need for many more "specialists in health care fraud" along with other types of specialists in navigating what will become a quagmire of rules and regulations that will make the current insurance maze look like a straight line.
Call your representative and tell them to say NO to this pile of garbage!
Men, damned if you do and damned if you don't
If men don't help around the house, they are called lazy, loafers, and other derogatory terms for not "pulling their weight". When they do help around the house, "they" can cause their partners to suffer from lower self-competence.
So, either men are lazy for not helping or they are subjecting their spouses to physiological stress if they do help. Must be nice being a woman and being able to have things both ways.
Sounds like just more feminist physcobabble to me.
Why is it that feminists never seem able to take responsibility for their situation? It seems that to a feminist, life is "done" to them verses them living life. They are affected by everything (and usually adversely) and seem to never have any control over anything, even when they have complete control. This is not the 50s any more. You are where and what you are because you earned it, good or bad. YOU chose to stay in a bad relationship. YOU chose to have a child out of wedlock. YOU chose to have a career instead of a family. YOU chose to own 30 pairs of shoes and have no savings. No one held a gun to your head and forced you to do anything. You have more laws to protect you from men, organizations and yourself than is sane. Many women love to talk about how childish men are. Well look in a mirror sometime. Women in America have more rights and options than women anywhere else in the world at any time in history and act (as a group) less like adults than ever before.
So, either men are lazy for not helping or they are subjecting their spouses to physiological stress if they do help. Must be nice being a woman and being able to have things both ways.
Sounds like just more feminist physcobabble to me.
Why is it that feminists never seem able to take responsibility for their situation? It seems that to a feminist, life is "done" to them verses them living life. They are affected by everything (and usually adversely) and seem to never have any control over anything, even when they have complete control. This is not the 50s any more. You are where and what you are because you earned it, good or bad. YOU chose to stay in a bad relationship. YOU chose to have a child out of wedlock. YOU chose to have a career instead of a family. YOU chose to own 30 pairs of shoes and have no savings. No one held a gun to your head and forced you to do anything. You have more laws to protect you from men, organizations and yourself than is sane. Many women love to talk about how childish men are. Well look in a mirror sometime. Women in America have more rights and options than women anywhere else in the world at any time in history and act (as a group) less like adults than ever before.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A sensible heath care reform plan
Now this is a sensible heath care reform plan! It fits on one page (well maybe 6 when the politicians get done turning it into legalese), truly benefits consumers, reduces costs (which will lead to greater citizen coverage) and does not cost the government anything (but power). It even has something for the Greens among us (Al, I am talking to you) as it takes only 1 page instead of 2100 or so, so the carbon footprint of this bill is practically non-existent!
The GOP should jump on this idea! It could be proposed this week, voted on next week and signed into law shortly there after with big benefits to everyone!
The GOP should jump on this idea! It could be proposed this week, voted on next week and signed into law shortly there after with big benefits to everyone!
If this health care bill is so good...
why is congress exempting themselves from it?
Simple question that should be simple for the President and congress to answer. Why haven't they?
The President is right in that these politicians will be judged at the polls for their vote and overwhelmingly, the people DON'T WANT THIS BILL!
After watching this interview, I can not see the President being on Fox for another. He did not come across looking very presidential or honest. He mostly dodged the questions and just kept repeating his standard talking points that have already been shown to be lies.
AND he said, we will post it after the vote. He has been promising to post it for months now and it has not been posted because it is not done yet! If it is not done yet, what the HECK are the voting for? They have NO IDEA! Since they have no idea, they should NOT be voting on it!
Simple question that should be simple for the President and congress to answer. Why haven't they?
The President is right in that these politicians will be judged at the polls for their vote and overwhelmingly, the people DON'T WANT THIS BILL!
After watching this interview, I can not see the President being on Fox for another. He did not come across looking very presidential or honest. He mostly dodged the questions and just kept repeating his standard talking points that have already been shown to be lies.
AND he said, we will post it after the vote. He has been promising to post it for months now and it has not been posted because it is not done yet! If it is not done yet, what the HECK are the voting for? They have NO IDEA! Since they have no idea, they should NOT be voting on it!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Homebuilt Kiwi 'hovercraft'
Now this is just TOO cool! If it can really be mass produced for only $13,000 U.S. that just adds to the cool factor.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.
That is right, Queen Nancy said that "we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it". She is referring to the current health care legislation.
That would be like me telling you that you have to buy this car in order to test drive it, oh and by the way, too bad if you don't like it as you now own it!
Most members of congress (if not all of them) don't even know what is in this steaming pile as none of them have read it and they want us to take it on faith that "its all good".
It is an embarrassment that she is in congress and a down right crime that she is speaker of the house!
That would be like me telling you that you have to buy this car in order to test drive it, oh and by the way, too bad if you don't like it as you now own it!
Most members of congress (if not all of them) don't even know what is in this steaming pile as none of them have read it and they want us to take it on faith that "its all good".
It is an embarrassment that she is in congress and a down right crime that she is speaker of the house!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Postage stamp size testing kit
This is great, a postage stamp size, paper blood testing kit. One of the best parts is that it can be manufactured in quantity for about a penny a piece. One of the commenters had a really good idea about including it in bandages. That way you can perform tests as part of protecting a cut. The test results could indicate if you need to see a doctor. At that size, you could fill a tissue with 40 or so different tests that could all be checked at the same time.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
WFT?
At a very fundamental, core level, Springston did not share our vision for a news publication with a progressive perspective. He held on to the notion that there was an objective reality that could be reported objectively, despite the fact that that was not our editorial policy at Atlanta Progressive News. It just wasn’t the right fit.
I have to repeat, WTF? A news reporter that has the audacity to actually adhere to the journalist's code (just the facts) which is a rare thing these days and is discharged from his position because he failed to follow the newspaper's policy of reporting all stories with a progressive bent, basically lie.
The following is also from their response to an inquiry about the firing:
In the meantime, here is some information from our Frequently Asked Questions page:“Progressive news is news that brings us closer to universal health care, living wages, affordable housing, peace, a healthy environment, and voting systems we can trust.
Who cares if there is any (you know) actual truth in any of these liberal fantasies, as a news organization they will do all within their power to force these issues into reality.
Living Wage: What is that? If you accept a job for the offered amount of money, done deal. If a person does not think that it is sufficient to live on, continue looking for work elsewhere. If you are right and no one takes that job, the person offering the position will be forced to increase the wage until someone accepts. That is how things work. This entire "living wage" is simply a liberal wet dream and an effort to force businesses to artificially pay more than a specific job is worth.
Affordable Housing: Again, what is "affordable housing"? The specific house you want and the price you want it? Or any house at a cost that the average family can afford? If it is the first, again, a liberal wet dream. If it is the ladder, that already exists or at least did until community organizers and democrats started screwing with the housing loan market in the late 80s, early 90s, forcing banks to lend money to unqualified buyers, leading to the recently collapsed housing bubble. Sorry to break this to you but owning a home is NOT a right. It is a privilege available to persons that have sufficient income to afford to either out right buy their chosen home or to have enough income and credit history to convince a lending institution to let them borrow the funds to purchase their chosen home. See how clear and easy this is?
Peace: What they really mean is peace at any price, not fair and sustainable peace while preserving the various countries and societies that want to continue to exist into the future without being terrorized or forced out of existence by barbaric hoards.
A Healthy Environment: What is not healthy about the environment right now? Is it perfect? No but it is not nearly as bad off as it was in years past and simply enacting a slew of new regulations that are really nothing more than an elaborate wealth redistribution scheme is not the answer. As to the "debate" about global warming being over, they are right. It is over and the AGW crowd has been shown to be the liars and profiteers that some of us suspected all along.
Voting System: Well this is really liberal speak for "we will recount until we get the results we want".
And the MSM wonders why their readership and subscription levels are falling like rocks off a cliff...
Maybe Fox cable news will hire him.
I have to repeat, WTF? A news reporter that has the audacity to actually adhere to the journalist's code (just the facts) which is a rare thing these days and is discharged from his position because he failed to follow the newspaper's policy of reporting all stories with a progressive bent, basically lie.
The following is also from their response to an inquiry about the firing:
In the meantime, here is some information from our Frequently Asked Questions page:“Progressive news is news that brings us closer to universal health care, living wages, affordable housing, peace, a healthy environment, and voting systems we can trust.
Who cares if there is any (you know) actual truth in any of these liberal fantasies, as a news organization they will do all within their power to force these issues into reality.
Living Wage: What is that? If you accept a job for the offered amount of money, done deal. If a person does not think that it is sufficient to live on, continue looking for work elsewhere. If you are right and no one takes that job, the person offering the position will be forced to increase the wage until someone accepts. That is how things work. This entire "living wage" is simply a liberal wet dream and an effort to force businesses to artificially pay more than a specific job is worth.
Affordable Housing: Again, what is "affordable housing"? The specific house you want and the price you want it? Or any house at a cost that the average family can afford? If it is the first, again, a liberal wet dream. If it is the ladder, that already exists or at least did until community organizers and democrats started screwing with the housing loan market in the late 80s, early 90s, forcing banks to lend money to unqualified buyers, leading to the recently collapsed housing bubble. Sorry to break this to you but owning a home is NOT a right. It is a privilege available to persons that have sufficient income to afford to either out right buy their chosen home or to have enough income and credit history to convince a lending institution to let them borrow the funds to purchase their chosen home. See how clear and easy this is?
Peace: What they really mean is peace at any price, not fair and sustainable peace while preserving the various countries and societies that want to continue to exist into the future without being terrorized or forced out of existence by barbaric hoards.
A Healthy Environment: What is not healthy about the environment right now? Is it perfect? No but it is not nearly as bad off as it was in years past and simply enacting a slew of new regulations that are really nothing more than an elaborate wealth redistribution scheme is not the answer. As to the "debate" about global warming being over, they are right. It is over and the AGW crowd has been shown to be the liars and profiteers that some of us suspected all along.
Voting System: Well this is really liberal speak for "we will recount until we get the results we want".
And the MSM wonders why their readership and subscription levels are falling like rocks off a cliff...
Maybe Fox cable news will hire him.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Olbermann, the gift that keeps on giving!
This is just too funny!
Keith Olbermann makes remarks about the "tea party" events, basically call them a "whites only" club and asks where are any minorities.
The Texas Tea Party group creates a video specifically inviting Keith to their up coming event so that he can see for himself that it is an inclusive movement and has some representatives of the "non-white" persuasion in the video as well. Additionally, they include that the Texas Tea Party appears to be more diverse than the MSNBC prime lineup of anchors as it does not seem to include any persons of color, a clear case of pot calling kettle...
Keith declines to attend siting an illness in the family (a perfectly acceptable reason for not being able to attend) but follows it up with some of his typical snide remarks to the effect that one person of color does not a diverse movement make and why are you not inviting more?
Well Keith, you did not say "show me 50 or 100", you said "where are they". The invitation video show some persons of color and specifically asked that you attend so you could see for yourself how diverse these gatherings are. Fine that you declined but don't then complain that the invitation did not include "enough" minorities.
Also, this "tea party thing" is not a club. ANYONE can show up and participate. No invitation needed! It is advertised and it is promoted (though not by anyone in the MSM) and it is OPEN to all comers and are attended by a very diverse group of people unlike (apparently) the major anchors chairs at MSNBC. If you could ever bring yourself to attend one, you would see that.
Keith Olbermann makes remarks about the "tea party" events, basically call them a "whites only" club and asks where are any minorities.
The Texas Tea Party group creates a video specifically inviting Keith to their up coming event so that he can see for himself that it is an inclusive movement and has some representatives of the "non-white" persuasion in the video as well. Additionally, they include that the Texas Tea Party appears to be more diverse than the MSNBC prime lineup of anchors as it does not seem to include any persons of color, a clear case of pot calling kettle...
Keith declines to attend siting an illness in the family (a perfectly acceptable reason for not being able to attend) but follows it up with some of his typical snide remarks to the effect that one person of color does not a diverse movement make and why are you not inviting more?
Well Keith, you did not say "show me 50 or 100", you said "where are they". The invitation video show some persons of color and specifically asked that you attend so you could see for yourself how diverse these gatherings are. Fine that you declined but don't then complain that the invitation did not include "enough" minorities.
Also, this "tea party thing" is not a club. ANYONE can show up and participate. No invitation needed! It is advertised and it is promoted (though not by anyone in the MSM) and it is OPEN to all comers and are attended by a very diverse group of people unlike (apparently) the major anchors chairs at MSNBC. If you could ever bring yourself to attend one, you would see that.
Misandry - Men Don't Exist
Interesting video that attempts to show how society devalues men. The creator makes some interesting and valid points.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Flexible Sheets Capture Energy from Movement
Cool! The uses for this type of technology are many!
The massive, would be a softer roadway covered with this that used the car weight driven deflection to generate electricity to power the road signals.
The minimal would be a jacket that powers / recharges your portable equipment from your movements.
And everything in between!
The massive, would be a softer roadway covered with this that used the car weight driven deflection to generate electricity to power the road signals.
The minimal would be a jacket that powers / recharges your portable equipment from your movements.
And everything in between!
I spy with my little eye...
School used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home.
The school district admits that student laptops were shipped with software for covertly activating their webcams, but denies wrongdoing.
I believe them, how about you?
The school district admits that student laptops were shipped with software for covertly activating their webcams, but denies wrongdoing.
I believe them, how about you?
How to really loose a staring contest
Yes I know this is "old news" (I fell behind in postings, happens) but it is still GOOD news that needs to be shared.
Unionized Rhode Island Teachers Refuse To Work 25 Minutes More Per Day, So Town Fires All Of Them
The school superintendent in Rhode Island is trying to fix a really bad school system. Along with some other changes, the superintendent wanted all teachers to extend their day by 24 minutes to enable student counseling sessions, tutoring, etc. The union said no, not without more money.
The teachers at this high school already make $70,000 to $78,000 per year whereas the median income in the town where this school is located, averages $22,000.
The union was warned that there would be consequences of saying no, the union thought the superintendent would blink. Seems that the union picked the wrong time and person to have a staring contest with.
If you really want to fix the school systems, allow school choice by way of vouchers. Allow any child to apply to any school. Allow that child's allocation of funds to follow them to whatever school they attend. If the current public school system is so good, why don't the president's kids go?
Unionized Rhode Island Teachers Refuse To Work 25 Minutes More Per Day, So Town Fires All Of Them
The school superintendent in Rhode Island is trying to fix a really bad school system. Along with some other changes, the superintendent wanted all teachers to extend their day by 24 minutes to enable student counseling sessions, tutoring, etc. The union said no, not without more money.
The teachers at this high school already make $70,000 to $78,000 per year whereas the median income in the town where this school is located, averages $22,000.
The union was warned that there would be consequences of saying no, the union thought the superintendent would blink. Seems that the union picked the wrong time and person to have a staring contest with.
If you really want to fix the school systems, allow school choice by way of vouchers. Allow any child to apply to any school. Allow that child's allocation of funds to follow them to whatever school they attend. If the current public school system is so good, why don't the president's kids go?
Heh
Keith Olbermann gets a personal invitation to attend the Dallas Tea Party, will he show?
Somehow I don't think so...
Somehow I don't think so...
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Illegally receiving foreign contributions?
FROM CORNELL LAW PROF. WILLIAM JACOBSON, A CHALLENGE TO OBAMA: Request Special Counsel As To Foreign Contributions. “That the Obama campaign received foreign donations as a result of this scheme may be the only thing agreed-upon by both Pamela Geller and Charles Johnson. Indeed, Obama for America has admitted receiving foreign contributions. The fact that the Federal Election Commission is not investigating the allegations necessitates a special counsel.”
This was the same campaign who's web site was "broken" to allow foreign credit card contributions. Yet another thing the MSM did not appear to interested in looking into at the time.
Will anything come of this? Now what do you think? I think snowballs have a better chance of surviving long term storage in hell...
This was the same campaign who's web site was "broken" to allow foreign credit card contributions. Yet another thing the MSM did not appear to interested in looking into at the time.
Will anything come of this? Now what do you think? I think snowballs have a better chance of surviving long term storage in hell...
Friday, January 22, 2010
Documented Government Failure, example #1
I am going to try and keep track of these and to get us going...
‘Head Start’: The $166 Billion Fed Ed Failure
So, in typical Government fashion, they have wasted $166 billion since 1965 on a program that does not show any measurable benefits. If anyone thinks that this will result in the ending of an obviously wasteful and useless government program, I have some bridges to sell you.
Hey GOP and independents, if you want to get elected or stay elected, promise to push to end all of these wasteful program! Yes it will be a fight but it is worth it. Force the Democrats to justify keeping these types of programs around. Force them to go on the record supporting failed and expensive programs.
‘Head Start’: The $166 Billion Fed Ed Failure
So, in typical Government fashion, they have wasted $166 billion since 1965 on a program that does not show any measurable benefits. If anyone thinks that this will result in the ending of an obviously wasteful and useless government program, I have some bridges to sell you.
Hey GOP and independents, if you want to get elected or stay elected, promise to push to end all of these wasteful program! Yes it will be a fight but it is worth it. Force the Democrats to justify keeping these types of programs around. Force them to go on the record supporting failed and expensive programs.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Brown in MA!
Looks like Brown takes MA, 52% to 47%. About 101K vote lead. That might be too much for even the Democrats and unions to make up.
Now what will the Dems do to jam ObamaCare on America?
Now what will the Dems do to jam ObamaCare on America?
Monday, January 11, 2010
Oh the hypocrisy!
Rush Limbaugh has gotten into more trouble over something he never said than Harry Reid is getting into over racist remarks he actually said!
It is amusing listening to the media and others talking their way around how Reid is not a racist. The very same people that did their darnedest to point out that Rush is. What is the difference? Harry Reid is a liberal politician and Rush Limbaugh is a conservative pundit.
It is amusing listening to the media and others talking their way around how Reid is not a racist. The very same people that did their darnedest to point out that Rush is. What is the difference? Harry Reid is a liberal politician and Rush Limbaugh is a conservative pundit.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Now this sounds like an outstanding idea!
Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.
Now this sounds like an outstanding idea and that is one of the reasons it will never happen. The last thing that the power brokers in Washington want is to have to accept what they want the rest of us do put up with.
Now this sounds like an outstanding idea and that is one of the reasons it will never happen. The last thing that the power brokers in Washington want is to have to accept what they want the rest of us do put up with.
Don't worry the government is on the job!
The real message was conveyed by Fouad Ajami, discussing the new administration’s foreign policy in the Wall Street Journal: “No despot fears Mr. Obama, and no blogger in Cairo or Damascus or Tehran, no demonstrator in those cruel Iranian streets, expects Mr. Obama to ride to the rescue.” True. Another Iranian deadline passed on New Year’s Eve, but the United States will set a new one for Groundhog Day or whenever.
Sad but true...
Sad but true...
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year and welcome to 2010. I hope that your new year is better than your year past.
I have little to complain about regarding 2009. My family is in good health, I am employed, no major crises in my life. It was not all roses but there was much more to be grateful for than there was to regret.
So, happy New Year and God bless.
I have little to complain about regarding 2009. My family is in good health, I am employed, no major crises in my life. It was not all roses but there was much more to be grateful for than there was to regret.
So, happy New Year and God bless.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
When "grid lock" is the answer
“When you’re dealing with the Senate, it’s a miracle if you can get anything done at all,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wis.) told POLITICO.
This sounds more like a feature to me! In fact, the way things have gone for the last 6 years or so, I would be in support of giving all members of Congress a 10% pay raise if they all promise to stay home and do nothing. They would do a lot less damage and it would be far cheaper in the long run.
This sounds more like a feature to me! In fact, the way things have gone for the last 6 years or so, I would be in support of giving all members of Congress a 10% pay raise if they all promise to stay home and do nothing. They would do a lot less damage and it would be far cheaper in the long run.
Lying About Climate Change
Yet more "Inconvenient Truth" for Al Gore and the climate fanatics.
As noted in closing: That's the story of climate activism. Whenever one portion of the evidence alarmists rely on is shown to be fraudulent, the response is, "But there's lots of other evidence." Yes, and that other evidence is fraudulent, too.
As noted in closing: That's the story of climate activism. Whenever one portion of the evidence alarmists rely on is shown to be fraudulent, the response is, "But there's lots of other evidence." Yes, and that other evidence is fraudulent, too.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Setting Sail Into Space
Solar sails are the sail boats of outer space whereas rockets are the speed boats. Speed boats are great right up until you run out of gas. Sail boots can cover many more miles much more cheaply. The issue is that you have to have the time. Same with space. solar sails will be cheaper flight but they will take longer. There will be a place for both types of travel, in space.
UPS vs. FEDEX
As is the point of the video, a government large enough to tell your competitors or neighbours what to do is also large enough to tell you what to do. Do you really want a government that managed to come up with a monstrosity like the IRS controlling all aspects of your life?
Monday, November 9, 2009
Magnetic Reversal Round-up
http://www.pureenergysystems.com/news/2005/02/27/6900064_Magnet_Pole_Shift/
The sun reverses its magnetic field like clockwork every eleven years at the peak of the sunspot cycle. The next solar flip is due in 2012. South-pointing magnetic flux moves from sunspots, which are intense magnetic loops near the equator of the sun, along “meridional flows” to the north magnetic pole, and vice versa. As the oppositely-directed charge accumulates at the poles the field declines, until eventually the reverse charge predominates.
The mechanism that controls earth's field reversals may not be based on similar principles. For one thing, a planet does not seem to have any equivalent to the powerful sunspots. McFarlane refers to there being more than one north-south pole system and about 10% of the total field being involved in smaller extra fields. If these subordinate minor magnetic fields take up more of the magnetic activity during the main field’s decline, they might become active enough to sustain a minimal protective layer shielding the biosphere, even if the main dipole field declines to zero gauss. This could be important for our survival, as the Steen’s mountain lava flows indicate that the reversal took 4,500 years to be completed!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_magnetic_field
The Earth's field changes in strength and position. The two poles wander independently of each other and are not at directly opposite positions on the globe. Currently the magnetic south pole is farther from the geographic south pole than the magnetic north pole is from the geographic north pole.
Based upon the study of lava flows of basalt throughout the world, it has been proposed that the Earth's magnetic field reverses at intervals, ranging from tens of thousands to many millions of years, with an average interval of approximately 250,000 years. The last such event, called the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal, is theorized to have occurred some 780,000 years ago.
http://scienceblogs.com/highlyallochthonous/2009/02/is_the_earths_magnetic_field_a.php
In each case, the reversal is preceded by at least 20,000-40,000 years of fairly continuous decay in field strength to about the same (very low) value, with a much more rapid recovery in field strength following the transition. In this context, a couple of centuries' worth of field decay is not particularly significant, especially since the present field strength (about 8 on the scale in this figure) is still a lot higher than the value reached during all of these reversals (<2).
If you compare the duration and magnitude of the recent decrease (the red box in the figure below) to the field behaviour for past reversals, it doesn't look like we have to worry about the field reversing for a while - it looks like it needs to continue weakening for a few thousand more years, and reach a much lower strength, before a reversal is going to happen.
Of course, another thing you should get from the Valet et al. paper is that a full reversal sequence is not an instantaneous event; our compasses will not point north today and south tomorrow. Instead, the geomagnetic field will weaken, and the magnetic poles will start to wander to lower latitudes, and possibly multiply, over a period of hundreds and thousands of years. It looks dramatic from the perspective of Deep Time, but during a reversal the changes over a human lifetime will probably be little different from the secular variation we see today. No extinction event has ever been linked to a magnetic field reversal, and I think that we might just cope with the next one too - whenever it might occur.
The last linked article is actually quite good and goes into a lot of detail and has some good charts and graphs in it.
So, it looks like a 2012 pole reversal is not likely and even if it were, it is not expected to be an extinction event. This all comes up because I made the mistake of watching a show last night on the Syfy channel that was all about 2012 and one of the things they talked about was the pole reversal and of course more fact checking is done for a second grade book report than was done for this show.
The sun reverses its magnetic field like clockwork every eleven years at the peak of the sunspot cycle. The next solar flip is due in 2012. South-pointing magnetic flux moves from sunspots, which are intense magnetic loops near the equator of the sun, along “meridional flows” to the north magnetic pole, and vice versa. As the oppositely-directed charge accumulates at the poles the field declines, until eventually the reverse charge predominates.
The mechanism that controls earth's field reversals may not be based on similar principles. For one thing, a planet does not seem to have any equivalent to the powerful sunspots. McFarlane refers to there being more than one north-south pole system and about 10% of the total field being involved in smaller extra fields. If these subordinate minor magnetic fields take up more of the magnetic activity during the main field’s decline, they might become active enough to sustain a minimal protective layer shielding the biosphere, even if the main dipole field declines to zero gauss. This could be important for our survival, as the Steen’s mountain lava flows indicate that the reversal took 4,500 years to be completed!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_magnetic_field
The Earth's field changes in strength and position. The two poles wander independently of each other and are not at directly opposite positions on the globe. Currently the magnetic south pole is farther from the geographic south pole than the magnetic north pole is from the geographic north pole.
Based upon the study of lava flows of basalt throughout the world, it has been proposed that the Earth's magnetic field reverses at intervals, ranging from tens of thousands to many millions of years, with an average interval of approximately 250,000 years. The last such event, called the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal, is theorized to have occurred some 780,000 years ago.
http://scienceblogs.com/highlyallochthonous/2009/02/is_the_earths_magnetic_field_a.php
In each case, the reversal is preceded by at least 20,000-40,000 years of fairly continuous decay in field strength to about the same (very low) value, with a much more rapid recovery in field strength following the transition. In this context, a couple of centuries' worth of field decay is not particularly significant, especially since the present field strength (about 8 on the scale in this figure) is still a lot higher than the value reached during all of these reversals (<2).
If you compare the duration and magnitude of the recent decrease (the red box in the figure below) to the field behaviour for past reversals, it doesn't look like we have to worry about the field reversing for a while - it looks like it needs to continue weakening for a few thousand more years, and reach a much lower strength, before a reversal is going to happen.
Of course, another thing you should get from the Valet et al. paper is that a full reversal sequence is not an instantaneous event; our compasses will not point north today and south tomorrow. Instead, the geomagnetic field will weaken, and the magnetic poles will start to wander to lower latitudes, and possibly multiply, over a period of hundreds and thousands of years. It looks dramatic from the perspective of Deep Time, but during a reversal the changes over a human lifetime will probably be little different from the secular variation we see today. No extinction event has ever been linked to a magnetic field reversal, and I think that we might just cope with the next one too - whenever it might occur.
The last linked article is actually quite good and goes into a lot of detail and has some good charts and graphs in it.
So, it looks like a 2012 pole reversal is not likely and even if it were, it is not expected to be an extinction event. This all comes up because I made the mistake of watching a show last night on the Syfy channel that was all about 2012 and one of the things they talked about was the pole reversal and of course more fact checking is done for a second grade book report than was done for this show.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
To protect and serve
Residents of Sanford you can rest easy because the men in blue (technically the men in brown) are on the job. The Florida Highway Patrol is doing their utmost to keep the streets of Sanford safe, especially the corner of Markham Rd. and Longwood Markham Rd.
This is an extremely dangerous corner.
As indicated on the map. It used to be a simple west to north turn. A subdivision to the south of the turn was recently added and the entrance was recently completed. This prompted the DOT to add three stop signs to this very dangerous intersection (I guess it is technically an intersection now) even though the majority (in fact currently all) traffic still goes around the curve. I do not believe that this subdivision has any residents.
I know this MUST be an extremely dangerous place because the Florida Highway Patrol is often parked on the west side of Longwood Markham Rd. (facing south) protecting all of us from the reckless and dangerous drivers that slow roll through the Markham Rd stop sign. The stop sign that currently serves ZERO purpose. This section is so dangerous that at times (like on October 21, 2009 @ about 5:30 PM) it took 3 squad cars to protect this section of road. During the 20 minutes I observed their crime fighting skills, they handed out no less than 3 tickets to drivers that rolling through the stop sign. Over the last 2 months I have witnessed these outstanding protectors of the public hand out no less than 10 tickets. At $151 per (or more) this little corner is quite the money maker.
The fact that it took three officers to man this one corner brings me to one of two possible conclusions. Either the streets of Sanford are so bereft of crime and mayhem and the department is so over staffed that it can afford to have three squad car stake out this one location or the other possibility is that the officers are so poorly trained that it takes three of them to issue a simple ticket.
The only reason drivers get ticketed at this corner (besides the fact that they are rolling through a useless stop sign) is that they are looking to their left as the roll through it to ensure that there are no cars in the subdivision entrance way.
I wonder if there is a more detailed story here.
Maybe a member of the local news could investigate and determine a) the number of tickets that have been issued at this corner since the stop signs have been put in place, b) the amount of time that officers spend at this location, c) the amount of revenue generated by issuing tickets for what is essentially a useless stop sign, and d) the number of accidents that have occurred at this corner that warranted the installation of these signs.
10/22/2009 update:
The valiant men in brown were on the job again today! At 5:10 PM when I passed by, three squad cars were there again (looked like the same three from yesterday but I could not be sure). It looked like they had two desperadoes pulled over.
This is actually quite the racket. No only does the department get to collect all of this extra revenue but they are saving gas for three cars! No budget shortfalls for them.
10/13/2009 update:
They are still on the job at 5:30 PM as I went through that area. Either my timing was off or their training has improved as there were only two there today. It looked like they had apprehended another 2 nar-do-wells and were busy writing tickets. Additionally, I learned today that there are actually NO homes currently constructed in the subdivision that prompted the installation of these stop signs. The stop signs that still serve NO purpose it seems other than to make up for PS&J budget shortfalls.
11/4/2009 update:
I was out of town last week so was not able to keep up with what the protectors of the public were doing then but at 4:45PM today two of them were on the job! They had napped at least one more law breaker and were processing him as I drove past.
11/10/2009 update:
I drove by at 5:10 PM and there were two "bears" earning their pay. They had one driver pulled over.
1/19/2010 update:
I drove by at 5:40 PM today and there was a state trooper and he only had one driver pulled over. Don't know how long he was there or how much he took in but I would be very interested in how profitable that corner has been for the state troopers.
1/26/2010 update:
The protectors of the public were back in force. Two cars were on the job. They had a 20-something lawn service worker pulled over as well as a real desperado, the gentleman has to be 65 if he was a day. He looked rather dapper in his jacket and tie, a fine disguise to hide his criminal intentions.
2/3/2010 update:
I drove by at 5:05 PM and there were two of Florida's finest on the job.
This is an extremely dangerous corner.
As indicated on the map. It used to be a simple west to north turn. A subdivision to the south of the turn was recently added and the entrance was recently completed. This prompted the DOT to add three stop signs to this very dangerous intersection (I guess it is technically an intersection now) even though the majority (in fact currently all) traffic still goes around the curve. I do not believe that this subdivision has any residents.
I know this MUST be an extremely dangerous place because the Florida Highway Patrol is often parked on the west side of Longwood Markham Rd. (facing south) protecting all of us from the reckless and dangerous drivers that slow roll through the Markham Rd stop sign. The stop sign that currently serves ZERO purpose. This section is so dangerous that at times (like on October 21, 2009 @ about 5:30 PM) it took 3 squad cars to protect this section of road. During the 20 minutes I observed their crime fighting skills, they handed out no less than 3 tickets to drivers that rolling through the stop sign. Over the last 2 months I have witnessed these outstanding protectors of the public hand out no less than 10 tickets. At $151 per (or more) this little corner is quite the money maker.
The fact that it took three officers to man this one corner brings me to one of two possible conclusions. Either the streets of Sanford are so bereft of crime and mayhem and the department is so over staffed that it can afford to have three squad car stake out this one location or the other possibility is that the officers are so poorly trained that it takes three of them to issue a simple ticket.
The only reason drivers get ticketed at this corner (besides the fact that they are rolling through a useless stop sign) is that they are looking to their left as the roll through it to ensure that there are no cars in the subdivision entrance way.
I wonder if there is a more detailed story here.
Maybe a member of the local news could investigate and determine a) the number of tickets that have been issued at this corner since the stop signs have been put in place, b) the amount of time that officers spend at this location, c) the amount of revenue generated by issuing tickets for what is essentially a useless stop sign, and d) the number of accidents that have occurred at this corner that warranted the installation of these signs.
10/22/2009 update:
The valiant men in brown were on the job again today! At 5:10 PM when I passed by, three squad cars were there again (looked like the same three from yesterday but I could not be sure). It looked like they had two desperadoes pulled over.
This is actually quite the racket. No only does the department get to collect all of this extra revenue but they are saving gas for three cars! No budget shortfalls for them.
10/13/2009 update:
They are still on the job at 5:30 PM as I went through that area. Either my timing was off or their training has improved as there were only two there today. It looked like they had apprehended another 2 nar-do-wells and were busy writing tickets. Additionally, I learned today that there are actually NO homes currently constructed in the subdivision that prompted the installation of these stop signs. The stop signs that still serve NO purpose it seems other than to make up for PS&J budget shortfalls.
11/4/2009 update:
I was out of town last week so was not able to keep up with what the protectors of the public were doing then but at 4:45PM today two of them were on the job! They had napped at least one more law breaker and were processing him as I drove past.
11/10/2009 update:
I drove by at 5:10 PM and there were two "bears" earning their pay. They had one driver pulled over.
1/19/2010 update:
I drove by at 5:40 PM today and there was a state trooper and he only had one driver pulled over. Don't know how long he was there or how much he took in but I would be very interested in how profitable that corner has been for the state troopers.
1/26/2010 update:
The protectors of the public were back in force. Two cars were on the job. They had a 20-something lawn service worker pulled over as well as a real desperado, the gentleman has to be 65 if he was a day. He looked rather dapper in his jacket and tie, a fine disguise to hide his criminal intentions.
2/3/2010 update:
I drove by at 5:05 PM and there were two of Florida's finest on the job.
Local police stupidity
Eric Williamson faces an indecent exposure charge after a passerby saw him in the buff in his own home making coffee.
Mr Williamson was in his own kitchen at 5:30 AM making coffee in the nude. A woman accompanied by her 7 year old son cuts through his yard, sees him, call the police and he gets arrested. He faces a possible $2000 fine and 1 year in jail. How STUPID! It was HIS kitchen and she was cutting through HIS yard.
Lets play a game. Take this same story and reverse the sexes of those involved. How many of you think that if it was a man cutting through a woman's yard and the cops were called that instead of the home owner getting arrested, the man would get arrested and likely for a) trespassing and b) peeping tom and maybe for good measure c) endangering the welfare of a minor. Honestly think this all through and tell me if you think that 1) this is a stupid case and 2) the reverse situation would not still have resulted in the man getting arrested.
Mr Williamson was in his own kitchen at 5:30 AM making coffee in the nude. A woman accompanied by her 7 year old son cuts through his yard, sees him, call the police and he gets arrested. He faces a possible $2000 fine and 1 year in jail. How STUPID! It was HIS kitchen and she was cutting through HIS yard.
Lets play a game. Take this same story and reverse the sexes of those involved. How many of you think that if it was a man cutting through a woman's yard and the cops were called that instead of the home owner getting arrested, the man would get arrested and likely for a) trespassing and b) peeping tom and maybe for good measure c) endangering the welfare of a minor. Honestly think this all through and tell me if you think that 1) this is a stupid case and 2) the reverse situation would not still have resulted in the man getting arrested.
Health care
Fifty million Americans are unable to buy health insurance and premiums have doubled over the past decade.
Really? Fifty million Americans are UNABLE to buy health insurance? What does that mean? That absolutely NO health insurance company will sell them insurance or that they can not purchase health insurance at a price they are willing to pay? Of those 50 million Americans that are UNABLE to buy health insurance, how many have cell phones, cable, direct TV, more than 1 car, their own home (or more)? That question never seems to get asked. It is always presented as a hard stop in the debate. Unable to buy health insurance, period. I am sure that there are some people that truly can not afford health insurance at any price based on a set of pre-existing conditions and/or other catastrophic financial situations but I do not think that this core set is anything close to 50 million.
On Saturday, President Barack Obama denounced two new studies, sponsored by the health insurance industry, which found that current health care reform bills in Congress will increase premium prices for consumers. One study, done for the lobbying group America’s Health Insurance Plans by the consultancy PriceWaterhouseCoopers, found that the provisions in the Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013 and $600 for a single person. By 2019, family premiums could be $4,000 higher and individual premiums could be $1,500 higher. A weak individual coverage mandate, coupled with a guarantee issue requirement, no preexisting condition limits, and no rating based on health status would significantly boost insurance premiums.
No kidding! Tell any reasonably intelligent person that you want to purpose new insurance rules that include a) individual coverage mandate, b) a guarantee issue requirement, c) no preexisting condition limits, and d) no rating based on health status but premiums will stay exactly the same and they should question your sanity. Give me a whole lot more but don't charge me any more for it. Fat chance that will work out. Does Pres. Obama still think that anyone takes him seriously on health care when he denounced a "common sense" study result like this? Even Blue Cross / Blue Shield is on the other side of this issue.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association commissioned a new study by the Oliver Wyman consultancy which also found that guaranteed issue and community rating mandates coupled with a weak individual mandate would drive up premiums by 50 percent for individual policies and 19 percent for small group plans.
And what is the presidents substantive rebuttal to these studies?
“Every time we get close to passing reform, the insurance companies produce these phony studies as a prescription and say, ‘Take one of these, and call us in a decade,’" declared the president. “Well, not this time.”
Well if wishes were kisses, I would be the happiest man in the world too but that don't make it so.
What about those insurance company profits? Back in July, President Obama asserted that health insurance companies are making “record profits.” Not really. The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s FactCheck.org reported, “In general, the health insurance industry did poorly toward the end of 2008 and in the first quarter of 2009, so record profits weren’t likely in the second quarter.” Averaging profits of 3.3 percent, health insurers are the 86th most profitable industry in the U.S., well behind chain restaurants (7.7 percent), electric utilities (6.2 percent), and brewers (18 percent), but ahead of major auto manufacturers (-3.3 percent), resorts and casinos (-8.9 percent), and major airlines (-11 percent).
Anyway. so what with what profits an insurance company makes? If this were a true free enterprise system and was not so strangled by existing government red-tape, insurance companies would be free to work country wide. Would be free to setup risk pools and be free to do other things that would increase competition and reduce costs to consumers. Problem is that is not what the government wants. Instead of taking a working plan from (I don't know, lets say) Whole Foods, they instead take a proven disaster of a plan from England. What? You did not know that England's health care plan was a disaster? If it is so good, why has the NHS recently been paying for private health insurance for 3000 or so employees so that these employees did not have to make use of the existing health system? If this new direction in health care is so good, why has congress done all that it can to exempt its self from Obamacare?
In typical Democrat/liberal fashion, the government has been standing on the throat of an industry and then decry when that industry does not run smoothly and instead of getting off, impose additional constraints. This is just another power grab by the government and nothing more.
Really? Fifty million Americans are UNABLE to buy health insurance? What does that mean? That absolutely NO health insurance company will sell them insurance or that they can not purchase health insurance at a price they are willing to pay? Of those 50 million Americans that are UNABLE to buy health insurance, how many have cell phones, cable, direct TV, more than 1 car, their own home (or more)? That question never seems to get asked. It is always presented as a hard stop in the debate. Unable to buy health insurance, period. I am sure that there are some people that truly can not afford health insurance at any price based on a set of pre-existing conditions and/or other catastrophic financial situations but I do not think that this core set is anything close to 50 million.
On Saturday, President Barack Obama denounced two new studies, sponsored by the health insurance industry, which found that current health care reform bills in Congress will increase premium prices for consumers. One study, done for the lobbying group America’s Health Insurance Plans by the consultancy PriceWaterhouseCoopers, found that the provisions in the Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013 and $600 for a single person. By 2019, family premiums could be $4,000 higher and individual premiums could be $1,500 higher. A weak individual coverage mandate, coupled with a guarantee issue requirement, no preexisting condition limits, and no rating based on health status would significantly boost insurance premiums.
No kidding! Tell any reasonably intelligent person that you want to purpose new insurance rules that include a) individual coverage mandate, b) a guarantee issue requirement, c) no preexisting condition limits, and d) no rating based on health status but premiums will stay exactly the same and they should question your sanity. Give me a whole lot more but don't charge me any more for it. Fat chance that will work out. Does Pres. Obama still think that anyone takes him seriously on health care when he denounced a "common sense" study result like this? Even Blue Cross / Blue Shield is on the other side of this issue.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association commissioned a new study by the Oliver Wyman consultancy which also found that guaranteed issue and community rating mandates coupled with a weak individual mandate would drive up premiums by 50 percent for individual policies and 19 percent for small group plans.
And what is the presidents substantive rebuttal to these studies?
“Every time we get close to passing reform, the insurance companies produce these phony studies as a prescription and say, ‘Take one of these, and call us in a decade,’" declared the president. “Well, not this time.”
Well if wishes were kisses, I would be the happiest man in the world too but that don't make it so.
What about those insurance company profits? Back in July, President Obama asserted that health insurance companies are making “record profits.” Not really. The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s FactCheck.org reported, “In general, the health insurance industry did poorly toward the end of 2008 and in the first quarter of 2009, so record profits weren’t likely in the second quarter.” Averaging profits of 3.3 percent, health insurers are the 86th most profitable industry in the U.S., well behind chain restaurants (7.7 percent), electric utilities (6.2 percent), and brewers (18 percent), but ahead of major auto manufacturers (-3.3 percent), resorts and casinos (-8.9 percent), and major airlines (-11 percent).
Anyway. so what with what profits an insurance company makes? If this were a true free enterprise system and was not so strangled by existing government red-tape, insurance companies would be free to work country wide. Would be free to setup risk pools and be free to do other things that would increase competition and reduce costs to consumers. Problem is that is not what the government wants. Instead of taking a working plan from (I don't know, lets say) Whole Foods, they instead take a proven disaster of a plan from England. What? You did not know that England's health care plan was a disaster? If it is so good, why has the NHS recently been paying for private health insurance for 3000 or so employees so that these employees did not have to make use of the existing health system? If this new direction in health care is so good, why has congress done all that it can to exempt its self from Obamacare?
In typical Democrat/liberal fashion, the government has been standing on the throat of an industry and then decry when that industry does not run smoothly and instead of getting off, impose additional constraints. This is just another power grab by the government and nothing more.
ACORN in the news again
This particular item has New York roots:
Thirty-eight forged or fraudulent ballots have been thrown out — enough votes, an election official admits, to likely have tipped the city council and county elections in November to the Democrats.
That is why ACORN exists and that is why the Democrats support them so strongly. They use the same play book, "what ever it takes".
Thirty-eight forged or fraudulent ballots have been thrown out — enough votes, an election official admits, to likely have tipped the city council and county elections in November to the Democrats.
That is why ACORN exists and that is why the Democrats support them so strongly. They use the same play book, "what ever it takes".
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Video paper magazines
Bumped from August:
Interesting development. I would have liked to see a picture or two of how the final production magazine will look. Am also interested in how thick the total product package is, how long the batteries will last as well as what the total play/replay time is for the batteries. Are they using LiPo batteries? Will the inclusion of this sort of "ad" result in more difficult disposal issues due to the metals and other chemicals that would now be in the magazine?
Updated to include link showing video of the ad (for those that did not see it in person)...
Interesting development. I would have liked to see a picture or two of how the final production magazine will look. Am also interested in how thick the total product package is, how long the batteries will last as well as what the total play/replay time is for the batteries. Are they using LiPo batteries? Will the inclusion of this sort of "ad" result in more difficult disposal issues due to the metals and other chemicals that would now be in the magazine?
Updated to include link showing video of the ad (for those that did not see it in person)...
Looks like the Hopium is wearing off...
That is funny!
The story is about an Obama mural that was vandalized "in broad daylight" and the comment I used as the tag line is quite funny.
The story is about an Obama mural that was vandalized "in broad daylight" and the comment I used as the tag line is quite funny.
How stupid can judges be?
The New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit, the federal court of appeals where I once clerked, has allowed a class action lawsuit by Hurricane Katrina victims to proceed against a motley crew of energy, oil, and chemical companies. Their claim: that the defendants’ greenhouse gas emissions raised air and water temperatures on the Gulf Coast, contributing to Katrina’s strength and causing property damage. Mass tort litigation specialist Russell Jackson calls the plaintiffs’ claims “the litigator’s equivalent to the game ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.’”
So a judge has allows a class action lawsuit to move forward against a group of energy producers for a supposed condition (global warming) that has not been yet proven to be an effect at all, let alone an effect caused by humans. In addition, they are charging that these companies actually contributed to the severity of this storm. Un-friggen real!
So a judge has allows a class action lawsuit to move forward against a group of energy producers for a supposed condition (global warming) that has not been yet proven to be an effect at all, let alone an effect caused by humans. In addition, they are charging that these companies actually contributed to the severity of this storm. Un-friggen real!
Obamacare is for the little people
If all of the various Obamacare health plans that are being kicked around congress are so good, why is congress exempting themselves from it?
Congress will keep their gold-plated insurance plans as they force the rest of the country into a rationed health care government plan.
Personal doctors on call 24/7. Coverage that knows no caps. No exemptions for pre-existing conditions.
Their premiums are the same as those of insurance plans with half the benefits, and the plans last a lifetime; not until Medicare kicks in do ex-Members or loose their Congressional health benefits. Congress has repeatedly voted down any provision that would switch their insurance plans to the lower-grade public option if Obamacare goes through.
Don't worry though. This is either a lie being spread by the "vast right wing conspiracy" or it is just the price we all should be more than willing to pay for the outstanding service we get from our government...
Congress will keep their gold-plated insurance plans as they force the rest of the country into a rationed health care government plan.
Personal doctors on call 24/7. Coverage that knows no caps. No exemptions for pre-existing conditions.
Their premiums are the same as those of insurance plans with half the benefits, and the plans last a lifetime; not until Medicare kicks in do ex-Members or loose their Congressional health benefits. Congress has repeatedly voted down any provision that would switch their insurance plans to the lower-grade public option if Obamacare goes through.
Don't worry though. This is either a lie being spread by the "vast right wing conspiracy" or it is just the price we all should be more than willing to pay for the outstanding service we get from our government...
Monday, October 19, 2009
iRobot's Soft Morphing Blob 'Bot Takes Its First Steps
Now this is REALLY COOL! Very innovative and at this point, the sky' the limit. The technology will just continue to get smaller and stronger. The shell he demonstrated has a limited number of sides but imagine something like that with 1024 or 9600 sides that can be individually controlled by a computer for shape shifting. Have it "self contained" with computer, pumps and power source and you have a truly self mobile device that can go almost anywhere on land or sea.
Out fitted with sensors (visual and otherwise) and you have quite a device...
Out fitted with sensors (visual and otherwise) and you have quite a device...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Michael Moore admits his movie is a lie...
During this collage Q&A. Michael admits that his movie is actually about the evils of Corporatism and not Capitalism.
He is also still wrong about why "Democracy" is not working. He thinks that the "system" is not fair and that the government should be helping people on the bottom by restricting people on the top. Instead of having government get out of the way and allow the people on the bottom to lift themselves out and up to the top.
He is also still wrong about why "Democracy" is not working. He thinks that the "system" is not fair and that the government should be helping people on the bottom by restricting people on the top. Instead of having government get out of the way and allow the people on the bottom to lift themselves out and up to the top.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saving a sacred cow
While his ideas and religion continue to be discredited, those in positions to help spread the truth, instead continue to stand in the way and protect not only their own gravy train but him as well.
While at a global warming conference, a reported dared to ask a question too awkward for the anointed one to answer. The solution? Cut his mike and drive him out. So much for the free exchange of ideas.
Watch the video and ponder this, if the case for global warming were so strong, why are all critics driven away, marginalized and black balled? Why has the last 10 years been temperature neutral while the volume of atmospheric CO2 continues to rise? Based on all global warming models the Earth should be heating up, not staying the same.
Also this from (of all places) the BBC in an online article titled: What happened to global warming?
This headline may come as a bit of a surprise, so too might that fact that the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2008 or 2007, but in 1998.
But it is true. For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures.
And our climate models did not forecast it, even though man-made carbon dioxide, the gas thought to be responsible for warming our planet, has continued to rise.
So what on Earth is going on?
Even the BBC now says:
It seems the debate about what is causing global warming is far from over.
Someone PLEASE tell Al Gore!
While at a global warming conference, a reported dared to ask a question too awkward for the anointed one to answer. The solution? Cut his mike and drive him out. So much for the free exchange of ideas.
Watch the video and ponder this, if the case for global warming were so strong, why are all critics driven away, marginalized and black balled? Why has the last 10 years been temperature neutral while the volume of atmospheric CO2 continues to rise? Based on all global warming models the Earth should be heating up, not staying the same.
Also this from (of all places) the BBC in an online article titled: What happened to global warming?
This headline may come as a bit of a surprise, so too might that fact that the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2008 or 2007, but in 1998.
But it is true. For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures.
And our climate models did not forecast it, even though man-made carbon dioxide, the gas thought to be responsible for warming our planet, has continued to rise.
So what on Earth is going on?
Even the BBC now says:
It seems the debate about what is causing global warming is far from over.
Someone PLEASE tell Al Gore!
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