RANT: Gotta Fill To Stop The Drill?

Wednesday, August 27, 2008


You have to admire the power of sarcasm! National energy policy should be imho: nukes; natural gas in cities transport, drill, defeat nimby, and empower the free market to solve the “problem”. One created by the gooferment I might add! Argh!


LINKEDIN: Groups killed

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

LinkedIn is further mudding the waters with group. Without disclosure or discussion, it is making unilateral changes. It no longer passes through to the underlying Yahoo Group. And, the management tools are gone. It makes it just worthless.

Oh well. When the LinkedIn competitor comes along maybe they will treat the PAYING users as if they mattered.

*** begin quote ***

First, thank you for managing your group on LinkedIn. We sincerely appreciate the time and effort you devote to your members, and we know they value it. Together you have made Groups one of the top features on LinkedIn.

This Friday, we will be adding several much-requested features to your group:

Discussion forums: Simple discussion spaces for you and your members. (You can turn discussions off in your management control panel if you like.)
Enhanced roster: Searchable list of group members.
Digest emails: Daily or weekly digests of new discussion topics which your members may choose to receive. (We will be turning digests on for all current group members soon, and prompting them to set to their own preference.)
Group home page: A private space for your members on LinkedIn.
We’re confident that these new features will spur communication, promote collaboration, and make your group more valuable to you and your members. We hope you can come by LinkedIn on Friday morning to check out the new functionality and get a group discussion going by posting a welcome message.

Sincerely,
The LinkedIn Groups Team

*** end quote ***

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POLITICAL: Obama … might allay Catholic voters’ disgust with his votes to uphold infanticide in Illinois

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/08/
obama_biden_and_the_catholic_v.html

http://tinyurl.com/6lu54c

Kyle-Anne Shiver is an independent journalist and a frequent contributor to American Thinker. She welcomes your comments at kyleanneshiver.com.

*** begin quote ***

Or, was Obama thinking that he might allay Catholic voters’ disgust with his votes to uphold infanticide in Illinois, by picking a Catholic, somewhat more moderate, pro-abortion candidate?

Biden did vote for the partial birth abortion ban, but then he roundly criticized the Supreme Court decision last year, which upheld the ban. Biden does hold a lower approval rating with NARAL (36%) than Obama’s 100%, but as any voting-age citizen already knows, the Vice President has zero, zilch, nada to say on abortion law. The only time the Vice President could even have a vote would be as a tiebreaker in the Senate on legislation, which is not going to happen in the next 4 years.

Senator Obama may have been thinking that he would help himself by putting a Catholic on the ticket, but he seems to have not taken any note of the fact that the Catholic Church is now guided by a new, very conservative Pope. There is not a single dictum emanating from this Pope, nor from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which lets a single Catholic off the hook on the matter of voting for pro-abortion candidates. If anything, the strictures against such votes have become much more important under Pope Benedict XVI than under Pope John Paul II.

It is entirely possible that Senator Joseph Biden will publicly be denied the Sacrament of Holy Communion during the course of this campaign. This, of course, will invite a siege of press attacks against the Catholic Church, but it will also signal to the Catholic laity, who make up a full 25% of the American electorate, that this Pope takes the abortion issue more seriously than any other at the moment.

Obama seems not to have paid much heed to the fact that John Kerry was the first Democrat to lose a majority of the Catholic vote to George W. Bush. He seems also not to have taken note of the new Pope’s resolve on this issue. Perhaps Obama has been persuaded to believe that Father Pfleger is more the rule than the exception, and if this is the case, then he has been squarely bamboozled.

Why in the world would Obama think Biden helps his bid for the Presidency?

In one fell swoop, Senator Obama has stated uncategorically that he is flying by the seat of his pants on foreign policy and needs a Daddy figure to guide him. And this particular Daddy figure, Biden, has stated repeatedly that Obama’s positions are wrong and McCain’s are right.

Bonus for McCain.

Also, Obama has brought a pro-abortion Catholic politician to the glaring attention of Pope Benedict XVI, while unnecessarily putting the U.S. Bishops on the spot. The Vatican has lately been reminding priests and Bishops that they are not to offer Communion to pro-abortion politicians. It’s always been a no-no, but Biden’s position on the ticket will highlight the issue once again for one quarter of the American electorate, while putting Bishops on a hotter seat with the Vatican.

So, what in the world was Obama thinking?

Not much, it would seem.

The VP choice was perhaps another thing “above” Obama’s “pay grade.”

*** end quote ***

Will the American Catholic Bishops grow a backbone? My prediction … no. Why you say? One word …. pedopholia!

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RANT: Beijing Olympic Committee Ripped Him Off

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/08/composer-says-b.html

Composer Says Beijing Olympic Committee Ripped Him Off
By Eliot Van Buskirk EmailAugust 22, 2008 | 10:05:10 AMCategories: Copyright and Copyfight

*** begin quote ***

Beijing Peter Breiner, who arranged more than 200 national anthems for the 2004 Olympics, has accused the Beijing Olympic Committee of stealing those works for this year’s Games. He says he is “100 percent sure” that his arrangements are being played at medal ceremonies — and the Washington Post’s culture critic couldn’t agree more.

*** end quote ***

I don’t follow the argument. I don’t believe in imaginary property any way. But it is funny that the land of copyright infringement, celebrated by the awarding the “games”, keeps its expenses down by infringing. Love it. Guess they didn’t want to give back any of those 5T$ they have in the vault!

Argh!

When you play the imaginary property game, then don’t be surprised when you get screwed!

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POLITICAL: “REASONABLE” CUTS IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING, TAXES, OR WASTE

Monday, August 25, 2008

http://www.centerforsmallgovernment.com/

3 BIG LIES: OUR OPPOSITION SUPPORTS “REASONABLE” CUTS IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING, TAXES, OR WASTE by Michael Cloud

*** begin quote ***

“I support reasonable reductions in Massachusetts government spending, but ending the income tax would decimate the state,” said several elected politicians.

“I support sensible tax cuts, but eliminating the income tax is too extreme,” said a local government official.

“Of course, we want measured and moderate reductions of unneeded government spending, but abolishing the income tax is ridiculous,” said several opponents.

They publicly empathize and sympathize with workers and taxpayers. They tell us they understand our frustration with economic conditions. They feel our financial pain.

When pressed, the opposition to ENDing the Income tax tells interviewers, reporters, and audiences… 3 Big Lies.

Big Lie Number 1: They support ‘reasonable’ reductions in government spending – but not the extreme and devastating reductions Ballot Question 1 would cause.

Big Lie Number 2: They support ‘reasonable’ tax cuts – but not the drastic step of repealing the income tax.

Big Lie Number 3: They support ‘reasonable’ efforts to reduce government waste – who doesn’t? – but they’re against using Ballot Question 1 to squeeze out waste.

How can you be sure that the opposition is lying when they say these 3 things?

“Watch what they do, not what they say,” advised Attorney General John N. Mitchell.*

“By their fruits shall ye know them,” says Scripture.

“Actions speak louder,” says the proverb.

Test what the speaker says against what he does. And has done. Look at his political actions for the last 10 years, 20 years, or 30 years.

Ask the Opposition Massachusetts Teachers Union official to show you, say, any 3 ‘reasonable’ tax reductions for the 3,400,000 workers and taxpayers that they donated to and campaigned for. Any 3.

Ask the Opposition politician to give you 3 ‘reasonable’ government spending cuts that he personally sponsored or cosponsored in the legislature in the last 10 years.

Ask the Opposition speaker to give you 3 specific examples of ‘reasonable’ waste cuts that he publicly campaigned for in the last 10 years.

Ask the Opposition organization to show you any 3 tax cuts, spending cuts, or waste cuts they lobbied the state legislature for – or lobbied their city government for.

If any of them can give you just 3 examples of actions they took on behalf of ‘reasonable cuts’, follow up with a money question: “If we added up every dollar of your 3 ‘reasonable cuts,’ how much money would your cuts give back to taxpayers?”

The Massachusetts state budget is $47.3 billion. In light of that number, how reasonable are their “reasonable cuts?”

True values are expressed in action.

Big Lies are limited to words.

Earlier this year, we asked Governor Deval Patrick and the state legislature to: “Show Us the Tax Money: Open the Government Books.”

Today, we challenge the Massachusetts Teachers Union and their allies, Governor Deval Patrick, and the other elected politicians:

“Show Us your ‘reasonable’ tax cuts, spending cuts, and waste cuts. Your deeds, not words. Your results, not rhetoric. Your actions, not intentions. Show us your Tax Cuts.”

And stop telling 3,400,000 Massachusetts workers and taxpayers the 3 Big Lies.

+++

* John Mitchell wanted the Nixon Administration to be judged by its actions, not its words. So he said, “Watch what we do, not what we say.”

It’s still good advice.

*** end quote ***

Anyone who lives in Taxachusetts has a real chance to send the “tax and spend” D’s and the “borrow and spend” R’s a real message.

If Massachusetts can do it, why not New Jersey?

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RANT: poor and inner-city children will not do so fine!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/08/
another_cohort_of_kid
s_failed.html

http://tinyurl.com/48k4qg

August 21, 2008
Another Cohort of Kids Failed by Government Schools
By Christopher Chantrill
Public schooling in too much of America has run down to mediocrity and worse. It’s almost inevitable, and worse in some places than others.

*** begin quote ***

{Extraneous Deleted}

It was that over 200 years ago the Enlightenment philosophe Condorcet submitted a plan to the French Legislative Assembly that called for universal state education to educate the people out of their prejudice and superstition. Although a government program the system would, of course, be free of political control.

It was that over 160 years ago Horace Mann, the father of US public education, urged a rationalization and centralization of the disorganized schools in Massachusetts under a State Board of Education. Apart from anything else, he confidently predicted just before the crime wave of the 1840s, his program would cut the crime rate by 90 percent. Then he went off to Prussia to see its universal state education system for himself.

It was that over 80 years ago John Dewey, the father of progressive education, proposed a system to teach children problem solving and critical thinking skills rather than training and drilling in basic skills. Of course, there is nothing quite like entrusting a project of flexible, progressive education to a bureaucracy of state employees privileged with lifetime job tenure.

Today, 215 years after Condorcet, 160 years after Horace Mann, and 80 years after John Dewey the schools have run down. Today about half the students entering college are unprepared, according to the New York Times.

Yet 180 years ago when the economist J.S. Mill, father of John Stuart Mill, traveled around Britain making an anecdotal survey of education — at a time when the government actively discouraged education for its revolutionary potential — he found a rage for education:

“We have met with families in which for weeks together, not an article of sustenance but potatoes had been used; yet for every child the hard-earned sum was provided to send them to school.”

You can see why those nineteenth century parents sacrificed so much for their children. It didn’t take a rocket scientist back then to see that a basic education in literacy and numeracy was the best way to avoid sending a child “down the pit” or into the textile mill.

*** and ***

As our children return to school this fall, most of them will do just fine. But many poor and inner-city children will not. Yet we know how to fix the inner-city schools. We have known for decades.

And now in Sweden, of all places, school choice is transforming the education system.

Some day the American mothers are going to have the right that Swedish mothers enjoy. It is the right to wave farewell to the local government school and say: You just don’t care about kids.

*** end quote ***

Christopher Chantrill is a frequent contributor to American Thinker. See his roadtothemiddleclass.com and usgovernmentspending.com. His Road to the Middle Class is forthcoming.

# – # – #

[JR: It is a national disgrace to have the gooferment involved in education. The poor deserve to be left alone. Left to their own devices, and the charity of caring individuals, they will educate their own children. Without the “help” of the gooferment, it’s highly compensated “administrators”, it’s over and underpaid teachers, and the legions of pigs feeding at the gooferment trough, the ‘children’ will be educated unlike what is happening now.]

[JR: Yes, teaches as a group can be both over-paid and under-paid at the same time. Some are over; some are under. When you have unions and one size fits all, you have both types of error in the same population!]

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RANT: Obamacide

Sunday, August 24, 2008

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/08/obamacide.html

http://tinyurl.com/5p4j3m

August 23, 2008
Obamacide
By J. Matt Barber

*** begin quote ***

How does one properly describe another who would — for purely selfish political reasons and with deliberation — intentionally refuse a thirsty child water or a hungry child food?

More specifically, what does one call a lawmaker who would condemn to death the child survivor of a botched abortion by permitting doctors to refuse that child, once born alive, potentially life-saving medical treatment and nutrition?

A number of things come to mind. Mr. President isn’t one of them.

*** end quote ***

It’s hard to imagine how this issue can swept under the rug under the rubric of “hope & change”!

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WRITING: TEOTWAWKI fiction — Chapter Eighty Six – Rest in Peace

Saturday, August 23, 2008

It happened in Church – October 19, 1962
Chapter Eighty Six – Rest in Peace

It Started In Church – October 19, 1962
http://www.itstartedinchurch.com

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POLITICAL: Obama Campaign Finance Shenanigans

Saturday, August 23, 2008

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/08/obama_campaign_finance_shenani.html

August 22, 2008
Obama Campaign Finance Shenanigans

*** begin quote ***

With all that money rolling in, it is to be expected that some of it is being used in a way that either skirts the letter of the law or breaks it.

Michelle Malkin is on the story of $800 thousand that went to the far left group ACORN for “advance work” that was funneled to them not by the Obama campaign but through an organization called “Citizen Services, Inc.”

It turns out that Citizens Service, Inc. and ACORN share the same address in New Orleans. And the more than $800,000 given by the Obama campaign to this group was remarkable considering that the average amount paid for “advance work” in 1200 other entries on Obama’s FEC report was around $540.

*** and ***

But, said Blair Latoff, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee: “Barack Obama’s failure to accurately report his campaign’s financial records is an incredibly suspicious situation that appears to be an attempt to hide his campaign’s interaction with a left-wing organization previously convicted of voter fraud. For a candidate who claims to be practicing ‘new’ politics, his FEC reports look an awful lot like the ‘old-style’ Chicago politics of yesterday.”

*** and ***

Watch for this breaking story of Obama returning money used illegally by ACORN on your national news tonight…

Yeah, right.

*** end quote ***

Ahh, those rules are for others!

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POLITICAL: Biden … Another CINO politician

Saturday, August 23, 2008

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D92NROBG0&show_article=1

Obama taps Biden to be running mate
Aug 23 03:25 AM US/Eastern
By LIZ SIDOTI and NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press Writers

*** begin quote ***

WASHINGTON (AP) – Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues.

[JR: Highlighting the shortcoming at the top of the ticket!]

*** and ***

Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.

[JR: Another CINO politician. How does JoeB align with O’s extreme abortion position? What a joke! Catholics, Right to Lifers, and people with a moral conscience should not be fooled by this fellow. It’s about politics!]

*** and ***

Obama’s decision leaked to the media several hours before his aides planned to send a text message announcing the running mate, negating a promise that people who turned over their phone numbers would be the first to know who Obama had chosen. The campaign scrambled to send the text message after the leak, sending phones buzzing at the inconvenient time of just after 3 a.m. on the East coast.

[JR: SO much for the vaunted announcement to supporters first. LOL]

*** and ***

Biden is seeking a new Senate term in the fall. there was no immediate word whether he intended to change plans as he reaches for national office.

[JR: This will be the indicator of how committed he is to the ticket. If he keeps running for “his” Senate seat, then he’s not. And, that’s red flag. If he does commit to the national run, then at least we have one less liberal in the Senate! I’d wager, he won’t commit.]

*** and ***

“For Obama supporters, this is like finding out from your neighbor instead of your sister that she’s engaged—not how you want or expect the news to be delivered,” Silberman said.

[JR: Get used it it. Politicians always over promise and under deliver.]

*** and ***

“I am not running for vice president,” he said in a Fox interview. “I would not accept it if anyone offered it to me. The fact of the matter is I’d rather stay as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee than be vice president.”

[JR: Either a fool or a liar. Maybe both.]

*** and ***

It was Biden’s second try for the White House. The first ended badly in 1988 when he was caught lifting lines from a speech by British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.

[JR: And wasn’t he a plagiarist in college? Wonder if the liberal media will bring that up. Does he have the character to be President?]

*** and ***

And, he added: “I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a yes person when it comes to policymaking.”

[JR: Yeah, right. What’s the quote about VP? Warm useless spit?]

*** end quote ***

It will be interesting to see if this makes any difference at all. McC can shake up the race with a good choice like that lady from Alaska. Condi, or maybe a military guy like Powell.

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