The Skeptics Handbook on Global Warming

If CO2 is not THE cause of climate change, then the whole Cap-and-Trade Scheme, as well as Kyoto Protocol is WRONG, and must be abandoned. But hurry, the gravy train is about to leave the station.

Free download here. I printed my copy--only 16 pages.

Origins of the current economic crisis?

Glenn Beck's been blaming Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson; maybe he should drop back another 100 years. Jason at Ohio Liberty Studies Group writes:

The basis of “Hamilton’s Curse” [by Thomas DiLorenzo] is simple. That, although the Jeffersonian philosophy of federalism initially triumphed when the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights were adopted, it is Hamilton’s vision of a strong, imperialist central government that has ultimately come to pass, and that we live under today. DiLorenzo provides us with a laundry list which gives us an overview of Hamilton’s political legacy:

“an out-of-control, unaccountable, monopolistic bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.; the demise of the Constitution as a restraint on the federal government’s powers; the end of the idea that the citizens of the states should be the masters, rather than the servants, of their government; generations of activist federal judges who have eviscerated the constitutional protections of individual liberty in America; national debt; harmful protectionist international trade policies; corporate welfare (that is, the use of tax dollars to subsidize various politically connected businesses); and central economic planning and political control of the money supply, which have instigated boom-and-bust cycles in the economy.”

That’s quite a legacy. Alexander Hamilton was this nation’s first Treasury Secretary, and a defender of the central bank, high taxes, protectionist tariffs, and public debt. Each of these, according to Hamilton, would bring with them untold blessings to the American people if instituted. It was Alexander Hamilton who sought to establish the first central bank. It was Hamilton who instituted the very first “bailouts.” It was Hamilton who unapologetically doled out favors and taxpayer funds to his personal friends and business associates. It was Hamilton’s belief in the “implied powers” of the Constitution that gave us the Judicial Review, the “living” Constitution, and justices legislating from the Supreme Court bench. It was Hamilton who espoused deficit spending by the federal government. Anytime you hear a politician talking about all of the wonderful things that the federal government can do for the “public good,” chances are you are listening to a Hamiltonian.

Someone didn't connect the dots in federal-state partnership

Tip lines and 250 agencies can't take the place of old fashioned common sense.

"Innovative Anti-terror Information Sharing: Maryland’s Federal, State, and Local Partnership Model," Chapter 11 in Safeguarding Homeland Security; Governors and Mayors Speak Out was just released Sept. 18. 2009. Former Maryland Governor Robert Erlich wrote about how Maryland was connecting the dots through an innovative federal-state partnership, but they seemed to have slipped up on Maj. Hasan who lived, worked and worshipped in Maryland.

Chapter summary: Maryland created the first fusion center which collects and analyzes disparate data or information to try to “connect the dots” to prevent acts of terrorism. The public is encouraged to provide information through a “tip line.” The Center has federal, state, local, and private sector participation representing 250 agencies or organizations. The Maryland Center is led by members of all three levels of government. A principal objective of such a fusion center is to develop a pattern of cooperation and information sharing.

Maj. Nadil Hasan had communicated 10 to 20 times with Anwar al-Awlaki, an imam released from a Yemeni jail last year who has used his personal Web site to encourage Muslims across the world to kill U.S. troops in Iraq. No formal investigation was opened into Hasan. Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said it was his understanding Hasan and the imam exchanged e-mails that counterterrorism officials picked up. Hoekstra requested that the CIA, FBI, NSA and DNI preserve all documents relating to the Fort Hood attack and related matters for potential investigation by Congress, so this isn't swept under the rug as just some demented soldier going crazy.

Dr. Val Finnell a former classmate of Hasan in Public Health (in Maryland) says Hasan was always focused on another subject. "He would frequently say that he was Muslim first and an American second. That came out in just about everything he did in the university," said Finnell. Hasan would become visibly upset when people challenged him about his beliefs, but no one ever thought he would resort to such violence.

"Instead of being investigated and punished for his treasonous behavior, political correctness assured that Hasan was fast-tracked through the Army ranks and allowed to continue as a psychiatrist treating soldiers returning from the front.

Political correctness is a lie employed by liberal elites to preserve myths about favored groups. It is sold as a way to ensure that society treats people fairly. But it is actually a derangement whereby normally lucid people disregard inconvenient truths and willfully reject facts to avoid confronting uncomfortable realities.

On Meet The Press last Sunday, Army Chief of Staff General George Casey now infamously said about Hasan’s rampage, “As horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.” Gary Bauer

Subsidyscope to track the bailout

There are many websites to track government money, and although I haven't determined if this one, Subsidyscope is biased, it is by Pew Charitable Trusts, which is usually reliable. I would call your attention to SIGTARP quarterly report, although it does have its own website. It's easier to work back and forth to different programs if you stay at Subsidyscope. Neil Barofsky needs to watch his back. He was an end-of-term Bush appointee to keep an eye on TARP money as the Special Inspector General (SIG) and so far he doesn't like what he sees. He's supposed to go after waste, theft and abuse, and it has become the Democrat's candy shop. Ought to start with Obama, then Geithner, then Frank, toss in Pelosi just to make sure we have diversity of gender, color and religion, but doubt that will happen. I'm just saying. Cute logo, too.

TARP inspector general Neil Barofsky agrees that the mortgage modifications "will yield no direct return" and notes charitably that "full recovery is far from certain" on the money sent to AIG and Detroit. Mr. Barofsky also notes that since Washington runs huge deficits, and interest rates are almost sure to rise in coming years, TARP will be increasingly expensive as the government pays more to borrow. Link to WSJ article

Smells like Murder episode of The Closer

The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick, is my husband's favorite show. In the summer he goes to a neighbor's to watch it, so I don't see the episodes until they are reruns. Last Monday was "Smells like Murder" which I think is the fourth one that had Charlie (Sosie Bacon, her real life daughter) Brenda's rebellious, risk taking niece. In this episode there's a sub-lot about Charlie receiving a package of marijuana from a friend and then baking it into brownies. From the IMDB.com summary:

"Back at home, Brenda arrives to find Charlie cooking. Brenda asks what the delicious smell is. Charlie says it's a surprise, but she promises they're going to have a lot of fun tonight.

Brenda sniffs her way through the house and finds brownies in Charlie's room. She takes one. [If you don't watch this show, Brenda is a chocoholic and sugar addict, always sneaking food she shouldn't be eating, rolling her eyes and then hiding the leftovers in her purse or desk.]

Later, she wobbles out into the dining room, a little too relaxed. She tells Charlie they need to talk. She had a brownie. Or two, or three. Charlie looks totally freaked out. But Brenda says they're the best brownies she's ever had in her entire life. Brenda is stoned.

Later, lying on the living room floor, Brenda talks through the case, trying to figure out who could have done it. But then her words start to sound funny and she's singing Willie Nelson.

Fritz comes home to this scene, his wife on her knees, singing to him. He looks at her eyes, immediately figures out what's up and asks Charlie what's going on. Brenda shows him the brownies. He suggests she go to bed.

Fritz [a recovering alcoholic] is not amused. "Who the hell do you think you are, bringing marijuana into my house?" he asks Charlie. He figures her friend sent her weed - and he signed for it. He asks her if she knows what could have happened if he'd eaten one, telling her he's in AA. He's yelling. "It's not my fault you're a drunk," she says, snottily.

He picks up her phone and finds her friend's number. He's calling her parents. He tells Charlie to go to her room and that she's going home as soon as possible.

Brenda comes out, asking about the fuss. Fritz tells her they're sending Charlie back. This spurs a Brenda realization, even while stoned. She writes down "send back." And then she takes a nap."

When I checked this episode on-line, some viewers (younger than me and apparently wise to the ways of this drug) either thought it was a lame episode and not realistic, or they thought it was hilarious. It was neither, but it was realistic in some parts. People still do this either as food poisoning or a prank.

The October 21, 2009 issue of JAMA had a lengthy article from the CDC MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) about a group of preschool teachers who ingested brownies with marijuana that had been purchased and shared by one of the staff from a vendor who claimed to be part of a church group (that was false). They experienced nausea, dizziness, headache, numbness and tingling of fingertips, face, forehead, arms and hands. When the director discovered her staff was ill, all with similar symptoms, the LAPD was called and the Dept. of Public Health of California. Only one staff person spit it out immediately noticing the unusual taste, and the other six, although they thought the brownies had a medicinal aftertaste, ate them anyway. One woman was a breastfeeding mother; two required medical attention at an urgent care facility. All had blood and urine tests. Symptoms lasted 3-10 hours; all recovered. The sidewalk vendor was never found.

Accidental ingestion of marijuana has led to coma in children. THC is the major psychoactive ingredient and it rapidly distributes to the adipose tissue, liver, lungs, and spleen, and then is released back into the blood stream where it is converted to THC-COOH which can be detected for anywhere from days in infrequent users to weeks or months in frequent users.

I'm guessing that because this happened in California where the DPH may be accustomed to some strange drug episodes and the staff of the pre-school were cooperating with the investigation, it was cleared up pretty fast. In some other states, they might have had to hire a lawyer and lost their jobs.

Teaching pre-schoolers to use the phone

I've been updating the family address and phone list. Everyone seems to have 2 phone numbers and work numbers, and e-mail, and they keep moving! It's getting a bit long now that more of my nieces and nephews' children are college age and they too have cell phones. My niece told me a funny story about her youngest, a very lively and challenging little boy.

"When he was three, we let him have an old cell phone to play with. I was having an especially crazy morning (oversleeping, running late, getting Wy ready for school, the dog had terrible "stomach" problems all over the carpet, etc. etc.) Wy was having a very long "conversation" with his sister on his cell phone. I was impressed at how long the conversation was and actually was thankful. . . it gave me a chance to clean up the carpet mess. I finally told him he had to tell her goodbye so that we could leave for pre-school, to which he said goodbye and then told me that she wanted to talk to me. I took the phone and quickly said goodbye. . . only to hear someone say, "Hello... Hello..." I was dumbstruck and asked who it was. She replied that she was the 911 operator. I was mortified. I had no idea that old cell phones, even when they didn't have service, could still dial 911. The pre-school had been teaching the little ones what to do in an emergency. . . dial 911. Upon further investigation, it seemed that this was the 3rd call that he had made that morning. He told her ALL about my bad morning, including all the gory details about the dog's mishap. I told her how sorry I was and she just laughed and said it was the best call she had ever gotten. Shortly after that is when I started noticing numerous white hairs. Wy definitely keeps us all on our toes and laughing pretty much on a daily basis.

Obamacare won't help these women

On the way home today I was listening to WOSU (to avoid football games) and heard two women being interviewed about their health problems and insurance. Both had insurance--one had a combination of private and Medicare, the other, much younger who had Lupus, was on disability and was a widow with death benefits. The older one for some reason thought if the current health care "reform" passed, no one would be suffering the way she is--she and her husband have sold their "dream home" and moved to less expensive housing away from the city because of their high medical costs. The younger woman, ironically, was caught in a catch-22 situation only our government could dream up. When her death benefits were increased slightly over $100 a month, (I assume it was a private pension, but didn't hear that part) it put her over the maximum to qualify for the Medicaid benefits for her son who has an expensive disability and also needs speech therapy. Between her death benefits and her disability payments she is squeaking by but there is no extra money for additional speech therapy and her son only gets about 15 minutes a week at school which isn't enough to make any permanent changes.

Nothing in the current plan makes anything better for either woman, regardless of the clucking and tsk-tsking of the host. They probably both have better coverage right now than people in their situation will have in 3-4 years when these expensive "reforms" kick in, especially the older woman as Medicare benefits are cut and nothing is done about the fraud and mismanagement currently in the system.

The older woman was angry--"Health care should be a right"--that in her retirement years her money was going for her medical bills (I think she wants us to pay for it so she can live in her "dream" home). She thought it was very unfair--but she said she loved where they had moved. The younger woman with the disabled child was more philosophical and spiritual, believing she was fortunate to have what she had.

Climate politics

My thoughts exactly. From a letter to the WSJ

"The politics of global warming is an updated version of colonialism by the developed nations, which want to impose regulations on the "primitives" through the threat of denial of finances. This is to be done while ignoring the more pressing needs of the subjugated people under the guise of saving the planet, and it is really no different from previous colonial powers that also ignored humanitarian needs with the theological rubric of saving souls. Now it will be the United Nations that is the colonial monarch that dictates to the developed nations and takes ransom via global taxation.

Zev Joseph

Charleston, W.V."

Serendipity is a librarian's best tool

Yesterday as I stepped through the door of Panera's, Tina gave me a shout out--"Norma! We don't have any coffee!" I could have had espresso with some water added, or hot tea, but instead I headed two blocks south passing up a Starbucks to Caribou which used to be my morning spot. While there I picked up a "free circ" I'd never seen before--The Garage Slab. It wasn't a vol.1 no.1, but it was on a topic I'd recently covered in my blog--garages. If you've got any guys on your Christmas list who are hard to buy for, this is it. Four issues for $12.95. Not only is it about the style and contents of garages, but beer, sports, tools and cars. And each issue has a "guest mechanic" so if you like to write, you might just submit something. From the web site: instructions Although this issue's dedication to Aldrich Hamilton, a former newspaper man and printer, who "died," was resuscitated, and 20 hours later was photographed and interviewed reading his issue, would be hard to beat. I think he was interviewed by his son.

If you could visit anyone's garage whose would it be?
My son's, he has half of my tools! He hasn't changed a bit!!
There's even an advice column called Peg's Board. "Dear Peg, How do I get my buddies out of my garage without getting flack from them about being old and boring now that I have a wife and kid?" Seeking sleep in Solon, Ohio.

Dear Sleep Seeker, (gives a list of suggestions and etiquette rules), then, "Barring that just kick 'em out when you're ready for bed and blame it on your wife. She'll never know."

Attractive design; clever theme; humor; great photography; good quality paper; nice graphics and layout; an abundance of advertisers; published and printed in Columbus by Greasy Shirt Publishing, but available in 11 other states.

Site Meter Reports foreign visits

In the last few hours I've had visits from

A Corua, Galicia, Spain

Brussels, Belgium

Perth, Western Australia

Via Del Mar, Valparaiso Chile

Saint-Mand, Ile-de-France

Leeds U.K.

New Delhi, India

Seoul, Korea

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel Aviv, Israel

Burnaby, British Columbia

Many cities in Ontario

Zagreb, Croatia

Pretoria, South Africa
I hope they found what they were looking for.

Site Meter Reports

It's been a reasonably busy week here at the old blog, now over 6 years old. About 3,750 pages were viewed--that's about 1,000 more than "visits." Even so, that's not an indicator of readership, because Google or Yahoo any number of other crawlers might find my blog and so it shows a "hit list" but the searcher might choose 2 entries above it, read that and never get to mine. And the search engines might pick up words randomly on the page like something from the quote at the top, a line from poetry, and then a recipe causing some real head scratching. This past week my blog on Neal Boortz's story (fictional) on the Carrington Automotive Enterprises was picking up 20-30 hits per 100, or about 40 a day, and something on guy paper dolls I did years ago was grabbing about 15 a day (100 is a free service and so that's my ideal price range, nor do I pay to see who is visiting--but many do). The first week in November my issue three (guest blogger) was very popular--wish I'd written it! The Carrington story is zipping around the internet via e-mail and it's very good. It's an illustration of small business taxes and just how easy it is to be called "rich" in Obama fantasy land of redistributive wealth. At least one of my anonymous readers, probably John, just goes bonkers that it's not a REAL example of a REAL Sub-S corporation. There's a lot of truth in fiction, parables, myths, legends, fables, morality plays and fairy tales--maybe moreso that the evening news. In order to disagree with the truth, some go after the genre. Like the conversation with my shoulder pads when it was finally time for them to go. Honest, I really don't talk to my clothes.

I'm happy for her, but. . .

My daughter stopped by last night to drop off some magazines. I'm thrilled that she's dropped 4 dress sizes because she was dangerously close to being a diabetic and has a full range of other endocrine problems including thyroid cancer, Hashimoto's and metabolic syndrome. We can't do much with the genes we were given, and the endocrine system can get out of whack causing severe problems. She was always beautiful at any size, but I'm thrilled she's healthier--the labs are all back to normal. And it's all been through a very disciplined exercise program. Thyroid medication and diets did nothing for her. Exercise did. She's switched to an exercycle (mine, since I wasn't using it) after an injury, but is ready to return to the treadmill in her basement. For some people it's diet, some it's exercise, some it's both. The point is to get healthy and hit a balance.

However, when she told me she thought she'd need a size 8 pair of jeans next, I had flash backs to 23 years ago when she used to borrow my clothes. In her senior pictures she's wearing one of my dresses and one of my suits. I don't think kids dress up for school photos anymore, but in the 80s they still did that.

This morning I took my closet apart, rearranging summer and winter clothes, hanging by color, storing some, pitching others, but was really looking for a size 8 Tall pair of Bill Blass jeans that I'd never shortened, and then "outgrew" so they'd been hanging around feeling blue. After an hour and not finding them, I decided I'd given them away. Then moved my hand to the back of the closet and found them--still with the tags. I have on the other pair (shortened, Easy Fit, "antiqued"), but I'm more than happy to donate to the cause of good health.

Spreading a big TARP over a sink hole

From Forbes.com: - the $700,000,000,000 bailout will most likely fail according to the government's auditor Neil Barofsky. Some programs, such as $50 billion in mortgage modification subsidies and incentives, were not designed with any reasonable opportunity for a return to taxpayers. . . As of Wednesday, the Treasury said it had received repayments of $73.02 billion and had collected dividends, interest and warrant sale profits totaling $13.03 billion. How did we get here?

Remember how TARP, Troubled Asset Relief Program, had to be RUSHED through with no thought or the world as we know it would come to an end? But never waste a crisis. Obama's thuggery has stolen our freedom and our economy . When the state controls the owners of business you have Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. When it owns the business you have post-1920 USSR. Are these the "progressive" choices you want--national socialism or communism? Didn't we fight this in WWII and even longer in a Cold War in Europe and some hot spots in Asia called Korea and Vietnam? Why did we ask such a sacrifice of generations of our military if we would just give it all away in an election?

And it continues unabated. Our elected Congress is being pressured to rush health care bills, rush climate change bills, rush anything called eco- or sustainable or green, rush confirmation of cabinet, czars and judges so only socialists and/or communists get a seat at the table, rush, rush, rush. Or Obama's plans could collapse. So far, he's won all the battles; his plan is working, folks.

Housing program doesn't work so give them even more money

USAToday reported in October on a money black hole (under Bush and predecessors) so Obama has decided it just needs more money

Federal funding for a housing counseling program carried out by local non-profit groups such as ACORN has more than tripled since 2002, even though it has been criticized by government auditors for failing to show results.

President Obama's budget calls for a 54% increase next year — $100 million in all — for the program, which helps people buy or refinance a home, prevent a foreclosure or find rental housing. The Senate agreed, while the House of Representatives suggested $70 million; final negotiations over the bill are pending.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been unable to provide much proof the program works, according to government reports, despite an increase in funding from $20 million in 2002 to $65 million last year." Link for details on the failures.

It's very hard to ever defund a "poverty" program, and even harder if it is for the "working family" or "low to moderate income" even if the program doesn't work. For instance, after forty plus years and billions of dollars for Head Start, studies show after a year or two in school, most gains are lost due to the children's home environment. It would be political death to NOT vote for the Head Start fantasy. Same with the "right to home ownership" dream which both parties claim and Bush really loved. At its worst it did nothing more than push already economically fragile people into debt beyond their wildest dreams; and at best, it funneled them into foreclosure workshops and refinancing failures. Either way, the agencies, groups, churches and nonprofits keep their own staff employed.

Yesterday it was announced that NeighborWorks America (created by Congress) received almost $5 million from HUD to provide training for housing counselors through its various agencies, so it would seem the first payouts are forthcoming.

"Today NeighborWorks America announced that it received $4,860,802 in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which will support training and certification opportunities for thousands of counselors from HUD-approved nonprofit counseling agencies, as well as nonprofit housing counseling at local NeighborWorks organizations. Link to details

It's a revolving door, but it keeps the staff of foundations, non-profits, churches, and government offices employed. With unemployment at the highest levels since Jimmy Carter days, now is hardly the time to hand out tax dollars to training classes for luring people into mortgages.

Finally, some transparency!

At last Obama is being absolutely clear and transparent in this move of the trial of 9/11 perps to New York where they can enjoy all the rights and benefits of citizens.

Attorney General Eric Holder made official Friday morning what was reported by the media for hours beforehand, the Obama Administration's intention to bring the alleged 9/11 conspirators who've been held at Guantanamo for years to trial in New York. . . Holder said five defendants would be tried in New York. Besides KSM, they were Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin 'Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi. Mohammed and the four others are accused of orchestrating the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001.

They've already had a trial and pled guilty. There's no doubt of their guilt--we all know and they know and are proud of what they did. So why would Obama do this?

That's where it's so transparent. This allows terrorists a global stage to bring their case to the world--a way for Obama to again tell the world what a terrible, awful, yucky country we are--they are probably getting bored with his monotonous presentations, so here's his opportunity to pass the baton to some jihadists. Also, it allows him to put George W. Bush on trial. See? Has there ever been a move more transparent than this one?

It's very clear
Obama's here to stay,
Not for a day
forever and a year. . .
Have you noticed? He doesn't even try to hide what he's doing anymore. It's so pathetic. His poll numbers are in free fall, but it doesn't matter.

New Yorkers don't want this; 9/11 families don't want this; sensible, safety minded Americans in the rest of the country don't want this. They know it's wrong, that it violates all our laws and common sense. It doesn't matter. Obama has taken control.

We're probably the only country in the world whose Congress and President cheer wildly a bill which would put its citizens in jail for not buying health insurance, and then turn around and give away our most treasured rights and military intelligence to committed, non-citizen terrorists who want to destroy us.

Friday Family Photo--Niagara Falls 1963

Yesterday there was a review in USAToday of a debut historical novel by a Canadian that's had some good reviews, The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan, although what interested this reviewer the least, the historical and scientific aspects of the Falls, would probably interest me the most.

The other day while looking through some photos to use as painting references, I came across a fat envelope of black and whites that had never been put in an album, nor identified. I remember the trip well. First we drove from Champaign Urbana to Kalamazoo to my brother's wedding, then on to Detroit, to Niagara Falls then into Canada, down through New York state, and to our final destination, New York City. It's a huge stack of photos from my husband's Boy Scout box camera mostly of the weird 1960s contemporary architecture and canyons of streets and the skyline of New York (without the twin towers of WTC which opened a decade later). I don't think there were any photos of the wedding, although those might be in an album, because I do have some of baby brother and beautiful bride. If I wrench the camera out of his hot hands, we might get a photo or two of people, but usually, we have mounds of photos of buildings--with many left over as unusable that are never thrown away. If there are photos of us together, someone has probably sent us a photo. But I did find two--this one of me standing in front of the Falls (I probably just stepped up) and one of me in a canopied I.M. Pei building in Detroit.

This trip was miserable for me. Our only child Stanley had died a few months before, I think I was crying every night in strange motel rooms and was not impressed with the scenery, the buildings, or the history. That's not a hump on my back--I'd lost so much weight that my clothes didn't fit. I couldn't wait to get home. It may sound odd, but seeing new sights and places is even more a reminder of the loss than being around the familiar ("I say, "There is no memory of him here!"/ And so stand stricken, so remembering him!" St. Vincent Millay). I probably sulked most of the trip and wasn't a good companion for my wonderful tour guide. And it's still hard to get people in his photographs 46 years later.

We visited Niagara Falls again in 2004 on a group tour with other architecture devotees (we do Frank Lloyd Wright and anyone or thing else interesting along the way). There have been so many tall buildings (casinos and hotels, I think) built along the river that it has changed air currents, and the Falls seems to be in a perpetual fog that doesn't lift. It was terribly commercial in 1963, and even more so in 2004. But still magnificent and impressive.

President Dithers

Ten months and he's still studying Afghanistan! Now he's decided they have corruption and that changes the game plan. Why? We've got loads of it in our own government, and it never stopped us before! We've got Barney Frank who assured us everything was fine in Fannie Mae, and Timmy Geithner who couldn't figure out his taxes so he just didn't pay them, and bunches of people from Chicago knee capping everyone and taking names, threatening news outlets. We've got eco-lobbyists and rich marxists camping out at the White House. This whole Afghan dither thing is so blatantly political I would think even his most loyal, boot licking supporters would have it figured out and show some concern for the lives of our military and those of our allies. Or on a good day, perhaps they could show a little caring for the people of Afghanistan who must really be confused by a President who says victory isn't necessary, especially since a year ago he said this was THE WAR. Giving speeches to our military 3 days in a row first at Ft. Hood, then Arlington, and today at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska do you suppose he ever got an inkling what war is about? Apparently not. The speeches looked like they were given through clenched teeth and drawn from a heart of stone.

Obama is terrified of offending his far left base. Or maybe the Chicago goon squad he brought with him to DC. Whichever, he won't do anything to offend them for fear of losing support for health care (which he just had to rush through with no one seeing it) or cap and trade so together they can kill all our economy. He just had to rush rush rush the stimulus package or something really awful like 9% unemployment could happen, again without anyone knowing what was in it. And it has all sorts of surprises that had zip nada zilch to do with stimulating the economy, but which affect health, taxes, and especially energy. Little bombs of excrement that his closest advisors tucked inside and none of our elected representatives got to debate.

But he must deliberate even longer on Afghanistan and not let it detract from his war on our economy.

Media starts to report on health care costs

Maybe it's just because Fox is cleaning their clocks, or perhaps there are just too many lies to ignore it any longer.

"Could it be that the press is finally catching on to the fact that the Democrats’ health care reform bills don’t decrease costs? New York Times columnist David Leonhardt rips up the House bill in a column today. He writes, “Making the medical system more efficient is, in short, about saving lives and giving Americans a long overdue raise. It is arguably the single most important step that the federal government could take to improve people’s lives. And the bill that the House of Representatives passed last weekend simply does not get it done.”

The Politico also gets in on the act, writing “Barack Obama ran for president on a promise of saving the typical family $2,500 a year in lower health care premiums. But that was then. No one in the White House is making such a pledge now. It’s one of the most basic, kitchen-table questions of the entire reform debate: Would the sweeping $900 billion overhaul actually lower spiraling insurance premiums for everyone? No one really knows. …. [MIT health economist Jonathan] Gruber, the favorite economist of the White House, said the bill “really doesn’t bend the cost curve.” … Reminded that Obama demanded a bill that lowers health care spending, Gruber said: “That is what he would like to do. But he’s not doing it.””

And ABC News corrects the Democrats’ claim that insurance company profits are responsible for increasing health insurance costs. ABC News reports, [T]he companies’ profits still represent a miniscule percentage of the $2.5 trillion Americans spend every year on health care. “Insurance company profits in the large picture have very little to do with the overall rising cost of health care,” said health care expert Henry Aaron, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.” Link

St. Algore the Green

“I’ve done a Christian [-based] training program; I have a Muslim training program and a Jewish training program coming up, also a Hindu program coming up. I trained 200 Christian ministers and lay leaders here in Nashville in a version of the slide show that is filled with scriptural references. It’s probably my favourite version, but I don’t use it very often because it can come off as proselytising,” Gore tells Newsweek.

Right. Someone might think you were a Christian instead of just a eco-capitalist.

HT Lookinferlearning via Soylent Green

Thank you President Bush

Hillbuzz is not a blog I follow, but this essay, from a former Bush detractor is very touching and so true. After commenting on his strength after 9/11 and his quiet visit last week to Ft. Hood to comfort the troops, he comments:

"Thank goodness George W. is still on his watch, with wonderful Laura at his side. We are blessed as a nation to have these two out there…just as we are blessed to have the Clintons on the job, traveling the world doing the good they do.

And we are blessed to have Dick Cheney, wherever he is, keeping tabs on all that’s going on and speaking out when the current administration does anything too reckless and dangerous.

Cheney’s someone else we villainized and maligned in the past who we were also wrong about. There has never been a Vice President, including Gore, Biden, or Mondale, who was more supportive of gay rights than “Darth Cheney”. There has never been a Vice President more spot-on right about the dangers facing this country from Islamic terrorism.

We live in strange, strange times indeed.

We are now officially committed fans of George W. and Laura Bush. We are fans of Dick Cheney. Our gratitude for them makes us newly protective of them, and the continued role they play in this country."

Strange times indeed.