AMERICA: The United States Network's topics - tribe.net

What a screwed up country. .

2009-11-09T14:51:05Z

we have. . .i'm not sure we will ever get out of the mess we are in. .

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

Keep Your Hands in Your Pockets, Dude!

2009-11-09T14:47:45Z

short flight for this guy. .

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/02/south-africa-passenger-ejector-seat

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 3 replies

Sgt Munley an American Hero. .

2009-11-09T14:42:47Z

ran after and shot the gunman, taking three bullets in exchange. .

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/us/07police.html?hp

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 6 replies

Well the idiots have got some rediculous pack of crap passed

2009-11-09T14:17:40Z

A pack of crap which not one of them has even read passed in the house by a mere 5 votes

I predict it's demise in the Senate.

I predict that the votes on this pack of crap will be used by Republicans to slaughter Democrats in 2010

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 6 replies

Bet a dollar that The Sacramento idiots will squander the new 10% tax

2009-11-07T03:29:41Z

and it won't do California a damn bit of good and MEANWHILE they will make it permanent.
To hell with paying those miserable worthless good for nothing tax payers back.
They are nothing but cows to milk.

So Ummm California, what's your tax burden now? 85%?

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 6 replies

$1,237,030.37 Calif spent on Hybrids no one ever uses.

2009-11-06T02:22:32Z

The State Worker: Unelected can wield real power in California government

By Jon Ortiz
jortiz@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 3A

California has two governments – the people we elect and the people who decide what really happens.

Case in point: This week's revelation that the state has spent millions of dollars on vehicles that have sat idle, in some cases for years.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a big deal a few months ago about cutting down the number of cars and trucks the state owns. He signed an executive order to trim the state's vast fleet by 15 percent and touted a big state car sale. The "Terminator" star even autographed some of the vehicles to help sell them.

Earlier this year, a state purchasing agent you've never heard of autographed a Department of General Services purchase order for $1,237,030.37 to buy 50 Toyota Priuses that then sat idle on the top floor of a state parking garage until The Bee started snooping around. In the wake of The Bee's revelations about the purchases, a General Services manager resigned this week.

Why does this kind of thing happen? How is it that the top official in California's government can give orders and speeches about saving the state money while the bureaucracy goes the other direction?

We're not talking about the Army. Schwarzenegger isn't a general. And state managers and purchasing agents aren't troops who follow his orders at any cost.

"The guy who signs the purchase orders has more power than most of us understand," said Todd Dewett, a group behavior expert at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. "And the scope of an organization – and California government is vast – makes it hard for even the best leaders to execute their desires."

Such Prius stories spur cynicism. Some people seize on the tale as proof that government is rife with bad actors. State workers know this. Some resent the coverage.

"Are citizens of CA now going to blame State workers for procuring these vehicles?" one online commenter asked after seeing the Prius purchase order posted on The State Worker blog. "Maybe there should be a separate blog for State departments and managers!!! Workers don't have this kind of procurement authority!!!!!"

But there's another power that all state workers have. They can refuse to settle for the status quo. They can point out abuse. They can blow the whistle.

And they do take that risk. All the time. How do you think stories like this usually get out?

Governors can issue orders, but it's the people you'll never hear about who effect change.

http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/2289973.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 6 replies

Such a lovely place China is

2009-11-06T01:27:37Z

http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 9 replies

Why does Stumbles want Iran to be a Nuke power but not the USA?

2009-11-05T19:54:57Z

It's like he's hell bent on destroying US nuclear capacity both for weapons and for electrical power.
Then at the same time he's doing everything he can to let rouge nations like Iran develop nuke power for whatever the hell they want.

As an aside: Turning nuke material over to Russia for conversion means not a god dammed thing about their headlong rush for a bomb.
It won't slow them at all.

To stop them from building nuke bombs you gotta have feet on the ground and them opening everything up to inspection and outside control. Until you see them offering that up you ain't seen nothing at all . And Iran is not going to do that.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 4 replies

NJ VA NY VICTORY for sanity ~!!!

2009-11-05T14:15:38Z

More than a shot across the bow of the idiot left and their psychofuks in DC.
It is the nation standing, It is the Silent Majority waking.

Communists (& I mean you idiot progressives)~!!! You have awoken a sleeping giant and your day is come.

Don't ask for whom the bell tolls.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

Best reason to resist government control of health care

2009-11-02T02:58:08Z

If the Fed can get it's hands around the health care industry and end user delivery of medicine the civil rights depredations historically seen under the Commerce Clause will be minor in compartison.

Once the government has a vested interest in your health - and if it's managing and funding health care delivery it will have such a vested interest. Then the government will be in a position to dictate when you eat, how much you eat, what you eat. It will be able to regulate what you drink, the vitamins you consume even how often you shit. Government will be able to forbid you from consuming any food that is not "approved" which reasonably would include all home made products like Yogurt; Kefir, Beer, Wine you name it if there is a bureaucrat who thinks that it serves the public interest to regulate every single aspect of your life they can and will. Government can issue orders that restrict what you may consume based on the recommendation of some faceless panel that goes over your medical information.

The Fed will be able tell you when to exercise, they can create enforcement protocols that provide for a whole slew of persons whose job it will be to invade your life and your home and inspect your cupboards and fridge to ensure your possession of only approves groceries and medications, take your blood pressure urine and stool samples.
Drug Testing can and may become mandatory for every one on some regular schedule.
Mandatory vaccinations, Mandatory screening for all manner of things can become the inescapable standard.

Under the rubric of cost management and health and safety your entertainment can be regulated. If some panel reviewing your medical information decides that alarming scary or exciting movies and TV is bad for you the Fed can order your cable to play only soothing programming for your subscription and limit your ability to rent movies to those medically approved.

These things can all be easily done once the Fed has a vested interest in your health.

Under federal run health care you may find that in a very few years you civil rights will have been swept away
They will be subsumed under the rubric of public safety and cost management.

This would not happen overnight but, happen it can and if it can then, the odds are that it will.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

maddening situation

2009-11-02T02:12:30Z

Pie Crust:
Do a google search and you will find even venerable persons such as Alton Brown advocating the use of butter.
It seems that all the nut jobs out there on the internet-S have copied each other and not a fooking one knows what they are talking about.

BUTTER CONTAINS WATER~!!!!!
Well reduced Lard or Crisco do not.

I know the great chef Brown says to freeze the butter a bit to immobilize the water: BULLSHIT~!!!
Alton Brown is full of shit~!!!

Do not - EVER - use butter in a pie crust. It is the poison of pie crusts it is the reason your pies all suck.

Cut Crisco or Lard into the flour ever so delicately using teo table knives or a pastry knife That's one of those things that unless you know what it is you will never guess it's p[urpose. It's got a handle and from each end of the handle run looped wires that form a sort of bail all in one place. You jam that into the pastry over and over to cut the lard or crisco into the flour.
DO NOT try to get a homogeneous mix. Is is supposed to be lumpy and have an unfinished look to it. It's supposed to fall apart as you work it into a crust shape. These are ATTRIBUTES~!!! They are the reason the crust comes out all flaky and delicate.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

Iran has renegged.

2009-11-01T22:43:39Z

Just like they always have.

What is it about the idiots in Stumbles' admin and the moron himself that makes them so stupid and childish that they can pretend that some how the magic of the great themselves will change everything in the world?

It is insanely naive to pretend that N Korea or Iran is suddenly going to change and become honest partners.

They never have been.

But then this president did float into office on a raft of lies told to foolish children who absolutely refused to look at the man's past.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 4 replies

Death Care may be DOOMED

2009-10-29T23:13:15Z

The FukWitCrats can't put a bill together that can get the CBO to agree with their lies about how they will generate income for every american.

Gee I wonder why?

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

ATF, Shotgun-pistol,& happy ending

2009-10-29T19:25:13Z

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2009/10/post_41.html
In defiance of pretty much everything we know about gubbermint.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

Stuymbles signs a military burget.

2009-10-28T19:05:51Z

HA HA HA HA HA It's always fun to watch these little fucking girls play with daddy's gun

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Stumbles is the biggrest crybaby

2009-10-28T17:42:42Z

The Chamber of Commerce helped the miserable worthless fuk get elected, they helped him pass the Squanderlust bill, they are in favor generally of global warming laws but they are against his insane take over of health care and his ridiculous nation crippling climate bill.

And what does the Stumbles administration do? They demonize and try to discredit the C. of C.

Glen Beck and Sean Hannity are uncharitable toward Stumbles and his pack of America hating cronies so what does the Stumbles Admin do? They try to demonize and discredit the whole network. And the hell of it is : No one from Fox has said anything untrue about them and Beck even gave them a special phone line to correct any error he makes and promised that he'd lead with the correction.
And what does Stumbles do? Seek to demonize and discredit.

These idiots are the biggest fucking cry babies in the world.

I hear Stalin took criticism better than this moron.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 14 replies

Castro's Sister. .

2009-10-28T13:31:57Z

A spy for the CIA. . .a touching story. .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8327163.stm

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

movie review

2009-10-28T13:29:49Z

Blood the Last Vampire:

Jap genre flick take off from a cartoon
I read a couple of reviews that said it sucked.

The filming could have been better the dialog was no particularly good
But those were about all the negatives.
The sequences were well filmed the Lead character was well acted and the plot was perfect escapism ( don't expect you favorite political bullshit just escapism) and of course the movie had this goddess to recommend it:
http://www.toplessrobot.com/Jun_Ji_Hyun_%28Gianna_Jun%29_6.jpg
And god knows I'm a sucker for anything in one of those cute sailor suits
http://csos.movieset.com/download/movieset/s/cftxn1/images/4bsfsm-560x420.jpg
http://nottothemovies.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/blood-the-last-vampire.jpg
http://www.pocandpoch.com/wp-content/gallery/blood-the-last-vampire-gianna-jun/gianna-jun-with-sword.jpg
http://www.toplessrobot.com/Jun_Ji_Hyun_%28Gianna_Jun%29_6.jpg

http://www.onlinepilipinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/jeon_ji_hyun_10.jpg

And she did the cover of Elle
http://hallyuism.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/gianna-jun-cover.jpg
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9221/001500639ok6.jpg
http://www.pocandpoch.com/wp-content/gallery/blood-the-last-vampire-gallery/gianna_jun.jpg

What's not to like?

http://hallyuism.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/gianna-jun-cover.jpg

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

Employee Free Choice Act

2009-10-27T05:57:44Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipus01tV0EY

wtf

What is going on?

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

Baghdad Death Toll Mounts. . .

2009-10-27T03:37:19Z

Count is up to 160 now. We'll see how the Iraqi government responds to this now that they are in the driver's seat.

But it will be interesting to note any comments from the Obama administration. . .our troops are still in the country but are staying out of the major cities. . .which is as it should be.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102603041.html

By Ernesto Londoño
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi officials on Monday began assessing the scope of the damage from two devastating bombings carried out Sunday that are expected to cripple key government agencies for months, as the death toll climbed to nearly 160.

The attacks targeted the Justice Ministry, the Baghdad Provincial Council and the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, and appeared designed to portray the Shiite-led government as feeble and rudderless ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for January.

"These attacks are targeting the symbols of Iraqi sovereignty, and they aim to paralyze the government," said Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, whose ministry was targeted in a similar bombing in August. "These were deliberate and calculated attacks; this was not the work of amateurs. These are professional killers, people who know how the government operates."

Even as rescue workers continued to pull bodies out of the rubble Monday, an attack in Karbala, a city south of Baghdad, raised fears of a fresh outbreak of violence. Explosives in a minibus detonated at the entrance of the holy city, killing at least 12 people and wounding several, said Maj. Alaa Ghanimi, a spokesman for security forces in Karbala.

Sunday's attacks came as the government continued to reel from the Aug. 19 bombings, which targeted the Foreign and Finance ministries. Those attacks caused delays in paying government workers this summer and hindered reconstruction projects because paperwork was missing, government officials said.

Officials at the Foreign Ministry have been able to return to some parts of the compound, Zebari said. But the ministry's dilapidated facade has been an embarrassment for Iraqi officials, who are eager to prove they are capable of keeping Baghdad secure as U.S. forces pull back.

The structural damage at the Justice Ministry appeared severe Monday. The ministry oversees the country's chronically crowded prisons and is in the process of deciding which inmates in U.S. custody it wants to keep as the Americans continue to reduce their detainee population.

Sunday's attack is almost certain to exacerbate lengthy backlogs in criminal cases, which have long been a grievance among Sunni Muslims. Though they make up roughly 20 percent of the Iraqi population, Sunnis account for about 80 percent of detainees in the Iraqi justice system.

As in August, the suicide bombers who struck Sunday were able to get remarkably close to the buildings, because the government of President Nouri al-Maliki in recent months has scaled down security measures in an effort to restore a sense of normalcy to this bunkered capital. On Sunday, flatbed trucks were seen at both sites, bringing new cement barriers.
ad_icon

Unlike the Aug. 19 bombers, who drove large trucks packed with fertilizer and explosives, Sunday's assailants used pickup trucks, which are ubiquitous in central Baghdad. Maliki has accused Sunni extremists with links to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party and the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq of carrying out the attacks.

Zebari said Maliki's cabinet held an emergency meeting Sunday morning at which it agreed to drastically beef up security around key government buildings that could be targeted. He said officials intend to erect rings of cement barriers that would make it impossible for vehicles to get close to prime targets. Several Iraqis who were wounded in the attacks or lost relatives said they had no confidence in the government's ability to survive.

"There is no security, no hope," said Shauki Abdul Jabar, 37, a wounded Justice Ministry employee . "All the police forces and the armed forces are for nothing."

. . .an excerpt, more at the link. .

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Cliff's Pale Ale

2009-10-25T02:15:22Z

Cliff’s Pale Ale
Produces 5 gallons beer

Grains should be slightly cracked leaving hulls in place
Water Ph start at 5.2Ph Adjust as necessary

The Mash:
1.) Mash the grain in 3.28 gallons of well boiled water (Strike Water) boiled and lowered to 165Deg-F
.............(i) Goal: to get the volume in the Mash Tun to 151Deg-F.
.............(ii) Start the strike water around 165 Deg-F
2.) Hold at 151-F for 75 minutes.
3.) A gallon (or more) of the strike water is added at the end of the mash
.............(i) Strike Water is well boiled.
.............(ii) This addition of Strike water is meant to raise the mash temp to 170-F
.............(iii) Hold at 170 F for 15 minutes This kills the enzymes
4.) GRAIN amounts.
.............(i) Pale Malt Maris Otter 8 pounds
.............(ii) Aromatic Malt 0.5 pound
.............(iii) Munich Malt 0.5 pound
.............(iv) Carafoam 0.4 pound
.............(v) Carared 0.4 pound
.............(vi) Caramel/Crystal Malt 0.4 pounds
.............(vii) Wheat Malt, Belgian 0.4 pounds
.............(viii) Barley, Flaked 2.08 ounces

Now you have wort.

Lautering:
1.) Rinse the wart back through the grain husks and other material till the wart runs clear.
.............(i) Method ONE: use any vessel, draw wort off the mash tun and pour it back through the settled grain till it runs clear of crap.
.............(ii) Method Two: Run the whole volume into a carboy then siphon back down through the grains till it’s clear of crap

CHOOSE CONVENTIONAL SPARGE OR BATCH SPARGE
Conventional Sparge:
1.) Sparge water is well boiled 168-Deg –F
2.) Time 75 – 90 minutes
3.) Sparge water 3 gallons
4.) Flow 1.5 Gallons @ 15 minutes
5.) When Wort runs clear Sparge with the remainder of hot water necessary to complete the volume in your Secondary Fermenter.
6.) The Sparge water is run through the mashed grains to capture any residual sugars in the mashed grain.
7.) Combine all the wart and sparge products in one container and Chill the Wart.

✔✔Batch Sparge:
1.) Draw off all the wort First.
2.) Sparge water is well boiled 168-Deg –F
3.) Time 30 minutes
4.) Sparge water 3 gallons
Add a few extra pounds of base grains to compensate for efficiency losses

The boil:
1.) Use a tube to drain the wort from the Tun to the kettle Don’t spash it in ( it may pick up things in the air) .
2.) Bring wort to a boil TIME 75 Minutes
3.) Make a Stick with Carved Gallon Markers on it that fits your Boil pot.
4.) TIME THE BOIL

Hopping:
1.) Once a boil is achieved mark the time.
2.) put hops in nylon sacks (7 nylon sacks needed)
(i) 2 packs: Liberty 1 oz
(ii) 1 pack: Pearle 0.5oz
(iii) 0 packs: Styrian Golding ( replaced Centenial)
(iv) 0 packs Amarillo
(v) 0 packs Cascade
(vi) 3 packs .5oz BLEND @: Amarillo 7.8%, Cascade 4.0% Styrian Golding 5.9% (3/4, less than 1/2, little more than 1/2)
(vii) 1 pack 1oz BLEND: Amarillo 7.8%, Cascade 4.0% Styrian Golding 5.9% (3/4, less than 1/2, little more than 1/2)

3.) 10 minute mark Add Pearle at the leave in 60 minutes
4.) 10 Minute Mark Add BURTON SALTS
5.) 45 minute Mark Add Liberty 0.5oz
6.) 30 minute mark: Add Liberty
7.) 60 minute mark Add BLEND 0.5oz
8.) 65 minute mark Add BLEND 0.5oz
9.) 70 minute mark Add BLEND 0.5oz
10.) Half-Whirlfloc-tab Added at the last 15 minutes of boil.
.............(i) on flame out stir into a large spinning whirl
.............(ii) let settle before siphoning off
.............(iii) only use half a tablet
11.) Flame out add BLEND Hops 1oz for 10-15 minutes

Wart Chilling
1.) Chilling water is well boiled water frozen in clean containers
2.) Add the sterile ice to the wart to lower the temperature to a little less than 80Deg-F

Yeast casting:
1.) With wort in the primary fermenter at 80 Deg F or less add yeast to the wort and place tight lid on with CO2 trap. Wyeast 1968 London ESB Activator.
.............(i) this yeast can tolerate 10% alcohol.
(ii) Can add sugar is desired.

Primary ferment:
1.) Ferment till foaming stops ( a week or less)
2.) Use a Fermentation Trap
3.) Then transfer to glass secondary fermenter.

Second Ferment:
1.) Put Wort in Glass fermenter add a touch corn sugar (less than an ounce) and install Fermentation Trap
2.) Ferment till bubbles stop and yeast settles.

Bottling:
1.) Siphon Beer off to a holding Carboy making sure not to transfer any yeast from the bottom of glass fermenter.
2.) Add carbonizing sugar 4oz stir and bottle.
3.) Hold in bottles for 1 – 2 weeks before consuming.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 9 replies

Do U think they will learn their lesson?

2009-10-25T01:19:57Z

All those banks and investment firms and insurance companies.
All the one who took tarp and Bail out money
In this thread: http://tribes.tribe.net/america/thread/9394af9c-02d0-4d77-9950-4c5aef226629
I articulate the law on how the Fed can interfere with Exec Compensation.
And now the Fed is doing exactly that.

I have frequently observed that these companies and their Execs made the willful choice of getting into bed with the Fed and deserve what they get: An insane business partner whose motivations are sure to be at odds with the core business in question.

I wonder if now after all this after being made into the bad guy demonized by the president and his cronies and then to add injury to insult they are interfering with compensation in a bog way. I wonder if they have learned that (A) supporting this character in his campaign was a terrible mistake and (B) never to crawl into bed with the government and take their money again?
I wonder.

Do you think maybe the Chamber of Commerce is learning a lesson? They supported this president when he was a candidate, then they supported his squanderlust bill and again his climate change initiative but when they saw that his initiatives would absolutely destroy business in American they criticized his global warming initiates and h now they are demonized and despised.
Do you think maybe they have learned a lesson?

It seems that no matter how much support you have given this character in the past that is TODAY you are not cheering and applauding this infantile worthless welfare bastard, that he will turn on you and make you out to be a demon, a racist, an anti American terror peddling monster.

That's this one trick pony's shtick. Agree with me or I'll demonize and discredit you.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 6 replies

The President only ever tells lies

2009-10-24T18:54:46Z

- OpenMarket.org - http://www.openmarket.org -

Obama Keeps Lying About His Health-Care Plan, Even After Being Caught by Fact-Checkers

Posted By Hans Bader On August 27, 2009 @ 12:32 pm In Healthcare, Politics as Usual, Sanctimony, Stimulus to Nowhere | Comments Disabled

You just can’t trust President Obama’s claims about his health-care plan. He keeps on lying even after he is caught lying and his lies have become obvious.

The Congressional Research Service and the Washington Examiner say that illegal aliens WILL be covered [1] by ObamaCare — contrary to what Obama claims [2].

Factcheck.org [3] and the Associated Press’s Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar [4] earlier reported that abortions would be covered by ObamaCare — contrary to what Obama claims.

Fact-checkers have repeatedly caught Obama lying about health-care [5].

But when Obama denied that his health-care plan would cover abortions or illegal aliens [2], an Associated Press reporter suddenly decided that he must be right, just because he said so. The AP’s Philip Elliott declared that claims that ObamaCare would cover abortion or illegal aliens must be “untrue” [4] because Obama, the nation’s “Fact-Checker-in-Chief [4],” said so. Never mind that his own colleague Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar had earlier concluded, after reading the bill, that it would in fact cover abortions. If Obama says something, it must be true!

(The AP reporter’s strange logic reminds me of the mystifying and illogical claim by Associated Press reporter Douglass K. Daniel in 2008 that it was a racist, “deliberate attempt to smear Obama [6]” for people to criticize Obama’s links [7] to Bill Ayers, an unrepentant [8] former Weather Underground terrorist and self-described communist [9] who sat on a Chicago foundation board along with Obama that “poured more than $100 million into the hands of community organizers and radical education activists [9].” But Ayers is white, and criticism of Obama’s association with Ayers thus had no conceivable racial “tinge,” as Daniel claimed).

Whether ObamaCare covers abortions or illegal aliens is certainly not my biggest concern about the health-care bill. I’m much more concerned about its immense cost [10], waste [2], and potential rationing [11], and its taking away important health-care freedoms [12].

But Obama’s lying about them still concerns me, because if I can’t trust the President on straightforward issues like abortion or illegal aliens, why should I trust him – and the Associated Press – to accurately inform me about more complicated (but important) economic issues raised by the bill? The bill is more than 1000 pages long, but some of its supporters, like Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit) have ridiculed [13] the idea of even reading it. The sheer length and messiness of the bill leads Allan Sloan, who wants universal coverage, to oppose it in today’s Washington Post on the grounds it is “certain to contain enough ambiguities, contradictions and just plain mistakes to ensure years of lucrative employment for countless lawyers” and “lobbyists.”

Obama has also broken [14] many campaign promises, such as his pledge to adopt a “net spending cut [14],” which he has violated by proposing record budgets funded by over nine trillion dollars [15] in deficits. This year’s budget deficit has already reached $1.3 trillion [16], part-way through the year, and will grow further as a result of Obama’s $800 billion stimulus package.

The stimulus package is projected to cut the size of the economy “in the long run [17],” according to the Congressional Budget Office. That didn’t stop Obama from falsely claiming that only the stimulus package would prevent “disaster [18]” and “irreversible decline [18].” (Countries that refused to adopt big stimulus packages have fared better than [19] those that imitated Obama. And the biggest-spending countries have suffered worst [20] in the recession.)

The Obama Administration claimed its stimulus package would deliver a short-run “jolt” [21] that would quickly lift the economy, but unemployment actually rose rapidly [22] after its passage [23]. The stimulus package destroyed thousands of jobs [24] in America’s export sector, and subsidized welfare and waste. [25] The stimulus also ended ended welfare reform [26], giving states new incentives [27] to expand welfare rolls.

ObamaCare is full of special-interest giveaways and constitutionally-dubious provisions [28] like racial preferences and set-asides, which has led to ObamaCare being criticized [28] by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Obama’s own advisors [11] have called into question his claims about how ObamaCare will supposedly let you keep your health coverage while cutting costs. “ObamaCare is all about rationing [29],” says Obama adviser [30] Martin Feldstein. Feldstein earlier noted that Obama’s health-care plan would harm people [31] with insurance, and massively raise taxes [31].

Feldstein, a Harvard professor, warns [32] that “For the 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance, the Obama health plan is bad news. It means higher taxes, less health care and no protection if they lose their current insurance because of unemployment or early retirement.” Obama’s plan would “cost more than $1 trillion,” and raise the top federal “income-tax rate from 35 percent today to more than 45 percent,” he notes. [32]

Article printed from OpenMarket.org: http://www.openmarket.org

URL to article: http://www.openmarket.org/2009/08/27/obama-keeps-lying-about-his-health-care-plan-even-after-being-caught-by-fact-checkers/

URLs in this post:

[1] illegal aliens WILL be covered: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Obamacare-wont-cover-illegal-immigrants--55021087.html

[2] what Obama claims: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m8d24-Letting-illegal-aliens-sink-healthcare-reform-Why-is-President-Obama-lying

[3] Factcheck.org: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/54755142.html

[4] Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2009/08/21/ap-reporter-honors-obama-fact-checker-chief-health-care

[5] lying about health-care: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Fact-checkers-Obama-is-lying-about-health-care

[6] racist, “deliberate attempt to smear Obama: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D93KD6Q00&show_article=1

[7] links: http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTViMGRmMmYxZTgwZTFjYmFjODU5YzM4Y2MwM2ViMjY=

[8] unrepentant: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rich-noyes/2008/09/23/barack-obama-bill-ayers-stanley-kurtz-makes-connection

[9] communist: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122212856075765367.html

[10] immense cost: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m8d4-Healthcare-reform-always-costs-more-than-promised

[11] rationing: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m8d19-ObamaCare-Is-All-About-Rationing-and-Tax-Increases-Obama-Adviser-Says

[12] health-care freedoms: http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/health_care_reform_obama.fortune/index.htm

[13] ridiculed: http://www.cnsnews.com/Public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=51610

[14] broken: http://www.openmarket.org/2009/03/23/blind-to-obamas-broken-promises/

[15] nine trillion dollars: http://www.nypost.com/seven/08252009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/bams_2_trillion_friday_surprise_186337.htm

[16] 1.3 trillion: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Deficit-rises-880-billion-to-record-13-trillion-due-to-massive-unprecedented-federal-spending

[17] in the long run: http://www.openmarket.org/2009/03/20/obama-budget-explodes-debt-taxes-cbo-admits/

[18] disaster: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4571678/Barack-Obama-warns-economic-stimulus-delay-would-bring-disaster.html

[19] fared better than: http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/83869/

[20] suffered worst: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574347000967657192.html

[21] short-run “jolt”: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MjlkNzk5ZDAyYjk5MGZlYTg3ODEwMjM0MTNkMDcxNWM=

[22] rose rapidly: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/06/023741.php

[23] its passage: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m6d8-Stimulus-package-kills-jobs-drives-up-unemployment

[24] destroyed thousands of jobs: http://www.openmarket.org/2009/05/19/wasteful-stimulus-package-fails-even-in-short-term/

[25] welfare and waste.: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m6d25-Obamas-JobKilling-Stimulus-Package-Replaced-Investments-With-Welfare-Out-of-Political-Correctness

[26] ended welfare reform: http://www.openmarket.org/2009/02/12/stimulus-guts-welfare-reform-is-deceptive/

[27] incentives: http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/wm2287.cfm

[28] constitutionally-dubious provisions: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m8d18-Legal-experts-and-Civil-Rights-Commission-attack-Obama-healthcare-plan-as-unconstitutional

[29] ObamaCare is all about rationing: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204683204574358233780260914.html

[30] Obama adviser: http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090422154308.aspx

[31] harm people: http://www.examiner.com/x-7812-DC-SCOTUS-Examiner~y2009m7d28-Obama-HealthCare-Plan-Will-Harm-People-With-Insurance-and-Raise-Taxes-Obama-Adviser-Says

[32] warns: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072701905.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 3 replies

Obama Gets Death Threats. .

2009-10-24T02:31:51Z

30 a day on average. .

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religiousright/1893/the_eliminationists%3A_how_hate_talk_radicalized_the_american_right/

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 14 replies

Congress Flooded with Phone Calls. .

2009-10-21T13:18:14Z

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/ofa-healthcare-phonebank_b_327418.html

By Dawn Teo

It's not even noon on the West Coast and already Capitol Hill staffers say they're getting nonstop calls from constituents in support of President Barack Obama's health insurance reform. At about 2:15 EST, Organizing for America (OFA) surpassed it's goal of 100,000 phone calls to Congress, each one imploring representatives to vote for reform.

The nationwide "Time to Deliver on Health Reform" event is the most massive outpouring of support from Obama supporters since Election Day 2008.

Senate Democratic aides told HuffPost that their phones have been ringing off the hook. "We're getting completely crushed with calls, jamming our phone lines from the moment we opened," said one aide.

Another said they'd gotten "pretty much non-stop health care calls from OFA." A third also said their office was getting bombed and that four out of every five calls specifically mentioned the public option.

Only one aide contacted said that the calls had not been heavy. "We've had about 130 [health care] calls to the DC office today," said a staffer, explaining that on busy advocacy days the number can climb much higher.

Several aides said the callers seemed less informed about the issue than typical advocates, indicating that Obama is reaching a wide variety of voters who do not typically engage in the political process. Almost all of them called on the senators to support the President's health care plan. Several aides noted with irony that the president doesn't have a specific plan that he has endorsed - to the great frustration, in fact, of many Democrats.

After the election, Obama for America (OFA) became Organizing for America (OFA), an issue-oriented advocacy arm of the DNC whose primary purpose is to help make campaign promises a reality by cultivating public support for Obama's agenda.

Calls officially started at 9:00 AM Eastern, and supporters reached 40,000 calls about noon. From there, the numbers climbed quickly, hitting 85,000 around 1:30 PM and 95,000 around 2:00 PM -- fifteen minutes after that, 100,000.

To generate these numbers, OFA organized over 1,000 phonebank events across all 50 states. Yesterday, OFA said its phonebanks would make hundreds of thousands of calls to voters in order to generate 100,000 calls from constituents to Congress.

This morning's email to OFA members said, "If we hit 100,000 calls made or committed to, we'll send an unmistakable signal that this time, families must come before insurance companies. We'll be tracking progress toward our goal publicly -- make sure to report your call back to us so we can count it." (See the current count.)

President Obama will speak to OFAers across the country today at 8:00 PM Eastern to kickoff the evening phone banks. Sources within OFA say they are going to raise their goal to 150,000 calls to Congress but no official word yet.

UPDATE 6:03 PM Eastern: OFA has surpassed its updated goal of 200,000 phone calls to Congress. No word yet on what their new goal will be. .

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

A True Patriot. .

2009-10-21T03:26:37Z

http://i.imgur.com/o3GhM.jpg

heheh. . .

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Medical Marijuana Update. .

2009-10-20T06:28:39Z

O'Bama lightens up a bit. .

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/AP-Newsbreak-New-medical-apf-4109207182.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

By Devlin Barrett, Associated Press Writer

The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.

The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.

Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

. . .an excerpt. .

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 4 replies

Tax in the US is about 75%

2009-10-20T04:52:46Z

Taxes You are paying better than Three Quarters of your gross income to some government entity or other in the form of Taxes:

Overt Taxes:
• Fed income tax
• Fed FICA tax
• Fed SECA tax
• Fed Worker’s Comp
• State Worker’s Comp
• Fed Medicare
• State Income tax
• City Income tax
• Some Counties have an income tax
• Sales taxes
• Luxury taxes
• Road Tolls
• Real Estate taxes
• Vehicle taxes
• …………Surcharges
• …………License fees
• …………Registration fees
• …………Gasoline consumption taxes

Hidden Taxes
(Taxation that is structural – built into the cost of what you pay for things so you don’t see it as “tax” on your receipt but rather, higher prices):
• Real estate taxes on renters: Renters pay their landlord’s Real Estate taxes via higher rent.
• VAT taxation VIA higher retail prices for foods clothing and other goods made in or shipped through Europe.
• Sales and use taxes paid as higher prices for consumer goods that are made in any nation with taxes.
• Highway taxes VIA higher costs for consumer goods that are shipped across any road or rail whether in the US or any foreign
• Waterway use taxes for consumer goods chipped along any US or foreign water way.
• Unemployment taxes passed on to you VIA lower wages.
• Employer provided life insurance taxes you pay in lower wages
• Subsidy taxes for any thing you buy that benefits from a subsidy
• U.S. waterway taxes you pay to go anywhere by boat.
• Medical risk Taxes like the DPD tax
• Taxes on College Scholarships
• Taxes on debt forgiveness when you “cut a deal” with your creditor for anything less than the entire amount with interest.
• Gasoline tax. ( 19 - 45.8 cents {state depending}per gallon in federal, state and local taxes)
• Travel taxes: Airfare, hotels, car rental and taxi service: 7.5% air fare & $3.50 tax for each increment of the flight and $2.50 in security tax on each increment of that flight. Hotel & car rentals are taxed up to 40% of the cost.
• Sin taxes on beer, liquor, gambling and cigarettes. ($13.50-a-gallon tax on hard liquor and the 33-cent tax on a six-pack.)
• State taxes on insurance premiums. A $9-Billion wind fall for each state each year. You state taxes your insurance company which passes that on to you.
• Excise tax. All impoirts have a federal excise tax levied onto them.

The below is a very, very, short list of imports and their respective taxes which you pay.
• Bicycles 11%
• Brussel sprouts 12%
• Cotton hammocks 15%
• Infant formulas 18%
• Flashlights 18%
• Peanut butter 143%
• Girdles and panty girdles 24%
• Brooms 32%
• Plastic school supplies

The list goes on and on.
There are hundreds of taxes you pay. The cumulative effect is a tax of no less than 75% on your gross income.

You can be sure that if there is a transaction where you transfer any of the money you earn to some one for something you are paying a tax.

The result is that you pay on average about 75% of your gross income to government in the form of taxes.

This link takes you to a comprehensive study of the taxes you pay:

Google these names:
Nina Olson
Jared Bernstein
Pete Sepp,
Institute for Policy Innovation, Washington, D.C.

FABULOUS RESOURCE: Taxes You are paying better than Three Quarters of your gross income to some government entity or other in the form of Taxes:

Overt Taxes:
• Fed income tax
• Fed FICA tax
• Fed SECA tax
• Fed Worker’s Comp
• State Worker’s Comp
• Fed Medicare
• State Income tax
• City Income tax
• Some Counties have an income tax
• Sales taxes
• Luxury taxes
• Road Tolls
• Real Estate taxes
• Vehicle taxes
• …………Surcharges
• …………License fees
• …………Registration fees
• …………Gasoline consumption taxes

Hidden Taxes
(Taxation that is structural – built into the cost of what you pay for things so you don’t see it as “tax” on your receipt but rather, higher prices):
• Real estate taxes on renters: Renters pay their landlord’s Real Estate taxes via higher rent.
• VAT taxation VIA higher retail prices for foods clothing and other goods made in or shipped through Europe.
• Sales and use taxes paid as higher prices for consumer goods that are made in any nation with taxes.
• Highway taxes VIA higher costs for consumer goods that are shipped across any road or rail whether in the US or any foreign
• Waterway use taxes for consumer goods chipped along any US or foreign water way.
• Unemployment taxes passed on to you VIA lower wages.
• Employer provided life insurance taxes you pay in lower wages
• Subsidy taxes for any thing you buy that benefits from a subsidy
• U.S. waterway taxes you pay to go anywhere by boat.
• Medical risk Taxes like the DPD tax
• Taxes on College Scholarships
• Taxes on debt forgiveness when you “cut a deal” with your creditor for anything less than the entire amount with interest.
• Gasoline tax. ( 19 - 45.8 cents {state depending}per gallon in federal, state and local taxes)
• Travel taxes: Airfare, hotels, car rental and taxi service: 7.5% air fare & $3.50 tax for each increment of the flight and $2.50 in security tax on each increment of that flight. Hotel & car rentals are taxed up to 40% of the cost.
• Sin taxes on beer, liquor, gambling and cigarettes. ($13.50-a-gallon tax on hard liquor and the 33-cent tax on a six-pack.)
• State taxes on insurance premiums. A $9-Billion wind fall for each state each year. You state taxes your insurance company which passes that on to you.
• Excise tax. All impoirts have a federal excise tax levied onto them.

The below is a very, very, short list of imports and their respective taxes which you pay.
• Bicycles 11%
• Brussel sprouts 12%
• Cotton hammocks 15%
• Infant formulas 18%
• Flashlights 18%
• Peanut butter 143%
• Girdles and panty girdles 24%
• Brooms 32%
• Plastic school supplies

The list goes on and on.
There are hundreds of taxes you pay. The cumulative effect is a tax of no less than 75% on your gross income.

You can be sure that if there is a transaction where you transfer any of the money you earn to some one for something you are paying a tax.

The result is that you pay on average about 75% of your gross income to government in the form of taxes.

This link takes you to a comprehensive study of the taxes you pay:

Google these names:
Nina Olson
Jared Bernstein
Pete Sepp,
Institute for Policy Innovation, Washington, D.C.

FABULOUS RESOURCE: http://www.ipi.org/ipi%5CIPIPublications.nsf/0/3F31DF6F0D040EE986256AB700630B84/$File/PR160-HiddenTax-FINAL.pdf?OpenElement

http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=101099,00.html

Google these names:
Nina Olson
Jared Bernstein
Pete Sepp,
Institute for Policy Innovation, Washington, D.C.

Google these names:
Nina Olson
Jared Bernstein
Pete Sepp,
Institute for Policy Innovation, Washington, D.C.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

John Kerry says it's irresponsible

2009-10-20T00:56:42Z

to put more troops in Afghanistan when the Government is so unreliable.

To which I'd agree if the question were about whether US troops ought to go there in the first place.
But leaving an inadequate force there with out more reinforcements is simply sending US boys and girls out to be killed for nothing.
Kerry is a dog's ass on a chimp's body.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 3 replies

another taser death

2009-10-19T13:37:48Z

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568384,00.html?test=latestnews

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

France Britian Russia To Stumbles "go piss up a rope"

2009-10-19T01:44:57Z

France & Briton won't help more in Afghanistan and Russia says no way on Sanctions for Iran and their NUKE BOMB project.

Stumbles the bumbling clown is learning that being president is a wee bit more than giving purdy speeches to adoring crowds of idiots who can't tell a lie from truth and don't care to either.

Lesson here is: You won't learn what you don't want to.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

Somewhere High Over Denver. . .

2009-10-18T21:30:53Z

Floats a six year old boy!

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/21306839/detail.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

Democracy Not Needed In Russia?

2009-10-17T05:20:24Z

That didn't last long. .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8311189.stm

Democracy 'not needed' in Russia

More than 40% of respondents said Russia needed "an iron fist" leader

A growing number of Russians believe their country does not need democracy, a nationwide survey by one of Russia's leading polling agencies suggests.

The poll by the Levada-Centre showed that 57% of those questioned considered that Russia needed democracy - the lowest number since 2006.

It said 26% believed that democratic governing was not suitable for Russia.

Nearly 95% of respondents said they had little or no influence on what was happening in the country.

'Rigged' election

Levada-Centre said 1,600 people across Russia had been questioned in the poll which was released on Friday.

Russian police dispersed a protest rally in Moscow, arresting some activists

Although the majority of them believe the country needs to be democratic, the results of the survey are an intriguing mix, the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says.

The majority (60%) also said it would be better for Russia if the president controlled both the courts and the parliament, which can hardly be described as a democratic aspiration, our correspondent says.

The poll also suggested that 43% agreed with the question that the country sometimes needed an "iron fist" leader.

And nearly 25% said the Soviet Union had a better political system that the current Russian model (36%) or that in Western countries (15%).

The poll came as Russian police arrested 10 people in Moscow who were protesting against an alleged fraud in last weekend's regional and local elections.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party tightened its already overwhelming grip on power after the polls, our correspondent says.

But three parties walked out of parliament earlier this week, protesting against the outcome of the elections. Two later returned, but the Communists are continuing their boycott.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 12 replies

Obama and the Democrats are Turning me. .

2009-10-17T02:10:08Z

into an elitist. .

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 8 replies

what were they thinking?

2009-10-15T21:00:55Z

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/08/11/2009-08-11_what_a_doll_bebe_gloton_a_breastfeeding_toy_for_children_makes_sucking_noises_as.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 13 replies

High Standard. . .

2009-10-13T19:53:44Z

We've got the slow food movement. . .we need a High Standard movement. America is just going down the drain in so many ways. .

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

Honest appraisal of the DeathCare Bill

2009-10-13T18:18:28Z

http://www.politico.com/static/PPM116_pwc2.html

The DumbAsShit's Death Care bill is a scam it's a rip off it is institutionalized theft.
It's going to cost Joe average about $4000.00 more each year

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 4 replies

Stumbles the clown, Nobels, NoK missiles, Iranian Nukes, Taliban moderates & the real world.

2009-10-13T01:54:46Z

Stumbles the clown, Nobel prizes given prospectively, North Korean missiles Galore, Iranian Nuke programs, Taliban moderates blowing people up in Pakistan, and the real world.

What must it be like to be Stumbles the clown?
He ran on the “I AM NOT GEORGE BUSH” platform telling every one whatever handy lies he thought would make them like him.

Not three weeks into his first term the Nobel people had him nominated for some indeterminate purpose leaving the impression that it could only have been a prospective nomination and the award likewise. Such faith they have, tossing millions around on a mere hope but it’s their money.

Meanwhile the Europeans are snubbing him, the French think he is naive in the extreme, the North Koreans are proving their military prowess, the Iranians are building nukes in secret proclaiming that they ain’t talking to noooooo-body ‘bout their nuke programs, and testing missiles, the so called moderate Taliban are bombing people in Pakistan like it was free and killing US soldiers whenever they get the chance, Karzi’s government is so shot through with corruption that it’s impossible to know where you stand with them and the Democrats are in a tizzy not able to do anything .

The picture I have is of a circus clown trying to herd cats.
Poor Stumbles the clown. He really did think that being the US president was going to be easy. Just give lots o’ purdy talks to adoring crowds and everything would fall into place.

Now look at him chasing cats all over tarnation.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

Uh, Dr. Laura???

2009-10-12T22:53:53Z

a friend sent me this. . .quite funny. .

On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant
> Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to
> Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.

> The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a
> US resident and posted on the Internet*
>
>
> Dear Dr. Laura:
>
>
> Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law.
> I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that
> knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to
> defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them
> that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination... End
> of debate.
>
> However, I do need some advice from you regarding some other
> elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.
>
> 1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and
> female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A
> friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not
> Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
>
> 2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in
> Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair
> price for her?
>
> 3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in
> her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem
> is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.
>
> 4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it
> creates a pleasing odour for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is, my
> neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I
> smite them?
>
> 5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus
> 35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally
> obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
>
> 6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
> abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than
> homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there
> 'degrees' of abomination?
>
> 7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I
> have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading
> glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-
> room here?
>
> 8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the
> hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden
> by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
>
> 9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig
> makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
>
> 10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two
> different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing
> garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester
> blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really
> necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town
> together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to
> death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep
> with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
>
> I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy
> considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can
> help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal
> and unchanging.
>
> Your adoring fan.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 6 replies

The Law on TARP & CAP Exec Compensation

2009-10-12T18:54:20Z

These are the pertinent sections from the agreements terms and conditions for the TARP and the CAP that speak to any federal control over executive compensation. They constitute all of the legal authority the government has to influence executive compensation and accounting standards upon companies.

Capital Purchase Program (TARP) http://www.financialstability.gov/latest/hp1207.html and http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/document5hp1207.pdf and http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-110publ343/html/PLAW-110publ343.htm ( PDF here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-110publ343/pdf/PLAW-110publ343.pdf )

This is part of the TARP agreement
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“Companies participating in the program must adopt the Treasury Department's standards for executive compensation and corporate governance, for the period during which Treasury holds equity issued under this program. These standards generally apply to the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, plus the next three most highly compensated executive officers.”
[...]
The financial institution must meet certain standards, including: (1) ensuring that incentive compensation for senior executives does not encourage unnecessary and excessive risks that threaten the value of the financial institution; (2) required clawback of any bonus or incentive compensation paid to a senior executive based on statements of earnings, gains or other criteria that are later proven to be materially inaccurate; (3) prohibition on the financial institution from making any golden parachute payment to a senior executive based on the Internal Revenue Code provision; and (4) agreement not to deduct for tax purposes executive compensation in excess of $500,000 for each senior executive. Treasury has issued interim final rules for these executive compensation standards.
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
and the below is here: PDF: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-110publ343/pdf/PLAW-110publ343.pdf
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SEC. 111. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
(a) APPLICABILITY.—Any financial institution that sells troubled
assets to the Secretary under this Act shall be subject to the
executive compensation requirements of subsections (b) and (c) and
the provisions under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as provided
under the amendment by section 302, as applicable.
(b) DIRECT PURCHASES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Where the Secretary determines that the
purposes of this Act are best met through direct purchases
of troubled assets from an individual financial institution where
no bidding process or market prices are available, and the
Secretary receives a meaningful equity or debt position in the
financial institution as a result of the transaction, the Secretary
shall require that the financial institution meet appropriate
standards for executive compensation and corporate governance.
The standards required under this subsection shall be
effective for the duration of the period that the Secretary holds
an equity or debt position in the financial institution.
(2) CRITERIA.—The standards required under this subsection
shall include—
(A) limits on compensation that exclude incentives for
senior executive officers of a financial institution to take
unnecessary and excessive risks that threaten the value
of the financial institution during the period that the Secretary
holds an equity or debt position in the financial
institution;
(B) a provision for the recovery by the financial institution
of any bonus or incentive compensation paid to a
senior executive officer based on statements of earnings,
gains, or other criteria that are later proven to be materially
inaccurate; and
(C) a prohibition on the financial institution making
any golden parachute payment to its senior executive officer
during the period that the Secretary holds an equity or
debt position in the financial institution.
(3) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the term
‘‘senior executive officer’’ means an individual who is one of
the top 5 highly paid executives of a public company, whose
compensation is required to be disclosed pursuant to the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, and any regulations issued thereunder,
and non-public company counterparts.
(c) AUCTION PURCHASES.—Where the Secretary determines that
the purposes of this Act are best met through auction purchases
of troubled assets, and only where such purchases per financial
institution in the aggregate exceed $300,000,000 (including direct
purchases), the Secretary shall prohibit, for such financial institution,
any new employment contract with a senior executive officer
that provides a golden parachute in the event of an involuntary
termination, bankruptcy filing, insolvency, or receivership. The Secretary
shall issue guidance to carry out this paragraph not later
than 2 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and such
guidance shall be effective upon issuance.
(d) SUNSET.—The provisions of subsection (c) shall apply only
to arrangements entered into during the period during which the
authorities under section 101(a) are in effect, as determined under
section 120.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

That's pretty onerous. I can not imagine any company executive signing it. IT grants the Government an open ended unregulated power to force executive compensation during the period the company in question has retained TARP funds.
However I found nothing in the agreement that allows the government to refuse to take TARP funds back from companies desiring to return it. So the President is violating the law and the companies are refusing to enforce it when the Fed refuses to take TARP money back from companies.

But Section 120 provides for termination of Fed Authority:
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) Termination.--The authorities provided under sections 101(a),
excluding section 101(a)(3), and 102 shall terminate on December 31,
2009.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

The Capital Assistance Program (CAP) http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/tg40_captermsheet.pdf
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“The QFI and its covered officers and employees shall agree to comply with the rules, regulations and guidance of the UST with respect to executive compensation, transparency, accountability and monitoring, as published and in effect at the time of the investment closing.”
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

That's it.
The Fed can force Executive compensation to conform with the agreement as it was written when the companies taking the money signed it.
There is no other authority.
Accounting standard requirements also have been locked in at the time the companies executed the agreements.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

When SNL is laughing at you it's time to re-assess

2009-10-09T19:01:46Z

The president who can't get anything done
God how humiliating. The man has a super majority of his own party in the Congress and still he's as useless as tits on a nun.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 9 replies

Stumbles the president.

2009-10-07T16:44:18Z

I've referred to the person of the president as:
a lying sack of shit - and he is
a weak spineless ingenue - and he is.
a coward - and he is.
an arrogant asshole who thinks your money is the best way to re make the world in his image - and he is.
a fool - and he is.
A Marxist communist - and he is.
Cassandra - because it has a unique effeminate girlie ring to it - and it fits him.
Saddam because his goals are dominance and enslavement of the people - and it fits him - but only sort of.

Saddam fits him so well because the other Saddam was a monster who cared nothing for the harms he inflicted on others so long as he got his way and also wanted to be the boss of everybody. It doesn't fit him because Saddam Hussein (the original Saddam) had the guts and force of will to actually become the tyrannical despot he wanted to be.

This stumbling arrogant clown of a president can't get anything done even armed with a Democrat super majority.

So I think his name ought to befit him more closely. The name one gives to a particularly clumsy pet cat whose claws have long been removed or a circus clown who is always falling down and tripping over himself.

Stumbles the president.

I think I may use that more and more often as time goes on.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

The world's most useless president

2009-10-06T22:14:53Z

Stupid Islamist pacification bullshit trip to Egypt was a useless waste of my money
http://article.wn.com/view/2009/05/10/Brotherhood_says_Obamas_Egypt_trip_useless/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1A1-D982TSGO0.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1084427.html

Olympic Lobbying Trip Is Useless Gamble
http://www.newser.com/story/70484/obamas-olympic-lobbying-trip-is-useless-gamble.html

Stupid Stimulus created useless make work nonsense jobs. http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.2561/pub_detail.asp
http://townhall.com/columnists/BenShapiro/2009/02/18/obamas_stimulus_creates_useless_jobs
http://www.creators.com/opinion/ben-shapiro/obama-s-stimulus-creates-useless-jobs.html

Mideast policy useless if not harmful
http://www.newmajority.com/obamas-mideast-strategy-useless-if-not-harmful

Even Salon says Saddam is a useless loser
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/09/03/cake_knife/

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

How Useless is the president?

2009-10-06T22:12:41Z

How useless is Saddam?
Well they had a contest.

¯
Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that?
Frank J. on August 7, 2009 at 3:09 pm
?he thinks a Democratic majority in the House and Senate just gives him more power to whine about Republicans.
(21 votes, average: 4.76 out of 5)

Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that?
?he bought his kids a dog.

2. Houston says:
August 7th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
? I?m begining to think Biden is the smart one.
3. IH8Socialist says:
August 7th, 2009 at 3:45 pm

?Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that??
he can?t handle old people telling him and his commie liberal cronies that Obama care SUCKS!

4. IH8Socialist says:
August 7th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

?Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that??
he makes Biden look like a friggin genius.

5. storm1911 says:
August 7th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
???.he thinks that Kennedy, Pelosi, Frank, Dodd, Boxer and other dimocrats are true moral leaders to look up to.

7. razed by mice says:
August 7th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
?Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that??
that Mwai Kibaki as president would be a change I could believe in.

8. IH8Socialist says:
August 7th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
?Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that??
a plie of dog crap could do a better job as president.

9. Mazey says:
August 7th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Peter Schiff money bomb to defeat Chris Bodd going on right now up to 600K today.

10. Plentyobailouts says:
August 7th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
?Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that??
hugo chavezjoe ?i made doody? biden calls him an idiot

11. Live Free Or Die says:
August 7th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
?that he can?t even get senior citizens to agree to get ?counseling?.>>>?that Pfizer stock remained the same despite the president?s announcement of 1/2 price blue pills.

12. midwestconservative says:
August 7th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Obama is so useless and incompetent as president that OLD FRAIL MOBSTERS are heckling his cronies. Take notice that THE OBAMA is not showing up to any ?town hall meetings?

13. molly says:
August 7th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Schiff money bomb going on now to defeat Chris Dodd!

14. Dave M says:
August 7th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
? he literally does not know that the word ?stimulus? can conceivably refer to tax cuts or relaxed regulations.

15. razed by mice says:
August 7th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
?that the country he was born in won?t claim him.

16. island girl says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
The O is so useless and incompetent that he?s practicing oaring a dingy wearing a flotation device with his crackberry for his forthcoming vacation in Martha?s Vineyard cause he can?t take his teleprompter to sea

17. Live Free Or Die says:
August 8th, 2009 at 10:05 am
O-bah-muhh is so worthless and incompetent that the Secret Service now investigates if you use the term, ?Live Free Or Die? in Comments to the local newspaper( in this case, The Nashua Telegraph). See: http://nhwatchdog.blogspot.com/2009/08/live-free-or-die-now-considered-threat.html >>>Gotta go answer the door before the BATF rams it in with the armored vehicle?

18. Live Free Or Die says:
August 8th, 2009 at 10:37 am
O-bah-muhh is so useless and incompetent as president, that he can?t even get Congress( most useless and incompetent ever ), to live under O-bah-muhhCare.

19. Live Free Or Die says:
August 8th, 2009 at 11:21 am
?that he can?t get Michelle to quit her cheeseburgers( http.//dougpowers.com/2009/08/07/michelle-obama/ ).\

20. Son of Bob says:
August 8th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
?he caters to dictators and condemns US citizens.

21. GJ Tryon says:
September 26th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
? he?s getting the sand kicked in his face by everyone from Israel to the Senate (oops, I?m forgetting: Israel is the Senate). Bitch press corps swooning over his abs notwithstanding, this guy is America?s first 97 lb weakling black president.

22. GJ Tryon says:
September 26th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Moderation? Forget it! I withdraw my comment - I didn?t know this was a censor site. I don?t submit! So that?s what IMAO stands for: I ?Moderate? Anything Objectionable. Moderate this, fucker: ?!?

http://www.imao.us/index.php/2009/08/obama-is-useless-and-incompetent-as-president-that/

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Only when he wants deniability does Saddam look for bi partisanship

2009-10-06T21:38:24Z

Saddam wants to have cover when whatever he does about Troop requests for Afghanistan is settled on.
In this one of a kind first ever bi partisan effort he is genuinely seeking input from the whole congress not just his pet psychos.

This tells me that he is looking for a fall guy.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Only Now Are "tropubled assets" being addressed?

2009-10-06T01:46:28Z

Yup. More than a year later the big lie is coming to light.
They never bought any of those troubles assets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/business/economy/05tarp.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&utm_source=Comprehensive&utm_campaign=44c7d0c4c9-In_brief_9_23-2009&utm_medium=email

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Saddam FAILS - in Afghanistan

2009-10-05T20:37:50Z

His top pick military commander on the ground in the one military conflict that Saddam himself has described as necessary can't get an audience with his Hisness. Only after it comes to light that the Holy god Saddam hadn't spoken with the man in like forever does any thing happen.

Then when he does speak to him the fucking moron still can't shit or get off the pot.

It's not hard: Either get out or take the trouble to do it right.
Where is the logic of leaving our boys to die and bleed because the fucking ingenue in command can't make a decision?

Maybe it's time for an impeachment.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

There seems a massive disconnect in the Whitehouse

2009-10-04T02:15:41Z

about money and the things those fools want to do.

I swear their one guiding principle is "We'll figure out how to pay for it later."
Nation is in a recession? Lets spend trillions on horseshit.
Nation is in a recession? Lets incur the rampant corruption and costs of an Olympics.
Nation is in a recession? Lets give everybody a huge assed permanent entitlement program that will cost trillions.
Nation is in a recession? Lets give all the poor in Mexico and South America and every where else free medical care, as much as they want, all the time.

It's like these idiots all think that the only way to solve problems is to incur endless debt that you and I have to pay off.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 10 replies

Saddam FAILS - again

2009-10-03T16:38:26Z

He and that wefa ho o' his duddn't bees a gitin the Ulympiks to da USoA
That clearly means the IOC is a racist conspiracy to keep the black man down.

Did you hear her crying about how going to copehnagen was a "sacrifice" ??
Yup the stupid whore said it was a sacrifice.

I wonder if she felt it was a sacrifice for the uninsured minorities who paid Triple what people with insurance paid in that hospital where she was ( maybe still is) a Vice President?

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 3 replies

Japan Ends Death Penalty. .

2009-10-03T02:05:03Z

The only other industrialized democracy apart from the US that had retained the penalty.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6840248.ece

Richard Lloyd Parry

Capital punishment has been unofficially scrapped in Japan with the appointment of a left-wing justice minister who is an outspoken opponent of the country’s controversial system of secret executions.

Keiko Chiba, 61, a lawyer and former member of the Japan Socialist Party, has the final say in signing execution orders for the country’s 102 death-row inmates. Although she has declined to say explicitly whether or not she will authorise them, her 20-year record as an active death penalty abolitionist means that hangings will be put on hold after surging in the past three years.

“A moratorium is important, but also important is a public debate, and she has called for that too,” said Makoto Teranaka, executive director of Amnesty International Japan.

Japan is the only industrialised democracy, apart from the United States, to maintain capital punishment. Campaigners opposed to the death penalty also say that it is carried out in a manner designed to avoid public scrutiny.

Once final appeals have been exhausted, death-row inmates can meet only their lawyers and immediate family members. Hangings are usually carried out during parliamentary holidays to prevent the subject from being raised in parliament. The condemned prisoner is told of his imminent execution only a few hours before it is carried out. His family are informed afterwards, when they are invited to collect his remains.

A report published by Amnesty International last week presented evidence that the stress of not knowing which day would be their last was driving some condemned Japanese prisoners insane, but they were being executed anyway, in violation of international law.

“Japan’s death-row system is driving prisoners into the depths of mental illness but they are still being taken and hanged at only hours’ notice in an utterly cruel fashion,” Kate Allen, the director of Amnesty International UK, said.

Between 1989 and 1993, and 2005 and 2006, there were no executions in Japan because the incumbent justice ministers refused to sign the necessary documents.

Last year, however, the number of executions reached 15, the highest in 33 years.

One of the problems is that, in Japan, a life sentence means 30 years and courts are not permitted to impose it without the possibility of parole. Some activists believe that only if the law is changed — so that life can mean life — will public opinion tolerate the formal abolition of capital punishment.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 29 replies

The bug may be bugging you.

2009-10-03T02:01:00Z

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17895-freeflying-cyborg-insects-steered-from-a-distance.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Her and me would of did that ~ ~ ~ ~

2009-10-02T03:00:44Z

We was gonna.
come here by me?

and other bastardization of the language de-evolving into a pigeon third world version of English

It might be better to bulldoze the urban jungles, gas all the animals, plow them under as fertilizer, and start over.

And then there are the Singular form,s of "their" and "them" which I believe exist because of the stupidity of the author and the frequency of which is exacerbated by the Politically Correct movement imposing politics onto grammar. God forbid you construct a sentence that relies on the gender neutral form of the masculine noun "him."
Such as: "Every person must judge for themselves [...]." and "I enjoy cheating a person of their premeditated malfeasance."

Reading things like that makes one cringe under their covers.
Why can't we just say him, or his? The gender neutral faux-masculine noun has worked wonderfully well for centuries.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 7 replies

Teachers = Treasonous poisoners of America's youth

2009-10-01T02:06:49Z

Probably most all of them are unaware of what they've been doing.
After all they were taught to do it they were told it was the right way.

Since the early 1960's the main goal of all education was to prepare you to get a job working for some body else.
It is the European model based on a post modernist world view

People from all over the world are dying to come to the USA.
They get here and all they see is opportunity. They live the real American Dream of finding a thing they can do well and becoming the guy who does it. They become entrepreneurs. They are already entrepreneurs based on their education and culture. But here in the USA they find themselves swimming in a sea of opportunity.

Why don't American born and educated kids see the same opportunities?
They don't because their educational system has faiuled them horribly betraying them and training them that their lot in life is to be another man's slave. American kids are so blinded to the world around them that they simply can not see opportunity.

They can't opportunity when they look at the bags of medical waste outside veterinary clinics, and medical clinics and doctor's offices. They merely see bags of shit that some body else has to take away. They fail entirely to see money.

American children know full well that countless thousands of people get arrested every hour. - every minute. Yet they don't think to get their Insurance licenses and become bail bondsmen. They know about the arrested people but the American kids fail to see money.

American children know that oil spills are messy problematic things to clean up but they think that some one else does that. They can't think about the countless millions of buried oil tanks on residential real estate and think money.

American children are taught that dignity comes from obtaining an education in something which requires that you become some other man's animal, his creature, at his mercy - some other man's slave.

And then all they can do is complain.

American children have been betrayed by their educational system.

Your teachers are poisoners of children.

l

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 11 replies

Teddy Roosevelt Was Just Shot. .

2009-09-29T21:34:30Z

in the chest by an assassin, but goes on to give his speech anyway. . .what a man. .

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/I_have_just_been_shot

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 10 replies

stupid is as stupid does

2009-09-29T02:39:41Z

Fearful that they're losing ground on immigration and health care, a group of House Democrats is pushing back and arguing that any health care bill should extend to all legal immigrants and allow illegal immigrants some access.

The Democrats, trying to stiffen their party's spines on the contentious issue, say it's unfair to bar illegal immigrants from paying their own way in a government-sponsored exchange. Legal immigrants, they say, regardless of how long they've been in the United States, should be able to get government-subsidized health care if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

"Legal permanent residents should be able to purchase their plans, and they should also be eligible for subsidies if they need it. Undocumented, if they can afford it, should be able to buy their own private plans. It keeps them out of the emergency room," said Rep. Michael M. Honda, California Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Mr. Honda was joined by more than 20 of his colleagues in two letters laying out the demands.

TWT RELATED STORIES:
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Coverage for immigrants is one of the thorniest issues in the health care debate, and one many Democratic leaders would like to avoid. But immigrant rights groups and the Democrats who sent the letters say they have to take a stand now.

President Obama has said he does not want health care proposals to cover illegal immigrants. The bill drawn up by Sen. Max Baucus, Montana Democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, excludes illegal immigrants from his proposed health care exchange.

Mr. Honda and his allies, though, say illegal immigrants should be allowed to pay for insurance if they can afford it, even if it comes through a government-established exchange. As a generally young, healthy part of the population, illegal immigrants could help reduce overall costs for those who buy into health exchange plans, the lawmakers said.

The Democrats' letters, however, do not issue ultimatums or threaten to withhold support for the bills if their requests aren't met.

The National Council of La Raza launched its own "flood their voice mail" campaign last week to put pressure on Mr. Baucus to expand coverage in his proposal to include all legal immigrants and to drop verification language in the legislation that would prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining coverage.

Mr. Honda told The Washington Times that he's not pushing for illegal immigrants to gain access to taxpayer-subsidized benefits. "That's an argument that's been done already," he said.

Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, said proposals that include government coverage for illegal immigrants leave him incredulous.

"If anybody can, with a straight face, advocate that we should provide health insurance for people who broke into our country, broke our law and for the most part are criminals, I don't know where they ever would draw the line," he said.

Mr. King, who opposes Democrats' health care plans in general, said illegal immigrant access in legislation "would be a poison pill that would cause health care to go down" to defeat.

Twenty-nine Democrats signed on to the letter on legal immigrants, while 21 signed the letter on covering illegal immigrants. Although the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus signed the legal-immigrant letter in their capacity as CBC officials, they signed the other letter as individual members of Congress.

Under the 1996 welfare law overhaul, Congress restricted most federal benefits to longtime holders of green cards - those who have been in the country at least five years.

But Democrats chipped away at that rule when they reauthorized the State Children's Health Insurance Program earlier this year and allowed states to cover all immigrant children and pregnant women, regardless of how long they've been in the country.

In their letter, the Democrats said health care costs are much lower for legal immigrants than for native citizens.

"Immigrants are part of our families, our communities, our economy, and contribute to the fabric of America," they wrote. "It is simply wrong that their taxes would pay for public health insurance programs to which they are not allowed access."

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

Cuba's Commies admit total failure

2009-09-29T02:10:36Z

Cuba Pins Hopes On New Farms Run for Profit
Program Part of 'New Socialist Model'
Oscar Carvallo, right, works on land lent to him by the Cuban government to farm on the outskirts of Havana.
Oscar Carvallo, right, works on land lent to him by the Cuban government to farm on the outskirts of Havana. (By William Booth -- The Post)
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By William Booth
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, September 28, 2009

CEIBA DEL AGUA, Cuba -- Faced with the smothering inefficiencies of a state-run economy and unable to feed his people without massive imports of food, Cuban leader Raúl Castro has put his faith in compatriots like Esther Fuentes and his little farm out in the sticks.

If Cuba is searching for its New New Man, then Fuentes might be him. The Cuban government, in its most dramatic reform since Castro took over for his ailing older brother Fidel three years ago, is offering private farmers such as Fuentes the use of fallow state lands to grow crops -- for a profit.

Capitalism comes to the communist isle? Not quite, but close. Raúl Castro prefers to call it "a new socialist model." But Fuentes gets to pocket some extra cash.

"The harder you work, the better you do," said Fuentes, who immediately understood the concept.

Castro's government says it has lent 1.7 million acres of unused state land in the past year to 82,000 Cubans in an effort to cut imports, which currently make up 60 percent of the country's food supply.

The United States, which has maintained a diplomatic deep freeze and a punishing economic blockade against the island for almost 50 years, is the island nation's largest supplier of food and agricultural products, selling it an average of $350 million worth of beans, rice and frozen chickens each year since 2001, when Congress created exceptions to the trade ban.

At a major speech honoring the revolution in July, Castro smacked his hand on the podium and announced: "The land is there, and here are the Cubans! Let's see if we can get to work or not, if we produce or not, if we keep our word. It is not a question of yelling 'Fatherland or Death!' or 'Down with imperialism!' or 'The blockade hurts us!' The land is there waiting for our sweat."

In an August speech, Castro said that the Cuban economy, walloped by three hurricanes last year as well as global recession, grew just 0.8 percent in the first half of 2009. The hurricanes decimated crops and caused $10 billion in damage.

Critics of Cuba's communist-style collectivist agriculture system say that the country should be a virtual Eden, given its rich soil and abundant rain, and should not have to import tons of dried peas from the imperialist aggressor to the north.
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After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the loss of subsidies from Moscow and Eastern Europe, Cuba abandoned its huge farms devoted to sugar cane -- and that land was quickly taken over by marabu, a tenacious, thorny weed that now covers vast tracts of Cuba the way kudzu blankets the American South.

"If they really wanted to solve their problem, they could solve it in a minute, with the stroke of a pen," by allowing private ownership and free markets, said José Alvarez, a professor emeritus and authority on Cuban agriculture at the University of Florida.

Although he has stepped out of his brother's shadow since taking office, Raúl Castro told the Cuban National Assembly in August: "I was elected to defend, maintain and continue perfecting socialism, not destroy it. We are ready to talk about everything, but not to negotiate our political and social system." Those who hope that Cuba will crumble after "the death of Fidel and all of us," Castro said, "are doomed to failure."

Cuba Pins Hopes On New Farms Run for Profit
Oscar Carvallo, right, works on land lent to him by the Cuban government to farm on the outskirts of Havana.
Oscar Carvallo, right, works on land lent to him by the Cuban government to farm on the outskirts of Havana. (By William Booth -- The Post)
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Brian Latell, a Cuba expert at the University of Miami and author of "After Fidel," said: "This farm reform is one of Raúl's highest priorities. He talks about it constantly. But the steps have been more reluctant, slower, more tentative than many Cubans would probably like."

The 78-year-old former brigadier general has signaled that the paternalistic Cuban system may include a little more tough love and a bit more free enterprise. The government is in the process of eliminating subsidized beer for weddings, holidays for exemplary workers, hotel rooms for newlyweds and free chocolate cakes for Mother's Day. In one of the most watched pilot programs, Cuba is beginning to shutter state-run cafeterias and instead give workers 15 pesos, or about 65 cents, to buy lunch from state-run cafes or private food stalls. The average monthly salary in Cuba is about $20.

Out in the countryside, Castro's farm reform has set the villages buzzing. Chewing on an unlit cigar, Fuentes took a visitor on a tour of his new domain. Last year, he worked nine acres of land, mostly for self-consumption, "plus a little left over to sell." This year he applied for and was quickly granted another 20 acres. The plot is his to farm for 10 years, and the only requirement is that he plant crops.

Fuentes pointed to his new fields of sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, cassava and beans. He's also growing flowers to sell. Chickens were running around, and trees bore monster avocados. The future looks better.

"This is big change," he said. "Everyone wants in."

His adult daughter Marta works for the local farm cooperative, where Fuentes and other private farmers sell their crops. The state still sets the price -- but the more the farmers produce, the more they sell. They also try to grow better-quality produce, which fetches a higher price. They are paid in cash, which Fuentes appreciates, and they are not told what to plant.

"Right now, there are shortages of everything," Fuentes said, "so there is no risk of overproduction."

Marta Fuentes said the local cooperative now has 44 farms as members, up from 31 a year ago. "And not only are there more farmers, the farms themselves, like ours, are bigger," she said. There are more fresh fruits and vegetables available in local markets, she said, and a recent report from the Associated Press said that some commodities appear more abundant in Havana these days.
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So depressed is the Cuban economy that the government is pushing farmers to use oxen to plow the fields. "Let's forget about tractors and fuels for this program, even if we had them," Castro said.

The Fuentes family uses a couple of oxen. "Not having any machinery might seem backward, but in some ways the oxen are better," Fuentes said. He can borrow a tractor from the cooperative if he needs one. But the fuel costs are prohibitive.

One of the challenges facing private farmers is the lack of credit and investment. They can work their new farms, but they often don't have enough fertilizer, seed or fuel. There's not enough electricity to run water pumps, Fuentes said, and no one has pesticides.

"This a big problem," said Alvarez, the University of Florida professor. "The government gives the farmers some land, which is good, but they don't give them any inputs. So they tell them, 'Take your old machete and go and fight the sun and weather and save us.' "

"It's not much extra money, but believe me, every little bit helps us," said Marta Bobadilla, a retired shop clerk who was given the use of 1.5 acres behind her house on the outskirts of Havana, which she has transformed into an urban garden filled with bananas, okra, sweet potatoes and leafy vegetables to feed her rabbits.

Asked if the cute little white bunnies might be sold as pets, Bobadilla thought that funny. This is Cuba. "These are to eat," she said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/27/AR2009092703316.html?utm_source=Comprehensive&utm_campaign=8a41605cb0-In_brief_9_23-2009&utm_medium=email

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 3 replies

Roman Polanski Arrested in Switzerland. .

2009-09-28T10:26:56Z

based on his conviction in California 31 years ago for having sex with a 13 year old girl. he may be extradicted. He was in Zurich to receive a film award. He is famous for directing Chinatown, among other films. .

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/28/movies/28polanski.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 3 replies

If animals could talk,

2009-09-28T00:38:21Z

Animal-cruelty charges dropped against Burlington County cop

By JASON NARK
Philadelphia Daily News

narkj@phillynews.com 856-779-3231

If animals could talk, a few cows in Burlington County might ask state legislators to hurry up and outlaw bestiality.

During a bizarre hearing there yesterday, a Superior Court judge dismissed animal-cruelty charges against a Moorestown police officer accused of sticking his penis into the mouths of five calves in rural Southampton in 2006, claiming a grand jury couldn't infer whether the cows had been "tormented" or "puzzled" by the situation or even irritated that they'd been duped out of a meal.

"If the cow had the cognitive ability to form thought and speak, would it say, 'Where's the milk? I'm not getting any milk,' " Judge James J. Morley asked.

Children, Morley said, seemed "comforted" when given pacifiers, but there's no way to know what bovine minds thought of Robert Melia Jr. substituting his member for a cow's teat.

"They [children] enjoy the act of suckling," the judge said. "Cows may be of a different disposition."

Burlington County Assistant County Prosecutor Kevin Morgan was certainly irritated by the ruling, claiming the grand jury didn't see the videos of the alleged incident, including one in which one hungry calf allegedly head-butts Melia in the stomach.

"I think any reasonable juror could infer that a man's penis in the mouth of a calf is torment," Morgan argued. "It's a crime against nature."

Although a bill was introduced in 2005 to ban bestiality, New Jersey still has no explicit ban on the sexual penetration of animals, which is why the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office charged Melia with animal cruelty.

Morley said it was questionable whether Melia's alleged crimes against cows, although "disgusting," fit the definitions in the animal-cruelty statute.

"I'm not saying it's OK," Morley said. "This is a legal question for me. It's not a question of morals. It's not a question of hygiene. It's not a question of how people should conduct themselves."

Sex with cows is the least of Melia's problems, though.

He and former girlfriend, Heather Lewis, of Pemberton Township, are also accused of sexually assaulting three young girls over a five-year period, sometimes in Melia's Cottage Avenue home in Moorestown, where he was a patrolman, authorities said.

Melia has been suspended from the force, said a spokesman with the Prosecutor's Office.

Melia and Lewis were both arrested in April 2008, shortly after one of the girls told her stepfather of the alleged abuse.

During the course of the investigation, authorities also discovered child pornography on Melia's home computer as well as videos of him with the cows.

Morley also ruled yesterday that the prosecution must turn over copies of images and videos from the computer to the defense, including one video that allegedly shows one of the girls being "subjected to sexual activity."

Lewis, who also appeared in court yesterday, is also accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile male. Morley denied a defense motion to have Lewis's individual sexual assaults separated from Melia's case.

Melia, Lewis and their attorneys declined to comment after the hearing.

Morgan, the prosecutor, said in court that the owner of the cows was "very upset" by the incident.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

Trash assholes bumrush Karoke singer

2009-09-26T15:19:52Z

Stamford, Connecticut (The Weekly Vice) - Six underage women who were drinking in a Stamford bar have been arrested after they allegedly attacked a girl because they didn't like her karaoke performance.

According to Stamford Police, a 25-year-old woman was singing Karaoke at Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Wednesday when six underage women - who shouldn't have been there in the first place - began heckling and shouting at the victim.

Investigators say when the victim told the women they could leave if they didn't like her singing, the six women rushed the victim, punching her in the face, knocking her to the floor and then stomping and pulling her hair.

The victim reportedly suffered a chipped tooth and several bruises in the attack before bar staff and the victim's husband kicked the women out and called police.

The women reportedly continued to shout and throw glass bottles into the crowd as they were pushed towards the door. Several bar patrons followed the women as they walked down the street and pointed them out to officers who were responding to the call.

The girls were identified as Michelle Rosedom, 19, Danielle Swanson, 19, Chaniel McRae, 20, Kiana Strickland, 20, Martisa Chambers, 19, and Deja Hinds, 19.

All six women were charged with assault, conspiracy to commit assault and breach of the peace. They were released after posting $5,000 bonds each.

Danny Vice
The Weekly Vice
http://www.theweeklyvice.com

http://www.theweeklyvice.com/

This was jkust another attempt by the white imperialists to keep the black man down

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

Mumble fuks have nothing to do so they do this

2009-09-24T17:45:58Z

Environmentalists Seek to Wipe Out Plush Toilet Paper
Soft Toilet Paper's Hard on the Earth, But Will We Sit for the Alternative?

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ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. -- There is a battle for America's behinds.
This Story

Environmentalists Seek to Wipe Out Plush Toilet Paper

It is a fight over toilet paper: the kind that is blanket-fluffy and getting fluffier so fast that manufacturers are running out of synonyms for "soft" (Quilted Northern Ultra Plush is the first big brand to go three-ply and three-adjective).

It's a menace, environmental groups say -- and a dark-comedy example of American excess.

The reason, they say, is that plush U.S. toilet paper is usually made by chopping down and grinding up trees that were decades or even a century old. They want Americans, like Europeans, to wipe with tissue made from recycled paper goods.

It has been slow going. Big toilet-paper makers say that they've taken steps to become more Earth-friendly but that their customers still want the soft stuff, so they're still selling it.

This summer, two of the best-known combatants in this fight signed a surprising truce, with a big tissue maker promising to do better. But the larger battle goes on -- the ultimate test of how green Americans will be when nobody's watching.

"At what price softness?" said Tim Spring, chief executive of Marcal Manufacturing, a New Jersey paper maker that is trying to persuade customers to try 100 percent recycled paper. "Should I contribute to clear-cutting and deforestation because the big [marketing] machine has told me that softness is important?"

He added: "You're not giving up the world here."

Toilet paper is far from being the biggest threat to the world's forests: together with facial tissue, it accounts for 5 percent of the U.S. forest-products industry, according to industry figures. Paper and cardboard packaging makes up 26 percent of the industry, although more than half is made from recycled products. Newspapers account for 3 percent.

But environmentalists say 5 percent is still too much.

Felling these trees removes a valuable scrubber of carbon dioxide, they say. If the trees come from "farms" in places such as Brazil, Indonesia or the southeastern United States, natural forests are being displaced. If they come from Canada's forested north -- a major source of imported wood pulp -- ecosystems valuable to bears, caribou and migratory birds are being damaged.

And, activists say, there's just the foolish idea of the thing: old trees cut down for the briefest and most undignified of ends.

"It's like the Hummer product for the paper industry," said Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "We don't need old-growth forests . . . to wipe our behinds."

The reason for this fight lies in toilet-paper engineering. Each sheet is a web of wood fibers, and fibers from old trees are longer, which produces a smoother and more supple web. Fibers made from recycled paper -- in this case magazines, newspapers or computer printouts -- are shorter. The web often is rougher.

So, when toilet paper is made for the "away from home" market, the no-choice bathrooms in restaurants, offices and schools, manufacturers use recycled fiber about 75 percent of the time.

But for the "at home" market, the paper customers buy for themselves, 5 percent at most is fully recycled. The rest is mostly or totally "virgin" fiber, taken from newly cut trees, according to the market analysis firm RISI Inc.

Big tissue makers say they've tried to make their products as green as possible, including by buying more wood pulp from forest operations certified as sustainable.

But despite environmentalists' concerns, they say customers are unwavering in their desire for the softest paper possible.

"That's a segment [of consumers] that is quite demanding of products that are soft," said James Malone, a spokesman for Georgia-Pacific. Sales figures seem to make that clear: Quilted Northern Ultra Plush, the three-ply stuff, sold 24 million packages in the past year, bringing in more than $144 million, according to the market research firm Information Resources Inc.

Last month, Greenpeace announced an agreement that it said would change this industry from the inside.

The environmental group had spent 4 1/2 years attacking Kimberly-Clark, the makers of Kleenex and Cottonelle toilet paper, for getting wood from old-growth forests in Canada. But the group said it is calling off the "Kleercut" campaign: Kimberly-Clark had agreed to make its practices greener.

By 2011, the company said, 40 percent of the fiber in all its tissue products will come from recycled paper or sustainable forests.

"We could have campaigned forever," said Lindsey Allen, a senior forest campaigner with Greenpeace. But this was enough, she said, because Kimberly-Clark's changes could alter the entire wood-pulp supply chain: "They have a policy that . . . will shift the entire way that tissue companies work."

Still, some environmental activists said that Greenpeace should have pushed for more.

"The problem is not yet getting better," said Chris Henschel, of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, talking about logging in Canada's boreal forests. He said real change will come only when consumers change their habits: "It's unbelievable that this global treasure of Canadian boreal forests is being turned into toilet paper. . . . I think every reasonable person would have trouble understanding how that would be okay."

That part could be difficult, because -- in the U.S. market, at least -- soft is to toilet paper what fat is to bacon, the essence of the appeal.

Earlier this year, Consumer Reports tested toilet paper brands and found that recycled-tissue brands such as Seventh Generation and Marcal's Small Steps weren't unpleasant. But they gave their highest rating to the three-ply Quilted Northern.

"We do believe that you're going to feel a difference," said Bob Markovich, an editor at Consumer Reports.

Marcal, the maker of recycled toilet paper here in New Jersey, is trying to change that with a two-pronged sales pitch. The first is that soft is overrated.

"Strength of toilet paper is more important, for obvious reasons," said Spring, the chief executive, guiding a golf cart among the machinery that whizzes up vast stacks of old paper, whips it into a slurry, and dries it into rolls of toilet paper big enough for King Kong. He said his final product is as strong as any of the big-name brands. "If the paper breaks during your use of toilet paper, obviously, that's very, very important."

The second half of the pitch is that Marcal's toilet paper is almost as soft as the other guy's anyway.

"Handle it like you're going to take care of business," company manager Michael Bonin said, putting this reporter through a blind test of virgin vs. recycled toilet paper. Two rolls were hidden in a cardboard box: the test was to reach in without looking and wad them up, considering the "three aspects of softness," which are surface smoothness, bulky feel and "drapability," or lack of rigidity.

The reporter wadded. The officials waited. The one on the right felt slightly softer.

That was not the answer they wanted: The recycled paper was on the left

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/23/AR2009092304711.html?wprss=rss_print

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Saddam to extend more TARP: he must be thinking of 2012

2009-09-24T17:39:17Z

Treasury says US economic recovery just beginning

By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's economic recovery has just begun and "we still have work to do," a senior Treasury official told Congress on Thursday, sending the strongest signal yet that the administration is prepared to extend its $700 billion bank bailout fund.

Herbert Allison, the department's assistant secretary for financial stability, cited declining prices in commercial real estate that could continue to weigh down bank balance sheets as evidence there is a long way to go before a true recovery takes hold.

"In this context, it is prudent to maintain capacity to address new developments," Allison told the Senate Banking Committee. "By bolstering confidence, having such capacity may actually reduce the need to use it."

The rescue plan, known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program, is credited in part with pulling back the financial sector from near collapse last year. But its infusions of money into huge banks, the giant insurer AIG and the auto industry have been unpopular with the public and in Congress.

The Treasury Department has the option of extending the program to October 2010 so long as it provides a justification to Congress.

Allison wouldn't say whether the program would be continued, noting only that the decision must be made by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

TARP, as the program is commonly known, has been a difficult pill for politicians to swallow. Much of the money was used to assist the same institutions blamed for the financial crisis.

Moreover, Treasury has regularly sparred with the watchdog agency assigned to oversee it, and officials concede that the department will not recover all of the money it has spent on the program.

"It is extremely unlikely that the taxpayer will see a full return on its TARP investment," Neil Barofsky, the program's special inspector general, says in testimony prepared for Thursday's hearing.

In his testimony, Barofsky also complains that Treasury's approach toward public accountability "remains a significant frustration." Barofsky has repeatedly asked Treasury to release more information about how banks are using their share of the TARP money.

Andrew Williams, a Treasury spokesman, said that the department has already implemented the vast majority of Barofsky's recommendations for the program and is taking steps to increase transparency "to ensure taxpayer funds are used prudently and effectively."

Sen. Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the panel from Alabama, and other GOP lawmakers say the government should end the program, whereas Democrats are expected to support the administration.

Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, said TARP was billed as "an extraordinary response to an extraordinary threat" but is shaping up to be a permanent fixture in government.

Allison denied this, telling Vitter "we'd like to see this wound down" as quickly as possible and noted that the program would end regardless next year.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, who chairs the Banking Committee, said he shares voter frustration with a Wall Street bailout at a time when people are struggling to hang on to their homes. However, he said, he didn't regret helping to orchestrate the rescue fund because it helped bring the economy back from the brink of collapse.

"With the time we were given, and the circumstances we were confronted with, I think we did the right thing, and I think history will prove that to be the case," said Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut.

Congress approved TARP with bipartisan support in October 2008 at the request of then-President George W. Bush during the height of the financial crisis.

Bush administration officials initially said the money would be spent to buy up bad assets from financial institutions. Under Bush and Obama, however, the rescue fund has also been used to bail out the auto industry and to obtain ownership interests in banks and insurance giant American International Group.

According to the administration's latest report on TARP, the Treasury has obligated $443.8 billion from the fund to specific institutions. Banks have paid back the Treasury $70.3 billion of the assistance they received, and they have paid nearly $9.4 billion in dividends and interest payments.

---

Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
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posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Pelosi fiddles while Riome burns - literally burns

2009-09-24T17:26:45Z

Stimulus money for wildfires going to DC parks

By MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press Writer
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly $3 million in stimulus money targeted for fighting wildfires is being spent to restore public parks and watersheds in the nation's capital, which has no national forests.

The Forest Service has directed that $2.8 million in "Wildland Fire Management" funds, approved under the economic stimulus law, go to groups that will create "green jobs" in the District of Columbia. The projects are intended to restore public parks and watersheds in the city and highlight the value of urban parks, including a park 2 miles north of the White House that once was plagued by crime.

The spending angered a group of Western lawmakers, who noted that the District of Columbia has no national forests and that forests throughout the West continue to burn. A huge wildfire in Southern California blackened nearly 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest and resulted in the deaths of two firefighters whose truck plunged off a mountain road.

"The last major fire in D.C. was likely lit by British troops in 1814," said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who is leading Western lawmakers' effort to strip the city of the money. "There are many wasteful and wild schemes born in Washington, but this takes the cake."

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, called it unreasonable that federal firefighting money is going to areas where there are no forest fires.

A spokesman for the Agriculture Department, which oversees the Forest Service, said the lawmakers' anger is misplaced. While the stimulus law targets "Wildland Fire Management, " the term encompasses a broad range of activities, including forest health protection and rehabilitation and activities on state and private lands, said spokesman Caleb Weaver.

"Wildland fire management is not just for fighting fires," Weaver said, noting that the stimulus law allocates $500 million for that broad category. Half the money is to be used for wildfire prevention on federal lands through activities such clearing underbrush and other hazardous fuels. The other half is for similar work on state and private lands, as well as for projects to improve forest health and ecosystems, Weaver said.

Steve Coleman, director of Washington Parks & People, a D.C.-based nonprofit that will receive nearly $2.7 million under the program, called the criticism unfair.

"This grant is seeking to improve forest health in the region," Coleman said. "The condition of forests in the city is directly related to crime."

Washington Parks & People began nearly two decades ago at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, also known as Malcolm X Park, and helped transform it from the most violent in the city to one of the safest, Coleman said. The group received an award from the National Park Service for its work.

The stimulus money was awarded to the D.C. Department of Transportation's Urban Forestry Administration, which passed most of it on to Washington Parks & People. A city transportation spokesman could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but the agency said in a news release that the grant would create green jobs in the District and improve the health of the city's urban tree canopy.

About $90,000 is slated for "a green summer job corps" that will employ about 100 District teenagers, who will collect data as well as mulch, water and prune trees around town.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
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posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Appalling new Dem development

2009-09-24T15:11:54Z

It's actually hard to believe, that any one in Congress could be so despotic.

The Dems want to keep the new marked up Health bill secret.

They want to legislate in the dark.

Somebody tell me this is not so.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Sometimes

2009-09-24T03:37:09Z

There is a piece that simply can not ever be done as well as only one person in the world can.
This is one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2dicRl4eAc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5DYLYHlKvk

I know it was Judy's tune first but, In spite of the superb vocalist Collins was, it's Joni's that stays with me as the best.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 4 replies

Gafney SC Stank of America screwed the pooch.

2009-09-23T19:51:21Z

Who'd a thunk that ripping up the flags along a funeral procession for one of the town's fallen sons and confiscating them would be an unpopular move?
I can't imagine what could go wrong.

Well there was that part about the county the town and all the residents withdrawing their accounts from the BOA branch that did it.

There was that part.
==================================================

A South Carolina Bank of America branch is drawing criticism Thursday after an employee reportedly ordered the removal of American flags placed to honor a fallen Marine over fears that people would be offended.

The Palmetto Scoop received one eyewitness email claiming that the branch manager at Bank of America’s Gaffney branch at 1602 West Floyd Baker Blvd. “told a citizen who was preparing the route for a U.S. Marine killed in action in Afghanistan by placing small American flags along the roadway that the flags might upset some of her customers.”

Said the outraged tipster, “[The branch manager] took them down and made the citizen go in to get them if she didn’t want them thrown away.”

The flags were part of the funeral procession of Lance Corporal Christopher Fowlkes, 20, who died last week after an explosion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

WSPA-TV has also received similar tips about the “flag flap.”

A teller at the branch confirmed to TPS that the branch manager had been there around the time of the incident but had left for the day.

Bank of America released a statement apologizing for the incident and celled it a misunderstanding.

“We want to ensure the community knows how deeply proud we are of the men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country,” the statement said. “The bank does fly the American Flag at our locations throughout the country and flags were displayed in front of our banking center in Gaffney the evening prior to our dedicated Marine returning home.”
http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2009/09/17/bank-of-america-in-hot-water-over-sc-flag-flap/

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090922/ARTICLES/909229973/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Cherokee-County-Council-votes-to-close-Bank-of-America-bank-accounts-

http://www.gaffneyledger.com/news/2009/0923/front_page/005.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Military weapons - the right of the people

2009-09-23T15:48:26Z

As an attorney, I find it impossible to miss the use of the phrase “the people” in the Constitution. In every instance, the phrase refers to you and I and every other citizen in his and her individual capacity. The Second Amendment articulates a right possessed by the individual. It does not contemplate any restrictions of ownership. There is no mention in the Second Amendment that the individual should not acquire cannon, explosives, or submarines.

People often talk about how weapons have evolved over they ears insisting that the Founding Fathers were incapable of apprehending the power of modern weapons as some kind of argument that modern weapons must by definition fall out side the contemplation of the Second Amendment as the Founders saw it. Such a position requires that the speaker perceive the Founders as incapable of looking both forward and back in time understanding that things change. It requires the speaker to imagine the Founders trapped in a bubble of changeless time devoid of vision and imagination.

Such an argument reveals more about the ignorance of the speaker than it does the Founder’s intent. Revolutionary war weapons were enormously destructive. Some were down right cutting edge. The military effort at more and better WMD was alive and well during the Revolutionary war. Many weapons commonly used by the British and Colonials are so massively destructive and brutal that their use today would be banned and criminalized under the Geneva Conventions.

Submarines had made an entrance in the form of the Turtle. The Turtle was a submarine which carried men and explosives which were attached to the hull of a ship under cover of the water and darkness. The Turtle was a cutting edge Stealth Technology. It was a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

Cannon had experienced tremendous development by the time Colonialists were using them. Grape Shot was capable of wiping out a dozen or more men in a single blast . Six Pounds of metal projectiles of various size and geometry would spread out from the muzzle to cause enormous casualties on massed infantry. Toward the end of the Colonial revolutionary war the Exploding Shrapnel shell was introduced which was capable of delivering a six pound package of explosive blast force and metal shrapnel in the middle of an opponent’s encampment or ranks.

Even the hand held weapons were so destructive that their use today would constitute a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.

The Founders were fully aware that weapons evolved and became increasingly deadly. These were not a people who imagined themselves in a bubble of changeless time. The Founders were men and women of profound vision looking forward well beyond even our time today.

The second amendment was not crafted to allow squirrel hunting. The Founders saw the Constitution as enforcing limits on governmental power. They drew up the Civil Rights as a set of guarantees of freedom and independence for the individual and the various states, upon which government may not encroach. The Founders understood that without the most advanced weapons they would have never shaken the yoke of tyranny. They understood that all government requires forceful checks against arbitrary and capricious application of unreasonable power against the people.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 4 replies

Progressives are MARXISTS

2009-09-23T13:37:29Z

Look at their agenda, look at their initiatives look at them.
Progressives are Marxist Communists.

I FINALLY figured it out! Wanna drive a Marxist nuts? MAKE THEM LISTEN TO THE TRUTH! They hate it with a passion.

I have a commentator who keeps coming onto my articles and telling me I am wrong about all the radical Progressives and Marxists in the Obama Administration. I have provided the links where Van Jones says many things, including admitting he is a Communist, but the commentator refuses to
check the facts.

The commentator even went so far as to tell me they would agree with me IF there were any Marxists in the Obama Administration! Say what? Is their head slammed all the way down into the sand? Odd especially since another prominent Lefty round here ADMITTED in an article that indeed Van Jones is a Communist, but no big deal, as they wrote in their article, right? They can't even agree amongst themselves what the truth is. See my point here folks?

Marxism requires a willful suspension of disbelief. To accept Marx on paper is all good. It does speak quite well to wonderful ends and an alleged improvement of the Human condition. And IF it were administered by machines it would likely do okay. But it is administered by fellow Humans, WHO ARE NOT subject to how they treat their subjects. That is Marxism's first failure.

The second failure is how Marxism fails to acknowledge the Human condition. We are competitive creatures. Marxism removes that innate and most natural of drives. Remember the 2 part series of articles I wrote the other day about instinct? Man's competitive nature is INSTINCT, and literally every animal biologist on this rock ADMITS INSTINCT CANNOT BE CHANGED!!!!! Do you Marx loving lame brains grasp this?

This is precisely WHY Marx will fail every single time!

For the unwashed, Karl Marx addressed his beliefs in Das Kapital and the Communist Manifesto. In it Marx and Engels laid out the underpinnings of Socialism, which leads to Marxism, and if one wants to carry it all the way, it leads to Communism. It is a progression folks, despite the
denials of Marx's followers who will tell you that is not true. Trust they are misleading you because they have an agenda - they wanna make Marxism look attractive to ya so you'll join 'em! Believe it!

Only three types of folks fall victim to all this asininity - those who, like Marx, ideologically really believe it. The ignorant have not that sees this as them getting their share of what they mistakenly think they deserve, and of course, the moron who will follow whatever popular deal is going on at present - that's how we ended up with idiot Obama as President!

Within these three types we have a subset of idiots - the dedicated malcontent who hates everything they have and always favors what they do not have. These are the Bill Ayers and such. They are a little of all three aforementioned types. Odd too, in that Marxism appealing to the poor makes perfect sense. They have nothing so any promise of something is attractive, but what about the suburban white kid?

Bill Ayers! These are the folks who are middle class in their upbringing and schooling, but they feel there is something larger and more important out there in the world. They are the dictionary definition of the malcontent!

What they have is brown and dead and only the grass on the other side of the fence is green enough for them. It's amazing to me that they are competent enough to not puncture their rectums when they wipe their filthy backsides.

This nation fought for nearly 50 years to keep Marxism at bay. We won. We beat the filthy SOB's and they know it too! Anyone else notice that when the Soviets were around American Marxists were very quiet and fearful? They were, ya know. But with the demise of the USSR they figured modern America had forgotten. I HAVEN'T!!!

And I never will. I will die fighting you SOB's, and willingly so. Are you willing to lose it all for your cause? You'd better be or I am really gonna be a rude shock to your delicate little autonomic systems. Yeah, I know, I know, just a big mouth.

Yep, my big mouth, along with the big mouths of millions upon millions drove that vile Communist Van Jones out, and we're just getting started. As people hear the facts and wake up we will continue to make you explain yourselves, and when you can't we will toss you aside to join Van Jones. At least you'll be with your kind.

Oh, btw, to PROVE my point beyond any doubt, did you fine folks know that one of our own even wrote an entire article basically stating that sure Van Jones is a Commie, and "so what" that he is was their point?

The truth will set you and this nation free from these foul souls and their even more foul designs on my nation. And yes, this is MY NATION - NOT YOURS! You will either go along or we will see you suffer, and that sounds 'bout right to
me!

So, wanna be a patriotic traditional American and work to further the American Dream for all of us, yourself included? Or would you prefer to stick with your stilted and completely false ideology that we will destroy, AGAIN?

The US spent TRILLIONS to fight Communism since 1945. We defeated it's largest purveyor soundly in 1990 or so. Now we will defeat this newest manifestation, or should I say INFESTATION? Only this time it ain't money we will use. No, this time it's TRUTH!

And y'all will just have to trust me here. What I speak is the truth. And unlike the Marxists, my truth is THE truth, not the Marxist version of truth! You'll see - we'll all see soon!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2146115/how_to_anger_a_marxist_tell_em_the.html?cat=9

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 37 replies

Third World employment Safety

2009-09-23T00:25:52Z

I like the bare wires over head against which the cart drivers drag the contact wire ( by hand) to propel the carts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unhXEQQk8G8

Albania~!!
No wonder when Albanians come to America they eat our lunch and become millionaires in mere years while Americans are whining about not finding Jobs in the specialty useless educational field they pursued these fukers make their own damn jobs.. They end up being the American dream of finding a thing they can do for money and being the guy who does it best.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

New Cold Fusion Evidence Reignites Hot Debate

2009-09-22T21:14:37Z

New Cold Fusion Evidence Reignites Hot Debate

Telltale neutrons appear, but skepticism remains

PHOTO: Pam Boss/Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center

BY Mark Anderson // March 2009

25 March 2009—On Monday, scientists at the American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting in Salt Lake City announced a series of experimental results that they argue confirms controversial ”cold fusion” claims.

Chief among the findings was new evidence presented by U.S. Navy researchers of high-energy neutrons in a now-standard cold fusion experimental setup—electrodes connected to a power source, immersed in a solution containing both palladium and ”heavy water.” If confirmed, the result would add support to the idea that reactions like the nuclear fire that lights up the sun might somehow be tamed for the tabletop. But even cold fusion’s proponents admit that they have no clear explanation why their nuclear infernos are so weak as to be scarcely noticeable in a beaker.

The newest experiment, conducted by researchers at the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, in San Diego, required running current through the apparatus for two to three weeks. Beneath the palladium- and deuterium-coated cathode was a piece of plastic—CR-39, the stuff that eyeglasses are typically made from. Physicists use CR-39 as a simple nuclear particle detector.

After the experiment, the group analyzed the CR-39 and found microscopic blossoms of ”triple tracks.” Such tracks happen when a high-energy neutron has struck a carbon atom in the plastic, causing the atom to decay into three helium nuclei (alpha particles). The alpha particles don’t travel more than a few microns, though, before they plow into other atoms in the CR-39. The result is a distinctive three-leaf clover that, to physicists, points to the by-product of a nuclear reaction.

”Taking all the data together, we have compelling evidence that nuclear reactions [are happening in the experiment],” says physicist Pamela Mosier-Boss of the Navy group.

Reached by e-mail, Frank Close, a particle physicist at Oxford University, says he’s still skeptical. ”There are many sources of neutrons in the natural environment, including...cosmic-ray sources,” he says. He adds that some of the earliest cold fusion experiments in 1989 confused cosmic-ray signals for cold fusion evidence.

In fact, 20 years to the day before Monday’s press briefing, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann of the University of Utah announced the very first cold fusion experiment. Their apparatus, they said, was somehow producing 1.75 watts more heat than the electric power they sent in. Their results, however, were not reliably reproducible. Experimental errors couldn’t be ruled out. And, like present-day proponents, Pons and Fleischmann couldn’t explain how or why nuclear physics fit anywhere into what they were observing. So for most of the scientific community, cold fusion was largely discredited and discarded before the 1990s had even begun.

Yet as the ACS panelists stressed on Monday, scores of scientists followed up on Pons and Fleischmann’s experiments despite the ”crackpot” label that soon dogged cold fusion research. Along the way, cold fusion was rebranded as ”low-energy nuclear reactions,” or LENR. And, the panelists said, although rarely reported in the mass media, hundreds of LENR experiments over the past two decades have been published in peer-reviewed science journals.

According to Edmund Storms, retired nuclear scientist from Los Alamos National Laboratory and author of The Science of Low Energy Nuclear Reaction (World Scientific, 2007), experiments confirming Pons and Fleischmann’s finding of excess heat have now been published in 150 different papers in journals and conference proceedings around the world. The reported excess heat, he says, ranges from milliwatts up to 180 watts.

Steve Krivit, editor of the online LENR newsletter New Energy Times , says experiments have dominated the field to date. In contrast, LENR theory is lacking. The primary problem, the same one that has marginalized LENR for two decades, is that before two positively charged hydrogen nuclei can move close enough to each other to fuse into helium, they first must overcome their nearly overwhelming electric repulsion. The only known and widely accepted way to do that is based on what stars and multibillion-dollar ”hot fusion” reactors do: squeeze the nuclei into as small a space as possible and kick the temperature up to tens of millions of degrees.

”Some people have accused the [LENR] field of wishful thinking, and it’s unfortunate, because the experimental evidence is, in my opinion after eight years, unambiguous,” says Krivit, who is also coeditor of the Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions Sourcebook (Oxford University Press, 2008).

Ludwik Kowalski, formerly a physics professor at New Jersey’s Montclair State University, now retired, says that throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, he was as skeptical as anyone about cold fusion. But in 2007, he conducted his own CR-39 experiment, as described in an earlier paper by the U.S. Navy group.

”I got the same result they got, exactly,” Kowalski says, noting that the CR-39 tracks he saw traced the outline of the cathode wire and were highly suggestive of nuclear activity. ”Now I think there are serious indications that there is something behind this.”
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/new-cold-fusion-evidence-reignites-hot-debate

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

A Closer Look at George Bush. .

2009-09-22T20:51:34Z

What he said and did behind the scenes. .

"'I'm not going to tell some gay kid in the audience that he can't get married,' he said."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1215073/George-Bush-watched-news-Donald-Rumsfeld-wanted-edit-Wikipedia-page-says-speechwriter.html

By David Gardner

The White House under George Bush was more like 'The Office' than 'West Wing', according to a top speechwriter for the former president.

Some of the things said by Mr Bush and his cohorts would make even David Brent blush.

In his candid book about the final days of the Bush presidency, speechwriter Matt Latimer reveals what his old boss really thought about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin.

And he claims Mr Bush had little grasp on America's financial meltdown even as he prepared to go on television last autumn to explain how his administration was launching a multi-billion pound bail out.

'We're buying low and selling high,' Mr Bush kept repeating until aides explained that was not how the plan worked.

'Why did I sign on to this proposal if I don't understand what it does?' the president reportedly snapped...

Mr Latimer, who worked at the White House for the final 22 months of the Bush presidency, offers an eye-opening insight into the private thoughts of the then most powerful man on the planet

The book, 'Speech Less: Tales of a White House Survivor', explains perhaps why Bush wasn't swayed by public opinion or the bashing he took in the media.

'I haven't watched the nightly news one night since I've been president,' he said.

He was also dismissive of candidates in the last presidential election as well as at least one of his predecessors in the Oval Office.

On ex-President Jimmy Carter, Mr Bush said: 'If I'm ever eighty-two- years-old and acting like that have someone put me away.'

He thought Hillary Clinton would run away with the Democrat nomination, telling staff: 'Wait till her fat keister is sitting at this desk.'
It is claimed Bush said Barack Obama 'isn't remotely qualified to handle' this 'dangerous world'

It is claimed Bush said Barack Obama 'isn't remotely qualified to handle' this 'dangerous world'

The author said Mr Bush didn't think much of Barack Obama. “This is a dangerous world and this cat isn't remotely qualified to handle it.

This guy has no clue, I promise you.

'You think I wasn't qualified? I was qualified,' he added.

He was similarly unimpressed with Vice President Joe Biden, saying: 'If bull**** was currency, Joe Biden would be a billionaire.'

The writer said Mr Bush was uneasy about Republican choice John McCain and critical of Sarah Palin as his number two.

'What is she, the governor of Guam?' he joked. But he went on more seriously: 'This woman is being put into a position she is not even remotely prepared for. She hasn't spent one day on the national level.

'Neither has her family.'

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld apparently had to be talked out of editing his own entry on Wikipedia, the Internet encyclopedia he referred to as 'Wika-wakka.' He also used to watch YouTube clips that made fun of his press conferences, says Mr Latimer.

The president's wife, Laura Bush, 'was secretly a Democrat for all intents and purposes, though it really wasn't that much of a secret,' claims the book.

And her husband lost patience with his own Republican colleagues at times.

When told that a senator from his own party had been caught up in a gay sex scandal, Mr Bush reportedly said: 'What is up with all these Republicans?'

And, although his 2004 election win was fuelled by support from evangelical Christians conservative voters adamantly opposed to gay marriage, Mr Bush is said to have baulked when one of his writers wanted to insert a phrase condemning same-sex weddings into a speech he was giving last spring.

"'I'm not going to tell some gay kid in the audience that he can't get married,' he said."

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 7 replies

ouch

2009-09-22T20:40:48Z

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/the_sayanoshushenskaya_dam_acc.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 4 replies

The Supremes Make Waves. . .

2009-09-22T02:15:38Z

Police can no longer search your car when arresting you for a traffic violation. They must have a warrant.

http://www.kpmlaw.com/_blog/Criminal_Traffic_Blog/post/New_Supreme_Court_Case_On_Vehicle_Searches/

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 3 replies

Who you believe? Saddam or your lying eyes?

2009-09-21T23:25:21Z

Saddam said over and over that he was not going to raise taxes on people earning under some never quite gelled dollar amount.
Then Saddam said over and over that the House Health Reform Bill has no taxes in it:

Who ya going to believe? Saddam, the man who never uttered a lie too bold, or your lying eyes?

Here Do a find on the word TAX
http://docs.house.gov/edlabor/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf

Oh fuck it just input tax and hold the enter key down and see how many times the world appears Thousands maybe

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Saddam Lies about ACORN & says Child Sex Slavery and molestation is merely: "unacceptable" merely unacceptable.

2009-09-21T22:20:55Z

STEPHANOPOULOS: How about the funding for ACORN?
OBAMA: You know, if -- frankly, it's not really something I've followed closely. I didn't even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Both the Senate and the House have voted to cut it off.
OBAMA: You know, what I know is, is that what I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you're not committing to -- to cut off the federal funding?
OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It's not something I'm paying a lot of attention to.

As an interesting aside: He also said that ACORN helping people to engage in Pedophilia VIA Child Sex Slavery was merely" "Unacceptable."
However leaving off of the obviously unimportant issue of child sex slavery This pretense on his part that he was unaware that Acorn was getting Federal tax payer money is reminiscent of - - - - oohhhh sayyyyy him denying that he ever heard anything controversial while spending 20 years of listening to the Racist hate filled rantings of Jerry Wright.

IS THERE NO LIE THIS MAN CAN UTTER THAT ANYONE WILL CATCH HIM UP ON???????
Are lies howling filthy lies of no importance to the media or the fucking left?

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Saddam's Sunday Blitz FAILURE

2009-09-21T15:37:54Z

The Moron on chief tried to drum up support for his mind bendingly expensive ill defined health care disaster.
He failed miserably.

He can't face the fact that forcing people to buy insurance is a tax, can't address the fact that the Constitution may present an impenetrable barrier to government mandated health insurance, can't address the staggering costs in short Saddam can't say anything at all that in any way makes it more appealing to give him what he wants than to deny him everything .

He is a failure. His entire strategy was to charm the nation. That's it. He had no gas after that. There is nothing in the president's tank.

Every time he tries to make a case for something he proves that he is an empty suit who thinks that all the troubles in the world are just a matter of waving a fire-hose full of money at them and that'll make 'em all go away.

what did he tell you that made you want to vote for him?
That Iran must not be allowed to have a nuke? Yah he said nothing was off the table not the military option nothing
That no one under X dollars per annum would be taxed more? Yah he said that. However he was unable to settle on what X was.
On and on he said things
No bills would be signed without a five day public comment period

Obama’s presidency is unforgivably scarred by a laundry list of outright lies and broken promises which in the collective leave a picture of a completely untrustworthy person with little regard for anything but himself.

He promised: transparency.

He promised: to end the Military commission trials

He promised: to close Gitmo

He promised: to end illegal wiretapping and espionage against Citizens

He promised: to speedily address a recession.

He promised a five day public comment period before he put his pen to a bill

He promised: "absolute gift ban so that no registered lobbyist can curry favor with members of my administration based on how much they can spend on a fancy dinner"

He promised: "As president I’m going to make it impossible for Congressmen or lobbyists to slip pork barrel projects or corporate welfare into laws when no one’s looking. Cause when I’m president meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public NO MORE SECRECY that’s a commitment that I’m making to you as president."

He promised: "When there are meetings between a lobbies and a government agency we’ll put as many of those meetings as possible online for Every American to watch"

Bush never promised "When there’s a tax bill being debated in Congress You will Know the Names of the Corporations that will benefit "

He promised: "We will put every corporate tax break and every pork barrel project online for every American to see. You will know who asked for them and you can decide whether your representative is actually representing you"

He promised: "From the Moment I take Office my top priority to you will be to make sure that your tax dollars are protected. "

He promised: "I want to use a scalpel to make sure that the people who absolutely need help are getting help and as president I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely."

He promised: "It’s time to return to Fiscal responsibility and PAY AS YOU GO BUDGETING~!! "

He promised: “No political appointees in an Obama – Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointee will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration.”

He promised: "I promise you that never again will American Taxpayers have to put their money on the line to pay for greed and irresponsibility of wall Street. THAT’S A PLEDGE I MAKE TODAY AND IT’S ONE I’LL KEEP~!!"

He promised: "Absolutely we need ear mark reform and when I’m president I will go line by line "

He promised: "WE CAN’T RUN UP ACCREDIT CARD, HAVE A PARTY AND LEAVE OUR CHILDREN TO PAY THE BILL.
IT IS TIME TO PUT AN END TO RUNAWAY SPENDING AND RECORD DEFICITS"

Obama made all those promises.
He has violated every one~!!

And no matter how many more promised he makes - - - no body with even half a brain can believe him - ever again.
Hell, no one who has even two brain cells to rub together for warmth can believe him.
He has never kept any of his promises.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Blame Israel Always

2009-09-17T23:49:01Z

Blame Israel Always
Nidra Poller

Why are Western journalists so credulous of Palestinian sources?

No one knows exactly how seven members of the Ghalia family died June 9 on a Gaza Strip beach. There are no impartial observers in the area. Since last year’s Israeli withdrawal and Hamas’s recent electoral victory, Western media rely almost entirely—and with surprising gullibility—on Palestinian sources for information.

Here’s how the Palestinian version of the story goes. Unsuspecting Palestinian families were picnicking on al-Sudaniya beach on a Friday afternoon, the Muslim Sabbath. Suddenly, an Israeli gunboat started shelling the beach. Before the panic-stricken victims could escape, a shell landed right in the middle of the Ghalia family picnic, instantly killing the father, one of his wives, and five of his children, including a baby and a toddler, and injuring others present.

Eleven-year-old Huda Ghalia was in the water when the shell hit. A camera captured her as she ran across the sand and found the carnage. Her tears rent the heart, and her message was surprisingly articulate: she called for the world in general, and Muslims especially, to witness the evil that Israelis had done.

While Hamas shouted that the Israeli gunboat had deliberately aimed at the hapless family, Western media outlets toned the charges down a notch: it was an accident, but a vicious one that never would have happened if the evil Israelis were not blasting at a public beach.

Hamas announced that it would break a 16-month “truce” and launch an all-out offensive against the Zionist enemy. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas joined in, and UN secretary general Kofi Annan added his outrage to the flood of hatred whipped up in the wake of Huda’s tears.

Two days after the incident, though, ample information, leaked to and posted on reputable websites, suggested that the Palestinian-supplied video “proving” Israel’s responsibility for the deaths and injuries had been manipulated—a shot of an Israeli Defense Forces gunboat, filmed earlier that day, spliced in to give the impression that it was firing directly at the beach, the scene of Huda finding her father’s body apparently staged. Data on the six shells fired from an Israeli gunboat that afternoon showed that the soldiers had aimed at a Qassam rocket-launching site at least 800 feet from the sunbathers. And so on.

But even after the IDF made the results of its investigation public at a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Western journalists maintained a climate of artificial doubt—balancing, even overshadowing, the government report with a reiteration of the Hamas narrative, now dressed up in pseudoscientific trappings supplied by a Human Rights Watch “expert,” Mark Garlasco.

Why is a lone investigator, working for a nongovernmental organization, more reliable than General Meir Kalifi’s investigating commission? What impartial agency has verified the data presented by Human Rights Watch and its self-designated expert? Hamas has an agenda. HRW has an agenda. But what is the agenda of the free press in our own democratic countries?

Rational examination of the evidence shifts the burden of doubt to the Hamas (and HRW) version of the incident. Israeli officials have now released ample details to support their conclusions. Hospital reports testify that one of the wounded had shrapnel removed by Palestinian doctors before her transfer to an Israeli hospital—medically inexplicable treatment that might have been about getting rid of any proof that Palestinian ordnance had caused the explosion. Close scrutiny of outtakes from the original video reveals a mixture of staging and real-time filming. Interviewed by Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Palestinian cameraman who filmed the explosion delivers a garbled story that unravels under questioning.

All of this recalls the al-Dura affair. On September 30, 2000, the Jerusalem correspondent of the France 2 public television network, Charles Enderlin, reported the shooting of 12-year-old Mohamed al-Dura at Netzarim Crossing in the Gaza Strip, the “target of gunfire coming from the Israeli positions.” The accusation triggered a wave of attacks on Jews in Israel and worldwide. The 55-second al-Dura video, “proving” Israeli guilt in that incident and featured in an Osama bin Laden recruiting tape, was also doctored, with an archived image of an Israeli soldier spliced into the Arab-Muslim version, making it look as though he was firing point-blank at the boy. Here, too, the Western media treated Palestinian sources credulously. (Fittingly, correspondent Enderlin has weighed in on the Gaza beach video, too, applying to it an absurd “two sides to every story” logic: no one can know what really happened; it’s up to public opinion to decide.)

Do Western journalists think that Israel is always guilty in principle, if not in fact? If so, perhaps they should openly join ranks with the “militants” they portray as national liberators.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/16_3_sndgs07.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

Pass the Wine

2009-09-17T17:59:49Z

Red Wine And Grape Juice Help Defend Against Food-borne Diseases, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily
Red wine is known to have multiple health benefits. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may also protect humans from common food-borne diseases.

Researchers Azlin Mustapha, associate professor of food science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and Atreyee Das, a doctoral student in the food science program, are conducting on-going studies examining the inhibitory effects of numerous types of red wines, as well as grape juice, against pathogens and probiotic bacteria, which naturally reside in the intestinal tract and can be beneficial in combating, among other things, high cholesterol and tumors.

They found that red wines – Cabernet, Zinfandel and Merlot in particular – have anti-microbial properties that defend against food-borne pathogens and don’t harm naturally useful bacteria like probiotic bacteria.

E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and H. pylori were among the pathogens examined. E. coli and Listeria can be fatal. Mustapha said the most promising results involved Helicobacter pylori, which can be transmitted via food and water and is the main cause of stomach ulcers.

“Our study is a little different than those previously reported in the media. Those studies promote moderate red wine consumption for cardiovascular diseases,” she said. “We went a step farther and asked: If red wine is already good for cardiovascular diseases, what about food-borne pathogens? If you get a food-borne illness and drink red wine, will that help decrease the symptoms a little bit? This study showed that the four probiotics tested weren’t inhibited by red wines; the pathogens were.”

In lab tests, Mustapha and Das focused on ethanol, pH levels and reseveratrol, which is a phytochemical found in grape vines and the skin of grapes. It also is responsible for the red coloring in red wines. They found that in addition to ethanol, pH and reseveratrol also may inhibit food-borne pathogens.

Numerous white wines also were tested, but yielded no positive results, the researchers said.

“It’s not just ethanol in the red wine that is inhibitory toward food-borne pathogens, but other factors which include the pH of the wine – because wines are a little acidic, and possibly the phytochemicals may have an effect,” said Mustapha, noting that grape juice produces similar results. “We hypothesize that these phytochemicals, reseveratrol being the main one, also play a role not just as antioxidants but also may have some inhibitions against food-borne pathogens. Now, we’re concentrating mainly on the reseveratrol effects on these pathogens.”

The findings were recently presented at the Institute of Food Technologists annual conference in Chicago.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071011090436.htm

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 6 replies

movie review

2009-09-17T14:05:30Z

Jason Statham's new CRANK 2 HIGH VOLTAGE
Is a very good viewing. Rent it and grab a six pak
Don't expect a Serious movie like the Italian Job or even Transporter (assuming those were serious)
In High Voltage Statham, delivers violence and comedy in plenitude

And

SURVEILANCE
Julia Ormond headlines with Bill Pullman to create a really fun ride.
Definitely worth renting

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

The PEDOPHILE President

2009-09-16T23:05:33Z

Pretty amazing. America's mothers and fathers knew that this bastard was trying to lay a communist mind fuk on their kids so they refused to let him have unfettered access to their children. And WON the battle. The bastard backed off and re thought his plans.

Now Saddam's old buddies with whom he has enormous and deep ties has become the multimillion dollar tax dollar recipient that is helping Pedophile whore houses to set up and dodge taxes.

How much of this god awful hideous criminal mentality on the part of ACORN's people is the result of Saddam's advice and training?

How much indeed.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 7 replies

Norah O'Doushebag loves PEDOPHILES

2009-09-16T22:37:29Z

Watch the stupid bitch while she spins spins spins trying to blame Hate filled Raging white Racists for the fact that ACORN is a pedophile enabling paradise

http://newsbusters.org/people/television/norah-odonnell

The comments on the page about what "entrapment " is are exactly correct.
The stupid bitch is however all wet.
Must a spilled the kool aide on herself whole gorging.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

Democrats are Racists

2009-09-16T22:27:04Z

They are attacking Michael Steele and this is clear unequivocal proof that democrats are racist assholes

And they are Racist Sexist assholes too because they are denying that the two most powerful people in politics and entertainment are black.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Gun crazy

2009-09-16T19:47:30Z

Thursday, September 17, 2009

MO: Shotgun threat chases off robber: "Police were searching Monday for a man who broke in to a mobile home and held a 68-year-old man at knife point Sunday morning, said Detective Dave Tiefenbrunn with the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department. The suspect entered the trailer, located in the 1700 block of Veterans Memorial Parkway in Marquette Mobile Village, about 8 a.m. through an unlocked screen door, Tiefenbrunn said. "The suspect held the victim at knife point," Tiefenbrunn said, while he took the man's vehicle keys, a cell phone and prescription medication. "During this time, the victim, in fear for his life, thought he could remove the knife and a struggle ensued," he said. The burglar escaped through the front door and attempted to steal the man's van, but decided to flee on foot when the man yelled to him from behind the trailer that he had a shotgun, he said."
http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2009/09/14/stcharles/crime/0916stc-crime0.txt

TX: Shot robber found guilty: "Jurors in the case of a man accused of robbing a Lazy Lane home found him guilty Tuesday of a lesser offense. Eric Garcia, 37, was being tried on an aggravated robbery charge, a first-degree felony. Jurors instead found him guilty of aggravated assault. Prosecutor Joe Mike Peña has said Garcia was one of three would-be robbers who was shot by a homeowner on Jan 23. Officers who responded to the scene have said they found Albert Medrano Jr., 34, dead outside the home in the 1500 block of Lazy Lane and Lorenzo Moreno lying paralyzed in the kitchen doorway. Garcia’s blood left a trail leading away from the home. His blood also was on a gun left in a nearby trash can and on a baseball cap found in some bushes, according to testimony. Garcia was arrested in February in San Antonio."
http://www.caller.com/news/2009/sep/15/jury-returns-verdict-lazy-lane-robbery-case/

IL: Off-duty officer shoots, kills teen after shooting incident: "An off-duty Chicago police officer in the South Side’s Woodlawn neighborhood shot and killed a high school basketball palyer he saw shooting another person on Friday. … The chain of events began about 3:30 p.m. when another person was shot near 69th Street and King Drive, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford. The officer witnessed that shooting and chased Harris to the 6800 block of South Eberhart Avenue. The officer ‘announced his office,’ then opened fire on Harris, striking him, said Chicago Police Officer Michael Fitzpatrick, a police spokesman.A weapon was confiscated at the scene, he said.” http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/09/eberhart-avenue-woodlawn-south-side-officer-involved-shooting-chicago-police-northwestern-memorial-h.html

A victory for open carrier: "A federal judge has made a ruling that could change the way that law enforcement treats ‘We the people.’ The judge granted that the plaintiff has liability under the Fourth Amendment and that law enforcement does not have immunity. In my opinion, a major victory for liberty and freedom. The case: St. John v Alamogordo Public Safety, U. S. District Court of New Mexico, No. 08-994 BB/LAM. Mr. St. John went into a movie theater openly carrying a holstered handgun. New Mexico has no law forbidding the open carry of a handgun." http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=3095

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

DE: Elderly homeowner cuts one burglary suspect, shoots another: "On Thursday night, the owner arrived at his home located in the 19000 block of Bee Jay Lane. … He walked to the front of his residence and found his front door kicked in. As the homeowner walked back to the side door he observed two men police identified as Paul L. Spencer, 43 and Gregory B. Stewart, 49, both of Lincoln. Spencer and Stewart approached the homeowner at the side door, advised him that they were ‘looking to purchase a dump truck,’ and attempted to make entry into his home. The homeowner told them to leave his property. However, they continued toward him. Spencer managed to enter the threshold and grabbed a landscaping tool and threatened the homeowner. The homeowner retrieved a machete/lopper next to the door and swung it at Spencer and struck him several times on his right forearm and hand. Both suspects continued toward the homeowner, who fired two .25 caliber rounds from a handgun. One of the bullets struck Stewart in his abdomen. Both subjects fled the victim’s residence.” http://www.newarkpostonline.com/articles/2009/09/11/news/doc4aaaad8f61c90925547242.txt

FL: Residents strike back at intruders: "With handguns and baseball bats, South Florida residents in recent days have been striking back at home invaders, beating and even killing those who violate the sanctity of their homes. Two cases occurred in Palm Beach County. Thursday night, during a struggle, a Wellington homeowner shot and wounded one of two men who broke into his home. On Sept. 5, a group of men in a Lake Worth home turned the tables on a burglar, seizing his baseball bat and using it to break his arm. And early Thursday in Miami, a man who jumped a fence and entered a home’s yard ended up dead after a confrontation with the father and son who lived there. His manner of death has not been released by police, who still are investigating.”
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/state/epaper/2009/09/13/0913intruders.html

TN: Man shot inside home sues his gated community: "A resident in a gated community in Nashville who was shot in his home has sued his homeowners association and property management. The Four Maples condominium complex in the Donelson area has a gate that requires residents to swipe a pass or remotely unlock it for visitors. But Marquette Weaver said in a lawsuit filed in Davidson County Circuit Court that the gate meant to keep non-residents out was not working in June and had been broken for a month prior. That’s when people broke into his home at 2 a.m. and shot him several times, Weaver said, and he’s seeking $750,000 in damages, saying the home invaders couldn’t have gotten near his Coursey Drive home. Weaver’s attorney, James Harris, said Weaver’s health is now good, and he has no comment beyond the complaint.” [I think he's got a point] http://tennessean.com/article/20090914/NEWS03/90914027/Man+shot+inside+home+sues+his+gated+community

Stimulus winners: Gun industry?: "Many gun-loving Americans are convinved that President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress are bent on ripping rifles from their ‘cold, dead hands,’ as actor Charlton Heston once declared at a National Rifle Association meeting. But from the perspective of police departments — not to mention gunmakers — the Obama administration may go down as one of the most gun-friendly in history. Across America, police departments are using the taxpayer-funded stimulus bill to boost their arsenals with shotguns, handguns, and assault rifles. Among the general public, a record 1 million guns were sold across the United States in August alone, rebuffing expectations that, after 10 months, the post-Obama election gun-buying spree would abate. US gunmaker Smith & Wesson on Wednesday reported a 30 percent rise in sales in the first quarter, leading to unexpected profits and a rising stock price.”
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0911/p02s15-usgn.html
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

FL: Man shoots home invaders: "A homeowner fought back Sunday, shooting at three suspects who tired to break into his house. Ormond Beach Police say two men and a woman entered Dane Rollins’ home at around 9 a.m. with guns drawn. The 34-year-old was asleep inside his Cypress Creek home when the trio barged in demanding money. Rollins gave them what they came for, but as they fled, the homeowner chased down the suspects with a shot gun and began firing at them in his front yard. "It happened so fast I don’t know what he was saying but he was screaming," said neighbor Ronda Holster. One of the men got in a car and fled while the woman and the other man ran away. All three were caught and are at Halifax Medical Center recuperating from gunshot injuries before they will be booked into the Volusia county Jail on home invasion robbery charges. The suspects have been identified 31-year-old William Bell of Daytona Beach, 38-year-old Christopher Young of New Smyrna Beach an d 28-year-old Brandy Lee Harris of Ormond Beach. The homeowner was not hurt." http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/volusia_news/091309_Man_shoots_home_invasion_suspects

GA: Off-duty cop shoots suspected armed robber: "An off-duty College Park police officer shot a suspected armed robber early Sunday outside a Motel 6 on Old National Parkway, police said. The suspect, 17-year-old Jeremy Rashad Evans, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. His condition was not immediately available. The officer, whose name was not released, was working a security job shortly before 2 a.m. when he spotted Evans armed with a handgun and heading toward the front of the motel, police said. When the officer ordered Evans to drop the gun, Evans “made a threatening move with the gun towards the officer, at which time the officer shot the suspect,” police said in a press release. Police believe Evans and two or three others had just robbed a woman staying at the motel. Evans' accomplices fled the scene in a Ford vehicle, police said."
http://www.ajc.com/news/off-137468.html

76 reasons to have a gun: "In four decades and thousands of transactions with my fellow man I’ve neither initiated nor accepted force as a means to accomplish anything. And yet, I’ve decided to become more skilled in the use of a gun to keep force, violence, crime and tyranny out of my life where they belong. Even with a perfect record of non-violence my intuition tells me I’ve got some gun work to do — to keep it that way. And like car insurance, wearing a seatbelt or taking vitamins the most it will do is keep things the same, because: Investments in self-defense return a maximum of keeping what you already have.” http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/gillespie1.1.1.html

DC: City pols defend anti-gun law: "The city of Washington, D.C. is mounting an aggressive legal defense of its ban on carrying handguns, calling it ’squarely in the mainstream and eminently reasonable.’ In a 37-page legal brief filed this week, the District of Columbia says that refusing to grant licenses to its residents to carry handguns in public complies with the Second Amendment. The regulations ’serve important goals of public safety, especially here, in the nation’s capital,’ the brief says.” http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/11/taking_liberties/entry5304380.shtml

Monday, September 14, 2009

Canada: Cab driver defeats gunman: "Mr. Slawter, 43, had just stopped his cab but left it in drive while he consulted a map to find the passenger’s destination. The passenger said something that was hard to understand but had a menacing tone that alerted Mr. Slawter to danger. Then he saw the man pulling a gun from inside his jacket. "As he pulled it out I saw it and grabbed it," he said. "I didn’t have time to think." Mr. Slawter, who stands about five-foot-eight and weighs just over 200 pounds, said he was able to pin down the suspect in the car. However, his foot came off the brake during the struggle and the car drove across a lawn and hit a tree, smashing the windshield. The passenger exited the car with Mr. Slawter still grappling with him. "We both went out the door together. I finally got the gun off of him." The passenger tried to get up, but Mr. Slawter told him to stay still. When the passenger tried getting up again, Mr. Slawter hit him. "When he got up, I took a big swing with the gun and smashed him across the head and down he went." The man stayed down and police soon arrived. Mr. Slawter found out later that the gun wasn’t loaded. His alleged attacker, Daniel Redmond Marsman, appeared in Dartmouth provincial court Tuesday afternoon. The 27-year-old faces 12 charges, including using a sawed-off shotgun to commit a robbery, assault and eight other gun-related offences." http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1141500.html

Israeli opens fire on Palestinians: "An Israeli has shot and wounded two Palestinians in East Jerusalem, where Tel Aviv continues to expand its settlement activity despite international opposition. The 20-year-old man produced a pistol on Friday and shot a 13-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man from Silwan, a mostly Palestinian neighborhood. The shooter later told the police that he had been attacked by a group of six Palestinians who pelted him with stones and that he opened fire in self defense, Haaretz reported. Police said the two victims, who were injured in the legs, were taken to the nearby Makassed hospital for treatment. The incident sparked outrage among Palestinians who protested the shooting by throwing stones at police and some Israeli homes in Silwan." http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=105921&sectionid=351020202

Sunday, September 13, 2009

TX: Off-duty agent Shot in Botched Robbery Attempt: "Houston police responded to a robbery in progress on Friday afternoon at the Hilton Garden Inn at the 3200 block of Sage Road in southwest Houston. TABC agent Michael Sehon was working an off-duty security job for a jewelry salesman when the two men stopped at the hotel to run an errand. While the jeweler went inside the hotel, Sehon stayed inside the car when he was approached by two masked men. "They broke out the window and placed a gun to the TABC agent’s head," said Houston Police Department spokeswoman Jodi Silva. The 40-year-old agent was shot in the left leg above the knee. He was taken to Memorial Hermann hospital but was released several hours later. Police say the agent did shoot at least one of the suspects. The pistol packing pair drove away from the hotel in a maroon sedan, but officers believe that they may have switched cars at the apartment complex across the street where blood now stains the pavement. Police think they might already have one of the suspects in custody. A man with two gunshot wounds to the back was left at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital soon after the shooting took place. Police are questioning the man. His condition is not known." http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/090910_officer_shot_southwest_houston

AZ: Man held in gun death outside bar on east side: "A 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting outside an east-side bar, police said Tuesday. John Majalca was involved with others in an assault Friday night of a 24-year-old man outside the bar, according to a news release from the Tucson Police Department. During the assault, the victim pulled out a firearm and shot one of his assailants, police said. Majalca is facing charges of aggravated assault with serious injury or dangerous instrument, attempted aggravated robbery, attempted armed robbery and first-degree murder. He is facing the murder charge under the state's felony-murder rule. Arizona law allows those involved in the commission of a felony that results in the death of another person to be held responsible for the death. The fight left Shawn Conrad, 27, dead of gunshot wounds... Conrad and the other men assaulted the 24-year-old, Lopez said. One of the men had a weapon, Lopez said, but she would not say what type. The 24-year-old pulled out a handgun and shot Conrad, Lopez said." http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/308249

D.C. Appeals Court Upholds Mandatory Gun Licensing: "An appeals court in Washington, D.C. has upheld the city's extremely restrictive law requiring residents to obtain licenses to carry handguns outside of their homes. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last year in the high-profile D.C. v. Heller Second Amendment case did not invalidate the District of Columbia's licensing requirements, and even appears to have endorsed them, the appeals court ruled. The case arose out of a criminal prosecution of a fellow named Manuel Brown, who was charged with crimes including carrying a pistol without a license. On appeal, Brown claimed the ordinance violated his Second Amendment rights. (The relevant law says: "No person shall carry within the District of Columbia either openly or concealed on or about their person, a pistol, without a license issued pursuant to District of Columbia law, or any deadly or dangerous weapon capable of being so concealed.") Still, it's worth noting that the Second Amendment Foundation filed a federal lawsuit against the District a few weeks earlier on a very similar question: the constitutionality, post-Heller, of the city's licensing scheme. Alan Gura, the Alexandria, Va. attorney who filed the civil suit, told me on Wednesday evening that he doesn't think the recent appeals court decision will make much of a difference. "We're not challenging the requirement for a license," Gura said. But, he added, "there has to be the ability for people to quality for a license." http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/10/taking_liberties/entry5299667.shtml

Michigan legislator's proposal would allow concealed guns on college campuses: "Someone walks into your classroom with a gun and threatens to open fire. Your best defense is to try to escape the room or take out your cell phone and call for help, but under a proposed change to Michigan legislation, you may have another option. Sparked by the shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, Michigan Sen. Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, has proposed a change to Michigan law to allow permit holders to carry concealed weapons on college campuses. Currently, the open carry of weapons is permitted anywhere, so long as the owner has a license to own the gun. Concealed carry is prohibited in churches, sports arenas, taverns, hospitals, casinos, day cares and college campuses including dorms and classrooms, according to the Michigan State Police. Richardville would like to amend the law to remove the clause prohibiting the carry of concealed weapons on college campuses, saying it would make campuses safer if students were prepared to defend themselves. Grand Valley State University President Thomas J. Haas, who leads the Presidents Council, said, "All 15 presidents and chancellors of Michigan's public universities favor the current law that bans firearms and weapons on campus." http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2009/9/10/michigan-legislators-proposal-would-allow-conceale/

Saturday, September 12, 2009

TN: Teen robber shot: "A 60-year-old man who lives in Antioch, which is actually in south Nashville, arrived home about 9:30 p.m. Saturday night and, as he talked to a friend in his car, two younger men approached the automobile where they sat. One, who is 17, had a handgun in his hand while another, age 19, stood nearby with a shotgun. There is no doubt they intended to rob the driver of the car, but the 60-year-old immediately drew his own 38-caliber handgun and shot his 17-year-old assailant in a clear act of self-defense. The younger teenager was shot in the chest, but ran in terror. The older would-be robber, who we have since learned was Kevin Negron, grabbed the wounded kid and they roared away in Negron’s car, going to a nearby convenience store to request assistance after saying they had just been the victims of a crime. But the 60-year-old shooter had already called police and, with a witness present, told the officers what had really happened. He showed the police his valid “handgun carry permit,” which has since been credited for saving the older man’s life, and while he expressed remorse for shooting anyone, it was offset by the fact he wasn’t shot himself. It turns out the 19-year-old who was holding the shotgun was already on parole for an April felony where he evaded arrest. His history also includes theft and domestic assault charges. Further, he admitted his role in the botched robbery minutes after the 17-year-old was said to be in satisfactory condition and awaiting charges, which will be filed in Davidson County Juvenile Court." http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_158025.asp

Smith & Wesson making a packet: "Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 157-year old company in the global business of safety, security, protection and sport, today announced financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2009. Net sales for the first fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2009 were $102.2 million, which was $23.8 million, or 30.3%, higher than net sales of $78.5 million for the first fiscal quarter last year. Gross profit of $35.6 million, or 34.8% of sales, for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 increased by 43.4% compared with gross profit of $24.8 million, or 31.7% of sales, for the first quarter last year. Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 was $12.6 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, compared with $2.3 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal 2009. Smith & Wesson President and CEO, Michael F. Golden, said, "Ongoing consumer demand for handguns and tactical rifles fueled our strong growth and allowed us to deliver record financial results in the first quarter. Higher production levels in our Springfield factory allowed us to capture additional revenue in the quarter, and a focus on controlling costs helped translate that revenue into profitability." http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-09-2009/0005090939&EDATE

Afghanistan: Gun prices soar: "The reliable measure of stability in many countries is the value of the currency or the price of equities, bread or fuel … but not in Afghanistan: here the key indicator that nearly every Afghan keeps tabs on is the price of a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle. And the bad news is that the market is bullish. The stepped-up Taliban offensive and mounting discord over the outcome of last month’s election have seen the price of a Chinese-made AK smuggled in from Pakistan rise to $400 from $150 in just three months. ‘People are arming themselves,’ a Western official in Kabul noted with alarm.” http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1921633,00.html

Open carry 101: "Many people around the world are interested in learning more about the growing open carry movement in the United States, particularly when and where they can open carry too! … Key points everyone should know about open carry, i.e., the practice of carrying holstered unconcealed functional handguns (functionality includes being loaded): * 42 states permit open carry in public * 26 states require no license to open carry * Only 7 states ban open carry in public * California allows open carry in many or most parts of rural areas, but figuring out precisely where it is banned (i.e., that guns must be unloaded) is so difficult that as a practical matter, open carry is not a realistic option.”
http://www.examiner.com/x-2782-DC-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m9d10-Open-carry-101

Friday, September 11, 2009

WI: Pawn shop owner shoots one of two armed, masked men: "A Kenosha store owner fought back when two armed robbers walked into his shop Wednesday, shooting one of the men. According to Kenosha police, the would-be robbers entered the Jewelry Exchange pawn shop, 2400 52nd St., at about 12:30 p.m., one of them pointing a handgun. Sgt. Hugh Rafferty, spokesman for the department, said both men partially concealed their faces and had “pulled up their upper garments to hide their faces” when they walked into the store. They then confronted the owner. Police said the 55-year-old store owner pulled out a handgun of his own from underneath a desk and shot one time at one of the men. After the shooting, the empty-handed robbers ran from the store into a parking area behind the shop, then cut through an alley to the next block where the injured man collapsed in the 2400 block of 51st Street. A pair of gloves and a trail of blood in the alley led police to the injured robber. According Rafferty, they found the man lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to his chest and a large pool of blood on the grass. A .44 Magnum revolver was also found on the ground next to him. Rafferty said the man was conscious but not able to communicate with police. Police have not named the man who was shot but described him as a 29-year-old black male who is on parole"
http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/robbers_foiled_6343591.html

Alabama: Teen burglary suspect killed: "On Tuesday morning, 14-year-old Ta’veon Tashawn Mason should have been at his desk at Austin High School, but he and two friends skipped school. Police said the ninth-grader died in a Southwest Decatur backyard from a single gunshot wound. A press release said a resident shot him inside the house during a burglary at about 10:30 a.m. Noel Mclean at 1432 Fifth Ave. S.W. said he shot Mason. He said he was awakened by the intruders and he shot out of fear. Lt. Jonathan Green, public information officer, said Mason was one of three teen boys suspected in the break-in. Police said the trio broke a window at the back of the house and entered. “The homeowner was asleep inside and was awakened by the intruders,” said Sgt. Rick Archer, supervisor of the Violent Crimes Unit. “He retrieved a handgun and confronted them.” Archer said the man fired one shot, striking Mason, and the two other teens fled the house. Outside the home, a white sheet covered Mason’s body as it lay in the grass near the window where police said the break-in occurred. Officer David Shutt caught a 16-year-old male soon after the shooting, and detectives found the third teen, 14, at his home later Tuesday afternoon, Archer said. The 14 and 16-year-olds are Austin High School students, but the 16-year-old is in the alternative school program, sources told The Daily. Police charged both teens with second-degree burglary, booked them into Decatur City Jail and later transferred them to the Tennessee Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Tuscumbia. They will soon face a detention hearing, Archer said. Detectives questioned the homeowner about the shooting, but Archer said police did not file any charges in connection with Mason’s death." http://www.decaturdaily.com/detail/42806.html

NM: Federal judge rules police cannot detain people for open carry: "On September 8, 2009, United States District Judge Bruce D. Black of the United States District Court for New Mexico entered summary judgment in a civil case for damages against Alamogordo, NM police officers. The Judge’s straight shootin’ message to police: Leave open carriers alone unless you have ‘reason to believe that a crime [is] afoot.’ The facts of the case are pretty simple. Matthew St. John entered an Alamogordo movie theater as a paying customer and sat down to enjoy the movie. He was openly carrying a holstered handgun … In response to a call from theater manager Robert Zigmond, the police entered the movie theater, physically seized Mr. St. John from his seat, took him outside, disarmed him, searched him.” http://www.examiner.com/x-2782-DC-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m9d9-Federal-judge-rules-police-cannot-detain-people-for-openly-carrying-guns?cid=exrss-DC-Gun-Rights-Examiner

MO: Uncertainties draw more people to firearms training: “Alan and Linda Laird can almost predict the answers. The certified firearms instructors ask students why they decided to take training in the proper use of a gun. Invariably, most responses range from fear of being a crime victim to concern about government limitations on gun rights. The Lairds have felt the same anxieties. That’s why they offer a monthly class that explores the logistical, legal and moral aspects of gun ownership, which is rising rapidly across the nation. ‘We know the world is growing more dangerous everyday,’ said Alan Laird. ‘I’m very encouraged to see the number of people who are sharing this interest. I believe it’s the right thing to do.’” http://www.hannibal.net/news_local/x1420193218/Uncertainties-draw-more-people-to-firearms-training

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

IS IT RACISM? it is a plane a bird? What?

2009-09-16T19:23:40Z

These ( studies in the below quoted news article) all fall into the thesis of a thing often called "contact hypothesis." It's the idea that familiarity breeds [fill in the blank] in an effort to get people to love each other who prior might not have.

This disagrees with the idea:http://jonjayray.110mb.com/contact.html
A quote -
"The present study, then, supports neither version of the contact hypothesis. The implication of the present results is that to understand may be to forgive, but knowing any group better does not necessarily make one like them better. "
Pretty succinct I should think.

So is it RACISM?? Or is is simply that old adage: "Like Likes Like" ?

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As a freshman at Ohio State University, and the only black student on his floor, Sam Boakye was determined to get good grades — in part to make sure his white roommate had no basis for negative racial views.
“If you’re surrounded by whites, you have something to prove,” said Mr. Boakye, now a rising senior who was born in Ghana. “You’re pushed to do better, to challenge the stereotype that black people are not that smart.”

Several recent studies, at Ohio State and elsewhere, have found that having a roommate of a different race can reduce prejudice, diversify friendships and even boost black students’ academic performance. But, the research found, such relationships are more stressful and more likely to break up than same-race pairings.

As universities have grown more diverse, and interracial roommate assignments are more common, social scientists have looked to them as natural field experiments that can provide insights on race relations.

“From a scientific standpoint, when these roommates are paired, you have a natural experiment going on, in an area that’s very difficult to test empirically,” said Thomas E. Trail, a graduate student in psychology at Princeton University who has studied interracial roommates. “You couldn’t very well set up an experiment assigning people to spend several months living with someone of a different race.”

Russell H. Fazio, an Ohio State psychology professor who has studied interracial roommates there and at Indiana University, discovered an intriguing academic effect. In a study analyzing data on thousands of Ohio State freshmen who lived in dorms, he found that black freshmen who came to college with high standardized test scores earned better grades if they had a white roommate — even if the roommate’s test scores were low. The roommate’s race had no effect on the grades of white students or low-scoring black students. Perhaps, the study speculated, having a white roommate helps academically prepared black students adjust to a predominantly white university.

That same study found that randomly assigned interracial roommates at Ohio State broke up before the end of the quarter about twice as often as same-race roommates.

Because interracial roommate relationships are often problematic, Dr. Fazio said, many students would like to move out, but university housing policies may make it hard to leave.

“At Indiana University, where housing was not so tight, more interracial roommates split up,” he said. “Here at Ohio State, where there was a housing crunch, they were told to work it out. The most interesting thing we found was that if the relationship managed to continue for just 10 weeks, we could see an improvement in racial attitudes.”

Dr. Fazio’s Indiana study found that three times as many randomly assigned interracial roommates were no longer living together at the end of the semester, compared with white roommates. The interracial roommates spent less time together, had fewer joint activities and were less involved with each other’s friends than the white pairs. And, the study found, whites’ pre-existing negative racial attitudes predicted which roommate arrangements would break up.

Several studies have shown that living with a roommate of a different race changes students’ attitudes. One, from the University of California at Los Angeles, generally found decreased prejudice among students with different-race roommates — but those who roomed with Asian-Americans, the group that scored the highest on measures of prejudice, became more prejudiced themselves.

Professionals who watch over roommate relationships say that interracial roommate assignments are an important part of campus diversity.

“Most of them do fine, and I think it can be more interesting, because they have more to learn from each other,” said Phil Badaszewski, a hall director at Ohio State. “When there are conflicts, it’s usually different ideas about property sharing, or music, or cleanliness, or coming in late at night — the same things that can be problems for same-race roommates.”

Sometimes, such disputes mask underlying racial issues.

“I had one student who chose to move out, who said they just didn’t like the roommate’s friends, who were too loud,” Mr. Badaszewski said. “I thought there was a racial piece to it, but I didn’t bring it up and name it. It’s one of those topics — race, religion and politics — your parents tell you not to talk about at dinner because it can be explosive. And in this case, I knew it wouldn’t make things better.”

Occasionally, there are explicit racial problems.
“I had a black student who heard racist remarks being made in her quad,” said Gina Kozlowski, another Ohio State hall director. “She said she didn’t want it being made into a spectacle, and she didn’t want to be the person who had to educate her roommates about race.”
One new study, of Princeton students, http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/6/671 used daily questionnaires to monitor roommate interactions and perceptions.

“In the earliest weeks of the relationship, the positive emotions declined for minority students with white roommates,” said Mr. Trail, an author of the study. “It wasn’t that the white students started being mean or negative. Instead, it was a drop-off in positive behaviors, like smiling or making eye contact, that led the minority students to feel worse.”

A study of students at Duke University, http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/Apr09SOEFeature.pdf using lists of their close friends before college and at the end of freshman year, found that white students, the least likely to have had close friends of a different race, were the most likely to develop more diverse friendships as freshmen — while black students, who came in with more interracial friendships, had a decline in cross-race friendship freshman year. The study found little change freshman year in the diversity of Asian and Hispanic students’ friendships.

Freshmen with roommates of a different race — or those who lived alone in a dorm — were the most likely to diversify their friendships.

“Just having diversity in classrooms doesn’t do anything to increase interracial friendships,” said Claudia Buchmann, an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State and an author of the Duke study. “But the intimacy of living together in residence halls, with no roommate, or a different-race roommate, does lead to more interracial friendships.”

Minority students in a predominantly white environment, she said, often cocoon themselves by clustering together. Both black and white resident advisers at Ohio State said it was common for black freshmen to seek out other black students.

“There are organizations on campus specifically designed to help minority students, and oftentimes minority students try to find their friends through those groups,” said Ellen Speicher, an Ohio State resident adviser who is white and a rising junior. “It makes sense, on a predominantly white campus.”

Mr. Boakye, a resident adviser for two years. said there was comfort in clustering.

“Being a minority at Ohio State, we try to stay together, to build ourselves as a community,” Mr. Boakye said. “It’s different for white guys.

“A lot of them come here without much exposure to diversity,” he said, “so when their first experience with a black guy isn’t so bad, they go and make more black friends. I think I made a good impression on my freshman roommate. When I saw him this year, he said, ‘Hey dude, you’re not the only black friend I have.’ That felt good.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/us/08roommate.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hpw

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

The joy of technology ( a computer rant)

2009-09-16T18:56:17Z

So I built myself a brand spanky new 'puter.
ASUS AM4A78 Pro
Athalon Phenom II
Corsair Dominator 6 Gigs of memory with it's own bank of three fans ( woo fukin hoo)
ASUS Lion Square CPU cooler ( huge assed thing)
Sony Write master speed plus DVD/CD
2 WD 500Gig SATA hard drives

And I'm running XP pro 32 bit
Norton 360
Norton Ghost
TrashReg Full
PC Tools Spyware Dr.

And a slew of other software

The MainBoard has no Parallel port
I have a Huge beast of a printer HP Laserjet 5 that needs a parallel printer
I also have an HP 3380 all in one printer fax scanner that runs off a USB (it's not a commercial grade printer)
But I wanted my beast up and running.
Can't do Appellate work with a cheezy printer running reams of paper each day through it. I need my Laserjet 5

I looked around for solutions. Found a USB to parallel cble converter bought one: NOPE that didn't work
I just ordered a StarTech PCI Parallel Adapter Card that's supposed to run at 2.7 mbps
We shall see.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Christianity is the foundation of liberty

2009-09-16T18:40:41Z

So says Jürgen Habermas, one of Germany's foremost leftist philosophers,

"Christianity, and nothing else," he wrote, "is the ultimate foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy, the benchmarks of western civilization. To this day, we have no other options [to Christianity]. We continue to nourish ourselves from this source. Everything else is postmodern chatter."
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0915/p01s01-woeu.html

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

Nazis were Anti Capitalist Just Exactly like America's Left

2009-09-16T18:36:16Z

Oh you don't think so?
Then Explain these Anti Capitalist Nazi posters.
http://gallery.wo2.nl/categories.php?cat_id=83&sessionid=8a36d7286382b7b6d707c9a1756ed03e&page=2

"With Germany AGAINST capitalism".

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 1 reply

Leftists love bureaucracy

2009-09-16T16:37:51Z

The love of bureaucracy is very Leftist and hence "correct".

Who said this?

"Account must be taken of every single article, every pound of grain, because what socialism implies above all is keeping account of everything".

Who said that?

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Real Health Care without the communism

2009-09-16T15:54:59Z

Here is the letter I sent to my reps ( all of 'em) and it's one I recommend that you send to yours.
In it I advocate for the only set of things that government has proved it can do and do well AND it does not involve government in things that no government ever should meddle with.

If the "real goal" is health care for the masses then, you ought to take a gander.

snip snip ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄ snip snip

[the title and name of your representative]:

Rather than attack the medical delivery industry, rather than wrongly impugn physicians as greedy deceivers who default to unnecessary procedures because the money is better, rather than turn a perfectly operational industry and medical system on its ear, throwing the baby and bathwater out together, what about a Healthcare Insurance voucher program?

• A government assembled, means tested risk pool
• Agreements among private insurance companies negotiated by the government
• Voucher system of payment based on a sliding scale
• Insured citizens with the dignity of private insurance and no taint of the dole.

The federal government is well situated to assemble a risk pool of means tested persons who are under insured or un-insured. Then to take that risk pool and negotiate policy benefits and costs with existing insurance companies and issue vouchers for policies to persons for medical insurance coverage based on a sliding scale of cost based on income and expenses.

The federal government can use the large purchasing power of all the non and under insured persons to obtain excellent benefits even as to pre existing conditions.

The government then would be empowered to over see the policy administration to ensure that it remains true to the understood purpose and agreements while being the transfer of funds broker.

This would eliminate an enormous amount of heavy handedness from government allowing the people the dignity of possessing private insurance. It would lift from government that awful specter of the “public option” as the all consuming octopus swallowing all persons who need to change insurance companies, driving private enterprise into extinction, and it would lift from the government the improper role of invoking bureaucracy to determine who shall get what coverage at what cost and who shall be denied. Those latter decisions reminiscent of Poe’s “Lottery” are not those to which any government should be party.

Sincerely,
[your name]

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

so is Cliff's sendoff thread over 50 posts yet?

2009-09-16T15:53:00Z

I topped 50 twice. but D'zoner kicked my ass with something like 70 hate posts. So good luck on this one Cliff. may the most despised win.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 11 replies

Detroit

2009-09-16T00:02:35Z

I ran into a old friend the other day, turns out he has been living in Detroit. He owns a art gallery and it turns out this is his number one seller.

http://323east.com/item.php?pid=0001-01

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

Things I learned about the left.

2009-09-15T14:38:05Z

What I have learned about the leftist base:

Doctrinaire sources are never questioned

Doctrine and dogma are never challenged

Massing in loud shouting blocks is the preferred form of dialog when confronted with contrary ideas. When all else fails call names.

The less thought needed to assimilate an idea the better.

People who express ideas in fitting with the current doctrine and dogma are accepted with no challenge or question about the person’s past. Some have described this as the tendency of the leftist base to “be in the moment.” I think that is error. I think that these people are so enamored of whatever ideas they hold that they believe them to be absolutely compelling they believe that their arguments are absolutely compelling so that all who embrace them can not be questioned. Questions would be a challenge ( however oblique) to the strength of the dogma and the power of the arguments. Questions are not allowed.

Few (precious few) from the left are capable of ratio syncretic or tangential associative thinking relying almost exclusively on parrot-speak learned responses. Most of these people are the humanoid equivalent of placards or bumper-stickers. They mindlessly announce dogmatic expressions or talking points type sound bytes. When confronted by challenges top their positions they fall back on emotion and repetition. If these fail they simply withdraw and deny to themselves that the event occurred.

This is the largest part of the left’s base and the most well represented here on tribe and the internet in general. These are people who find reinforcement in the group mind and will trumpet the rightness of their parroted ideas when they are able to mass in large enough numbers to drown out other ideas and voices.

For them it’s not the quality of the logic but rather the loudness of the repeated slogans.

When confronted by a strong front of challenging instead they tend to fall apart as a cohesive unit and withdraw one at a time away from the challenge. They refuse to engage it, refuse to recognize its existence, and in a very real sense pretend to themselves that the challenges don’t exist.

Members of the leftist base are as a general proposition not terribly honest with themselves. They deny obvious facts which are problematic to their dogma. They insist that any challengers to their dogma are poorly educated in spite of the fact that all public schools and almost all universities are steeped in leftist propagandist education. They are incapable of observing that any one who is not a member of this dogmatic community will of a necessity have risen above the education whose purpose was to inculcate them into the leftist base as soldiers. So they deny that schools are leftist dominated in spite of all the facts pointing to the opposite conclusion.

These are people whose profound and crippling incapacity to learn from the historical record dooms them forever to be flitting from one failed idea to the next never allowing themselves the luxury of reflection to look back and ask “what have I learned?” They adamantly deny the validity of any historical material that does not support their current groupthink. The expression “ancient history” is applied to anything in the historical record which can not be used to support their dogma. This so called “ancient history” can be a week old or two years or fifty. There is no rhyme or reason for the application of the expression other than that of political expediency. If it can serve to dismiss contrary positions it is “ancient history” and this appellation seems to provide these lower functioning minds all the cover they need to ignore it. Clearly intellectually dishonest but, honesty is not a hallmark of the left.

I have learned that no amount of logic, no quantum of facts, no mountain of historical fact can dissuade a leftist to detach from their core base affinity. These are people who simply can not tolerate change or challenge unless they are surrounded by the familiar sights sounds and smells of the doctrinaire. These are people for whom facts, logic, and historical record are of no consequence. Nothing matters to them other than the trumpeting of the dogmatic positional statements.

Their company is not worth having.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Proof of Evolution?

2009-09-14T22:37:54Z

It has always been true that no evidence of evolutionary change have ever been observed.
But take a look at this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6187320/Snake-with-foot-found-in-China.html

That's a real foot with talons.

If the DNA to make that foot was not tucked away somewhere in the snake DNA it is pretty much impossible that the whole dove sequence to make a taloned clawed foot would just accidentally occur.

That DNA had to have already been there.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Nolen passes from jackbooted asshole to unforgivable lying jackbooted asshole.

2009-09-13T18:44:37Z

And he is lying about me now. I can only guess why.
In this post (http://uspolitics.tribe.net/thread/2f3180be-dcfb-4128-9da5-13e5a0ce15aa#f44c98c0-63d8-4ed3-9795-904b265b73d1 ) Nolen said:
"Translation, I told Cliff to stop flooding the board and told him that pictures which imply that children are performing fellatio on adults are unacceptable. For the record, I did threaten him with expulsion for the later."

The lying sack of dog shit never said any thing of the sort to me.

If he had even the smallest amount of respect for others (that is his problem ) he’d have told me why it bothered him and asked me to remove it. And I might have. Instead his first words were like some arrogant jackbooted asshole nazi ORDERING me to obey.

You have seen the picture: It is of President PorklPussy in a crowd grinning from ear to ear. The sick twisted pervert that is Nolen invented a subtext for the picture and imposed it onto me.

He issues orders to people as if they were subordinate non equals.
He and I have never had any dialog about the subject matter of any images I posted. Making the claim we have is a lie and is typical of the left.

Here is the Exact language that passed between us:

(first blood) Nolen:
"This is a formal warning. This is unacceptable. "
he included a link to a picture I posted that came from the AP of PorkPussy in a crowd grinning from ear to ear. You’ve seen it. Lots of people have read into it whatever was in their heads. I didn’t lead them by the nose – they went all of their own.

OK Mister Jackboots himself has a sharp stick up his ass but hasn't the common decency to address me as a person.

To which I responded:
"I am confused. What is so unacceptable? "

And to which he said:
"I'm not going to play games with you on this Cliff. Tone this shit down or leave."

And then I responded:
"I fail to understand you.
Your tough talking tone is telling me that you think I’m trying to run some kind of game on you.

Tone it down or leave? Tone what down? Pictures taken by AP?
Where is your threshold? Is a political character suddenly off limits?

One wonders where you have been for the last 8 years.
Check out this entirely acceptable level of “free expression”: "

And I included a long list of posts of pictures in the Politics tribe picture album all of which were far more vulgar and obscene where people from the left were accusing people from the right of pedophilia - a number of them were personal attacks against me.

And guess what mister JackBoots had to say to that?
He said:
"You know Cliff, I have lots of conservative friends. None of them treats me like I'm an idiot. My respect for you is down the toilet. Tell you what, lets keep all future conversations on tribe business. I don't want to hear from you other than that. Make no mistake, if you continue your recent behavior, you will be booted. "

And that was the last I heard from mister Third Reich Nolen

And now he's lying about the dialogs we had.
I can only guess why. The miserable little shit is aware that he's overstepped his bounds and seeks to lay it off on others. Fucking god dammed worthless coward - Yup Nolen you are dog shit in a Nazi uniform .

At first I wondered if Nolen was simply too weak to tolerate the hue and cry from the left whenever they start their incessant complaining. I assumed that he just gave in to them.
I was mistaken.

I think that Nolen truly believes he is being fair. That he has an idea in his head about how the Politics tribe should be and he's trying to make that image in his head into reality.

To his credit (and in all fairness) it should be noted that he is as big an asshole with persons from the left as he is to those from the right. The problem is, he is inconsistent and capricious and his tone is that of an arrogant jackbooted bully who thinks he is your superior.

He is conducting like a tough guy bully boy who lays about with a big stick rather than addressing people as equals regarding the disagreements he has with them and whatever it is that they are doing that bothers him.

And that's the core of it. It's all about what bothers him. Period.

One person called it more accurately saying that Nolen's moderator style is that he treats the tribe as his private living room and he is enforcing whatever version of politeness is on his mind at the moment. This results in a level of caprice that is un-manageable.

I watched Nolen invent intent then apply that “intent” to a triber and then Nolen fabricated a history and invented facts all of which he applied to that triber holding him accountable to it when disciplining him.

Yah Nolen made things up sua sponte and then held a guy accountable for Nolen’s own falsehoods and fabrication.

This guy Nolen went after is a person about whom it can not be said that he is harsh with people or quick to anger nor that he calls names. Yet Nolen manufactured his own facts and then held the guy to account. When the guy objected and sought to make clear Nolen’s error, Nolen just issued his trademark: “Don’t play games with me~!! My way or the Highway” tough guy routine.

In my experience this conflict with Nolen arose as to the disparity between his treatment of political figures - when he favored them and when he doesn't. I was accused of disparaging a political figure and he told me that I was not allowed to do so. The tone he used was that of a jackbooted tough guy who was issuing orders to a subordinate. His tone and timbre conveyed that my place in his personal Reich was to obey - period. He was not interested in anything else. He dismissed, as beneath him, my attempts to discuss what was bothering him.

Nolen would probably object to my statement "when he favors the politician." Which I'd accept except that I sent him links to dozens of posts where people were using the "pedophile" routine against persons from the right and worse against myself. This elicited no response from Nolen. It was just "OBEY OR I'LL BOOT YOU~!! "

His words were: "You know Cliff, I have lots of conservative friends. None of them treats me like I'm an idiot. My respect for you is down the toilet. Tell you what, lets keep all future conversations on tribe business. I don't want to hear from you other than that. Make no mistake, if you continue your recent behavior, you will be booted. "

That was his response to my telling him that I was confused, asking for clarification, and for him to look at the other posts that were substantially more inflammatory than mine but, from the left.

His tone and conduct conveyed an insoluble stupidity. He has erected a capricious moving target of his own intolerance of political speech. He doesn’t understand that no one can work with a moving target. One day it is OK to rip a politician apart and the next it is not. Or that one day he is saying that Public figures are fair game and the next he reverses himself but only with respect to one politician.

When he ordered me to lay off on his pet politician he left me unable to know where his lines were – what was off limits - what was OK. It's not as if I didn't ask. I tried three times to communicate with him on the subject. He refused to answer. I was left with the vague sense some statement as to this politician is VERBOTEN but what about some other statement? I had no way of knowing what was allowed in his new personal Reich. As a general proposition I don't believe that he is insolubly stupid. He is however, excessively arrogant.

Three times I asked him to explain how my going after a political figure was out of line. Each time he refused to elaborate or explain his position. The only message he was capable of was "My way or the highway~!!" “Don’t Play Games with me~!!” Yah. He said about perfectly reasonable questions asking for clarification: that I was just playing games - games that he saw as beneath his dignity.

And then the miserable worthless coward started lying about me.

That struck me as a bridge too far.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 97 replies

What BHO coudl have ....

2009-09-11T15:14:14Z

Good stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1r-r6iLBEI

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 2 replies

Take some time to think about the dead

2009-09-11T13:06:10Z

This day shall live in infamy.

Never to forgive
Never to Forget

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 0 replies

Shoplifters in China Get Beaten!

2009-09-11T04:06:57Z

At MalWart in China. . .Walmart in China. . .amazing. .

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090908/china_walmart_090908/20090908?hub=TopStories

BEIJING -- Two employees of a Wal-Mart store in eastern China were arrested after a woman was beaten outside the store on suspicion of being a shoplifter and died, a state-owned newspaper reported Tuesday.

The China Daily said Yu Xiaochun died 500 metres from the store in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province.

Local police said in a notice posted on their Web site that the 37-year old Yu was going home Aug. 30 when she was surrounded by five Wal-Mart employees -- four men and one woman, all in their 20s -- who accused her of shoplifting.

The police report said one of the men requested a receipt. But after Yu handed it over, she took it back, saying no one was wearing a Wal-Mart uniform and she didn't believe they worked there.

The report said they fought and Yu fell to the ground and was taken to a hospital, where she died Sept. 2.

A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart in China, Vivi Mou, said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press that "an incident occurred" between two security associates and a female visitor on Aug. 30, but the cause of death is still being investigated.

The company is co-operating with authorities and extends its condolences to the woman's family, the statement said.

Two employees, a man surnamed Liu and a man surnamed Yu, were detained, the police statement said. It did not give details about the other three.

The city police headquarters referred questions to the district police station, which referred them to the criminal department, where no one answered the phone.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 11 replies

What is the buzz with the Czars?

2009-09-10T14:32:26Z

What is all this hoopla about Czars?

Saddam will contend that his Czars are merely advisory. If this is true then he may not have a Constitutional problem but, if this is not true then his may be in violation of the Constitutionally enumerated powers of the president to appoint as expressed in Article II. Section 2 of the Constitution which says in pertinent part:

“He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consults, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein provided for, and which shall be established by law; but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments."

Given that every president has over 7000 appointments that he must or can make when he enters office it is fairly unrealistic to expect that each and every one must be by advice and consent of the Senate. There is even a book (the Plum Book) issued by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that informs the president what positions he can or must appoint.

I would guess that the idea of a Csar is in that book

The Plumb book may be the enabling statute for the appointment of Czars. I haven’t read it. I don’t have a copy of it. I said “may” because the whole congress must act to enable the sua sponte appointment power of the president.

There is a Constitutional mandate that the invented positions such as Czar be by advice or consent of the Senate or the president can just do it without the Senate so long as the Congress has created some structure by which this may be done.

And that may be a fly in the ointment.

That part of the Law from the Constitution that says how the president can, sua sponte, appoint some officer reads thus: “but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.”

The operative word in the Constitutional phrase is not “Senate” it is “Congress.” The Bicameral process is necessary to create the enabling statute that allows the president to appoint sua sponte - which is to say: without the advice and consent of the Senate.

This includes inferior officers and heads of departments. Which I imagine would include the Czars. So then, where is the enabling statute for this? The term “enabling statute” is used to refer to a law passed by Congress that gives rise to certain powers of state when Congress chooses to enable that power and vest it with an office such as the president.

Unless the Plumb book contains the concept of Czars - and - is the result of the bicameral process, I know of no such statute and with out it there can be no lawful appointment. Which of course would mean that Congress has been tolerating unlawful presidential appointments since Reagan appointed the first one. Bush had more than 40 Czars.

Are any of them lawful? Have they all been a total waste - an illegal waste – of taxpayer dollars?
I guess you’d need to know the following: (a) how the Plum Book came to be. (b) is the concept of Czars is on it, and (c) and whether it’s enlarged with or without the bicameral process being invoked. .

However, setting aside the dark and spooky business of whether the Plumb Book is even a legal instrument: No Czar has ever pretended to any particular power. They have no power. Czars are like Presidential signing statements. They are meaningless crap, and out side the confines of their reporting to the president (handing him data) good for little more than media fluff pieces.
The idea of a Czar was to have a person who would facilitate the collection of data and information in one office on some topic (Ex: Drug Czar) and funnel the data to the president in some predigested manner thus sparing the president the bother of having to filter out all the extraneous material. The Czar’s job was to “Cut to the Chase” a glorified menial secretary.

There is an argument that says that Czars today have taken on an altogether different posture not because of some power they mysteriously possess but solely by virtue of their access to the president. Which is a lot of crap, because no one in the nation is under any burden to so much as let a Czar in on any conversation let alone have a controlling voice. They have no power. They can not compel you to tell them anything. They can not compel you to do anything. They can’t even demand that you return their phone calls. They have no power.

Take the Car Czar or the Pay Czar. What powers do these persons and their offices have? None at all.

Barring an act of Congress: No industry is required to submit anything at all to any of the Czars whether of Pay or otherwise. A Czar can go read the same material available to any one as required by law and that’s it. He does not get to sit in on board meetings, or to listen in on phone calls, and no one owes him so much as a returned phone call. Even those companies which took TARP money are fully empowered to tell the Czars to bugger off.

If the pay Czar calls the CEO of GM and demands to speak to the man, the CEO of GM can ignore him entirely not even taking the Czar’s phone call. The Czars have no power.

The only power a Czar has is to run to the president and tattle.
That’s it. That is the beginning and end of their power.

So the Pay Czar tells the president that the mean nasty corporate officer told him to bugger off.
What then?
The president gets in front of a camera and scolds the company or the officer.
And what’s that mean? Nothing at all. It is all pointless crap. Idiots who think the president is an emperor and is the boss of everybody might be impressed but – they are idiots. So in that scenario, the whole thing will have resulted in the president making a blistering fool of himself by bending over backwards to impress idiots.

The president does not even have the power to order a company to direct communication through the Czar. They can blow the Czar off entirely leaving them out in the cold, in the rain, in the dark, with nothing but the same publicly available documents that you and I (Joe citizen) can access.

The function of the Czar has not changed since Reagan. They are still just a filtration device for the presidential office and not one thing more.

I know what the Czars do for me and what they do that might be very good or bad for the president and his standing among the population.

They inform me what sort of person he is.
They tell me what he is thinking
They tell me what he does not want me to know about his inner mind.
The Czars are a reflection of the president's mind.

He has appointed them to tell him what he wants to know.
He has designated certain sorts of people with certain philosophical and political ideologies to be the filters of information which he receives.

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 5 replies

American Jerusalem

2009-09-10T01:47:43Z

New York City rain
I don't know if it's making me dirtier or clean
went for the subway but there was no train
and the tunnel was crumbling for repairs again
and the sign said welcome to American Jerusalem

I been around
you could spend forever looking for a friend in this town
and all you get to do is lay your dollar down
till you're stumbling drunk up the stairs again
and the sign says welcome to American Jerusalem

In the temples of American Jerusalem
they buy an ounce of South African gold
they don't care who was bought or sold
or who died to mine it
in the temples of American Jerusalem
they buy an ounce of Marseilles white
somewhere on a street with no light
somebody dies trying it

and somewhere in a crowd
looking the kind of way that makes you turn around
will be somebody who knows what it's about
and she's going to take the ribbons from her hair again
and welcome you to American Jerusalem

In the alleys of American Jerusalem
the homeless lie down at the dawn
the pretty people wonder what they're on
and how they afford it
in the ashes of American Jerusalem
the prophets live their deaths out on the corner
the pretty people say there should've been a warning
but nobody heard it

then shadows lick the sun
the streets are paved with footsteps on the run
somebody must've got double 'cause I got none
I forgot to collect my share again
so go west to breath the cleansing air again
go Niagara for your honeymoon again
go on the road if you're going to sing your tune again
go to sea to learn to be a man again
till you come on home to
American Jerusalem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqiYKNRfBxk

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 16 replies

The Ugliest american

2009-09-04T20:42:02Z

How out of touch is the president?

Well when George Bush read children’s storied to school kids there was no advance program beyond the mere announcement. sChildren were not being encouraged to wear images of the person of the president in toe form of buttons or T-shirts, they were not being told to write worshipful essays about how they would assist the man by name. There was no effort to indoctrinate little children. When G.W. Bush visited a school talked about literacy and reading and he read children’s books to the children.

However, that is not the case with the current administration which sees no bottom limit to how far it will stoop to manipulate and control individuals and if that means turning their little kids into zombies then so be it. It is means invoking a propagandist “Hitler Youth-like” appeal to children to identify with the person of the president on a personal and p highly political level then so be it.

No barrier is too low, no bridge is too far, noting is off the table for Saddam.

Sadly and tellingly, this is why he is such a total failure. All he has is personal charm and momentary glitzy charisma. That is all there is to the man, so when he sets out to do something all he has is the salesman’s shimmy and jive. He wants to convert you into a love addled zombie and send you out to do all the real doing, while he stands on a podium talks real purdy and takes all the credit.

The saddest thing of all is that this president will turn to the most helpless, the most vulnerable, the most unprepared of Americans with his efforts to impose his mind games and manipulations solely for political ends. Saddam’s school visits had nothing to do with literacy, he was not about to stoop to reading children’s books to children his sole goal was to inculcate innocent little children in his army of zombies.

The White House may have “taken back” the effort but they only did it after it was too late. After the proof was out that President Saddam Hussein really is a hideous monster.

Nothing he has done so far has been so appalling, so ugly, so totally un-American.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/02/wh-withdraws-call-students-help-obama/?utm_source=Comprehensive&utm_campaign=a74a102c06-In_brief_8_05-2009&utm_medium=email

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 7 replies

Disney Buys Marvel. .

2009-09-03T00:28:29Z

http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/31/news/companies/disney_marvel/?postversion=2009083109

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Walt Disney Co. announced Monday that it has agreed to purchase comic book and action hero company Marvel Entertainment for about $4 billion.

If Marvel shareholders approve the deal, they would receive $30 per share in cash and 0.745 shares of Disney for each share of Marvel that they hold.

"We believe that adding Marvel to Disney's unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation," said Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger, in a statement.

Marvel has launched a large number of action-hero movies over the past decade, including last summer's Iron Man blockbuster, which was fully financed by by the comic book company. Marvel also holds the rights to popular action hero characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Thor.

"Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," said Marvel Chief Executive Ike Perlmutter. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."

posted in AMERICA: The United States Network - 11 replies