Clutter's Last Stand

NSA "Domestic Spy Program", NOT!!!

2006-05-13T08:46:00.000-06:00

Now that the initial chest thumping and decrying the loss of liberty has washed over the electorate, it's time to think a bit more rationally about the NSA Data Mining program that has USA Today and other MSM elites p_ _ _ _ _ _ (you supply the letters here) in their pants. Heather McDonald provides a sane analysis in the Daily Standard. Among other points left out of MSM stories she highlights, are these:

1) "The Washington Post calls this numbers analysis the "most extensive . . . domestic surveillance [program] yet known involving ordinary citizens and residents." Bunk. The NSA's data mining program is not surveillance; no one is being listened to or observed."

2) "Data mining looks for mathematical patterns in computerized information; it is not a real-time spying operation. The government didn't need to go to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a wiretap or pen register order (which governs the collection of phone numbers in real time from a single phone) because it is not listening to or recording any individual's calls. FISA is built around the notion of an individualized investigation of specific spies or terrorists; it is seriously outdated for the application of American computer know-how to ferret out terror plots before they happen and before the government has individual suspects in mind."

Hurricanes and "Global Warming"

2006-05-11T06:45:00.000-06:00

With hurricane season almost upon us, June 1 through November 30, we will most likely be subject to a spate of articles in the popular media linking the increasing devastation inflicted by hurricanes on the U.S. with increasing Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) caused by climate change.

While our intuition and media hype might lead one to believe that increasing SST's would have the effect of increasing the intensity of hurricanes, one would apparently be incorrect. Patrick Michaels, Professor of Climatology at the University of Virginia, along with two colleagues published a data based (yes it uses empirical and verifiable data and not a computer model)in Geophysical Research Letters which finds, " that it is plausible that a future rise in sea surface temperatures (SST) in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean will lead to a greater number of major hurricanes (categories 3 through 5), but that it should not lead to an increased intensity of these storms..."

The study looked at SST's and hurricane intinsity over the peroid of 1982 through 2005. You can read a summary of the studies findings here or go here to read the full report(pdf).

Disappearing manufacturing jobs

2006-05-09T13:32:00.000-06:00

Disappearing Manufacturing Jobs is the title to a good thought and information piece by Dr. Walter Williams, the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University. We hear those on the Liberal or Left side of the political spectrum decrying the loss of manufacturing jobs but they seldom, if ever, tell the whole story. Dr. Williams corrects that deficiency by pointing out that:

"Job loss is the trend among the top 10 manufacturing countries who produce 75 percent of the world's manufacturing output (the U.S., Japan, Germany, China, Britain, France, Italy, Korea, Canada and Mexico). Only Italy has managed not to lose factory jobs since 2000."

Moreover because of huge gains in productivity "We're making more stuff with fewer people. That means rapid economic growth doesn't translate into the kind of manufacturing job creation of earlier periods."

And then consider that,"In 1970, the telecommunications industry employed 421,000 workers in good-paying jobs as switchboard operators. Today, the telecommunications industry employs only 78,000 operators. That's a tremendous 80 percent job loss...Now 100 billion long-distance calls a year require only 78,000 switchboard operators. What's more , the cost of making a long-distance call is a fraction of what it was in 1970."

As Paul Harvey often intones, now you have heard the rest of the story. Be sure you read the whole piece.

Writers Block

2006-05-09T06:51:00.000-06:00

When looking or thinking about something to blog about, I can always depend on Dr. Thomas Sowell to hit the bulls eye with his observations on society and get me off of the hook. His latest Random Thoughts is up and as always, he is able to say more about an idea in one sentence than any other person in the public arena today. For example:

In a democracy, we have always had to worry about the
ignorance of the uneducated. Today we have to worry about the ignorance of people with college degrees.

Some people think they have bad luck when the real problem
is that they took bad chances.

Read them all. For an archive of Sowell's writing you can go here. Your time will not be wasted.

Two Writers

2006-04-28T07:17:00.000-06:00

A couple of "must reads" this Friday.

1) Thomas Sowell on basic economics, a topic most Americans unfortunately ignore. Here's a tidbit to intice you to take a look:

"Much is made of the fact that gasoline prices go up before the higher priced oil is turned into gasoline. What something cost is history, what it is worth now is economics.
Back during the first Gulf War, a speculator bought oil in Venezuela and had it shipped to the United States, in order to profit from the high oil prices brought on by the war. But, by the time his oil tanker reached the United States, the war was over and prices had fallen so much that he couldn't sell his oil for enough to cover his costs.

What his oil cost him was history. What it was worth now was economics."

2) Victor Davis Hanson on immigration. As usual and like Sowell, his observations are not obtuse or ambiguous. For example:

"Remember, citizenship is never defined by the applicant, only by the benefactor. In America, it doesn't involve racial or ethnic allegiance. Rather, U.S. citizenship asks immigrants to make linguistic, political and social concessions.

So, imagine an immigration compromise that, in exchange for strict border enforcement, allows the majority of the current 11 million resident illegal aliens to remain here to start their citizenship process. Wouldn't it then be natural to expect these future Americans to understand that U.S. citizenship carries as many responsibilities as rights?"

In following the immigration debate, it seems to me that the concept of "responsibilities" has become extinct.

Wit and Wisdom

2006-04-28T07:13:00.000-06:00

“The soul of wit is brevity” is a pity and astute observation by that master of the pithy, William Shakespeare. At the extraordinarily great risk of offending Shakespeare aficionados, I would like to add these words, “and wisdom”. Look for here for support of my suggested change.

Iran and the UN - More UFB Stuff

2006-04-26T14:02:00.000-06:00

Ok, this is a cliché alert in case you don’t want to keep reading. The UN hits bottom and keeps on digging!

Seem as though they have “honored” the former Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of the Department of Environment (1997-2005) with the title of Champion of the Earth. She as a bit of a history though because you see a bit more than 18 years ago, as an 18-year-old freshman at Polytechnic University in Tehran, Ms. Ebtekar was the official interpreter and spokeswoman of the militants who occupied the American Embassy in Tehran. Read the gory details here.

Perhaps someone could refresh my memory as to exactly why the taxpayers of this country should continue to fund an organization that has in its charter, apparently written in invisible ink, the mandate to defile, defame, attack and other wise spew filth and lies about our country. Anyone? Anyone?

Reduction in Calories might make you loose weight!

2006-04-26T06:57:00.000-06:00

I think we can file this under the junk science folder. A group of teens, 103 to me exact, were seperated into two groups and for 25 weeks consumed different quantities of soft drinks. One slight problem in this study, whose authors suggest that maybe government intervention is appropriate, ok a couple of problems. Read the rest here.

"The Boston study is also flawed by the fact that it failed to control for, or report on, any of the other aspects of the two groups’ respective diets. We have no idea, for example, what the daily caloric intake was for any of the participants in the study. Without this information it is difficult to know, first, whether the two groups were in fact identical except for their soda pop consumption and, second, whether it was the elimination of regular soft drinks that really caused the small weight loss that was found in the most obese participants.

Given that there are dozens of supposed risk factors for obesity, it is somewhat disingenuous to claim that removing one risk factor, without controlling for the others, suggests that the one removed is a cause of obesity.What is really odd, however, about the Boston study is its simplistic assumption that there is a unique caloric effect that results from removing soft drinks from someone’s diet. Removing any source of calories — whether from soft drinks or anything else — and not replacing them will result in fewer calories and perhaps fewer pounds. Does one really need an expensive research study to confirm something so blindingly obvious?"

Immigration Thoughts

2006-04-25T15:56:00.000-06:00

Victor Davis Hanson has some thoughts on the similarities and differences that French and U.S. cultures are having with unassimilated immigrants. He doesn't paint an altogether positive picture however unlike many of our politicians and demagogues that are ranting to hear themselves talk, VDH out lines the problem in his usual clear prose and also some actions that should be taken to move towards a solution. Here's a sample but you should read the whole essay.

"Many in the second generation lap up their parents’ bitterness, but without the consolation that things are still better in the West than back home. This is one reason that nearly four out of every ten Hispanic high school students are not graduating from high school in four years. Of those that do, only 22.9 percent meet the minimum entry requirements of the California State University system, the less competitive of the state’s two systems. Of Latinos of all statuses in California, less than 10 percent of those over 25 have bachelor’s degrees — a legacy of their parents who in many cases came to the state without English, without education, without lawful entry, and without well-paying, secure jobs."

He also surfaces a subject that many, including the President and Congress in it's entirety is ducking, and that is the fringe groups that are offering separatists and racists solutions.

"The largest Hispanic grievance association is still called the National Council of La Raza (“the Race”), a well-meaning organization that nevertheless appeals to racial solidarity and purity and therefore separatism — a clear repudiation of the idea of American multiracialism. Its nomenclature would hardly be tolerated were it not for the enormous size of the growing Hispanic community.

In a 1997 speech before this activist group, former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo bragged that “the Mexican nation extends beyond the territory enclosed by its borders” and that Mexican migrants were “an important — a very important — part of this.” A Zogby poll of Mexican citizens conducted in late May 2002 showed that 58 percent believed that “the territory of the United States’ southwest rightfully belongs to Mexico.” The national newspaper of Mexico, Excelsior, agreed: “The American Southwest seems to be slowly returning to the jurisdiction of Mexico without firing a single shot.” No wonder then that 57 percent of Mexicans in that same Zogby poll believed that they should have the right to cross the border freely and without U.S. permission."

Earnings Inequality

2006-04-24T15:59:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to a good "thought" essay by Gary Becker, a University of Chicago Prof. and a Nobel laureate in Economics. There is a lot of noise in the news these days about income or earnings inequality and in this essay Becker put some perspective on the issue. It's about a 5 minute read, a good investment in your economic education.

"The basic facts are these. There has been a general trend toward rising gaps between the earnings of more and less skilled persons. With regard to education, real earnings (that is, earnings adjusted for changes in consumer prices) earnings of high school dropouts did not change much. Earnings of high school graduates grew somewhat more rapidly, so that the gap between dropout and graduate earnings expanded over time.

The main action came in the earnings of college graduates and those with postgraduate education. They both increased at a rapid pace, with the earnings of persons with MBA's, law degrees, and other advanced education growing the most rapidly. All these trends produced a widening of earnings inequality by education level, particularly between those with college education and persons with lesser education."

This article was also linked to by Don Luskin. If you want to stay up on economic developments, drop by his site once a week or more often.

Teaching American History

2006-04-21T10:47:00.000-06:00

THIS IS A FAIRLY LONG POST SO STICK WITH IT. I HOPE YOU WILL FIND IT WORTH WHILE. - JOE

In May of 2004, the Washington Post ran a piece that focused on the ignorance (defined as a lack of knowledge) about World War II of students graduating from high school. The piece opened this way:

“Tiffany Charles got a B in history last year at her Montgomery County high school, but she is not sure what year World War II ended. She cannot name a single general or battle, or the man who was president during the most dramatic hours of the 20th century...Among 76 teenagers interviewed near their high schools this week in Maryland, Virginia and the District, recognition of the internment camps, a standard part of every area history curriculum, was high -- two-thirds gave the right answer when asked what happened to Japanese Americans during the war. But only one-third could name even one World War II general, and about half could name a World War II battle.”

Further on in the piece we find this:

“Mike Kirk, an American history teacher at Mount Vernon High School in Fairfax County, said he tries to combine projects and instruction in a way that helps students understand the sweep of the war. When teaching a particular battle, he sometimes tells students to pretend they are soldiers and write a letter home describing what they saw Kirk said he follows the Virginia Standards of Learning, which specifically require instruction on the battles of Midway and Stalingrad, as well as the D-Day invasion and the dropping of the atomic bomb. The same standards require discussion of the African American Tuskegee Airmen, the Holocaust and the Japanese American internments.”

How can students pretend they are an American Soldier if they aren’t told the epic story and sacrifices made by the American fighting man in WWII. There is nothing wrong or incorrect about covering the Japanese interment or the racism that was prevalent in 40’s that caused our government to have a segregated military. That the Tuskegee Airmen were heroic is unquestionable, and I would argue there heroism and courage in the face of hostility at home was the greater story than there subsequent achievements in the air battles in Europe. That said, todays history classes completely ignore the sacrifice and heroism of the every day Soldier, Sailor and Marine that of the era.

While this lonely blog can’t hope to entirely correct that wrong I am going to give it my best shot. If you read this and know a teacher that is responsible for teaching American History, maybe you can pass along these tails of courage, devotion and sacrifice of Americans that understood the meaning of Duty, Honor and Country. Battles are won or lost by men in the “trenches” and it is their stories that have the potential for igniting the deserved interest this era of history should have. WWII in particular was a struggle for the future of those who inhabit this globe. The men and women who fought those battles deserve far more credit and coverage than our current history textbooks or lesson plans give them.

Let’s start with the Battle of Midway, a battle most history survey courses cover or at least mention as the turning point in the Pacific War. Does the name Torpedo Squadron Eight ring a bell? How about Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldron, the commanding officer of this unit? Who was Ensign George Gay? The story of these men, there squadron mates and their exploits are among the most inspiring to come out of WWII, yet they never show up in Jr. High, High School or even College U.S. History text books. Are we so ashamed of these men that we can’t spend the ten or twenty minutes it would take to show how their devotion to duty effected the course of the war? We are often reminded of our heritage when it comes to slavery, child labor, women’s rights and other darker moments of our history. The courage, self sacrifice and love of country to be found in the history of our military are also a part of our heritage and culture yet our students are denied these stories. Is there a conspiracy among our educators to deny these inspiring stories from our students? Looking at classroom content, one could validly reach that conclusion. (No, I am not paranoid or a conspiracy nut, but just asking you to think about the lack of education in this area)

So what and who was Torpedo Squadron Eight? In Naval parlance, they were VT-8, a group of men (see the photograph) who flew the inaptly named Douglas Devastator or the TBD-1, the Navy's first widely used monoplane shipboard plane which first flew in April 1935. While it supposedly had a top speed of 200 MPH, in reality when it was fully loaded for combat, it was barely able to top 120 MPH. To say that this aircraft was obsolete and nothing more than a death trap is to state the obvious. It was scheduled to be replaced by the Grumman Avenger but the men of Torpedo 8 would go into battle with what they had. Despite the heavy odds against them ever returning to their carrier, these young Americans understood the phrase that was yet to be coined, Duty, Honor, and Country.

Lt. Commander John C. Waldron, was born (1900) in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. He attended the US Naval Academy, graduating in 1924 and trained to be a naval aviator, reaching that plateau in 1927. During the years prior to World War II, he served in several air units, was an instructor at the Naval Academy and at Pensacola, Florida, and performed other duties connected with aviation. In 1941, Lt. Cmdr. Waldron became Commanding Officer of Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8), which was to serve on the new aircraft carrier Hornet.

I won’t get into the details of the battle here, but suffice it to say it was fought some 200 miles northwest of Midway Island itself some 700 miles northwest of our naval base at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu The Japanese were intent on capturing Midway to further their eastward movement. But more importantly, they were attempting to lure the last three American aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet, (Hornet, Enterprise and Yorktown) into battle with the intent of destroying this last obstacle to their plans for domination of the western pacific, an area they euphemistically called, The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. American intelligence had deciphered Japanese coded messages over the previous months and in general understood the Japanese plan. Using this knowledge, American commanders were able to launch their aircraft before the Japanese knew the American carriers were in a position to attack them. The Japanese plan assumed that the American carriers would not be in the neighborhood until after they had occupied Midway. This is where the story of Torpedo Squadron Eight begins.

In 1942, our military didn’t have GPS, satellites, or radar to provide them with an exact location of an enemy naval force so the squadron along with other dive bombing and torpedo attack squadrons took off from the carriers early on the morning of June 4th with only a “best estimate” of where the Japanese might be located. American tactics of the time dictated that each squadron was to proceed on their own to find the enemy so Waldron led only his squadron towards the assumed position of the Japanese carriers but failed to find them at the location indicated by intelligence.

Just before take off, Lt. Commander Waldron knowing the situation and having no illusions about their chances, sent the following message to his men; “Just a word to let you know that I feel we are ready. We have had a very short time to train and we have worked under the most severe difficulties. But we have truly done the best humanly possible. I actually believe that under these conditions we are the best in the world. My greatest hope is that we will encounter a favorable tactical situation, but if we don’t, and the worst comes to worst, I want each of us to do his utmost to destroy our enemies. If there is only one plane left to make a final run in, I want that man to go in and get a hit. May God be with all of us. Good luck, happy landings and GIVE ‘EM HELL.” Look here to put a human face on the organization called Torpedo 8.

Failing to find the Japanese carriers at the point scouting and intelligence had indicated Waldron made a turn to the north following his intuition and best estimate of where the Japanese might be lurking. Waldron’s intuition was correct, as he was the first of the American Naval squadrons to find the four enemy carriers. Running out of fuel and lacking any fighter cover, Waldron maneuvered his squadron of fifteen planes to attack the heart of the Japanese fleet, the four carriers. Flying at very low altitude, literally 100’s of feet above the sea and at a deadly slow speed, Japanese fighters, known to the Americans as Zeros, using their far superior speed and maneuverability, attacked and over a period of 10 minutes shot down all of the slow-moving American torpedo bombers. Only one torpedo plane was able to reach a position close enough to release his torpedo, that was Ensign George Gay, and as it turned out he was the only member of the squadron to survive the battle.

Just prior to Torpedo Eight’s attack, a number of Army Air Corps B-26 twin engine bombers carrying torpedoes and Naval Torpedobombers, four new Grumman Avengers ast it turned out, from Midway had also pressed home attacks in the face of insurmountable odds and at a high cost in lives and aircraft, another story of indomitable courage and sacrafice. These attacks over the morning of June 4 had the effect of delaying the Japanese from launching their aircraft because they were forced into evasive maneuvers to avoid torpedoes, and now their hanger and flight decks were crowded with aircraft full of fuel and bombs. It was then that American dive-bombers from the carrier Hornet and Yorktown finally found and pounced upon the Japanese fleet, sinking three of the Japanese aircraft carriers in the morning and then in the afternoon finally sinking the last one.

It is these men that won the Battle of Midway and turned the tide in the Pacific. Sure the commanders put our carriers in the right position to carry out the attacks but it was the pilots and enlisted crewmen facing the fire and fury of the enemy and knowing that the odds were against their survival that carried the day. When John C. Waldron and his squadron mates gave laid down their lives in the early morning of June 4th, we were still losing the war with Japan. One hour after he died, the tide had turned and despite three long years of blood shed and hard fighting to come, the country was finally was untracked and on the road to victory. It is often asked, “Where do we get men like this?” I would like to think that is our American culture, our belief in the dignity of the common man and our understanding of freedom and its price is the root and branch, the source of such fine human beings that would lay their life down for their fellow countrymen.

Returning to the teacher in Virginia asking his students to write a letter pretending to be an American soldier, perhaps he could have his students spend a few minutes reading about the Men of Midway. Then they can write a letter that will have some relevance.

Here is the Honor Roll of Torpedo Eight:
Lt. Commander John C. Waldron KIA
Lt. Raymond A. Moore KIA
Lt. James C. Owens KIA
Lt.(jg) George M. Campbell KIA
Lt.(jg) John P. Gray KIA
Lt.(jg) Jeff D. Woodson KIA
Ens. William W. Abercrombie KIA
Ens. William W. Creamer KIA
Ens. Harold J. Ellison KIA
Ens. William R. Evans KIA
Ens. George H. Gay WIA
Ens. Henry R. Kenyon KIA
Ens. Ulvert M. Moore KIA
Ens. Grant W. Teats KIA
Robert B. Miles, Aviation Pilot 1c KIA
Horace F. Dobbs, Chief Radioman KIA
Amelio Maffei, Radioman 1 KIA
Tom H. Pettry, Radioman 1 KIA
Otway D. Creasy, Jr. Radioman 2 KIA
Ross H. Bibb, Jr., Radioman 2 KIA
Darwin L. Clark, Radioman 2 KIA
Ronald J. Fisher, Radioman 2 KIA
Hollis Martin, Radioman 2 KIA
Bernerd P. Phelps Radioman 2 KIA
Aswell L. Picou, Seaman 2 KIA
Francis S. Polston, Seaman 2 KIA
Max A. Calkins, Radioman 3 KIA
George A. Field, Radioman 3 KIA
Robert K. Huntington, Radioman 3 KIA
William F. Sawhill, Radioman 3 KIA

Torpedo Eight’s lone survivor, Ensign George Gay, was plucked out of the waters of the Pacific by a Navy seaplane. Recovering from his injuries, he later participated in the air battles at Guadalcanal and then returned to the states where he was assigned to duty as a navy flight instructor. After the war, he joined TWA and enjoyed a successful career as an airline pilot. George Gay lived for 52 years after the battle, passing away on October 21, 1994. His ashes were scattered over the grid reference off Midway where his shipmates fell, forever reuniting Torpedo Eight's aviators.

More stories will be added shortly.

Some Thoughts on Tax Day

2006-04-17T11:10:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of links to some thoughts on "Tax Day" for you to ponder. The first is to some thoughts expressed by John Snow. And who might he be you ask. The Secretary of Treausury, thats who. Here are several excerpts. Read the whole essay.

"On the one hand are those who believe that the future of our economy is best served by a larger role for government in the economy. On the other side are those, like myself, who maintain that while the role of government is to create the conditions for prosperity, the citizens and taxpayers are the best judge of how to spend their own money, not the government. One view necessitates higher taxes, a more expansive role for government, and more government spending. The other holds that low tax rates, a reduced role for government and a vibrant private sector is the best path to prosperity for all Americans."

Memebers of former Democratic Administrations as well as those who would currently stand for election hold to the first view:

"They argued for a deceptively simple approach as an alternative, calling for both "fiscal discipline, and for increased public investment in key growth-enhancing areas." Well, if you do the math, growing the public sector--that is, making government bigger--and achieving fiscal discipline, can only lead to one thing: higher taxes. And higher taxes always mean a larger role for government and a smaller role for the private sector. Is that the way we want to go? "

Here are some interesting facts on who is paying and not paying taxes. It is constant refrain from those on the Left that the overwhelming majority of tax cuts go to the wealthy. Those who proffer that view never seem to understand that unless one pays taxes, one cannot recieve a tax cut. Here is some data that ordinarly does not get disiminated by those who have cried foul about the Presidents tax cuts and the effort to make them perminent. The following figures are for tax year 2006.

Family of 4 Poverty Level: $19,527
Family of 4 Tax Threshold Level: $37,047
(Only income above this level is subject to Federal Income Tax)
Family of 4 Income Tax at Poverty Level: -$5,114
(They receive a check form the IRS)
I am not saying life at this level of income is a bed of roses however to say those in this income bracket are burdened by taxes is a bit disengenous.

There are some 146 million individuals and families (tax units) that file tax returns. Those whose income is at or below $50,000 dollars per year recieve 22.8% of national income and pay 1.5% of Federal Income Taxes. They also are 62.9% of all tax units. Those tax units earing more than $50,000 per year conversly pay 98.5 % of all taxes.
So who should recieve tax cuts? Those paying little or no taxes or those who are paying taxes.

American Character

2006-04-12T16:54:00.000-06:00

It strikes me that in todays world where we Americans are under assult for our behaviour, from "friends" and foes alike we need to be reminded that our history in dealing with our adversaries at the end of hostilities need not take a second seat to any nation. With that in mind while reading a book about the end of the war in the Pacific, the author included a quote, rather I should say command, by one of the two senior American Commanders present at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2nd, 1945, Admiral Chester Nimitz. It demonstrates the quality of our culture and our humanity not only 60 years ago but even today. It is worth bringing to your attention.

"It is incumbent on all officers to conduct themselves with dignity and decorum in their treatment of the Japanese and their public utterances in connection with the Japanese. The Japanese are still the same nation which initiated the war by a treacherous attack on the Pacific Fleet and which has subjected our brothers in arms who became prisoners to torture, starvation and murder. However, the use of insulting epithets in connection with the Japanese as a race or as individuals does not now become the officers of the United States Navy. Officers in the Pacific Fleet will take steps to require of all personnel under their command a high standard of conduct in this matter. Neither familiarity nor abuse and vituperation should be permitted."

We can stand tall and proud as Americans in the knowledge that we are able to produce men such as Nimitz when the horrors of war so often produce the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, Saddam Hussein and a endless list of others who butcher there fellow men.

To be flying

2006-04-09T09:39:00.000-06:00

Though the F-111 has been phased out of duty in the USAF, Australia still flys them. Recently the group of Aussie's pictured here participated in Operation Red Flag. This exercise tests aircrews' warfighting skills in realistic combat situations. It involves more than 85 aircraft, flying missions day and night to the Nevada Test and Training Range. Along with the U.S. Air Force, units from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, United Kingdom participate in this annual event.

Photo courtsey The Strategy Page

Some Taxing Facts

2006-04-08T08:06:00.000-06:00

From the Tax Foundation, an organization that provides analysis on tax policy and the realitites of our current Federal Tax System, we find this nugget and graphic illustration:

"During 2006, Tax Foundation economists estimate that roughly 43.4 million tax returns, representing 91 million individuals, will face a zero or negative tax liability. That's out of a total of 136 million federal tax returns that will be filed. Adding to this figure the 15 million households and individuals who file no tax return at all, roughly 121 million Americans or 41 percent of the U.S. population will be completely outside the federal income tax system in 2006. This total includes those who pay no tax, and those who pay some tax upfront and are later refunded the full amount of the tax paid or more."

The next time you hear someone that all of President Bush's tax cuts go to the "wealthy" your response might be, " how and why do they expect those who don't pay taxes, and it is a very large number as evidenced here, to receive a reduction in taxes?"

To further illustrate how the current tax code can and does act as an agent for income redistribution, I point you to this example from the same organization that clearly shows how a family earning a modest but far from unliveable $40,000 per year, not only pays no taxes (exclusive of FICA) in fact receive a check from the IRS. In reality the check comes from those of us who are paying taxes not the IRS. Just as a side note, anytime someone says that the "government" is paying for some good or service, gently remind that person that government doesn't pay for anything. It is we the tax paying public who is footing the bill.

Thanks to Bizzyblog for the pointer to the data shown here.

Immigration Rant - Part I

2006-04-07T09:31:00.000-06:00

Let it never be said that I am always on time to an argument, and in this case the national argument about “Immigration”. There are countless columns and pontifications to be found in newspapers, weekly magazines, on TV and in the blogosphere. For many like myself it can be an uncomfortable conversation because of the fear of being labeled racist, insensitive, xenophobic and any number of defamatory adjectives. More realistically it is the possibly the loss of friends who’s heritage is Hispanic and have an opposing viewpoint will dampen open discussion.

First, this national argument for the most part is mischaracterized as being about “Immigration”. The information purveyors, the Chicago Tribune for example, frame the debate as one of “Immigration” when the real issue is and always has been illegal immigration. They and others who seek to frame the debate this way, should take notice of the hundreds of thousands of Mexicans that flow across the southern border at points other than normal entry points into the country, through the back door so to speak. Moreover the lack of intellectual honesty in the debate is exhibited by those who would rename those who flout our law as “undocumented workers” when in truth they are illegal trespassers. Thomas Sowell, in a brilliant piece points out that, “We can't even call illegal immigrants "illegal immigrants." The politically correct evasion is "undocumented workers”. Do American citizens go around carrying documents with them when they work or apply for work? Most Americans are undocumented workers but they are not illegal immigrants. There is a difference.” You should read the entire piece here and then Part II here.

Many would characterize my political posture on most issues as conservative. Those who are a bit less charitable would describe my views and convections as being to the right of Attila the Hun. I can accept either assessment but not withstanding those descriptions let’s get one thing straight, I do not oppose immigration. Neither do the overwhelming majority of Americans who share my views, or I theirs, oppose immigration. Our view is extraordinarily simple, if you want to live in America, become an American, you must come in through the front door. How racists, xenophobic or nativist is that? Our nation, our culture our very being is made richer by the addition of peoples from all over the globe. Illegal immigration works against this richness in that it forces those who arrive here though the back door onto islands of isolation and into communities of people who don’t seek to join the society at large because they have flouted the law. They live in communities that are in America but not part of America. You can seem the same phenomenon in the gangs that seek to establish their own sovereignty in the inner cities.

There are a number of observers, pundits, yes even academics that claim we are a land of immigrants, a view that I don't support and will take on in a later post. That said, it should be noted that my forbears were immigrants who came in through the front door in the mid 19th century to start a new life, to ensure that their posterity would enjoy the freedom not available in their native countries. For those who are interested, that would be France and Germany. Going further back, there was one forbearer who took a slightly different route and came here as an agent of King George III. He was a Hessian solider who at the end of our hostilities with the mother country decided to throw his lot in with those were formerly his adversaries. So to repeat, and I hope I am not protesting to much, immigration is a positive and maybe even a necessary event that will continue to invigorate our dynamic culture.

Uncontrolled and illegal immigration will clearly put us on the path to oblivion, fostering geographic balkanization and tribalization, where ones ethnicity is the defining attribute. No longer will you be an American, but you will be a “Fill in the Blank”-American who seeks commerce only with those who are his or her tribal brothers and sisters. Ask yourself one simple question, is this the direction you want this country to go?

Check back later for Part II.

Waiting for Madame Guillotine

2006-04-06T19:59:00.000-06:00

Waiting for Madame Guillotine
"Lucent’s chief is a cost cutter and a job shredder. The French must be quaking at the prospect of her arrival"

This is the lead in a European, well a British online business news publication, view of the Lucent/Alcatel merger. It will be most interesting to watch because as the headline indicates, with the merging of the two businesses there will be an excess of employees and many of them are French. You do remember the riots in France over the last couple of weeks don't you? Give the article a read.

Follow the money!

2006-04-06T16:35:00.000-06:00

When pursuing stories in politics and crime, I know that's redundant, there is an old saying that goes, "follow the money". This story which follows the money also has overtones of incest, not what the word normaly implies but the poltical type:

Next time you read a magazine cover story like the one Time just published ("Be Worried. Be VERY Worried. Polar Ice Caps Are Melting ... More And More Land Is Being Devastated ... Rising Waters Are Drowning Low-Lying Communities... The climate is crashing, and global warming is to blame") you should remember one little fact: U.S. media companies, including Time Warner, donate more to the environmental movement than any other industry. Companies like The New York Times, Gannett, Tribune, ABC, CBS and NBC have donated more than a half-billion worth of ad space since the 1990s to raise money for some of the nation's most extreme environmental groups. And yes, that was billion with a B.

Read the whole thing.

Mexican Constitution v. U.S. Constitution

2006-04-06T16:17:00.000-06:00

I see said the blind man. Well my eyes have been opened and the truth is going to set me free. I now understand why all of those folks south of the border are streaming north and demonstrating in the streets of Los Angles, Chicago and other U.S. locales demanding their rights. After you read this you can lobby the publisher of Websters Dictionary to include what you read here as examples of hiporcacy and/or irony. Be sittting down while you read this. You might also want to park you coffee cup some distance from your desk. Enjoy:

Thanks to John Ray, EconoPundit and read the whole article at Military.com

For example, according to an official translation published by the Organization of American States, the Mexican constitution includes the following restrictions:
Pursuant to Article 33, “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.” This ban applies, among other things, to participation in demonstrations and the expression of opinions in public about domestic politics like those much in evidence in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere in recent days.

Equal rights are denied to immigrants, even legal ones. Article 32: “Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable.”.

Jobs for which Mexican citizenship is considered “indispensable” include, pursuant to Article 32, bans on foreigners, immigrants, and even naturalized citizens of Mexico serving as military officers, Mexican-flagged ship and airline crew, and chiefs of seaports and airports.

Article 55 denies immigrants the right to become federal lawmakers. A Mexican congressman or senator must be “a Mexican citizen by birth.” Article 91 further stipulates that immigrants may never aspire to become cabinet officers as they are required to be Mexican by birth. Article 95 says the same about Supreme Court justices.

In accordance with Article 130, immigrants -- even legal ones -- may not become members of the clergy, either.

Foreigners, to say nothing of illegal immigrants, are denied fundamental property rights.

For example, Article 27 states, “Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters.”

Article 11 guarantees federal protection against “undesirable aliens resident in the country.” What is more, private individuals are authorized to make citizen's arrests.

Article 16 states, “In cases of flagrante delicto, any person may arrest the offender and his accomplices, turning them over without delay to the nearest authorities.” In other words, Mexico grants its citizens the right to arrest illegal aliens and hand them over to police for prosecution. Imagine the Minutemen exercising such a right!

The Mexican constitution states that foreigners -- not just illegal immigrants -- may be expelled for any reason and without due process.

According to Article 33, “the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.”

What plane do you want to fly on?

2006-04-06T15:28:00.000-06:00

You might remember this event, the first flight of the worlds largest commerical airliner, the Airbus A380. Here is an update from my British Correspondent on the progress of the program that at first blush doesn't see to bode to well for on time deliveries. As they say, stay tuned:

...six weeks ago, an A380 wing failed a stress test, having ruptured at 1.45 times the maximum design load, when the certification requirement is for it to be able to sustain a 1.50 load factor. The wings are British-built, made from aluminium alloy and carbon composite panels baked in Broughton, North Wales - a novel and unproven technology in big jets and, it seems, the problem has yet to be resolved. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) are both watching the situation. While EADS is downplaying the failure, EASA is saying, "The fixed rule is 1.50 until otherwise specified, and we have not specified otherwise." The FAA in Washington is more adamant. "The standard is 1.50, and has to be met," says a spokesman.

You would think this would be obvious

2006-04-06T12:34:00.000-06:00

"History teaches that wars begin when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap."

Ronald Reagan

And then the corollary:

"Peace through strength...Victory through annihilation"

A Motto of the Strategic Air Command

Capitalism and Liberty

2006-04-04T15:40:00.000-06:00

Here is a reasoned article from The Economist which sheds additional light on the problems that afflict Europe and France in particular:

"Part of the blame for this lies squarely with President Jacques Chirac. He has presided for nearly 11 years, during which mass unemployment has never budged below 8%, France's wealth per person has been overtaken by both Britain's and Ireland's, and public debt has jumped from 55% of GDP to 66%.

In another startling poll, however, whereas 71% of Americans, 66% of the British and 65% of Germans agreed that the free market was the best system available, the number in France was just 36%."

What is striking and ironic about this last poll is that a very large percentage of the goods that make life pleasurable, not to mention the freedoms we enjoy, come out of the environment fostered by Western Capitalism. What we did observe from those societies that embraced socialism in the form of the communist state, was a massive loss of life, over 100 millions human beings from the Russian Revolution through the wars in S.E Asia. Perhaps the French of today wish to take their society back to the days of the Revolution when something called the Terror reigned. It is incomprehensible to me, a committed capitalist, that given this miserable history of government malfeasance, the French believe that elite who feel fit to tell the rest of us what is good and right, is the fount of all that is good when those who gain power, in general, have no other object other than retaining that power and the perks that they accrue.

For a primer on this line of thought, take the opportunity to read the classic , The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek. After thirty-two printings in the United States, The Road to Serfdom has established itself alongside the works of Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and George Orwell for its timeless meditation on the relation between individual liberty and government authority.

UFB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-04T15:24:00.000-06:00

Definition of UFB: Un F_____ Believable!

This story belongs in the UFB category, with the caveaet that all of the facts don't change.

Indanapolis, In. A Far-Eastside couple say they are stunned that a Warren Township Schools principal suspended their son and recommended his expulsion for possession of a pocketknife even though he turned the knife in to the office as soon as he arrived at school. After turning in the knife, the eighth-grader was suspended from Stonybrook Middle School for 10 days and may be expelled.

Elliot, 14, said he was walking to the school entrance in the brisk weather March 3 and had placed his hands in his coat pocket when he felt the Swiss army pocketknife in the pocket. "I went straight to the office right inside (the front door)," he said. He said he handed the knife to Teri Donahue, the school's treasurer, and told her he had brought it to school by mistake.

Where in the world has common sense gone?

Another Medal of Honor Citation

2006-04-04T12:57:00.000-06:00

This citation records the action of Captain Lou Millet, who led one of the last know bayonet charges in modern warfare:

Capt. Millett, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. While personally leading his company in an attack against a strongly held position he noted that the 1st Platoon was pinned down by small-arms, automatic, and antitank fire. Capt. Millett ordered the 3d Platoon forward, placed himself at the head of the 2 platoons, and, with fixed bayonet, led the assault up the fire-swept hill. In the fierce charge Capt. Millett bayoneted 2 enemy soldiers and boldly continued on, throwing grenades, clubbing and bayoneting the enemy, while urging his men forward by shouting encouragement. Despite vicious opposing fire, the whirlwind hand-to-hand assault carried to the crest of the hill. His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder. During this fierce onslaught Capt. Millett was wounded by grenade fragments but refused evacuation until the objective was taken and firmly secured. The superb leadership, conspicuous courage, and consummate devotion to duty demonstrated by Capt. Millett were directly responsible for the successful accomplishment of a hazardous mission and reflect the highest credit on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service.

In the course of his 35-year military career, Lewis L. Millett received the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, three Bronze Stars, four Purple Hearts, three Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal and numerous foreign awards. You can read an interview with this American Hero here.

Taxation and Welfare

2006-04-04T12:46:00.000-06:00

This is a bit of wisdom that we as the electorate could use when in the voting booth deciding for whom to cast a vote:

"Governing requires money. Extensive directing demands a lot of it. We also realize that taxation above what the payer regards as just and necessary provokes avoidance. The phenomenon is the reverse of what welfarism – an established cult in several EU states – produces. The closer welfare gets to what can be earned (after taxes) the more people will endeavor to become beneficiaries instead of contributors."

Though this article is about the Swiss and its relationship with the European Union and is well worth your time to read.

French University Prof Tells The Truth

2006-04-03T16:30:00.000-06:00

I had to read this twice to be sure my eyes weren't deceiving me:
"I'm very angry about the demagogy, the ignorance and the stupidity of the young and of the French. Today's youth don't have dreams, they have illusions. To dream is to want to accomplish something difficult that is a challenge. Instead youngsters believe they have a right to everything and if things don't go the way they want it's someone else's fault."

So said Dr Pitte, 56, The president of the world-renowned Sorbonne University and a geography professor who has taught at Oxford and Cambridge and holds the Legion d'honneur. Then he opted to pour a bit more gasoline on the fire:

"They say: Oh, these poor students! Of course they have a right to an
open-ended work contract! It's absurd. Who is going to tell these
youngsters the truth? Get real." He added that tens of thousands of students were taking degrees in subjects with no relevance to the employment market but were then demanding jobs linked to their studies.
Read the whole article. Don't worry it's fairly short.
Link via Tim Blair.

So you wanna be a pilot eh?

2006-04-03T15:28:00.000-06:00

A couple of impressive videos for the aviation minded.

1) How to land in a cross wind.

2) Max performance takeoff (Better have an empty stomach if you try this)

Tell me you aren't impressed!

Picture, 1000 words, etc.

2006-04-02T18:25:00.000-06:00

Powerlineblog has a short but very illuminating post here. It's one of those "aha" moments, one that should be on the nightly news but more than likely won't.

Music to sooth the savage beast!

2006-04-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

Now here's a catchy little tune.

The Medal of Honor

2006-04-01T18:21:00.000-06:00

As the number of Americans who serve or have served in the military continues to decrease, at least as a percentage of our population, I thought I would take advantage of the blog world to post, on what I hope will be a regular basis, the citations for the Medal of Honor recipents. As a society we need to stay in touch with the sacrafice made by our fellow citizens.

Todays post tells the story of Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith, US Army:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division “Rock of the Marne,” and the United States Army.

Information Gatekeepers

2006-03-30T07:48:00.000-06:00

Despite indignant denials, media outlets like the New York Times function as gatekeepers and throttles on what, in their opinion, the public needs to know. Moreover as the story linked to here, NRO Online, will show the Times has engaged in distortion of testimony before a Congressional committee. Fortunately and because of independent fact checkers, we no longer have to rely on the NYT to tell us their version of the "truth". After reading the Times story and then comparing the reporters "assertion" to the actual testimony, all of us would be quite foolish to have any faith in the NYT as a purveyor of fact.

There is a great deal of BS and Crap on the internet and you can probably find a web site that will "support" almost any assertion or point of view. In this case however we have the original testimony and documents that make a lie of the story. It truly amazes me that the Times would publish a story that can be so easily debunked and to do absolutely nothing for their reputation except drag it through the mud, as though Jason Blair didn't. It seems as though the publishers and reporters are still operating in a pre-internet environment and believe they can say and print anything to advance their particular agenda. Is it any wonder the Times continues to loose circulation and see their stock go in the tank? Deservedly so when operating as a public company.

Some Sane Remarks on Immigration

2006-03-29T19:27:00.000-06:00

Thomas Sowell, who's writing is the essence of wit, brevity and wisdom, has some thoughts on immigration that many on the left side of the political spectrum will consider to be insensitive or some other overwrought adjective that does anything but truthfully describe our current state of affairs. To start with:

"Immigration is yet another issue which we seem unable to discuss rationally -- in part because words have been twisted beyond recognition in political rhetoric. We can't even call illegal immigrants "illegal immigrants." The politically correct evasion is "undocumented workers." Do American citizens go around carrying documents with them when they work or apply for work? Most Americans are undocumented workers but they are not illegal immigrants. There is a difference."

And then to not to put to fine a point on it:

"People who get caught illegally crossing the border into the United States
pay no penalty whatever. They are sent back home and can try again. What if bank robbers who were caught were simply told to give the money back and not do it again? What if murderers who were caught were turned loose and warned not to kill again? Would that be proof that it is futile to take action, when no action was taken?"

There's nothing insensitive about calling a spade a spade or the ugly anti-American protests that have occurred in Los Angles and other locations exactly what they are. But then I already said it, they are anti-American! Those demonstrations are solidifying and hardening the position and opinions of those of us, yes me, who have concerns and beliefs that far to many immigrants from south of the border do not aspire to be Americans, but to be Mexicans living in America. Cliche alert, actions speak louder than words.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2006-03-29T07:58:00.000-06:00

Read about this here.

Religion of Peace?

2006-03-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

Investors.com makes the following observation:
In the wake of the cartoon jihad and mosque-on-mosque violence in Iraq,
most Americans now think Islam has more violent believers than any other faith. Yet many still view it as a "peaceful religion."

Psychologists might call this cognitive dissonance a state of mind where rational people essentially lie to themselves. But in this case, it's understandable. In our politically correct culture, criticizing any religion, even one that plots our destruction, is still taboo. And no one wants to suggest the terrorists are driven by their holy text.

They then go on to ask the several questions the might perceived to be insensitive":

What better time for CAIR(Council on American-Islamic Relations) and other Muslim leaders to step up, cut through the politically correct fog and provide factual answers to the questions that give so many non-Muslims pause?
Is Islam the only religion with a doctrine, theology and legal system that mandates warfare against unbelievers?
Is it true that 26 chapters of the Quran deal with jihad, a fight able-bodied believers are obligated to join (Surah 2:216), and that the text orders Muslims to "instill terror into the hearts of the unbeliever" and to "smite above their necks" (8:12)?

The cynic in me doubts that we will see answers to questions like this anytime soon. Read the whole article. This link via Little Green Footballs.

Europe’s Ailing Social Model: Facts & Fairy-Tales

2006-03-28T09:33:00.000-06:00

In providing the link to the article in the title, Europe’s Ailing Social Model: Facts & Fairy-Tales, I do so not to gloat or to lead the reader to believe that all is well with our American Model. It is however a cautionary tale, no let me change that, a factual telling of excessive taxation and regulation. It is a picture that could be repeated here if we continue to send people to Washington that have the same beliefs as those in Europe that have brought slow growth, high unemployment and loss of personal freedom to their countries. Cliche alert, "To be forewarned is to be forearmed".

Spain Breaking Up??

2006-03-28T09:26:00.000-06:00

It seems as though that the Basque region and people are not the only ones that feel that they are not a part of the Spanish nation. From an article in one of my favorite European sources we find this:
"Last September the Catalan regional parliament in Barcelona voted
overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution that Catalonia be recognized as a nation unto itself. "

Read the whole thing.

More "French Student Rioting" Stuff

2006-03-21T17:18:00.000-06:00

This is an update to my earlier post.

When you see moronic stuff like this it is almost enough to make you believe you are in the middle of a bad dream or have been transported to the alternate Earth which is on the opposite side of our sun. The inscription on the wall reads, "Work is a climate controlled gulag".

Perhaps this under "educated" student, and I use the term advisedly, should take a day to read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's classic telling of life in the Gulag, One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich, to gain a bit of understanding about the term. To bastardize a popular phrase, "those who don't learn history are destined to end up in a real gulag". And deservedly so, except they will take the innocent with them.

UPDATE 3/22/06: See this commentary by Dennis Prager. He nails it!

Sage European Advice

2006-03-21T16:32:00.000-06:00

From that world famous and insightful leader of his country, Monsieur Chirac, I am delighted to pass on this following bit of wisdom:

On international diplomacy: 'I have
one simple principle in foreign affairs. I look at what the Americans are doing and then do the opposite. That way I can be sure I'm right.'

To which one Blogger mused:

"Ever Look at What the Kremlin, Red China, Various Third World Despots, or Iraq's Saddam Are (Were) Doing? No, I didn't Think So… "

Diversity and Affirmative Action

2006-03-21T13:59:00.000-06:00

There's a big to do going on in our sister mid-western state of Michigan. Over 500,000 citizens have signed a petition to place on the November ballot something called the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative or MCRI. If passed it will remove all consideration of race, color, gender, ethnicity or national origin in hiring and promotions, in awarding contracts, and in admissions to taxpayer-financed educational institutions. Sounds awful close to the 1964 Civil Rights Bill doesn't it? Why then does the governor of Michigan, Jennifer Grandholm, along with others on the political left oppose this bill and still support quotas and preferential treatment for some members of our community? (By the way in MHO her reasoning is bereft of any logic or compelling analysis.)

You can read her reasons here and then take the opportunity to read the rebuttal by Ward Conrail. Here is just a brief excerpt:

"You assert that had I been from Michigan, I would know that diversity is part and parcel in our economic strength. Are you kidding? Or, are you simply attempting to distract the people of your state, for political reasons, by making me a bogey man? California is one of the most diverse places on the planet. The California economy is vibrant and booming. And, I hasten to add, California is a state that has outlawed preferential treatment on the basis of race, gender and ethnicity. Michigan, on the other hand, is regarded by many as one of the preference capitals of the nation. How is your economy? How many jobs are you losing day-by-day? To what economic strength are you making reference? Are you really expecting your residents to believe that by ending preferential treatment on the basis of race, gender and ethnicity, your states economy will worsen even more? If so, such an assertion defies logic."

It is an extraordinary document, a tour de force that utterly destroys Grandholm's argument, if one chooses to call it that. The link goes to a blog titled Discriminations which is hosted by John Rosenberg who follows and comments on "diversity" and "equal opportunity" issues. You will find the original here.

French Student "Uprising"

2006-03-21T07:46:00.000-06:00

It hasn't received much attention in our domestic press, no surprise there, but French university students have been taking to the streets and rioting. What? Rioting in the socialist workers paradise of France?

It seem as though unemployment rate for that part of the population under the age of 26, stands at 23% nationwide, and 50% among impoverished young people. In an effort to induce employer's to take a chance and hire young graduates, the Government has instituted a First Employment Contract that would allow businesses to terminate without cause, and incurring a huge financial burden, those who are hired in their first job and are under the age of 26. In other words a probationary period. It seems as though those who are taking to the streets feel that it is demeaning to have to prove their worth to the employer. They just want a life time job with no questions asked. Oh, and don't forget the 35 hour working week and a 6 week summer vacation.

Brussels Journal, a group of European writers, carries the details here. Give it a read. This group of writers provides illuminating details of life in Europe and if you are a regular "suffer" should be on your must read list.

Take a look a this piece in the USA Today and contrast the coverage. If you have registered, then you can read what the NYT tells you about this story here.

Islam, Religion of Peace?????

2006-03-20T08:02:00.000-06:00

I think not! From the Voice of America and not the MSM, you know the New York Times and their soul mates, we find this little tid bit of news:

"An Afghan man who recently admitted he converted to Christianity faces the death penalty under the country's strict Islamic legal system. The trial is a critical test of Afghanistan's new constitution and democratic government."

For more evidence of the chasm that seperates our two cultures, read my 2/27 post.

Link to VOA from Michelle Malkin

UPDATE: See this report from Reuters: "JAKARTA, March 16 (Reuters) - Eleven percent of the people in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, believe suicide attacks against civilian targets are sometimes justifiable, a survey said on Thursday...The survey also found that almost half the respondents back stoning as a punishment for adulterers while support for other extreme elements of Islamic sharia was also significant."

Link via LGF

UPDATE II: "Islamabad:Thousands of Pakistani women face charges under Islamic laws. Nearly 80 percent of the more than 6,000 women and girls on trial in Pakistan are facing charges under the controversial "Hudood" Islamic laws that mainly deal with crimes of adultery and rape, said a human rights report published on Monday."

Europe, Again or "Do as I say not as I Do"

2006-03-20T07:47:00.000-06:00

Victor Davis Hanson, VDH for short, contrasts a number of events and activities in Europe with those of domestic origin. In a thought piece titled Teflon Europe, he points to a number of, shall we say inconsistencies, in their words and deeds. For example:

Europe cringed at George Bush's use of cowboyisms, like "smoke
'em out" and "dead-or-alive" — hardly the parlance of sober and sophisticated statesmen, who should hint at, rather than brag of, their substantial military power. But once again, contrast Bush's words with Jacques Chirac's recent boastful threat that France would consider a nuclear response to any country sponsoring a terror attack against it. Had Bush said anything close to that, the Europeans would be trying to indict him in Brussels for war thought-crimes.

And then this astute observation:

These contrasts in perception and reality between Europe and the United States could be expanded — whether we look at the maligned Patriot Act and the new anti-terrorism legislation being enacted across the Atlantic, or the manner in which Arab immigrants live in Dearborn versus Marseilles, or the infringements abroad on free speech.

Read the whole piece. Just as an aside, the Chicago Tribune is now carrying VDH in the editorial section in the Friday edition. So I guess there is at least one good reason to suscribe.

Taliban at Yale

2006-03-08T17:17:00.000-06:00

No, this is not a joke. Michelle Malkin covers the story here. A yale grad was a bit, might we say miffed, with the admisions process. Here is a portion of her letter to the Yale Admissions Officer, but be sure an read the whole thing:
Apparently when you combine a sub-par 4th grade education, a B+ college average in a special program, and a job history as a spokesperson for a regime that hates America, destroys priceless Buddhas, oppresses women, stones homosexuals, and enforces brutal sharia law in violation of UN Human Rights agreements, you have the magic formula for admission to Yale.

The Voters View

2006-03-08T17:12:00.000-06:00

Birthday Today

2006-03-03T09:21:00.000-06:00

Today's my birthday so I will celebrate by posting a few links that are definitely not PC and might provide a laugh, inspire a bit of rage. It's all up to you.

1) If you don't laugh at this one you are brain dead. Even as satire it is more truthful than any thing you will see or hear from you local or national news outlets.

2) Here's another swipe at the French or mainly Jacques Chriac. It's done in a with a touch of humor.

3) Jimmy Carter personifies the typical self hating American. Don't believe me, then read this report on his feeling about the UN Human Rights Commission. Every time he open his mouth he solidifies his position as the worst President and certainly the worst former President since 1787. I don't care that he has been a good spokesman for Habitat for Humanity, the man is an embarassment to America.

Clash of Civilizations & Cultures

2006-02-27T09:42:00.000-06:00

Sunday our local news paper featured a "Letter to the Editor" I wrote regarding the huge differences between those in the Muslim world and Western Culture. You can, if you wish, read it below. More importantly, you might want to read this thought piece on the Brussels Journal web site. The piece points to some fisures of Grand Canyon proportions that seperate our two societies and cultures. Here a portion:

"A poll published last week(Feb. 19) in Britain’s Sunday Telegraph , reveals that four out of every ten British Muslims want Sharia Law introduced in areas of the country which are pre-dominantly Muslim, while 41 percent oppose it. Sharia law is used in large parts of the Middle East, most notably in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. The law is enforced by a religious police. Special courts can hand out harsh punishments; for sexual offences punishments include stoning, for theft amputation, and for apostasy death. The law also contains detailed rules for practically every aspect of life and is made up of elements from the Koran and theHadithbesides rulings by Muslim judges from the first centuries of Islam...Last December a poll in Antwerp among a representative group of Muslim youths between 15 and 25 years of age, revealed that 21% of the young Antwerp Muslims find it “problematic” that the majority of Antwerp’s citizens are non-Muslims."

JoeH's piece is here:
Over looked amid the riots and demonstrations across the globe over the Danish Cartoons is the chasm between the cultural and moral beliefs that separate many in the Muslim world and the rest of us. It is the elephant in the room that our media and cultural leaders are ignoring.

For example, in today’s Herald, we are told that, “Nigerian Muslims protesting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad attacked Christians and burned churches Saturday, killing at least 15 people in the deadliest confrontation yet in the whirlwind of Muslim anger over the drawings.” Nowhere in the piece was there any reference to Muslim leaders decrying this sort of behavior. Perhaps those of you who are sympathetic to Muslims protesting the offensive nature of the cartoons should ask yourself what kind of moral code would give license to the Muslim citizens of Nigeria to take the life of innocent people because a cartoon was published in Denmark?

In Pakistan on Friday, a cleric offered a 1.5 million rupee ($33,450) reward and a car for anyone who kills the cartoonist who drew Prophet Mohammed. Just imagine if a priest, a pastor, a preacher or a rabbi had offered a reward for the murder of a cartoonist or artist who had published an image that was that in their opinion blasphemous. Such an action in western culture is illegal and would entail incarceration, not to mention that most of us would rightly condemn such an act.
One could enumerate countless incidents identical to those described here, and conversely find few if any similar incidents that target Muslims.

That large numbers of people in Muslim societies around the globe applaud, rationalize and excuse these actions only leads me to believe that this clash of civilizations will not end any time soon.

United Nations - We pay for this?

2006-02-25T09:12:00.000-06:00

One of the most irritating organizations of the face of the Earth is the UN. A bit harsh you may ask? While not normally enamored with name calling, when the UN comes up, in the news or in conversation, the following adjective immediately come to mind; duplicitous, two-faced, deceitful, dishonest, and treacherous. The list could go on adinfinitum. Just two pieces of the latest evidence to support my over the top assertion.

Several weeks back,UN Secretary General, Koffi Annan, blasted the US for conditions at Gitmo and urged the Administration to shut it down. One can reasonably call for that action but I would argue that ones own house should be cleaned up first. In a news story in the BBC titled, "Peacekeeper sex abuse 'too high' ", we see that UN Peacekeepers have been involved in at least 295 cases of sexual abuse. Just what is this abuse you might ask? UN staffers accused peacekeepers and civilian staff in Congo of rape, pedophilia and enticing hungry children with food or money in exchange for sex. Supposedly there are reforms in place but they will take 3 or 4 years to take hold. How about saying if you, Mr. UN Peace Keeper or civilian staffer, is caught sexually abusing a person, we cut your balls off! I'll wager a nickel or two that will take a bite out of the 3 to 4 years. A bit harsh I will admit, but certain to turn up the volume on their hearing aid.

Hey, maybe we could get Dick Durbin to speak out on these abuses since he has compared the U.S. military's treatment of a suspected al Qaeda terrorist at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay with the regimes of Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Pol Pot. He certainly knows a thing or two about abuse.

And then there is the UN "Commission on Human Rights". Using an old Bill Cosbyism, riiiiiiight! Among other countries on the Commission we find these, China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe which are all recognized as stalwart supporters of human rights. Riiiiiight!

There is a movement afoot to "reform" the commission but at best it is more of an effort to camouflage an odious sub-group within an organization that has lost its moral compass. No doubt there are worse uses of taxpayer money than supporting the UN, but there surely are few that I can think of.

Update: Good analysis and additional info from Dimitri Vassilaros, a columinist in Pittsburgh.

Australia Rules!!!

2006-02-23T21:04:00.000-06:00

Read this report from Australia. If only our leaders were only so forthright. Don't read these comments to be anti-immigrant, but pro-immigration for those who want to be a part of our community and society.

Prime Minister John Howard has refused Muslim calls to censure
Treasurer Peter Costello over comments he made about Islamic extremists. Mr Costello has challenged Muslim leaders to pledge their allegiance to Australia before they criticise him over his comments about citizenship.

In his speech, Mr Costello said where there was reason to believe
people were not truthfully or honestly meeting their citizenship test, there was every right for them to be denied citizenship.

He likened entering Australia to entering a mosque, with people
entering a Muslim place of worship expected to take their shoes off as a mark of respect. "If you don't want to take your shoes off, don't go into a mosque. If you want to come into Australia, you will be asked respect for its values," Mr Costello told the Nine Network this morning.

"If you don't have respect for those values, don't ask to come into
Australia."This is what we ask of people. We have to preserve a way of life
which makes us the greatest country in the world."
Link via Little Green Footballs

Why do Europeans, particularly Germans hate us?

2006-02-23T17:24:00.000-06:00

Davids Medienkritik is a weblog, blog, hosted by an American and a German both of whom reside in Germany. They comment on the German media, with a primary focus on Der Speigel, the Time/Life/Newsweek of Germany. It probably isn't going over the top to say that this publication is extremely anti-American in its editorial stance and the way it presents the news.

But don't take my word for it. Take a look at the latest issue of Der Speigel. It is published in German and American Language editions, print and on line. The latest issue features an interview with Karen Hughes, who is a George Bush confident and US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes. Some might choose to call this propaganda but in reality because of her long relationship with the President, she essentially speaks for him.

The on-line issue of Der Speigel features an English language interview with Hughes. Simultaneously, they published a print edition of the same interview in German. Davids Medienkritik presents a comparison of the two publications. Clearly, the English version presents an entirely different response to questions than presented to German public. It unambiguously demonstrates that at least this one media outlet, the largest in Germany, is highly biased against the U.S. Here are just two of the examples that leave no room for doubt as to where the German version of the interview is attempting to take its readers:

In her response to the second question on the recent release of Abu
Ghraib photos, Hughes says: "We don't want to be defined by those pictures, any more than the people of Germany would want your country to be defined by pictures of crimes." The segment in bold (emphasis ours) is omitted from the German version.

In a response on Guantanamo, Hughes states in the English version:
"I hope that the people of Germany would be able to recognize
that we should not allow a difference over how we handle 490 terrorists who have pledged to kill Americans and others to divide our two
countries and our historic friendship." The segments in bold (emphasis ours) are omitted from the German version.

Please take the time to read the whole article. If you think Europeans are correct in their assessment of the U.S. maybe because it is because they aren't allowed to hear, or read unedited and unfiltered news or opinion. But then again, maybe I am being generous.

I 'm on a roll here so I have to say that the whole piece is replete with dubious editing designed to completely change the meaning of Hughes response to her interrogator.

New and Improved Media Bumper Stickers

2006-02-22T17:25:00.000-06:00

Last week former Senator Allan Simpson inadvertently may have started a new labeling of the MSM, you know, the Main Stream Media when he labeled them the purveyors of Controversy, Crap and Confusion! Read about it here. It's a short interview.

Never to slow on the uptake, a leading blog site, Captains Quarters, was so enamored with the phrase, he called for his readers to come up with some bumper stickers. Here is a sample of come creative artistry by other bloggers.
Take a look at the rest here.

More on the Cartoon Wars

2006-02-22T06:42:00.000-06:00

Check out this debate on CNN. There is no yelling and screaming as is the usual format in these "news segments". However you won't find a clearer demonstration of the hypocrisy and head in the sand attitude of those defending the riots and mayhem around the globe. Be sure you have a bit of free time. This is definitely worth your time to become informed.

(Link via A New Dark Age)

Cartoon Update

2006-02-20T12:34:00.000-06:00

The claim that it is forbidden to publish an image of Mohammed is an absolute falsehood, in otherwords, one outrageous lie. My assersion is supported by the hundreds of pictures of the prophet documented at this web page titled Mohammed Image Archive. Enjoy!

Senator Simpson

2006-02-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

Surfing the web can bring delightful little goodies. Yesterday while on the Ashbrook Center’s site, I ran across a speech by Allan Simpson, the former Senator from Wyoming. His topic and comments are on politics, politicians and the state of affairs with a focus on the Near East and Iraq. No surprise there. Senator Simpson is straight forward and unambiguous in his comments, some would characterize as politically incorrect.

A couple of his observations included advice from a good friend that went like this: “Politicians should be limited to two terms, one in congress and one in the lock-up”.

From his mother Senator Simpson learned this about human relations and emotions, “Carry not hatred with you for it will corrode the vessel in which it is carried.”

If you have a bit of time some evening and want to listen to an entertaining speech that also carries with it many astute observations then go here and give it a try. My guarantee, you won’t be disappointed. If you have an IPod, you can down load it for listening at your convenience.

Take that you Infidel!

2006-02-17T17:56:00.000-06:00

See the rest of them here.

Danish Cartoon Hypocrisy

2006-02-15T13:29:00.000-06:00

Let's see, Muslims a bit up set over an editorial cartoon. Enlighten yourself and check these cartoons all published in the Arab press prior to the present uproar. Another failure of the media to inform the public and put the Danish cartons in context.

Hate Crimes, Not!

2006-02-15T08:11:00.000-06:00

Observer of modern culture and editorial writer, Jeff Jacoby, has some interesting thoughts on the church burnings in Alabama.

(Via Betsy's Page) You should really go there!

Europe's Demise (and maybe ours)

2006-02-15T07:22:00.000-06:00

Here’s a fairly well know quotation from the writings of George Santayana, a Spanish-born American author of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Most of us have heard it but our leading politicians, elected officials and in particular, our news media seem to have been struck by the malady of a loss of historical memory. The word, appeasement would appear, at least as demonstrated by their actions, to have been removed from their lexicon. On the off chance that you, dear reader, may have misplaced the definition of the word, it goes something like this: to bring to a state of peace or quiet, to cause to subside, to allay, and lastly, to achieve the foregoing, to buy off (an aggressor) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles.

What is going on in Europe, and to a lesser extent in the U.S., is nothing less than a repeat of the policies and actions of pre-WWII leader ship in the form of Neville Chamberlain. This British Prime Minister publicly declared that Adolph Hitler was an honorable man and could be bought off by the sacrifice of another nation’s sovereignty, Czechoslovakia, and declared that the world was now blessed with “Peace in our Time”.

Now one of the honest observers of events in Europe, The Brussels Journal, brings us this story.

Last Saturday’s riots in Antwerp, when Moroccan “youths” went on the
rampage in Antwerp’s historical center, destroying cars and beating up
reporters, has led to frustration among police officers because the authorities prevented them from stopping the violence. Officers complained in today’s papers that they had been given orders to watch passively while young, rowdy Muslims were allowed to take revenge over... drawings published more than four months ago in a Danish
newspaper… According to an anonymous police chief the authorities decided, that “it was better to have a few cars vandalized than risk
open war in the streets.” On Monday the city council, led by the Socialist mayor Patrick Janssens, decided that the city would compensate the damage to cars and property.

I suggest you go back several paragraphs and read the definition of the work appeasement. But on to further follies in Brussels’:

“Today some 200 Islamic religious leaders demonstrated in Brussels’ European district. It was a peaceful demonstration, but the Muslims want Europe to adopt the religious taboos of Islam. They handed a letter to a representative of the European Commission condemning “the blasphemy and humiliation” caused by the Danish cartoons, demanding that the EU introduce legislation against “hatred and islamophobia” and that it ban “blasphemy and the showing of disrespect for all religions and their prophets” because “every excessive form of free speech stigmatizes people.”

What you are reading about here is only the tip of the iceberg. Our media, NBC, ABC, NYT, et al, are failing to portray accurately the actions of those who would restrict, no, relieve us or our freedoms in the name of tolerance for Islam. If you, dear reader, believe that this is the preferred way of dealing with this threat, then I humbly suggest you put on your turban, face Mecca, get on your knees for the first of your five daily prayers. You don’t deserve the freedom so dearly bought and paid for in blood, sweat and tears by your forbears. I hope Winston will forgive me and approve the use of his words here.

To the world and the U.S. in particular, WAKE UP!

2006-02-10T17:04:00.000-06:00

When you are surfing cyberspace it is always interesting what comes into view. From Jonah Goldberg:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) returned a campaign contribution from Wal-Mart while gladly pocketing cash from Paul Newman, Reese Witherspoon and other Hollywood liberals. She even took a wad of dough from Jerry Springer, who made his fortune proving that nothing is too vile to broadcast. Clinton served on Wal-Mart's board from 1986 until 1992, and in that time the company was hardly any more "worker-friendly" — to borrow a liberal term — than it is today. It's just a bigger company now, with the same policies she oversaw. When asked if she ever fought for "progressive" policies when she was a director of the company, she replied, "Well, you know, I, that was a long time ago, I have to remember…. "

Lest you think this image has been "photoshopped" with one click you can go directly to Walmarts Annual report and view the original image.
1988 Walmart Annual Report

Politically Incorrect?

2006-02-08T16:02:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Sacred Cow Burgers.

Filling in the gap left by the MSM

2006-02-08T15:03:00.000-06:00

These cartoons are causing Muslims to rite around the world, calling for beheadings and ending freedom of the press.

This cartoon, a depiction of the Virgin Mary and Child, or art as the gallery in Belgium calls it is causing Christians to riot, well, exactly nowhere!

Belgium "art" courtesy of EU Rota.

No Words Needed!!

2006-02-08T14:49:00.000-06:00

Images courtsey of The Dissdent Frogman. Visit him often.

MSM, thy name is Hypocrisy

2006-02-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

A great interview with Alan Dershowitz about the hypocrisy of the media in not publishing the cartoons that are causing the riots in Europe and the Near East. It runs about 8 minutes but is well worth the time.

He points out that most of the media here in the states on a regular basis publish cartoons that are offensive to Christians and Jews yet when it comes to this story and in the context of the story the media refrain from publishing the cartoons, they have given in, have collapsed in the face of intellectual terrorism on the part of Muslims.

He tells the story much better than I do so go watch it.

(Hat Tip: The Brussels Journal)

The Truth Revealed

2006-02-03T16:33:00.000-06:00

If you don't think a clash of cultures is underway then you have your head in the sand. From Europe, we get the following from a Muslim immigrant:

Yesterday (Thursday) Mullah Krekar, the alleged leader of the Islamist group Ansar al-Islam who has been living in Norway as a refugee since 1991, said that the publication of the Muhammad cartoons was a declaration of war. "The war has begun," he told Norwegian journalist. Mr Krekar said Muslims in Norway are preparing to fight. "It does not matter if the governments of Norway and Denmark apologize, the war is on."

Read the whole thing!

Durbin's Two Step

2006-02-02T16:48:00.000-06:00

If you don't do anything else to day, read this post at Discriminations. The author nails our Senator using his own words, not out or context mind you, clearly demonstrating that Durbin is among the most duplisitious and double dealing (I know, that's redundant) Senators in Washington. And that's in the face of some very formidable competition.

Music for your Entertainment

2006-02-02T07:58:00.000-06:00

Here is catchy little tune to start your day. Be sure and turn up the volume so all cubicles in a 50 foot radius can catch the words. Enjoy!

Check out the home page of the author.

News from the Front, Real News!

2006-02-02T06:55:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what is really going on in Iraq? While it is a long read, I highly reccomend to any reader of this blog that you take the time to read this piece piece by Karl Zinsmeister of American Interprise Institute. He opens this way:

"Your editor has just returned from another month in Iraq—my fourth extended tour in the last two and a half years. During November and December I joined numerous American combat operations, including the largest air assault since the beginning of the war, walked miles of streets and roads, entered scores of homes, listened to hundreds of Iraqis, observed voting at a dozen different polling sites, and endured my third roadside ambush. With this latest firsthand experience, here are answers to some common queries about how the war is faring."

A humble request to any reader, please take a few minutes out of your day to become better informed. Thanks!

(HT - Instapundit)

Do as I say, Foolish Americans!

2006-01-19T10:38:00.000-06:00

From today's Wall Street Journal (subscription required):

Let's go to the latest numbers from the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen. Most European countries have seen an increase in greenhouse gas emissions since signing Kyoto with great fanfare in 1997. No fewer than 13 out of the 15 original EU signatories are on track to miss their 2010 emissions targets -- by as much as 33 percentage points, in the case of Spain.

Or consider Denmark, home of the EU's environmental watchdog. Rather than reduce levels by 21% as the accord stipulates, Denmark has so far notched a 6.3% increase in emissions since 1990, the base year used in Kyoto. The likely gap between its Kyoto commitment and its emissions levels projected for 2010 is 25.2 percentage points.

On the other hand:

The U.S. thus saw a modest decline in greenhouse emissions of 0.8% between 2000 and 2002, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy. Overall since 1990, American greenhouse emissions are up 15.8%, but this still puts the U.S. far ahead of many of its European and Asian critics. And this despite U.S. economic growth (and increasing energy demand) that has far exceeded Europe's.

Now what was that about sigining the Kyoto Protocol? An just exactly what is a countries signature worth?

Quarter Horse!

2006-01-18T13:47:00.000-06:00

European Allies and Clear Thinking

2006-01-18T13:02:00.000-06:00

From Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post:

"Britain, France and Germany admitted that their two years of talks to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program had collapsed. The Iranians had broken the seals on their nuclear facilities and were resuming activity in defiance of their pledges to the "E.U. Three." This negotiating exercise, designed as an alternative to the U.S. approach of imposing sanctions on Iran for its violations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, had proved entirely futile. If anything, the two-year hiatus gave Iran time to harden its nuclear facilities against bombardment, acquire new antiaircraft capacities and clandestinely advance its program.

With all this, the chancellor of Germany declared the exercise a success because the allies stuck together! The last such success was Dunkirk. Lots of solidarity there, too."

I wish I had written that last two sentences.

Forthcoming Books

2006-01-18T12:49:00.000-06:00

One of the nations top book promoters has requested several public figures, who have been making headlines as of late, to author a book on topics of current interest. Here are number 11 and 10. To see the rest of the list, click here.

11. Getting the Partisanship Out of Confirmation Hearings by Ted Kennedy

10. Fundamentals of Disaster Management by Ray Nagin, Kathleen Blanco and Mike Brown

Alito and Kennedy

2006-01-16T21:13:00.000-06:00

The Daily Hearald published my letter to the editor today. Since they require registration here it is.

Dishonorable show by Sen. Kennedy
"On the opening day of the Senate Judiciary hearings on Judge Alito, Sen. Edward Kennedy uttered the following statement: “In an era when America is still too often divided by race and by riches, Judge Alito has not written one single opinion on the merits in favor of a person of color alleging race discrimination on the job. In fifteen years on the bench, not one.”
Not only is senator wrong, given the resources at his beck and call, the statement makes him out to be a liar. With minimal effort, I was able to locate a number of cases, and keep in mind I am not an attorney, that show his declaration to be patently false. Let me point to just one case that disproves Sen. Kennedy.
In Zubi v. AT&T Corp., 219 F.3d 220 (3d Cir. 2000), Judge Alito dissented from the majority’s holding that a man who claimed he was fired because of his race could not sue in federal court. According to Judge Alito, the plaintiff was entitled to sue because a longer statute of limitations applied. The Supreme Court later vindicated Judge Alito’s dissent. See Jones v. Donnelly & Sons Co., 541 U.S. 369 (2004).
Sen. Kennedy is a disgrace to the Senate, and his fellow members ought to be admonished as well for not calling him on this display of willful ignorance and grandstanding in front of the American people for political gain. This man has no moral compass and in my humble opinion is a poster child for implementing terms limits. I would also chide our media, the Daily Herald included, which have significant research resources, for not pointing out this wholly dishonorable performance by Sen. Kennedy."

Two Wheel'n Today

2006-01-16T21:09:00.000-06:00

Rode out to a little adult beverage establishment in Barrington today, the Penny Road Pub. Two beers, grilled cheese for lunch and then finished the ride, 45 miles in total! Ahhh, life continues to be good.

Bound for Glory

2006-01-14T07:06:00.000-06:00

Bound for Glory is the title of a photographic exhibition put on by the Library of Congress that reflects life in the late 30's and early 4o's. We often think of this era in black and white since color photography wasn't wide spread at that time. Take a look, it will be time well spent!

"Bound for Glory: America in Color is the first major exhibition of the little known color images taken by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. These vivid scenes and portraits capture the effects of the Depression on America's rural and small town populations, the nation's subsequent economic recovery and industrial growth, and the country's great mobilization for World War II."

Link via The Officers Club

Under The Radar

2006-01-13T18:55:00.000-06:00

The state of Maryland is trying to mandate how much an employeer must allocate for health care for its employees, at least for firms that have greater than 10,000 employees. What's next, a mandate that spells out every detail on what every employeer must provide their employees? Talk about a slippery slope! Inform yourself and read this piece on this development.

German Delusional Thinking

2006-01-13T18:40:00.000-06:00

Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel is visiting Washington for the first time and guess what is number one on her agenda? Guantanamo! This despite the fact that:

"Iran is going nuclear, Europe is going Islamic, Russia is going off the reservation, China is a fearsome thing, and your big concern is sending what is called a "clear message" to Mr. Bush about Guantanamo Bay, the tropical jail where the United States keeps jihadis on ice -- and keeps the rest of the world safer as a result."

Read the rest here.

This is for Sue

2006-01-12T08:03:00.000-06:00

Ok, now I will lighten it up a bit. You can see more like this at Grouchy Old Cripple in Atlanta. He claims to be pushing the boundaries of bad taste and political incorrectness. You know, I think he is correct. Here is his latest post:

A 'touchy-feelie' CNN reporter, while interviewing a Marine sniper, asked, "What do you feel when you shoot a terrorist?"

The Marine shrugged and replied, "Recoil."

It gets better. Take a look.

Alito Hearings

2006-01-11T16:43:00.000-06:00

Look at this exchange between Alito and Senator Schumer of New York, and by the way the senior Senator.

SCHUMER: Does the Constitution protect the right to free speech?

ALITO: Certainly it does. That's in the First Amendment.

SCHUMER: So why can't you answer the question of: Does the Constitution protect the right to an abortion the same way without talking about stare decisis, without talking about cases, et cetera?

ALITO: Because answering the question of whether the Constitution provides a right to free speech is simply responding to whether there is language in the First Amendment that says that the freedom of speech and freedom of the press can't be abridged. Asking about the issue of abortion has to do with the interpretation of certain provisions of the Constitution.

SCHUMER: Well, OK. I know you're not going to answer the question…

Regardless of how you feel about abortion, this exchange clearly exposes the real motives and intellect of most of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee.

Transcript via Captains Quarters

Sentators Talk a Lot, Refuse to Listen

2006-01-11T07:31:00.000-06:00

The blog AnkleBiting Pundits did a interesting analysis of the Senate Judiciary Committee in its questioning of Supreme Court nominee, Sam Alito on day 2 of the hearing. He counted the words uttered by each participant and compares the count to Alito's response. As he points out, the Senators, both parties I might add, seem more interested in hearing their own voices than what the nominee has to say. At best, a disgraceful performance by our elected representatives.

Democrats
"Rosary Joe" Biden 78-22% (DE) (3,673 - 1,013) (a 1,879 word, and 13 minute opening "question")
Chuck Schumer (NY) 75-25% (3,555-1,165)
Ted Kennedy (MA) 69-31% (3,439-1,539)
Pat Leahy (VT) 60-40% (2,714-1,874)
Russ Feingold (WI) 56-44% (2,976-2,364)
Diane Feinstein (CA) 42-58% (1,912-2,593)
Herb Kohl (WI) 37-63% (1,835-3,094)
Republicans
Mike DeWine (OH) 82-18% (3,398-1,323)
Lindsey Graham (SC) 65-35% (3,032-1,643)
Jeff Sessions (AL) 61-39% (2,827-1,773)
John Cornyn (TX) 56-44% (3,407-1,900)
Jon Kyl (AZ) 53-47% (2,594-2,255)
Orrin Hatch (UT) 54-46% (2,686-2,242)
Chuck Grassley (IA) 51-49% (2,305-2,183)
Arlen Specter (PA) 50-50% (2,232-2,194)

Smokin!!

2006-01-09T20:47:00.000-06:00

Persian Gulf (Dec. 30, 2005) - An F-14D Tomcat assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) performs a high-speed fly-by past USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Apprentice Nathan Laird.
(Courtesy The Strategy Page )

And this from Norway

2006-01-09T20:23:00.000-06:00

From Tim Worstall;

The Norwegian Government is about to punish, even close down, those companies that do not have at least 40% female directors.

There's a slight problem here:

In typically private sectors as construction and entrepreneurial activity, only 8 percent of the employees are women (all figures from 2001). Forty-three per cent of all employed women work part-time, as opposed to only 11% of the men.

Read the whole thing.

The UN and Sudan

2006-01-09T19:32:00.000-06:00

While Sudan, and the extraordinary cruelty, murder and mayhem that is going on there may not be on your radar screen, it should be. The U.S. is bashed daily by the world press and European governments for alleged mistreatment of detainees, like flushing the Koran down a toilet, but the same folks turn a blind eye to the genocide that is occurring in Sudan. A summary of the UN knowledge opens with this damming statement taken from an internal report of all places:

"Large-scale attacks against civilians continue, women and girls are being raped by armed groups, yet more villages are being burned, and thousands more are being driven from their homes."

And then there is this:

"In January 2005 a UN Commission of Inquiry "concluded that the Government of the Sudan has not pursued a policy of genocide." The report commissioned by the Security Council, refused to call approximately 70,000 dead in two years and another 1.6 million displaced, genocide. The authors of the report were the 5-members of the Commission supported by a UN secretariat headed by an Executive Director who was a Palestinian Arab. It is well known that the conflict has clear ethnic dimensions; the vast majority of the victims of the Sudanese government's military campaign in Darfur are Africans from various tribal groups, and the perpetrators are Arab..."

The UN won't even take the toothless step of adopting a resolution objecting to obvious and documented human rights violations of the worst kind. Perhaps a kind reader will tell me why the U.S. or any other rational nation should have any faith in this corrupt organization. While you are at it, please also explain why we should have any hope of meaningful reform in the near or distant future.

Some Unemployment Stats

2006-01-08T21:50:00.000-06:00

FYI
Data from Eurostat, the official repository of financial data for the European Union. 2005 data is provisional.

Centcom News Letter

2006-01-08T20:39:00.000-06:00

Reading the Tribune or the NYT you would think that the only thing happening in Iraq are IEd's exploding, killing and maiming 10's to 100's every day. Centcom, the U.S. Command structure responsible of all activities in Iraq has its own online news paper that provides additional stories and information not often, if ever, published in our domestic news outlets.

Take a look and consider subscribing to their news letter. No doubt they will focus on many of the good things that are happening on the far side of the globe, but then since the MSM has the single focus of, "if it bleeds, it leads", reading this publication might bring your knowledge base back into balance.

Letter to Europe

2006-01-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

Victor Davis Hanson (VDH) writes a letter to Europe. Among the observations he makes is the following:

"In the multiracial society of the United States, an American black, Asian, or Latino finds natural affinity in London and Brussels in a way not true in Lagos, Ho Chi Min City, or Lima. For millions of Americans "Eurocentric" is no slur — for it is an appellation of shared values and ideas not of race.

Even in this debased era of multiculturalism that misleads our youth into thinking no culture can be worse than the West, we all know in our hearts the truth that we live by and the lie that we profess — that the critic of the West would rather have his heart repaired in Berlin than in Guatemala or be a Muslim in Paris rather than a Christian in Riyadh, or a woman or homosexual in Amsterdam than in Iran, or run a newspaper in Stockholm rather than in Havana, or drink the water in Luxembourg rather than in Uganda, or object to his government in Italy rather than in China or North Korea. Radical Muslims damn Europe and praise Allah — but whenever possible from Europe rather than inside Libya, Syria, or Iran."

And then this:

"In the post-Cold War you dismantled your armed forces, and chose to enhance entitlements at the expense of military readiness. I fear you counted only on a tried and simple principle: That the United States would continue to subsidize European defense while ignoring your growing secular religion of anti-Americanism."

Read the whole essay.

Yesterday'a Ride

2006-01-08T10:13:00.000-06:00

Saturday - 40 miles on the bike, one flat tire, 3 beers and a grilled cheese sandwich. Ahhhh, life is good!

Beer Test

2006-01-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

Where were the following beers brewed?
(Scroll down for answers. No cheating, write your answers down first!)
1) KILLIAN'S IRISH RED Irish-style lager
2) COORS' BLUE MOON Belgian-style wheat beer
3) SAM ADAMS Boston ales and lagers
4) FOSTER'S Australian lager
5) SAPPORO Japanese lager
6) GUINNESS EXTRA STOUT Irish stout

1 Golden, Colorado
2 Memphis, Tennessee
3 Cincinnati, Ohio
4 Toronto, Canada
5 Guelph, Ontario, Canada
6 Toronto, Canada
(Courtsey of the Chicago Tribune)

A Must Read!!!

2006-01-06T14:31:00.000-06:00

Many blogs are linking to this thought piece by Mark Steyn originally published in the New Criterion. I read it about a week back and have been meaning to link to it. Fair warning, it is 10 pages long when printed, so allocate a few free minutes before you go there. Here is the opening sentence:

"Much of what we loosely call the Western world will not survive this century, and much of it will effectively disappear within our lifetimes, including many if not most Western European countries."

While you might not agree with all of his reasoning or even his hypothesis, there is much to think about in his essay that should give one pause.

News from The Great White North

2006-01-06T13:59:00.000-06:00

Often we tend to gloat when some on else's fortunes slip beneath ours. This news from Canada raises that possibility:

"Canada's overall crime rate is now 50% higher than the crime rate in the United States. Read that again slowly -- it seems incredible, but it's true. It's true too that you are now more likely to be mugged in Toronto than in New York City."

I raise the gloating issue because earlier in the piece Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has this to say about an upsurge in gun violence in Toronto:

"What we saw yesterday is a stark reminder of the challenge that governments, police forces and communities face to ensure that Canadian cities do not descend into the kind of rampant gun violence we have seen elsewhere."

"Elsewhere" being euphuism for the U.S.

The opening paragraph's of the piece makes note of the much larger murder rate that occurs in some U.S. cities vs. Toronto, but the murders are only a part of the overall crime story. The author points out a number of differences between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement policies that are driving down the U.S. crime rate and also notes that the U.S. murder rate has fallen dramatically. I'm not gloting, but it seems to me that the old saw about "glass houses" applies here.

(Article via At the Zoo)

Congressional Districts

2006-01-04T08:16:00.000-06:00

This map show the Illinois 4th Congressional District. As Bizzy Blog comments, no wonder politicians are held in such "high" regard.

Minimum Wage Legislation

2006-01-04T06:45:00.000-06:00

One of the issues that will be center stage for the coming legislative session in Washington will be the annual fight over the "minimum wage". One of the best laboratories for deciding whether or not to increase the current $5.15 to something around $7 - 7.50 per hour is a state that has already set is minimum wage at that level. Steve Antler of Roosevelt University posts some interesting data on Oregon's experience that should be taken in consideration for those who would lobby for an increase.

From the NYT(registration required), we find this tidbit of information:

"According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, about two million
American workers, 2.7 percent of the overall work force, earned the minimum hourly wage of $5.15 or less in 2004, the last year for which such statistics were available. Those workers were generally young (half were under 25, and a quarter were teenagers), unmarried and had not earned a high school diploma. About three-fifths of all workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage worked in bars and restaurants, and many received tips to supplement their basic wages."

Proponents of raising the wage argue that there will be minimal or no effect on over all employment. True if you are not in the 2.7% cited by the BLS and you are an engineer, scientist, or teacher. For that population, entry level job and the like, employers will have to decide if a new and higher minimum wage exceeds the value of the job, whether on not they can keep the level of current employment of higher new workers. It is the law of unintended consequences, which to often we ignore at our peril.

New Record

2006-01-04T06:40:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, January 3rd, marks the earliest my earliest bike ride at the beginning of a year. Got in 30 miles on a day that was exceptionally gray but thankfuly no wind and traffic was light for a work day. Hope this bodes well for the rest of the year.

French Urban Riots Follow-up

2006-01-03T10:44:00.000-06:00

Introduction to a follow up on the "Youth Riots" in France late last year:
"French insurance companies have announced they will file claims against the government for partial reimbursement of settlements of 200 million Euros payable for damage incurred during the November riots."

In that article they provide a link to a thought piece by a French intellectual, who apparently was vilified for voicing his un-varnishede opinion. To wit:

Eschewing sociological stereotypes Finkielkraut analyzes the uprising as an attack against France within France. The perpetrators, French Blacks and Muslims born in France, often third-generation, are anchored to an
ethnic-religious identity that precludes integration. They feed on a diet
of anti-French gangsta rap, in a culture that seeks instant gratification.
Instead of being shamed for their brutality, they are being flattered as victims of society, rebels with a cause.

More Media Arrogance

2006-01-02T12:28:00.000-06:00

Several days back, the NYT ran a story on the MSM vs. blogs. It is amazing at the lack of self introspection that comes from the MSM, in particular, management. A number of reporters, but certainly not all, are starting to understand they no longer hold a monopoly on information and can't willy-nilly write pieces that support their or their organizations world view. A couple of examples from the piece:

Jamie McIntyre, CNN's senior correspondent at the Pentagon, said the
traditional skills of sifting through information and presenting it in context were especially vital now because there were so many other sources of information.

"With the Internet, with blogs, with text messages, with soldiers
writing their own accounts from the front lines, so many people are trying to shape things into their own reality," he said. "I don't worry so much anymore about finding out every little detail five minutes before someone else. It's more important that we take that information and tell you what it means."

Yes sir, the all important and all knowing news media is going to presume to tell us what it means. We, the unwashed masses, are far to stupid to figure it out. CNN, they name is arrogance!

Danny Schechter, executive editor of MediaChannel.org and a former producer at ABC News and CNN, said that while the active participation by so many readers was healthy for democracy and journalism, it had allowed partisanship to mask itself as media criticism and had given rise to a new level of vitriol.

"It's now O.K. to demonize the messenger," he said. "This has led to a very uncivil discourse in which it seems to be O.K. to shout down, discredit, delegitimize and denigrate the people who are reporting stories and to pick at their methodology and ascribe motives to them that are often unfair."

And when it's the messenger that carries, or is the source of incorrect information that is published, like the Washington Post just did, just what's wrong with that? The MSM just feels they are immune from criticism, unless it is from within their on ranks. And you know how they feel about any other organization that purports to employ self criticism.

UN Strikes Again

2006-01-02T09:13:00.000-06:00

From a UN Press Release:

United Nations, NY (PRWEB) January 1, 2006 -- For the first time in almost 27 years, the United Nations General Assembly will be debating the issue of establishing diplomatic relations with advanced Extraterrestrial Civilizations that may now be visiting Earth.

No comment necessary!

Stop what your are doing and look at these sites

2005-12-31T14:39:00.000-06:00

Don't ask, just look here and here.

When you have finished with the second link, look at the responses here.

One of those items that make you go Ummm!

2005-12-31T12:56:00.000-06:00

A friend, WallyG, sent me an e-mail that included the picture you see here along with the following text:

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view .. it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

One would think the ACLU would have been all over this considering how often they go after municapalities and other goverment entities for not observing the separation of church and state doctrine.

More MSM Bashing

2005-12-31T09:14:00.000-06:00

I wasn't going to plow this ground anymore today but ran across the following observaion in The Weekly Standard on line edition. No bias here.

"In April 2004, when Spain's new premier announced a withdrawal of Spanish forces from Iraq, it was front-page news in both the New York Times and the Washington Post. A year later, when Silvio Berlusconi hinted he might start bringing Italian troops home, that was also a page-one article in the Times. The Post gave front-page treatment to a July 2004 piece about the pending departures of coalition members Norway, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines, and the probable exits of Holland and Poland. We could go on, but you get the point: When a U.S. ally pulls out of Iraq, it's a Big Story--another sign of George Bush's "dwindling" coalition; a further "blow" to the war effort.

But what about when an ally, or two, re-ups? Well, that's No Big Deal. Earlier this month, Japan decided to keep its contingent in Iraq for another year--until December 14, 2006. Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard said Australia's 450-troop team, which is guarding Japan's task force in southern Iraq, would stay past its May deadline and remain as long as the Japanese did.

Good news for the coalition, good news for the Iraqis. Yet somehow--wonder of wonders--this story warranted zero coverage in both the Times and the Post. Okay, maybe it wasn't A1, above-the-fold material. But to not mention it at all? In fairness to the Times and the Post, most other major U.S. newspapers--including the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times--ignored the story, too."

Katrina and MSM

2005-12-31T08:40:00.000-06:00

Was it a lack of due diligence, gross incompetence or a willingness to publish stories that would appear to damage the Bush administration that drove the intensity of the race related stories about the victims in Louisiana? At least one publication, The Myrtle BeachOn Line web site of The Sun News has the integrity and dare I say it, the courage to provide its reading audience with the facts. One would hope that the NYT, WaPo, NBC, CBS and most certainly PBS would expend the same energy in getting out the facts as they did disseminating their ill founded theories and speculations about racism. Nah! I don't think I will hold my breath on that one.

(Link via Betsy's Page)

More Econmic Info

2005-12-30T15:04:00.000-06:00

Here is some economic data from the Wall Street Journal that you probably won't see in the MSM (see previous post):

Remember the 2004 debate over the "jobless recovery" and "outsourcing"? Here's the reality: The great American jobs machine has averaged a net increase of nearly 200,000 new jobs a month this year. Some 4.5 million more Americans are working today than in May of 2003, before the Bush investment tax cuts. The employment expansion in financial services, software design, medical technology and many other growth industries dwarfs the smaller job losses in the domestic auto industry.
Even many of the widely publicized lost jobs at Dephi and General Motors are silently offset by the tens of thousands of Americans employed at new domestic plants built by multinational companies like Honda and Toyota of North America. This job growth has been accompanied from 2001 to 2005 with the best rate of labor productivity over any four-year period since the Labor Department started tracking this statistic.
The Treasury Department reported last week that "real hourly wages are up 1.1% versus the previous business cycle peak in early 2001." Workers are now earning more per hour in real terms than they did at the height of the 1990s expansion.
The real gains for families have been in the value of their assets. In 2005 Americans owned an all-time high level of wealth (mostly housing and stocks), valued at $50 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve (see chart). Median household net worth is now estimated at more than $100,000. Rather than being overloaded with credit card bills, the truth is that Americans' assets are rising in value faster than they are taking on debt.

New York Times - Rag of Shame

2005-12-30T10:12:00.000-06:00

Those who know me, also know that my faith in the Main Stream Media to provide truthful and honest coverage on a scale of 1 to 10 is probably in the area of a 2, and that's being generous. Here is just one example of the 10 examples of the skewed news coverage provided by the NYT as documented by Times Watch. Go read all 10 and see if your confidence in the leading MSM outlet is bolstered. I would wager that it is not.
(Link via Don Luskin)

A July 6 op-ed by Army reserve officer Phillip Carter was accompanied online by an embarrassing editor's note apologizing for putting words in Carter's mouth -- changes that made his Bush-critical column much more slanted.

In a correction that Times Watch couldn't find in the hard copy of the paper, only online, the Times blushed: "The Op-Ed page in some copies of Wednesday's newspaper carried an incorrect version of the below article about military recruitment. The article also briefly appeared on NYTimes.com before it was removed. The writer, an Army reserve officer, did not say, 'Imagine my surprise the other day when I received orders to report to Fort Campbell, Ky., next Sunday,' nor did he characterize his recent call-up to active duty as the precursor to a 'surprise tour of Iraq.' That language was added by an editor and was to have been removed before the article was published. Because of a production error, it was not. The Times regrets the error."

The last paragraph of the op-ed originally contained this line falsely indicating Carter had been called up by surprise: "A presidential recruiting speech may not fill every barracks, nor will it keep old soldiers like me from a surprise tour of Iraq, but it would help remind potential soldiers of what we’re fighting for."

The corrected op-ed read: "A presidential recruiting speech may not fill every barracks, nor will it induce every old soldier to sign on for another tour, but it would help remind potential soldiers of what we’re fighting for." Nothing about a "surprise tour of Iraq" there.

Hardly a production error when the content change made by an editor changes the meaning of the essay.

Update(again via Luskin): See this article by Tiger Hawk focusing on the financial forcasting acumen of the NYT and to what the attibute their dire forecasts. His closing rhetorical questions says it all: If the declines in the dollar and the stock market early in the year were the fault of the Bush administration, to what shall we attribute the twin rallies in both since then?