THE UNION SECEDES FROM TEXAS

Were it only true ...

In their press release (scroll down) celebrating 100 days of the Obama administration, State includes travel to Texas as one of their major foreign accomplishments:



Via Hot Air:

Secretary Clinton is already the most traveled Secretary of State in a new Administration. The Secretary’s trips have included her inaugural trip to Asia, the Middle East and Europe, Mexico and across the border to Texas, the Hague in the Netherlands, Europe with President Obama, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago with President Obama, and to Iraq and Kuwait.

State has apparently decided to give full diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Texas, helping Governor Rick Perry by mooting a need to secede.

To borrow a phrase from Instapundit, this country’s in the best of hands.

FIRST U.S. SWINE FLU DEATH

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," Richard E. Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "As we continue to investigate cases here, I expect that we will see deaths in this country."

I heard Dr. Besser’s statement on the radio earlier this week ... he sounded almost gleeful.

Now it has happened. “The first U.S. death from the outbreak was a Mexico City toddler who traveled to Texas with family and died Monday night at a Houston hospital. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius predicted the child would not be the last U.S. death from swine flu.”

Do I detect a “See? See? We told you so!” attitude on the part of our government panjandrums?

OBAMA'S 100-DAY PRESS CONFERENCE

President Obama held his 100-day presser last night. My thoughts from notes taken during the press conference.

Initial remarks:

PC enforcement - swine flu is now the H1N1 virus.

I thought we elected a President, not a Nanny-in-Chief.

He wants credit card companies to reduce fees and interest rates. Is this something really worthy of presidental interest?

Now to the questions:

(1) HEALTH CARE & (2) AUTO INDUSTRY - The government has a responsibility to the American people. My goal is to ... (stay in control).

(3) TORTURE & (4) TORTURE FOLLOW-UP - did the previous Administration sanction torture? Obama waffled; didn’t answer directly. His take - we could have gotten the information other ways. England didn’t torture the Germans during WWII (but neither did Germany torture the English - however imperfectly, both followed the Geneva Convention for POWs).

(5) SECURITY OF PAKISTANI NUKES - Asked if he would guarantee the security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, he turned the question to non-military aid. Did make a veiled threat about U.S. military action within Pakistani borders.

(6) IRAQ TIMETABLE - nothing new.

(7) ARLEN SPECTER - nothing of interest.

(8) FREEDOM OF CHOICE ACT - Clinton-esque waffle; the usual safe, legal, and rare.

(9) SURPRISED/TROUBLED/ENCHANTED/HUMBLED - Obama used “humbled” to laud the military (they obey orders from their CinC).

(10) IMMIGRATION REFORM - A complete waffle; nothing useful said.

(11) HELP FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS - a bit of a surprise at the lack of direct pandering, but his answer could be read as “I’m helping the poor; all blacks are poor; so what are you complaining about?”

(12) STATE SECRETS - no surprise; state secrets are important when you are the state.

(13) SHAREHOLDER OF LARGE CORPORATIONS - soft fascism again; governtment control without ownership.

END NOTE: Again there were exactly 13 questions; and again the questioners were pre-selected from a list on the podium. Why did the other correspondents bother to attend?

TRUTH IN LABELING

“[Sen. Arlen] Specter switches to Democrat. Given how miserably he was doing in primary-polling against Pat Toomey, this is no surprise. Of course, this gives Obama a filibuster-proof majority.”

Only until the 2010 elections. But by then it may be too late.

SWINE FLU 24/7

On the radio driving to work this morning -- the 24/7 swine flu “pandemic” panic.

As of 8 am, WTOP radio reported 150 dead; 2,000 cases of swine flu in Mexico, with 150 deaths. In the U.S., there were 50 cases, with no deaths.

Hmm. From Wikipedia, an epidemic occurs when new cases of a certain disease substantially exceed what is "expected" based on recent experience; a pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region.

So, okay, I guess that in a strictly technical sense, swine flu could be called a pandemic.

But a pandemic requiring 24/7 Chicken Little "the sky is falling” coverage?

Umm, let’s see. Plain old ordinary winter flu kills roughly 36,000 people/year in the U.S. - roughly equivalent to 100/day, year-round. Heart attacks kill about 500,000 Americans annually, roughly 1300/day, every day. There are about 1,600 cardiac catheterizations performed daily in U.S. hospitals (two of them were mine).

And our factotums are obsessing over swine flu. What’s missing here?

NO APOLOGIES, MATE

In 2007, Prime Minister John Howard changed the name of the ministries of the Australian government. What had been the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs became the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Asked why, the former prime minister replied, “The whole idea of immigration is to make citizens. Multiculturalsim is a very confused credo.”

For an astonishing sight - namely, a world leader who refuses to make any concession whatsoever to political correctness - click here.

FELONY STUPIDITY?

Was the New York city flyover yesterday “felony stupidity?”

I would call this felony stupidity. This is probably not the right job for Mr. Caldera to be in if he didn't understand the likely reaction of the New Yorkers and the mayor. And while the White House have said they are furious, I think they have to look at whether or not this is the right job for Mr. Caldera.

I think this office is too important to have somebody who doesn't have the judgment to understand the impact of this. This was not necessary.

I wouldn't call it felony stupidity; I call it felony arrogance.

[Update] We now have felony stupidity, felony arrogance, and felony complacency (see comment). I'll go with commenter Stephen den Beste over at Transterrestial Musings:

If people had been told, they might have objected and prevented it.

That fits with the overall theme of Obama wanting what he wants, and not accepting anything that gets in the way of his getting what he wants.

Felony arrogance it is.

ONLY LITTLE PEOPLE NEED OBEY

“Laws and taxes are for us little folk, not the big fellas who run things. They’re too busy firing the heads of public corporations and expropriating more of your and your children’s wealth to bother with little stuff like that.”

I’ve noticed. Laws and ethical behavior are for little people.

Timothy Geithner
Steven Rattner
Dianne Feinstein
Nancy Pelosi
John Murtha
Chris Dodd
Jesse Jackson Jr.
Pete Visclosky
Jan Schakowsky
Joe Biden
Jim Moran
Charley Rangel
Barney Frank

The power brokers get a pass.

TEA PARTIES AND PUBLIC CHOICE

Here’s an interesting article on public policy making and the public’s “rational ignorance” of that policy making:

While the theory of public choice can be broadly applied, it is the ideas of "special interests" and "rational ignorance" that are useful in understanding last week's tea parties.

Here's an example of public choice at work. Let's say teachers could benefit by $2,000 each per year (in higher pay or benefits, smaller classes, etc.) from a piece of legislation currently under debate. But the cost per taxpayer averages just $15 per year.

The "special interests" (teachers and politicians) have substantial personal incentive to see that the bill is passed. Teachers, who benefit directly, will use time and money to lobby for the bill. And lawmakers will expect campaign contributions, votes or both, in exchange for their support.

But the taxpayer will remain "rationally ignorant" of the whole process. Why spend time even thinking about an issue when the cost is only $15 per year?

This is why government will tend to grow in excess of what a true democracy really wants. At least, it will grow until those $15 hits accumulate to such a level that people have finally had enough, and in a seemingly spontaneous eruption, the average voter finds the energy to fight back.

In the end, the Tax Day Tea Parties are a very interesting case study for public choice theory. Whether or not they suggest a shift in the political landscape is another issue. If government continues to grow and cost more, we would expect to see more spontaneous voter response.

I suspect that the public has awakened. I’ve spoken with a number of party-goers whose primary concern seemed to be the debt that will be left to their children (and grandchildren).

Via Instapundit.

SAVE THE WHALES

“A research vessel for the federal agency charged with protecting the endangered right whale hit one of the animals off the Massachusetts coast this weekend, cutting into the animal's left tail fluke with its propeller. Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the lacerations suffered by the animal in Sunday's accident did not appear to be life-threatening.”

Yes. We’re from the government and we’re here to protect you.

Unfortunately, the whales can’t say “Go away.”

TEA PARTIES IN THE NEWS

Mona Charen has an interesting column at Townhall.com:

One reporter, Susan Roesgen, who "covered" the Chicago tea party for CNN, was downright confrontational with attendees she interviewed, challenging a protestor who referenced Abraham Lincoln with "What does this have to do with taxes?" The man attempted to explain. But the reporter interrupted him. "Did you know that you are eligible for a $400 rebate? Did you know that your state, the state of Lincoln, gets $50 billion out of the stimulus? That's $50 billion for your state." She then tossed back to the anchor noting that "This is really not family viewing."

Founding Bloggers attended the Chicago tea party and shot its own footage of Rosegen continuing to argue with the protesters, which it posted in a YouTube video, preceded by the footage aired by CNN.

It was later reported that CNN forced YouTube to take down the version of Rosegen's performance and also removed at least one version of the Founding Bloggers video, even though it included footage shot by Founding Bloggers in which CNN obviously could have no copyright.

Now the Founding Blogger' video is back.



PowerLine comments:

It is hard to avoid the inference that in this case, CNN was motivated not by a desire to protect its intellectual property but by a desire to avoid embarrassment caused by the unprofessional performance of its reporter. In today's world, though, it just isn't possible to track down all copies of a video and suppress them, when the video relates to a matter of broad and legitimate public interest. That CNN is willing to make the attempt reveals something, perhaps, about its attitude toward the public's right to be informed.

CNN: “You have the right to be informed of anything we approve of.”

WE ARE SINKING DEEP IN DEBT ...

... Wheeee!

KINDERCARE FOR “ADULTS”

In the New York Times:

[I]t’s ... also important to consider how much money colleges have been putting into student amenities as well. When I visited my undergrad alma mater a few years ago, the chancellor pointed out that three buildings had gone up in the past decade or so that were each larger than any existing building on campus. There was a library, a convocation center (a multipurpose arena), and a huge student gym. The gym, he said, was a top priority because parents and prospective students increasingly think of themselves as customers, shopping for the most amenities ...

We’ve turned universities into indoctrination/day care centers for young adults ...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The private sector (non-agriculture) unemployment rate is 9.8%.

What is the public sector (e.g., state and federal government) unemployment rate?

Glad you asked. It’s 2.8%.

DC TEA PARTY VIDEOS – PART III

And no protest goes without a counter-protest. Here’s a short segment.



What is amusing about this clip is just how close (in theme) the counterprotestors to the protest itself. “Tax work, not wealth” could be interpreted as the double-taxation of capital gains, once as corporate profits, and again as a distribution to the shareholder.

“Lower the minimum wage!” Well, I could take that to mean to put back the bottom rung on the ladder to success so that the unskilled have an easier time starting the climb.

The Left has no clue about economics.

DC TEA PARTY VIDEOS – PART II

The lady speaking is (I think) one of the organizers. This was taken near the end of the protest, after the security interruption. It was the first time I could get close enough to the podium to hear the speaker.



The crowd loved the "What comes after a trillion?" question.

I'll note one misstatement on the part of the speaker: a million seconds is 11-1/2 months, not years. But the rest is accurate.

DC TEA PARTY VIDEOS – PART I

Finally! Here is a vignette of the Tea Party held on Lafayette Square in Washington on April 15.

NEW IMMIGRATION POLICY

“The only surviving Somali pirate has arrived in New York, and judging by the footage, he's got the biggest smile we've seen this side of Susan Boyle after she finished singing .... Isn't this essentially importing criminals to our prison system? What, is this some obscure, previously unrevealed detail in Obama's immigration policy?”

Any bets he’ll be voting in the 2012 election?

SPENDING CUTS? WHAT SPENDING CUTS?

President Obama convened his first official Cabinet meeting yesterday. At the session, Obama ordered his agency heads to identify and shave a collective $100 million in administrative costs from federal programs in a budget of well over $3 trillion.

The Heritage Foundation responds: “Just how laughable is Obama’s latest stunt to try to maintain his “fiscal responsibility” credentials? This graphic might help:”



Don Surber has fun with the news:

[ABC White House correspondent Jake] Tapper to White House [Press Secretary] spokesbot Robert Gibbs: “You were talking about an appropriations bill a few weeks ago about $8 billion being minuscule — $8 billion in earmarks. We were talking about that and you said that that $100 million is a lot but $8 billion is small?”

The transcript is here.

Even Paul Krugman of the New York Times is having trouble with the latest “budget cut.”

“[P]retty soon, even here in Washington, it adds up to real money,” says the president.
Except, you know, really it doesn’t. Let’s say the administration finds $100 million in efficiencies every working day for the rest of the Obama administration’s first term. That’s still around $80 billion, or around 2% of one year’s federal spending.

And the media wonders why there were some 500 tea parties on April 15?

LAWS ARE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE, CONTINUING

Via Instapundit:

It was their dream home, a two-story, four-bedroom colonial in one of Detroit’s nicest and most stable neighborhoods.

But then, one day in December, City Councilman Kwame Kenyatta and his wife packed up their belongings, locked the doors, mailed in the keys and walked away - adding another vacant house to the thousands in a city hard hit by the nation’s mortgage crisis.

So where are they now living?

About five months ago, the Kenyattas moved to a rented condo on the city's east side. It has three bedrooms, four baths, a whirlpool bath, finished basement and garage.

The news article is here.

VIEW FROM MY (OFFICE) WINDOW

Well, actually from the parking garage.





Luckily, my office is on the other side of the building from the construction, so the pile drivers aren’t audible.

For construction updates, go here. A new photo is taken every 15 minutes, every day since last February.

ISN’T THE LEFT SUPPOSED TO BE TOLERANT?

They can talk it; they can’t walk it.

Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, who is now the director of the Miss California USA pageant ... and her business partner, Keith Lewis, a strong activist against Proposition 8, were so infuriated over [Miss California Carrie] Prejean’s answer to Perez Hilton’s gay marriage question during Sunday’s crowning, they refused to make contact with the San Diego native after the show.

When asked by judge Perez Hilton, an openly gay gossip blogger, whether she believed in gay marriage, Miss California said "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

“Prejean, a student at San Diego Christian College, is studying to become a special education teacher and spends her spare time volunteering for the Best Buddies non profit organization, a program that helps people with disabilities. Prejean is also a volunteer for the Special Olympics.”

Tolerance - it’s not for just anyone.

CRIMES AREN’T CRIMES

Unless they’re not politically correct.

Speaking of immigration violations [Homeland Security head] Janet Napolitano said “And yes, when we find illegal workers, yes, appropriate action, some of which is criminal, most of that is civil, because crossing the border is not a crime per se. It is civil.”

Um, Janet, “In fact, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1325, crossing the border illegally is a crime–a misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony for the second and subsequent offenses. But of course, ignoring or mischaracterizing the law is a very convenient way for those in power to avoid the laws they find most inconvenient.”

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE FAT

Your waist size exceeds your inseam length.

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY!

With some exceptions.

HMM ...

The FBI adds its first domestic terrorist to its Most Wanted list -- an animal rights activist.

The Department of Homeland Security is terrified of “right wing extremists.”

Do these people even talk to each other?

STAY TUNED ...

I will post the videos from the DC Tea Party on April 15, but right now my laptop is refusing to install the antivirus software - and I do have a day job.

CHRYSLER REJECTS MORE GOVERNMENT AID

Via Fox News:

The Washington Post reported on its Web site Monday that Chrysler Financial turned down $750 million in aid on top of $1.5 billion it already has received.

Chrysler Financial ... issued a statement saying it has enough private capital to meet its short-term needs of lending money to dealers and customers, and it doesn't need more money now from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.

The light is dawning. “I’m from the Government and I’m here to help you” is an oxymoron.

ON SOCIALISM – OR IS IT FASCISM?

In a comment thread about the lack of media attention to the attendance at the national “tea parties” on Wednesday, Tim notes (scroll down):

When the net “takers” outnumber the net “contributors” in our society ... [s]ocialism will rule. Clearly the agenda in Washington is to maximize the number of “takers” that can be created. The flaw in their design (as there always will be one) is that eventually they will eliminate all the contributors.

I’m certainly sympathetic to the thought, but based on the Webster’s Dictionary definitions, I lean a little more toward a fascist interpretation of the Obama admininstration philosophy – (a) centralized government control of private enterprise and (b) suppression of any opposition.

I’ll blame Obama for the first; the mainstream media seems to be doing its best to achieve the second.

SO WHO’S WORSE?

Brown University, for renaming the Columbus Day holiday as "Fall Weekend?"

Or Notre Dame, for covering up religious symbols for President Obama's speech?

Political Correctness run amok.

A LITTLE LATE, BUT STILL ...

THEY DID IT FOR YOU. NOW DO IT FOR THEM.

These men [our Founding Fathers] signed a document knowing that was their death sentence, should their ramshackle collection of farmers and brewers and smiths fail to prevail against the most powerful military force the world had ever seen. A death sentence. They did that, not because they craved money, or social position, or political power – as with all revolutions before or since. Most of them had that in abundance. This was a risk they took not to gain everything, but to lose it.

They did it because they believed that men should be free: free from the petty tyrannies of other people telling you what to do for your own good.

If you couldn’t be there in person, there will be more.

And think about this (from the comments): “I’m going to the one in Washington D.C. I’m doing it for my children. I want them to know that I didn’t sit back while my generation passed on massive debt to theirs.”

My thoughts exactly.

SMALL CARS AREN’T SAFE?

Who’d’ve thunk it?

In crash tests released Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that drivers of 2009 versions of the Smart "fortwo," Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris could face significant leg and head injuries in severe front-end crashes with larger, mid-size vehicles.

The institute has raised questions about whether stricter gas mileage rules, which are being developed by the government, might lead to smaller, lighter vehicles that could be less safe.

Well, of course they’re less “safe” -- higher mileage implies smaller and lighter, and smaller and lighter don’t do well against bigger and heavier. Why do you think there are weight classes in almost every one-on-one sport? Why are women’s sports separate from men’s sports? Where is common sense? Oh, never mind ....

The real question is when (if) the Nanny-State Liberals will realize that there is always a trade-off between benefit and risk. To put it bluntly, to get the benefit of increased mileage, one is going to have to accept the additional risk of getting creamed in a crash.

Face it, folks – semi-trailers, box trucks, buses, delivery vans, concrete barriers, and trees aren’t going to vanish in the forseeable future, and to misuse an analogy, it really doesn’t matter if the hammer hits the light bulb or the light bulb hits the hammer, it’s the light bulb that’s going to take the beating every time.

Frankly, the best way to solve the safety “issue” is to immediately disable all the safety equipment on every car in America – no seat belts, no air bags, nothing – and issue a stern warning to every driver that his/her survival is wholly dependent on two things: (a) driving skill, and (b) undivided attention to the road.

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT – PART TWO

Let’s see, now. The Thursday Washington Times [print edition] reported on Wednesday’s tea parties on the front page, above the fold, with three pictures. A second article was inside the first section, on page A15. Both articles were national in scope.

The [Manassas VA] News & Messenger reported on Wednesday’s tea party in Woodbridge, Virginia, on the front page, again above the fold, with two photos from the protest. It did not mention other tea party protests.

The Washington Post [print edition] coverage was a mostly negative article, with a single protest photo, in the B [Metro] section. There was no mention of other protests until the eighth paragraph, on page B2 inside. Nothing to see here, folks. Nope. Nothing. Just move along now.

[Update] Oops. I missed Dana Milbank's snark on page B2.

NO BIAS HERE, JUST MOVE ON

Hey, robots, use your brain instead of blindly protesting

I don't blame the folks at Fox News for being the promotional engine behind the Tax Day Tea Party protests today.

Fox has been laughable for years, and this is just another low-level stunt for ratings.

So Fox doesn't surprise me. But what does surprise me are the robotic, non-thinking lemmings who will still take their marching orders from Fox, and other stations' hosts.

What still surprises me – to the extent anything in the “mainstream” media can surprise me – is the extent to which “journalists” can’t perform even a simple Google search. If this Gary Stein had done so, he might have discovered that the first tax protest occurred before Rick Santelli’s (of CNBC, not Fox)famous tea party rant.

Fox News may be jumping on,but they certainly aren't leading the bandwagon.

And Gary Stein is going to be thrown under it.

via Don Surber.

A NEW CABINET DEPARTMENT

The Administration response to tea parties.

TAX DAY TEA PARTY IN DC

Here are some initial pictures and impressions from the protest.

It was wet, cold, and raining throughout the day. Even with coats and an umbrella, we left cold, tired, and soaked to the skin. Despite the weather, I'd guess the total attendance was at least 2000, perhaps as high as 3000 at the peak.

It was so closely packed at the outset that we couldn't get close enough to hear the speakers despite the fact that there was a loudspeaker system. This photo gives some idea of the density near the speaker’s stage. It was taken at least 50 feet back from the fence surrounding the stage.



The sign in the center reads:

Constitution – 4400 words
Declaration of Independence – 1328 words
2009 Tax Code – 3.7 million words
JUST WORDS?

The audience was very well behaved -- no clown suits, that sort of thing. There was a large number of families in attendance, and I spotted a fair number of suits & ties in attendance, especially over the lunch hour.


The number of posters and signs, was a little sparser than I expected. Because of the rain, unprotected posters didn’t fare that well. Here’s one on a “pirate” theme. I suppose Senator Harry Reid wasn’t considered important enough to make the list.



And the hiring freeze.



“The 111th Congress could be replaced with a button marked THEFT.” True enough.



But my personal favorite, is this one:



“HOCUS POTUS” You can’t say it better than that.

Please stay tuned. Thoughts to come on the police activity (trivial); the counter-protest (laughable); audience (laudable); and some video clips.

TEA PARTY TIME

“It’s for the children.”

Yours and mine -- they’re the ones who are going to pay off this monstrous debt.

Join in.

TWEEDLEBUM AND TWEEDLEVIL

“The bulk of politicians of both parties are corrupt -- if not criminally then at least intellectually -- and the parties wholly captured by a cabal of special interests. Congressional elections consistently offer us no better choice than between Tweedlebum and Tweedlevil.”


Which is why there are Tea Parties. Find one near you.

THIS IS NEWS?

Blind-sided by the obvious: safety exposes us to risk.

In the middle of the last century, an aerospace engineer working for Volvo developed the modern, three-point seat belt. Yet even today the safety device’s benefits are not clear-cut, William Ecenbarger http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Presence-of-Mind-Buckle-Up-And-Behave.html writes in Smithsonian magazine. That’s because of people’s tendency toward “risk compensation” — actively taking more risks because they feel more secure.

Good Lord, I wrote about this back in nineteen eighty-something when Texas was debating a mandatory seat-belt law. It was obvious to me back then that drivers wearing seat belts were driving faster, weaving through traffic more, tailgating, and challenging yellow lights more than their unbelted counterparts.

Does anyone (beside me) remember the “Baby on Board” signs that were so popular about that time? Coincidence? Or reaction?

Glenn Reynolds has thoughts as well.

What happened to common sense? Oh, never mind.

ON THE PROPER USE OF ENGLISH

“So far as I’m concerned, the only term [the Obama administration] have come up with that I approve of is ‘man-made disaster,’ which was invented by Janet Napolitano. Understand, I don’t sanction her using it as a euphemism for 9/11. The only reason I like it is because I think it so perfectly defines the Obama presidency.”

COMMON SENSE

Is becoming such a rare quality that it should be renamed “uncommon sense.”

OBAMA’s FIRST TEST?

[President Obama] commands overwhelming firepower in the form of a growing flotilla of U.S. warships, but he doesn't want to use it.

"Piracy may be a centuries-old problem, but we are working to bring an appropriate 21st-century response," [Secretary of State] Clinton said.

Yeah, TOTUS is preparing an apology ...

[UPDATE] Three pirates dead; one captured; Capt. Phillips rescued. Good job!

PRESIDENT PANTYWAIST

Mr. Obama isn't looking good in the UK:

Watch out, France and Co, there is a new surrender monkey on the block and, over the next four years, he will spectacularly sell out the interests of the West with every kind of liberal-delusionist initiative on nuclear disarmament and sitting down to negotiate with any power freak who wants to buy time to get a good ICBM fix on San Francisco, or wherever. If you thought the world was a tad unsafe with Dubya around, just wait until President Pantywaist gets into his stride.

From the comments: "Obama is Jimmy Carter on stilts."

SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T WORK

A metaphor for Obama, perhaps?

NO BIAS HERE

Found in the Washington Times Show section (4/10-11/2009): "It's tempting to attribute critical neglect of the late author-filmmaker [Michael Crichton] to contemporary biases - against his global warming denialism and all that."

Crichton was an intelligent, articulate, informed critic, yes. But denialist?

No bias here. None. Nope. Move along, now.

ELECTRIC (CAR) UTILITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

“So I’m reading this Wall Street Journal article on surplus cars in storage and the thought occurs to me: If only these cars were all electric they could be used for grid load balancing while they were waiting to be sold. All those batteries could shift electric power from night to day.”

And in response to a reader question on how grid balancing would pay her for her personal auto, Joe Cresko, an AAAS Science Policy Fellow in the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy wrote:

[I]t is based on the simple concept of peak (day) and off-peak (night) electricity rates. Charging the battery at night, when rates are lower, and feeding back to the electricity grid during the day would help utility companies by leveling demand. This type of rate structure is common in the power industry, and with the advent of a "smart grid" (an electricity distribution system based on more-advanced metering and communications technologies), residential customers would be able to benefit through significant efficiency increases.

Let's use Ms. Ivancic's own example (let's say 10 units at 10 cents per unit for $1), but consider connecting to the smart grid when at work to supply two units back to the utility. This would be of value to the utility (let's say at 15 cents per unit), since it would not need to increase power generation as much during the day to meet the increased electricity demand. In this example, charging at lower off-peak rates would reduce the daily cost of the work commute by 10 cents.

Hmm. That’s all well and good, except for a couple of minor points.

One. It assumes a 50% differential between on-peak and off-peak power generation. I’m not an engineering economist (that was 40 years ago), but that number seems a bit high.

Two. There is an energy conversion loss on both ends of the transaction. It isn’t much (a percent or so), but it’s there.

Three. There is no discussion of the infrastructure requirement at both ends of the transaction to perform the energy conversion. That isn’t cheap, especially since it has to exist for every car that is used. Who pays?

Four. Every battery has a limited lifetime (charge/discharge cycles) and must eventually be replaced. Will that ten-cent daily saving pay for the early replacement cost of the electric automobile’s battery?

Five. What are the chances that anyone would willingly give up 20% of their car’s capacity just prior to their commute home? Especially if the commute is a long one?

It’s a pleasant idea, but practical? I doubt it.

With apologies to the New Mexico State University Electric Utilities Management Program for the title.

OBAMA - STOP PIRACY BY REDUCING SHIPPING

Piracy spurs Obama calls for cargo-ship reductions:

The rash of piracy incidents off the coast of Africa in recent years has spurred the Obama administration to reach out to the other G-20 nations to build consensus around a "gradual drawdown of cargo vessels in global sea lanes."

"We need to get rid of the old trans-oceanic M.A.D. doctrine of Mutual Assured Delivery," said [White House press secretary Robert] Gibbs, "and look toward a safer future, where piracy no longer looms over the world as an ever-present threat. As everyone knows, President Obama is a visionary, and he can see the day when we'll have a world without nukes, and a world without cargo ships."

Scott Ott only thinks he's joking.

THE WAYBACK MACHINE

This was taken from an email I received back in 2001, after George W. Bush was first elected President.



I think we just did - and they are.

FROM TODAY'S ROAD TRIP

Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia

WHEN BILL WHITTLE SPEAKS, I LISTEN

Bill Whittle has a message for the rich in America: Leave.

Here’s an excerpt:

“The Washington Post ran a column a few days ago, in which a Mr. Joel Berg applauds the Obama Administration for reducing the amount of charitable deduction that The Rich are allowed to take when they write a check to charity.”

“Mr. Berg – who runs a charitable foundation that feeds the poor — explains things for us thusly: ‘Combined with other progressive Obama tax proposals, that change would not only start to redress the inequality gap that has engulfed America in recent decades but would also help to pay for many effective domestic programs…’”

“…Which Mr. Berg then helpfully goes on to list."

“Well, I read this article in the Washington Post, and I thought: there you have it. The top ten percent, that pays sixty percent of the total income tax and which allows the bottom half – HALF! – to pay nothing… Those horrible, greedy bastards are not using their free-will generosity as ‘efficiently’ as the government can, so let’s just take more of their money and call it square. “

“So let me now send a personal message to The Rich in America…”

“As an American and a patriot, I implore you – I go to my knees and beg you – LEAVE NOW."

"[O]n behalf of those few of us who still believe in the Land of Opportunity, I beg you and implore you, in the name of our common patriot ancestors who worked so hard and sacrificed so much so that we could become so spoiled and ungrateful: take your 60% of the total income taxes and just go away.”

“Because if you do, then there will no longer be an Enemy for the Left to stick it to. Then, perhaps, the half of the country that pays no income tax might have to put some skin in the game. Then, perhaps, with most of the wealth generation gone we will turn to our community organizers to provide the wealth creation, and the tax dollars, and the innovation. When you have gone, the President of the United States, supported by an army of little acorns like Joel Berg, will have to start calling for the rest of us to be taxed more to address the inequality gap.”

“That’s what I want.”

“You see, I’ve actually been there. I have experienced this pathology from the inside."

"That is the pathology – that is the sickness – that dependency breeds: resentment and hostility to those that help you the most.”

I posted on Joel Berg here, but Bill Whittle did a better job. Read the entire article.

GUESS WHO PAYS?

Courtesy of Michael Ramirez (April 7).

WHERE ARE THE LOONS?

Ordinarily I use “Where are the clowns?” to caption tripe such as this, but “clown” just isn’t adequate to describe the darkness of this conspiracy theorist.

With the notoriously conservative Tea Party movement gaining steam, is it time to take the ‘United’ out of ‘United States’? ... Their arguments have the potential to divide the country along titanic lines not seen since the bloody days of the Civil War.

Oh, my. Would anyone care to remind this young gentleman of the protests of the Viet Nam era? By his side?

Think I’m exaggerating here? The Tea Party movement is an incredibly dangerous concept, fuelled by the usual gushes of sycophantic support from the conservative news media (here’s looking at you, Fox).

I get it: Conservatives bad. Liberals good.

Can you imagine the potential for chaos if some of these ‘protesters’ decide to exercise the Second Amendment and bring their weapons to these rallies? There’s a thin line between peaceful protest and bloodthirsty patriotic fervor, especially if those protesting are used to being on the side of the mighty status quo.

Of course. Jim Bob, Billy Joe, and Cooter are going to exercise their Second Amendment rights in camouflage and with assault weapons.

President Obama was elected democratically, according to the doctrines set forth by the Founding Fathers.

And of course former President Bush wasn’t elected democratically.

The Tea Party movement represents a real danger to the tenets of democracy Americans have embraced for centuries.

Uh, have you heard about the First Amendment? Freedom of speech and all that? Oh, it only applies to your side?

[The author] is an unabashed atheist who says he's doomed whether or not the world ends on December 21, 2012. But that doesn't stop him from taking a dark interest in all things apocalyptic. Join him as he explores the various signs that portend the End of Days.

Seems to me that he missed his mark by about 3 years and 11 months.

WHERE DID OUR STIMULUS MONEY GO?

Ask Google. On February 14, with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress shoveled $787 billion of stimulus money out the door. Now they're using Google to find out where it went.

[T]he Binghamton, New York Press & News-Bulletin ... reported that the small town of Union, New York would receive $578,661 from the [HUD’s Homeless Prevention] Fund, even though "Union did not request the money and does not currently have homeless programs in place in the town to administer such funds."

[T]he Altoona Mirror reported that the small central Pennsylvania town was going to receive $819,000 from the Fund even though Altoona officials "may not have enough of a homelessness problem to use it."

WHP-TV in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania saying the city would receive $855,478 from the Fund, but does not know what to do with it.

The bill's supporters stressed that it included strong oversight safeguards. So Google is a “strong oversight safeguard”?

SHUT UP?

No. Never.

IS IT MY IMAGINATION?

Or are we seeing more stories like this?

Their livelihood was being threatened, and they were tired of waiting for government help, so business owners and residents on Hawaii's Kauai island pulled together and completed a $4 million repair job to a state park -- for free.

"They [state of Hawaii parks department] said it would probably take two years. And with the way they are cutting funds, we felt like they'd never get the money to fix it."

So ... business owners and residents made the decision not to sit on their hands and wait for state money that many expected would never come. Instead, they pulled together machinery and manpower and hit the ground running March 23.

And after only eight days, all of the repairs were done.

Here’s another.

Do you have gaping potholes on your street and feel the city is not fixing them quickly enough? How about patching them yourself?

That's what a group of residents on Chicago's West Side did Wednesday. Members of the South Austin Coalition bought eight bags of a pavement mix for about $100 and used shovels, rakes and a 250-pound push roller to fill 15 holes on the 4800 block of West Van Buren Street.

"The city's not doing it, so residents need to take the matter into their own hands," said Elce Redmond, an organizer with the coalition.

I’ve posted about this before (here and here, among others), and it seems to me that ever since the Obama administration hit the ground stumbling and bumbling, I’ve seen more and more stories of states, financial institutions, businesses, and citizens ignoring government “help” and taking their affairs into their own hands.

Of course, government isn’t happy ....

For example, Chicago city officials don't think that's a good idea for citizens to fill potholes:

For starters, it's not safe for people to work in the street without taking safety measures like putting up orange cones to warn traffic, said Brian Steele, a spokesman for the Chicago Department of Transportation. Secondly, city crews are trained in the art of filling potholes ...

Well, maybe it’s time for us to tell government “We’re quite capable of taking care of our own affairs, thank you very much. Now go away.”

GEOENGINEERING CLIMATE CHANGE

“The president’s new science adviser said Wednesday that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing radical technologies to cool Earth’s air.”

One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's rays.

Hmm. Aren’t we supposed to be against polluting the environment? And if this is so great, why not build lots of dirty coal-fired power plants and at least get the benefit of cheap electricity and energy independence?

Another geoengineering option ... mentioned was the use of so-called artificial trees to suck carbon dioxide—the chief human-caused greenhouse gas—out of the air and store it.

Real trees aren’t good enough?

via Instapundit.

[UPDATE] Hah! According to NASA:

Sulfates, which come primarily from the burning of coal and oil, scatter incoming solar radiation and have a net cooling effect on climate.

And

[W]ith China building sulphur-belching coal power stations and diesel vehicles at a furious rate in recent times ... it's at least possible that this has something to do with the fact that global temperatures have actually dipped slightly over the last couple of years.

AMERICA'S PROMISE

Not dependent on government. Via Day by Day.

JOE BIDEN WAS RIGHT

Not even pirates respect the U.S. flag.

Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with 20 American crew members aboard, FOX News has learned.

Will Obama apologise to them too?

[UPDATE] Never mind, Mr. President, you needn't apologise. The American crew on board took back the ship and captured at least one pirate.

FAIRNESS

CBO: Top 1% Earned 19% of Income, Paid 28% of All Taxes. And got 1% of the vote.

Via Instapundit.

RULES ARE FOR THEE; NOT FOR ME

Heard on WTOP radio this morning: Congresscritters can’t smoke in their cafeterias any more -- but they can still smoke in their offices ....

I can’t smoke in my office. Can you?

Question: is the Oval Office now a smoking area?
Answer: rules are for little people.

A RIGHT TO LISTEN?

The Fairness Doctrine and “localism regulation” may yet die.

During oral argument in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, Justice Scalia said, "Do you think that there's a possibility that the First Amendment interest is greater when what the government is trying to stifle is not just a speaker who wants to say something but also a hearer who wants to hear what the speaker has to say?"

Apparently listeners have rights, too.

AL QAEDA PRESS CONFERENCE

Two young Americans who left their homes to join an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group in Somalia held a rare “press conference” in southern Somalia on Sunday, saying they want to be killed "for the sake of God[.]"

I’m sure the U.S. Marines will be happy to assist.

MORE ON GM (GOVERNMENT MOTORS)

According to President Obama, Detroit can't focus on "trying to build more and more SUVs and counting on gas prices being low."

The administration is expected to announce plans to raise fuel efficiency standards to 30.2 mpg for the 2011 model year and pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and minivans will need to reach 24.1 mpg.

Now from George Will, writing in the Washington Post:

Yet last week, in an unenthralled summary of GM's "viability" plan, Obama's administration said: "GM earns a large share of its profits from high-margin trucks and SUVs.

And:

The stunning shift in consumer preferences that should make the White House's freshly minted auto experts feel vulnerable has been reported under headlines such as ‘Like a Rock: Hybrid Car Sales Plummet’ (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 9) and ‘Hybrid Car Sales Go From 60 to 0 at Breakneck Speed’ (Los Angeles Times, March 17). Absent $4 gasoline, customers, those nuisances with their insufferable preferences, do not want the vehicles the politicians want them to want ....

So let me get this straight. (1) American auto manufacturers are nearly bankrupt. (2) The only automobiles they make that are profitable are light trucks and SUVs. (3) In order to get federal "bailout" money, they have to quit manufacturing them and only manufacture automobiles that American consumers don't want.

Huh?

Now back to Will:

Has the Car Designer in Chief, a.k.a. the president, considered the possibility that what he calls "the cars of tomorrow" will forever be that? ... His administration cannot be faulted for failing to do well what cannot be done well -- industrial policy, wherein the political class, with negligible experience in commerce, flounders. The administration can, however, be faulted for trying.

Yes.

A TRAGEDY OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Oliver North:

It was a remarkable performance, worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy. In the space of 48 hours, the president of the United States seized control of one of the world's largest manufacturing companies and fired its chief executive officer. He followed up by congratulating our representatives for creating the 14th-largest paid entity on the planet - a quarter of a million government-paid "volunteers." [Ed: the Serve America Act.] And then, he departed the capital to receive the cheers of adoring crowds - in Europe.

Continuing:

Short of war, the unintended consequences of government intervention are often [Ed: often? Try always.] far worse than the problem it was supposed to solve. As the U.S. Senate was voting to spend a billion dollars a year to put a quarter-million civilian "volunteers" on the government payroll, Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, rose to ask his colleagues a salient question that applies as much to the takeover of the auto industry as it does to destroying community volunteerism: "Do you see anything in the history of our federal government that shows we have the ability to effectively manage something like that?"

One question, three answers: No, no, and no.

A SMALL STEP IN “GETTING IT”

Andrew Alexander, the new Ombudsman at the Washington Post, may be on to something.

Newspapers demand accountability and transparency from the institutions they cover. But when it comes to The Post, one of the world's best-known media institutions, the attitude seems to be: Good for thee, but not for me.

Seems rather obvious to anyone who reads beyond the comics. [Shadow: You rarely do any more. Me: yes – too painful.]

A separate question is whether The Post adheres to the [ethical and journalistic] policies in place. In my first two months as ombudsman, I've found a disturbing lack of attention to the standards and ethics rules.

Gee, ya think?

[A] surprising number of staffers told me it's been years since they reviewed them. And several said they simply don't adhere to some of the policies ...."

Policies? We’re the Washington Post! We don’t need no stinkin’ policies.

SMOKE! IT’S FOR THE CHILDREN

Early in February, the president signed a law to triple the federal excise tax on cigarettes -- which will jump from 39 cents per pack to $1.01 today. His administration projects this tax hike will bring in at least $38 billion over the next five years.

The tobacco tax hikes will be used to finance an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP. The expansion, which will cost $35 million over five years, is expected to secure federally funded health care for an additional 4 million children.

Hmm. Let’s see now; the tax hike is projected to bring in $38 billion over five years; SCHIP will get $35 million over 5 years.

I wonder where the remaining $37.965 billion will go?

Obama promised repeatedly that 95% of American families would get a tax cut. So it's especially fitting that he chose April Fools Day to implement his first tax increase -- which will fall mostly on individuals and families who do not make anywhere near $250,000 per year.

Who’s the April fool? Three guesses; the first two don’t count.

POLITICAL PULLBACK FOR THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT?

Kathleen Parker has an interesting commentary on the “demise” of the Christian right is modern politics.

My takeaway: instead of struggling to “get religion out of government,” we should adopt a different strategy - get government out of religion.

Read it all.

BUY GM - IT’S PATRIOTIC

Another example of “do as I say, not as I do” Obama administration hypocrisy. Case in point:

Politico took a look at the rides of the people who are now in control of the destinies of GM and Chrysler. While the Obamas have a Ford Escape Hybrid sitting in the garage back in Chicago (and before that they drove a Chrysler), many key administration officials park imports in the White House employee lot every day.

According to Politico, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner drives an Acura, Larry Summers drives a Mazda, Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee has a Toyota, and OMB director Peter R. Orszag and vice presidential economic adviser Jaret Bernstein both have Honda Odyssey minivans. (Car czar Steve Rattner, for the record, was not mentioned in the Politico piece. But according to the Detroit News, he has three imports and one domestic vehicle.)

My predictions?

One: by the end of 2009, the administration will tell us that it is “patriotic” to buy a Government Motors (GM) automobile.

Two: before the next presidential election, it will be a Government requirement (“fleet modernization”) to trade in your 4-year old (or older) car and buy a new “environmentally friendly” GM car.

GUN CONTROL MEANS BIGGER WARNING SIGNS

On the Binghamton (NY) shootings, WCBS television reported that “[p]olice said Voong had two registered guns, but could not confirm if they were the two recovered at the scene: a 9 mm with an extended clip of ammo, and a .45 caliber.”

Over at Don Surber’s place, Tregonsee commented: “What are the chances that the American Civic Association proudly proclaims itself as a ‘gun free area?’ .... Whether the ACA indeed has one [a sign], I bet there are several places learning the lesson from this and putting up bigger signs.”

Or posting them in multiple languages ....

ANOTHER TEA PARTY

Santa Barbara had a tea party today. More are scheduled, with most on Tax Day, April 15th. Go. Join in. Make yourself heard.

Better yet, join the PJTV citizen reporter corps for April 15th.

Here’s a map of tea parties scheduled throughout the US. Surely there’s one near you.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Where did free markets go?

They were in Washington last November.

We recognize that these reforms will only be successful if grounded in a commitment to free market principles, including the rule of law, respect for private property, open trade and investment, competitive markets, and efficient, effectively regulated financial systems. These principles are essential to economic growth and prosperity and have lifted millions out of poverty, and have significantly raised the global standard of living. Recognizing the necessity to improve financial sector regulation, we must avoid over-regulation that would hamper economic growth and exacerbate the contraction of capital flows, including to developing countries.

But they disappeared in London last week.

We start from the belief that prosperity is indivisible; that growth, to be sustained, has to be shared; and that our global plan for recovery must have at its heart the needs and jobs of hard-working families, not just in developed countries but in emerging markets and the poorest countries of the world too; and must reflect the interests, not just of today’s population, but of future generations too. We believe that the only sure foundation for sustainable globalisation and rising prosperity for all is an open world economy based on market principles, effective regulation, and strong global institutions

.
Read the whole post.

TOO BIG TO FAIL

Mr. Obama thinks General Motors is too big to fail: "We cannot, we must not, and we will not let our auto industry simply vanish."

So he cashiered GM’s CEO.

Hmm. Well, I think we can all agree that our federal government is “too big to fail.”

So it it too early to think about cashiering its CEO?

PASSIVE DRINKING?

And this is in a supposedly “scientific” journal:

[M]omentum is building for big hikes in the cost of alcohol. The rationale is to stop us all drinking to the point where we make other people's lives hell by vandalising property, urinating and vomiting in the street, attacking people including members of our own family, and causing death and injury by driving under the influence. In other words, the goal is to stamp out what England's Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson last week dubbed "passive drinking" - the damage done to innocent bystanders and society in general when people drink too much.

Good Lord, whatever happened to common sense?

Thanks to Instapundit for the tip.

NOT MY 401(k)

From Instapundit: because the stock market is down, people are saying the 401(k) has “failed.”

Today most workers with pension coverage have a 401(k) as their primary or only plan. Yet 401(k)s still operate under the old rules and the balances in these plans will likely be insufficient as the sole supplement to Social Security.

Ha! Since I’m nearing retirement age, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time looking at Social Security income versus income derived from 401(k) accounts.

My first post is here, where I pointed out that my retirement income would be roughly 50% greater if I had been able to invest my FICA taxes in a 401(k)-like account.

My second post looked at the minimum wage earner and showed that he would also be better off.

My third post looked at the aftermath of the current recession – I’m still better off.

The New York Times would be better off with journalists who had some common sense and a few math skills.

NICE TRY, BUT NO CIGAR

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, in an attempt to stave off bankruptcy, is trying out a new business model:

[W]e began experimenting with giving some of the best of our journalism to you, our paying print customers, first.

It’s an interesting thought, but I doubt it will succeed since it fails to address the root cause of the MSM decline: editorial opinion disguised as journalism.

BREAKING NEWS

North Korea fires missile.

“North Korea fired a rocket over Japan on Sunday, defying Washington, Tokyo and others who suspect the launch was cover for a test of its long-range missile technology.”

Obama responds with a strongly worded apology.

CHILD’S PAY

Apparently RedState adapted this from a MoveOn.org ad campaign lambasting former President Bush for his fiscal prolificacy.



What goes around, comes around.

UNSAFE SLEEPING?

Where are the clowns? In the nanny state, of course.

Unsafe sleeping conditions are being blamed for the deaths of 12 infants in Virginia in 2007.

A report by the state Chief Medical Examiner' Office says the deaths of up to 49 other infants occurred where unsafe sleeping conditions existed.

These conditions include infants and adults or other children sleeping in the same bed, infants sleeping on waterbeds, pillows or other soft surfaces, or infants sleeping in areas that include quilts, toys, comforters or pillows.

I now understand why the Left so strongly favors abortion - to keep babies out of the hands of inexperienced mothers.

And yes, I do understand the implications of that assertion. I’m not sure the Left does, though.