Hollywood Worries About Weak Box Office: ‘Real Steel’ #1 After ‘Footloose’ Stumbles; ‘The Thing’ #3; ‘The Big Year’ Comics Bomb – Deadline.com
But the truly alarming news is how very weak the North American box office performed again.
I’ve been reporting how younger males — which used to be Hollywood’s target audience — have been no longer consistently (and indiscriminately) going to the movies since August.
As a longtime studio exec worried out loud to me Friday night:
“I’m really concerned about how soft things are.
I’m sitting here looking at grosses and I’m concerned for the Industry.
What’s worrying me is where are those hardcore movie fans at this point?”
Well, I say Hollywood should expect the worst when they release a succession of mostly dreadful pics.
This weekend’s total gross won’t edge much over $80M — which is a whopping -35% from last year when Jackass 3D opened to $50M.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saint Warren's halo gets a little more tarnish
Saint Warren's halo gets a little more tarnish - ProfessorBainbridge.com
“Buffett judges the investments he makes ruthlessly, but allows his operating companies to run on autopilot.”
That decentralized structure allows plausible deniability when anything goes wrong.
“Buffett judges the investments he makes ruthlessly, but allows his operating companies to run on autopilot.”
That decentralized structure allows plausible deniability when anything goes wrong.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Fake petitions undercut state's voting process
Fake petitions undercut state's voting process - southbendtribune.com
The investigation into suspected fake petition pages used to place Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the 2008 primary ballot looks worse for Democrats the further it goes.
Among the latest revelations: that the fake pages passed through the St. Joseph County voter registration office on days when the Republican head of the office was absent.
And that without the falsified names, Obama and possibly Clinton might not have qualified for the ballot.
The investigation into suspected fake petition pages used to place Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the 2008 primary ballot looks worse for Democrats the further it goes.
Among the latest revelations: that the fake pages passed through the St. Joseph County voter registration office on days when the Republican head of the office was absent.
And that without the falsified names, Obama and possibly Clinton might not have qualified for the ballot.
$5,176.34 Bridge Card balance raises questions
Schneider: $5,176.34 Bridge Card balance raises questions Lansing State Journal lansingstatejournal.com
"This is the kind of thing a lot of us cashiers do not understand, but see regularly," said the note accompanying the receipt.
"I hear cases are reevaluated every six months, but ... we have watched the balance on this card climb for years."
"This is the kind of thing a lot of us cashiers do not understand, but see regularly," said the note accompanying the receipt.
"I hear cases are reevaluated every six months, but ... we have watched the balance on this card climb for years."
Ho Hum, a Black Candidate
Ho Hum, a Black Candidate - WSJ.com
"There's a second reason that some conservatives, particularly tea partiers, largely ignore Cain's race," Travis notes: "it drives a stake through claims that the movement harbors racists."
This seems to us a reversal of cause and effect.
Conservatives and Tea Partiers ignore Cain's race not because they have something to prove but because they didn't care much about race to begin with.
"There's a second reason that some conservatives, particularly tea partiers, largely ignore Cain's race," Travis notes: "it drives a stake through claims that the movement harbors racists."
This seems to us a reversal of cause and effect.
Conservatives and Tea Partiers ignore Cain's race not because they have something to prove but because they didn't care much about race to begin with.
Farm Bureau upset that science kit for students contains left-wing book with misinformation about modern farming
Farm Bureau upset that science kit for students contains left-wing book with misinformation about modern farming MLive.com
“A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids” holds up Al Gore as an “eco-hero;”
promotes organizations such as Greenpeace and Rainforest Alliance;
urges children to persuade their parents to “Vote Green” and buy organic;
cautions against new-home construction, the plastics industry and conventional agriculture,
and notes “many people believe that it is best for the earth for families to have no more than one child.”
We have allowed the left to turn American schools into liberal/progressive madrases.
Do we on the right have the guts to fix this mess?
“A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids” holds up Al Gore as an “eco-hero;”
promotes organizations such as Greenpeace and Rainforest Alliance;
urges children to persuade their parents to “Vote Green” and buy organic;
cautions against new-home construction, the plastics industry and conventional agriculture,
and notes “many people believe that it is best for the earth for families to have no more than one child.”
We have allowed the left to turn American schools into liberal/progressive madrases.
Do we on the right have the guts to fix this mess?
The One (Percent)
The inconvenient truth that the "I Am The 99 Percent" crowd refuses to face:
Friday, October 14, 2011
House Bill Would Criminalize Satire of TSA Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
House Bill Would Criminalize Satire of TSA Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
In other words, if you print a t-shirt or produce a publication with a TSA logo, the government may soon be able to arrest and prosecute you.
In other words, if you print a t-shirt or produce a publication with a TSA logo, the government may soon be able to arrest and prosecute you.
Tea Party Uses MichiganVotes to Rank Legislators
Tea Party Uses MichiganVotes to Rank Legislators [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
The lowest scoring House Republicans were Reps. Ed McBroom, Peter Pettallia, Jud Gilbert, Margaret O'Brien, Wayne Schmidt and Dale Zorn.
Sen. Rick Jones was the lowest ranked Senate Republican, followed by Tory Rocca, Geoff Hansen and Tom Casperson.
The lowest scoring House Republicans were Reps. Ed McBroom, Peter Pettallia, Jud Gilbert, Margaret O'Brien, Wayne Schmidt and Dale Zorn.
Sen. Rick Jones was the lowest ranked Senate Republican, followed by Tory Rocca, Geoff Hansen and Tom Casperson.
The simple math of recession
The simple math of recession - The Washington Post
It is the simple math of recession.
Consider housing, which is typically a major factor in recessions.
At the peak of the last boom, Americans were spending $813 billion a year on residential investment.
That figure bottomed out last year at only a $327 billion.
It is the simple math of recession.
Consider housing, which is typically a major factor in recessions.
At the peak of the last boom, Americans were spending $813 billion a year on residential investment.
That figure bottomed out last year at only a $327 billion.
How to Get Rich in CA: Work for Govt.
How to Get Rich in CA: Work for Govt. CalWatchDog
The number is shocking.
Some retired state and local workers will make in retirement nearly twice as much, on average, as private-sector workers.
For them, working as public servants literally turned into a gold mine.
The number is shocking.
Some retired state and local workers will make in retirement nearly twice as much, on average, as private-sector workers.
For them, working as public servants literally turned into a gold mine.
Chevy-Dealing Congressman: “There Is No Market” For The Volt
Chevy-Dealing Congressman: “There Is No Market” For The Volt The Truth About Cars
I’m a Chevrolet dealer…
we have a Chevy Volt on the lot, it’s been there now for four weeks.
We’ve had one person come in to look at it, just to see what it actually looks like…
Here’s a car that costs $45,763.
I can stock that car for probably a year and then have to sell it at some ridiculous price.
By the way, I just received some additional information from Chevrolet: in addition to the $7,500 [federal] tax credit, Pennsylvania is going to throw another $3,500 to anybody foolish enough to buy one of these cars, somehow giving them $11,000 of taxpayer money to buy this Volt.
When you look at this, it makes absolutely no sense.
I can stock a Chevy Cruze, which is about a $17,500 car and turns every 30 to 40 days out of inventory… or I can have a Volt, which never turns and creates nothing for me on the lot except interest costs…
I’m a Chevrolet dealer…
we have a Chevy Volt on the lot, it’s been there now for four weeks.
We’ve had one person come in to look at it, just to see what it actually looks like…
Here’s a car that costs $45,763.
I can stock that car for probably a year and then have to sell it at some ridiculous price.
By the way, I just received some additional information from Chevrolet: in addition to the $7,500 [federal] tax credit, Pennsylvania is going to throw another $3,500 to anybody foolish enough to buy one of these cars, somehow giving them $11,000 of taxpayer money to buy this Volt.
When you look at this, it makes absolutely no sense.
I can stock a Chevy Cruze, which is about a $17,500 car and turns every 30 to 40 days out of inventory… or I can have a Volt, which never turns and creates nothing for me on the lot except interest costs…
About Us | OccupyWallSt.org
About Us OccupyWallSt.org
OccupyWallSt.org is the unofficial de facto online resource for the ongoing protests happening on Wall Street.
We are an affinity group committed to doing technical support work for resistance movements
OccupyWallSt.org is the unofficial de facto online resource for the ongoing protests happening on Wall Street.
We are an affinity group committed to doing technical support work for resistance movements
Top Contributors to Barack Obama | OpenSecrets
Top Contributors to Barack Obama OpenSecrets
Barack Obama (D)
Top Contributors
University of California
$1,648,685
Goldman Sachs
$1,013,091
Harvard University
$878,164
Microsoft Corp
$852,167
Google Inc
$814,540
JPMorgan Chase & Co
$808,799
Citigroup Inc
$736,771
Time Warner
$624,618
Sidley Austin LLP
$600,298
Stanford University
$595,716
National Amusements Inc
$563,798
WilmerHale LLP
$550,668
Columbia University
$547,852
Skadden, Arps et al
$543,539
UBS AG
$532,674
IBM Corp
$532,372
General Electric
$529,855
US Government
$513,308
Morgan Stanley
$512,232
Latham & Watkins
$503,295
Barack Obama (D)
Top Contributors
University of California
$1,648,685
Goldman Sachs
$1,013,091
Harvard University
$878,164
Microsoft Corp
$852,167
Google Inc
$814,540
JPMorgan Chase & Co
$808,799
Citigroup Inc
$736,771
Time Warner
$624,618
Sidley Austin LLP
$600,298
Stanford University
$595,716
National Amusements Inc
$563,798
WilmerHale LLP
$550,668
Columbia University
$547,852
Skadden, Arps et al
$543,539
UBS AG
$532,674
IBM Corp
$532,372
General Electric
$529,855
US Government
$513,308
Morgan Stanley
$512,232
Latham & Watkins
$503,295
Obama Sends 100 US Troops to Uganda to Help Combat Lord’s Resistance Army
Obama Sends 100 US Troops to Uganda to Help Combat Lord’s Resistance Army - ABC News
The president made this announcement in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Friday afternoon, saying that “deploying these U.S. Armed Forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy
The president made this announcement in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Friday afternoon, saying that “deploying these U.S. Armed Forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Olive Garden: Presence of the American flag disrupts the dining experience
Olive Garden: Presence of the American flag disrupts the dining experience « Hot Air
Poor Warren had to ask her fellow Kiwanis members to just picture the flag waving in the breeze as they said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Here’s a bit of common sense for the Olive Garden: The restaurant in question is in America!
Poor Warren had to ask her fellow Kiwanis members to just picture the flag waving in the breeze as they said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Here’s a bit of common sense for the Olive Garden: The restaurant in question is in America!
When the Zealots Are No Longer Zealous
When the Zealots Are No Longer Zealous - By Victor Davis Hanson - The Corner - National Review Online
The chief symptom of this embarrassment is silence.
Gone are the sloppy charges of “war criminal,” the Hollywood movies, the outbursts by celebrities, the anguished op-eds.
The chief symptom of this embarrassment is silence.
Gone are the sloppy charges of “war criminal,” the Hollywood movies, the outbursts by celebrities, the anguished op-eds.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
How Walmart and the Retail Lobby Used Regulatory Robbery to Squeeze Banks, Consumers
CARPE DIEM: How Walmart and the Retail Lobby Used Regulatory Robbery to Squeeze Banks, Consumers
Here's some more public choice economics to follow the post below about Google's Chairman - this public choice analysis comes from Washington Examiner's Tim Carney about the recent announcement that Bank of America will begin charging a $5 monthly fee to debit card customers:
"The real culprit is Walmart and the retail lobby, which used government to squeeze banks and fatten their own bottom line.
Walmart won, banks lost, and now customers are stuck with a new monthly fee.
Here's some more public choice economics to follow the post below about Google's Chairman - this public choice analysis comes from Washington Examiner's Tim Carney about the recent announcement that Bank of America will begin charging a $5 monthly fee to debit card customers:
"The real culprit is Walmart and the retail lobby, which used government to squeeze banks and fatten their own bottom line.
Walmart won, banks lost, and now customers are stuck with a new monthly fee.
American flag display would disrupt dining experience- Olive Garden
American flag display would disrupt dining experience garden, flag, olive - Olive Garden - WPEC 12 West Palm Beach
"To be fair to everyone and avoid disrupting the dining experience for all other guests, they're unable to accommodate flags or banners of any type in the dining room," according to the statement.
"To be fair to everyone and avoid disrupting the dining experience for all other guests, they're unable to accommodate flags or banners of any type in the dining room," according to the statement.
Obama Tried to Apologize to Japan for the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
The PJ Tatler » Obama Tried to Apologize to Japan for the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Obama Tried to Apologize to Japan for the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Let’s replace the American president with someone who goes out of his way to humiliate the country and see if anyone notices.
Oops, it looks like Japan did notice.
One stop on his tour was Prague in August 2009.
There he spoke of “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” ignoring that before 1945 we lived in such a world and it was neither peaceful nor secure.
Another stop on the tour was in Japan, where Obama in November 2009 bowed to the emperor, something no American president had ever done.
It could have been worse if plans to visit Nagasaki and Hiroshima to apologize for winning the war with the atom bombs had come to pass.
A heretofore secret cable dated Sept. 3, 2009, was recently released by WikiLeaks.
Sent to Secretary of State Clinton, it reported Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka telling U.S. Ambassador John Roos that “the idea of President Obama visiting Hiroshima to apologize for the atomic bombing during World War II is a ‘nonstarter.’”
The Japanese feared the apology would be exploited by anti-nuclear groups and those opposed to the defensive alliance between Japan and the U.S.
Yes, that’s exactly what the anti-nuclear activists would do. As an old anti-nuclear activist himself, Obama may have known that. Or he may just be an idiot.
Let me tell you a military story.
I joined the US Air Force and got sent to Japan in 1993.
I was a military reporter, and wound up spending much of my time with the US Navy.
At one point, I deployed aboard the USS Blue Ridge, the 7th Fleet’s flagship, for a cruise down the coast from Yokosuka to Nagasaki.
The visit was the ship’s first ever to that city, and took on many of the trappings of a state visit.
It was a big deal, and I was privileged to be a part of it.
The US history with Nagasaki is complicated, as you might expect, but less complicated than folks like our president seem to think.
The Blue Ridge and her crew were greeted with a welcoming flotilla of private boats (that had to get out of the way to keep the harbor clear), aircraft and hundreds of well wishers on the shore.
I toured the city with some sailors after our arrival, and found the people almost shockingly friendly everywhere we went.
They weren’t looking for apologies or an America that’s unsure of herself.
They were happy to have a visit by a major ship from their closest ally.
As weird as this sounds, having studied the war and the post-war period extensively and having lived in Japan for years and visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I’m convinced that the atomic bombings saved Japan.
They saved Japan from her own militarism and from potential Soviet invasion and partition.
America bequeathed to our bitter enemy a democracy that functions well to this day, and Japan is our strong friend despite its having raised its hand against us.
America has nothing to apologize for in its conduct or conclusion of that war.
Nothing at all.
Obama Tried to Apologize to Japan for the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Let’s replace the American president with someone who goes out of his way to humiliate the country and see if anyone notices.
Oops, it looks like Japan did notice.
One stop on his tour was Prague in August 2009.
There he spoke of “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” ignoring that before 1945 we lived in such a world and it was neither peaceful nor secure.
Another stop on the tour was in Japan, where Obama in November 2009 bowed to the emperor, something no American president had ever done.
It could have been worse if plans to visit Nagasaki and Hiroshima to apologize for winning the war with the atom bombs had come to pass.
A heretofore secret cable dated Sept. 3, 2009, was recently released by WikiLeaks.
Sent to Secretary of State Clinton, it reported Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka telling U.S. Ambassador John Roos that “the idea of President Obama visiting Hiroshima to apologize for the atomic bombing during World War II is a ‘nonstarter.’”
The Japanese feared the apology would be exploited by anti-nuclear groups and those opposed to the defensive alliance between Japan and the U.S.
Yes, that’s exactly what the anti-nuclear activists would do. As an old anti-nuclear activist himself, Obama may have known that. Or he may just be an idiot.
Let me tell you a military story.
I joined the US Air Force and got sent to Japan in 1993.
I was a military reporter, and wound up spending much of my time with the US Navy.
At one point, I deployed aboard the USS Blue Ridge, the 7th Fleet’s flagship, for a cruise down the coast from Yokosuka to Nagasaki.
The visit was the ship’s first ever to that city, and took on many of the trappings of a state visit.
It was a big deal, and I was privileged to be a part of it.
The US history with Nagasaki is complicated, as you might expect, but less complicated than folks like our president seem to think.
The Blue Ridge and her crew were greeted with a welcoming flotilla of private boats (that had to get out of the way to keep the harbor clear), aircraft and hundreds of well wishers on the shore.
I toured the city with some sailors after our arrival, and found the people almost shockingly friendly everywhere we went.
They weren’t looking for apologies or an America that’s unsure of herself.
They were happy to have a visit by a major ship from their closest ally.
As weird as this sounds, having studied the war and the post-war period extensively and having lived in Japan for years and visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I’m convinced that the atomic bombings saved Japan.
They saved Japan from her own militarism and from potential Soviet invasion and partition.
America bequeathed to our bitter enemy a democracy that functions well to this day, and Japan is our strong friend despite its having raised its hand against us.
America has nothing to apologize for in its conduct or conclusion of that war.
Nothing at all.
Reckless Government Policies, Not Private Greed Caused the Housing Bubble and Financial Crisis
CARPE DIEM: Reckless Government Policies, Not Private Greed Caused the Housing Bubble and Financial Crisis
Peter Wallison of the American Enterprise Institute writing in today's WSJ, explains that the Wall Street protesters have been grossly misled because it was "Reckless government policies, and not private greed, that brought about the housing bubble and resulting financial crisis."
Here's an excerpt:
"Beginning in 1992, the government required Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to direct a substantial portion of their mortgage financing to borrowers who were at or below the median income in their communities.
The original legislative quota was 30%.
But the Department of Housing and Urban Development was given authority to adjust it, and through the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations HUD raised the quota to 50% by 2000 and 55% by 2007.
Peter Wallison of the American Enterprise Institute writing in today's WSJ, explains that the Wall Street protesters have been grossly misled because it was "Reckless government policies, and not private greed, that brought about the housing bubble and resulting financial crisis."
Here's an excerpt:
"Beginning in 1992, the government required Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to direct a substantial portion of their mortgage financing to borrowers who were at or below the median income in their communities.
The original legislative quota was 30%.
But the Department of Housing and Urban Development was given authority to adjust it, and through the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations HUD raised the quota to 50% by 2000 and 55% by 2007.
Issues & Ideas Forum [Mackinac Center]
Issues & Ideas Forum [Mackinac Center]
The Future of Unionized Government
Click below for a video of the Mackinac Center's Oct. 5, 2011, Issues and Ideas Forum in Lansing.
Excellent video!
The Future of Unionized Government
Click below for a video of the Mackinac Center's Oct. 5, 2011, Issues and Ideas Forum in Lansing.
Excellent video!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
"You can have sex with animals." Zucotti Sq. - YouTube
"You can have sex with animals." Zucotti Sq. - YouTube
These tools are not in power or in the high paying jobs because they are incapable of the rational clear thinking to lead anything.
I'm sorry but you have to work hard to get somewhere.
Someone has to clean the floors and someone has to run companies.
This hippie nonsense will never take hold with the mainstream.
Sionn5 13 hours ago 30
These tools are not in power or in the high paying jobs because they are incapable of the rational clear thinking to lead anything.
I'm sorry but you have to work hard to get somewhere.
Someone has to clean the floors and someone has to run companies.
This hippie nonsense will never take hold with the mainstream.
Sionn5 13 hours ago 30
Double-Dip Recession a Foregone Conclusion
Double-Dip Recession a Foregone Conclusion: Roubini - EU Business News - CNBC
The world's advanced economies are headed for a second recession, regardless of whether there is further chaos in Europe, noted economist Nouriel Roubini told CNBC on Tuesday.
The world's advanced economies are headed for a second recession, regardless of whether there is further chaos in Europe, noted economist Nouriel Roubini told CNBC on Tuesday.
Shocking Costs Of Environmentalism
Shocking Costs Of Environmentalism - Investors.com
Those who fancy themselves to be green progressives are about to get some unwelcome "progress."
Thanks in part to environmental rules, electricity bills are headed for double-digit increases.
'Americans," the Daily Beast/Newsweek reports, "are about to get another kick in the wallet."
Those who fancy themselves to be green progressives are about to get some unwelcome "progress."
Thanks in part to environmental rules, electricity bills are headed for double-digit increases.
'Americans," the Daily Beast/Newsweek reports, "are about to get another kick in the wallet."
Westmoreland - WSJ.com
Book Review: Westmoreland - WSJ.com
The War Over the Vietnam War
A new biography puts an end to the idea that we could not win
The War Over the Vietnam War
A new biography puts an end to the idea that we could not win
Monday, October 10, 2011
Children to be banned from blowing up balloons, under EU safety rules
Children to be banned from blowing up balloons, under EU safety rules - Telegraph
The EU toy safety directive, agreed and implemented by Government, states that balloons must not be blown up by unsupervised children under the age of eight, in case they accidentally swallow them and choke.
The EU toy safety directive, agreed and implemented by Government, states that balloons must not be blown up by unsupervised children under the age of eight, in case they accidentally swallow them and choke.
Netflix Kills Qwikster DVD-Only Business Before Launch
Netflix Kills Qwikster DVD-Only Business Before Launch - Peter Kafka - Media - AllThingsD
Qwikster, we never knew ya: Netflix has killed its plans to turn its DVD service into a separate business.
Qwikster, we never knew ya: Netflix has killed its plans to turn its DVD service into a separate business.
Instapundit
Instapundit
HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY
Many in the West will demonstrate their fierce originality and intellectual independence today by condemning Christopher Columbus using the same shopworn cliches they used last year. For those of a different bent, I recommend Samuel Eliot Morison’s Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus, which takes a somewhat different position. Here’s an excerpt:
At the end of 1492 most men in Western Europe felt exceedingly gloomy about the future. Christian civilization appeared to be shrinking in area and dividing into hostile units as its sphere contracted. For over a century there had been no important advance in natural science and registration in the universities dwindled as the instruction they offered became increasingly jejune and lifeless. Institutions were decaying, well-meaning people were growing cynical or desperate, and many intelligent men, for want of something better to do, were endeavoring to escape the present through studying the pagan past. . . .
Yet, even as the chroniclers of Nuremberg were correcting their proofs from Koberger’s press, a Spanish caravel named Nina scudded before a winter gale into Lisbon with news of a discovery that was to give old Europe another chance. In a few years we find the mental picture completely changed. Strong monarchs are stamping out privy conspiracy and rebellion; the Church, purged and chastened by the Protestant Reformation, puts her house in order; new ideas flare up throughout Italy, France, Germany and the northern nations; faith in God revives and the human spirit is renewed. The change is complete and startling: “A new envisagement of the world has begun, and men are no longer sighing after the imaginary golden age that lay in the distant past, but speculating as to the golden age that might possibly lie in the oncoming future.”
Christopher Columbus belonged to an age that was past, yet he became the sign and symbol of this new age of hope, glory and accomplishment. His medieval faith impelled him to a modern solution: Expansion.
Morison’s book is superb, and I recommend it highly as an antidote to the simplistic anti-occidental prejudice of today — which, as Jim Bennett has noted, has roots that might surprise its proponents:
This is primarily an effect of the Calvinist Puritan roots of American progressivism. Just as Calvinists believed in the centrality of the depravity of man, with the exception of a minuscule contingent of the Elect of God, their secularized descendants believe in the depravity and cursedness of Western civilization, with their own enlightened selves in the role of the Elect.
Indeed. Nonetheless, Bennett thinks that a different Italian deserves the real credit. (Reposted from 2005, but it still fits.) [Doesn't this leave you vulnerable to charges of recycling too? --ed. I prefer to think of it as "They came at us in the same old way, and, you know, we beat them in the same old way."]
I post this every year, as it’s evergreen. The original link to Bennett’s column seems to have succumbed to link-rot, but I believe this is it.
Posted at 8:24 am by Glenn Reynolds
HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY
Many in the West will demonstrate their fierce originality and intellectual independence today by condemning Christopher Columbus using the same shopworn cliches they used last year. For those of a different bent, I recommend Samuel Eliot Morison’s Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus, which takes a somewhat different position. Here’s an excerpt:
At the end of 1492 most men in Western Europe felt exceedingly gloomy about the future. Christian civilization appeared to be shrinking in area and dividing into hostile units as its sphere contracted. For over a century there had been no important advance in natural science and registration in the universities dwindled as the instruction they offered became increasingly jejune and lifeless. Institutions were decaying, well-meaning people were growing cynical or desperate, and many intelligent men, for want of something better to do, were endeavoring to escape the present through studying the pagan past. . . .
Yet, even as the chroniclers of Nuremberg were correcting their proofs from Koberger’s press, a Spanish caravel named Nina scudded before a winter gale into Lisbon with news of a discovery that was to give old Europe another chance. In a few years we find the mental picture completely changed. Strong monarchs are stamping out privy conspiracy and rebellion; the Church, purged and chastened by the Protestant Reformation, puts her house in order; new ideas flare up throughout Italy, France, Germany and the northern nations; faith in God revives and the human spirit is renewed. The change is complete and startling: “A new envisagement of the world has begun, and men are no longer sighing after the imaginary golden age that lay in the distant past, but speculating as to the golden age that might possibly lie in the oncoming future.”
Christopher Columbus belonged to an age that was past, yet he became the sign and symbol of this new age of hope, glory and accomplishment. His medieval faith impelled him to a modern solution: Expansion.
Morison’s book is superb, and I recommend it highly as an antidote to the simplistic anti-occidental prejudice of today — which, as Jim Bennett has noted, has roots that might surprise its proponents:
This is primarily an effect of the Calvinist Puritan roots of American progressivism. Just as Calvinists believed in the centrality of the depravity of man, with the exception of a minuscule contingent of the Elect of God, their secularized descendants believe in the depravity and cursedness of Western civilization, with their own enlightened selves in the role of the Elect.
Indeed. Nonetheless, Bennett thinks that a different Italian deserves the real credit. (Reposted from 2005, but it still fits.) [Doesn't this leave you vulnerable to charges of recycling too? --ed. I prefer to think of it as "They came at us in the same old way, and, you know, we beat them in the same old way."]
I post this every year, as it’s evergreen. The original link to Bennett’s column seems to have succumbed to link-rot, but I believe this is it.
Posted at 8:24 am by Glenn Reynolds
Video: 'Occupy Atlanta' Silences Rep. John Lewis Via Jazz Hands
Video: 'Occupy Atlanta' Silences Rep. John Lewis Via Jazz Hands - Guy Benson
Having watched this clip all the way through several times, I still can't stop chuckling.
Here's a quick primer to prepare you for what you're about to see:
You must watch this video to get a sense of the idiocy that is sweeping our country.
Funny.....but sorta creepy.
Actually really creepy.
Having watched this clip all the way through several times, I still can't stop chuckling.
Here's a quick primer to prepare you for what you're about to see:
You must watch this video to get a sense of the idiocy that is sweeping our country.
Funny.....but sorta creepy.
Actually really creepy.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
‘Time short’ for eurozone, says Cameron -
‘Time short’ for eurozone, says Cameron - FT.com
David Cameron has urged European leaders to take a “big bazooka” approach to resolving the eurozone crisis, warning they have just a matter of weeks to avert economic disaster.
David Cameron has urged European leaders to take a “big bazooka” approach to resolving the eurozone crisis, warning they have just a matter of weeks to avert economic disaster.
Waiting, waiting, waiting ... for a better bus system
Jeff Gerritt: Waiting, waiting, waiting ... for a better bus system Detroit Free Press freep.com
Riders at crowded Detroit bus stops boil with frustration and anger -- much of it aimed at Mayor Dave Bing.
Sometimes waiting for hours, they miss work, classes, job interviews, medical appointments.
In the last four months, city bus service has crumbled into a crisis, stranding many of the nearly 30% of Detroit households that don't have vehicles.
If this debacle had happened to anyone but Detroit's poor, politicians and pundits would scream for action
Riders at crowded Detroit bus stops boil with frustration and anger -- much of it aimed at Mayor Dave Bing.
Sometimes waiting for hours, they miss work, classes, job interviews, medical appointments.
In the last four months, city bus service has crumbled into a crisis, stranding many of the nearly 30% of Detroit households that don't have vehicles.
If this debacle had happened to anyone but Detroit's poor, politicians and pundits would scream for action
States where drivers pay the least for gasoline
States where drivers pay the least for gasoline - Business - Oil & energy - msnbc.com
24/7 Wall St. set out to find the states with the lowest gas prices and the possible reasons behind them.
24/7 Wall St. set out to find the states with the lowest gas prices and the possible reasons behind them.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Sixty per cent of knife muggers in the capital are young black men | News
Sixty per cent of knife muggers in the capital are young black men News
Separate figures for people charged for "knife-enabled robberies" - in which a victim is either shown a blade or told that the offender is carrying one - show that 967 of the 1,613 alleged offenders last year were black. That represents 60 per cent.
Separate figures for people charged for "knife-enabled robberies" - in which a victim is either shown a blade or told that the offender is carrying one - show that 967 of the 1,613 alleged offenders last year were black. That represents 60 per cent.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Herman Cain Leads Mitt Romney by 20 Points: Will the Tortoise or Hare Win?
Herman Cain Leads Mitt Romney by 20 Points: Will the Tortoise or Hare Win? - International Business Times
Herman Cain holds an astounding 20-point lead over Mitt Romney in a poll of Republican primary voters released Thursday, and he is in a statistical tie with President Obama.
The Zogby Poll, which was conducted from Oct. 3-5, found that 38 percent of Republicans would vote for Cain, a Georgia businessman, if the primary elections were held today.
Mitt Romney had 18 percent support, and Rick Perry and Ron Paul were tied with 12 percent support each.
Herman Cain holds an astounding 20-point lead over Mitt Romney in a poll of Republican primary voters released Thursday, and he is in a statistical tie with President Obama.
The Zogby Poll, which was conducted from Oct. 3-5, found that 38 percent of Republicans would vote for Cain, a Georgia businessman, if the primary elections were held today.
Mitt Romney had 18 percent support, and Rick Perry and Ron Paul were tied with 12 percent support each.
Cain 46%, Obama 44%
Cain 46%, Obama 44% « Don Surber
Herman Cain has a 2-point lead over President Obama in a head-to-head match-up, the Zogby online poll found.
Herman Cain has a 2-point lead over President Obama in a head-to-head match-up, the Zogby online poll found.
So, what’s the point of these Occupy Wall Street demonstrators?
So, what’s the point of these Occupy Wall Street demonstrators? - NYPOST.com
Like the guy who marched with a sign announcing that he was the “Fart Smeller.’’ Say what?
“It’s not a joke,’’ he said, as serious as open-heart surgery, showing me a photograph of his important work.
“I go up to women and ask to smell their ...’’
At the stinky end of the park, I met a smart man, Phillip Belpasso, 64, in a filthy Army-style jacket, who said he’s been in Zuccotti Park “pretty much since the Towers came down.’’ A decade?
“This all happened around me, sort of,’’ he said. “Say, have you figured out what’s going on here yet?
I don’t even know if they know what they’re for. ’’
Like the guy who marched with a sign announcing that he was the “Fart Smeller.’’ Say what?
“It’s not a joke,’’ he said, as serious as open-heart surgery, showing me a photograph of his important work.
“I go up to women and ask to smell their ...’’
At the stinky end of the park, I met a smart man, Phillip Belpasso, 64, in a filthy Army-style jacket, who said he’s been in Zuccotti Park “pretty much since the Towers came down.’’ A decade?
“This all happened around me, sort of,’’ he said. “Say, have you figured out what’s going on here yet?
I don’t even know if they know what they’re for. ’’
Occupy DC Organizer
Occupy DC Organizer Washington Hispanics The Daily Caller
A liberal organizer told the Daily Caller on Thursday afternoon that he paid some Hispanics to attend “Occupy DC” protests happening in the nation’s capital
A liberal organizer told the Daily Caller on Thursday afternoon that he paid some Hispanics to attend “Occupy DC” protests happening in the nation’s capital
World facing worst financial crisis in history, Bank of England Governor says
World facing worst financial crisis in history, Bank of England Governor says - Telegraph
The world is facing the worst financial crisis since at least the 1930s “if not ever”, the Governor of the Bank of England said last night.
The world is facing the worst financial crisis since at least the 1930s “if not ever”, the Governor of the Bank of England said last night.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Shortfall for State and Local Pension Systems Today: Over $4 Trillion
Shortfall for State and Local Pension Systems Today: Over $4 Trillion « Everything Finance
Together with the estimates of assets, these calculations imply an unfunded liability in October 2011 of $4.0 trillion.
Together with the estimates of assets, these calculations imply an unfunded liability in October 2011 of $4.0 trillion.
Democrats vs. Republicans: Stars they Won’t Pay to See; Movies They Hate and Love (Poll)
Democrats vs. Republicans: Stars they Won’t Pay to See; Movies They Hate and Love (Poll) - The Hollywood Reporter
overall, 35 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of Tea Partiers consider a celebrity's political position before paying to see their films, compared with 20 percent of Democrats.
overall, 35 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of Tea Partiers consider a celebrity's political position before paying to see their films, compared with 20 percent of Democrats.
Occupy Wall Street protesters post manifesto of 'demands'
PICKET: Occupy Wall Street protesters post manifesto of 'demands' - Washington Times
The "Occupy Wall Street" protesters have listed 13 proposed demands from their website.
The "Occupy Wall Street" protesters have listed 13 proposed demands from their website.
The Granholm World Fantasy Tour
Letters: The Granholm World Fantasy Tour MLive.com
So with all this as a backdrop, watching Granholm discuss job creation is tantamount to listening to eight-time married Mickey Rooney consult on the sanctity of marriage.
This is a GREAT LTE!
Read it all.
So with all this as a backdrop, watching Granholm discuss job creation is tantamount to listening to eight-time married Mickey Rooney consult on the sanctity of marriage.
This is a GREAT LTE!
Read it all.
Stanford Hospital Patient Data Breach Is Detailed
Stanford Hospital Patient Data Breach Is Detailed - NYTimes.com
Private medical data for nearly 20,000 emergency room patients at California’s prestigious Stanford Hospital were exposed to public view for nearly a year because a billing contractor’s marketing agent sent the electronic spreadsheet to a job prospect as part of a skills test, the hospital and contractors confirmed this week.
The applicant then sought help by unwittingly posting the confidential data on a tutoring Web site.
Private medical data for nearly 20,000 emergency room patients at California’s prestigious Stanford Hospital were exposed to public view for nearly a year because a billing contractor’s marketing agent sent the electronic spreadsheet to a job prospect as part of a skills test, the hospital and contractors confirmed this week.
The applicant then sought help by unwittingly posting the confidential data on a tutoring Web site.
Warren Buffett Act
Warren Buffett Act Steve Scalise Class Warfare The Daily Caller
Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise will introduce his own Warren Buffett-inspired legislation tonight, but this one has the support of conservatives like Grover Norquist.
Scalise’s “Warren Buffett Act of 2011” will instruct the IRS to provide a checkbox on Americans’ income tax forms so that those who feel they are not paying enough in taxes can easily and conveniently do so — without forcing an entire change in the tax code.
Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise will introduce his own Warren Buffett-inspired legislation tonight, but this one has the support of conservatives like Grover Norquist.
Scalise’s “Warren Buffett Act of 2011” will instruct the IRS to provide a checkbox on Americans’ income tax forms so that those who feel they are not paying enough in taxes can easily and conveniently do so — without forcing an entire change in the tax code.
Alabama official says tough immigration law leading to ‘self-deportation’
Alabama Immigration Law Self-Deportation Illegal Immigration The Daily Caller
Alabama official says tough immigration law leading to ‘self-deportation’
Alabama official says tough immigration law leading to ‘self-deportation’
U.S. stocks' massive "melt-up" fans investor fears
U.S. stocks' massive "melt-up" fans investor fears - Yahoo! News
"Program trading and algorithmic trading was the cause," said Donohue.
"We're seeing moves in a half hour that used to take weeks.
Obviously we were very oversold technically before, and essentially we had a 'melt-up' that was helped by the algo trading that just went off buying."
"Program trading and algorithmic trading was the cause," said Donohue.
"We're seeing moves in a half hour that used to take weeks.
Obviously we were very oversold technically before, and essentially we had a 'melt-up' that was helped by the algo trading that just went off buying."
Trimming TSA
Trimming TSA
Except with 67,000 employees, there's nothing little about it.
As does every federal bureaucracy, TSA has morphed into a large, entrenched agency that is, in some ways, worse than any other because it pretends to be answerable to no one.
Except with 67,000 employees, there's nothing little about it.
As does every federal bureaucracy, TSA has morphed into a large, entrenched agency that is, in some ways, worse than any other because it pretends to be answerable to no one.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Smith, Alvarez among highest-paid ADs - Big Ten Blog
Smith, Alvarez among highest-paid ADs - Big Ten Blog - ESPN
Here is how the Big Ten athletic directors whose salaries are known stack up against one another.
And this:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/story/2011-10-18/athletic-director-salaries-cover/50671214/1
Here is how the Big Ten athletic directors whose salaries are known stack up against one another.
And this:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/story/2011-10-18/athletic-director-salaries-cover/50671214/1
Watch this video!-National Right to Work Committee
National Right to Work Committee
A Citizen's Petition to: My U.S. Senators and Representative
Whereas: Every year militant union bosses deploy their thugs to target innocent men and women with threats, brass knuckles, knives and beatings in an attempt to send a simple message -- do what we want, or pay the price; and
Whereas: Because of the 1973 Enmons decision, union officials are exempt from federal prosecution -- as long as the campaign of violence they incite is in the name of "legitimate union objectives"; and
Whereas: Union violence is a crippling blow not only for innocent American workers targeted by union militants -- but for every American citizen; and
Whereas: Passage of the Freedom from Union Violence Act would close the loophole in federal law and finally allow authorities to prosecute union officials for inciting violence;
Therefore: I urge you to help hold union officials accountable for union violence by cosponsoring and seeking roll-call votes on the Freedom from Union Violence Act.
A Citizen's Petition to: My U.S. Senators and Representative
Whereas: Every year militant union bosses deploy their thugs to target innocent men and women with threats, brass knuckles, knives and beatings in an attempt to send a simple message -- do what we want, or pay the price; and
Whereas: Because of the 1973 Enmons decision, union officials are exempt from federal prosecution -- as long as the campaign of violence they incite is in the name of "legitimate union objectives"; and
Whereas: Union violence is a crippling blow not only for innocent American workers targeted by union militants -- but for every American citizen; and
Whereas: Passage of the Freedom from Union Violence Act would close the loophole in federal law and finally allow authorities to prosecute union officials for inciting violence;
Therefore: I urge you to help hold union officials accountable for union violence by cosponsoring and seeking roll-call votes on the Freedom from Union Violence Act.
ISD Denies Special Ed Services to Northern Michigan School District [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
ISD Denies Special Ed Services to Northern Michigan School District [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
ISD Denies Special Ed Services to Northern Michigan School DistrictDistrict tells federal court that it could provide special ed services for just 17 percent of what the intermediate school district is charging taxpayers
ISD Denies Special Ed Services to Northern Michigan School DistrictDistrict tells federal court that it could provide special ed services for just 17 percent of what the intermediate school district is charging taxpayers
How Generous Are Federal Employee Pensions?
How Generous Are Federal Employee Pensions? « The Enterprise Blog
USA Today reports that “retirement programs for former federal workers—civilian and military—are growing so fast they now face a multitrillion-dollar shortfall nearly as big as Social Security’s.”
USA Today’s figures include both pension and retiree health costs and are inclusive of military programs, so it is a broad figure.
Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question: how did retirement costs for a small segment of the population grow to rival Social Security, a program designed to cover nearly all Americans?
One big reason is that federal pension benefits are simply very generous relative to typical private sector plans.
USA Today reports that “retirement programs for former federal workers—civilian and military—are growing so fast they now face a multitrillion-dollar shortfall nearly as big as Social Security’s.”
USA Today’s figures include both pension and retiree health costs and are inclusive of military programs, so it is a broad figure.
Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question: how did retirement costs for a small segment of the population grow to rival Social Security, a program designed to cover nearly all Americans?
One big reason is that federal pension benefits are simply very generous relative to typical private sector plans.
Initiative at Muskegon Community College aims to boost student performance in developmental math
Initiative at Muskegon Community College aims to boost student performance in developmental math MLive.com
An experiment is unfolding inside J.B. Meeuwenberg's classroom at Muskegon Community College — and the result could drive how the college teaches developmental math for years to come.
Meeuwenberg is teaching a pilot class that combines two developmental math classes — Math 036 and Math 038 — which focus on topics ranging from decimals to pre-algebra — into one.
The class moves at an accelerated pace and carries a bigger workload, but he's confident the change will benefit students.
Instead of cheering, the media, parents and taxpayers should be screaming "what the heck happened during the 13 years of public paid, "free" education that allowed these young people to graduate without learning decimals and PRE-algebra!"
This ought to be an indictment of public education in Muskegon county.
Instead it will be used as a lever for more money from the taxpayers.
Will the madness EVER stop?!!!!
An experiment is unfolding inside J.B. Meeuwenberg's classroom at Muskegon Community College — and the result could drive how the college teaches developmental math for years to come.
Meeuwenberg is teaching a pilot class that combines two developmental math classes — Math 036 and Math 038 — which focus on topics ranging from decimals to pre-algebra — into one.
The class moves at an accelerated pace and carries a bigger workload, but he's confident the change will benefit students.
Instead of cheering, the media, parents and taxpayers should be screaming "what the heck happened during the 13 years of public paid, "free" education that allowed these young people to graduate without learning decimals and PRE-algebra!"
This ought to be an indictment of public education in Muskegon county.
Instead it will be used as a lever for more money from the taxpayers.
Will the madness EVER stop?!!!!
Univision Accused of Blackmailing Rubio
Univision Accused of Blackmailing Rubio « Commentary Magazine
Horrible. This has to be one of the worst ethical lapses someone could possibly commit in journalism.
If true, Univision will not – and should not – recover from this scandal without internal changes and a lot of contrition.
Based on the reports so far, the Republican candidates seem justified in skipping the debate.
And until Univision takes steps to investigate and deal with the accusations, other political figures and journalists might consider steering clear as well.
Remember, this is the #1 source of news for millions in our formerly English speaking country.
Horrible. This has to be one of the worst ethical lapses someone could possibly commit in journalism.
If true, Univision will not – and should not – recover from this scandal without internal changes and a lot of contrition.
Based on the reports so far, the Republican candidates seem justified in skipping the debate.
And until Univision takes steps to investigate and deal with the accusations, other political figures and journalists might consider steering clear as well.
Remember, this is the #1 source of news for millions in our formerly English speaking country.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Herman Cain rises, Rick Perry slides in new CBS News poll
Herman Cain rises, Rick Perry slides in new CBS News poll - Political Hotsheet - CBS News
Herman Cain has moved into a tie with Mitt Romney atop the field of Republican presidential candidates, according to a new CBS News poll, while Rick Perry has fallen 11 percentage points in just two weeks.
Herman Cain has moved into a tie with Mitt Romney atop the field of Republican presidential candidates, according to a new CBS News poll, while Rick Perry has fallen 11 percentage points in just two weeks.
Moore: The Rich Are Out Of Control, Kleptomaniacs, Sociopaths
Moore: The Rich Are Out Of Control, Kleptomaniacs, Sociopaths RealClearPolitics
Olbermann: "Kleptomania."
Moore: "They're kleptomaniacs, is what they are.
They're out of control.
I think there is some sort of sociopathic illness and they know what us to life in a kleptocracy.
Where the kleptomaniacs run the show.
But, oops!
There is this gem:
http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/he-redefines-the-term-greedy-michael-moore-sues-for-more-money-from-911-movie-when-he-already-received-19-8-million/
Olbermann: "Kleptomania."
Moore: "They're kleptomaniacs, is what they are.
They're out of control.
I think there is some sort of sociopathic illness and they know what us to life in a kleptocracy.
Where the kleptomaniacs run the show.
But, oops!
There is this gem:
http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/he-redefines-the-term-greedy-michael-moore-sues-for-more-money-from-911-movie-when-he-already-received-19-8-million/
Michelle Obama's Africa Vacation Cost More Than $432,142
Michelle Obama's Africa Vacation Cost More Than $432,142 - Washington Whispers (usnews.com)
First lady Michelle Obama's family trip to South Africa and Botswana in June cost taxpayers well over $424,000, according to new accounting based on Air Force manifests obtained by Judicial Watch, a taxpayer watchdog group.
Barry and his wife are simply trash with an unlimited credit card payed for by .....essentially the grandchildren and unborn of America.
For anyone in elective office to spend the way this woman and her husband spend is despicable!
In a monster recession kept alive by his own policies it ought to be criminal!
First lady Michelle Obama's family trip to South Africa and Botswana in June cost taxpayers well over $424,000, according to new accounting based on Air Force manifests obtained by Judicial Watch, a taxpayer watchdog group.
Barry and his wife are simply trash with an unlimited credit card payed for by .....essentially the grandchildren and unborn of America.
For anyone in elective office to spend the way this woman and her husband spend is despicable!
In a monster recession kept alive by his own policies it ought to be criminal!
A2 Schools’ Union Prez and Board Member Add Up Wrong Costs for Teachers
A2 Schools’ Union Prez and Board Member Add Up Wrong Costs for Teachers [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
Glenn Nelson, a member of the school board, and Brit Satchwell, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, wrote a guest column for Heritage Newspapers, in which they stated the average cost of a teacher including benefits was $65,000 in an article criticizing Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget cuts.
But the average cost of a Michigan school teacher is about $94,195 while the average cost of an Ann Arbor Public School teacher increases to $102,657
Morons (or liars) leading the teacher's union hand picked board.
Glenn Nelson, a member of the school board, and Brit Satchwell, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, wrote a guest column for Heritage Newspapers, in which they stated the average cost of a teacher including benefits was $65,000 in an article criticizing Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget cuts.
But the average cost of a Michigan school teacher is about $94,195 while the average cost of an Ann Arbor Public School teacher increases to $102,657
Morons (or liars) leading the teacher's union hand picked board.
Regular aspirin users at higher risk of sight problems, research suggests
Regular aspirin users at higher risk of sight problems, research suggests - Telegraph
While the study provided no evidence of a causal link between aspirin and the condition, experts are now examining whether a regular dose somehow exacerbates the disease.
More junk science from the MSM front pages.
While the study provided no evidence of a causal link between aspirin and the condition, experts are now examining whether a regular dose somehow exacerbates the disease.
More junk science from the MSM front pages.
Lake Worth takes first step toward $60 home assessment to pay for firefighter pensions
Lake Worth takes first step toward $60 home assessment to pay for firefighter pensions: If the fire assessment is approved as proposed, the city plans to use most of the $1.4 million raised to cover part of the cost of firefighter pensions, which cost the city $1.8 million this year.
Spiking Solyndra: Big Three Networks Barely Mention Burgeoning Scandal
Spiking Solyndra: Big Three Networks Barely Mention Burgeoning Scandal NewsBusters.org
Yet, as a search of Nexis shows, the networks have glanced over the Solyndra story with the Big Three networks running a total of just 8 total full stories, two anchor briefs and a couple of mentions on their evening and morning news shows, since the company declared bankruptcy in August.
Yet, as a search of Nexis shows, the networks have glanced over the Solyndra story with the Big Three networks running a total of just 8 total full stories, two anchor briefs and a couple of mentions on their evening and morning news shows, since the company declared bankruptcy in August.
Real Steel or Reel Steal? New Film Costs $4.26 Per Michigan Taxpayer
Real Steel or Reel Steal? New Film Costs $4.26 Per Michigan Taxpayer [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
The Hollywood big budget adaptation of Rock’em Sock’em Robots, Real Steel, hits theaters this Friday.
This is one of the many movies filmed in Michigan and supported by Michigan tax dollars through the state film incentive program, which unfairly singles out films for special grants from the taxpayer.
If you disagree with this incentive, feel free to ask for a $4.26 discount on your ticket for this movie — it’s approximately what the state spent on it per taxpayer
The Hollywood big budget adaptation of Rock’em Sock’em Robots, Real Steel, hits theaters this Friday.
This is one of the many movies filmed in Michigan and supported by Michigan tax dollars through the state film incentive program, which unfairly singles out films for special grants from the taxpayer.
If you disagree with this incentive, feel free to ask for a $4.26 discount on your ticket for this movie — it’s approximately what the state spent on it per taxpayer
NYT redefines Astroturf
NYT redefines Astroturf « Don Surber
Comparing the Tea Party movement with the Occupy Wall Street protests is like comparing patriotism with communism.
Comparing the Tea Party movement with the Occupy Wall Street protests is like comparing patriotism with communism.
Monday, October 03, 2011
» Shock Photos: Candidate Obama Appeared And Marched With New Black Panther Party in 2007
» Shock Photos: Candidate Obama Appeared And Marched With New Black Panther Party in 2007 - Big Government
In addition, the new images raise questions about the possible motives of the Obama administration in its infamous decision to drop the prosecution of the Panthers for voter intimidation.
In addition, the new images raise questions about the possible motives of the Obama administration in its infamous decision to drop the prosecution of the Panthers for voter intimidation.
Wake Up Tweet of the Day
Wake Up Tweet of the Day - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
Wake Up Tweet of the Day
Posted by William A. Jacobson Monday, October 3, 2011 at 4:29pm
25 46 #
OccupyWallStreet is organized agitprop designed to deflect attention from the Obama administration’s failings onto “Wall Street,” although many of the participants don’t understand how they are being used.
The Washington Post now is fully aboard Team Obama, doing its best to take down Rick Perry this week, next week someone else.
AxelPlouffe messaging is all class warfare all the time, and will be for the next 13 months.
And what are we doing?
Silly antics like day-long sniping at others who are on our side.
America Airlines: AMR Shares Plunge on Bankruptcy Talk
America Airlines: AMR Shares Plunge on Bankruptcy Talk - CNBC
A major airline trade group, The International Air Transport Association, said Monday that the industry may be headed for a downturn.
American Airlines is considered to be in the most vulnerable financial position of major U.S. carriers.
A major airline trade group, The International Air Transport Association, said Monday that the industry may be headed for a downturn.
American Airlines is considered to be in the most vulnerable financial position of major U.S. carriers.
Sen. Inhofe: Obama's EPA Waging War on Fossil Fuels
Sen. Inhofe: Obama's EPA Waging War on Fossil Fuels - HUMAN EVENTS
According to Inhofe, the administration’s proposed CO2/greenhouse gas-emission regulations—due out in November—could chop $300 billion to $400 billion alone off the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) each year.
Estimates from the Senate Energy and Public Works Committee's Republican staff estimates this regulation could cost in excess of the 2 million jobs that would have been lost as a result of Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill.
Other estimates suggest that the EPA’s Utility MACT and Transport Rule could cost $184 billion and 1.4 million jobs.
Statistics Inhofe provided suggest the rule could shutter hundreds of coal-fired power plants around the country—equaling as much as 20% of the nation’s total energy output.
According to Inhofe, the administration’s proposed CO2/greenhouse gas-emission regulations—due out in November—could chop $300 billion to $400 billion alone off the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) each year.
Estimates from the Senate Energy and Public Works Committee's Republican staff estimates this regulation could cost in excess of the 2 million jobs that would have been lost as a result of Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill.
Other estimates suggest that the EPA’s Utility MACT and Transport Rule could cost $184 billion and 1.4 million jobs.
Statistics Inhofe provided suggest the rule could shutter hundreds of coal-fired power plants around the country—equaling as much as 20% of the nation’s total energy output.
How the Kindle Fire Could Make 7-Inch Tablets Huge
How the Kindle Fire Could Make 7-Inch Tablets Huge Gadget Lab Wired.com
Steve Jobs made it clear what he thought of 7-inch tablets in October 2010.
They’re “too small,” and as good as “dead on arrival.”
But the announcement of and anticipation surrounding Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet may soon have Jobs eating his words.
Steve Jobs made it clear what he thought of 7-inch tablets in October 2010.
They’re “too small,” and as good as “dead on arrival.”
But the announcement of and anticipation surrounding Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet may soon have Jobs eating his words.
Arbitrator rules against Illinois lay-offs, closures
Arbitrator rules against Illinois lay-offs, closures Reuters
Quinn blamed the Democrat-controlled Legislature for sending him a $33 billion fiscal 2012 general funds budget that locks in spending levels for state agencies but did not appropriate enough money to keep some state services operating.
from the comments:
Reply 10 - Posted by: DiamondBob, 10/3/2011 1:50:53 PM (No. 8035092)
IL is not the only state in this union/Democrat created mess.
The newly elected Democrat CT governor (working with a heavily Democrat legislature) recently agreed to no state union layoffs for FOUR YEARS!! in exchange for 2 years of wage freezes.
Then the union workers get a 10% increase spread over years 3 and 4.
This is on top of the $1.5B in tax increases this year to cover the increased spending, for example including cash donations for a brand new state earned income tax credit.
I dread what things will look like when the supposed savings don't materialize, expenses continue to rise (because they're addicted to spending), and they can't cut the largest state expenditure (union workers' wages and benefits) because they have guaranteed employment.
We used to call the state to our north "Taxachussetts" -- not any more.
Quinn blamed the Democrat-controlled Legislature for sending him a $33 billion fiscal 2012 general funds budget that locks in spending levels for state agencies but did not appropriate enough money to keep some state services operating.
from the comments:
Reply 10 - Posted by: DiamondBob, 10/3/2011 1:50:53 PM (No. 8035092)
IL is not the only state in this union/Democrat created mess.
The newly elected Democrat CT governor (working with a heavily Democrat legislature) recently agreed to no state union layoffs for FOUR YEARS!! in exchange for 2 years of wage freezes.
Then the union workers get a 10% increase spread over years 3 and 4.
This is on top of the $1.5B in tax increases this year to cover the increased spending, for example including cash donations for a brand new state earned income tax credit.
I dread what things will look like when the supposed savings don't materialize, expenses continue to rise (because they're addicted to spending), and they can't cut the largest state expenditure (union workers' wages and benefits) because they have guaranteed employment.
We used to call the state to our north "Taxachussetts" -- not any more.
Time for Some Truth: Bill Clinton NEVER Balanced A Budget And NEVER Ran A Surplus
» Time for Some Truth: Bill Clinton NEVER Balanced A Budget And NEVER Ran A Surplus - Big Government
Despite what you may hear from Democrats on the campaign trail, there were no giant surpluses that Bush squandered (Bush did overspend, but there was no surplus to squander).
The myth of Clinton balancing the budget and producing surpluses belongs with unicorns and and elves, in the realm of myths.
The last president to preside over a balanced budget/surplus was Dwight Eisenhower, whose government saw surpluses of approximately $2 billion dollars in 1956 and 57.
Neither Bill Clinton nor any Republicans deserve any credit for balancing the budget in the 1990s, because the budget was never balanced.
Despite what you may hear from Democrats on the campaign trail, there were no giant surpluses that Bush squandered (Bush did overspend, but there was no surplus to squander).
The myth of Clinton balancing the budget and producing surpluses belongs with unicorns and and elves, in the realm of myths.
The last president to preside over a balanced budget/surplus was Dwight Eisenhower, whose government saw surpluses of approximately $2 billion dollars in 1956 and 57.
Neither Bill Clinton nor any Republicans deserve any credit for balancing the budget in the 1990s, because the budget was never balanced.
Obama’s Polling Compared to Predecessors
Obama’s Polling Compared to Predecessors « Commentary Magazine
President Obama looks worse than any recent incumbent president when the public assesses the country’s direction, consumer confidence, personal financial appraisals, and job approval at this point in time.
Obama 11% satisfied with the way things are going; 20% country heading in the right direction
President Obama looks worse than any recent incumbent president when the public assesses the country’s direction, consumer confidence, personal financial appraisals, and job approval at this point in time.
Obama 11% satisfied with the way things are going; 20% country heading in the right direction
Health Care Workers Vote to Bolt from 'Corrupt' SEIU
Health Care Workers Vote to Bolt from 'Corrupt' SEIU [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
By a more than 2-to-1 margin, workers at Saginaw's Luther Manor Nursing Home voted themselves out of the SEIU Healthcare union last week
By a more than 2-to-1 margin, workers at Saginaw's Luther Manor Nursing Home voted themselves out of the SEIU Healthcare union last week
Is the Chevy Volt a sales flop?
Is the Chevy Volt a sales flop?
General Motors has repeatedly claimed a sales target for 2011 of 10,000 units for the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt sedan.
But, nine months into the year, they've only shipped 3,895 off the lot.
General Motors has repeatedly claimed a sales target for 2011 of 10,000 units for the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt sedan.
But, nine months into the year, they've only shipped 3,895 off the lot.
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Time to raise Cain to contender status | Campaign 2012
Barone: Time to raise Cain to contender status Campaign 2012
Is Herman Cain a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination?
It's a question no one in the pundit world was asking until the past week.
Is Herman Cain a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination?
It's a question no one in the pundit world was asking until the past week.
Pricing and framing: When are we likely to pay more for products?
Pricing and framing: When are we likely to pay more for products? Psychology Today
I want to write about one strategy firms use to increase the sale of a product.
This strategy involves framing: the product is presented in the context of other, related products.
We'll see that "relativity" is not a concept reserved for physics.
I want to write about one strategy firms use to increase the sale of a product.
This strategy involves framing: the product is presented in the context of other, related products.
We'll see that "relativity" is not a concept reserved for physics.
Obama Fried Chicken: Is the President giving Colonel Sanders a run for his money?
Obama Fried Chicken: Is the President giving Colonel Sanders a run for his money? Mail Online
Is Obama abandoning his bid for a second term in the White House and is giving Colonel Sanders a run for his money by opening a chain of fried chicken joints?
Now that's change you can't really believe in.
The problem is that BarryO's talents....profits?
Is Obama abandoning his bid for a second term in the White House and is giving Colonel Sanders a run for his money by opening a chain of fried chicken joints?
Now that's change you can't really believe in.
The problem is that BarryO's talents....profits?
Will Jeff Bezos Bring Feudal Security to the Net?
The Volokh Conspiracy » Will Jeff Bezos Bring Feudal Security to the Net?
Amazon’s cloud can handle even the most processor-intense pages instantaneously, far faster than your wheezing desktop machine.
In short, your Internet experience on the Fire ought to be lightning quick.
There’s another advantage to this new vision of what might be called the Bezosnet.
The Bezosnet ought to be a lot more secure.
One way that hackers compromise your machine is by getting you to go to malware infected sites.
Just visiting the site triggers routines that take over the visitor’s computer.
But if the routine runs, not on a visitor’s computer but in a virtual environment at Amazon’s data center, the attacker’s code isn’t likely to work.
Amazon’s cloud can handle even the most processor-intense pages instantaneously, far faster than your wheezing desktop machine.
In short, your Internet experience on the Fire ought to be lightning quick.
There’s another advantage to this new vision of what might be called the Bezosnet.
The Bezosnet ought to be a lot more secure.
One way that hackers compromise your machine is by getting you to go to malware infected sites.
Just visiting the site triggers routines that take over the visitor’s computer.
But if the routine runs, not on a visitor’s computer but in a virtual environment at Amazon’s data center, the attacker’s code isn’t likely to work.
I just ordered the Amazon Kindle Fire
This is what pushed me over the edge to make my decision:
So instead of downloading web pages one after the other and opening them on your computer, Amazon’s cloud stores and even opens them, sending you the end result.
This allows speedier downloads for a couple of reasons: Caching of popular pages (or even parts of pages) avoids download delays when the original source is overloaded; and Amazon’s cloud can handle even the most processor-intense pages instantaneously, far faster than your wheezing desktop machine.
In short, your Internet experience on the Fire ought to be lightning quick.
But I wonder if the higher price of the iPad has simply moved my frame.
This may be the real reason I made my purchase:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-decision-lab/201109/pricing-and-framing-when-are-we-likely-pay-more-products
OBAMA SPREADS A LIE ABOUT GAY SOLDIER-BOOING, INCOHERENTLY
Instapundit » Blog Archive » OBAMA SPREADS A LIE ABOUT GAY SOLDIER-BOOING, INCOHERENTLY
Ann Althouse:
Obama must serve something to the assembled hungry masses, and this infected red meat is the best he’s got.
“There is a contagious lie and the President — he who often speaks of transcending divisiveness — is enthusiastically spreading it… while — ironically! — posing in the mantle of oneness, E pluribus unum.
The crowd goes wild, by the way.
Listen to the audio.
They find the infected http://althouse.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-have-listened-to-video-several-times.html red meat scrumptious!
And can you blame the poor man?
He must serve something to the assembled hungry masses, and this — this! — is the best he’s got.
And what does ‘We don’t believe in them being silent since’ mean?
It’s not a transcription error.
I’ve checked the audio (at the link).
Did he misread the TelePrompTer?
There’s no simple fix, like combining it with the next line, “You want to be Commander-in-Chief?”
The pronouns don’t match up.
But the crowd loves it.
This gibberish is quite delicious!”
Enthusiastically received gibberish.
That’s all they’ve got.
Resist we much!
Meanwhile, Prof. Jacobson notes when Obama thought it was okay to sit silently through slurshttp://legalinsurrection.com/2011/10/obama-silence-for-me-but-not-for-thee/ .
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 2:52 pm
Ann Althouse:
Obama must serve something to the assembled hungry masses, and this infected red meat is the best he’s got.
“There is a contagious lie and the President — he who often speaks of transcending divisiveness — is enthusiastically spreading it… while — ironically! — posing in the mantle of oneness, E pluribus unum.
The crowd goes wild, by the way.
Listen to the audio.
They find the infected http://althouse.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-have-listened-to-video-several-times.html red meat scrumptious!
And can you blame the poor man?
He must serve something to the assembled hungry masses, and this — this! — is the best he’s got.
And what does ‘We don’t believe in them being silent since’ mean?
It’s not a transcription error.
I’ve checked the audio (at the link).
Did he misread the TelePrompTer?
There’s no simple fix, like combining it with the next line, “You want to be Commander-in-Chief?”
The pronouns don’t match up.
But the crowd loves it.
This gibberish is quite delicious!”
Enthusiastically received gibberish.
That’s all they’ve got.
Resist we much!
Meanwhile, Prof. Jacobson notes when Obama thought it was okay to sit silently through slurshttp://legalinsurrection.com/2011/10/obama-silence-for-me-but-not-for-thee/ .
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 2:52 pm
Saturday, October 01, 2011
The Weekend Interview with Harold Hamm: How North Dakota Became Saudi Arabia
The Weekend Interview with Harold Hamm: How North Dakota Became Saudi Arabia - WSJ.com
With the right set of national energy policies, the United States could be "completely energy independent by the end of the decade.
We can be the Saudi Arabia of oil and natural gas in the 21st century."
With the right set of national energy policies, the United States could be "completely energy independent by the end of the decade.
We can be the Saudi Arabia of oil and natural gas in the 21st century."
The strange case of Anwar al Awlaki
The strange case of Anwar al Awlaki
Why didn’t we have to kill this traitor to the United States?
Because we had him in custody on U.S. soil on felony charges in 2002.
And we could have detained him indefinitely.
Amazing article.
Read it all!
Why didn’t we have to kill this traitor to the United States?
Because we had him in custody on U.S. soil on felony charges in 2002.
And we could have detained him indefinitely.
Amazing article.
Read it all!
Transit Authority: $1 Million Deficit, Highest Paid Executives
Transit Authority: $1 Million Deficit, Highest Paid Executives [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
“If these were private-sector businesses operating on their own, employee pay would be none of our business,” said Jack McHugh, senior legislative analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
“Transit agencies would dry up and blow away without massive taxpayer subsidies and that makes it the people’s business.”
“If these were private-sector businesses operating on their own, employee pay would be none of our business,” said Jack McHugh, senior legislative analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
“Transit agencies would dry up and blow away without massive taxpayer subsidies and that makes it the people’s business.”
NYPD Warns Women About Skirts in Brooklyn Sex Attack Probe
NYPD Warns Women About Skirts in Brooklyn Sex Attack Probe NBC New York
Women in a Brooklyn neighborhood on edge over a spate of sex attacks are being told by police that wearing skirts and dresses might not be a good idea.
Women in a Brooklyn neighborhood on edge over a spate of sex attacks are being told by police that wearing skirts and dresses might not be a good idea.
Samir Khan, Killed by Drone, Spun Out of the American Middle Class
Samir Khan, Killed by Drone, Spun Out of the American Middle Class - NYTimes.com
At the Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte, few of the several hundred Muslims gathered for Friday Prayer wanted to talk about Mr. Khan.
“This is a very dangerous road when you go and kill someone like this,” said Ayeb Suleiman, 25, a medical resident.
“He was just an editor.
He was just writing.”
"A religion of peace...."
At the Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte, few of the several hundred Muslims gathered for Friday Prayer wanted to talk about Mr. Khan.
“This is a very dangerous road when you go and kill someone like this,” said Ayeb Suleiman, 25, a medical resident.
“He was just an editor.
He was just writing.”
"A religion of peace...."
Friday, September 30, 2011
'Moderate' Meets Maker
'Moderate' Meets Maker - WSJ.com
The Yemeni Air Force has attacked America, or so you might have thought if you'd read the Associated Press's technically true but misleading headline this morning: "2 US Citizens Dead in Yemen Airstrike."
It was actually a CIA airstrike in Yemen, and the targets, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, were unlawful enemy combatants who happened to be U.S. citizens by accident of birth.
The Yemeni Air Force has attacked America, or so you might have thought if you'd read the Associated Press's technically true but misleading headline this morning: "2 US Citizens Dead in Yemen Airstrike."
It was actually a CIA airstrike in Yemen, and the targets, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, were unlawful enemy combatants who happened to be U.S. citizens by accident of birth.
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