Friday, January 06, 2012

Squirrel Buster Plus Wild Bird Feeder with Cardinal Perch Ring:


This is a GREAT birdfeeder!

Public workers' time-buying costs states

Public workers' time-buying costs states – USATODAY.com
Dan Pellissier, a former adviser to California's previous governor, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, paid $75,000 in 2004 for five years of work credit.
When he turns 55 in 2015, he will get a California pension of $61,536 a year — nearly $13,000 more than if he hadn't bought air time.
That's $320,000 extra by the time he is 80.
"They give away the store here," says Pellissier, now president of California Pension Reform, which is pushing to cut state retirement costs.

After Receiving Bailout, GM May Move Volt Production to China

After Receiving Bailout, GM May Move Volt Production to China - Yahoo! News
But, as mentioned in the above, what has some people truly upset is the fact that Girsky hinted that the Volt could eventually be built in China.
“If we localize, eventually it won’t have a tariff and it will get the subsidy.
We have made no decision on if, when or where we build Volt in the future,” Girsky said.

Admin. plans change in immigration rule

My Way News - AP source: Admin. plans change in immigration rule
The waiver shift is the latest move by President Barack Obama to make changes to immigration policy without congressional action.

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Virginia School Accused Of Making Students Perform Pro-Occupy Song

Virginia School Accused Of Making Students Perform Pro-Occupy Song « CBS Washington
As part of the regular Kid Pan Alley activities, children are asked about the topics of songs they want to write and sing about.
In October, one of the children participating in the activities at Woodbrook Elementary School mentioned that he wanted to write about “having it all and losing it all,”

2011 MichiganVotes.org Roll Call Highlights

2011 MichiganVotes.org Roll Call Highlights [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
MichiganVotes.org sends a weekly report to newspapers and TV stations around the state showing how state legislators in their service area voted on the most important or interesting bills of the past week.
This final report of 2011 instead contains votes on a few of the most impactful laws passed during the year.

Meet the Jihadist War Criminal Obama Plans to Release from Gitmo

Meet the Jihadist War Criminal Obama Plans to Release from Gitmo - By Andrew C. McCarthy - The Corner - National Review Online

Allen West finally sets record straight about National Defense Authoriza...

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

"If your average homeless person spent 30 to 40 dollars a month on a gym membership, they could shave and shower..."

Althouse: "If your average homeless person spent 30 to 40 dollars a month on a gym membership, they could shave and shower..."
"If your average homeless person spent 30 to 40 dollars a month on a gym membership, they could shave and shower... keep warm for most of the day, maybe stay fit and like they'd have a good opportunity to look at jobs," said a law student, who chose to go homeless to make life more challenging.

Happy New Year suckers, pay up: Your share of public pension crisis now $424,500

COMMENTARY: Happy New Year suckers, pay up: Your share of public pension crisis now $424,500
Here is a New Year’s resolution every American private sector worker must keep no matter what:
Write a check for $14,150 Jan. 1 to make up for state and municipal pension shortfalls.
Prepare to write one every year for 30 years.
This is on top of all other taxes and fees governments at all levels gouge from us.

Public Pension Term: “Airtime”

Public Pension Term: “Airtime”
This time, let’s look at the popular benefit of “buying airtime”:
Government workers in 21 states are using an obscure perk to retire early or to boost their annual pensions by thousands of dollars, which can cost taxpayers millions more in payments to retirement funds, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

The practice, called buying “air time,” lets state, municipal and school employees pay to add up to five years to their work history so they are eligible to retire and collect a lifetime pension.
Workers already eligible for retirement can buy extra years to boost a pension by up to 25%.
It’s called “air time” because workers buy credit for non-existent work, in contrast to policies that let workers buy credit for military service or government jobs in a different state.
This perk is only obscure to the general taxpaying public.
You bet your bippy it is well-known to the public employees in the 21 states that have some form of it.

Why Public Pensions Are So Rich

Andrew Biggs and Jason Richwine: Why Public Pensions Are So Rich - WSJ.com
"....the average teacher who retires today after 30 to 34 years of service had final earnings of $84,466 and collects a pension of $60,756 a year, plus annual cost-of-living adjustments, providing an income higher than 95% of retirees in Illinois"

Excellent Video on the Tax-the-Rich Mentality

Chevy Volt misses first-year sales target

Chevy Volt misses first-year sales target Green Tech - CNET News
The company reported today that it sold 7,671 Chevy Volts in 2011

"D'olt!"

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

The Coming Collapse of China

The Coming Collapse of China: 2012 Edition- By Gordon G. Chang Foreign Policy
Since late September, economic indicators -- electricity consumption, industrial orders, export growth, car sales, property prices, you name it -- are pointing toward either a flatlining or contracting economy.
Money started to leave the country in October, and Beijing's foreign reserves have been shrinking since September

MOMENT OF CLARITY: Downward Wisconsin

MOMENT OF CLARITY: Downward Wisconsin
We used to make things here in Wisconsin.

French honours branded a 'joke' after Sarkozy makes Hollywood actress Salma Hayek a Chevalier

French honours branded a 'joke' after Sarkozy makes Hollywood actress Salma Hayek a Chevalier - Telegraph

A Gathering Storm Over ‘Right to Work’ in Indiana

A Gathering Storm Over ‘Right to Work’ in Indiana - NYTimes.com

Americans Elect: Obama's Third-Party Tar Pit

Articles: Americans Elect: Obama's Third-Party Tar Pit
After qualifying for the ballot in all 50 states, Americans Elect will seek a candidate who will be tasked with grabbing a large portion of the independent, unaffiliated American middle and soft center-right, thereby tossing an otherwise lost cause to Obama.
It is that simple.

"Americans Elect" remember the name and be forewarned!

Rasmussen: Dem party affiliation at all-time low

Rasmussen: Dem party affiliation at all-time low « Hot Air
The real story in this survey, though, is the growing gap between Republicans and Democrats.
The margin in December was 2.7%, the widest margin for all of 2011. Just three years ago, as Barack Obama took office, Democrats had an eight-point edge in affiliation, 41/33.
The new level for Republican affiliation breaks out of the long-held 31-34% range for Republicans.

Not running TO the GOPers.
Running away from Obamanation.

24 Funniest Town Names in America

24 Funniest Town Names in America Reader's Digest

Photos: Boeing 737-7V3 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Photos: Boeing 737-7V3 Aircraft Pictures Airliners.net

Monday, January 02, 2012

New Class At Columbia Focuses On Occupy Wall Street

New Class At Columbia Focuses On Occupy Wall Street « CBS New York
Columbia University will offer a new course for upperclassmen and grad students next semester.
An Occupy Wall Street class will send students into the field and will be taught by Dr. Hannah Appel, a veteran of the Occupy movement.
The course begins next semester and will be divided between class work at Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus and fieldwork that will require students to become involved with the Occupy movement outside of the classroom.
The course will be called “Occupy the Field: Global Finance, Inequality, Social Movement” it will be run by the anthropology department.

Gullible Americans

"You say, “Come on, Williams, you’re paranoid.
There are already laws against distracted driving, and it would never come to that!”
Let’s look at some other camels' noses into tents."

Lots of noses under lots of our tents.
Stand and be heard or they will take away every right we have.
It's what they do.

Obama Enters The Twilight Zone

Instapundit » Blog Archive » PETER WEHNER: Obama Enters The Twilight Zone.
We are now reaching the point in which the president is running a truly post-modern campaign, in which there is no objective truth but simply narrative.
Obama’s campaign isn’t simply distorting the facts; it is inverting them.
This kind of thing isn’t unusual to find in the academy.
But to see a president and his campaign so thoroughly deconstruct truth in order to maintain power is quite rare.
The sheer audacity of Obama’s cynicism is a wonder of the modern world.”
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 6:24 pm

PETA wants highway memorials to cows killed in wrecks

PETA wants highway memorials to cows killed in wrecks - Chicago Sun-Times
An animal rights group wants Illinois to install highway signs in memory of cattle that died when trucks hauling them flipped in two separate wrecks.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants to buy the markers, one in suburban Hazel Crest and one northwest of Peoria.
PETA’s Dec. 15 request to the Illinois Department of Transportation contends the signs would pay tribute to the more than 20 head of cattle killed as a result of negligent driving in Illinois in 2011.

Europe cannot save the euro, nor save itself from the euro

Europe cannot save the euro, nor save itself from the euro - Telegraph
The deflated apparatchiks of the EU watch powerlessly as a tragedy unfolds.

2011's Best Sports Photos

In a Snap: The Year's Best Photos

Photographer Mark J. Terrill took his shot of the North Carolina-Michigan State basketball game on board USS Carl Vinson

Americans buy record numbers of guns for Christmas

Americans buy record numbers of guns for Christmas - Telegraph
According to the FBI, over 1.5 million background checks on customers were requested by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in December.
Nearly 500,000 of those were in the six days before Christmas.
It was the highest number ever in a single month, surpassing the previous record set in November.
On Dec 23 alone there were 102,222 background checks, making it the second busiest single day for buying guns in history.

When we lose faith in our government........