Culture Of Corruption

Michelle Malkin has out a new book:

Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies

Here is an Amazon review:

By Peter Ingemi (Worcester County, Massachusetts United States)

Michelle Malkin's new book "Culture of Corruption" is a damning review of a connected Chicago Pol and his connected wife who have surrounded themselves with other connected and corrupt people who only seem to have one thing in common; living off the proceeds of those connections.

The book details how over and over people have been given positions of power and used that power to direct public monies to friends, political sponsors and their families. The reward? Political support both funds and muscle, employment for family and friends and when their time of "public service" is through; "jobs" to establish or increase their personal wealth.

There are two distinct groups the first are Direct members of the "Chicago Crowd" such as the first lady and Valerie Jarret detailed in Chapter 2. These are the folks that greased the wheels to get this president where he is today. The SEIU and ACORN Chapters also reflect the Chicago connection. They are a great example of what is wrong with machine politics.

The other group are appointments unrelated to his Chicago crowd who bring their own connections/ethics/money issues to the table. It is the willingness to embrace that 2nd group, much to the surprise of "locals" familiar with the foibles of these connected pols, Washington and wall street insiders that is striking but not surprising. If after all you are going to run things the Chicago Way you need people who understand the ground rules of connection and reward. These people do in spades. (The Joe Biden chapters fits is perfectly here).

The 300 pages and the copious notes including tons of web references with dates of access very much support the thesis that the "hope and change" of the administration is a lot of Hotair.

You can read the rest of the review at the book link above.

You can also watch Ms. Malkin on PJTV discussing her book. She brings up a lot of questions based on recent news that are not included in her book.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

A New Term

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the term used in computing GIGO.

Garbage In Garbage Out

Well some wag has redefined that term with reference to Climate Science.

Garbage In Gospel Out

There Seems To Be A Slight Disagreement

The Democrats are having a health care problem. Some factions of the party are sick of each other.

Liberals, Hispanics and African-American members — Pelosi’s most loyal base of support — are feeling betrayed after House Energy and Commerce Committee
Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) reached an agreement with four of seven Blue Dogs
on his committee who had been bottling up the bill over concerns about cost.

The compromise, which still must be reconciled with competing House and Senate versions, would significantly weaken the public option favored by liberals by delinking reimbursement rates to Medicare.

“Waxman made a deal that is unacceptable,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), one of about 10 progressives who met repeatedly with Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Wednesday.

“We signed a pledge to reject any plan that doesn’t include a robust public option, and this plan doesn’t have a robust public option,” he added.

I think "robust" is Democrat speak for "big taxpayer rip off".

I blame it all on Howard Dean's strategy to get Democrats elected in the South. He got the politicians changed all right. What he forgot to do was to change the people. A common failing of both parties. In this round it is hurting the Democrats. Eventually the worm will turn. Then the Republicans can learn (or not most likely) to deal with Party members not fully committed to the Party agenda.

I LOVE gridlock. The less the government does the better. Especially on the Federal level.

What Is Wrong With Republicans? #2 In A Series

The Cash For Clunkers Program that I wrote about here is a rousing success. So much so that the $1 billion that was supposed to last three months is gone in a week.

The Obama administration is telling lawmakers that its much-touted "cash-for-clunkers" program is already running out of money, according to three Senate aides familiar with the discussions.

The program — aimed at giving at boost to the U.S. auto industry — was supposed to expire at the end of October. But in the one week since it took effect, it appears to have run dry of the $1 billion allocated to it, aides said Thursday.

The Obama administration had told senators that the program would be suspended at midnight Thursday, aides said, but a White House official told POLITICO that the administration is "working tonight to assess the situation facing what is obviously an incredibly popular program.

Well why wouldn't it be popular. It is a direct subsidy on the order of $3,000 to $4,000 for the purchase of a new car. All you need is a drivable junker that you have owned for a year to trade in to get the Government Cash. Can't afford a new car? Credit bad? Tough luck. This is not for the peasants. It is to help boost Government Motors, Crisis Motors, and FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) Motors.

Now here is where the Republicans come in on the "deal".

One Michigan Republican, Congresswoman Candice Miller, has already come out in favor of extending the program, saying in a statement: “There can be no doubt that the Cash for Clunkers program is a complete success given the fact that the entire $1 billion allocated to the program was expended in less than a week."

She called the program "simply the most stimulative $1 billion the federal government has spent during the entire economic downturn."

Stimulative for the folks getting the money. A stone rip off for the taxpayers who will wind up paying the bill. And we have a Republican dancing in the street over this? Doesn't the Republican Party have any principles any more? Well I guess I already knew the answer to that question. Still.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Do Canadians Like Their Health Care?

Lefty economist Paul Krugman asks about Canadian health care.

H/T Judith Weiss on Facebook

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Something On Economics

Tim Price has an interesting take on bankers.

...the coinage "banker" has now completely replaced its assonant rival as a term of abuse to describe the hopelessly objectionable and contemptible.

Given the state of the economy shouldn't the term be "tanker"? However, many blame W for the current mess.

And if the above sentence doesn't set your head spinning it isn't screwed on right.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Shaviv Applies The Shiv

I was looking at Nir Shaviv's site Sience Bits and came across an interesting paragraph.

According to the IPCC (AR4), the solar irradiance is responsible for a net radiative forcing increase between the Maunder Minimum and today of 0.12 W/m² (0.06 to 0.60 at 90% confidence). We know however that the Maunder minimum was about 1°C colder (e.g., from direct temperature measurements of boreholes - e.g., this summary). This requires a global sensitivity of 1.0/0.12°C/(W/m²). Since doubling the CO₂ is thought to induce a 3.8 W/m² change in the radiative forcing, irradiance/climate correlations require a CO₂ doubling temperature of ΔT_x2 ~ 31°C !! Besides being at odds with other observations, any sensitivity larger than ΔT_x2 ~ 10°C would cause the climate to be unconditionally unstable (see box here).

Clearly, the IPCC scientists don't comprehend that their numbers add up to a totally inconsistent picture. Of course, the real story is that solar forcing, even just the irradiance change, is larger than the IPCC values.

Make sure that you look at the box at Ice Core Truth where he shows that any value for climate sensitivity above 10°C for a doubling of CO2 produces an unconditionally unstable climate. That is the crux of the matter.

Now for a bit of speculation. Why aren't the alarmist numbers internally consistent? I suspect they are cooking the books.

And speaking of books. There is one on that very subject:

Red Hot Lies: How Global Warming Alarmists Use Threats, Fraud, and Deception to Keep You Misinformed

Cross Posted at Classical Values

A New Right

John Conyers thinks we should have a new right. He is not talking about a change in his political opposition either.

During his speech at a recent National Press Club luncheon, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said he is introducing a constitutional amendment that would establish health care as “a right” for all Americans.

Humans have rights to free speech, self defense, the right to be left alone by government.

When exactly did this new right come into being? If it is new then it is not unalienable.

And what exactly is the cut off point? Should the government spend $1 billion to give me 1 more week of life? Or is $100 million a more reasonable number?

To exercise the right to keep and bear arms you have to buy your own. Will the same be true of medical care?

If we have a right to government medical care can I please have a government tank? Or maybe just a couple of mortar tubes, a rifle or three (full auto), and a shot gun for clearing trenches. Did I leave out a pistol? Plus 10,000 rounds of ammunition a year for each so I can keep in practice. And replacements (the most modern) for all the above every 5 years. That way all the militias will be similarly armed.

Oh yeah. I want to add some anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank weapons to the mix as well. Probably 50 of each. You can never get too much practice.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

A Rebirth Of Mainstream Libertarianism?

Ronald Reagan said:

If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.

Well guess who is speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on August 8th? Sarah Palin.

Her first order of business as a private citizen is to speak Aug. 8 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. She also wants to campaign for political candidates from coast to coast, and continue to speak her mind on the social networking site Twitter, one of her favorite venues to reach out to supporters.

And not just Twitter. You can find Sarah Palin On Facebook.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

No Limit

The government market regulators are having a meeting.

It’s a busy day for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as testimony is heard regarding the controversial proposal to limit position sizes on all finite commodities.

Evidently there will be no limit on stupidity.




Cross Posted at Classical Values

Follow The Moon

Google has some ideas on how to lower its electricity bill.

“The ability to seamlessly shift workloads between data centers also creates intriguing long-term energy management possibilities, including a “follow the moon” strategy which takes advantage of lower costs for power and cooling during overnight hours. In this scenario, virtualized workloads are shifted across data centers in different time zones to capture savings from off-peak utility rates.”

A geographically diverse company like Google could shift its computing loads around to follow low night-time power costs. But it also seems likely that utilities could also bid to fill Google’s computing power needs. States would want to have Google crunch its servers using their utilities power so that they would get the extra utilities tax. And utilities would want to bid to get the extra Google business. (Actually, this probably wouldn’t happen in California, where utilities are incentivized to sell less power, not more.)

Well the evidence is in about California. There are some terminally stupid people running that state. Fortunately there are some smart people running Google. As suggested in the article they will probably just bypass California and use Washington State or Oregon State to supply California with bits.

Correcting Their Stance?

The American Physical Society is reviewing their stance on the issue of man made global warming.

Petitioning for a revised statement on climate change

By S. Fred Singer, Hal Lewis, Will Happer, Larry Gould, Roger Cohen & Robert H. Austin

We write in response to your issue discussing “the coming climate crunch”, including the Editorial ‘Time to act‘ (Nature 458, 10771078; 2009). We feel it is alarmist.

We are among more than 50 current and former members of the American Physical Society (APS) who have signed an open letter to the APS Council this month, calling for a reconsideration of its November 2007 policy statement on climate change (see open letter at this link; APS statement at this link). The letter proposes an alternative statement, which the signatories believe to be a more accurate representation of the current scientific evidence. It requests that an objective scientific process be established, devoid of political or financial agendas, to help prevent subversion of the scientific process and the intolerance towards scientific disagreement that pervades the climate issue.

On 1 May 2009, the APS Council decided to review its current statement via a high-level subcommittee of respected senior scientists. We applaud this decision. It is the first such reappraisal by a major scientific professional society that we are aware of, and we hope it will lead to meaningful change that reflects a more balanced view of climate-change issues

Dissension in the ranks? Is the consensus breaking down? Is scepticism becoming respectable in science again? I sure hope the answer to the last question is: Yes! Because without scepticism science is not science, it is religion. A religion known as scientism.

H/T Simen Thoresen via e-mail

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Henry Gates - A Study In Anger

Evidently Henry Gates is a Professor at Harvard. His discipline is called Angry Studies. It confers a degree in Anger. The initial degree is BS Anger. The next is Master of Anger. The ultimate is Doctor of Anger. A Doctor of Anger gets to write peer reviewed papers explaining why their anger is special.

Dave Hucker tells me: "I pursued the Anger degree at my local community college. I flunked the Self Righteous Anger semester. Just couldn't justify it."

H/T Iowa Hawk on Facebook

Cross Posted at Classical Values

A Secret Plan

It seems some Senators have been meeting in secret to come up with a plan to destroy the insurance companies. Or raise the cost of insurance. Or both.

the proposal under discussion by six members on the Senate Finance Committee would bar insurance companies from denying coverage to any applicant. Nor could insurers charge higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

Now exactly how are the insurance companies going to pay for the privilege of taking on a bunch of people who are already sick? It throws all their actuarial calculations out the window.

Coming next - a bail out of favored insurance companies.

OTOH this could be a ploy to raise campaign "donations" from insurance companies. They will have to "donate" in self defense.

The other possibility is that the senators are insane.

Which brings up Simon's Law:

It is unwise to attribute to malice alone that which can be attributed to malice and stupidity.

Democrats Can't Deliver

President ∅'s minions say the Democrats can't deliver on their health care bill without the help of Republicans. And the Republicans are not helping.

President Barack Obama's push to overhaul health care needs Republican votes, lawmakers from both parties say.

Democratic and GOP officials acknowledged Sunday that Obama's ambitious plan would not pass without the aid of a doubtful GOP, whose members are almost united against the White House effort.

"Look, there are not the votes for Democrats to do this just on our side of the aisle," said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., the chairman of the budget committee.

Rep. Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat and a member of the fiscally conservative "Blue Dogs," said he doubts the Democratic-controlled House could pass a proposal as it's drafted now.

"We have a long way to go," Cooper said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, insisted she has the votes to move forward with the plan despite concerns among fiscally conservative fellow Democrats.

"When I take this bill to the floor, it will win. We will move forward, it will happen," said Pelosi, D-Calif.

There are 257 Democrats in the House and 218 are needed to pass a Bill. That means that if the Republicans hold firm the Democrats are a minimum of 40 votes short. That is a defection rate of a little more than 15%.

I think Pelosi needs to be floored before the American people get kicked to the floor. There is only one way to make sure this turkey gets the ax. Keep the pressure on. So keep those e-mails, faxes, and phone calls coming.

House of Representatives
The Senate

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Climate Forcing Philosophy

Warmists philosophy –

To reduce CO2 forcing we need to increase government forcing.

Something Must Be Done

There is an organization called Climate Justice that works to get Climate Change Laws (CO2 taxes) enforced. They are looking for cases. I sent them this letter:

It has come to my attention that global temperatures have stalled with CO2 rising and that the head of the IPCC says we will be cooling until 2020. Can’t something be done to get temperatures rising again and to silence the head of the IPCC? Everything we have worked for is in jeopardy if something isn’t done soon.

I also note that India plans to keep building coal fired plants no matter what and that China is not slowing down either. You need to sue those countries until they get on the bandwagon. If something is not done very soon the deniers will be in control everywhere.

You can send them a letter too. Just click on the link.

Here are a couple of books on Global Warming that may help you with your letter:

Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science

Air Con: The Seriously Inconvenient Truth About Global Warming

H/T Watts Up With That in the comments.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Congressman - Did You Read The Bill?

H/T Judith Weiss on Facebook

Persians Don't Like Carter

You can find more photos of the demonstrations in Vancouver, Canada at Atlas Shrugs.

8:05 Pm: Vancouver has the largest Persian community in Canada. They are diverse: Muslims, some women even had scarves, Christians, Bahais and Atheists. Much thanks to Armaros for the pics, "I just got back from the demo. Took 10 shots, there were between 500-700 people, really hot sun, lots of music, dance and a generally festive mood showing the contrast between the good and the evil who when demonstration only display morbid pictures and hateful slogans."

Pam Geller (Atlas) is doing a great job of covering events in Iran. Keep her in mind for the latest events in that area of the world.

I'm wondering though, should our President be known as OCarter or Carbama?

Carbama has a nice ring. And fits with his allies.

H/T R. Dave at Talk Polywell

The Drug War Is A War On You

Here are some other videos in the series.

This one is especially heart wrenching:
Unable To Help - the Good Juice

Love, Death, and the War On Drugs:
I'm Not A Good Deal

These videos were prompted by a comment at Who Pays? by Ms. Cris Ericson.

(1) The Vermont Board of Medical Practice has raised the cost to patients in Vermont by forcing them to go to HMO's and the Vermont Board of Medical Practice has done this by driving family practice doctors out; and it is more expensive because the doctors who are allowed to stay in business are required to send chronic pain patients to specialty clinics that force patients to sign "contracts" and will not treat them if they dont'; and these "contracts" force patients to submit to humiliating and demeaning criminal probation procedures of drug urine testing the patients for illegal drugs, for which the doctors have no search warrants and no private right of action to charge these innocent disabled patients with a crime.

So, the COST of medical practice in Vermont goes higher and higher by invention of this type of specialty clinic and the associated UNNECESSARY TESTING!

Vermont News

2nd story: Vermont Board of Medical Practice Criminalizes Prescription Painkillers!

The Vermont News! website directly links to the Vermont Board of Medical Practice website where, if you search "actions" and click on 2009 and scroll down to In re Mitchel R. Miller, M.D.,
you will see that one of the filed documents is by Phil Ciotti, INVESTIGATOR, who claims that he told a patient THE STREET VALUE OF HER PRESCRIPTIONS, and allegedly, because he abused her by scaring her and frightening her, she allegedly agreed to give up taking prescription painkillers.

But for the fact that the Investigator for the Vermont Board of Medical Practice allegedly threatened and terrified a patient BY TELLING HER THE STREET VALUE OF HER PRESCRIPTIONS, she would not have agreed to stop taking them.

ISN'T THIS CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION?

Yes it is.

Think of what it will be like when the government is 100% in control of medicine.

You can read more stories about the War On People in Pain at Pain Relief Network.

And of course I have written extensively on the subject. It is my belief - backed up by facts - that addicts are in chronic pain and that pain is not yet recognized by the medical profession. It has happened before with fibromyalgia. At one time fibromyalgia patients were treated by the medical profession as common addicts. No longer.

The Pain In The Brain

Addiction Is A Genetic Disease

Is Addiction Real?

Heroin

PTSD and the Endocannabinoid System

Is your pain legal?

And we want to hand the medical profession over to more ENFORCERS with guns? Why?

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Two Trillion And Counting

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Sarah Palin Is Reading A Book

Sarah Palin is reading a book.

Thomas Lifson writing for the American Thinker:

Sarah Palin has already demonstrated a capacity to connect with ordinary Americans. This charisma frightens and angers many and the left, and not a few Republicans as well. I fully expect Governor Palin, whose mind displays the quality of a rapid learner who knows how to use what she has learned, to begin to ground her public statements in the philosophical depth so well-presented in Liberty and Tyranny.

The phony intellectual elitists, who have little or no understanding, much less grounding, in the fundamental ideas undergirding the American republic are not going to know what has hit them, once Sarah Palin returns to the public spotlight to discuss the future of our nation. The shallow conservative intellectuals, jealous of her connection to the taproot of the American spirit will also be bewildered.

So what about the book?

Liberty and Tyranny

Here is a review I found interesting.

By Christopher M. Capone

I've been a Democrat for as long as I can remember. I am not a far left liberal, or a "Statist" as Mark would say. I do wonder though if Mark thinks all Democrats are Statists. I consider myself a Democrat simply because I am a little left of center, I am more conservative when it comes to fiscal matters and liberal when it comes to social issues. But as a Democrat, I enjoyed this book and I urge other people who may not see themselves as Conservatives to have an open mind and read this book. It is very well written and Mr. Levin makes many great points. If you're not a Conservatives, this book will not change your views overnight, so don't worry. Also, this book is not "Republican propaganda" as other reviewers, who probably didn't read the book, have labeled it. However, this book might open your eyes to things you never thought of before. After reading this book, I do have much more respect for true Conservative principles that Mr. Levin outlines. This was a good read.

I think if Christopher was a little more up on political terminology he would consider himself a libertarian. I'm probably in the same political demographic. Fiscally conservative, socially moderate and in favor of small government. Which is why I consider myself a libertarian Republican.

Palin is my gal. Politically.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Slow Down

India is not going along with the climate change scare.

India has taken the hardest line in the negotiations so far. Along with China, India refused at the meeting of the Group of Eight industrialised nations this month to sign up to a target of cutting global emissions by half by 2050. The countries were holding out to gain concessions from the west on financing.

The claims from Mr Ramesh that Western science was wrong on the question of melting Himalayan glaciers appeared to reinforce Delhi’s recalcitrant stance.

Mr Ramesh this week challenged Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, over her appeal to India to embrace a low-carbon future and not repeat the mistakes of the developed world in seeking fast industrialisation.

Well of course. If the Indians would only be content to die and pass up the advantages of wealth it would be so much better wouldn't it Herr Clinton? What are a few million dead children among friends?

Besides, fast industrialization would decimate the servant class don’t you know. Can't have that now can we?

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Who Pays?

Neurosurgeons don't come cheap. Here is why.

When a neurosurgeon pays $200,000 a year for malpractice insurance before he even turns on the light in his office or hires his first nurse, who do you think pays? Patients, in higher doctor fees to cover the insurance.

And with jackpot justice that awards one claimant zillions while others get nothing -- and one-third of everything goes to the lawyers -- where do you think that money comes from? The insurance companies, who then pass it on to you in higher premiums.

But the greatest waste is the hidden cost of defensive medicine: tests and procedures that doctors order for no good reason other than to protect themselves from lawsuit. Every doctor knows, as I did when I practiced years ago, how much unnecessary medical cost is incurred with an eye not on medicine but on the law.

Tort reform would yield tens of billions in savings. Yet you cannot find it in the Democratic bills. And Obama breathed not a word about it in the full hour of his health care news conference. Why? No mystery. The Democrats are parasitically dependent on huge donations from trial lawyers.

Them Democrats only have your best interests at heart. Just ask their fund raisers.

I Found A Joke

I found a really good Obama Joke in the comments at ECN magazine:

A woman in a hot-air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."

The man smiled and responded, "You must be an Obama Democrat."

"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."

Here is a book of Obama Jokes:

Politically Incorrect Barack Obama Jokes

It did not get a very good rating. I'm not totally sure if it was because of Obama or because of the jokes.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Mr. Obama Made A Few Promises

Yep. Mr. Obama made a few promises and some statements about the world. Andrew Klavan says they are crap. Watch the video (4 minutes)

The Most Fraud, Waste, And Abuse

The doctor in the video is talking about Medicare when he says it has the most fraud, waste, and abuse. So the question is: how is the current plan for National Health Care going to fix that? As far as I can tell it isn't even addressed.

The other question is under-reimbursement of doctors? The Congress seems to have paid off doctors to get their support.

..."House Democrats want to give doctors a $245 billion sweetener that helps ensure their critical support for a health care overhaul bill," The Associated Press reports in a separate story. "Next up: Trying to explain how they could do it without breaking President Barack Obama's promise that health legislation won't increase the federal deficit. ... Democrats and the Obama administration argue that the $245 billion included for doctors — the approximate 10-year cost of adjusting Medicare reimbursement rates so physicians don't face big annual pay cuts — does not have to be counted in the overall cost of the health care bill. Their only-in-Washington reasoning is that they already decided to exempt it from congressional 'pay-as-you-go' rules that require new programs to be paid for. In other words, it doesn't have to be paid for because they decided it doesn't have to be paid for."

"Old policy or new, no one disputes that the 'doc fix' does in fact add to the deficit. And the administration's position carried no weight with the CBO when it released its analysis of the House Democrats' bill.

Smoke, mirrors, and lies. From our President and Congress? I'm shocked.

The Cities Are Getting Restless

Yes the cities are getting restless - in California.

More than 180 California cities have passed resolutions threatening to sue the state if lawmakers approve a budget plan that would seize $4.7 billion in local funds to help close the state’s massive deficit, according to the League of California Cities.

Judy Mitchell, mayor of Rolling Hills Estates and president of the League of California Cities, described the budget proposal as a “ponzi scheme that passes off responsibility to future governors, legislators and to our taxpayers.”

The plan announced Monday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders uses a variety of means to essentially shift part of the state’s $26.3-billion budget deficit to city and county governments. The prospect of losing $313 million in redevelopment funds and $109 million in gasoline taxes prompted the lawsuit threat from Los Angeles County supervisors Tuesday. The cities and league would join the L.A. County lawsuit.

I think this may be a trial balloon for the Federal Government.

The Declaration of Independence had a few words on the subject.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

It seems as if the serfs are starting to stand up. Revolution is in the wind. By ballot if that can be done. By other means if not.

Modern Tribalism - Reminices Of A Red Diaper Baby

An interview with author Harry Stein by Glenn Reynolds. A discussion of liberal tribalism.

Here are links to the books discussed in the interview:

I Can't Believe I'm Sitting Next to a Republican: A Survival Guide for Conservatives Marooned Among the Angry, Smug, and Terminally Self-Righteous

How I Accidentally Joined the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy: (and Found Inner Peace)

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Shut Up

And what sort of political regime/philosophy tries to silence its citizens? A guy wrote a book about it:

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Change

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Obama: "I Have Great Insurance"

President Obama is satisfied with his insurance.

Obama says it's not about him. "I have great health insurance and so does every member of Congress," the president said in remarks prepared for his news conference Wednesday night. "This debate is about the letters I read when I sit in the Oval Office every day, and the stories I hear at town hall meetings. This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer."

But confidence in his approach is slipping. Independents, middle-of-the-roaders who were vital for Obama's election, are increasingly skeptical. Forty-seven percent disapprove of how he is handling health care, up from 30 percent in April, the AP poll shows.

If this plan he wants to FORCE on the rest of us is so good why doesn't he promise to drop his plan and join the plan he is proposing - out of solidarity? Why don't all the Congress Critters pushing this plan promise to drop their coverage and join any plan they vote on? I guess the proposed plan is good enough for the peasants and not good enough for our masters.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Shootings In Houston

Here is a link that will help you decipher the hand signs.

So why rap music (which I generally hate) and hand signs? Well I have a story about a political rally. And the "singer" in the video performed at the rally.

Multiple shootings were reported at a Wednesday night concert on the Texas Southern University campus where a spokeswoman said at least three people were wounded.

TSU spokeswoman Eva Pickens tells the Houston Chronicle at least three people were shot at the event hosted by Houston City Council member Peter Brown, who is running for mayor. Pickens says it's unclear if any students were injured and there was no immediate word on conditions.

Lucinda Gwinn, who manages Brown's mayoral campaign, said the concert by rapper Trae the Truth was organized by TSU, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Brown and other council members and officials to promote voter registration.

Houston police told KTRK-TV four people were shot at three locations within a block, one on campus and two off campus.

What exactly did these pols expect when they scheduled the musical "entertainment"? Peace, love, and good vibes?

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Obama: No Surgery - Take A Pain Killer

Well now we know why the bill has a mandatory Advance Care Planning section in it. Under Obama Care you are going to need it a LOT sooner than you think.

H/T Hot Air

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Congress Should Be Forced On It

H/T Hot Air

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Democrats Attack Their Own

It seems like the Democrat Party is not happy with some Democrats.

The DNC announced that they will start running ads in Blue Dog districts to punish them for their vote on Waxman-Markey. They may do the same for any Democratic nays on ObamaCare.

This is great. I remember not so long ago when they ran Lamont against Lieberman and Lieberman won a stunning victory. BTW Lieberman is now a Democrat leaning independent. And independent is the largest and fastest growing "party" in the American electorate.

Now what if the ads the Democrats run make the Blue Dogs more popular in their districts for expressing the will of their voters?

Can Democrats be this stupid? In a word - YES. But not to fear. The Republicans are working real hard to catch up and take the lead if they can. They have done it before.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

A Plan To Destroy 4 Million Jobs

I like some of the ideas presented. Like a national market for insurance. I'm not sure of all the ideas presented but at least they are ideas vs. the government swallows everything.

In other related news the President has delayed releasing the latest economic report until after the health care vote. My assumption is that the numbers are bad or more likely worse.

The Obama administration announced Monday that its Mid-Session Budget Review would not be released this month, as previously scheduled, but rather would be pushed to August.

The Obama administration’s projections of economic growth, the deficit and the unemployment rate in preliminary budget estimates in February and May have since been proven overly optimistic. As the president pushes for the House and Senate to pass health care reform legislation before adjourning for the August recess, it could complicate matters to have an official White House acknowledgment that the economy is far worse that it had predicted – especially as moderate Democrats in the House and Senate balk at the cost of the proposals.

In any case I have written my Representative, Don Manzullo, suggesting he reject Cap and Trade and the Democrat Health Care Bill. So far he has rejected Cap and Trade and has written me a long letter (not personal I'm sure but very informative) on Cap and Trade.

Perhaps it is time to contact your Senators and Congressman to encourage them to Stop The Madness.

House of Representatives

The Senate

It couldn't hurt and might help.

H/T Judith Weiss on Facebook

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Buy American

If we all bought 60% fewer oil products like gasoline, diesel, and plastics we could solve one buy American problem right there. Unless foreigners sold it cheaper than we could produce it.

Of course I love the idea of government mandates to buy American. Especially if American products cost more. We could lower our standard of living and be patriotic at the same time. What is not to like?

Anecdotal Evidence II

I was reading the comments at a Town Hall post and came across this one.

Recently, I stopped to grab lunch at sandwich shop/gas station. It was busy there so I parked in the hinterlands. While walking to the store I passed the gas pumps and I noticed a young black man about 30 splashing some gasoline on the side of his SUV. As I got closer I noticed that the man was stooped over and peeling the "Obama '08" decal off.

I couldn't resist. I asked him "how's that Hope & Change thing working out for you?". Half expecting an altercation he angrily looked up at me and yelled out "the mother f***** lied to us, he's ruined our economy", he's bowing to Saudi Kings, meeting with dictators, he's making speeches in Arab countries, he's apologizing to the world for America's deeds, and to top it off now he's making our soldiers mirandize the terrorists on the battlefield, he's a complete idiot, and now he's president".

He went on a total rant about Obama, citing a whole list of things that he felt was un-American and finished with "he's probably not even a native born American and not eligible to be president".

He went on to explain that he and others from the black community were lied to by the Democrats and were completely misled about Obama. He said "I'll never vote Democrat again", at which point I reached out shook his hand and said "welcome to the Republican Party". He said "thanks" and that many of his family, friends and acquaintances felt as he did.

He also said "we have also been misled about the Republicans, and were told that they didn't like Blacks which isn't true...it’s the Democrats that hold us back".

We parted friends.

I truly believe that "buyers remorse" is beginning to set in.

An isolated incident or the start of a trend? Hard to say. I await further developments.

One thing for sure, The Smartest President Ever™ is not as smart as he used to be.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

The Birth Of Truth?

It looks like the Obama Birth Certificate issue is heating up.

In a move certain to fuel the debate over Obama's qualifications for the presidency, the group Americans for Freedom of Information has Released copies of President Obama's college transcripts from Occidental College Released today, the transcript indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro, received financial aid as a foreign student from Indonesia as an undergraduate at the school. The transcript was released by Occidental College in compliance with a court order in a suit brought by the group in the Superior Court of California. The transcript shows that Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was awarded a fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation Scholarship program. To qualify, for the scholarship, a student must claim foreign citizenship. This document would seem to provide the smoking gun that many of Obama's detractors have been seeking.

Well that is INTERESTING. Is that the truth or was he lying to get government money? If it is the truth he is in big trouble. If he was lying he is a fraudster.

And wonder of wonders it looks like the Supreme Court will weigh in.

In a related matter, under growing pressure from several groups, Justice Antonin Scalia announced that the Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to hear arguments concerning Obama's legal eligibility to serve as President in a case brought by Leo Donofrio of New Jersey . This lawsuit claims Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. Donofrio's case is just one of 18 suits brought by citizens demanding proof of Obama's citizenship or qualification to serve as president.

Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their investigation of Obama's campaign spending. This study estimates that Obama has spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his personal records.

A Kreep going after our beloved President? You just can't make this stuff up. Fortunately I don't have to.

Now that I have (some of) your hopes up, let me throw some dry ice (it is very cold and made of CO2 - the most evil substance known to man - next to stupidity) on those hopes.

There is supposed to be a story on the front page of the Brit Daily Mail about all or part of this.

But there is no such article at the Daily Mail, there is no record of Robert Gibbs making any such statement, there is no such group as the Americans for Freedom of Information, and finally, of course, there is no record of any such Associated Press story actually being written.

And you know what? I couldn't find the Daily Mail story either. And I looked hard.

There is a United States Justice Foundation but there is nothing there about Scalia and the Supreme Court. Evidently the Supreme Court has already turned down a chance to hear the Donofrio suit. And that was in December of 2008.

This is just another case of ODiouS. Obama Derangement Syndrome. I wonder who gets the IOU for that one?

If Obama is going down it will have to be done the old fashioned way. Bare knuckle politics. Have you been to a Tea Party lately? Have you contacted your Congress critter about Bills and votes?

House of Representatives
The Senate

H/T R. Dave by e-mail

Cross Posted at Classical Values

CO2 Is A Moral Issue

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Lower Gasoline Prices

Purchasing Magazine predicts lower gasoline prices for at least 6 months and maybe longer.

Gasoline prices have been on a recession-defying march in the first half with futures prices rising largely on optimism that a strengthening economy eventually will drive demand higher. However, "it's more hope than fact," analyst Adam Sieminski of Deutsche Bank in New York tells the Associated Press. "Investors think the economy has bottomed and possibly recovering and they're moving to assets they think will benefit from the economic recovery and that includes commodities generally and oil specifically."

The retail price of gasoline may have peaked around $2.63/gallon in early June, according to economists who see prices slipping this autumn. "This run-up in gasoline prices shouldn't last," according to Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, N.J., who says a repeat of the 2008 record run-up past $4/gallon in July isn't anticipated. "It would take a geopolitical disaster, an earthquake or major hurricane damage to drive prices much higher than they are now," he says.

You have to wonder why the greedy oil companies haven't jacked up prices? After all people were willing to pay $4 a gallon last year. Maybe they do operate on the supply and demand principle after all.

Statistical Sun

While noodling around the 'net I came across a statistical study of the history of sunspots and the Earth's climate. (if the English is less than perfect it is because the person writing is a native of Finland)

When the planetary effects have been searched as a cause for sunspots, a gravitational effect is mostly assumed. My theory is purely statistical so it does not necessitate a theory about the physical background. But still one can make some speculations. Evidence strongly suggests that the sunspots have a clear electromagnetic nature. The solar system baths in the electromagnetic field of the Sun. Nasa announced in 2008 that there are some kind of electromagnetic "ropes" between the Sun and possible all the planets that have an electromagnetic field of their own (such as Earth and Jupiter for example).

I make a suggestion: The electromagnetic fields of Sun and Jupiter are partly intertwined, sometimes more, sometimes less during the nearly 12-year orbital revolution of Jupiter. Changes in eccentricity may then cause long-period changes in Sun's activity. And one thing we don't know: if the theory of everything combines gravity and electromagnetic forces the warping of space around Sun would really cause something extraordinary, like changes in the Sun's activity. One interesting thing is, that although the main effect of Jupiter seems to come via the perihelia of Jupiter, also the points where Jupiter crosses the plane of equator of the Sun, seem to have some effect.

The author takes a look at what this all might mean for the weather on Earth.

According to my theory about Jovian effect on sunspots, based on facts measured since 1700 and estimated since 1500 (Schove)
- The Jupiter perihelion and sunspot minimum never coincide and the nearing perihelion in 2011 will slow the rise of the height of sunspot cycle, as now is happening to the cycle 24.
- The Gleissberg cycle almost reached its lower limit, which is 72 years in 2005.
--- In fact this low it has not been ever after the Maunder minimum.
--- So it must go up, the short cycles of the 20th century has created a debt that must be paid.
--- This means lower cycles and if the past is a good predictor, colder times on Earth.

Now how about the NASA study of electromagnetic ropes? (this is from late 2007)

"The satellites have found evidence of magnetic ropes connecting Earth's upper atmosphere directly to the sun," said David Sibeck, project scientist for the mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "We believe that solar wind particles flow in along these ropes, providing energy for geomagnetic storms and auroras."

A magnetic rope is a twisted bundle of magnetic fields organized much like the twisted hemp of a mariner's rope. Spacecraft have detected hints of these ropes before, but a single spacecraft was insufficient to map their 3D structure. THEMIS' five identical micro-satellites were able to perform the feat.

"THEMIS encountered its first magnetic rope on May 20," said Sibeck. "It was very large, about as wide as Earth, and located approximately 40,000 miles (70,000 km) above Earth's surface in a region called the magnetopause." The magnetopause is where the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field meet and push against one another like sumo wrestlers locked in combat. There, the rope formed and unraveled in just a few minutes, providing a brief but significant conduit for solar wind energy.

I wonder if the IPCC has included this in their models? Probably not since it is not well understood. How many other things that may or may not affect climate are not well understood? And that is just the known unknowns. Could there be some unknown unknown that affects climate that we are missing? Well the answer of course is: we don't know.

And on the basis of all this shaky science we are going to spend trillions on Waxman-Malarkey [pdf]? The Senate has not yet passed the bill. So we still have a chance. Contact your Senator:

The Senate

Cross Posted at Classical Values

The Oligarchy Controlling Washington

Glenn Beck explains the American oligarchy/government organization chart.


Is your blood boiling yet?

The Greeks have seen all this before. Something like 3,000 years ago. The one thing we have in our favor is that oligarchies are rarely popular when self-government is at least a theoretical option.

Time to take to the streets. See you at the next Tea Party.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

It's The Regulations Stupid

Commenter ThomasD at Classical Values had this to say about the Advance Care Planning post.

I work in long term care, and have worked in hospice care (much of which is currently covered under Medicare.)

I also absolutely loathe Obamacare and it's backdoor attempt to create a single payer government controlled system of health care rationing.

That said, what you cited is typical government speak, similar mandates already exist within the nursing home and hospice regulatory schema. But the opacity of the verbiage certainly doesn't help to dispel a layman's concerns.

The real problem is that this is just the legislation and it wouldn't even matter if it sounded nice and benign. After enactment what follows is that some executive governmental body then takes that law and turns it into regulation - and that is where things go horribly awry.

Once government gets a power the citizens get screwed. We are in a headlong rush to Liberal Fascism.

Can it be stopped short of Civil War? Maybe.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

They Are Getting Nervous

The Obama Administration says that their health care plans are a work in progress.

Administration officials defended President Barack Obama's broad health care proposals on Sunday and urged a skeptical public not to judge the Democrats' overhaul until Congress writes a final version.

Facing independent budget predictions that contradict the White House's rhetoric, officials sought to refute Republican objections to massive changes in how Americans receive health care. They emphasized that Congress has not yet settled on an outline for health care legislation and reiterated Obama's desire for a bipartisan approach.

"This is a work in progress," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, trying to calm nervous lawmakers whose re-elections could hinge on the legislation. "More will be done. The House and the Senate are committed to working with the president to get this done."

A work in progress? Perhaps they could explain this .gov url that has something called "Bill Text". Unless they intend to do their usual and parachute in an extra 700 pages of the bill to Congress in the dead of night.

And how about the cost of all this?

Paying for the health care plan remains the major challenge, underscored by a nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report that emerging House legislation would increase deficits by $239 billion over a decade.

"I don't follow why we've got to spend another $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion, most people estimate, on top of the $2.5 trillion we're already spending in this country and yet still have, under one estimate, at least 33 million people without health insurance," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "I mean, these are things that are real serious problems."

Democrats insisted the budget analysis ignores savings and Obama's pledge not to add red ink to the federal ledger.

The Democrats have failed to mention what the expiration date for this Obama promise is. That Obama is one greased weasel when it comes to promises.

I can tell you right now that they are FORCING me to join Medicare in a few months and I'm not happy about it. Not one bit. Will this new "revised" plan be any different? I doubt it. It is not the Democrats way. There is only one way to put a stop to this crap.

Throw The Bums Out

As soon as possible. And the Won? Three Years 6 months 0 weeks and 0 days to go.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Advance Care Planning

I just read an interesting section of the proposed health care bill that refers to Advance Care Planning Consultation. Now what the h e double toothpicks is that? Go to page 425 and read a ways and you come to:

4 ‘‘(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the
5 continuum of end-of-life services and supports avail
6 able, including palliative care and hospice, and bene
7 fits for such services and supports that are available
8 under this title.
9 ‘‘(F)(i) Subject to clause (ii), an explanation of
10 orders regarding life sustaining treatment or similar
11 orders, which shall include—
12 ‘‘(I) the reasons why the development of
13 such an order is beneficial to the individual and
14 the individual’s family and the reasons why
15 such an order should be updated periodically as
16 the health of the individual changes;
17 ‘‘(II) the information needed for an indi
18 vidual or legal surrogate to make informed deci
19 sions regarding the completion of such an
20 order; and
21 ‘‘(III) the identification of resources that
22 an individual may use to determine the require
23 ments of the State in which such individual re
24 sides so that the treatment wishes of that indi
25 vidual will be carried out if the individual is un
1 able to communicate those wishes, including re
2 quirements regarding the designation of a sur
3 rogate decisionmaker (also known as a health
4 care proxy).

Translation: you will be encouraged to give it up (DNR - do not resuscitate) fur da grater god duvall. i.e. "you are going to die - would you care to speed things along?" And now you know where the cost savings will come from. No doubt Obama's Science Adviser John Holdren had some inputs on that section.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

An Old Time Tea Party

Sinking The Russian Fleet

The Russian Fleet is in dire straits. In ten years it may no longer (for practical purposes) exist.

The NVO report does not pull any punches: "The Russian Navy is on the verge of irreversible collapse. Within ten years there will be in the entire navy less than 50 vessels still capable of operations, which would be a number not even the size of one of our 'lesser fleets' like the Baltic Fleet or the Black Sea Fleet."

The report rates the navy's situation as the worst in almost a century and concludes "this present catastrophe is comparable to what happened in the course of the [post-1917 Bolshevik Revolution] Civil War years when the fleet was left in ruins. If during the oil and gas boom of the 2000s the Russian Navy received practically no funding, now today during a period of difficult [economic] crisis the fleet will--without a doubt--have to die within the next few years. This is not merely a possibility, it is a fact."

Those warships still left in useable condition have seen their level of operations scaled back in order to preserve their service life. This is particularly true in the case of the submarine fleet, which has seen its Cold War high tempo of patrols drop off to almost nothing. Last November's joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy off the coast of South America amounted to a little more than symbolic participation by only four Russian vessels that made the trans-Atlantic crossing.

The end of the Russian Navy will mean their further decline as a super power. There is nothing like 70 years of socialist/communist mismanagement to run a country with abundant physical and human capital into the ground.

And going in the opposite direction is the US Navy. If the US Navy's investment in Polywell Fusion pays off it will mean much lower operational costs for the US Fleet (much lower oil consumption). Such an advance will leave the rest of the competing navies of the world in the dust. We Will Know In Two Years. I'm optimistic.

The American Thinker has a good article up on the Polywell Fusion Reactor with the basics.

Why hasn't Polywell Fusion been fully funded by the Obama administration?

Cross Posted at Classical Values

It Was 40 Years Ago Today

I was in a hippie house on Webster Avenue, just off of Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California, watching avidly on a B&W TV. I never imagined that we would stop manned missions to the moon and beyond for such a long time.

Here is a book about it:

The First Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Racism In A Boxer

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Health Care - Putting Patients In Charge

Other Senate Doctors shows:
The Doctor Show - Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Doctor Show - Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Doctor Show - Thursday, July 16, 2009

You can get questions to the Senate Doctors by the following methods:
e-mail
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter

Read the Democrat health insurance plan [pdf]. All 1,000 plus pages.

The Doctors also have Web Page.

And you know what else? The CBO says that there will be no cost savings with the Democrat Bill.

One of the main arguments made by the President and others for investing in health reform now is that it will save the federal government money in the long run by containing costs.

Turns out that may not be the case, according to Doug Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Answering questions from Democrat Kent Conrad of North Dakota at a hearing of the Senate Budget Committee today, Elmendorf said CBO does not see health care cost savings in either of the partisan Democratic bills currently in Congress.

Our government lying to us? I'm shocked.

I think the whole Government Health care mess can be explained by Simon's Law:

It is unwise to attribute to malice alone that which can be attributed to malice and stupidity.

Think of how much worse it would be if we weren't lead by The Smartest President Ever™. Three Years 6 months 0 weeks and 2 days to go.

H/T Backyard Conservative

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Human Rights

A discussion of the talk (and other speeches given at the conference) can be found here.

A really good book that also deals with the human rights problems of the drug war is:

Drug Warriors and Their Prey: From Police Power to Police State
I have read it. You should read it. If you can't afford it and don't have the time to go to the library and read it may I suggest a review I wrote of the book: How To Put an End to Drug Users.

H/T Mike Gray of the Drug Policy Forum of Texas

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Oil From Algae

The question as always is how well does it scale? How much surface area does it require per BTU of fuel?

Oh, yeah. What is the conversion efficiency? Watts of sunlight vs BTUs from the fuel. And BTUs per dollar.

H/T Robthebob Talk Polywell

The End Of Private Health Insurance

If the Democrat health insurance plan passes it will mean the end of private health insurance.

When we first saw the paragraph Tuesday, just after the 1,018-page document was released, we thought we surely must be misreading it. So we sought help from the House Ways and Means Committee.

It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of "Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage," the "Limitation On New Enrollment" section of the bill clearly states:

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

From the beginning, opponents of the public option plan have warned that if the government gets into the business of offering subsidized health insurance coverage, the private insurance market will wither. Drawn by a public option that will be 30% to 40% cheaper than their current premiums because taxpayers will be funding it, employers will gladly scrap their private plans and go with Washington's coverage.

Something on the order of 80% of all Americans are satisfied with their health insurance. Are they going to be surprised if this turkey passes.

And it will also mean a reduction of labor mobility for those who like their health care. I like the Republican plan a little (not much) better. It would create a national market for health insurance.

I do think regulation of health plan solvency is a good idea. What I don't like is State mandates for this coverage or that coverage. Let the insurance companies devise the plans not State Governments.

Shake YOUR Hand?

Obama in Russia. Evidently the guy don't get no respect.

H/T Backyard Conservative

Free Health Care

You can see an excellent video that explores the Canadian Health Care system at the link. The bottom line? The Canadian system is a two tier system. The poor get long waits (leading to injury and death) the rich buy their health care.

Here is the health care bill Congress is preparing to vote on. If you want to see the results watch the video.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Goverment Motors And Gangster Government

You had better bribe (I mean give a campaign contribution) to your Congress Critter if you want to do business with Government Motors.

Here is Michael Barone on the car mafia.

Think carefully about what's happening here. The White House, presumably car czar Steven Rattner and deputy Ron Bloom, is seeking to transfer the property of one group of people to another group that is politically favored.

In the process it is setting aside basic property rights in favor of rewarding the United Auto Workers for the support the union has given the Democratic Party. The only possible limit on the White House's power is the bankruptcy judge, who might not go along.

Michigan politicians of both parties joined Obama in denouncing the holdout bondholders. They point to the sad plight of UAW retirees not getting full payment of the health care benefits the union negotiated with Chrysler.

But the plight of the beneficiaries of the pension funds represented by the bondholders is sad, too. Ordinarily you would expect these claims to be weighed and determined by the rule of law. But apparently not in this administration.

Evidently the pension funds that invested in what was formerly known as Chrysler Motors (now Crisis Motors) are out of luck. I guess the deal is: if you want to retire make sure you are politically connected. Or even better advice: don't invest in any company with a strong union. Let me amend that: don't invest in any company with any union. In these times it pays to play it safe.

H/T Judith Weiss Facebook

Climate Models Are Not So Hot

It looks like the scientists who have predicted unending global warming caused by CO2 emissions may be in serious error.

No one knows exactly how much Earth's climate will warm due to carbon emissions, but a new study this week suggests scientists' best predictions about global warming might be incorrect. The study, which appears in Nature Geoscience, found that climate models explain only about half of the heating that occurred during a well-documented period of rapid global warming in Earth's ancient past. The study, which was published online today, contains an analysis of published records from a period of rapid climatic warming about 55 million years ago known as the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum, or PETM.

"In a nutshell, theoretical models cannot explain what we observe in the geological record," said oceanographer Gerald Dickens, a co-author of the study and professor of Earth science at Rice University. "There appears to be something fundamentally wrong with the way temperature and carbon are linked in climate models."

If this study holds up we are going to be wasting vast sums of money (robbed is a better term) if Waxman-Malarkey passes the Senate.

This is nothing new for regular readers of this blog. I have thought for a long time that the models were not well connected to reality. What is new is that the nails are getting more frequently pounded into the AGW coffin. People are starting to lose faith - especially considering the cold summer we have been having in much of the USA.

Consider a couple of books that have come out in the last year:

Air Con: The Seriously Inconvenient Truth About Global Warming

Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science

It seems that the faith is starting to lose adherents. It seems that the science is not so settled.

Even the guys at Real Climate are starting to hedge their bets.

Nature (with hopefully some constructive input from humans) will decide the global warming question based upon climate sensitivity, net radiative forcing, and oceanic storage of heat, not on the type of multi-decadal time scale variability we are discussing here. However, this apparent impulsive behavior explicitly highlights the fact that humanity is poking a complex, nonlinear system with GHG forcing – and that there are no guarantees to how the climate may respond.

Say, weren't they very big promoters of "the science is settled" meme. Yes they were. I guess that now a days the science is not so settled. Some one call Al Gore. Stat.

H/T VG at Watts Up With That

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Palin Climate Change

Sarah Palin has a few words to say about climate change.

There is no shortage of threats to our economy. America's unemployment rate recently hit its highest mark in more than 25 years and is expected to continue climbing. Worries are widespread that even when the economy finally rebounds, the recovery won't bring jobs. Our nation's debt is unsustainable, and the federal government's reach into the private sector is unprecedented.

Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges. So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be:

I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.

American prosperity has always been driven by the steady supply of abundant, affordable energy. Particularly in Alaska, we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, and energy and security. Consequently, many of us in this huge, energy-rich state recognize that the president's cap-and-trade energy tax would adversely affect every aspect of the U.S. economy.

So true. The fact that we now have a politician with a national audience speaking out on this issue is a wonderful thing. There is now a former candidate for Vice President speaking out against former Vice President Al Gore. Wonderful news. Maybe the US Senate will grow a spine and vote down Waxman-Malarkey.

Sarah goes on to say:

Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.

In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.

The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.

In other Palin news some one promoting her political career says she is not leading a conservative movement.

During the 2008 election Republican candidates touted their conservative credentials. Often, it seemed that one only had to use the phrase “conservative” to pass muster for the base of the Republican Party. By its definition, conservatism is traditionalism, it is the status quo, it is the antithesis of change. The mistake that many Republicans make is that they have relegated themselves to being so-called Conservatives. Is America’s political memory so short that Republican values would be considered “conservative?”

Sarah Palin stands for energy independence, limited government, free enterprise, and individual liberty. Are these “conservative” values? Let us not forget that in their day and time our founding fathers were radicals fighting those who wanted to maintain the political status-quo; subjugation to the king. Their sense of individual rights and liberty is historically progressive when you compare alternative political systems, monarchies, empires, totalitarian states. Republicans have forgotten their progressive roots and Democrats have cornered the market on their so-called progressive solutions for America.

The Democratic Party now nearly completely in control of the Federal government, is in fact regressive, conservative, and pushing the nation back to its colonial roots; subjugation to the king, who now sits in Washington D.C. It is the Liberals who are out of the mainstream of America, it is they who want to turn over individual liberty to Federal overseers. What have we become as citizens when we allow a virtual monarch to sit in the city named after one of our great liberators? Will we be free citizens or colonists toiling for tribute to send to Washington?

It is not conservative to advocate for personal liberty or to empower the individual to achieve their own American dream.

It is not conservative to advocate for strong national defense. It is not conservative to keep government limited in order to protect the rights and freedoms of the individual.

It is not conservative to allow free enterprise, innovation, and creativity to drive the national economy.

These are not conservative principles, these are uniquely American principles.

I urge Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who believe in these principles to stop calling themselves “conservatives” as if that label separates them from the mainstream of American society. If you agree with Sarah Palin, and advocate these principles then you’re not a conservative, you’re an American. This is not a conservative movement, this is an American movement, and one of the most progressive movements in human history.

Sarah Palin the new Progressive? Talk about taking back the language. And Palin as the leader of a movement? I like it.

I also like Palin in in a swimsuit. And why not? I love women in American motif bikinis. Beauty contest entrants in swim suits don't seem very conservative to me.

Me? I'm not very conservative either. I'm more of the libertarian persuasion. As far as I can tell Sarah governed as a libertarian. In fact the themes she propounds are very libertarian. And libertarian ideals are a very American governing philosophy. Socialism is a European import. My grandparents left Europe to get away from that sort of thing. And I'm not interested in it either.

H/T Watts Up With That

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Iran Challenges The US Navy

This is a short history of the war between the US and Iran in the mid 1980s. Iran took a drubbing they are still smarting from twenty years later.

In the 1980s, the United States faced significant security challenges in the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Revolution in Iran had replaced Washington’s ally, the Shah, with a decidedly hostile regime in Tehran. In September 1980, Iraqi president Saddam Hussein seized upon the chaos in Iran by sending Iraqi forces to capture the oil resources located across the border in southern Iran.

That is the opening paragraph. The article is most interesting and follows the give and take of the war. May I suggest a read by those of you interested in recent military history?

Upsetting The Political Apple Cart

Sarah Palin is upsetting the political apple cart by promising to support Republicans and Democrats who support her agenda. Here is an excerpt from the Washington Times posted at the above link.

The former Republican vice-presidential nominee and heroine to much of the GOP’s base said in an interview she views the electorate as embattled and fatigued by nonstop partisanship, and she is eager to campaign for Republicans, independents and even Democrats who share her values on limited government, strong defense and “energy independence.”

“I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation,” …

“People are so tired of the partisan stuff — even my own son is not a Republican,” said Mrs. Palin...

Republicans and Democrats? That sounds like it might be a libertarian oriented coalition. Fiscally conservative and socially moderate.

And who might the Republican's be upset with in particular? None other than Illinois Representative Mark Kirk who the Republican Party is touting as a candidate for Obama's old Senate seat.

As one of the eight Republicans who helped a controversial energy and climate-change bill narrowly clear the U.S. House last week, Mark Kirk continues to take heat from members of his own party for the vote.

Much of the backlash has been anonymous, coming from critics who habituate dailyherald.com, local political message boards and other Web sites. Using screen names like "Right," "Fedup57" and "Reaganlives," they've called the Highland Park lawmaker a traitor to the GOP and the nation.

Other detractors -- including conservative broadcasters Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck -- signed their invectives.

"If you have a Republican voting for this kind of government, what is the point?" Beck said on his June 29 Fox News program as photos of Kirk and the seven other Republicans who supported the bill appeared on a mock "wanted" poster.

Rep. Kirk touted his vote as a "national security" vote. I would believe it if he had voted to make it easier to drill for American oil. But Waxman-Malarkey? Give me a break.

I have covered this joke of a Republican earlier in a couple of posts: Mark Kirk Is No Traitor

Brain Dead Republican Enhances Party Image Here is how I started off that post:

And THIS abomination my friends is why the Republican party is in trouble. Big trouble.

Let me note that Alaska, where Palin was formerly the Governor, has effectively decriminalized marijuana.

So getting back to the topic at hand. I think Palin will do well in an era where "independent" is the largest and fastest growing political faction. Not to mention all the disaffected Republicans and PUMA Democrats. It looks to me like she is trying to revive the Reagan Coalition. She just might succeed.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

A Little Big Band Music Maestro

Climate Change Prevented

The G8 last week decreed that the governments of the world were going to work real hard to prevent the global temperature from rising more than 2° C.

When King Canute of lore wanted to teach his citizens a lesson, he set his throne by the seashore and commanded the tides to roll out. Canute's spirit was back in business this week at the G-8 summit in Italy, where the assembled leaders declared that the world's temperature shall not rise: "We recognize the scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees [Celsius]," or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, said the summit declaration.

Hmm. Pre-industrial levels. Well let us have a look at pre-industrial levels. Fortunately I have a chart.

Click for larger view.

From the chart we see that the current global temperature is about 12° C and in pre-industrial times it was as high as 22° C. So to rise no more than 2° C above the pre-industrial era all we have to do is keep the global temperatures below 24° C. Since according to the chart global temperatures have never risen above 22° C - problem solved.

This is wonderful news. No carbon taxing scheme will be required. Quick - some one tell Congress before Cap and Trade passes.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Yesterday Was Nikola Tesla's Birthday

Well not actually. It was the 153 Anniversary of his birthday. So I'm a day late. No matter. Tesla is always interesting.

If you would like to read some Tesla in his own words (plus some other really whacked out sh*t) I really like this book:

The Fantastic Inventions of Nikola Tesla (The Lost Science Series)

It also shows the limits of Tesla's understanding of what he was doing. For those of you into electricity/electronics the deal is that he did not understand Q multiplication and circulating currents in resonant circuits. It doesn't matter. His invention of three phase generators and motors (still in use for power distribution to this day) would be enough of a contribution to civilization for any man.

And what would a (late) celebration of Tesla's Birthday be without a Tesla coil?

Enjoy:

Cross Posted at Classical Values

A Little Science Advice

John Holdren, Obama's Science Adviser has some advice for curing the ills of the globe and especially America.

• Women could be forced to abort their pregnancies, whether they wanted to or not;
• The population at large could be sterilized by infertility drugs intentionally put into the nation's drinking water or in food;
• Single mothers and teen mothers should have their babies seized from them against their will and given away to other couples to raise;
• People who "contribute to social deterioration" (i.e. undesirables) "can be required by law to exercise reproductive responsibility" -- in other words, be compelled to have abortions or be sterilized.
• A transnational "Planetary Regime" should assume control of the global economy and also dictate the most intimate details of Americans' lives -- using an armed international police force.

It is all laid out in John's 1977 book Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment.

But what's especially disturbing is not that Holdren has merely made these proposals -- wrenching babies from their mothers' arms and giving them away; compelling single mothers to prove in court that they would be good parents; and forcing women to have abortions, whether they wanted to or not -- but that he does so in such a dispassionate, bureaucratic way.

Ah shades of Margret Sanger and the Eugenics movement. She was somewhat popular in the USA but the place where they really took this kind of thinking to heart was Germany in the 1930s and 40s. Do we really want to go there? Is this President ∅'s plan? He hasn't said. I guess we will have to watch and wait.

Here is an article about Sanger that is really disturbing.

...Dr. Harry Laughlin, another Sanger associate and board member for her group, spoke of purifying America's human "breeding stock" and purging America's "bad strains." These "strains" included the "shiftless, ignorant, and worthless class of antisocial whites of the South."

Not to be outdone by her followers, Margaret Sanger spoke of sterilizing those she designated as "unfit," a plan she said would be the "salvation of American civilization.: And she also spike of those who were "irresponsible and reckless," among whom she included those "whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers." She further contended that "there is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped." That many Americans of African origin constituted a segment of Sanger considered "unfit" cannot be easily refuted.

It might be a very good idea to keep an eye on these folks. They may not exactly have our best interests at heart.

H/T crosspatch at Watts Up With That

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Biggest Con In History

Ian Plimer says human induced global warming is the biggest con trick in history.

Imagine how wonderful the world would be if man-made global warming were just a figment of Al Gore’s imagination. No more ugly wind farms to darken our sunlit uplands. No more whopping electricity bills, artificially inflated by EU-imposed carbon taxes. No longer any need to treat each warm, sunny day as though it were some terrible harbinger of ecological doom. And definitely no need for the $7.4 trillion cap and trade (carbon-trading) bill — the largest tax in American history — which President Obama and his cohorts are so assiduously trying to impose on the US economy.

Imagine no more, for your fairy godmother is here. His name is Ian Plimer, Professor of Mining Geology at Adelaide University, and he has recently published the landmark book Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science,which is going to change forever the way we think about climate change.

‘The hypothesis that human activity can create global warming is extraordinary because it is contrary to validated knowledge from solar physics, astronomy, history, archaeology and geology,’ says Plimer, and while his thesis is not new, you’re unlikely to have heard it expressed with quite such vigour, certitude or wide-ranging scientific authority. Where fellow sceptics like Bjorn Lomborg or Lord Lawson of Blaby are prepared cautiously to endorse the International Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) more modest predictions, Plimer will cede no ground whatsoever. Anthropogenic global warming (AGW) theory, he argues, is the biggest, most dangerous and ruinously expensive con trick in history.

So true. But it was never ever about global warming as far as those in government pushing the bill are concerned. It is about raising taxes. Massive taxes. And trying to sell that tax raise as a "do gooder" project.

It seems more like a no gooder doo doo project to me designed to destroy the American economy

Here is a chart of two different temperature series (UAH in black, RSS in red) done by Steve McIntyre and posted at Watts Up With That.

Any one see a global warming signal in that chart? Me either.

And yet some people still believe global warming is real. They find my lack of faith disturbing. I find their lack of contact with reality disturbing.

H/T commenter Theo Lichacz at Watts Up With That

Cross Posted at Classical Values

More Stimulus Needed

Paul Krugman says that another stimulus is needed to get the economy moving. (from July 2nd)

O.K., Thursday’s jobs report settles it. We’re going to need a bigger stimulus. But does the president know that?

Let’s do the math.

Since the recession began, the U.S. economy has lost 6 ½ million jobs — and as that grim employment report confirmed, it’s continuing to lose jobs at a rapid pace. Once you take into account the 100,000-plus new jobs that we need each month just to keep up with a growing population, we’re about 8 ½ million jobs in the hole.

And the deeper the hole gets, the harder it will be to dig ourselves out. The job figures weren’t the only bad news in Thursday’s report, which also showed wages stalling and possibly on the verge of outright decline. That’s a recipe for a descent into Japanese-style deflation, which is very difficult to reverse. Lost decade, anyone?

Wait — there’s more bad news: the fiscal crisis of the states. Unlike the federal government, states are required to run balanced budgets. And faced with a sharp drop in revenue, most states are preparing savage budget cuts, many of them at the expense of the most vulnerable. Aside from directly creating a great deal of misery, these cuts will depress the economy even further.

So what do we have to counter this scary prospect? We have the Obama stimulus plan, which aims to create 3 ½ million jobs by late next year.

So let me see if I get this. The current stimulus plan will not create its jobs for about a year and a half. If you believe it will create any jobs at all. So another similar plan with results probably two to two and a half years in the future will fix things? You need a lot of faith in HOPE and CHANGE to believe that.

If there was to be another stimulus, I like the Republican plan better.



Is it any wonder Obama's numbers are tanking?

The public's disenchantment with Barack Obama continues to rise. Rasmussen reports:

33% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-six percent (36%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -3.

Rasmussen cautions that this could be just statistical noise, and notes:

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be the first update based entirely upon interviews conducted since last week's report showing higher than expected job losses in June.

Just 27% of voters nationwide favor passage of a second economic stimulus package. Sixty percent (60%) are opposed.

Fifty-four percent (54%) say the average Democrat in Congress is more liberal than they are, while 36% believe the average Republican congressman is more conservative.

Just a statistical blip? The new numbers are out and they are worse for Obama.

Dear Leader's approval numbers continue to tank.

His approval index number has now dropped 38 points in less than 200 days in office. And, that's with 1,000% support from the state-run media!
Rasmussen reported:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 30% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of –8. The President’s Approval Index rating has fallen six points since release of a disappointing jobs report last week (see trends).

So Obama's support has dropped 5% in just a week. So let me see. It is little under a year and a half to the next election. How will our Fantastic President's Party be doing then? Well I have more poll numbers.

Gallup has released a special report that puts the lie to Democrat claims that America has delivered a mandate for vast changes in our political economy along liberal-left lines. The data is worth examining, but the narrative itself is surprisingly direct in its conclusions:

Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven't changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left. ...

I don't think things are looking good for the Democrats in 2010. It is true that the Republicans did a lousy job with government when they controlled it. The deal for the Democrats is that they are doing an order of magnitude worse. Changes of that magnitude are hard to hide.

If Obama gets us into a war with his international weakness the Democrats will not only lose ground in 2010, the elections will be a blood bath.

No matter what this country is in for a world of hurt.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Race Based Spoils

Some interesting things are going on in New York State.

During the long years of Republican control, the all-white GOP "conference" would regularly bemoan its lack of diversity, and make extra efforts to recruit minority Senate candidates and hire minority staff.

During the first five months of this year, with the Senate under the control of its first African-American majority leader, Smith, top Democrats bemoaned the lack of minority Senate staffers.

But instead of trying to recruit new hires, they fired nearly 200 almost exclusively white workers and replaced them with a large number of minority employees, many of whom were seen by their fellow workers to be unskilled at their new jobs.

The move produced severe racial tensions, made worse by the fact that, as a high-level Democratic staffer confided, "We've been told to only hire minorities.''

We have come a LONG way baby.

H/T Gateway Pundit commenter Rick 007

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Occasionally I Sign Petitions

Here is one petition I like: Stop Cap and Trade.

If you sign, don't worry about your e-mail. It will not be displayed.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

America's First Non-American President

Barry Rubin tells on Facebook

Why Obama Doesn't Understand Putin; Why Putin Doesn't Like Obama

Mr Rubin then says at this link:

If one looks deeper into Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s annoyance at U.S. President Barack Obama it reveals a lot more than just the differences between the leadership in Moscow and Washington.

Putin is a traditional leader, which means he believes in making his country strong, never apologizing, using power in international relations, and having ambitions to gain influence in other countries. Indeed, he’s also somewhat aggressive seeking to restore the glory of Russia past.

Mr. Rubin goes on to say:

One of those "old" and "outdated" ideas of international relations is to reward your friends and punish your enemies. Obama has reversed that concept in his policy.

To which I replied:

Barry says:

"One of those "old" and "outdated" ideas of international relations is to reward your friends and punish your enemies."

And yet Obama understands that very well when it comes to American politics. So the question is: why does he think things work differently in international relations? Unless he is committed to reducing American power.

Barry R. then came back with:

Barry Rubin on Facebook said he agrees with me but he is being jerk and asking me to remove his words posted at Facebook. So they are gone.

Thank you Barry Rubin. And thank you for being what you are.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Lefties Get Shorts In A Knot

After years of Bush=Hitler the lefties are all upset about this ad comparing Obama to Ahmadinejad. One other parallel they forgot to mention in the ad is people taking to the streets (Tea Parties). It is true that there is no violent suppression in America but otherwise it adds to the parallels. Hitler got about a 3 second mention in the ad while most of it is about Ahmadinejad and Iran.

Here is some left wing reaction to the video and the titles of the articles:

Daily KOS: New Rightwing Ad Campaign To Suggest Obama is Like Hitler

Right Wing Watch: Obama Worse Than Hitler And Ahmadinejad

Alternet: Right-Wing Group Goes off the Deep End, Plans to Air Obama/ Hitler Ads

Salon - War Room: Conservative group: Obama equals Ahmadinejad

The Raw Story: Group plans to launch ads comparing Obama to Hitler

The Village Voice: Rightwing PAC: Obama = Hitler

All very interesting. Hitler is only mentioned for a few seconds in the video. Does that mean some of these lefties think Ahmadinejad=Hitler? If that is the case why do they advocate making nice with the Iranian leader?

OTOH maybe they are so used to using Bush=Hitler that they just assumed their opposition would focus on that now that the tables are turned.

One thing for sure: none of the lefties refuted the points made by the ad. All of the points about the Obama proposals and actions are true. The parallels may or may not be artistic (political?) license but the list of things Obama plans, is doing, or his administration has suggested is absolutely true.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Total Control

It doesn't matter who the Rs run.

Americans generally favor divided government.

And given the the #1 Democrat promised that massive spending would keep unemployment from going above 8% and it is now 9.5% and still rising it may be time for Change and A New Hope. (cue up Star Wars theme music).

Since we are electing politicians the hope may be in vain. But change will be good in any case.

H/T Althouse

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Carbon Chips

Carbon is going to be the next big thing in computer chips.

Carbon—the basis of all organic compounds—seems destined to displace silicon as the material of choice for future semiconductors. According to researchers, various structures based on the element that sits just above silicon on the Periodic Table can surpass silicon's abilities in thermal performance, frequency range and perhaps even superconductivity.

"Of the carbon technologies, diamond is probably the closest [to commercialization] at this time, as work in diamond has been taking place for 15 years or longer," said Dean Freeman, senior analyst at Gartner Inc. "Most of the others still have a ways to go."

Three-dimensional carbon—diamond—offers 10x the heat dissipation of silicon, according to suppliers currently hawking 40nm to 15µm diamond films on silicon wafers. Two-dimensional carbon—3-angstrom-thick monolayers called graphene—could dismantle silicon's roadblock to terahertz performance by attaining 10x the electron mobility of silicon.

Likewise, one-dimensional carbon—1nm-diameter nanotubes—could solve digital silicon's speed woes. Nanotubes will appear first as printable "inks" that are 10 times faster than competing organic transistors.

Meanwhile, zero-dimensional carbon—60-atom, hollow spheres of carbon called fullerenes—could answer silicon's inability to attain high-temperature superconductivity. Tightly packed fullerenes intercalcated with alkali-metal atoms superconduct at 38K.

Over the next few years, carbon process technologies will become available to replace nearly every circuit material in use today: conductors, for interconnecting devices; semiconductors; and insulators, for isolating devices. But how quickly the industry embraces the carbon-based materials, especially during uncertain economic times, remains to be seen.

So how about some details on how the work is progressing? I have them. Lets look at some Buckyball research first.

Add a drop of oil to buckyballs, and they join together to form wires like strings of pearls.Finally! Something useful from buckyballs.

Junfeng Geng at the University of Cambridge, in the U.K., and buddies have found a way to polymerize these microballs so that they line up into buckywires.

The trick that Geng and co have found is a way to connect two buckyballs together using a molecule of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene--a colorless aromatic hydrocarbon. Repeat that and you've got a way to connect any number of buckyballs. And to prove it, the researchers have created and studied these buckywires in their lab, saying that the wires are highly stable.

Buckywires ought to be handy for all kinds of biological, electrical, optical, and magnetic applications. The gist of the paper is that anything that traditional carbon nanotubes can do, buckywires can do better. Or at least more cheaply.

The exciting thing about this breakthrough is the potential to grow buckywires on an industrial scale from buckyballs dissolved in a vat of bubbling oil. Since the buckywires are insoluble, they precipitate out, forming crystals. (Here it ought to be said that various other groups are said to have made buckywires of one kind or another, but none seem to have nailed it from an industrial perspective.)

There is more. Go have a look.

Next there is a most interesting substance called graphene, which is a very thin layer of carbon. Its properties can be tuned by applying an electric field to the material.

Semiconductors, for example, can be turned off because of a finite bandgap between the valence and conduction electron bands.

While a single layer of graphene has a zero bandgap, two layers of graphene together theoretically should have a variable bandgap controlled by an electrical field, Wang said. Previous experiments on bilayer graphene, however, have failed to demonstrate the predicted bandgap structure, possibly because of impurities. Researchers obtain graphene with a very low-tech method: They take graphite, like that in pencil lead, smear it over a surface, cover with Scotch tape and rip it off. The tape shears the graphite, which is just billions of layers of graphene, to produce single- as well as multi-layered graphene.

Wang, Zhang, Tang and their colleagues decided to construct bilayer graphene with two voltage gates instead of one. When the gate electrodes were attached to the top and bottom of the bilayer and electrical connections (a source and drain) made at the edges of the bilayer sheets, the researchers were able to open up and tune a bandgap merely by varying the gating voltages.

The team also showed that it can change another critical property of graphene, its Fermi energy, that is, the maximum energy of occupied electron states, which controls the electron density in the material.

"With top and bottom gates on bilayer graphene, you can independently control the two most important parameters in a semiconductor: You can change the electronic structure to vary the bandgap continuously, and independently control electron doping by varying the Fermi level," Wang said.

For those of you not conversant with transistor design and terms like band gap and Fermi energy you might find this book helpful. It is a history of physics and includes the work by Bell Labs on the transistor.

Crystals, Electrons, Transistors



Cross Posted at Classical Values

Poll Watching

Eve Ensler has a novel suggestion for women voters. She suggests women should

"vote with your vaginas"

You know if that becomes a fad I'm going to sign up to be a poll watcher. Just to learn first hand how it is done.

Sarah Barracuda

At Israpundit Mario Goveia has done a guest post on our Sarah. Mario makes a very good point:

The US left wing is justifiably terrified of Palin and have begun to realize why she earned the nickname Sarah Barracuda as a high school athlete. Unlike them, she stands as a real-life example of real feminism, not their phony selective feminism based primarily on abortion rights. She stands for Reagan-style conservatism based on low taxes and fiscal discipline and an assertive foreign policy. In other words, she stands against everything the political liberals and their chosen candidate, Barack Obama, stand for.

Now, as a “movement conservative” like Ronald Reagan, whose goal was to promote the objectives of conservative philosophy in addition to governing as a conservative, she has decided that to advance the cause she needs to move on from the day-to-day and time consuming pressures of running a state. Thus she decided not to run for re-election in November of 2010, leading her critics to exclaim that she should have completed the term she was elected to. While this may sound plausible, it really makes no sense.

While most lesser politicians would have run out their term as a lame duck Governor, without any real power to influence and affect policy and taken their paycheck while marking time, this has never been Palin’s style. So, thinking outside the box once again, she decided that she would not waste the state’s time and money as a “lame duck” but turn the Governorship over to her Lieutenant, who has a longer term vested interest in the position. It also gives him the time to organize his campaign for re-election in November 2010, and she is now free to promote the conservatism she believes in.

Don’t expect the left leaning American Obama-media to appreciate any of this. Look for some of the most vicious and speculative coverage of her resignation that can get past the editors in the media plus the typical terrified and scurrilous barrage from the left wing blogs.

Not all left wing blogs. Reclusive Leftist is wondering why all the misogynistic Palin hate from the left?

I don’t usually comment on other blogs; I have little enough time to keep my own gig in working order. But the other day I was over at I Blame The Patriarchy, where I was dismayed to find in the comment threads some of the same Palin-bashing that has become drearily familiar from the rest of the inner tubes. Now, IBTP is just about the best feminist blog going, with a genius proprietor and a thoughtful commentariat. Hence my dismay. Even here? I thought. Fortunately, some of the commenters there did try to set the record straight, though they got significant guff from others.

Dr. Violet Socks (the Reclusive Leftist) can't figure out where all the hate is coming from. I can. And I agreed with Mario before I read him. It is fear. Naked fear. Here is a powerful woman that can't be controlled. Not by the Left nor by the Right.

My kind of woman. Fortunately I was able to attract and keep a woman with a will of her own. I love strong women in general and one very special one in particular. Every time I see Sarah I'm reminded of my treasure at home.

H/T Israpundit and Judith Weiss on Facebook

Cross Posted at Classical Values

China Dominates

Students from China and Russia came out on top in a NSA contest for computer programmers.

Programmers from China and Russia have dominated an international competition on everything from writing algorithms to designing components.

Whether the outcome of this competition is another sign that math and science education in the U.S. needs improvement may spur debate. But the fact remains: Of 70 finalists, 20 were from China, 10 from Russia and two from the U.S.

TopCoder Inc., which runs software competitions as part of its software development service, operates TopCoder Open, an annual contest.

About 4,200 people participated in the U.S. National Security Agency-supported challenge. The NSA has been sponsoring the program for a number of years because of its interest in hiring people with advanced skills.

Participants in the contest, which was open to anyone -- from student to professional -- and finished with 120 competitors from around the world, went through a process of elimination that finished this month in Las Vegas.

China's showing in the finals was also helped by the sheer volume of its numbers, 894. India followed at 705, but none of its programmers were finalists. Russia had 380 participants; the United States, 234; Poland, 214; Egypt, 145; and Ukraine, 128, among others.

Of the total number of contestants, 93% were male, and 84% were aged between 18 and 24.

This lack of talent from the USA may be caused by one of two things. Either we are not developing enough computer scientists and engineers or the one's we have are already employed and producing. In either case it points to the fact that we are not investing enough in the #1 resource of the 21st Century. Brains. Or it could mean that our best resources are going into where the real money is. Marketing and sales.

I have been doing my part. I have one son in marketing (graduated with honors in Russian literature from U. Chicago) and another son and a daughter studying engineering.

H/T The Risks Digest

My Fourth

Very enjoyable. We cooked out. Lots of meat for the traditionalists and grilled potato slices and mushrooms for the vegetarians in the family. Plus all the usual trimmings of course. (lots of good sweet corn from the area)

And after the barbecue - fireworks. We watched those from a hill facing the Rock River.

The Object Of

The object of socialism is to replace a system that only works for some with a system that works for no one. This is called social justice.

Sarah Palin Will Be One Term Governor

It looks like Andrew "I had Trig Palin's Baby" Sullivan and the rest of the Palin haters have caused Sarah Palin to decline to run for a second term as Alaska's Governor. From Facebook.

Some say things changed for me on August 29th last year - the day John McCain tapped me to be his running-mate - I say others changed.

Let me speak to that for a minute.

Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months I've been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations - such as holding a fish in a photograph, wearing a jacket with a logo on it, and answering reporters' questions.

Every one - all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We've won! But it hasn't been cheap - the State has wasted THOUSANDS of hours of YOUR time and shelled out some two million of YOUR dollars to respond to "opposition research" - that's money NOT going to fund teachers or troopers - or safer roads. And this political absurdity, the "politics of personal destruction" ... Todd and I are looking at more than half a million dollars in legal bills in order to set the record straight. And what about the people who offer up these silly accusations? It doesn't cost them a dime so they're not going to stop draining public resources - spending other peoples' money in their game.

It's pretty insane - my staff and I spend most of our day dealing with THIS instead of progressing our state now. I know I promised no more "politics as usual," but THIS isn't what anyone had in mind for ALASKA.

Even more interesting is that she is considering resignation from the Governor's Office.

So what is my prediction for her next move? She is going to start running for President of the USA.

Cross Posted at Classical Values

July 4th 009 Bikini Edition

This year I am doing something a little different. Instead of links to pictures there will be actual pictures. If the bikini you are looking at is for sale you can click on the picture to get details.

Now there is a lady with some very nice stars on her celestial hemispheres.



Here is an American Classic. The Stars and Stripes. Sex. And Rock 'n Roll. The only thing left out is your intoxicant of choice.



This bikini is called American Pride. If this lady was my mate I'd be having not only pride in America but also a pride of Americans. Unfortunately for those of you interested in this bikini it only comes in two sizes. Too small and much too small. Which I'd say is just about right.



This is called American Spirit. And who wouldn't like to go sailing with this spirited young lady. Boating Rocks. Rocking the boat with some spirited exercise is not bad either.



Now here is a lady I can really get behind. She shows leadership by leading with her best assets forward deployed. And the assets bringing up the rear are pretty good too.



This looks like a case of Americana breaking out all over. I do believe I'll have a case of that myself. Maybe two cases.



Now this is definitely a case of less is more. If you know a lady who has trouble keeping track of her clothes this is a perfect gift. She will only have half as many clothes to track and if you are interested in ladies you will definitely have at least twice as much to track. In the American style it is a win-win for all concerned.



For those of you interested in the male persuasion I think you will find that this suit comes with a very nice package. The guy in the suit seems nice too.



Here is a suit with all the trimmings - in red.



This suit has a lot to recommend it. Especially considering how little of it there is.



Ladies. I guarantee that most men watching this bikini will be seeing stars. Unless they are distracted by the stripes.



This suit is designed so that there are a number of different ways to wear it. Including on and off.



Here is a similar style suit with more emphasis on the stripes.



This bikini sure looks like one I have seen before. The smile in it is different though.



I just hate when they take pictures where you can see so little of the suit. How could you decide if you like it or not if you can't see it? My apologies.



This one is sure interesting. The top and bottom are mirror images of each other. Sort of.


I never tire of bikinis but sorting out all the html to get the images up is hard work (yeah, right). So until next year. In the mean time a few thoughts. Can you even imagine the boys of 1776 fighting and dying so that our American women can show themselves off to such advantage? If only they had known, the Brits (my apologies) might have gotten whipped in half the time.

And for those of you who never get enough (bikinis) may I suggest a few books that will further your research?

Sexy Bikini Girls 1: Vol. 1

Bunny Yeager's Bikini Girls of the 1950s - Illustrated

Bikini Girl Postcards by Bunny Yeager: Shore Wish You Were Here!

For those who still may need a calendar, not exactly an American Flag motif. But still.
The young lady in the picture sure has some great guns. The rifle she is holding looks pretty interesting too.

May your Fourth be exciting. And enjoy the fireworks where ever you see them or make them.

Past Bikini Editions:
July 4th 008 Bikini Edition
July 4th Bikinis - 2007
July 4th Bikinis

Pot Goes Legit

I remember when the micro-computer trade shows started. A few years after the first ones we had an industry. I think hemp/marijuana will follow a similar track.

This video was put out by the same folks who put out the It Gave Me Hope video. If you want to grow your own hope this book might be helpful:

Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

H/T Drug Policy Forum of Texas

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Jobs For India And China

That would be the Cap and Trade Bill.

H/T Judith Weiss on Facebook

That Should Work

H/T R. Dave via e-mail who sent me to Gateway Pundit to get the whole picture.

Cross Posted at Classical Values