Democracy inaction

Here's some numbers Kent Conrad doesn't want you to contemplate about yesterday's vote on the public option:

Put into words: although the Senate Finance Committee defeated the public option, nearly 6 million more Americans voted for the 10 senators who supported it than the 13 senators who opposed it. Moreover, senators who voted for the public option won on 63% of the vote in their last elections compared to 59% for the senators who voted against it.

Another way of saying it:Source: Daily Kos RSS Feed

The end of the Pax Americana?

side note: Another strong article from the people over at Salon.com! This falls in line with what we’ve been saying for years. The price of oil is globally set….so what that means that if there’s a shortage in the middle east, b/c of any sort of circumstances, then the price of oil with spike…not just in the middle east, but everywhere. So this article takes it a step further, explaining why we need to protect the interests of other countries…..a good read, if not a bit depressingSource: Nevada Thunder RSS Feed

Iowa Politics Insider: Oops, McCoy working for “inadequate” regulations

Sen. Matt McCoy “is working to ensure there is inadequate regulation” of Iowa’s animal breeding industry, according to a press release sent this morning. (Emphasis added.)

The release goes on to talk about McCoy’s role in the Legislature’s Care of Animals in Commercial Enterprises Study Committee, which

Source: BlogNetNews.com/Iowa RSS Feed

LAFCo and SFPUC joint meeting: The clock is ticking

By Rebecca Bowe

In the next few years, San Francisco residents will have the opportunity to switch to electricity that is publicly owned, more environmentally friendly, and either the same price or cheaper than power supplied by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. -- if all goes according to plan.

That’s turning into a big “if.”

At a joint meeting held between the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) last Friday,Source: SFBG Politics RSS Feed

Open Thread/Caption This Photo

I came across this photo and sent it to my Photoshopper buddies for magic or captioning. Driftglass calls it "Wasilla's Sense of Snowe," and the photoshops came in from Zaius, Tengrain, D-Cap, Darkblack, and Mark Hoback at Fried Green Al-Qaedas.

Open Thread and your captions below (keep it clean).

Source: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed

AP Does a Balanced Update on the Kelo Story and Current Situation

Pigs aren't flying, but don't be surprised if you see a few of them sprouting wings.

The Associated Press, which along with the rest of the establishment media has almost totally ignored the aftermath of the awful Kelo v. New London ruling over fours ago, actually carried a mostly fair and balanced piece about where things stand by writer Katie Nelson. Though I've followed the story reasonably closely since the fall of 2005, I learned a few things I didn't know about the City of NewSource: NewsBusters RSS Feed

For God and the Empire

Grand Cross's star of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order's motto is For God and the Empire. It is the most junior of the British (Commonwealth) orders of chivalry, and the largest, with over 100,000 living members worldwide.

Source: The Monarchist RSS Feed

Maspeth residents request park at CB5 meeting

From the Times Ledger:
A glimmer of hope has appeared once more for Maspeth residents hoping to make a park out of the lot where St. Saviour’s Church once stood.
Activists recently received a letter from city Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe saying the Parks Department would be interested in acquiring the land if it had the necessary funds.
Because the city does not have the funds to buy the property, however, residents are relying on City Councilwoman Elizabeth CrowleySource: Queens Crap RSS Feed

Could the “Gael Poll” be an elaborate hoax?

Google News Search

Have I just wasted £100?

Yesterday evening I got a call and an email purporting to be from the UKIP press office alerting me to a poll that was just coming out showing the the NO campaign in the Irish Lisbon referendum had taken a substantial lead.

It was said that before the 2008 referendum the same pollster had had a survey in the Irish Sun which had produced a prediction, within one percent, of the final result.

I wasSource: Political Betting RSS Feed

Overzealous...or Diligent?!

This story is unsettling on many levels...
"...Last fall A.J. and Lisa Demaree took a memory stick with family photos to the printing center at the Wal-Mart store in Peoria, Ariz. Some of the photos showed their three young girls, all under 5 years old, partially nude in the bathtub. The Demarees say these were innocent pictures that all families take. But a Wal-Mart employee felt otherwise and contacted the police who agreed that this was a child pornography situation.
TheSource: Blonde sagacity RSS Feed

Upper Peninsula Upventure: A brief history of copper mining

If you look at a map and it seems odd to you that the Michigan lower and upper peninsulas form a state, then your perceptions are correct. The lion's share of the U.P. would've probably ended up as part of Wisconsin had it not been for a border dispute between Ohio and Michigan Territory. Based on their interpretation of the 1802 legislation that led to Ohio's statehood, Michiganders thought Toledo should be part of Michigan. It's hard to believe, but Michigan and Ohio called up theirSource: Marathon Pundit RSS Feed

After the Missile Shield: It’s Time for Kremlin to Bring Itself to Reciprocate – Gazeta of Russia

So the long-rumored deed is done: American has decided that the anti-missile shield, parts of which were to be built in Poland and the Czech Republic – is best set aside for other considerations. When one get’s past all the bravado and one-upmanship of foreign affairs, what impact will it have on Russian behavior?

This editorial from Russia’s Gazeta newspaper, notably owned in part by Mikhail Gorbachev, suggests to the Kremlin and its reliable stable of party-lineSource: The Moderate Voice RSS Feed

Future Attribute Screening Technology Raises Privacy Concerns

Next-generation system for detecting suspects in public settings holds promise, sparks privacy concerns

Millimeter Wave Screening

CAMBRIDGE — Metal detectors, X-ray machines, and dogs are used at security checkpoints to look for bombs. Now a next-generation technology under development in Cambridge will look for the bomber.

With funding from the US Department of Homeland Security, Draper Laboratory and other collaborators are building technology toSource: DarkGovernment RSS Feed

Chris Wallace Whines That The White House Are A Bunch Of Crybabies. Look In The Mirror Lately, Chris?

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(h/t David N.)

Poor widdle Chris Wallace. That mean ol' Barack Obama won't come on his show but he's appearing on virtually every other Sunday show...including Univision, fer cryin' out loud. Univision! Oh, the humiliation of being snubbed like the ugly girl at the school dance.

Wallace goes on The O'Reilly Factor and says he just can't understand why the Obama administration would be so mean to him. In his mind, it's simplySource: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed

Are the Tories too reliant on Cameron?

Indy on Sunday

Would things look so good with a different leader?

John Rentoul in the Indy on Sunday (HatTip Wibbler on previous thread) raises something that I’ve been meaning to look at for some time - the over-reliance that the Tories have on their leader, David Cameron.

Just look at the historical polls - both voting intention and approval ratings - and its clear that the party has not been led in recent times by anybody who connects in quite the sameSource: Political Betting RSS Feed

Wingtip to wingtip, two legendary warriors of the air reach for the sky

Daily Mail

They are two of Britain’s most iconic aircraft – but they have rarely taken to the skies together.

The world’s last flying Vulcan, our most potent nuclear deterrent during the Cold War, dwarfed the Mk XIX Spitfire during a flypast.

To the delight of onlookers, the aircraft flew in tight formation over Bass Rock, an island in the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, after an air show at RAF Leuchars last weekend.

Source: The Two Malcontents RSS Feed

Poles, Czechs: Obama Betrayal With US Missile Defense Shift

Poles, Czechs: US missile defense shift a betrayal

Breitbart

Poles and Czechs voiced deep concern Friday at President Barack Obama's decision to scrap a Bush-era missile defense shield planned for their countries.

"Betrayal! The U.S. sold us to Russia and stabbed us in the back," the Polish tabloid Fakt declared on its front page.

Source: Theodore's World RSS Feed

Global Warming Makes Volcanoes Erupt

From Nature News:

Volcanoes stirred by climate change

17 September 2009

Impact of global warming on geological hazards ‘poorly understood’, experts warn.

Geologists are desperately trying to gather data in an attempt to understand how global warming will affect violent geological activity.

As increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels warm the planet, the problems associated with melting ice won’t just raise sea-levels; they Source: Sweetness Light RSS Feed

'Is This What Deregulation Looks Like?' -- By: Veronique de Rugy

Looking at the amount of money the federal government spends and has spent on regulatory agencies, and in particular on finance and banking regulatory agencies and programs, I argue in The American this morning that it's hard to claim with a straight face that deregulation was rampant and caused the financial crisis.

The article is here.

Source: The Corner RSS Feed

Tammy Bruce: President Obama has 'some malevolence towards this country'

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Tammy Bruce, last night on The O'Reilly Factor:

Bruce: But ultimately, it comes down to his inability to govern, and the fact that he seems to have, it seems to me, some malevolence toward this country, which is unabated.

Where does Fox News dig these characters up? Really. They never cease to amaze. There's no limit to what they'll say anymore. This is the logical endpoint of the "Obama is a secret radical" memeSource: Crooks and Liars RSS Feed

Morning Briefing for September 16, 2009

REDSTATE MORNING BRIEFING
FOR SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

Sign up to get the morning briefing by email here. 1. Nancy-Ann DeParle is the Non Sequitur of Obama Appointees

2. Another Obama First: Uncle Sam to Create Education Curriculum

3. Obama Is Opposed By Racists

4. And That’s the Way It Is

5. Reality Check on Joe Wilson

6. Familial Fall Out

7. 84 times

8. Abortion is Lethal — Not Only to Babies, but also toSource: Red State RSS Feed

Remembering a Fallen Soldier…

by Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

From ACT for America
This moved me so much that I just had to share it with you.
Remembering What We Are Up Against and Why We Must – and Will – Prevail
by Brigitte Gabriel
I don’t believe I’ve ever written a letter quite like this to you before. Indeed, it is difficult to write this without tears welling up in my eyes.
It started as a rainy Friday morning in late August. I was flying from my presentation inSource: Faultline USA RSS Feed

Do not let Sen. Evan Bayh kill jobs

Despite the surprise win by Barack Obama in Indiana in last year's presidential election, Indiana remains a deep red state. But the Hoosier State keeps electing Democrat Evan Bayh to office. The two term senator is expected to run for reelection next year.
I found that billboard on McKinley Boulevard in Mishawaka on Labor Day--while on my way to the Tea Party Express rally. It was paid for by the Economic Freedom Alliance, and the billboard directs readers to a website,Source: Marathon Pundit RSS Feed

Bad Toy Testing Law Kinda Sorta Won't Be Enforced for Another Year

Last week the House finally held committee hearings about the badly-written 2007 toy testing law I've covered here, here, and here. In today's Wall Street Journal, Reason contributor Walter Olson reports on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) hearings. The only person permitted to testify was Inez Tenenbaum, the new chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), who offered another year of legal limbo to small toymakers who find compliance onerous or even impossible:Source: Reason Magazine - Hit Run RSS Feed

The Great Tea Party Protest: The Aftermath

I am quite pleased at the Tea Party Protest March On Washington turnout yesterday (September 12, 2009). I’ve always been a fan and a lover of the protest and demonstration. I’ve been involved in many throughout my three and a half decades of life, the largest being the Million Man March (MMM) on October 16, 1995. There’s a certain beauty about a protest. Everyone with a singular purpose and expressing themselves. Just a wonderful thing.

But enough of my “protest love”.Source: The Moderate Voice RSS Feed

Thirteenth September Song (a poem for the hungry)

The Three Top Sins Of The Universe
On Tuesday September 11, 2001, at least 35,615 of our brother and sisters died from the worst possible death, starvation. Somewhere around 85% of these starvation deaths occur in children 5 years of age or younger. Why are we letting at least 30,273 of the most beautiful children die the worst possible death everyday? Every 2.43 seconds another one of our fellow brothers and sisters dies of starvation. Starvation doesn't just happen on Tuesday SeptemberSource: Peace, Social Justice and Truth for RSS Feed

Friday, 11th September 2009

Howzit
Apologies for the lateness of this posting - I had a few other things to do this morning...
Foreign currency mid-rates updated.
-o00o-
September 11, 2001
Lest we forget
-o00o-
Not only has Mugabe managed to take Zimbabwe off the agenda, but he is calling for the targeted sanctions to be lifted. The new SADC chief, Joseph Kabila, has stated that he is of the belief that there has been significant 'progress' in Zimbabwe.
I would dearly

2009 Video Voter Guide

Here are the Queens candidates for City Council:

Steve Behar, City Council #19

Tom Cooke, City Council #19

Jerry Iannece, City Council #19

Kevin Kim, City Council #19

Debra Markell, City Council #19

Paul Vallone, City Council #19

John Choe, City Council #20

Evergreen Chou, City Council #20

SJ Jung, City Council #20

Peter Koo, City Council

Obama Stimulus Report Card

Because I earlier objected to the Obama stimulus pork-o-rama, I thought I should follow up on it. The second quarter economic figures have come in, and we are ready to draw some conclusions. According to Mark Steyn:
In Brazil, India, China, Japan and much of Continental Europe the recession has ended. In the second quarter this year, both the French and German economies grew by 0.3 percent, while the U.S. economy shrank by 1 percent. How can that be? Unlike America, France and GermanySource: E pur si muove! RSS Feed

Fresh Meadows man commits suicide by explosion

From the Daily News:
A Queens man committed suicide by explosion on Monday - likely setting off a blast in his home to kill himself, law enforcement sources said.
Gyung Lee, 54, died instantly when the blast shattered the rear bedroom of his family's Fresh Meadows home, sending plumes of yellow smoke dozens of feet in the air, shaken witnesses said.
A propane tank was discovered near the corpse, and investigators believe Lee filled the room with gas and then lit a match, theSource: Queens Crap RSS Feed

Cape Cod great white shark episode thankfully is minus 'Jaws' hysteria?

I heard about this from some friends out east and the news and I had to remind them that something is amiss in the waters over there, and that's the missing Beluga Whale they're used to being frightened off by all the time..
You know.. this one....
OK in all seriousness, this shark deal out there is pretty interesting to say the least...actually though I'm posting this excerpt to show the lefty spin on the situation in the LA Times, where their writer compares this to a FictionalSource: Chicagoray RSS Feed

Jane Norton Files "Exploratory Committee" Papers

The website's ready for prime time:

The Denver Business Journal reports:

Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton said Tuesday she has formed an exploratory committee for a possible U.S. Senate race in 2010.

She is one of as many as six Republicans who have announced they will seek the seat or are considering the idea.

In a statement, Norton said she plans to announce whether she'll run next week, "after talking to supporters around the state."

Source: ColoradoPols.com - Front Page RSS Feed

US Troops Violated Afghan Hospital

From the ever gullible (if it involves making the US look bad) Associated Press:

Anders Fange, country director of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 7, 2009. Charity: US troops stormed through Afghan hospital

By Kay Johnson, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 7

KABUL – A Swedish charity accused American troops Monday of storming through a hospital inSource: Sweetness Light RSS Feed

Sneak Preview of Obama’s Shocking ‘Socialistic’ School Speech

“NOW, BOYS AND GIRLS, STAY IN PUBLIC SCHOOL, SHARE YOUR CRAYONS WITH YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSMATES, AND IF YOU DON’T FEEL WELL, YOU CAN GET FREE HEALTH CARE FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOL NURSE.”

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Dan Kurtzman with The Week’s Best Late-Night Jokes.

Source: The Satirical Political Report RSS Feed

The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight at the Todd Mahal

Get the duct tape, friends...this one will make your head explode!
Some of you regular readers of WMD will know some of the background I am about to re-tell here for completeness, so just bear with me or skip down to the BREAKING NEWS...
I moved to Butler County nine years ago and thought that I really didn't have to pay too much attention to local politics or the party because Butler County had a stellar reputation as the reddest of red counties in the Great State of BeautifulSource: Weapons of Mass Discussion RSS Feed

Mr. President, Please Don’t Bogart the Blunt....

We've all encountered a few of these folks I'm sure in our times, and for most of us they can all be found left behind in the fog of life when they couldn't or wouldn't put down the doobage long enough to think straight, yet we all search for the reasons of how and why such a large chunk of the country can be so seemingly out of touch with reality.

this Big Hollywood commentary has it pretty much all figured out.....

Big Hollywood"After a long day at work onSource: Chicagoray RSS Feed