Happy Wasted Week!

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Finally, some common sense!

Not raising taxes in the middle of the Great Recession....it took an election melt down but we got it! Now, time to reduce taxes and government spending....Start with the TSA.....


Bill preventing big tax hikes heads to Obama




By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press –
WASHINGTON – A massive bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year's Day tax hike for millions of Americans is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature Friday.
The measure would extend tax cuts for families at every income level, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and enact a new one-year cut in Social Security taxes that would benefit nearly every worker who earns a wage.
The president is expected to sign the bill Friday afternoon.
In a remarkable show of bipartisanship, the House gave final approval to the measure just before midnight Thursday, overcoming an attempt by rebellious Democrats who wanted to impose a higher estate tax than the one Obama agreed to. The vote was 277-148, with each party contributing an almost identical number of votes in favor (the Democrats, 139 and the Republicans, 138).
In a rare reach across party lines, Obama negotiated the $858 billion package with Senate Republicans. The White House then spent the past 10 days persuading congressional Democrats to go along, providing a possible blueprint for the next two years, when Republicans will control the House and hold more seats in the Senate.
"There probably is nobody on this floor who likes this bill," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "The judgment is, is it better than doing nothing? Some of the business groups believe it will help. I hope they're right."
Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., said that with unemployment hovering just under 10 percent and the deadline for avoiding a big tax hike fast approaching, lawmakers had little choice but to support the bill.
"This is just no time to be playing games with our economy," said Camp, who will become chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee in January. "The failure to block these tax increases would be a direct hit to families and small businesses."
Sweeping tax cuts enacted when George W. Bush was president are scheduled to expire Jan. 1 — a little more than two weeks away. The bill extends them for two years, placing the issue squarely in the middle of the next presidential election, in 2012.
The extended tax cuts include lower rates for the rich, the middle class and the working poor, a $1,000-per-child tax credit, tax breaks for college students and lower taxes on capital gains and dividends. The bill also extends through 2011, a series of business tax breaks designed to encourage investment that expired at the end of 2009.
Workers' Social Security taxes would be cut by nearly a third, going from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent, for 2011. A worker making $50,000 in wages would save $1,000; one making $100,000 would save $2,000.
"This legislation is good for growth, good for jobs, good for working and middle class families, and good for businesses looking to invest and expand their work force," said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
Some Democrats complained that the package is too generous to the wealthy; Republicans complained that it doesn't make all the tax cuts permanent.
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., called it "a bipartisan moment of clarity."
The bill's cost, $858 billion, would be added to the deficit, a sore spot among budget hawks in both parties.
"I know that we are going to borrow every nickel in this bill," Hoyer lamented.
An opponent of the legislation, Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., said Obama and lawmakers will face enormous election-year pressure in 2012 to extend the cuts again or make them permanent. Weiner said the Republicans turned out to be "better poker players" than Obama.
At the insistence of Republicans, the plan includes an estate tax that would allow the first $10 million of a couple's estate to pass to heirs without taxation. The balance would be subject to a 35 percent tax rate.
Many House Democrats wanted a higher estate tax, one that would allow couples to pass only $7 million tax-free, taxing anything above that amount at a 45 percent rate. They argued that the higher estate tax would affect only 6,600 of the wealthiest estates in 2011 and would save $23 billion over two years.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the estate tax the "most egregious provision" in the bill and held a vote that would have imposed the higher estate tax. It failed, 194-233.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said he thought the White House could have gotten a better deal.
"When I talk to the Republicans they are giddy about this bill," he said.

Over the top!

One more semester to go! Hopped over two more classes and ready for the last one! Roman history, Colonial America and the all important thesis....Going to be an uphill climb but the end is in sight!

"Health Care" declared unconstitional!

I told you this could not hold up...Now Eric Holder's Justice Department is reviewing the decision...the partisanship on this is frightening....On the other hand, it looks like Obama's insurance crony friends are going to be very upset.....


Big legal setback for Obama's health care overhaul


By MARK SHERMAN and ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Mark Sherman And Erica Werner, Associated Press – 26 mins ago
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's historic health care overhaul hit its first major legal roadblock Monday, thrown into doubt by a federal judge's declaration that the heart of the sweeping legislation is unconstitutional. The decision handed Republican foes ammunition for their repeal effort next year as the law heads for almost certain eventual judgment by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, a Republican appointee in Richmond, Va., marked the first successful court challenge to any portion of the new law, following two earlier rulings in its favor by Democratic-appointed judges.
[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]
The law's central requirement for nearly all Americans to carry insurance is unconstitutional, well beyond Congress' power to require, Hudson ruled, agreeing with argument of Virginia's attorney general — and many of the Republican lawmakers who will take control of the U.S. House in January. Hudson denied Virginia's request to strike down the law in its entirety or block it from being implemented while his ruling is appealed by the Obama administration.
"An individual's personal decision to purchase — or decline to purchase — health insurance from a private provider is beyond the historical reach of the Commerece Clause" said Hudson, a 2002 appointee of President George W. Bush.

Haas Football Weekend 2

The second Haas Thanksgiving Football Weekend kicked off the day after Thanksgiving, giving everyone a chance to sleep off turkey and corn...and a lot of cookies....

East Carolina took on Southern Methodist University on an unseasonalbly warm day in Greenville, NC in a battle of the "U"'s. ECU vs SMU....neither team remembered to bring their defense and they were both throwing the ball all over the field...The Mustangs threw it a little better and SMU went home with a 41-38 overtime win...East Carolina may have lost but they did better than Pitt. The Panthers donned their Nike "Pro Combat" uniforms, ran out onto the grass at Heinz Field in front of 63,000 rabid fans ready for the Backyard Brawl and promptly stank up the place....West Virgina walked all over the home team 35-10.

Starting off 0-2 is not good but it is not the end of the world either!

On Saturday, the UFL held its championship at historic Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebrasks. It was cold and crisp and the weather gave neither team an advantage...Las Vegas vs Florida...not exactly hailing from the snow belt...LOL

It was a great game that came down to a blocked field goal and the Locos hung on for their second straight UFL championship 23-20! Like the Green Bay Packers, they have won the first two championships....Having said that, I think that is all Las Vegas and Green Bay have in common.....

On Sunday, my Steelers jumped out to a 13-0 lead on the Buffalo Bills and then decided to take a nap in the second half! The Bills fought back to tie it at 13 before Pittsburgh hit a field goal to take a 16-13 lead late. But the Bills, sporting awful throwback unis, fought back and hit a field goal at the buzzer to tie it.

In OT, Bills receiver Fred Smith dropped the winning touchdown in the endzone and the Steelers decieded enough of this foolisheness. A long grinding drive later, the Steelers hit a field goal and won 19-16, giving me a 2-2 record so far this Thanksgiving.

Then came the Grey Cup: Canada's Super Bowl with the Saskatchewan Roughriders seeking to avenge last years loss to Montreal when they had too many men on the field. The weather was cold in Edmonton but the action melted the ice.

Unfortunatley, the Riders came up a little short, 21-18.

Then we heard Lesilie Neilson died.

When it rains, it pours.

But it was Thanksgiving and we counted our blessings---we weren't TSA perverts forced to look through someone's flab rolls at the airport!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

TSA morale falling

It appears most TSA agents do not like the "enhanced pat-downs" either...


TSA Enhanced Pat Downs : The Screeners Point Of View
11.18.2010 Author: flyingfish Posted in Uncategorized
In the past few weeks since the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) implemented its new “enhanced” pat down procedures there has been considerable backlash from the traveling public. This backlash has been loud and angry … but what is not heard or seen in the media is the quiet resentment of this new policy within the TSA.
A few days ago I contacted 20 TSA Transportation Security Officers (TSO) to ask their opinions of the new “enhanced” pat downs. Of the 20 I reached out to, 17 responded. All 17 who responded are at airports where the new “enhanced” pat down is in place … and the responses were all the same, that front line TSOs do not like the new pat downs and that they do not want to perform them. I expected most to not like the pat downs … but what I didn’t expect was that all 17 mentioned their morale being broken down.
Each of the 17 TSA TSOs that responded to me detailed their personal discomfort in conducting the new pat downs, with more than one stating that it is likely they are more uncomfortable performing the pat down than passengers are receiving them.
Some comments from these TSOs include:
“It is not comfortable to come to work knowing full well that my hands will be feeling another man’s private parts, their butt, their inner thigh. Even worse is having to try and feel inside the flab rolls of obese passengers and we seem to get a lot of obese passengers!”
“Do you think I want to go to work and place my hands between women’s legs and touch their breasts for a few hours? For starters, I am attracted to men, not women and if I was attracted to women, it would not be the large number of passengers I handle daily that have a problem understanding what personal hygiene is.”
“Yesterday a passenger told me to keep my hands off his penis or he’d scream. Is this how a 40 year old man in business attire acts? He’ll scream? My 3 year old can get away with saying he’ll scream, but a 40 something business man? I am a professional doing my job, whether I agree with this current policy or not, I am doing my job. I do not want to be here all day touching penises.”
“Being a TSO means often being verbally abused, you let the comments roll off and check the next person, however when a woman refuses the scanner then comes to me and tells me that she feels like I am molesting her, that is beyond verbal abuse. I asked the woman if she thought I like touching other women all day and she told me that I probably did or I wouldn’t be with the TSA. I just want to tell these people that I feel disgusted feeling other peoples private parts, but I cannot because I am a professional.”
“I was asked by some guy if I got excited touching scrotums at the airport and if it gave me a power thrill. I felt like vomiting when he asked that. This is not a turn on for me to touch me it is in fact a huge turn off. There is a big difference between how I pat passengers down and a molester molesting people.”
Aside from the issue of TSA TSOs being required to physically touch passengers in places they do not want to be touching them during the ‘enhanced’ pat down, morale is decreasing for front line TSOs, due in part to an increase in verbal abuse. Each of the 17 TSOs who responded to me detailed a new level of verbal abuse they are experiencing at work.
The TSA has experienced a high level of turn over since its inception, however its turnover rate has decreased recently. With this decrease in morale, caused directly by a change in TSA policy, it is likely to begin experiencing a higher than average turn over again … which will further decrease the effectiveness of airport security.

Remember I told you about this.....

Tensions on the Korean peninsula: What you need to knowBy Zachary Roth

By Zachary Roth zachary Roth – 2 hrs 34 mins ago
Tensions are near the boiling point on the Korean peninsula after North Korea shelled a South Korean island, killing two South Korean soldiers. What's behind this latest spike in hostilities between the longtime adversaries, and just how concerned should we be -- especially since we have 25,000 military personnel stationed in South Korea? Here's what you need to know.
What happened, exactly?
Early Tuesday, North Korea fired artillery shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, which sits off the disputed maritime border between the two countries. The attack killed two South Korean marines and wounded 18 soldiers and civilians. It prompted an exchange of fire between the two sides, involving around 175 artillery shells and lasting about an hour.
The North accused South Korea of having started the exchange by firing shells inside North Korean territory during a set of South Korean military exercises that the North called "war maneuvers." The South denies that charge, saying that its soldiers were merely conducting military drills and that no shots fell in North Korean territory.
The North Korean attack was the first on a civilian area of South Korea since the Korean War.
Why did this happen now?
Tensions have been running high since March, when a South Korean naval vessel in the same area was sunk, killing 46 sailors. Seoul blamed a North Korean torpedo attack, though the North has denied involvement. Then earlier this month, the South Korean navy fired warning shots at a North Korean fishing boat after the craft strayed across the border. The North Korean boat retreated.
Some analysts have linked Tuesday's action by the North to the impoverished nation's need for food. The Obama administration has refused to remove sanctions against the North, imposed in response to its nuclear program. "They see that they can't pressure Washington, so they've taken South Korea hostage again," Choi Jin-wook, a senior researcher with the South Korean Institute for National Unification, told the New York Times. "They're in a desperate situation, and they want food immediately, not next year."
Does this have anything to do with North Korea's leadership situation?
Kim Jong Il, the North's ailing and reclusive leader, is believed to be gradually shifting power over to his son, Kim Jong Un, who in September was promoted to the rank of four-star general.
Some analysts believe the transition has made North Korea eager to demonstrate its military power. Kim Jong Il famously employed an aggressive "military first" approach to politics, and spoke of turning the North Korean army into a "pillar of the revolution." The regime may now want to show the world that the same military-first policies will prevail under his successor. "The son's power base is derived from the military, and the power of [the] military is greater than ever," Cheong Seong-Chang, a fellow at the Seoul-based Sejong Institute, told Time magazine.
How has the world reacted?
The United States, Britain and Japan have condemned the North Korean attack, with America calling on the North to "halt its belligerent action." China said it was "concerned," while Russia has urged restraint and a peaceful solution to the crisis.
What's the U.S. role in all this?
The United States wants North Korea to resume the six-party talks on the country's nuclear program. The talks, which also include Russia, China, Japan in addition to America and the two Koreas, were launched in 2003, after North Korea opted out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The talks' aim is to arrive at a peaceful diplomatic agreement to contain the North's nuclear capacity -- but the talks have been in limbo since 2008, and earlier this week, an American scientist revealed that he had been shown a sophisticated North Korean nuclear enrichment facility, throwing the resumption of the talks into further doubt.
Today's incident adds another obstacle, experts say.
The revelation of the uranium facility and Tuesday's attack on South Korea may both be expressions of the North's concern that the Obama administration and its allies are unlikely to offer concessions such as the easing of sanctions. "I think they realize they can't expect anything from Washington or Seoul for several months, so I think they made the provocation," Choi Jin-wook, senior researcher at the Korea Institute of National Unification, told CNN.
How scared should we be?
South Korea has placed its military on "crisis status," and Prime Minister Lee Myung-bak has reportedly ordered strikes on North Korea's missile base if the North makes any "indication of further provocation." It appears unlikely, though not impossible, that further military action will result.
South Korea does not have an active nuclear weapons program. North Korea is believed already to have eight to 12 nuclear bombs. But nuclear issues aside, any military conflict between the countries could badly destabilize the region, especially if the North Korean government were to collapse -- an outcome that some South Koreans fear could lead to a Chinese takeover.

Now refer back to blog entry dated August 15, 2010

A step in the right direction....

....but we still have a lot of ground to cover!


TSA:Pilots to be exempt from some security checks
Associated Press Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration has agreed to allow airline pilots to skip security scanning and pat-downs, pilot organizations said Friday. Pilots traveling in uniform on airline business will be allowed to pass security by presenting two photo IDs, one from their company and one from the government, to be checked against a secure flight crew database, officials at the pilot groups said.
"This looks good. It's basically what we've been after for 10 years," says Sam Mayer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association at American Airlines, the union that raised objections to the new screening process about two weeks ago. "Pilots are not the threat here; we're the target."
TSA said in a news release Friday that pilots would begin seeing changes immediately in security screening, but did not specify what they would be.
The Coalition for Airline Pilot Associations, a trade organization for pilot unions, also described the new program.
It is an expansion of a program tested at three airports, the organizations said.
The decision comes amid recent outrage over invasive pat-downs and full body imaging machines used for screening at airports.

TSA feeling the heat....

It looks like the TSA is starting to give way...note paragraph three..it probably will upset the pedophile lobby....


“Some of these technological responses to terrorism really start to seem like placebos,” says Susan Herman, President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and law professor at Brooklyn Law School. “To the extent that people understand what the benefits are, and the invasion of privacies are, they can make more informed decisions about giving up their privacy for machines that make them feel better, but don’t do the job of preventing any terrorist device from getting on an airplane.”

Professor Herman says the scanners present a significant threat to privacy.
“This technology can go right up a woman’s skirt," and it can reveal medical conditions via the presence of an adult diaper, a colostomy bag, or other personal medical equipment – information that individuals have the right to keep private, she adds.

The TSA has relented in the face of some complaints. It announced Tuesday that it will no longer screen children under 12.

Chris Calabrese, a privacy lobbyist for the ACLU, says “the balance seems to be missing here.”
“Until it’s restored, I think TSA is going to continue to hear these concerns," he adds. "This is pretty far outside the norm of what people expect when they travel, even in these days. We’ve certainly seen the normal shift over the past decade, but there’s still a line, and both these procedures are on the wrong side of that line.”

"Don't touch my junk."

Time to make a stand, America!

If Rosa Parks can do it, so can we! Invasive searchs are illegal, do not work, won't catch terrorists, and only succeed in turning Americans against each other.

November 24 is National Opt Out day. Time to bring it all to a halt!


http://www.optoutday.com/



http://johnnyedge.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-events-took-place-roughly-between.html

How to win friends and influence people....

After getting trounced in the midterm elections, watching his president grovel before India, and having some no name "security" offical try to bar American reporters from covering the conference, Robert Gibbs needed to blow off some steam apparently....

Do you think he is still upset about NC State losing to East Carolina? :-)

Wait until the G20 summit starts....

Election Day Tidal Wave!

Election day 2010 and the Democratic party lost control of the House and nearly the Senate. President Obama all but fled to India and the Tea Party made its presence felt.

Mr. Hope and Change did not deliver so why is everyone in the Democratic Party so surprised? You force "health care" on people, you bail out corrupt corporations and threaten to raise taxes.....

...if any of those people ever held a real job in their lives, they might understand.

Might be hard to do though...unemployment is stuck at 9.6%.

And they wonder why the electorate turned on them....

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Don't get sick from eating too much candy!

Nice weather

Upper 80s in the last week of October? Maybe global warming is not such a bad thing.....

Winter will be here soon enough. Don't worry though, the only blizzards you will going to see here are from Dairy Queen, not Saskatchewan! :-)

State Fair

Michelle and I ventured to the State Fair Tuesday Night. My three favorite moments....

(3) Seeing giant rabbits that I feel are destined to take over the world and enslave humanity...

(2) Eating roasted corn...

(3) Seeing a coed nearly run over in the crosswalk and belated flip off the jeep drivers...

Now, to properly deliver an obscene gesture, you must do so where the offender can see you and the symbol. To do so otherwise is simply a waste of time. Higher education is not what it used to be....

Economics 101

Any one who thinks a "jobless recovery" is anywhere near the realm of possibility has clearly failed a drug test. Without jobs, people have no money to spend. If they do not spend, products they buy will not be produced. If products are not produced, then the people working to produce them are layed off and have no jobs....Economics 101. Throw in tax hikes, force people who can't afford a house to buy health insurance, let fuel prices go beserk, and let's not forget to torment people who create jobs....You get the picture....

Now what seems to be the problem? This might shed some light on it....

This is why there are no jobs in America
Posted: August 24, 201010:37 pm Eastern© 2010 WorldNetDaily
I'd like to make you a business offer.
Seriously. This is a real offer. In fact, you really can't turn me down, as you'll come to understand in a moment...
Here's the deal. You're going to start a business or expand the one you've got now. It doesn't really matter what you do or what you're going to do. I'll partner with you no matter what business you're in – as long as it's legal.
But I can't give you any capital – you have to come up with that on your own. I won't give you any labor – that's definitely up to you. What I will do, however, is demand you follow all sorts of rules about what products and services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, and where and when you're allowed to operate your business. That's my role in the affair: to tell you what to do.
Now in return for my rules, I'm going to take roughly half of whatever you make in the business each year. Half seems fair, doesn't it? I think so. Of course, that's half of your profits.


You're also going to have to pay me about 12 percent of whatever you decide to pay your employees because you've got to cover my expenses for promulgating all of the rules about who you can employ, when, where, and how. Come on, you're my partner. It's only "fair."
Now ... after you've put your hard-earned savings at risk to start this business, and after you've worked hard at it for a few decades (paying me my 50 percent or a bit more along the way each year), you might decide you'd like to cash out – to finally live the good life.
Whether or not this is "fair" – some people never can afford to retire – is a different argument. As your partner, I'm happy for you to sell whenever you'd like ... because our agreement says, if you sell, you have to pay me an additional 20 percent of whatever the capitalized value of the business is at that time.
I know, I know. You put up all the original capital. You took all the risks. You put in all of the labor. That's all true. But I've done my part, too. I've collected 50 percent of the profits each year. And I've always come up with more rules for you to follow each year. Therefore, I deserve another, final 20 percent slice of the business.
Oh ... and one more thing.
Even after you've sold the business and paid all of my fees, I'd recommend buying lots of life insurance. You see, even after you've been retired for years, when you die, you'll have to pay me 50 percent of whatever your estate is worth.
After all, I've got lots of partners and not all of them are as successful as you and your family. We don't think it's "fair" for your kids to have such a big advantage. But if you buy enough life insurance, you can finance this expense for your children.
All in all, if you're a very successful entrepreneur, if you're one of the rare, lucky, and hard-working people who can create a new company, employ lots of people, and satisfy the public, you'll end up paying me more than 75 percent of your income over your life. Thanks so much.
I'm sure you'll think my offer is reasonable and happily partner with me, but it doesn't really matter how you feel about it because if you ever try to stiff me – or cheat me on any of my fees or rules – I'll break down your door in the middle of the night, threaten you and your family with heavy, automatic weapons, and throw you in jail.
That's how civil society is supposed to work, right? This is Amerika, isn't it?
That's the offer Amerika gives its entrepreneurs. And the idiots in Washington wonder why there are no new jobs.

Hockey Season opens!

Hockey season opens on the first Thursday in October! Just like the Supreme Court, only more interesting and relevant!

My Penguins open up a new arena in downtown Pittsburgh, the Consol Energy Arena. I wish they had come up with a more original and less corporate name but there it is.

The Penguins open up the new Igloo with Philadelphia...

Who didn't see that coming?

Rats deserting sinking ship...

The main rat is leaving...last paragraph says it all.

White House lauds leadership of departing Emanuel

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The White House lavished praise on the leadership of hard-charging chief of staff Rahm Emanuel Thursday, on the eve of his planned departure to run for mayor of Chicago.
Spokesman Robert Gibbs would not officially confirm fresh reports on the timing of Emanuel's departure but said President Barack Obama had scheduled a personnel announcement for Friday in the East Room of the White House.
There have been hints for days that Emanuel will be leaving to campaign for his dream job running his home city, and that Pete Rouse, a key Obama advisor will replace him in the key post on a temporary basis.
Emanuel, Obama's political enforcer, has been intimately involved in every aspect of the administration, from his Afghan troop surge to his landmark health reform, and his departure will change the complexion of Obama's staff.
"There is not an important thing that has happened in this administration that we've been able to accomplish for the American people that has not involved heavily his signature," said Gibbs.
"The title 'chief of staff' in many ways, says it all. He has been the energetic, inspirational leader of us, taking the president's promises and agenda and enacting them into law."
Emanuel, a profane, hard-knuckled Washington operative will become the latest top White House official to leave, ahead of an expected rebuke from voters for Obama's Democrats in the congressional polls in November.

Can a shakeup of the White House staff invigorate the Obama presidency?
Such staff shake-ups are common in presidential administrations, where long hours and seven-day weeks under intense pressure are the norm, and job tenure is often around two years.
The office of chief of staff is vital in any White House, with the holder responsible for controlling access to the president and involved in all aspects of the administration's activities.
Emanuel's rare chance to run for mayor of his hometown opened up when Mayor Richard Daley, part of a famed Chicago political dynasty, announced he would not run for a seventh term in early 2011.
On Monday, in an interview with the NBC Today Show, Obama said that he thought Emanuel would have to make a decision quickly because running for mayor of Chicago was a "serious enterprise."
"I have said I think he would be an excellent mayor, but until he makes a decision, I'm not going to be making decisions about how I'm going to approach it."

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

September 27--A Great Day in History--note capitalization...

Our second anniversary!

I LOVE YOU MICHELLE!

Thesis committee assembled

My thesis committee is assembled and ready to go! The time period I am dealing with is going to the the fourth century BC, more specifically the changes in Greek warfare from 404 BC to 371 BC, right after the Peloponnesian War.

Looks and feels like another book.

I've done that a couple of times....

I am going to start to roll on this in October after I narrow down the subject a little. I am thinking something like the deficicencies in the Spartan military after the victory in 404 BC or maybe the way the Thebans tended to drive people crazy with new formations and unorthodox strategies.

It's going to be a lot of fun and I have a good team.

Yep, I am a history freak.....

Remember the heroes

Yes, we have forgotten

Yes, we have forgotten.

Concerts, college football, even the Greek Fest is underway as I write this. Maybe it is just an attempt on everyone's part not to dwell on this anniversary. It might be some sort of mass defense mechanism to deal with it but it does not seem right.

Eight years later, our own government is supporting the construction of a mosque two blocks from this site. The Freedom Tower that is supposed to be built here is not completed and will simply be named World Trade Center.

The city and state of New York is not helping firefighters and policemen who risked their lives to save others with the respiratory they are suffering from. Greed on nearby Wall Street has wreaked the economy. The government gave itself new powers after the attacks and weak abroad, acts mainly against Americans.

I just going to leave with this:

"Those who fail to remember history are condemned to repeat it."

Happy Labor Day!

Iraq War ends---sort of...

Today, August 31, 2010, US combat operations ended in Iraq.

Or is it?

Nearly 50,000 American soldiers remain in Iraq, still in combat formations, still armed, still likely to engage the enemy if attacked or called by the Iraqis for assistance.

Rather broad definition of "over."

Kind of like "Mission Accomplished"

Even if we take this statement at face value, the question remains, "Was the Iraq War worth it?"

Some one back in the 50s once asked the Zhou Enlai, then Preimer of China, if the French Revolution (1789) was a good idea. His answer: "I don't know yet."

Right now, after seven years of fighting, 4500 US KIAs and God knows how many Iraqi deaths, the answer, at the moment, seems like "no." But maybe in twenty years when Iraq is a stable democracy and it begins to spread in the Middle East, we can say the sacrifice was worth it.

Wht if Iraq collapse? Do we fight our way back in or do we walk away from it? Not an easy question.

For every good thing, we can find something bad. We deposed a brutal dictator but have we unleashed an instability that is worse? Or is a democracy painfully crawling forward?

We never found the weapons of mass destruction that was supposed to be the cause of the war but US forces fought, fought well and defeated al-Qieda. But will it rise up again after we leave Iraq?

On September 10, 2001, terrorists (and a lot of our allies) thought America was too decadent and weak to strike back. A French diplomat smirked during the 1999 Kosovo air campaign, "The Americans are brave when they bomb someone from 30,000 feet."

In Iraq and Afghanistan, American soldiers fought eye to eye with the enemy with rifles and shotguns and then shovels and knives. We also showed the world we could and would fight.

But the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been hideously expensive (in lives and dollars) and badly organized.

And success remains in doubt.

I hope a generation from now, we will look at a prosperous, free, and peaceful Middle East and wonder what all the fuss was about. On the other hand, given the region's history, there is not a lot of cause for optimism.

We did not lose in Iraq but it does not feel like a victory.

More like a sigh of relief.

But it is not over yet.

New school year begins

Today a new school year began. I am halfway to my masters and this semester I am taking the European Seminar Class (I am not totally sure what that means but it is required and I will find out soon enough...) and Sea Power through the Ages, 480 BC to present.

I also have to shore up my foreign language requirements and let's not forget the thesis: "Land Power vs Sea Power: Athens/Sparta and Carthage/Rome"

Looks like it is going to be busy semester but at least it keeps me off the streets :-)

Judging by the picture, just as well.....

Enjoy the rainbows!

Too much negative stuff around lately. Enjoy the rainbows!

What is he thinking?!

What is President Obama thinking? Is he thinking?

A MOSQUE next to the site of 9/11?! What is even more bewildering is the sight of a Republican Jewish New York mayor defending the whole project.....

When even a liberal like Mike Lupica balks, you know something is wrong! Very, very wrong.....

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/16/2010-08-16_families_not_mike__bam_should_have_the_final_say.html

We better keep an eye on this....

Those wacky North Koreans are once again upset with the US and South Korea for holding military exercises. Once again, they make threats about plunging the world into war. Not once have they done so but I remember the fable about the boy who cried "wolf!"

Although it is hard to take North Korea seriously, you have to remember it has the fifth largest army in the world (1.2 million), holds on to rugged, mountainous terrain and has nuclear weaponry, albeit somewhat primitive.

What worries me is a combination of North Korean insanity and China's increasing assertiveness. Just recently, the Chinese complained loudly about the US Navy holding excesses in the Yellow Sea. Washington moved them, claiming that the Chinese had nothing to do with the decision.

Then the Chinese unveiled their new missile, the Dong Feng 21D, capable of hitting aircraft carriers from 900 miles away.

North Korea is easier to ignore than China.

I have the feeling this little noted exchange is some sort of test the Chinese and North Koreans are running to get a feel for the US commitment to Northeast Asia. Given Obama's track record in anything so far, I can sense the confidence radiating from Beijing.

North Korea, as irritating as China finds Kim Il-Jong, is the perfect proxy to sting the US and scare Japan. Where does that leave South Korea?

A possible Chinese ally

What?

Yes, a possible Chinese ally. Think about it. What if China, much closer to Korea and growing both stronger and more assertive, offers Seoul the moribund North in exchange for an alliance with Asia's greatest power? Oil from Russia also becomes available and North Korea has lots of untapped natural resources.

A unified Chinese allied Korea becomes a natural bridge to Japan. If China has this in mind, then Seoul sees their choices are to be in the way or get on the winning team.

Tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan along with China itself holding a good chunk of America's debt, could the US fight off such a scenario?

Think about this, add the Yellow Sea "protests" into the equation and see what you come up with.

I hope the State Department is not asleep at the wheel on this.

Halfway there!

Just received the notification that I have completed my summer course for my master's degree---it puts me officially at the halfway point. Past midfield and headed for the endzone.

By the way, Michelle and I were at this game back in 2007, a 19-3 Steeler win over the Carolina Panthers in a preseason game.

Now, it two weeks, we start on the second part of the quest...I think I have it easier than Frodo and Sam but remember, I have Kejen Densky on my side.

If you don't know what I am talking about, read Heavensteel!

And Ares Marching while you are at it!

Missouri votes down health care "reform"

Does not look like the "Show Me State" is going for the "expand the number of insured to drive down costs" argument. Do you really expect any corporation to rein itself in on priciing? Think about what you have seen this last decade and ask yourself that again.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_c847dc7c-564c-5c70-8d90-dfd25ae6de56.html

The basic issue is this: the federal government cannot tell you what to buy. Period.

Even at the height of the Second World War when America was fighting for her survival against Nazis and the Japanese, no one was forced to buy war bonds. Heavy social pressure? Yes. Heavy peer pressure? Yes. Legal mandate with the threat of a fine? No. Looks like the Nazis are in the White House.

And we know how that ended.

And the hits just keep on coming...

Between Eric Holder's "Justice" Department's clear dislike of anyone fitting the definition of "white", the Shirely Sherrod fisaso, the Conneticut fire fighters discrimination case under Sonia Sotomayor and now this gem: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=181357

I think the current administration is surpassing the last administration in sheer incompetence. Now the current morons are going to give the neo-Nazi movement a good recruiting boost...

Way to go......

Yes, that is sarcastic.

Follow these two pieces of advice and you will never, ever, go wrong

ONE: Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated
TWO: Discrimination against ANYONE is WRONG.

Look at ONE and TWO and look at this: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/07/webb_criticizes_affirmative_ac.html

End it and move on. The 60s are over.

Two Vietnams?!

Remember, Sheila Jackson Lee is a Political Science major from Yale University...maybe she should get her money back or perhaps Yale needs to have its certification yanked.....How do these idiots keep getting re-elected?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK3rTUgoQD4

Congrats, Spain

Congratulations to Spain, World Cup Champions 2010!

Spain edged an excellent Netherlands team 1-0 for their first ever World Cup.

I am not sure why they switched to red shits after playing the game in navy colored jersies though....

Must be a Spanish thing...:-)

General McChrystal still a winner

General Stanley McChrystal, with a little help from Rolling Stone, gave twenty-first century America a glimpse of what it fears most: The Truth.

Yes, capitalized.

The Truth is is that the war in Afghanistan has slid into the FUBAR stage--that is Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition. Stan McChrystal sacrificed his career to tell everyone back home what the politicians will not say.

Back in 2001 when the US first intervened in Afghanistan in the wake of the horrible tragedy of September 11, the plan was to overthrow the Taliban with mostly Special Forces and rebuild the Afghan government as a friendly one or at least neutralized as a potential terrorist haven. In 2001, the Pentagon decreed there would be no more that 15,000 US troops in Afghanistan as to avoid creating an overbearing American "footprint."

When you look at the history of the place, this plan comes across as very wise. The British overran Afghanistan twice in the nineteenth century and left with tribesman shooting at them every step of the way and the 1979 Soviet invasion ended with a terse announcement from the Kremlin a decade later that the 100,000 troops Moscow had committed were coming home.

The year 2010 is America's tenth year in Afghanistan and the number of soldiers incountry is matching the level of Russian manpower and frustration.

The Karzai government is corrupt and the Afghan army is unreliable and prone to defections. Tribal loyalties trump any feeling of nationalism and the Taliban has a sanctuary across the border in Pakistan.

If they need it. They seem to be in control of Kandahar, the nation's second largest city, despite the US presence.

There are two major points that many people seem to be missing when it comes to Afghanistan. It is understandable because it is not like anywhere else in the world.

I once heard an officer exclaim, "How does this bloody country operate?"

That is the first mistake. Afghanistan is not a country in the conventional sense of the word. It is a patchwork of warring tribes that was drawn together in a Victorian parlor because there was an empty space on the map. "Afghans" do not regard others in what we call "Afghanistan" as fellow countrymen but as members of other tribes.

Secondly. warfare is completely normal in Afghanistan. It has been that way for thousands of years. The fighting that is always roiling the countryside has nothing to do with Islam or the West or even terrorism. It is about the opium fields.

Afghanistan is South Central LA located in South Central Asia.

That brings us to US motives for being there.

Are American troops really there to create a democracy in Afghanistan or is there another purpose in mind? Could it have something to do with the oil in Central Asia and the Chinese and Russian competitors for it?

The shame is is that all we have accomplished is create a new generation of recruits for the Taliban and push the Russians and Chinese together in the contest for oil in Central Asia.

When the Cold War ended, there was a unique opportunity for America to befriend Russia and bring the former Soviet Union into Europe as a friend. The Russians had the access and influence in Central Asia and we had the capital to improve on that. A US-Russian partnership would have secured the oil there and forced the Chinese out or become a partner too.

Instead, as is normal in this disappointing century so far, greed won out over common sense and moderation and now all we reap is failure.

Hopefully, General Patreus can pull this out of the fire like Iraq in 2007.

Thank you for telling us the truth, General McChrystal.

And good luck General Patreus.

You are going to need it.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

To all my friends in the Great White North!

An answer from Greece

My ancestral homeland of Greece has caught a lot of flak lately for "causing" the financial crisis roiling Europe and shaking the European Union to its foundations. The truth is is that all of the EU is in trouble because the pursued the SAME policy Greece has. The crisis hit Athens first because it is the capital of a smaller country. Germany and Britain are pursuing their own austerity plans, which makes the current White House crowd uncomfortable because it brings up the most dreaded word a liberal can hear: cutbacks.

Let the video speak for itself...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98y0DSzt7yY

WHO ARE YOU?!

Who are you to lose control like this?

Representative Bob Etheridge shows why everyone hates our government and alleged representives.

If you do not want to answer the question, you do not have to but assualting two college students with a camera is not only criminal but incredibly stupid.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" He keeps bellowing.

They are out on the sidewalk so it is not like they need permission to film anything. Plus they were probably afraid Etheridge would call the KGB....excuse me...the Gestapo..*cough cough*...Homeland "Security" to harrass them.

I would have answered, "An American citizen. You know, one of those people who pay your salary."

I would have given him one chance to let go and then he would have caught one of my knobby fists between the eyes. Then I would have pinned him to the ground and called the cops.

The ironic thing is is that this guy demands to know the names of two students yet won't support the enforcement of legislation to determine the identity of suspected illegal immigrants.

This is your government in action, America.

I think I know what George Washington would have done.

The clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oqIP9yagkQ

Attention to detail

Expert technology but looks like they forgot something.....

Definition of class

We don't see this very much but we should. Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game and the ump blew the call on the final out. But Armando did not scream and yell or demand for Umpire Joyce to be fired. He shrugged it off and said he was happy his team won. The umpire admitted in tears he blew the call but Armando said it did not matter and to have a nice day.

But somebody decided Armado deserved something for the effort:

Armando Galarraga receives a Corvette consolation prize
By 'Duk
Bob Barker and Rod Roddy couldn't have planned it better themselves.
In the wake of Armando Galarraga's(notes) perfect-game-that-wasn't, Chevrolet and the Detroit Tigers rightly decided that the jilted pitcher deserved a grand gift anyway.
[Photos: See Armando Galarraga in action]
So a new Corvette was driven behind home plate prior to Thursday's game with the Cleveland Indians and presented to the man who has been nothing but class in the face of Wednesday's disappointing and unjust finish. That'll ease the sting a bit.
Even better, the feelgood moments didn't end once Galarraga was handed the keys to his shiny new whip. With Jim Joyce scheduled to work home plate for the day, Galarraga then carried the lineup to the tearful ump and shook his hand. Joyce remained emotional and responded with a thankful pat to Galarraga's arm.
There was a mixture of cheers and boos during the exchange, but in retrospect, I think we should give a standing ovation to everyone involved. Joyce's blown call on what would have been the 27th out had the potential to be a very ugly stain on the game, but both Galarraga and Joyce have combined to put a positive spin on the situation. That Galarraga has achieved an admirable sense of serenity so quickly is really rather remarkable and there's no way to argue that he hasn't earned every mile he'll drive on that new set of wheels.

To give or not to give...

Picture courtesy of timw.com


When you see people begging for money on the side of the street, do you avoid them, walk past them or give them some change?

I have heard the same excuse, "They will only spend it on drugs or alcohol."

It might be true but how would you feel if you were in their shoes? Would you wonder how people can treat each other so badly?

If there is one thing the Great Depress....sorry....Recession has taught us it is this: the arch conservative Social Darwinists who pound their chests about "survivial of the fittest" and "only the bottom line matters" along with "I do it right the first time" are the first ones to run to Washington for a bailout when the going gets tough.

Fifty billion to Bear Sterns in March 2008. SEVEN HUNDRED and FIFTY billion dollars to Wall Street and the banking system when they screwed up in September of the same year. And who could forget the Big Three of the auto industry showing up in front of Congress with cap in hand after arriving in three luxury jets.

What is the difference between our buddy in the picture above and corporate CEOs?

Hard to think of an answer isn't it?

If you see someone begging for money on a street corner or on the side of the road, give them a buck.

At least they will say "thank you".

Shockwave coming..

"This economy is addicted to free candy from Washington..."

Think about that when you read this:

Why Rand Paul's Win Is A Horrible Sign For The Stock Market
Buzz up! 48 Print
Joe Weisenthal, On Wednesday May 19, 2010, 8:55 am EDT

Republicans are surely going to spin last night's primary elections as a huge night for the right, and a big rejection of Obamaism, but it wasn't that exactly.


The Tea Party right did very well with the victory of Rand Paul, but so did the left -- the moderate Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln is headed to a runoff against her more progressive opponent.


Basically, the night was a big rejection of the status quo, which is great! We need a shakeup, and we're actually very enthusiastic about Rand Paul, who we feel pretty sure will not be a sellout.


But let's face it: Right now this economy is addicted to free candy from Washington DC. It may not be sustainable, and an economy addicted to government money is necessarily going to be undynamic, but corporate America has loved the stimulus and its shown up in stocks.


But American austerity is coming. Well, we're not going to get a true "austerity budget" with massive chunks of spending taken off. But we are going to get a kind of austerity, whereby the here-and-there bailouts (states, teachers, jobs programs, etc.) will be a lot less forthcoming.


If you want a bailout, you better get it in the next few months.


In the past, it's been a common cliché that DC gridlock is good for stocks. That needs to be thrown out the window. We saw how stocks reacted to the momentary gridlock after Scott Brown, and we're seeing how markets are reacting to austerity in the UK and Spain (hint: not good).


We're about to get our own version of that, and it's a major risk coming for stocks.

Associated Press=American Pravda?

Can the AP seriously regard itself as an unbiased and credible news agency? Can they possibly be anymore in the tank for Obama? Since when is 42% considered "good"?

I give you this for your consideration:

Poll: Good marks for Obama on spill, more drilling

By SETH BORENSTEIN and ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writers Seth Borenstein And Alan Fram, Associated Press Writers – Thu May 13, 6:13 am ET
WASHINGTON – The Gulf of Mexico oil spill hasn't stained President Barack Obama nor dimmed the public's desire for offshore energy drilling, according to a new Associated Press-GfK Poll.

While some conservative pundits, such as Rush Limbaugh, have called this "Obama's Katrina," that's not how the public feels, the poll found. BP PLC, which owned the well that has gushed more than 4 million gallons since an Apr. 20 oil rig explosion, is getting more of the public's ire.

More people surveyed said they approved of Obama's handling of the ongoing oil spill than disapproved, but not by large margins or with unusually strong feelings. It contrasts with the public's reaction to President George W. Bush's response to another Gulf disaster, 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

The poll found that 42 percent approve of Obama's actions, 33 percent disapprove and 21 percent say they have neutral feelings about his response.

The reaction is strongly along partisan lines. Democrats lean toward favoring Obama's actions, 58 percent to 19 percent, with 17 percent expressing neither approval nor disapproval. By 47 percent to 27 percent, Republicans disapprove of Obama's reaction, with 23 percent saying neither. Independents are about evenly split between approval and disapproval.



Democrat Eduardo Martinez, 38, of West Chester, Pa., said, "I've actually been impressed; they've put pressure on the private sector."
But Republican Jeff Gerow, 52, of Boca Raton, Fla., said, "Just as I thought Bush was too slow to do anything with Katrina, even though I'm a Republican, I think he (Obama) could have done more with those folks."

For Bush after Katrina, the public was harsher in its assessment. An AP-Ipsos poll in mid-September 2005 showed Bush's approval rating somewhat lower in the weeks following the Katrina disaster than Obama's rating for handling the current crisis. Back then, 35 percent approved of Bush's handling of the disaster and 42 percent disapproved, with 25 percent expressing neither approval nor disapproval.

The telephone poll of 1,002 adults for the latest survey was conducted for The Associated Press by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media between May 7-11. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

Even though BP got lower ratings than the president, it wasn't too bad for the company formerly known as British Petroleum. Of those polled, 49 percent disapprove of BP's actions, 32 percent approve and 15 percent express neither approval nor disapproval. But the feelings about BP were much more strong on the negative end, with 32 percent strongly disapproving of its actions compared with 6 percent who strongly approve.

The poll also found that the public still supports the idea of drilling offshore for oil and gas. By 50 percent to 38 percent, more people favor increased coastal drilling for oil and gas than oppose it.

While Republicans favor it by a 3-to-1 margin, Democrats lean toward opposing it, 52 percent to 36 percent. Independents are about evenly split. Groups giving drilling the strongest support include men, middle-aged and older people, whites and residents of rural and suburban areas.

The country is split about evenly over which priority is more important in considering drilling, with 49 percent choosing the need for the U.S. to provide its own energy and 47 percent picking protection of the environment.

Democrats prefer environmental protection by 62 percent to 35 percent. Republicans lean the other way, favoring the need for U.S. energy independence by 68 percent to 28 percent. Independents are about evenly split.

"We need to drill here, our economy needs it, but we also need to save the environment," said Ryan Hart, 42, of Auburn, Maine, who considers himself politically independent.

Before the April 20 rig accident that triggered the spill, efforts to increase drilling offshore — which had used the slogan "drill, baby, drill" — had a major victory when the Democratic president partly lifted bans on drilling off many coastal areas. A Pew Research Center poll in April 2009 found that by 68 percent to 27 percent, people favored "more offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters." That polling did not have the same questions as this one.

___

Associated Press Polling Director Trevor Tompson, AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and AP writer Christine Simmons contributed to this report.

The latest Supreme Court goofball...

Just get rid of it.

Really. Just dump it off in the Potomac.

Who needs the Supreme Court? Lifetime appointments to argue about how many angels are on the head of a pin, deliver cryptic long winded many volumed decisions that would confuse the Delphic Oracle, and legislate from the bench, a practice that is unconstitutional in itself and the unfailing ability to screw things up...ie Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson. Lets not forget the 2000 election, Gratz Decision and Kelso v. New London.

Please, just shed this institution like snakeskin.

It does more harm than good.

First Obama appoints an obvious racist to the bench and now he wants to put someone who has no judicial experience on the highest court in the land.

If this is how he thinks this is the proper background of a Supreme Court justice, we ought to just retire everyone.

Ninety-five percent of the people you see have more judicial experience than Elean Kagan. Dean of the Harvard Law School is impressive but there is a difference between the classroom and the real world.

Too many people in government, both parties and this administration cannot grasp this concept.

Not only is it time to ignore the Supreme Court, it is time to ignore the federal government all together.

You cannot arrest 300 million people.

If anyone tries, well, I will just posit these two words: "Second Amendment."

You do the math.

Riots in Greece

This is what happens when you spend money you don't have...

Take notes America because this is what is coming to our shores. $1.56 TRILLION budget deficit and widespread hostility towards an increasingly totalitarian government and this is what you get. I hope we can back away from the cliff but the numbers involved are beginning to lose meaning.

However, there are signs we might be getting our stuff in order. The budget for the year after is "only" $1.46 trillion but at least it is lower so its a step in the right direction. The Wall Street free fall over the last two days is the beginning of a market correction (pulling back from overextending) and oil has fallen $12 over the last three days.

There is a lot of work ahead of us though.

Roll up your sleeves.

First step would be cutting Congressional salaries in half. Call your Rep and Senator and see how that goes :-)

Back on the other side of the Pond, this crisis is raising serious questions about the viability of the European Union as anything but a trade association. Any delusions about the EU becoming a "superstate" seem to be just that. Individual countries, Germany in particular, are acting in their own interests rather than being European team players. That is because they do not want to be stuck opening their wallets for annual bailouts. This one, if it happens, will be something in the neighborhood of $145 billion dollars.

And Portugal is showing signs of economic collapse

And so is Spain. And Ireland. And Britain's budget deficit is growing to the point its alarming people over here.

They should go back to the Common Market. European Union sounds too much like Soviet Union...complete with a lack of popular representation, high taxes and a moribund economy.

Yet for some reason that appeals to the idiots in Washington DC.

It did not work in Russia, it is not working in Europe and it won't work here.

What does work?

Lower taxes, don't spend what you don't have and let the people keep their money.

Its called Capitalism 101, America.