200,000 year old Lunar Angel baloney is still baloney
I did a google seach and found that Dr. Morris is tied to Geology and has wriiten a book entitled "The Home Cyclopedia Of General Information" and they say the guy doesn't exist?Also available from Amazon: Home Cyclopedia of Necessary Knowledge.
Notice the torches of the Ancient Illuminatti?
[Gk.] The science which treats of the history and structure of the earth. The rocks which compose the crust of the earth have not all been formed in the same way. Some have cooled from a state of fusion, and are known as igneous rocks. This class is represented by such rocks as granite, syenite, traps, and lavas. Metamorphic rocks are those which have either originally been deposited in water and have become changed into crystalline rock, or those which,originally crystalline, have become foliated In structure under great pressure. Sedimentary rocks comprise the various deposits which are laid down on the bed of the sea or on the land.
They have all been formed from sediment washed by rain and streams from the land,and, be-ing thus derivative, imply the existence of older rock. This division forms the larger part of the earth's crust, and is the most important for the geologist, since it contains most of the materials from which the geological history of the earth is worked out. These rocks are arranged in strata or layers, which have been much lifted, contorted and broken. When they are bent with curve upwards, they are called Anticlinal. They include sandstones, limestones, slates or claystones, etc., their ages depending on their relative position. When the age of a rock strata is in doubt it is frequently learned from the animal or plant fossils it may contain.
Barnes & Noble.com - Book Search: Morris Charles R
Morris Charles's Finding The North Pole: Dr. Cook's Own Story Of ...
Now, maybe this is just me, but when I hear that a geologist has claimed to have found a 200,000 year old statue of an angel buried in a Moon rock, my first thought is [name of Penn & Teller’s Showtime program].
My second thought is, who reported this? And when I find out it’s the Weekly World News, well then, duh.
And then my third thought is, no one with a brain even barely sophisticated enough to keep them alive would believe this, right? Right?
Sigh.
Anyway, here’s a tip: when I hear some news story like this (except one that just might have some tiny sliver of plausibility), one thing I do immediately is Google the scientist’s name. In this case, all the links are to this lunar angel story.
Yeah. We’re done.
Incredibly, some of the Google links are from social networks where people are actually taking the claim seriously enough to wonder about it. To them I say: come over to my house. Let’s play poker.
Tip o’ the tin foil beanie to BABloggee Alex Young.
Introduction to String Field Theory
String Theory and M-Theory a Modern Introduction
Alan Keyes Arrested at Notre Dame
Say No To President Obama Or Throw Me In Jail
Abortion: Video of Dr. Alan Keyes Warned by Police; then Dr. Keyes ...
Dr. Alan Keyes in Jail; Over 20 Anti Abortion Activists Arrested ...
Keyes and 10-20 other abortion protesters arrested at Notre Dame
South Bend Tribune
Friday, May 8, 2009
SOUTH BEND — Anti-abortion activist and commentator Alan Keyes was arrested just after noon today on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.
Keyes was arrested along with a group of 10 to 20 other protesters, who were pushing baby strollers with dolls covered in fake blood.
FLASHBACK: Dr. Alan Keyes plans Notre Dame protest, plans to be arrested
Dr. Alan Keyes is trying to land himself in jail. As part of the protest against President Obama’s commencement speech at Notre Dame, Dr. Keyes has called upon fellow protestors to join him in trespassing on the University’s campus ”until the South Bend jail is filled to overflowing”.
He’ll be in South Bend Thursday for a press conference, with a protest planned for Friday.
On May 1st, protest organizer Randall Terry was arrested for criminal trespassing after being warned by University police that the second he stepped foot on campus, he would be arrested for trespassing. As you may recall, Terry and six other protesters pushed carriages containing dolls covered in fake blood.
University spokesman Dennis Brown said the no-trespassing order issued by Notre Dame remainsin effect forever unless the university decides to rescind it.
CDC Director says Mayor from NY wants 200 more cases
CDC Director: It appears to us that is a testing phenomenon and , a, um............you knwo that was, that was summerized I think yesterday we had a visit from the Mayor of New York, who, whooo said you want 200 more cases.... let me knwo and we'll test 200 more people and and what you gonna see and what we are already seeing a a ugh at some of the state level is that they are changing their testing policy.
Swine Flu: Can Science Save Us From The Second Wave?
Is the world ready for a killer, autumn wave of swine flu? Infections may be winding down in Mexico and causing fewer deaths worldwide than feared, but what is now keeping health officials awake at night is the possibility that a more virulent version will come roaring back and kill millions. Flu pandemics historically come in waves, often getting worse as they go. The deadly one of 1918, which was also the last H1N1 pandemic, did just that. "So did pandemics in 1890, 1847, 1781 and others," says Lone Simonsen of George Washington University in Washington DC, who has studied the progress of the 1918 pandemic. The 1918 flu started with a mild wave in March, followed by a deadly second wave later in the year. For the 2009 virus to follow the same path, two things need to happen: the virus has to spread readily enough in humans that it does not fizzle out, and it needs to mutate to a nastier form capable of killing more people.
Ralph Forbes American Free Press Friday, May 8, 2009
Donald Rumsfeld’s Tamiflu pushers (just as they were in 2006) are set to be the big winners in the GSFS (great swine flu scare of 2009) lottery. Shares of Swiss drug-maker Roche Holding had fallen sharply after their latest cancer drug failure—but the GSFS came just in time to give their falling stocks a boost—just as the great bird flu scare of 2006 did.
In November 2005, George W. Bush goaded Congress to pass $7.1 billion in “emergency funding” to prepare for the possible bird flu pandemic, of which $1 billion was solely dedicated to the purchase and distribution of Tamiflu.
Bush said a minimum of 200,000 Americans were going to die from the avian flu pandemic. Hyping up the hysteria, he claimed if Congress didn’t finance his convoluted pandemic influenza plan, stockpiling 80 million doses of Tamiflu at $100 per dose ($8 billion)— two million Americans would die from the bird flu. American Free Press warned readers that this was another scam, just like the swine flu scare of 1976.
Tamiflu was a lackluster bust until Bush’s bird flu scare.
Now the World Health Organization (WHO)—courtesy of ever-suffering U.S. taxpayers—wants to “save” billions of people by spending billions of dollars for: 1.) Roche’s flu drug Tamiflu; and 2.) a rush to concoct a vaccine for a virus they claim is a mystery to science. The leading contender to get that juicy vaccine contract is Baxter—the same company that almost unleashed a deadly pandemic on the world less than six months before the GSFS.
Dr. Joseph Mercola put the pieces of the puzzle together in 2006. He warned Bush’s avian flu hoax was a ruse “to justify the immediate purchase of 80 million doses of Tamiflu, a worthless drug that in no way shape or form treats the avian flu, but only (possibly) decreases the amount of days one is sick—and can actually contribute to the virus having more lethal mutations.”
Tamiflu was developed by Gilead Sciences. Gilead licensed the exclusive rights to market and sell Tamiflu to Roche. The dirty secret was that then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was made the chairman of Gilead in 1997. Rumsfeld held lots of stock in Gilead, and was positioned to profit substantially from the government scare tactics.
In its paean of praise for Rumsfeld, Gilead boasted that “Rumsfeld served as chief executive officer of G.D. Searle . . . from 1977 to 1985”—when he used his clout to inflict the deadly toxin aspartame on an unsuspecting public. Gilead also took pride because Rumsfeld helped to direct huge sections of the “military/ industrial complex,” which President Eisenhower warned was a dangerous domestic enemy.
Rumsfeld’s Tamiflu is worse than worthless. It kills people. Japan has banned it. Even the FDA—after review of nearly 600 cases of neuropsychiatric events reported by patients on Tamiflu and 115 cases of neuropsychiatric events by patients taking Relenza—has warned that Tamiflu’s label be strengthened to note: “In some cases, these behaviors resulted in serious injuries, including death, in adult and pediatric patients.”
The FDA staff said Relenza, a drug in the same class as Tamiflu, should have a warning label of “reports of hallucinations, delirium and abnormal behavior” observed in some patients taking the drug.
Informed Americans would have to be suffering from “hallucinations, delirium” to trust Big Pharma and corrupt, greedy politicians.
Scientists could have an experimental vaccine for swine flu in the next few weeks, the head of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory said Thursday. "Our scientists are making excellent progress in developing a vaccine seed stock for the H1N1 flu," Frank Plummer told a news conference at the Winnipeg lab. "Their efforts are contributing to the international effort to develop a H1N1 vaccine as quickly as possible." The vaccine seed stock — the first step in producing a vaccine — could be available in a few weeks, but production of a usable vaccine to prevent cases of swine flu in humans is several months away, he noted.
Mock drill on H1N1 attack
WAM Abu Dhabi, May 8, 2009 (WAM) -- The first mock drill on H1N1 (Swine Flu) attack on the region has been conducted here jointly by the Emirates National Emergency Medical Response Programme (ENEMRP), the Emirates National Emergency Medical Response Academy (ENEMRA) and the Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS). The exercise is aimed at training medical, administrative and technical cadres to face effectively any eventual Swine Flu case in the country.
The training programme, code named "Estijaba", which was conducted according to World Health organisation (WHO) and American Emergency Authority standards, was part of the mobile hospital services exercise to test the combat readiness of the UAE health delivery system to face any Swine Flu eventuality.
A combined team made up of representatives of the UAE Armed Forces, ministry of health, interior ministry, Abu Dhabi Health Services Co. (SEHA), the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Zayed Foundation, Khalifa Charity Foundation and some private entities like Al Noor Hospital, participated in the mock drill which consists of many reality scenarios.
Training drill takes aim at virus protection
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP -- Emer gency management officials are looking for a few hundred area residents and their cars to participate in a training drill to combat a possible virus or other widespread illness.Tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m. volunteers will be asked to drive through a checkpoint at the township municipal complex at Scotch Road and Washington Crossing- Pennington Titusville Road.
Motorists and their passengers who participate will be directed to a "safe" area where medical personnel will ask them a few questions, provide mock vaccinations or medications, and wave them through upon completion.
In return for their cooperation, motorists will receive coupons and be entered into a drawing for prizes for gift cards and certificates from local businesses.
Mercer County officials say there is no connection between this drill and the spread of Influenza A H1N1, more commonly known as swine flu. They said that virus came along after they began planning for this practice event.
For more information, contact the Hopewell Township Health Department at (609) 737 01210, ext. 657.
Imagine a future free of the threat of flu pandemics. Or of devices permanently inside our bodies hunting out the first signs of cancer and fighting it. These are some of the enticing prospects held out by supporters of Synthetic Biology which is set to spark a new "industrial revolution" according to the Royal Academy of Engineering. Synthetic biology involves the insertion of carefully engineered DNA into organisms to make them behave in new targeted ways - and a lot of people are getting very excited about its potential. It has also got a few people worried, it is fair to say. When scientists start talking about creating synthetic life or synthetic organisms which "should" find it difficult to survive in the world various Doomsday scenarios start springing to mind.
"Artificial Life" is Not "Real Life?"
The lexicon we use in discussing bioethical issues is important. And look how this newspaper does it in a poll to measure attitudes about refusing unwanted treatment. From the story: PATIENTS' lives are being artificially "extended beyond what they actually want for themselves", Health Minister John Hill says. He is urging families to have a "serious debate" about the services terminally ill people want and need in the "last days of their lives". Mr Hill told The Advertiser keeping people alive with machines had a steep emotional and financial cost. "Certainly, when it comes to end of life--and this is not an argument for euthanasia, I don't want to see it interpreted in that way-- we do invest a lot of resources in keeping people alive beyond what they actually want for themselves," he said...
Genetic Revolution
Synthetic biology is one of those futuristic concepts, like nanotechnology and regenerative medicine, that everyone feels is going to be a key technology for the 21st century but few really understand. All are a bit fuzzy in their definition - and practitioners are not clear about how much such concepts are already happening and how much they lie in the future. In effect, synthetic biology takes genetic engineering beyond the insertion or manipulation of individual genes, which scientists have been doing for 30 years. The idea is to engineer large numbers of genes at the same time to transform micro-organisms - and potentially even create new organisms from scratch - in ways that enable them, for example, to make previously inaccessible drugs or biofuels. Britain's Royal Academy of Engineering draws attention to the potential of synthetic biology in an excellent new report this week. Its message is that a national strategy of research and training in synthetic biology is essential, if the country is not to lose out in the next industrial revolution in the life sciences.
EU Calls for "Internet G12" for Global Internet Governance
By Daniel Taylor - Old Thinker News
As the EU Observer reports, Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding has called on President Obama to fully privatize the California based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which manages the web address system for the internet, and build a "multilateral forum for governments to discuss general internet governance policy and security issues." The international group would in turn "make recommendations" with regards to global internet governance.
Reding is anticipating the expiration of the ICANN contract with the U.S. Department of Commerce in September of 2009, calling for a separation of ICANN from its U.S. ties, making ICANN an international organization. Reding states,
"The expiry of the agreement between ICANN and the US government "opens the door for the full privatisation of ICANN, and it also raises the question of to whom ICANN should be accountable."
"In the long run, it is not defendable that the government department of only one country has oversight of an internet function which is used by hundreds of millions of people in countries all over the world," Reding said.
Reding's comments provide a window into a wider agenda to transform the internet. Reding stated in October of 2008 that, "The Internet of the future will radically change our society." Ultimately, according to Reding, the EU is aiming to "lead the way" in the transformation to "Web 3.0."
Media Kingpin Rupert Murdoch recently announced that "The current days of the internet will soon be over," indicating the establishment's move to radically transform the internet away from its current form. Paul Joseph Watson writes, "The establishment media is dying and advertising revenue has plummeted as people turn to blogs and the alternative media for their news in an environment of corporate lies and spin."
Watson continues,
"The corporate media monopoly has terminal cancer and they are losing their power, which is why they are aggressively supporting moves to phase out the old Internet altogether and replace it with “Internet 2," a highly regulated and controlled electronic Berlin wall, where alternative voices will be silenced and giant corporate propaganda organs will dominate once again."
The future of the internet, according to author and "web critic" Andrew Keen, will be monitored by "gatekeepers" to verify the accuracy of information posted on the web. The "Outlook 2009" report from the November-December issue of The Futurist reports that,
"Internet entrepreneur Andrew Keen believes that the anonymity of today's internet 2.0 will give way to a more open internet 3.0 in which third party gatekeepers monitor the information posted on Web sites to verify its accuracy."
Keen stated during his early 2008 interview with The Futurist that the internet, in its current form, has undermined mainline media and empowered untrustworthy "amateurs", two trends that he - and the establishment that he represents - wants reversed. "Rather than the empowerment of the amateur, Web 3.0 will show the resurgence of the professional," states Keen.
Related articles from Old-Thinker News: EU Set to Move 'Internet of Things' Closer to Reality
Giant 'sea snakes' the Wave of the future
It looks and moves like a like a giant snake, but according to scientists this weird device could be generating energy off Britain's coast within five years.
Each 'anaconda', which could be more than 200 yards long and made almost entirely of a rubber tube, may be capable of producing 1MW (megawatt) of power.
The plan is to have 'shoals' or 'schools' of the devices around the coast, where they would be harnessed to 'swim' just below the surface.
Water solution: Shoals of these devices could be located off the British coast within five years
Groups of 50 anacondas could each generate enough electricity to power 50,000 homes at an 'excitingly low' cost, the developers Checkmate Group said.
A ten-yard version of the anaconda is currently in the final stage of 'proof of concept' testing at a 300-yard wave test tank run by QinetiQ in Gosport, Hampshire.Suspect detained over 'extremist' bumper sticker
A Louisiana driver was stopped and detained for having a "Don't Tread on Me" bumper sticker on his vehicle and warned by a police officer about the "subversive" message it sent, according to the driver's relative.
The situation developed in the small town of Ball, La., where a receptionist at the police department told WND she knew nothing about the traffic stop, during which the "suspect" was investigated for "extremist" activities, the relative said.
A man identifying himself as a police officer from Ball called WND later to report that the town's records of traffic stops did not include this situation. He suggested it might have involved one of several other agencies that work in the area.
It followed by only a few weeks the release of a Department of Homeland Security report, "Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment", which prompted outrage from legislators and a campaign calling for the resignation of DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The report, which cites individuals who sport certain bumper stickers on their vehicles as suspect, was delivered to tens of thousands of local law enforcement officers across the nation.
WND is withholding the driver's name and the relative's name at their request.
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However, the situation was described on the American Vision blog.
According to the relative, it happened this way: Her brother-in-law was driving home from work through the town, which has a local reputation for enhancing its budget by ticketing speeders. He was pulled over by police officers who told him "he had a subversive survivalist bumper sticker on his car."
"They proceeded to keep him there on the side of the road while they ran whatever they do to see if you have a record, keeping him standing by the side of the road for 30 minutes," she told WND.
Finding no record and no reason to keep him, they warned him and eventually let him go, she said.
The company that sells the bumper sticker is The Patriot Depot, where Chief Operating Officer Jay Taylor told WND the woman had told his staff about the situation while ordering more bumper stickers.
"It's rather shocking," he said. "We supposedly have freedom of speech in our country.
Proclaim to everyone: "Don't tread on me!" Get your own Gadsden Flag here!
"We joke around every now and then how our spouses will come to visit us in jail," he continued, citing his products that say, "The Audacity of Nope," "Taxed Enough Already," "Born Free, Taxed to Death," "Bring Home Our Troops: Send the Democrats" and "I'll Keep my Guns and Money, You Keep the 'Change'."
"We hope people realize this is serious," he said.
American Vision noted the "background check" that was done on the driver.
"Why? [He] had purchased and displayed a conservative 'Don't Tread on Me' bumper sticker.""
The commentator wrote, "The bumper sticker is based on the famous flag designed by American Revolution era general and statesman Christopher Gadsden. The yellow flag featured a coiled diamondback rattlesnake ready to strike, with the slogan 'Don't Tread on Me!' underneath it. Benjamin Franklin helped make the rattlesnake a symbol of Americans' reluctance to quarrel but vigilance and resolve in defense of their rights. By 1775 when Gadsden presented his flag to the commander-in-chief of the Navy, the rattlesnake was a symbol of the colonies and of their need to unite in defense of threats to their God-given and inherited rights. The flag and the bumper sticker symbolize American patriotism, the need to defend Americans' rights, and resistance to tyranny's threats to American liberty. Those threats included-and include-illegal taxation, profanation of Americans' rights, and violation of the fundamental principles of American law."
American Vision continued: "The notorious Department of Homeland Security memo, which was apparently based on the infamous Missouri State Police Report that described supporters of presidential candidates Bob Barr, Ron Paul, and Chuck Baldwin as 'militia'-type potential extremists and potential terrorists, is not the first effort of leftist radicals to slander their political opponents as 'extremists.'"
"'Liberals' and other leftists have been calling defenders of traditional American limited, constitutional government, free enterprise, and individual liberty 'extremists' since at least the 1964 election," the Vision America statement said. "Small town police misled by phony left wing 'reports' are bad enough. Federal government agencies and their armed agents under the direction of leftist radicals are exponentially worse."
WND reported earlier on the DHS report, which advised about the "extremism" that could be expected from returning veterans, those who support homeschooling and oppose abortion, post certain bumper stickers on their vehicles and other factors.
The DHS not only issued that report, but also an earlier memo defining dozens of groups, members of animal rights organizations, black separatists, tax protesters and others as "threats."
Indy Corruption: Timothy's story will be on Rumor Mill News Radio today at 2 PM EST.
Disgruntled Worker Facist Pig Emergency Drill in Steuben County
The drill was about a disgruntled healthcare worker who enters the building armed.
Officials say the drill helps the nursing homes and local police agencies prepare for catastrophic events. They also say these drills have proven to have saved lives when actual events occur.
“We're learning a lot. We have policies and procedures in place, but we are going to tweak them. We know there are some radio communications we have to take care of that's going to be in the works,” says Steuben County Undersheriff Ray Dell.
New York State Department of Health requires long term facilities to participate in a minimum of two drills a year.
China to stage 50000-troop military drill: report
BEIJING -China's People's Liberation Army will hold a big training drill later this year to hone the modernizing force's skills in complex, high-tech warfare, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.The exercise will involve 50,000 troops from four divisions across four of China's seven military command regions, Xinhua reported, citing the PLA General Staff Headquarters. It will include infantry forces as well as paratroopers and aircraft.
The drill will mark another step in China's efforts to remake its military as a modern force, capable of complex and far-reaching missions, Xinhua said.
Massive military drill to underline China's growing confidence
Practice drill occurred long before swine flu outbreak
Pitt Holds Flu Outbreak Simulation Drill
Flu Summit
Meeting between local, state agencies planned before outbreak.
Emergency crews plan Arkwright drill
Realistic disaster drill provides valuable trainingDrill For Oroville Dam Fail Scheduled
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Friday Digest
Vol. 09 No. 18
8 May 2009
THE FOUNDATION
"The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." --Thomas Jefferson
PATRIOT PERSPECTIVE
This Week: The Big Pork Pandemic, 'Teabag Wavers,' Amendments and the NDP...
Publisher's Note: Alexander's Essay is now published each Thursday. The latest essay can be found here.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
News From the Swamp: Budget Cuts Reach the Billions
President Barack Obama heralded his budget-cutting scalpel again this week, announcing that his administration would seek $17 billion in spending cuts to 121 programs in the federal budget. For those keeping score, that's one-half of 1 percent, but at least this time it's "billion" and not "million."
Obama takes a very small scalpel to the budget
White House budget chief Peter Orszag defended the administration' s bravery, saying, "[U]nder any set of assumptions, finding the $17 billion a year, I don't think is a side show." One small problem, however, is that $5.5 billion would supposedly come from entitlement programs, which are virtually untouchable. George W. Bush proposed cutting $18 billion from 151 programs -- all discretionary spending -- and still was unsuccessful.
Naturally, half of the Obama cuts would come from the defense budget, such as stopping F-22 production, as we have reported previously. Other programs on the chopping block include the early-childhood education program Even Start, a few other Education Department initiatives, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency's Criminal Alien Program, which identifies jailed criminal foreigners so as to keep them from being released. (Other details of the budget are available here.)
The administration knows that their attempts to cut even such minuscule amounts of spending will likely do no better than did similar attempts by the Bush administration. "There are very few programs that don't have a constituency and someone who is willing to stand up for them in Congress. We understand that," a senior administration official said. "A lot of programs are implemented with the best of intentions. Not all of them are effective." We might add that few of them are constitutional. In a nation that is governed by the rule of law, that is the ultimate test, not whether they are well intentioned or even effective.
Meanwhile, Recovery.gov, the Web site that monitors so-called "stimulus" spending and claims, "This is your money. You have a right to know where it's going and how it's being spent" (gee, thanks), will not actually be ready to report such information until next spring, halfway through the program.
Income Redistribution: Obama Goes After Business Taxes
On Monday, President Obama proposed changes to international tax rules for corporations that would eliminate overseas tax havens and get U.S. companies that earn money internationally to pay their "fair share." Or as economist Larry Kudlow put it, "Obama unleashed yet another attack on international businesses, essentially calling them unpatriotic tax cheats even though they abide by existing laws." Included in the reform proposal is a curb on corporations' ability to park international earnings overseas and avoid U.S. tax, a change of the legal status of international subsidiaries, and the addition of 800 employees to the IRS to target companies and individuals who use tax havens. "Closing these loopholes and investing the money in American jobs will help millions of American families regain some of the economic security they lost in recent years," said Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY). So the government will take money from corporations and create jobs with it? Right. Meanwhile, bailout recipient GM just announced that many of the company's new jobs will be overseas.
Obama figures to raise an additional $200 billion in revenue from this new structure, and businesses can expect an 8- to 15-percent tax hike. Considering the state of the economy (8.9 percent unemployment, 539,000 lost jobs in April), it's hard to imagine a worse move. Obama says that he wants to keep more jobs in the U.S., but higher business taxes will only send them away. American businesses already pay higher taxes than most of the other industrialized nations (35 percent versus an average of 24 percent), and the tax deferrals are a way of leveling the playing field. If taken away, many U.S. industries will suffer. It's hard to understand why the Democrats don't see that, but when you consider the proposal is backed by the likes of Rangel and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who are tax cheats themselves, it's almost possible to appreciate their skewed view of the situation.
New & Notable Legislation
Congress is still hammering out details on climate legislation, but one detail came to light this week: the so-called cash-for-clunkers program. Vouchers for as much as $4,500 could be available to consumers who trade in vehicles with fuel economy of under 18 miles a gallon and buy new cars that achieve 10 mpg better or light trucks that reach five mpg better. Congress's aim is to spur sales for the ailing auto industry, beyond saving us from the looming pollution cloud that threatens to incinerate the planet.
The Senate passed by a vote of 91-5 legislation on mortgage lending that would help banks boost lending by increasing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s credit line with the Treasury. And as The Wall Street Journal reports, "The bill would also shield mortgage servicers from investor lawsuits in connection with loans they have modified or refinanced under federal programs. And it would remove a requirement of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, making it easier for some financial institutions to exit the program." However, the financial services industry opposed the bill and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Countrywide) supported it, which should tell us all we need to know.
Commercial television isn't generally known for having family-friendly moral content, but one Democrat has introduced a bill to clean up the airwaves -- if only from the scourge of erectile dysfunction commercials. Rep. James Moran (D-VA) recently introduced the "Families for ED Advertising Decency Act" (HR 2175) in an effort to eliminate those pesky ads for little blue pills and similar drugs between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. But the prohibition wouldn't stop the display or mention of the medication, making us wonder how those clever writers will get the product placements into the programming itself. Perhaps ED is the crisis Jack Bauer will face on the next season of "24."
One common aspect of life in our society is men going to bars to score, er, other activities. Yet the National Institutes of Health is spending $400,000 of taxpayer money to send researchers to Argentina to "understand the various factors that contribute to the creation of a high-risk sexual space." The two-year study will focus on six bars known for homosexual activity in an effort to refine future HIV prevention efforts in these bars. Presumably approaches found successful there would be tried here in America. While wintering in Argentina may not be a bad gig if you can get it, we wonder what it would cost to just say no?
Jack Kemp, (1935-2009)
Jack Kemp, professional football player, nine-term Congressman, vice-presidential candidate and cabinet secretary, died on 2 May at the age of 73 after a long bout with cancer. As a self-professed "bleeding-heart conservative, " Kemp fought hard for lower taxes and was a strong supporter of supply-side economics. In fact, he was responsible for giving Ronald Reagan the idea of making deep cuts in the corporate tax rate in 1981, which kicked off an economic boom that lasted for 92 months and created 20 million new jobs. Kemp challenged George H.W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, but he could not draw a strong following. Bush appointed him secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Kemp then ran with Bob Dole in 1996, having earned the veep slot because of his strong anti-tax credentials.
After leaving politics, Kemp remained in the policy arena with The Heritage Foundation, the Hoover Institution and Empower America, which he co-founded. Over the years, he shared a great deal of his wisdom on creating a strong economy by rewarding taxpayers rather than penalizing them. One of his last public statements on the subject came during the 2008 presidential campaign. "Mr. Obama ... offers tax increases ... a trillion dollar plus spending increase, and new regulatory burdens. That has no prospect of restoring economic growth. It will only do the opposite." Well said.
For more, read "The Jack Kemp I Knew" by Cal Thomas and "Jack Kemp's Big Ideas" by Larry Kudlow at PatriotPost. US.
GOP Branding Tour
Last weekend, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor met with a small group of average citizens in an Arlington, Virginia, pizza shop to take questions and discuss the future of the Republican Party. It's indeed a question on many minds. The national media has written off the GOP as the "Party of No," and through a lethal mixture of political misfortunes and their own missteps, Republicans find themselves having to prove their relevance. Bush took some heat for saying that the time had come to leave the past behind, which some took to be a shot at Ronald Reagan. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, we think what he meant was that too many Republicans are wrapped up in the warm nostalgia of Reagan instead of looking forward to address the challenges that lie ahead, which is a view that Reagan himself would have held. The event was a kick off for the National Council for a New America, which will hold a number of similar events around the country to address policy issues and try to reconnect with the public at ground level. We have one simple suggestion: Unify around a message of constitutionally limited government.
Hope 'n' Change: Air Force One Photos to Stay Secret
If readers were among those in New York City who cowered at the sight of Air Force One being pursued by two fighter jets last week, experiencing a case of 9/11 déjà vu, rest assured that those residents may well be the only ones who witness the photo opportunity. This week the White House announced that the $328,835 photos would not be released to the general public. Well, except for one. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that the Obama administration had reversed course and will release "a photo" of the flyover.
On the other hand, it's interesting to note that national security memos regarding waterboarding and other forms of "torture" and prisoner photos (such as those from Abu Ghraib) -- which cost the taxpayers nothing to take -- have been released gleefully by the Obama administration and their hate-America allies. As The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto points out, "Apparently the Obama administration' s policy is to release photos only when doing so might pose a danger to national security."
From the Left: Edwards Under Financial Probe
Once upon a time, former Senator John Edwards ran for the Democrat nomination for president; Ages ago, it seems. However, his political career was derailed by the confirmation of his affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, who eventually had a child fathered by the senator.
A year removed from the campaign, Edwards confirmed a federal inquiry is underway regarding improper campaign spending, with the allegation that an Edwards-supported political action committee that paid Hunter for her video work also converted funds for Edwards' personal usage -- specifically hush money paid to support Hunter and keep their affair secret. While the former senator denied the use of campaign funds, he was silent on the scrutiny of related non-profits and a poverty center as part of the federal probe.
Needless to say, many think that Edwards' political career is finished. Remember though that he comes from a party where affairs and campaign funding questions seem to be a résumé enhancement (see: Clinton, Bill; et al.). This investigation may simply be a first step to a political rehabilitation for the trial lawyer best known for channeling the unborn.
In other corrupt Democrat news, blogger Michelle Malkin reports, "The former Hillary fund-raiser and Democrat bundler extraordinaire [Norman Hsu] pleads guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, and guilty to 10 counts of wire and mail fraud." "I knew what I was doing was illegal," Hsu told the judge. Hsu raised $1.2 million for Hillary and other Democrats. Malkin adds, "The number four recipient of Hsu money was Barack Obama."
Feds Seize Land to Commemorate 9/11
The Associated Press reports, "The government will begin taking land from seven property owners so that the Flight 93 memorial can be built in time for the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the National Park Service said." The government wants about 500 more acres in order to build a 2,200-acre memorial for the plane that crashed in a Pennsylvania field about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh on September 11th. The total cost will be $58 million. The government says negotiations went nowhere, but the landowners dispute that any negotiations have taken place. According to park service spokesman Phil Sheridan, "We had a group of people who took some very heroic actions. It's just fitting and right that we get this done in time for the 10th anniversary. " In other words, it's "fitting and right" that the government condemn and take the land of some citizens to commemorate the heroic actions of other citizens that saved the government (either the White House or the Capitol) from a terrorist attack.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Warfront With Jihadistan: Gitmo Divides Demos
As congressional Democrats work on the FY2009 war supplemental, they are butting heads with Barack Obama over his campaign promise to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. In the $96.7 billion allocated for war funding, Congress found no money to fund Obama's executive order closing the facility and relocating its prisoners. Obama had requested $80 million to do so. Perhaps the idea that between 50-100 prisoners would be sent to the U.S. -- someone's congressional district -- was not appealing.
Apparently, Democrats' shot across the bow got the administration' s attention. "With regard to those who you would describe as terrorists, we would not bring them into this country and release them," Attorney General Eric Holder told Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) in a Senate hearing Thursday. Yet the administration still insists on releasing some detainees who it believes are not terrorists. There are 241 detainees at Gitmo. Some will be released, others put on trial and some "are going to be detained on a fairly extended basis," Holder said.
In some respects, this problem dates back to President Bush's first term. The idea of bringing the terrorists to "justice" by trying them has distorted the real purpose of Guantanamo, which is to keep enemy combatants in a totally secure location off the battlefield. Intelligence should be as accurate as possible regarding each combatant, but they should be held until hostilities are over.
Department of Military Readiness: Nuclear Reduction
Yes, we can ... bend over backwards. This week, the Obama administration provided a refresher course on why the Democrat Party has long been viewed as weak on national security. First, Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller stated that the United States was "open to the proposal" to relocate the planned European missile defense system's radar from the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan or even to southern Russian. Russia's ability to neutralize a radar site in either location apparently did not concern Gottemoeller. The Democrat Party has opposed missile defense since 1980, so we fully expect that what was left unsaid was the administration' s willingness to negotiate away the European missile defense system entirely.
Next, Gottemoeller indicated that the U.S. would be amenable to reducing tactical nuclear warheads under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which is due for renewal. Any reduction in tactical warheads would favor Russia, which has at least 3,000 operational tactical warheads, while the U.S. has just over 1,000.
Finally, President Obama stated that he would seek Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which would ban any nuclear detonations, anywhere, by any country. The Senate rightly rejected this treaty in 1999, but with the current Senate configuration it could well pass this time around. Proponents claim that the CTBT will prevent testing and the development of nukes by signatory nations. Opponents counter that the CTBT will prevent the U.S. from maintaining a viable warhead supply by preventing testing, a critical concern given its aging inventory, and that the CTBT is thus a backdoor route to unilateral disarmament.
And in case readers were wondering, yes, this is the same Rose Gottemoeller who oversaw the disastrous leak of U.S. nuclear know-how in the 1990s from Department of Energy weapons labs, where she was responsible for overseeing security.
Army Destroys Afghan Bibles
"The US Army has reportedly destroyed Bibles in Afghan languages which were sent to a soldier in Afghanistan and then confiscated, " reports Christianity Today. The Arab news network Al Jazeera released footage of U.S. soldiers at an on-base Bible class surrounded by Bibles translated into the Afghan languages of Pashto and Dari. The Bibles were sent to a soldier by his church, and he brought them to the class, though none were distributed to the native population. Soldiers are forbidden from proselytizing, a policy with which we will not quibble here. Yet it is striking that there were no riots in the U.S. or elsewhere over the destruction of the Bibles. There were also no Newsweek stories such as the one about the Koran supposedly being flushed down a toilet -- a false story that caused riots in the Muslim world. But who are we to compare Christianity with the Religion of Peace™?
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Chrysler Bankruptcy Plus Ethanol Subsidies Equal Failure
Whether car czar, truck tyrant or motor monarch, it all spells out one thing: auto-cracy. In yet another example of abysmal government failure (think education, welfare, Medicare, etc., ad nauseam), Washington's auto intervention has proven predictably disastrous. It seems Beltway-bailed- out GM and Chrysler are not experiencing a bounce after all, with now-bankrupt Chrysler falling to eighth place in U.S. car sales and both GM and Chrysler losing significant market shares to Ford, which, incidentally, once again ranks second in domestic car sales -- sans government help.
Unenlightened by the failure, Auto-crat Obama attacked as "speculators" Chrysler's smaller lenders who are refusing to cower to Washington's, er, request that they accept only a portion of what they are owed in order to help the bailed-out automaker. As it now stands, those evil "speculators" lost a court battle over Chrysler's bankruptcy plan, which would short the lenders on their investment. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Arthur Gonzalez ruled that the government-orchestr ated sale of Chrysler's assets was a "clear and orderly process" that was "fair" to all involved. The truth is anything but.
Dave Cribbin, a blogger and aircraft financier of TailWind Capital Group, wrote, "In the Chrysler deal, the [United Auto Workers] were unsecured creditors and the Chrysler bondholders were secured creditors. The bondholders received 28% of the value of their $6.9 billion in bonds in cash; the Union will receive stock worth approximately $4.2 billion, and a note for an additional $4.58 billion, which represents 82% of the value of their claim. Either the government negotiators have dyslexia and have made a terrible mistake in their paperwork, or this is political payoff writ large. Is this not the equivalent of financial waterboarding? And thus we enter a brazen new era of government, when the White House is openly complicit in the theft of, as a matter of fact is directing, the looting of private property from investors. Welcome to the Rule of Man, or as the President calls it, change we can believe in!"
On the eco-transportation front -- where, again, Chrysler and GM are lagging -- Obama is ignoring recent conclusions that ethanol production actually harms the environment and is looking both to hasten government handouts to biofuel producers and to push for more production of ethanol-blend- fueled cars -- all while demand for ethanol has been slipping.
Hmm, subsidize a failing industry, fund a corporate bankruptcy and demonize lenders who (perish the thought) expect repayment. And they call this good policy?
The Next Housing Crisis
A maxim: If an idea has disastrous consequences for the economy, the federal government will utilize multiple programs to assure maximum distribution and penetration. After six months of ongoing enlightenment on the flawed objectives and failed procedures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the third face of the home loan hydra was revealed this week by The Wall Street Journal. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an agency created during the New Deal to promote middle-class home ownership, has determined that when Fannie and Freddie were relaxing their lending criteria over the last 10 years, FHA lost market share. Amazing, we know.
FHA responded just as we have come to expect any public agency to respond in the face of a crisis: They are embracing the "failed policies of the past," to borrow a phrase. FHA has doubled its maximum loan amount and lowered its required down payments and is increasing its guarantees to originating lenders. These actions have achieved FHA's desired objective of increased market share as it now guarantees one-third of new mortgages compared to merely 2 percent in 2006. To be fair, 2006 was the last of the go-go years when, as the total market declines, a company need only hold on to its existing customer base to increase market share. And still, FHA is seeking $800 million to cover losses.
Lending involves the mitigation of risk. The risk of default is lessened by the requirement of a substantial down payment. Defaults not only damage the borrower who loses his home, but also the lender who is forced to liquidate the home to secure repayment. Beyond that, defaults devalue neighboring homes as foreclosures are sold at a discount.
Fear not, though -- there will not be an outbreak of sanity or critical thinking in the halls of Congress. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) have largely avoided scrutiny for their involvement in the Fannie and Freddie meltdown. They continue to enjoy the financial support of mortgage originators and realtors seeking to stimulate the housing market, and they will continue championing the failed policies of the past. They are absolutely certain it will work this time, if they just provide a little more funding. A trillion here, a trillion there...
Medicare Warnings
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently warned that Medicare is now operating on its reserve funding, which will be exhausted in under 10 years. Congressional Democrats are too busy proposing a dramatic expansion of the program to listen. While some of the potential new Medicare enrollees would pay a nominal fee to participate, Medicare is an estimated $38 trillion in unfunded debt and no new funding is available to keep the social program from going bankrupt.
In case anyone was confused about whether Medicare is "insurance," as the liberals like to refer to it, or is actually a hopelessly inept and bankrupt government program, the government announced additional reimbursement cuts of 25 percent to hospitals. For years, medical providers, who already lose money on each Medicare patient they treat, have been shifting costs to private insurers in an effort to remain solvent, but these latest cuts are too much to shift. In response to the latest round of cuts, physicians and hospitals have begun turning away Medicare patients.
As Rome burns, liberals fiddle with boasts of a government-run health care nirvana, even as the current government programs are deep in the red. While it has obviously never occurred to the leftists in Congress and the White House, perhaps the founders were prescient when they declined to enumerate such powers for the federal government.
Around the Nation: States' Biggest Revenue Source
"In a historic first, Uncle Sam has supplanted sales, property and income taxes as the biggest source of revenue for state and local governments, " reports USA Today. Municipalities, counties and states traditionally have funded their operations primarily through sales, income and property taxes; this is no longer the case. As of this year, the federal government is now paying approximately 23 percent of state and local expenses, thanks to the federal stimu-"less" package. Indeed, in the first quarter of 2009, Washington flooded states and localities to the tune of a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of $437 billion in aid and stimulus money, and another $300 billion is slated to stream from Capitol Hill over the next two years.
While some claim the "help" from the feds is temporary, others point out that federal funds mean federal control. Wise King Solomon once wrote, "The borrower is servant to the lender." Local governments receiving their finances primarily from the people are beholden to the people. But with Washington now holding the biggest purse strings, state and local officials have more to lose by ignoring Big Brother than by disregarding the voters they were elected to serve.
CULTURE & POLICY
Faith and Family: Maine and DC Approve Same-Sex 'Marriage'
Maine became the fifth state in the union to legalize same-sex "marriage" this week, but only the second to do so via elected representatives. The legislature passed and the governor signed the bill, which defines marriage as between two people, rather than between one man and one woman, as has been the case throughout human history. But, as Reuters reports, "if the bill's opponents gather 55,000 signatures for a 'people's veto,' they can delay the law pending a statewide referendum, which would likely be held during elections in November." Similar legislation is on the governor's desk in New Hampshire, which, if signed, would leave Rhode Island as the lone New England state without legal same-sex marriage.
In the nation's capital, the DC Council approved a bill to recognize such marriages performed elsewhere. Under the Home Rule Charter, Congress has 30 days to review District legislation, but with Democrats' vast majorities in both houses, resistance will be easily defeated. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, "I don't think Congress should intervene." Yet Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has promised to try to block the bill. "Some things are worth fighting for, and this is one of them. It's not something I can let go softly into the night," he said. "I recognize the Democrats are in the majority, but I represent the majority of Americans on this issue."
Village Academic Curriculum: School Changes Name to Obama
Last week, Webster Elementary School in St. Paul, Minnesota voted to change its name to the "Barack and Michelle Obama Service Learning Elementary School" to reflect its "shifting purpose" to public service, a program that has been in place only one year. Aside from the elusive definition of "public service," it's rather shocking that the school would decide to change its name from one in service for 100 years to one of a president in office less than four months. Yet it is not the first school to do so. Several schools around the country have already changed their names to Obama.
The site council, comprising parents and community members, put the name to a vote, asking students (elementary children!), staff members and other St. Paul residents to cast their ballots. Out of the 854 votes, 60 percent favored the name change. When the votes were broken down, however, it was revealed that while parents and students want "change," most staff and community members voted to keep Webster's name. The one Republican member of the board pointed out the folly of naming an institution after a president at the beginning of his first term (one never knows what may happen that may serve to embarrass later on), and promised to fight the name change.
Climate Change This Week: NASA's Hansen on 'Cap and Trade'
Several global warming hysterics, most notably NASA scientist/propagand ist James Hansen, are protesting efforts to deal with the issue, in particular the man-made "cap and trade" bill before Congress. Hansen has gone so far as to say it is as "ineffectual as the Kyoto Protocol" and that he hopes that "cap and trade doesn't pass because we need a much more effective approach." Instead, Hansen wants a "simple carbon tax." (Meanwhile, Republicans introduced a competing proposal Thursday.)
Even liberal Democrats in the Senate are having a hard time supporting the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) recently announced that it is his "biggest headache." Well, they say every cloud has a silver lining.
There's more good news. Other scientists are openly declaring global warming a non-issue, the political viability of which is on the decline. One such man is Philip Scott, Professor Emeritus of Biogeography at the University of London. "With a world likely to cool during the next decade," Scott said, "with a world economy set in austere mode, and with the new politics of China, India, Brazil and the rest, Big Global Warming's boom days are surely coming to an end. 'Global warming' is sub-prime science, sub-prime economics and sub-prime politics, and it could well go down with the sub-prime mortgage."
Happy Mother's Day
Sunday is Mother's Day. Among the 10 Commandments is the only command with a promise: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12). President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation in 1914 proclaiming Mother's Day a national holiday. Then again, we don't need a holiday to express our appreciation to moms everywhere. May God bless each and every mother among our readers. We wouldn't be without them.
And Last...
On the "it couldn't happen to a more deserving fellow" front, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, who recently outed himself as a Democrat, will lose his seniority on all the committees on which he serves. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had promised Specter that he would retain seniority after switching parties, but as it turns out, most sitting Democrat Senators are unwilling to relinquish their chairs to the turncoat. Specter, who has previously touted his "clout" as reason for re-election and would have been senior to all but eight Democrats, will be the junior Democrat on three of his five committees -- except for the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee and the Special Committee on Aging, on which the 79-year-old, 28-year veteran will be next to last. He can look on the bright side, though. Should Al Franken finally prevail in Minnesota, at least Arlen will outrank the comedian.
Veritas vos Liberabit -- Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot's editors and staff.
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