tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102347332024-03-13T10:30:41.030-05:00Prime CutNews and Views on the Best of the WebUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-36837482184454654912016-10-01T16:16:00.000-05:002016-10-05T12:33:24.644-05:00Why I Chose TelegramI've been monitoring the world of messaging for a while, looking for the next messaging platform to be my primary. After trying several applications, monitoring their development, reading how their software and networks work, and how they protect privacy, I've come to the conclusion Telegram is the best option. No solution is perfect, but Telegram checks the most boxes. It's available here, <a href="https://telegram.org/">https://telegram.org</a>.<br />
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Why Telegram was chosen and answers to common objections will be addressed in the concluding paragraphs. There's also an app that gets an honorable mention.</div>
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<h4>Here are the ratings...</h4>
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<div><h4>In regards to privacy...</h4></div><br />
Privacy is a hot topic. Privacy is not just about keeping prying eyes out of your conversations, but also about how your information is being used by the hosting company, e.g. phone carriers, Google, Facebook, et al. There is no total privacy. (Signal is near complete privacy.) Given that, how much of your privacy is forfeited for features is up to you.<br />
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My philosophy is if privacy is to be forfeited, don't put it all in one basket. Don't give one company as much non-public pieces of information about yourself <i>or those you know</i>. Companies like Google and Facebook harvest your messages, images, likes, etc and draw connections to those you know. All of this together develops a more complete picture about you. The more you give, the more they get.<br />
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Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp (Facebook owns WhatsApp.) have been making the news about end to end encryption. End to end encryption is great with the caveat of feature limitations. Certain features are not available when encryption between 2 parties is engaged.<br />
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Even when E2E is used, these companies still collect metadata about you, i.e. who you are talking to, his/her contact info, and how long and often. Combining information collected from Messenger/WhatsApp with Facebook traffic, Facebook get can get pretty good picture of your life. Ditto with Google, Google+ and Allo if you use these services.<br />
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This tight relationship compromises a messenger's privacy rating. If WhatsApp was not tied to Facebook, I would more than likely recommend it as the messenger to get. They made promises about privacy which have since been compromised and rewritten since joining Facebook.<br />
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One last important note on privacy and use of the latest generation of messengers. The old generation required signing up for an account with a user name and password. You would join a friend's list by exchanging user names. The new generation uses your phone's address book to match you with your friends. It makes the level of entry very low, and match making convenient. But it makes it that much more important to know how the company is storing and using that information.<br />
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Some messengers, like Telegram and Wire, allow using phone numbers or user names. That's a nice option.<br />
<br /><div><h4>Least honorable mention goes to...</h4></div><br />
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<b>SMS. </b>An entire article could be written on my frustration with this tired, old protocol. From what I understand, it is popular primarily in the U.S. Move on America. <i>Make messaging great again!</i> :-) I am ready for this dinosaur to go extinct.</div>
<br /><div><h4>Honorable mention goes to...</h4></div>
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<b>Wire</b>. This application was created by a co-founder of Skype. It comes with a lot of features, including video chat, voice chat, and group voice chat. It's open and open sourced. The company is very up front about privacy. </div>
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<div><h4>The choice goes to...</h4></div>
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<b>Telegram.</b> Telegram has always aimed to excel at being a messaging system. It's one of the reasons it does not have voice or video call support (I hope it's added one day.). This aim has led to some to copy its features. You appreciate the value of these features and how they make a conversation more expressive than dinosaur protocols like SMS.</div>
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Combined with a desire for strong privacy and broad set of clients, Telegram is a winner. </div>
<div>If you want, you could stop reading the article at this point. What follows are some common objections to Telegram, which are somewhat geeky.</div>
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Addressing objections to Telegram...</h4>
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I know some are reading what I said about privacy and face palming in regards to Telegram. Here are common objections and my responses.</div>
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<i>Objection 1: It uses home grown encryption, MTProto.</i></div>
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I have never been of the mind that there is only one way to do something. Using tested industry standards across the board would be great, but different does make it dubious.</div>
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<i>Objection 2: MTProto has not been vetted.</i></div>
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MTProto has been studied and tested to a limited extent. Telegram has documented MTProto and the app's security for review. The source code is available on GitHub. It's not a complete mystery.</div>
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<i>Objection 3: No credible cryptographer supports MTProto .</i></div>
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Comments from cryptographers fall into 2 categories: a) MTProto is broken, b) Not enough is known (info and tests) about MTProto to make a judgment. Comments from A are usually from people who have competing interests or prejudice. Comments from B come from cryptographers with less bias and more interest in something new.</div>
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<i>Objection 4: MTProto is like having no encryption at all.</i></div>
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Its encryption has been around 4 years and has no known major hack. If MTProto is so flawed, why hasn't it been hacked? Why are international intelligence agencies having such trouble cracking it? Enough talk. Prove MTProto is weak by breaking it.</div>
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Telegram's security is not just MTProto. Its de-centralized network design provides additional protection. It makes re-assembling a conversation difficult. Some will say obscurity is not security. I agree to an extent, but obscurity is what makes encryption cryptic.</div>
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<i>Objection 5: You have to opt in Telegram's end to end encryption conversations.</i></div>
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This is true, and it is how most other messengers work. This will always be the case if participants wish to enjoy all the features the system provides. If you must have complete privacy all the time, then always opt into private conversations. </div>
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You cannot conclude the requirement to opt into private conversations means other conversations are not encrypted. Telegram does encrypt non-private conversations and store the data encrypted on their servers. The traffic and data are not traveling through the Internet in plain text.</div>
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Final note: Do not conclude from the responses that I do not prefer Telegram to use a tested encryption solution or that I do not want to see MTProto continually improved.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-43358371172638821282015-07-08T00:09:00.000-05:002015-07-08T00:18:01.748-05:00PSA: Gary "Tony" Fairris is a con man disguised as an AC repair man.<br />
On 6/10/2015, my air conditioning heat pump compressor stopped. I contacted Gary Anthony ("Tony") Fairris (469-682-9279) to inspect it. I suspected the compressor motor since the fan stopped turning.<br />
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Gary was scheduled to arrive on 6/11. However, he notified me he would be able to see it the evening of 6/10 at 8 or 8:30pm. He arrived late and it was a little dark, but he was confident he could fix it blind folded. I left him with the compressor.<br />
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He reported back to me the problem was more than the fan. The entire unit had shorted. He showed be the control board with black soot and explained a short fried everything. I needed a new compressor. He said if my coil had no leak, I should replace the compressor with another R22 unit.<br />
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My previous system was a SEER 12. He told me SEER 13 is the minimum available now and would be compatible with my system. I agreed with his recommendations on specs and brand of compressor.<br />
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He told me his supplier had one left which met our requirements. I gave him a large check so he could acquire it. (My mistake. But I figured as an independent, he needed some money down.) He did purchase the compressor and came the next day, 6/11, to install it.<br />
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Again, he was late. He installed the compressor. The air conditioner was working again. I cut him his last check. He had nothing job related left to say. We said our goodbyes.<br />
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The next day. The empty compressor box was in the house. I planned to use to make my kid a playhouse with it. On it was the product's label. I decided to do a Google search on the model # and find out more about what I paid a lot of money for. To my surprise and contrary to the written work order, the heat pump was not a heat pump. It was a straight cool unit. This was the first serious red flag.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPGhR9uEP8rq-HLQZPvHBjn3RSleU0L0YysPzxqR44GHeQP-S7hL4JvxcG4RFCk5WkhsH5pAY0GbecC5mHN8dvO6HslIKmHS68qqbbHHzpQb_Pn1GlngyfLeX9I2rLpdCKXU2/s1600/20150612_122647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPGhR9uEP8rq-HLQZPvHBjn3RSleU0L0YysPzxqR44GHeQP-S7hL4JvxcG4RFCk5WkhsH5pAY0GbecC5mHN8dvO6HslIKmHS68qqbbHHzpQb_Pn1GlngyfLeX9I2rLpdCKXU2/s400/20150612_122647.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Consumer Fraud Exhibit A</span></div>
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Not believing what I was reading on the Internet, I called the manufacturer to verify what I was sold. It was not a heat pump. I called Gary immediately. He answered and told me he knows it's not and he was going to turn it into one. All he needed was a "reversing valve" and "branching hoses."<br />
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New red flags were being raised. Why did he not mention any of this before leaving? When he left, we were both under the impression the job was finished. Did he make up the parts story because I told him I verified with the manufacturer what I had?<br />
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I am no technician, so I had to verify with the manufacturer if conversion was really possible. I was not surprised when they said no. I was angry. I called my bank to cancel the last check I wrote before he cashed it. Cutting a new check upon his return would be a little incentive for him to finish the job right. That and the possibility of me reporting him to the state attorney for consumer fraud and going to small claims court.<br />
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I called him back. He was not answering. Eventually I did reach him. He said he did one better for me and located a replacement heat pump. It was shipping and was going arrive the evening of 6/16. Installation would be 6/17.<br />
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At this point, I did not tell him the manufacturer said conversion was not technically possible. I wanted to get the job done and over with. So, I waited for the unit to arrive.<br />
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6/16, I texted him to ask if the unit arrived and he received it. No answer. I was able to reach him on 6/17. He could not install that day because storms were in the area. He said he would be there at 8am on 6/18.<br />
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On the morning of 6/18, I repeatedly tried to contact him with no answer. It was heading into the 11am hour. Did he skip the job? Was the order a made up story? I didn't know. I began to contact law firms to hear my options.<br />
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He did eventually contact me and told me he was on the way. He showed up with a heat pump and began to install it. He finished. The A/C seemed to be working. I gave him his last check.<br />
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As he was driving off, I was giving the unit a look over, checking the factory label and the install. The install was shoddy with wiring not properly secured. But, the unit is what was ordered and the A/C was working.<br />
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We used the unit a couple of days before leaving on a week's long vacation. I kept the temperature high since no one was home. When we came back, I restarted the thermostat program. The A/C turned on and cold air was blowing, but not for long.<br />
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After a couple of days, the house temperature felt off. The middle of the house was cold, but rooms outside the center were not. It turns out the upstairs unit was furnishing all the cold air. The downstairs unit, i.e. the unit with the new compressor, was not blowing. My fear was the new compressor was already dead, but it wasn't. So, I suspected the blower motor.<br />
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This time, I called a reputable A/C company. They discovered the compressor had a little less than half the freon it needed. It was this way because of one of two scenarios, neither one making Gary look good.<br />
1) Gary did not fill the compressor in order to maximize his con profits.<br />
2) Gary broke the head on what's called a shrader fill valve on the compressor, which caused freon to slowly leak out. There's no way he could have left the job and not know it was broken.<br />
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Since the head was broken off, the tech could not remove what remained of the valve without doing a costly repair on the compressor. So, he did a make shift repair, which does work, and filled the compressor. This cost me several hundred dollars more.<br />
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BOTTOM LINE: Gary "Tony" Fairris committed a case of flagrant consumer fraud. When caught red handed and possibly fearing legal reprisals, he covered it up with a story about acquiring the parts to convert the unit. Knowing I'm in touch with the manufacturer, he stepped away from his parts story and ordered what was supposed to be ordered in the first place. Feeling upset he was caught and having to make right, he performed a shoddy job installing the compressor out of spite, e.g. broken valve head, terrible weld, etc. Further, it is my suspicion he either a) broke the head to create a slow leak so he could return to say I needed to pay for more services or b) withheld freon to maximize his returns.<br />
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IF IN THE DALLAS OR FORTH WORTH AREAS OR WHEREVER ELSE HE SLITHERS TO, DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH GARY "TONY' FAIRRIS. He is a dishonest man and brings shame to the good independent technicians in the field.<br />
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You do not want to see this truck when you call an air conditioner technician. It's Gary's.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-58808925263211770542012-01-13T14:36:00.002-06:002012-01-14T12:24:30.857-06:00The Pain of Bain for Conservatives & the GOP<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">[Disclaimer: I write the article below as a supporter of Rick Perry.]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Character Matters</b></span></div>
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In the early 1990s, conservatives stressed the importance of evaluating a candidate in an area which it seems to have been forgotten, character. The idea was to get voters to consider not only the exterior qualities of a candidate, but the interior ones too. Qualities like honesty and fidelity should not be overlooked. The benchmark to judge these qualities were made by examining the decisions a candidate has made. These decisions often affect the direction a candidate has taken in life. They contribute to how a candidate sees himself, neighbors, and the nation.<br />
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No one expects a candidate to be perfect. It is certain we all veer a little off the proper course in life. One has to judge the general trajectory of their path in life. Has a candidate learn from his mistakes? Is a candidate showing a consistency in growth? Or, do he keep falling back to previous errors?<br />
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<b>The Election of Clinton (The Other One)</b></div>
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It was in the days of the 1992 presidential election when the issue of character arose to prominence. The GOP, out of an act of conviction or desperation (I'm not sure.), embraced the conservative idea that you judge a candidate by the "content of his character." And so, the preface to the Bill Clinton "bimbo eruptions" were written.<br />
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The GOP and conservative media began its examination of Bill Clinton's extramarital affairs. While it would embarrass Bill Clinton, its primary goal was to point out his character flaws. The problem was not a woman or two coming forward to tell their story. Several came forward. This was scandalous, but what made it more scandalous were the circumstances surrounding each affair. State troopers were appropriated to bring Bill mistresses to hotel rooms.<br />
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The choices Bill made showed a consistent lack of decency and a lack of an effort to correct course. It raised the question of whether Bill Clinton would have the integrity and decency to occupy the Oval Office. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1u2oBDpKV-LJgXRJ3gH00WQDcDyYx_UibbOISk-tFTL3mTh6UoFiHNtHXtROm6Fsu15T4ZoEENvHZqwgrJiEKUuA__xaVelOzSACgl4GhgqI5d_jPBdec295nHV9OWRAcyYK4g/s1600/Rush+Limbaugh+smoking+large+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1u2oBDpKV-LJgXRJ3gH00WQDcDyYx_UibbOISk-tFTL3mTh6UoFiHNtHXtROm6Fsu15T4ZoEENvHZqwgrJiEKUuA__xaVelOzSACgl4GhgqI5d_jPBdec295nHV9OWRAcyYK4g/s200/Rush+Limbaugh+smoking+large+photo.jpg" width="167" /></a>Conservative media, especially Rush Limbaugh and the American Spectator, embraced these scandals. It's expected. The opposition exposed a vulnerability and character matters after all. Conservative media gave Bill Clinton's personal life a full examination, including the marital relationship between Bill and his wife Hillary.<br />
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Much of the spotlight was earned by the Clintons. In some cases, women came forward, either voluntarily or coerced. In addition, Bill and Hillary spoke of their marriage as shared presidency. Hillary would be the co-president. Nonetheless, conservative media had little reservation about raising the character issue and properly so.<br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Campaign of 2012</b><br />
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It's 2011, and the 2012 campaign is underway. The candidates have come forward. The debates are scheduled. It is the debates which provide an intellectual gladiator-like arena where candidates introduce themselves to the public, define their campaigns, and outline their ideas and vision. It is here the character issue rose its head again.<br />
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In the December 10, 2011 debate, the issue of Newt's three marriages and past affairs was a concern for conservative voters. A question about Newt's affairs went to Rick Santorum and Rick Perry. Perry's response was blunt and straight forward, "If you cheat on your wife, you'll cheat on your business partner. It's a characteristic people look at." Santorum echoed what Perry said in his own words, "Certainly, it's a factor and it should be a factor when you're electing a leader." (<a href="http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Debate-Marriageinfidelity/2011/12/10/id/420547">Source</a>) The book on Newt's personal life, like it had been for Bill Clinton, was opened.<br />
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That was not the first time Newt's marital troubles were an issue. A story had been floated by the liberal press that Newt brought his dying wife divorce papers while she laying in the hospital. Conservative media did not defend Newt until his daughter came in 2011 and dismissed the story as untrue. And, in a Thanksgiving presidential debate hosted by Luntz, conservatives waited on baited breath for Newt's answer when Luntz asked a question that turned the debate stage into "True Confessions" reality show. No defense of Newt was provided. No charges of looking into his private life was going too far.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First Stop: Iowa</span></b><br />
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Riding high on his debate performances, Newt was ready to enter the Iowan caucus. His poll numbers looked great. He was clearly the front runner. That was... until Mitt Romney came to town.<br />
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A political action committee (PAC) for Mitt Romney began to run negative ads about Newt in Iowa. The ads were non-stop. Newt repeatedly asked Romney's campaign to tell his supporters to call off the dogs. He said the ads were inaccurate or outright lies. Romney's response was it was not his or his campaign's video. He went further by defending the ads as part of the vetting process.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
If you can't stand the relatively modest heat in the kitchen right now, wait until Obama's Hell's Kitchen shows up. Obama's putting together a billion dollars. He's going to be attacking us day and night.</blockquote>
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It's probably a good time for people to see these things to make up their minds.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/21/romney-defends-negative-ads/" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Source </a></blockquote>
Romney and other candidates are handcuffed to an extent by campaign laws in what they can and cannot do with PACs. Romney could not order the PAC to stop, but he could broadcast a message to supporters to tone it down. Instead, he stood by the attacks. The GOP and conservative media did not hear Newt's cry of "foul!" Newt finished 4th place in the Iowa caucus, a long way from his first place position in the polls just a couple of weeks before.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Next Stop: New Hampshire (or South Carolina)</b></div>
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The outcome of Iowa was going to heat the kitchen up. Newt, who had been positive in debates and on the campaign trail, could no longer ignore the negative campaign against him. He began to plot a Romney-like strategy so subtle the media, especially the conservative talking heads, would be unable to figure out.<br />
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All of the candidates went to New Hampshire while Perry went directly to South Carolina. (Perry knew NH was Romney's.) While the other candidates were fighting for New Hampshire, Perry began to attack Romney in a way that remained off the media's radar. He periodically mentioned in interviews and on the stump Romney and his company's, Bain Capital, involvement in the closing of two businesses in South Carolina. He felt South Carolinians probably would like to have a say about those closings. This was not resonating with any of the media. It went right over their heads.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">South Carolina Becomes Hell's Kitchen</span></b><br />
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While the race for the New Hampshire primary was underway, a PAC was forming for Newt. This PAC was purchasing a film which told the stories of some of the companies Bain had closed and, to an extent, how. Newt began to make his case against Romney and some of Bain's decisions. Romney had been boasting about his private sector experience. By doing so, he essentially invited candidates to review his record.<br />
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And so it happened. Newt officially opened the book on Romney's experiences at Bain. <br />
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<a href="http://d2o6nd3dubbyr6.cloudfront.net/media/images/NewtPerry_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://d2o6nd3dubbyr6.cloudfront.net/media/images/NewtPerry_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" width="200" /></a>At some point, Newt's criticism and Perry's concern for the two businesses were married. While their messages had overlap, the scopes varied. Ultimately, both were questioning decisions made in closing the affected businesses. The idea was to raise the issue of the character and attitude of a candidate. If a candidate's personal decisions affect the integrity of a candidate, why wouldn't business decisions?<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blowback</span></b><br />
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<img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.marginalrevolution.com/.a/6a00d8341c66b253ef01348874fb07970c-800wi" width="178" /></div>
The GOP and conservative media reacted fiercely. Newt and Perry touched the GOP's third rail, free enterprise. The response was knee jerk and strong. The GOP establishment, sensing the first serious shot at Romney in a vulnerable area, came to his defense and accused Newt and Perry of being over the top. Conservative media, possibly reacting from guilt of success in a free market, charged the two with heresy against capitalism.<br />
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The center piece of the conservative media's complaints is the two are using the language of the left. The crime is using "demagogic" language.<br />
What does it mean to be a demagogue? <u>American Heritage Dictionary</u> defines it as follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.</blockquote>
Republicans have often complained of the demagoguery from the left. Some examples of liberal demagoguery:<br />
<ol>
<li>Any criticism of a minority equates to racism.</li>
<li>Reform of welfare equates to hating the poor and starving children.</li>
<li>Reform of social security equates to pushing elderly ladies over a cliff.</li>
</ol>
Newt and Perry have requested reviewing some Bain cases, specifically two in Perry's case. The response from the GOP and conservative media has been to label Newt & Perry the following: <br />
<ol>
<li>Anti-Capitalistic</li>
<li> Anti-Constitution (Mark Levin)</li>
<li>Anti-American</li>
<li>Anti-Business</li>
<li>Stupid/Dopes</li>
</ol>
One conservative talk show host, John Gibson, said on his 1/12/2012 show that Newt and Rick should leave the country.<br />
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Question: Who sounds more like the demagogic language of the left? GOP and conservative media or Newt and Rick Perry?<br />
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Calling Rick Perry, the governor of the state with the #1 economy in the union and one of the most business friendly environments, an anti-capitalist is like calling Michael Moore a fitness guru.<br />
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Keep in mind it was conservative media that had no problem exploring the business ventures of the Clintons in the 1990s, such as the Whitewater deal from the 1970s. It is true Whitewater eventually brought forth criminal charges, but nothing criminal was known until the Whitewater deal was opened for review. Was it anti-capitalistic to touch the Whitewater issue or the business of Rose Law Firm?<br />
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Some other charges made against Newt and Perry are major in the minds of the critics and minor in reality.<br />
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<i>"Newt and Perry are giving the left their talking points."</i><br />
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As Rick Perry said, it would be naive to think the democrats are not going to touch Bain or do the research. This information either comes out now or as an October surprise by the democrats. Do republicans want to outsource their vetting process to the democrats in a general election?<br />
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And while they criticize for raising this issue, right talk radio has no problem basking in its fruits. Monologues were spoken talking about Romney's weak and socialistic answer to the Bain questions, i.e. it being the same Obama bailing out the auto industry.<br />
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Indeed, even the GOP is writing articles about his this is healthy for Romney's campaign. It gets grievances out early so it's less potent in the general. It tests Romney's abilities to answer the Bain question head on. All the while, they rip Newt and Perry.<br />
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The right further harms their cause by citing democrat strategists who say Newt and Perry's comments are an early gift. Conservatives are once again being played. Of course the left will say that. What's the end result of such criticism? A destruction of two your most conservative candidates. It is not Newt and Perry helping the democrats; it's the conservative pundits.<br />
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<i>"Newt and Perry are talking like Occupiers."</i><br />
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Occupiers have railed against crony capitalism and bank bailouts, and so has Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, and more. Would they call themselves Occupiers? Illogical and uncalled for charge from the right on the right.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>When Mitt Romney Came to Town</b></div>
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<div style="font-family: inherit;">
Newt and Perry maintained their positions. Again, the two positions were of different scope. Newt wanting to open up Bain's cases for review, and Perry focusing on two cases in South Carolina. Both want to bring Romney's character to light as an opportunist tempted to place profit before principle from time to time. The question planted in the voters' minds is "Do I want a president who thinks of self before others?"</div>
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<div style="font-family: inherit;">
As South Carolina became the focus, the PAC supporting Newt releases a hit piece on Romney and his ex-employer Bain. The 27 minute film is loose with facts and high on emotion. Its intent was to give viewers an idea of the kind of environment Romney conducts business and, in comes cases, directly involved with. Criticisms of the video came.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
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<img border="0" height="215" src="http://www.therightsphere.com/wp-content/themes/daily-headlines/scripts/timthumb.php?h=300&w=445&zc=1&src=http://www.therightsphere.com/wp-content/uploads/whenmittromneycametotown.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
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<div style="font-family: inherit;">
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Newt's response to the video has befuddled left and right media. In their eyes, he embraced it and then backed off. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">“I’d like to ask you about your video that you released about Romney, about Bain Capital,” the woman said as she held a recorder out to the former speaker of the House.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">“Oh, I didn’t – that’s not my video,” Gingrich responded, cutting her off as he made his way toward his campaign bus. </span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/pac-attack-on-romney-and-bain-begins-20120112">Source</a> </blockquote>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
Newt continues to stick by his message that Bain experience should come under review while giving answers like the above. The media doesn't understand what is going on. Conservative media doesn't understand. Conservative radio certainly doesn't understand.</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
This is the clever Newt. Newt is sending a message. He's pulling a Romney. Primary followers have seen this behavior pattern before... in Iowa. Romney embraced a negative message on Newt; facts be damned. And when confronted with doing something about it, Romney says "That's not my video." Now, it's Newt's turn. This is Newt's thumb in Romney's eye. Feed the beast and claim to be helpless to do anything about it. Newt, message received.<br />
<br />
The media is foolishly fact checking the "documentary" like it matters to Newt. The further from the truth, the better the joke becomes. Well played Newt.</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Fallout</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media/images/5082.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<br />
The conservative media are not the independent thinkers they portray themselves to be. When one conservative source gets the ball rolling on the talking points, they begin to echo the same points, stopping occasionally to add a few more points. Critical thinking skills are at a low on conservative radio. I say this as someone listening since the early days of Rush in the early 1990s.<br />
<br />
The GOP establishment will do whatever it takes to get their candidate nominated, including killing off their own. One tweet aptly said:<br />
<br />
"<i>Democrats fall in love with their candidate. Republicans fall in line.</i>"<br />
<br />
Double standards are plenty in the conservative movement. When to apply one standard over the other depends on the political realities. This is an unfortunate situation for a movement which reveres principles as being of the highest order.<br />
<br />
For myself, I am not sure where this puts me politically. The GOP playing political hardball against its own. The conservative movement compromised in principle. I and others have been branded anti-capitalistic for questioning the sacrosanct private sector experience of Mitt Romney.<br />
<br />
If this is being a republican or conservative, then I guess I'll be an independent thinker.<br />
<a href="http://halfdone.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/thinker.jpg?w=430" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://halfdone.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/thinker.jpg?w=430" width="200" /></a><br />
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Update: <a href="http://www.damndirtyrino.com/">Damn Dirty Rino</a> has an <a href="http://www.damndirtyrino.com/2012/01/13/seems-word-from-on-high/">excellent article</a> tapping into the frustration I have about this issue that may not be seen here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-43035670260249411692010-11-17T11:02:00.000-06:002010-11-17T11:02:06.922-06:00Update: USPS & Blue StatesThis past week came with two major updates to posts I previously made here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://geekent.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/thecliffclavin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://geekent.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/thecliffclavin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In <a href="http://primecut.blogspot.com/2009/09/obama-care-different-take.html">my post about health care</a>, I mentioned the government run company called the USPS is one of many examples of<b> government failing to do what the private market can do better</b>. The same will be true of health care.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111205939.html">News came out this week that the U.S. Postal Service is going to lose $8.5 billion</a> and will be broke in 2011 without additional funding. Time for another bailout? And, this is after its massive losses in 2009. And we want these guys running health care? Why do we continue to reward failure, especially the paragon of failure - the U.S. government?<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_697441102"><br />
</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/IMAGES/North_Carolina/berries_red_blueUSDA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/IMAGES/North_Carolina/berries_red_blueUSDA.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://primecut.blogspot.com/2008/11/gm-ford-chrysler-what-to-do-blue-states.html">In an incomplete post</a>, I alluded to the fact the blue states are a mess because of union dominance and liberal policies, and the red states are having to pick up the tab.<b> The success of conservative principals in red state governments is changing the face of the U.S. population via migration from blue states to red states</b>.<a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/low-tax-states-will-gain-seats-high-tax-states-will-lose-them-108681159.html"> An article has come out confirming my suspicions</a>. I say to those moving into red states from blue states: "Welcome! Now leave any leftist ideologies you may still have at the border."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-35218834087725806532010-10-05T20:29:00.001-05:002010-10-05T20:31:05.852-05:00Obama & Hugo Chavez - BFFHere are some pictures of Obama and crazy dictator Hugo Chavez yucking it up together and looking at each adoringly...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqrMg7JcWz0Ac5iLlDp4j9ZDK-IFHlttcfnB89xug6JdtDKl4N8yJIejKKleEzIcxWEso1viCDFtY0G5xYNEQ28LysmTurnsdPZq17G0_2bUudCRlbgzwmv4eRoErKEAW8pxV/s1600/01125112.Par.89380.ImageFile%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqrMg7JcWz0Ac5iLlDp4j9ZDK-IFHlttcfnB89xug6JdtDKl4N8yJIejKKleEzIcxWEso1viCDFtY0G5xYNEQ28LysmTurnsdPZq17G0_2bUudCRlbgzwmv4eRoErKEAW8pxV/s1600/01125112.Par.89380.ImageFile%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2V-7NIMiae7HCGqEbAWLRgRhjC9slPNdjIQL4ozZboBAmdrLw3HsxYMr9ssPmAaCxNeHfrDJ9Z3GkhjW0GO4YXzzWnWeIrc0h6wSl4lV6-ucEjYtY20zadJ-kDTxGBBUolnEL/s1600/01125112.Par.4584.ImageFile%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2V-7NIMiae7HCGqEbAWLRgRhjC9slPNdjIQL4ozZboBAmdrLw3HsxYMr9ssPmAaCxNeHfrDJ9Z3GkhjW0GO4YXzzWnWeIrc0h6wSl4lV6-ucEjYtY20zadJ-kDTxGBBUolnEL/s1600/01125112.Par.4584.ImageFile%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_0g3dkcvPdHVxXIK3VS1_dek-aNvsh5AGCVxa3QrxKIv8YMnriZoRfHxFmv170heNNitSSnoaJvmIvpCSoO01TO-N_MHaCcBWnD5BxaIVUif4IkQwxZlucncYl-qGex0GdmO/s1600/01125112.Par.63839.ImageFile%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_0g3dkcvPdHVxXIK3VS1_dek-aNvsh5AGCVxa3QrxKIv8YMnriZoRfHxFmv170heNNitSSnoaJvmIvpCSoO01TO-N_MHaCcBWnD5BxaIVUif4IkQwxZlucncYl-qGex0GdmO/s1600/01125112.Par.63839.ImageFile%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-88188153747174824402010-02-11T10:58:00.001-06:002010-02-11T11:00:16.888-06:00Bush vs. Obama on Privacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://yalesustainablefoodproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/spy-vs-spy-without-bombs-775529.jpg?w=391&h=380" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://yalesustainablefoodproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/spy-vs-spy-without-bombs-775529.jpg?w=391&h=380" width="200" /></a></div>Bush wanted to tap <i>international</i> phone calls between the U.S. and terrorists <i>overseas</i> without a warrant. There was outrage. As a follow-up, the Supreme Court never shot down Bush's program when it was challenged. In addition, the practice was formalized again in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protect_America_Act_of_2007">Protect America Act of 2007</a>, United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review found nothing unconstitutional with the act. What this means is that while Obama expressed his outrage over the practice and won some votes on that sentiment, he has no problem using what Bush has put in place. <br />
<br />
Now, <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10451518-38.html">news has come out that the Obama administration is tapping <b>domestic </b>cell phone calls without warrants</a>. What is the rationale for this cell phone tracking without warrants? The Obama administration has said cell phone users should have no "reasonable expectation of privacy." Where's the outrage? If warrantless <i>international</i> phone tapping was enough reason to initiate the desires of some to impeach President Bush, what is this?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-74222814936331047532009-12-29T11:05:00.002-06:002009-12-29T11:17:03.427-06:00Interactive Unemployment Map (Time Lapse)This video confirms <a href="http://primecut.blogspot.com/2008/11/gm-ford-chrysler-what-to-do-blue-states.html">my post from November 2008</a>. The effects of poor financial decisions in liberal regions in America are moving into red state territory. Watch the video and see what direction the unemployment spreads. From the plains of America to the coasts or coasts to the plains?<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x18hrNp--NM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x18hrNp--NM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed><a class="ftooxslbzqpvmeyrjzix" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/x18hrNp--NM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></a><a class="ftooxslbzqpvmeyrjzix" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/x18hrNp--NM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></a><a class="ftooxslbzqpvmeyrjzix" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/x18hrNp--NM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></a><a class="ftooxslbzqpvmeyrjzix" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/x18hrNp--NM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></a></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-66594049183943602912009-09-12T23:46:00.005-05:002012-02-16T12:00:34.907-06:00Ego & Power PlayAs I mentioned in my first post on Obamacare, Americans are going to get Obamacare whether they like it or not. The leader has spoken. He said at a rally in Minneapolis "<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2009/09/obama_preaches_health_care_ref.html">They can't stop us</a>!" There is no reason for debate. No calls for bipartisanship. No "uniter not divider" demands. His office and congressmen are an engine for change that is going to steam roll over any opposition. It's a new day in America. The president dictates policy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfzUoVMrVnNwvQh5KbW0SSCYH1MTlQ2iF7H_Pu333UeI1Zvrh5iplwXkwzAF7ONLEBORbHV53LQ27UHyahcEZSpaLha-_NmtodYVSc4pzFIulcWRTcyJNVOQW_XY0hpj2xv3X/s1600-h/bulb%5B1%5D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380814376343042482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfzUoVMrVnNwvQh5KbW0SSCYH1MTlQ2iF7H_Pu333UeI1Zvrh5iplwXkwzAF7ONLEBORbHV53LQ27UHyahcEZSpaLha-_NmtodYVSc4pzFIulcWRTcyJNVOQW_XY0hpj2xv3X/s200/bulb%5B1%5D.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
His call for change is not about health care reform. True reform would be open to all ideas which improve health care in America. Obama is not open to all ideas; he only wants his own. And, he insists it has a public option.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Obama is done with debate</span>. He has made the choice for America and congress. Government will play a role in health care with a public option. He remains insistent on this point and with good reason. <span style="font-weight: bold;">He's making a power play</span>.<br />
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Obamacare is about putting government in the driver's seat. The citizens forfeit the power, and the government will take it. Obama wants to be the broker. He wants to be a piece of history like people talk about FDR and social security.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQWWGvJWAw55IFYi1HoxNSEcOBVE-aFar6vqOWtZkk3sCVQF2jsg2l7SnkwnJ6IP1adEV5IPpZzLeDBbXCSK9vWQqIAS_s5bTOkwWvVZ0iR6D_wIR67C8kryCCq6uyJj22Vba/s1600-h/fdr1%5B1%5D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380814986228054754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQWWGvJWAw55IFYi1HoxNSEcOBVE-aFar6vqOWtZkk3sCVQF2jsg2l7SnkwnJ6IP1adEV5IPpZzLeDBbXCSK9vWQqIAS_s5bTOkwWvVZ0iR6D_wIR67C8kryCCq6uyJj22Vba/s200/fdr1%5B1%5D.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 176px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">President Obama has turned a national issue into a personal issue</span>. In Minneapolis and elsewhere, he shown a paranoia for his reputation. It's an old campaign trick. "They're out to get me." <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_health_care">As the AP puts i</a>t, "The speech largely tracked the one days earlier on Capitol Hill, and he tore into opponents who he claimed were spreading rumors designed to scare people as they try to 'bring Obama down.'" Must this always be about you Mr. President? Is the job too much for you? Maybe. Every time it has challenged you, you blame your problems on someone else, like a conspiracy movement or "It's the previous administration's fault." Man up!<br />
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Obama, this isn't about what is good for you and your legacy. It's about the good of the nation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-32304902273161002172009-09-12T12:19:00.004-05:002009-09-12T14:28:55.870-05:00President Confirms: On Path to SocialismA news story came out stating what many knew about what <span style="font-weight:bold;">Joe Wilson</span> said; <span style="font-weight:bold;">he was right</span>. Government issued health care as proposed by Obama and the congressional democrats would allow for illegals to participate in the system.<br /><blockquote>Today, for the first time as far as we know, the administration is backing a provision that would require proof of citizenship before someone could enroll in a plan selected on the exchange.<br /><a href="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/11/2065287.aspx">Source</a></blockquote>Congressman Joe Wilson was right. Congratulations Joe. If you feel like it, <a href="https://secure.piryx.com/donate/WzJc4e8g/joewilson/facebook">drop him a congratulatory gift</a>.<br /><br />MSNBC tries to white wash the president's error by saying "[Well, any provision barring illegals would not really be enforceable as a practical matter anyway.]" MSNBC, then why have any laws? They are all broken at some point anyway. But the White House's admission is the smaller part of the story.<br /><br />When this video came out, the White House and its allies denounced it as wrong and taking things out of context. Obama has no intention of moving America off of private health care insurance.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p-bY92mcOdk&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p-bY92mcOdk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />The White House release this today:<br /><blockquote>Undocumented immigrants would be able to buy insurance in the non-exchange private market, just as they do today. <span style="font-weight:bold;">That market will shrink as the exchange takes hold</span>, but it will still exist and will be subject to reforms such as the bans on pre-existing conditions and caps.</blockquote><br />The private market is going to shrink because the U.S. government is going to put them out of business. The U.S. government is actively working to put American companies out of business. Something here doesn't pass the smell test. For all his flowerly language and smooth talking isn't changing the fact he is taking a wrecking ball to the health care market. You can put a lipstick on a pig, and it's still a pig.<br /><br />The president and congressional democrats have said health care coverage will be mandated like car insurance. (We will ignore the fact automobile insurance is not mandatory. Many people do without because they rely on other forms of transportation or family members to get them around.) Mandated? Again, I would like to ask the same questions the anti-pro-lifers use:<br /><ol><li>How are you going to enforce it?<br /><li>What if I don't pay the fines?<br /><li>Is the government going to start locking people up? Are they really criminals?<br /><li>Will they be denied health care if they don't have their papers and left to die on the streets?<br /><li>Will "back alley" insurance companies be setup to satisfy federal requirements?<br /></ol>President Obama is not a socialist. He is a <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/statism">statist</a> whose policies have the eventual goal being socialism.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-25102785331437324492009-09-09T14:16:00.013-05:002009-09-10T19:23:29.751-05:00Obama-care, a different take.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFFvEq9cleorUEhXaugNrcHT5QRnCqCYystAuH3KiCv-c5jvDXn_zMPxnYP-gI2lcRbiumuNe5-x7AT2e9CgzBvSn09ePwdppI69UgAmUiO0aFvnhT2I02lqMD0fiq-xsIsJ9/s1600-h/stethoscope%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFFvEq9cleorUEhXaugNrcHT5QRnCqCYystAuH3KiCv-c5jvDXn_zMPxnYP-gI2lcRbiumuNe5-x7AT2e9CgzBvSn09ePwdppI69UgAmUiO0aFvnhT2I02lqMD0fiq-xsIsJ9/s200/stethoscope%5B3%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379578897309266418" border="0" /></a>I have been listening to the arguments from both sides. I have not said much on this because<br /><br />a) I knew this debate would be long.<br />b) Obama has already stated we're getting his version of health care; public opinion be damned.<br />c) The American voters wanted what Obama was offering; they get what they deserve.<br /><br />In any case, here are a few brief points about Obama-care I have been thinking about.<br /><br />Those on the pro side say the government can offer a better option than the private market. Let's look at how well the government has done when it has entered the market.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm69DLKWeN2ixXFKclrF8Rt7giS3vs9SymW-p77FFq_dyCyiDDmXvZmOIPk0U3_GmD1LCUZxaMO7yHM1Y44sAqs6a3mq24faDB3XXRwi7ZR-wrK1_kZu4Yj-Fhczn1_0EeT8R/s1600-h/usps_hm_ci_logo2-159x36x8%5B1%5D.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 36px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm69DLKWeN2ixXFKclrF8Rt7giS3vs9SymW-p77FFq_dyCyiDDmXvZmOIPk0U3_GmD1LCUZxaMO7yHM1Y44sAqs6a3mq24faDB3XXRwi7ZR-wrK1_kZu4Yj-Fhczn1_0EeT8R/s200/usps_hm_ci_logo2-159x36x8%5B1%5D.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379579501250837858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Exhibit A)</span> Postal service. The United States Postal Service <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/05/news/companies/US_postal_service/index.htm?section=money_topstories">lost $2.4 Billion last quarter</a>. They believe they will lose $7 Billion for the fiscal year ending in September.<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/KYLEA%7E1.MIL/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/KYLEA%7E1.MIL/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/KYLEA%7E1.MIL/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.png" alt="" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbUUIoAJ0y-95A58on1D0RkPVUnQDwOxP_fPH0Ka2mHscdsQrsWAc8b1x9U3WL3M3cbZToSh8HlDG67wmkvrqfaguBZgY3APv5-m8pBysHxFbm1dPCo1-tITp-SQ-3iu8tT2V/s1600-h/180px-Fannie_Mae_Headquarters%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbUUIoAJ0y-95A58on1D0RkPVUnQDwOxP_fPH0Ka2mHscdsQrsWAc8b1x9U3WL3M3cbZToSh8HlDG67wmkvrqfaguBZgY3APv5-m8pBysHxFbm1dPCo1-tITp-SQ-3iu8tT2V/s200/180px-Fannie_Mae_Headquarters%5B1%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379580054364525506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Exhibit B)</span> Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. "Everyone deserves to own a home." That mantra seems to echo today in the health care debate, "Everyone deserves healthcare." The government decided it was important everyone own a home, even those borrowers deemed too risky to take a home loan. When the government entered the mortgage business, it was politicized and the result is the crash of summer 2008.<br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090806-724944.html">Fannie Mae lost $18.8 Billion in <del>one year</del> last quarter and requires more aid.</a> <a href="http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090808/life03/90808003">Freddie Mac is doing a little better these days with only a $374 million loss last quarter.</a> They have stated they need the government purse open in case they need to dip their hands in there again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjsyi1fv3zLAKOw8fNsK6TY433n-kDWvR1lbRrfycTR7HTIauwTMopqhfELn_qIZ7g5pkH0dyJCzpMO4tIT1AWZjmMqvDcCg16kc-xFBCx5OSPfa2-pTq2jVbDnGQYD0QsL30/s1600-h/30s8r5x-308x350%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjsyi1fv3zLAKOw8fNsK6TY433n-kDWvR1lbRrfycTR7HTIauwTMopqhfELn_qIZ7g5pkH0dyJCzpMO4tIT1AWZjmMqvDcCg16kc-xFBCx5OSPfa2-pTq2jVbDnGQYD0QsL30/s200/30s8r5x-308x350%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379588924094331922" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Exhibit C)</span> Automobiles. It seems unfair to pin this problem on the government because the government did not inherit this problem. That is true. They bought into it, which isn't any better.<br /><br />The government (That's you and me) owns GM. President/CEO Obama has said the government will not call the shots at GM. (That would be going too far, but calling the shots in the health care industry is okay.) That is too bad because GM is one deck that needs some serious shuffling. So how did the government's decision to leave the group of failed executives running a money losing company go? Even with GM getting the rules bent in their favor <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/07/report-gm-gets-out-from-under-its-polluted-sites-scot-free/">not once</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/04/report-new-gm-entitled-to-16-billion-in-federal-tax-breaks-cou/">not twice</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/28/new-gm-will-take-on-future-product-liability-claims-but-not-the/">but thrice</a>, <a href="http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/officially-official-taxpayers-will-lose-tens-of-billions-on-chrysler-gm-bailout/">the company failed to turn any profit</a>.<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/26/final-tally-for-cash-for-clunkers-700-000-sales-2-877b/"> Not even the politician loved Cash for Clunkers program could help the General</a>.<br /><br />It seems clear the government operating in the private sector does a pretty dismal job. It is a different story if you are a politician looking for votes back home and don't mind wastefully spending tax payer money. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Your loss, our job security</span>!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaR5Xujra6PxIQySN02iTCNA4TJo20JXrXG83QyRtN6llWVZhCIl85CUKPCjUJTLOXXM21nk76ujHfZ2MNccoen6PzMWf5YxNt8t0VDIsnzxt1RkjM0WOOn92dYKz4eZQBv0t/s1600-h/unborn%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaR5Xujra6PxIQySN02iTCNA4TJo20JXrXG83QyRtN6llWVZhCIl85CUKPCjUJTLOXXM21nk76ujHfZ2MNccoen6PzMWf5YxNt8t0VDIsnzxt1RkjM0WOOn92dYKz4eZQBv0t/s200/unborn%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379589927502580386" border="0" /></a>The other curious point about the proponents for Obama-care is that many of them are in the same crowd which protests any pro-life legislation because <span style="font-weight: bold;">"The government has no right to tell me what I can do with my body."</span> <u>Inviting the government into the business of health care will grant the government power to dictate all sorts of regulations about what can and can't be done with the body.</u> The government will be the top and maybe sole health care insurer. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/09/08/2009-09-08_president_obama_says_sin_tax_on_sodas_is_food_for_thought.html">This gives it tremendous power to dictate its tolerance of unhealthy behaviors</a>. And while Obama has led the public to believe all this is optional, his party is seeing to it that it isn't by <a href="http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090908/D9AJCL500.html">levying fines on those exercising their freedom</a>. It seems those preaching "hands off my body" to the government and supporting Obama-care should think about what they're saying.<br /><br />The picture for government run health care reform is rather bleak. There is very little evidence the government can pull it off effectively. There must be more than one way skin this cat, health care.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-w3BYuss6cI_BKe1Ru4wKyLgvXl_uSdkmEvfHWhSGThjZuWVV4TrWR1adAHBDLLVFySD8s3LDg-raF0Ur_Zhgv8Tx2QT90874JdftL6rafV-JuRK7Vc4GO_OFTCDTabQBtLS/s1600-h/whole-foods2%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-w3BYuss6cI_BKe1Ru4wKyLgvXl_uSdkmEvfHWhSGThjZuWVV4TrWR1adAHBDLLVFySD8s3LDg-raF0Ur_Zhgv8Tx2QT90874JdftL6rafV-JuRK7Vc4GO_OFTCDTabQBtLS/s200/whole-foods2%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379589347818441762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There have been some good counter proposals. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html">The CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, gave some reasonable suggestions</a>. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/18/the-whole-foods-health-ca_n_262471.html">The Obamacare supporters were not open for dialogue however</a>. Neither is the president. He <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/517/health-care-reform-public-sessions-C-SPAN/">broke his promise on transparency</a> and <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/57859-boehner-gop-leaders-havent-met-obama-for-health-talks-since-april">has not worked with republicans on a bipartisan solution</a>. (Remember when "bipartisan" was the word of the day <u>every day</u>? "The president must be a uniter, not divider.")<br /><br />Where does all of this end? <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/05/13/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5011172.shtml">Obama says sternly health care reform will pass this year</a>. (Or else?) There is a remote possibility the issue is punted to another time. Not next year, of course; there's a mid-term election to think about! The other possibility is Obama scales back his <del>wrecking ball</del> reform plans and what passes is a watered down version of a leftist's dream. Some democrats, especially <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/57899-black-caucus-public-option-or-no-bill">the congressional black caucus</a>, insist on a public "option." In the end, it will be a plan to move to the left. It will not be reform that works with the market to improve it. The government wants to be a competitor. No point in playing fair. (See previous exhibits.)<br /><br />The debate is giving me a headache. Now, where is my government issued aspirin?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-90851357885563365832008-11-18T11:34:00.002-06:002008-11-18T12:12:37.830-06:00Obama Supporters: Issues MattersIn an election season, a sure sign a voter does little to no research or discussion of the issues is when I hear the words "I wish the candidates would discuss the issues." I rarely hear those words in forums where people are sitting around the metaphorical kitchen table and are actually discussing the issues.<br /><br />Of course, this past election was less about issues and more about the desire to <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> like a participant in change. For most Obama supporters, Obama's suave personality was the issue of the campaign. This is purely non-scientific and based on my observation of comments heard and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart%27s_Inner_Child">Brad Goodman</a> like responses. The latest Zogby survey is scientific, and it illustrates Obama supporters are ignorant of issues that matter but know about issues that don't.<br /><br />Here are the results of a <a href="http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1641">Zogby survey of 512 Obama supporters</a> around the nation.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Issues That Matter</span><br /><ul><li>57% failed to know democrats controlled both the house and senate prior to the election.</li><li>83% failed to know Obama won his first election by getting all his opponents removed from the ballot.</li><li>88% failed to associate Obama with his statement that his energy policies would bankrupt the coal industry.</li><li>56% failed to know Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground.</li><li>76% failed to know Biden had to quit a previous campaign because he plagarized a speech.</li><li>47% failed to know Biden said Obama would be tested by an international crisis in his first six months of his presidency.<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Issues That Don't Matter<br /></span><ul><li>94% identified Palin as the candidate with a pregnant teenager.</li><li>86% identitied Palin as the candidate associated with a $150,000 wardrobe purchased by the GOP.</li><li>81% identified McCain as the candidate who was unable to identify the number of houses he owner.</li><li>87% identified Palin as the candidate who said could "see Russia from their house," a quote actually attributed to Tina Fey's portrayal of Palin on SNL.</li></ul>Overall, only 54% of the supporters answered 50% or more of the survey questions correctly. Only 2% score perfect or near-perfect scores.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>There is clearly a divide between the informed and uninformed. The media takes an immense share of the blame, but their neglect of duty is not license for laziness or apathy or feel goodism. Time will tell if this blind vote was good or poisonous for America.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-85941862080795711392008-11-10T23:42:00.002-06:002008-11-17T17:28:48.208-06:00GM, Ford, Chrysler (What to do?) & Blue States[ This was a work in progress. I wrote it about a week or so ago. Rather than go unpublished, I will go ahead and publish as is. ]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/general-motors-death-watch-212-an-open-letter-to-president-elect-barack-obama/">The Truth About Cars has given their opinion</a> about what to do with the ailing American auto makers. My opinion has been to merge the three automakers into one American auto maker. After reading the opinion at TTAC, I am revising my opinion. We should still have a single American auto maker, Ford. GM and Chrysler are gangrene infected body parts. In order to save what body is left, amputate them and save the healthiest car company left in America, Ford. Let Ford make an attempt to thrive by being the only American automaker. If it fails, it is the next <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE2DF163FF93BA25754C0A963958260">Zenith, the last maker of TVs in America</a>.<br /><br />Will this mean people will lose their jobs and suffer? In a town where democrat and union mentality thrive, of course! The American automakers are one of the longest running failures in blue state territory. In fact, all industrial blue regions shows sings of failure. But, it's not only blue collars in blue states who are feeling blue. The latest group of failures are the banks and investment firms of New York City, a democrat holy site. They will get a bailout because they have<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/mems.php?party=D&cycle=2008"> friends in high places</a>. <a href="http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/03/california-bailout/">The state in and of the left is not doing any better</a> and whines for a bailout. (Note the other states mentioned in referenced article: New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Main. All blue.)<br /><br />So how does our government plan to treat our successful industries? ExxonMobile, one of the few major American petroleum companies left, has done tremendously well in its industry against some stiff competition. What the solution to this success? <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWAT00963020080609">An Obama windfall tax</a>. (Well, the candy man does need a way to give away those $1,000 checks to all, non-tax payers included. A much longer economic discussion is required to discuss the complete foolishness of his plan.)<br /><br />The petroleum industry isn't the only southern fried success. Many Asian auto makers have found a home in capitalism friendly southern states, like Kia in Georgia, Hyundai in Mississippi, and Toyota in San Antonio to name a few.<br /><br />It is a fact that a majority of the energy industry exists in red state territory, like Texas and Louisiana. As I see it, the red states are having to pay for solutions, which will turn out to be failures, for problems the liberal blue states have gotten themselves into. The source of many economic problems lay on the west, north, and east blue states, and there is no doubt their bad habits will soon affect, if not already affecting, the red states. Misery loves company.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-47708617570203615182008-03-27T11:01:00.000-05:002008-03-27T11:01:09.140-05:00Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas grows more than any other U.S. cityKrusty the Clown says "Hey hey! Looks like Springfield isn't the only 'city on the grow.'" <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/26/real_estate/Metropolitan_Population/index.htm">Dallas-Fort Worth is on the move!</a><br /><br /><blockquote>NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More people moved to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, than to any other metropolitan area in the United States last year.<br /><br />The population there increased by 162,250 between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report. Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston also saw their ranks swell by more than 100,000 people each.<br /><br />...</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-52029852825418663282008-03-04T10:34:00.000-06:002008-03-04T10:34:49.566-06:00Atari: Still kicking after all these years.Infogrames, the parent of Atari, has a new president and a new CEO. The new CEO talks about Atari's future. <a href="http://ps3.qj.net/Infogrames-CEO-Gardner-Atari-may-have-a-future-in-online-gaming/pg/49/aid/115040">Infogrames CEO Gardner: Atari may have a future in online gaming</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-76856139613140357992008-01-29T11:38:00.000-06:002008-01-29T11:38:11.747-06:00The True Cost of SMS Messages & Format War News<a href="http://gthing.net/the-true-cost-of-sms-messages/">AT&T = The SMS Scam</a> Glad I have the Sprint SERO plan with unlimited texting. :-)<br /><br />In the format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD, things have gotten ugly for HD DVD. <a href="http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/28/woolworths_exclusively_backing_blu_ray/">Woolworths in the UK has dropped all HD DVD support</a>. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326313,00.html">HD DVD player sales have plummeted</a>. Wal-Mart and Circuit City have begun putting HD DVD players on clearance.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/hda3walmart03.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/circuitcityclearance.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/01/hey-hd-dvd-its.html">Wired Magazine has a funny entry on why Toshiba should hang it up</a>. <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6832088-1.html">CNET is advising HD DVD owners to "SELL SELL SELL."</a> <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080127-blu-ray-is-smokin-hot-hd-formats-outpacing-dvd.html">Ars Technica is providing its voice to a growing choir</a>. Hopefully the last two studios, Universal and Paramount, face reality and make the decision to publish in Blu.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-11121743491318324992007-08-22T11:37:00.000-05:002008-12-10T12:33:50.315-06:00Standing By His Religion - Bobby Jindal Under Fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZNrwvWf9J-oiNvqpbc0JdTzGK41gZs4gkRbJ-usr1y12LTGP3K7GjhLEEtU7-k2q_qPScI6h_ekCli3uPfSOePDHxQfcx_0YocXPwYvThfvNGiL63B9kQOnUW9MoBN2pKn2o/s1600-h/knightstemplarcrusadespic.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZNrwvWf9J-oiNvqpbc0JdTzGK41gZs4gkRbJ-usr1y12LTGP3K7GjhLEEtU7-k2q_qPScI6h_ekCli3uPfSOePDHxQfcx_0YocXPwYvThfvNGiL63B9kQOnUW9MoBN2pKn2o/s320/knightstemplarcrusadespic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101567289956535490" /></a><br /><br /><br />The Democratic Party of Louisiana is <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294069,00.html">resorting to smear tactics in an effort to win the prized office of governor in Louisiana</a>. They are broadcasting a TV ad which misrepresents writings by Jindal on religion, especially Catholicism.<br /><br />The ad says Jindal calls Protestants "scandalous, depraved, selfish and heretical." If you define "depraved" as a deviation from what is right or proper, I can't say I disagree with those words. I've often called the "Reformation" the "Deformation" as it deformed Christianity more than any intended reform. Oops. I've just disqualified myself from any future elections for Louisiana governor.<br /><br />It's a risky move for the Democratic party. They risk offending practicing Catholics and hopefully some non-practicing Catholics too. ("Hopefully" in the sense they would be offended by someone attacking something a part of their life even if they fail to currently recognize its importance and value.) As Louisiana allows its vices industry to proliferate for fiscal gain, the ad campaign just might work. Why?<br /><br />Catholicism is sadly perceived by some as the Christian religion tolerant of drinking. This incorrectly translates as a license to drunkenness for too many. Protestant faiths are perceived as the religion you go to to dry out. So as the industry of vices spreads in Louisiana, the Protestant faiths will too. This means more Protestants. More Protestants means more people willing to listen to and agree with the Democratic smear.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-38993168695878665432007-08-22T10:37:00.000-05:002008-12-10T12:33:50.766-06:00Hollywood Environmental Hypocrisy ... Again.Brad Pitt is working with an organization called <a href="http://www.globalgreen.org/">Global Green.</a> It should be obvious from their name what their mission is. Guess who the founder and chairman of this organization is? Hint: Partly reponsible for the Cheronbyl disaster coverup. If you guessed Mikhail Gorbachev, you're right! The man who brought you the Chernobyl disaster is now telling us how to live green. I wonder if he will begin his environmental crusade by cleaning up Pripyat in the Ukraine.<br /><br />But this entry isn't about Mikhail, as amusing as that is. It's about Brad Pitt. He is pushing an effort in cooperation with Global Green to rebuild New Orleans and apparently that includes the really vulnerable areas. What do they intend to build? Environmentally friendly houses like this work of art.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJX2jVA6w5MRBQvzJpxtvBqJCceIRkmxH4M0I_tO17R_J_piaYRO0pcG8fb8p5hFgcYjRzdE5DhgwWjDMJyv6fSCdVy1DYyAi2RZlhoMWO1h4ixBBPCPs2k_6X-I_aBExVc9V/s1600-h/nolahouse_large.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJX2jVA6w5MRBQvzJpxtvBqJCceIRkmxH4M0I_tO17R_J_piaYRO0pcG8fb8p5hFgcYjRzdE5DhgwWjDMJyv6fSCdVy1DYyAi2RZlhoMWO1h4ixBBPCPs2k_6X-I_aBExVc9V/s320/nolahouse_large.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101551789419564210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You will have to take the <a href="http://holycrossproject.globalgreen.org/flash/virtualhouse.html">Yahoo virtual tour</a> to see an artist rendition of the finished product. It looks like two stacked mobiles with a side addition to me. The home also sits too low to the ground. You will have to lift the homes higher given the area is 10ft or so below sea level.<br /><br />Did you know Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie purchased a home in New Orleans in Jan 07? They want to be a part of the rebuilding of New Orleans. Are they going to live in one of these eco-friendly homes? Of course not. They have a lovely <a href="http://celebrityhouses.net/blog/2007/01/17/brad-pitt-angelina-joile-move-to-new-orleans/">$3.5 million 1830s mansion</a>. I'm not sure if this photo is the mansion, but it claims to be one of their houses in New Orleans.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oKv5TneEkEzmaGM6QdSmNm5l5bc0hhvYVsZCdUPvj5Gbrl0q_KVdflJySprZSM1HRitPLMKfkFHOZsE9S_ofCRtJ2aSFfb3ewHTU6zJuCQhchPudVtPf80Trx6tW9QASsQBc/s1600-h/brad_angelina_home02-20-07.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oKv5TneEkEzmaGM6QdSmNm5l5bc0hhvYVsZCdUPvj5Gbrl0q_KVdflJySprZSM1HRitPLMKfkFHOZsE9S_ofCRtJ2aSFfb3ewHTU6zJuCQhchPudVtPf80Trx6tW9QASsQBc/s320/brad_angelina_home02-20-07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101550548174015650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Not bad. I wonder if the walls of their home are made from seaweed.<br /><br />In current times, we have been asked to put a lot of faith in science and accepting all of its offspring as facts. We must engage reason and intellect. Well, ok. Does any of that play a role in determining whether New Orleans should be rebuilt in the first place? An <a href="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0708/feature1/">August 07 article in National Geographic</a> examined this question. (I read the print version and have not verified the online version matches it exactly.) Other than the occasional global warming poppycock, the article is a very good and should be mandatory reading by everyone living in the New Orleans area. History shows the struggle to keep New Orleans afloat has been a long exercise in futility, corruption, and death.<br /><br />The options for New Orleans are these:<br />1) Close down New Orleans. Give the French Quarters to Disney or the LA Department of Tourism. Move the ports up river.<br />2) Re-engineer New Orleans levees and water ways at tremendous cost and still have no level of complete certainty of the safety of New Orleans.<br /><br />It's no surprise advocates for New Orleans choose option 2. New Orleans has a history and knack for mooching federal funds. (Read the National Geographic article for a small sampler.) If it's not the people, it's the government of Louisiana and New Orleans milking the U.S. taxpayers for their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_Pit">Money Pit</a> project, the city of New Orleans.<br /><br /><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f2/Money_pit_movie_poster.jpg/200px-Money_pit_movie_poster.jpg" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-8577130814326314752007-08-13T10:18:00.000-05:002007-08-13T10:30:44.835-05:00Godspeed Karl Rove<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px;" src="http://www.nndb.com/people/353/000022287/karl-rove-sm.jpg" border="0" alt="Karl Rove" /><br /><br />You're looking at the man most hated by the left. I know it's hard to imagine anyone being the "most hated" given they hate so many, but Karl Rove has often been the "hate du jour."<br /><br />This is why it seems strange I post an excerpt of a very good satirical article on Rove. Why strange? Its source, the far left leaning Huffington Post. Maybe the left is trying to get a sense of humor.<br /><blockquote><br />KARL ROVE'S WEB OF EVIL<br /><br />Right from day one, Karl Rove cemented his link with the religious right, by being born on Dec 25, 1950, a day many on the right refer to as “Christmas," a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ (an influential leader worshiped by the religious right.) It was no surprise that Dec 25, 1950 was ALSO the same EXACT day Communist forces recrossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. Clearly, Rove was already making an impact.<br /><br />"This is what he does," says one observer.</blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-gutfeld/karl-roves-web-of-evil_b_3731.html">Read the whole thing.</a> My favorite line: "Yet, the coincidences were piling up the way coincidences do: in neatly stacked piles outside Rove's house of lies. A house bought and paid for by coincidences. And lies."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-59141818142816861222007-07-26T11:21:00.000-05:002007-07-26T11:46:24.745-05:00Random Findings - 07/26/07In the continuing slow shrinking significance of standard media delivery forms, i.e. cable and satellite, <a href="http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9749953-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave">ABC is now offering some of their shows in HD quality online for free</a>. Lost is one of the best OTA HDTV shows I've seen. Too bad the online version is not full 1080 HD video, but it is good nonetheless.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/wave/&cl=us,en?view=wave_home">Logitech has introduced a new ergonomic keyboard</a>. It seems to break from the notion you need to split the keyboard or implement other designs that require re-learning the keyboard. I would be interested in giving the keyboard a test. Ride the wave!<br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070726/tc_nm/microsoft_xbox_dc_1">Microsoft has lowered the price of the XBOX 360 HD-DVD player by a lousy $20</a>. Given Sony's $100 PS3 drop and Toshiba's HD-DVD player drops, the Microsoft price cut seems pale. Microsoft's move solidifies what I think Microsoft's position is with HD-DVD. They don't care if it fails. The price drop should have been down to $125 at least.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_fe_st/death_cat">Apparently, Oscar the cat can predict patients death</a>. Not sure yet if using the cat is considered assisted suicide or simply the luck of the draw. In any case, stay away from me!<br /><br /><a href="http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9750064-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave">Sony</a> and <a href="http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9749863-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave">Denon</a> have announced some nice new receivers. These things just keep more and more high tech with features like ethernet and WiFi connectivity, remote configuration, GUI screens, and more.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/26/breaking-chrysler-announces-lifetime-powertrain-warranty/">Chrysler makes an impressive move, lifetime powertrain warranty</a>! Hey Ford, now THAT is a "Bold Move." Congrats on your <a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070726/earns_ford.html?.v=10">profit</a> anyway.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-85167257236862244172007-07-13T16:12:00.000-05:002007-07-13T16:12:43.588-05:00No, no. Movies imitate real life.We've been told time and time again how people don't imitate the movies. The movies are a reflection of real life. Here is a proof positive Hollywood is disconnected from the real world.<br /><br />Drudge ran a story about a young child on video seemingly high on ecstasy. The older kids in the video were egging the young child on. Drudge has posted an update to the story which you can <a href="http://www.breitbart.tv/html/2983.html">watch here.</a> The mother says the girl was imitating a scene from "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433386/">The Grudge 2</a>." But that is impossible. Hollywood media companies have been claiming there is no connection between art and imitation (Afraid of legal culpability?).<br /><br />The only ground I see Hollywood able to stand on is the fact the movie was rated PG-13. What was the mother thinking letting someone so young see such a movie? <rolling eyes>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-22850024981090258542007-05-19T15:26:00.000-05:002007-05-19T15:26:42.746-05:00Good E-Mail Advice<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/463915942_a71963f70c.jpg?v=0"><br /><br />I came across a couple of interesting e-mail related links.<br /><br />Here is a list of 10 "must have" extensions for Thunderbird. Not a bad list. I picked up 5 out of the 10.<br /><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-must-have-thunderbird-addons-25-more/">10 must-have Thunderbird Addons (+ 25 more)</a><br /><br />I have multiple e-mail accounts. The Inbox in all of them seems to grow and grow. Stuff I am not interested in, but may one day, simply float to the top (E-mail is sorted ascending.). <a href="http://www.lifehacker.com/software/top/geek-to-live--empty-your-inbox-with-the-trusted-trio-182318.php">This article</a> has some useful information on how to manage your Inbox and keep it clean.<br /><br />I've gone ahead and created ~Archive, ~Action, and ~Hold folders. We'll see how well they keep my Inbox clean. Now if only they had advice on how I can quickly keep my Quicken register in order. :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-60902115995330427102007-05-09T22:46:00.000-05:002007-05-09T22:46:36.221-05:00Microsoft's joke, the oPhoneI guess Microsoft can be funny as they bring us the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/09/microsoft-pranks-with-ofone-apple-rolls-eyes/">oPhone</a>. The video of the fake product is creative and funny.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-1171524843374817842007-02-15T01:34:00.000-06:002007-02-15T01:34:03.453-06:00Fantastic Display<img src="http://static.flickr.com/53/207672463_dac6849385_o.jpg" /><br /><br />It looks like Minority Report is becoming reality. <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2007/02/12/more-multitouch-from-jeff-han/">Here is a demonstration of an outstanding computer display.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-1170466548736361012007-02-02T19:35:00.000-06:002007-02-02T19:35:48.933-06:00Yahoo! Messenger for Windows VistaYahoo has a <a href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/windowsvista.php">site to preview their upcoming Messenger for Windows Vista.</a> It's a new version, built from the ground up for Vista. It has some very impressive new features. One of my pet peeves have been addressed, window management! Get into a conversation with 2 or more people, and the chat windows begin pile up. With the Vista version, you can dock chat windows into a tabbed interface.<br /><br />There is a video available at the site which demonstrates many new features. A lot of these have been enabled by Windows Vista UI technology. This is the first application I've seen that I want to use because of Vista specific features.<br /><br />The beta is not due for probably a couple of more months. You can subscribe to a notification list at the preview site.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10234733.post-1170446435958070092007-02-02T14:00:00.000-06:002007-02-02T14:00:36.076-06:00Just Reading the News - 02-02-06<span style="font-weight: bold;">Religious Diversity</span><br />Liberals are ecstatic about the news of China making a rare criticism of the U.S., especially George Bush. What's China's beef? According to the atheistic government, <a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2007-02-01T050214Z_01_PEK227961_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-USA-BUSH.xml&src=rss&rpc=22">Bush and America should respect religious diversity.</a> In other news, <a href="http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=7718">Tibetan Buddhists were tortured by Chinese security</a>. And in a display of respect for religious diversity, China continues thumb its nose at the Vatican and run its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Catholic_Patriotic_Association">own version of the Catholic Church</a>. Catholics obedient to the chair of St. Peter continue services underground in fear of losing their lives. Thanks for the lesson China!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bill Gates</span><br />This is an <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16934083/site/newsweek/">interesting interview with Bill Gates</a>. His responses are not over the top or in your face. He does address the silly Apple commercials where a PC is presented by an overweight lame-o. I guess <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070201/ap_on_hi_te/mac_vs__vista">Apple's advertising is some what paying off</a>. Last year, Apple's user base went to a whopping 4.7%! Steve Jobs said if Apple reaches 5%, he will officially crap his pants and auction it on eBay. It'll be <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KkENSYkMgs">INSANELY GREAT</a>! Mainstream price point my ...!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">YouTube</span><br />Hey! Before you watch that YouTube video, get my <a href="http://greasemonkey.mozdev.org/">GreaseMonkey</a> <a href="http://userscripts.org/scripts/source/7356.user.js">script</a>. It removes the comments section from the YouTube page. Why did I make the script? It is in my opinion that YouTube comments contain the most intellectually vapid material of probably any web site. More video, less noise.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">H.O.T. Wheels</span><br />In the HOT WHEELS category, we have the following...<br /><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/01/jameslebron11_450.jpg" /><br />Pitbulls and bling are an optional accessories. Read more <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/31/lebrons-infamous-hummer-gets-makeover-on-speed/">here</a> if you must.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Al Gore / Global Warming</span><br />Another comedic moment in Nobel history, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/01/D8N0SUK80.html">Al Gore is being nominated for a peace prize</a>. The Nobel peace prize is turning into a joke. I am surprised Pac Man wasn't nominated for a peace prize in addition to Time Magazine man of the year (when it was called that). For the real facts on global warming, here are a couple of interesting links: <a href="http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/environment/index.html">Link 1</a>. <a href="http://www.clearlight.com/%7Emhieb/WVFossils/ice_ages.html">Link 2</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0