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March 31, 2007
A Formal Response on Immigration Concerns
by Tina Grazier
I recently responded to “Angry Reader Says, ‘don’t blame illegals'” in the comments section of that post, but I felt the questions that Johanan Juarez asked were worthy of a more in depth treatment. Once again, I am not claiming ownership of the following words that started this conversation:
.
“"They are creating a big problem, because they sneak into America and that means they are making a mockery of orderly, controlled, immigration that has served us well for 200 hundred years."
I'm not an expert and so I'd like to take this opportunity to direct you to "USillegalaliens.com". It's filled with statistical information, news reports, and studies, complete with references to well known publications and educational and governmental sites. The information I reference below was taken from that website and will act as a formal response to Johanan’s excellent queries (noted in red):
…controlled and orderly? maybe in the past 100 years. but before that it was wide open to ANYONE, and things turned out ok. you really think all europeans came here legally? if you do, you're in denial.-Johanan Juarez
The basic problem with immigration of today is that it is not your grandparents' immigration. The situation is different, society is different, the country is not under-populated, and the illegal immigrants have different skills and motivations. And your grandparents didn't receive welfare payments.
As noted by Steven Malanga in How Unskilled Workers Hurt Our Economy:
"... Since the mid-1960s, America has welcomed nearly 30 million legal immigrants and received perhaps another 15 million illegals, numbers unprecedented in our history…. Increasing numbers of them arrive with little education and none of the skills necessary to succeed in a modern economy. Many may wind up stuck on our lowest economic rungs, where they will rely on something that immigrants of other generations didn't have: a vast U.S. welfare and social-services apparatus that has enormously amplified the cost of immigration. Just as welfare reform and other policies are helping to shrink America's underclass by weaning people off such social programs, we are importing a new, foreign-born underclass.
...all immigrants, legal and illegal, use welfare more than natives, uneducated immigrants use welfare even more, and if illegal immigrants are legalized through amnesty they will use twice as much welfare as they are currently using.
A Rice University study recently calculated that in 2006 the net annual cost of legal and illegal immigration will add up to $108 billion.
"Consider a new study of Mexican immigrants by Harvard economists George Borjas and Lawrence Katz. Mexicans are now the single largest group of U.S. immigrants, 30 percent of the total in 2000. Indeed, the present Mexican immigration "is historically unprecedented, being both numerically and proportionately larger than any other immigrant influx in the past century," note Borjas and Katz. In 1920, for example, the two largest immigrant groups - Germans and Italians - totaled only 24 percent of the immigrant population.
…you also insist that illegal immigrants in particular are to blame for closed hospitals across the coutnry. how does anyone know this…Johanan Juarez
As detailed in ”Illegal aliens threaten U.S. medical system” between 1993 and 2003, 60 California hospitals closed because half their services were unpaid. Another 24 California hospitals are on the verge of closure. Both PA and NJ hospitals recently reported that they provided almost $2 billion in free emergency and short term care services, in large part to illegal aliens. Minnesota county commissioners say that the cost of medical care for uninsured immigrants is too high for local governments to bear and they expect a $4.2 billion budget shortfall over the next two years. NC has about $1.4 billion in un-reimbursed hospital expenses annually. The Texas Hospital Association directly spent $393 million treating illegal aliens in 2002. One third of the patients treated by the LA County Health System are illegal aliens and the system is facing a $300 million deficient. In AZ, the Southeast Arizona Medical Center had a $1 billion shortfall and recently filled for bankruptcy.
As noted in a March 2005 article by William LaJeunese, L.A. Emergency Rooms Full of Illegal Immigrants, on Fox News:
"Sixty percent of the county's uninsured patients are not U.S. citizens. More than half are here illegally. About 2 million undocumented aliens in Los Angeles County alone are crowding emergency rooms because they can't afford to see a doctor.
THIS INFORMATION MIGHT ALSO BE OF INTEREST:
Issues pertaining to the law:
As noted in “Arizona has tough fight ahead against illegal immigration:”
“Prosecutors are overwhelmed by immigration court cases. There were nearly 580,000 arrests of illegal immigrants in Arizona last year, and less than 170,000 spaces available to hold detainees at any given time. Even officials charged with reducing illegal immigration and border crimes have increasingly turned against efforts to secure the border, according to speakers at the Border Management Summit, organized by the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement.”
"Many police officials in states along the U.S.-Mexican border say they are fed up with the number of illegal aliens populating American prisons, many of them incarcerated for violent crimes such as murder, rape and robbery….Almost one in six inmates in Arizona, for example, is a Mexican citizen.”
Issues pertaining to education:
A study by the California Dept. of Education of the state's public schools revealed that one student in four could not speak English well enough to understand what was going on in the classroom. The school districts of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville and North Carolina have student bodies in which 80, 85 and 150 languages are spoken respectively.
FAIR's report, Breaking the Piggy Bank: How Illegal Immigration is Sending Schools Into the Red”,estimates that educating the children of illegal aliens currently costs $28.6 billion per year, excluding the cost of the supplemental feeding programs. As noted in the EDUCATION section, the actual costs may be closer to $34.5 billion. If so, then just the education costs for the children of illegal aliens costs almost $121 for each and every citizen of the United States. Deduct the bottom 40% who pay no taxes and the per person amount doubles for the taxpaying Americans.
Issues of environment and utility
…all these additional people will require more water. In the arid and semi-arid states of New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, where much of the high growth is taking place, water supplies are already at the critical stage. Aquifers are rapidly falling and there is only so much water in the meager rivers.
For interesting take on the impact of immigration, both legal and illegal, that ties a lot of these issues together, see the 1995 Testimony to House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration by Dr. Norman Matloff, The Adverse Impacts of Immigration on Minorities.
Posted by Post Scripts at 12:49 AM | Comments (1)
March 30, 2007
Best Selling Book Hits Home
by Jack Lee
Suggested reading, "America Alone" by Mark Steyn. Latest review...America is facing this life-and-death challenge, says Steyn, because of the Western world's demographic
decline; the unsustainability of the welfare state in Europe (as well as in the United States, Canada, and Australia); and the apparent exhaustion of Western civilization. Suffused with. . .
Note from Jack: No matter what your opinion is about Islam, you need to read this book because it offers so much thoughtful commentary. It's fast paced, clever and sometimes funny, although the subject matter is deadly serious.
Steyn's trademark wit and piercing insights, this book calls on us to summon the will to fight this great struggle for Western civilization. In America Alone, Mark Steyn provides an enlightening primer to just how bad things are likely to get, and what we must do now to ensure that our children and grandchildren live in the bright light of freedom.
The hidden reason that the problem of Islamic jihad has exploded across the world since 1970
Why the threats that the world faces today should be taken much more seriously than the environmental scare-mongering that has been going on since the 60s (and, thanks to Al Gore, continues)
The likely outcome of today's global situation, in which Islam is militarily weak but ideologically confident -- while the West is militarily strong but ideologically insecure
Disquieting implications of the fact Islam is a religion, not a race or nationality (as it is commonly portrayed in the West) -- and an explicitly political religion at that
Why the liberal talk of finding the "root causes" of terrorism in the errors and excesses of Western foreign policy is so wrongheaded
The correlation between the structural weaknesses of the social-democratic state and the rise of a globalized Islam
Why we are witnessing the end of the late twentieth-century progressive welfare democracy
What is revealed about our civilization by both the non-problems that terrify us and the real problems we pay no heed to
Why Libya's Colonel Qaddafi is probably correct when he says that "there are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe - without swords, without guns, without conquests"
How the environmentalist fantasy about the grave ecological threat America poses to the globe actually reveals how unthreatening America really is
Why the problem Europe faces today is not one of race, but of culture
How the willingness to subordinate individual liberty to the primacy of society - as expressed by Nazism, Communism, and more - has blighted Europe for over a century
The dangerous consequences that are likely to come from manifestations of "cultural sensitivity" -- such as the fact that U.S. guards at Gitmo must handle copies of the Koran only when wearing gloves because the detainees regard infidels as "unclean"
Universally ignored: the single most important fact about the early twenty-first century in Western countries
How the terrorist attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005 - along with other events such as the murder of Theo van Gogh - were the opening shots of a European civil war
The little-noticed reason why America's European "allies" failed to grasp the significance of September 11
Why the progressive Left can be in favor of Big Government or population control but not both - and how that mutual incompatibility is about to plunge Europe into societal collapse
Sobering facts about how advanced civilizational suicide already is in Japan and Russia
How mosques in the West serve as recruiters for the jihad and play an important role in ideological subordination and cell discipline
Why the Spanish government was so eager to appease the jihad terrorists after the Madrid bombings of March 2004
How oil isn't the principal Saudi export, Islamic jihad ideology is - and our oil money bankrolls its spread
Why the war against global Islamic jihad will be harder to win the longer it goes on
How Western analysts continue to fall into the error of thinking that if a violent Muslim has no ties to Al-Qaeda, he cannot be a terrorist and poses no threat
Europe's suicidal multicultural malaise -- and why jihadists understand that the Continent is ripe for the taking in a way that America isn't
Why it is so important for Americans and others who want their families to enjoy the blessings of life in a free society to understand that the life we've led since 1945 in the Western world is very rare in human history
How the ultimate victory of Islam in America can be avoided not by more government but by less: by government returning to the citizenry the primal responsibilities it has taken from them in the modern era
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:32 AM | Comments (1)
Angry Reader Says, "don't blame illegals!"
Johanan Juarez responds to Tina...
"They are creating a big problem, because they sneak into America and that means they
are making a mockery of orderly, controlled, immigration that has served us well for 200 hundred years." whoa! are you still talking about the u.s.? controlled and orderly? maybe in the past 100 years. but before that it was wide open to ANYONE, and things turned out ok. you really think all europeans came here legally? if you do, you're in denial.
the u.s. has prospered precisely because it has accepted immigrants from ALL OVER THE WORLD. immigrants start from scratch and that is why they have always worked harder than native born americans. so why do you suggest that illegal immigrants from mexico are the exception?
you also insist that illegal immigrants in particular are to blame for closed hospitals across the coutnry. how does anyone know this, if it is expressly forbiden for hospital staff to ask any questions about a person's immigrant status? it is well known that UNINSURED patients are to blame for the financial situation of our hospitals. but how that blame gets shifted to illegals is beyond me and, i suspect, beyond you, too. so why propagate an idea as fact when its origin is unknown and, more importantly, unproven?
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:10 AM | Comments (1)
TAX HIKES-YIKES!!!
by Tina Grazier
Once again I must point out the folly of voting to “show them a lesson”. As reported by Robert Novak in the Washington Post today the new house democrat budget resolution will “increase non-defense, non-emergency spending by $22.5 billion for next fiscal year, with such spending to rise 2.4 percent in each of the next three years. To pay for these increases, the
resolution would raise taxes by close to $400 billion over five years -- about $100 billion more than what was passed in the Senate.”
The bill set to reach the House floor today (resembling the Senate version) would raise taxes an average of $1,795 on 115 million taxpayers in 2011. Some 26 million small-business owners would pay an average of $3,960 more. The decreased number of Americans subject to income taxes would all pay higher taxes, and 5 million low-income Americans would be returned to the rolls.
SO MUCH FOR “CARING ABOUT THE HAVE NOTS!
Reporting on this issue Captains Quarters had this to offer on the REPUBLICAN RECORD:
Discretionary spending rose by over 30% during the six years that the Republicans controlled both elective branches of government. They reduced taxes and grew the economy, but the GOP never delivered on their initial promise to reduce government an rein in spending.
Based on those failures, the nation gave the Democrats the majority in both chambers of Congress. What did we get? No decrease in federal spending; the Democrats want to grow the government by 2.4% each year, which would mean adding close to $100 billion in spending each year. In order to do that, they want to increase taxes across the board, choking off economic growth and making people even more dependent on the government.
Posted by Post Scripts at 12:09 AM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2007
PAT DOLLARD-ONE MAN’S JOURNEY
by Tina Gazier
One of Hollywood’s best has come over to the conservative side. His journey couldn’t have been more timely or more incredibly “American”…John Wayne would be proud. He has made a film called “Young American’s” about the troops fighting in Iraq. Visit
interview/”>his webpage
(website contains some adult language)
I thought I was going to the place I knew from the news, a place where combat meant an occasional “roadside bomb” (a.k.a. an IED) exploding. The notion of a 24/7 engagement never entered my mind. That misconception ended the first night I arrived in Camp Kalsu, 25 miles south of Baghdad, outside Iskandariyah, in an area commonly referred to as the Triangle of Death—and my new home for the next three months.
The average marine was proud to be there doing his job…. They knew what they were doing there, that they were keeping Iraq from turning into a terrorist state that would have made Afghanistan under the Taliban look like Disneyland.
Making this movie cost me everything. I am a virtual outcast in Hollywood. After photos from a haircut party at Camp Iskandariyah made it back to the States, there were pictures of me with a new Mohawk and die shaved in my chest, and rumors swelled that I had finally snapped and turned into Travis Bickle, De Niro’s character in Taxi Driver. No one in L.A. understood what men in a combat zone would do to break the monotony, to create a chance to laugh…I’m going back to Ramadi as soon as possible.
If anyone has wondered about Americans making a sacrifice in this war they should talk to Pat Dollard. He has sacrificed everything to witness for himself the everyday reality of our military and the truth about their mission. Because of his sacrifice you and I will soon have an opportunity to share in his experience.
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:47 PM | Comments (0)
Home Sweet Home
A timely comparison.
House 1:
The four-bedroom home was planned so that "every room has a relationship with something in the landscape that's different from the room next door. Each of the rooms feels like a slightly different place. The resulting single-story house is a paragon of environmental planning.
The passive-solar house is built of honey-colored native limestone and positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls of the 4,000-square-foot residence. Geothermal heat pumps circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground. These waters pass through a heat exchange system that keeps the home warm in winter and cool in summer.
A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof urns; Wastewater from sinks, toilets, and showers cascades into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the four-bedroom home, (which) uses indigenous grasses, shrubs, and flowers to complete the exterior treatment of the home. In addition to its minimal environmental impact, the look and layout of the house reflects one of the paramount priorities: relaxation.
A spacious 10-foot porch wraps completely around the residence and beckons the family outdoors. With few hallways to speak of, family and guests make their way from room to room either directly or by way of the porch. "The house doesn't hold you in. Where the porch ends there is grass. There is no step-up at all." This house consumes 25% of the energy of an average American home. (Source: Cowboys and Indians Magazine, Oct. 2002 and Chicago Tribune April 2001.)
House 2:
This 20-room, 8-bathroom house consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year. The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, this house devoured nearly 221,000 kWh, more than 20 times the national average. Last August alone, the house burned through 22,619 kWh, guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of this energy consumption, the average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.
Also, natural gas bills for this house and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year. In total, this house had nearly $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills for 2006. (Source: just about anywhere in the news last month online and on talk radio, but barely on TV.)
House 1 belongs to George and Laura Bush, and is in Crawford , Texas .
House 2 belongs to Al and Tipper Gore, and is in Nashville , Tennessee .
Posted by Post Scripts at 08:12 PM | Comments (3)
Iran's Aggression and Pelosi
Post from John...
It's hard to believe, but that's what we're hearing from Capitol Hill. A resolution has been proposed in the House of Representatives that condemns Iran for the seizure of British sailors and marines, expresses support for our
British allies. It's hard to see anything controversial in that. But apparently, the resolution has languished all week while Pelosi refuses to allow it to come to the floor.
Earlier today, Congressman Eric Cantor wrote the following letter to Pelosi:
Dear Madam Speaker:
Fifteen kidnapped British marines and sailors recently became the latest victims of a systematic Iranian campaign of terror and international defiance. The illegal seizure of the British forces is a signal that Iran views us as powerless to prevent it from realizing its aggressive ambitions.
For the sake of our standing in the world, our allies and most importantly the 15 British personnel and their families, I urge you to bring H. Res. 267 to the floor today before we adjourn. The resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the British marines and sailors. It would also call on the U.N. Security Council to not only condemn the seizure, but to explore harsher sanctions to counter the growing Iranian threat.
A Republican Congressional staffer writes:
It is simply staggering to me that Pelosi refuses to stand beside America's closest ally. I literally would not have thought this possible, until I saw it this week.
Staggering, indeed. We'll see what happens this afternoon.
Posted by Post Scripts at 05:56 PM | Comments (1)
Update - Iran's Aggression
by Jack Lee
Shown on left is Iran's President being grilled by reporters.
(Iranian agents capture UK soldiers in the Shatt Al-Arab canal. ) It looks like this is a power play to test the resolve of the UK and USA. It's now been made public that the Iranians were aware that the UK had issued orders over a month ago, if challenged by Iranian forces do not resist. A UK gun ship was standing by and so were US forces, but when orders were requested to fire on the Iranian patrol craft, they were denied.
Now Iran is demanding that the UK admit they were trespassing. Blair says evidence clearly proves they were not trespassing, they were being tracked by a ships GPS system and the rubber boarding boat had it's own GPS system. Iran on the other hand used non-conventional forces assigned to Iran's Mullah's to kidnap the Royal Marines, suggesting this was a plan hatched by Iran's religious faction and not usual government leaders. However, now that the marines are in custody the it's obvious that the Iranian government is determined to make the most of it as part of their ongoing propaganda war with the west.
Given the UK's reluctance to defend their marines, it's likely they will soon be issuing a false admission of trespass and an apology to Iran.
In the latest development, Iran has backed away from the stated release of the lone female soldier today.
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:59 AM | Comments (1)
Earning's Gap
by Jack Lee
In 1980, CEOs made 42 times the pay of average factory workers. In 1990, they made 85 times as much. By 1999, CEOs made 475 times as much as workers. It's over 500 times today. The notion that America is a special place where any child can grow up to be president or earn riches is as old as our democracy. We like to think climbing the economic ladder is just a matter of brainpower, education and ambition than birthright or class, however this idealism may be changing as the earnings gap widens, making the transition from poor to rich increasingly more difficult.
According to a Washington Post story..."The net worth of most families -- the value of their assets minus their debts -- also rose strongly, with the median climbing 10.4 percent, to $86,100, over the three-year survey period. Among blacks it rose 13.1 percent, to $19,000 from $16,800.
But the net worth of the wealthiest families climbed even more. The median among those in the top 10 percent leapt to $833,600 from $492,400, while the mean soared to $2.26 million, from $1.68 million three years before. These families' median income leapt 19.3 percent, to $169,600, during the same period. The median is the midpoint for a group; the mean is the arithmetical average."
One inescapable fact remains true and that's America's poor are still the richest in the world.
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:33 AM | Comments (8)
In the News Today - Iraq Retreat Bill
As debate rages among Democrats and Republicans over whether to impose a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq, a poll conducted earlier this week by CBS News found that 59 percent of Americans agree with the House bill for a withdrawal date of September 2008.
Far more Democrats (77 percent) than Republicans (33 percent) — with independents at 59 percent — believe most of the United States troops should be out of Iraq by that time.
The Senate may vote tomorrow on the overall bill. Link to story.
UPDATE: Senate voted today and the bill has passed.
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2007
San Francisco Values
In case you missed the photos like this and worse, linked in comments... you can click here to see what a Peace Rally looks like in San Fran-freako. Although I strongly believe in free speech, this is crossing a big, bright line that should never be crossed BY ANYONE IN THIS COUNTRY...NOT EVER!
Posted by Post Scripts at 03:56 PM | Comments (1)
While Democrats Run Scared
by Jack Lee
Pentagon public information revealed the U.S. military numbers about 1.2 million with less than 12% deployed to Iraq. The best military analysts says this leaves ample numbers free to handle regional global conflicts without overtaxing our soldiers. Although this number is deemed completely adequate by the military it is about 32% less than the total number of forces we had at the begining of the first Gulf war in 1991. This reflects the new military model of fewer, but better trained forces. And those forces use the world'a best high-tech weaponry that is specifically designed to limit our combat losses while inflicting maximum casualties on the enemy.
Today's combat is ideally suited to special operations that are composed of relatively small numbers of highly trained soldiers specifically tasked to recruit and use indiginus personnel. A prime example of this was in the easy defeat of the Taliban. A few hundred special forces soldiers directed the Northern Alliance Army and routed the Taliban long before traditional forces arrived on the scene. The combination of these highly skilled forces on the ground and massive, but focused air strikes overwhelmed the formidable resistance and had tens of thousands fleeing in all directions in a chaotic, if not hysterical rush to escape a few hundred advancing U.S. Special Forces.
As the defeated Taliban struggle to re-enter the country over the Tora Bora mountains for hit and run terrorists attacks on isolated villages, the Army's Special Forces has once again been called in and inflicted extremely heavy losses on the enemy. By anyone's measure this has been nothing short of one staggering victory after another, from fire fight to fire fight the Taliban has lost every single encounter with US Army Special Forces. And this is given the numerical supperiorty and the familar terrain that should favor the Taliban in direct small arms contests.
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:56 AM | Comments (1)
Is Col. Gen. Leonid Ivashov On To Something?
by Tina Grazier
MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.
"The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran," the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.
Hang in there Tasker…you might yet discover the strength of the US military.
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:41 AM | Comments (4)
E-R's David Little Speaks at Durham Rotary
by Jack Lee
EXCLUSIVE Mar 28 Enterprise-Record editor David Little was the guest speaker at last night's Rotary meeting held at the Butte Creek Country Club on Estates Drive. He enlightened the audience with a look at the direction of the printed media. Mr. Little explained that all newspapers are coming under increasing pressure from alternative advertising sources, not the least of which is internet.
Of particular concern was the subscription rate for the last ten years that has remained about 33,000 in the Chico area. As the newspapers redefine themselves to meet this new financial challenge they are struggling with how to make the internet version (ER-Online) an economically viable endeavor. Revenues for advertising on-line are substantially lower than in the printed version, he noted. On the plus side, some of the attraction for more internet participation has been video and interactive media,such this blog site. He noted that the ER has recetnly presented exclusive video on regional candidate forums and he can invision a day when it may also include local sports events, the possibilities of what might be broadcast are virtually limitless.
The readership for the free on-line version is growing quickly and there may soon come a time when the number of readers for the on-line version esclipses the printed version. Mr. Little noted the on-line edition can be as close to real time reporting as any other media source such a radio or TV, thus making newspaper reporters more appealing to people who want their news as it happens. HOWEVER, one of the problems with on-line stories is "the copyright protection just isn't there yet." A lot of piracy occurs from blogs sites and even among competing media, Mr. Little then noted that some of the ER's stories have appeared verbatim as news copy for TV and radio news locally.
So, there is a lot to be ironed out as ER evolves and reinvents itself to stay competitive with other media, however Mr. Little was confident that newspapers, our traditional source of news and information, are here to stay.
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:11 AM | Comments (0)
Startling New Evidence on Global Warming
by Jack Lee
Taken from the 'The Great Global Warming Swindle' - backed by eminent scientists - is set to rock the accepted consensus that climate change is being driven by humans. The video is free on the net and runs about 50 minutes. It uses hard data, the worlds best science and scientists that conclude the world is at the end of a 2000 year warming cycle.
"They examined the trunks of ancient trees from different regions to compile a record of local conditions - the thickness of the trees' annual growth rings is determined by the climate.
More grapes growing in UK, thanks to warming cycle
They also studied cores drilled from the icecaps of Greenland and Antarctica, examining the trapped air bubbles for information about the climate prevailing at the time the ice formed.
A third source of information was historical records, especially from the Netherlands, Switzerland and China.
The authors were unable to find enough information to work out what the southern hemisphere's climate had been, but are satisfied their conclusion that the northern half of the planet is in the warmest period of the last 2,000 years is robust."
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2007
THE US MILITARY SILLY!
“Which military is that? We don't have enough for Iraq and from what I've heard, Iran will be an even tougher nut than Iraq was." Tasker, from a recent Post Scripts comment.
by Tina Grazier
I have no idea what exactly our friend Tasker was talking about, but I felt compelled to answer his question anyway.
I guess the fact that the President of the United States has exercized incredible restraint in his war plans escapes our furry friend to such a great degree that he has no feel for the HUGE POWER & FORCE we could exert with our entire military.. A wee story from the Debkafile today might illustrate a tiny portion of the strength of our military:
DEBKAfile reports: More than 10,000 US personnel, two aircraft carriers and 100 warplanes begin biggest simulated demonstration of force in Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq
...sources say the US operation, code-named “Bite,” will last no more than 12 hours and consist of missile and aerial strikes devastating enough to set Tehran’s nuclear program several years back.
...warplanes are flying simulated attack maneuvers on enemy shipping with aircraft and ships, hunting enemy submarines and seeking mines, off the coast of Iran.
...military sources explain the presence of the French naval strike group led by the nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle which joined the two US carriers last Friday: The group will carry out security missions in the Arabian Sea and its warplanes fly in support of NATO in Afghanistan.
Ignorance may be bliss but.....
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:07 PM | Comments (2)
ALL WE ARE SAYING
by Tina Grazier
Let me be the first to say it...the Age of Aquarius is here! Sean Penn, the dippiest of hippy dreamers, and all of his hippy dippy friends have shown us a better way. Inspired by John Lennon’s Imagine-ary words, they are a strong force for group hugs and warm fuzzies, having carefully knitted a garment of cooperation, true compassion, and joy. One size fits all. Their softer, gentler, and dare we say it?...shucks, why not..."sweeter" approach absolutely guarantees a tranquil world; a world where no one ever again needs to suffer or feel the sting of rejection, oppression, hostility or rage. This noble and gallant troop has answered the call, given peace a chance, and freed the people from the evils of scrapping and fighting, kicking and biting...and war. We owe them so much for the bold and innovative tools they have created; tools that will forever stop those who would shatter the bliss. Yes, fellow Americans and citizens of the world the miracle of “Anger Management” and “Time Out” will save us all...This is a TEST:
Violence between local and foreign workers at a gas plant in southern Yemen has left at least four Yemenis and a French employee of an energy company injured. Early reports said fighting began after a French employee at the natural gas liquefaction plant threw a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book, onto the ground during an argument on Sunday. Yemeni employees then reacted by attacking the French employee and setting fire to a helicopter and a large number of vehicles inside the plant site, an officials said.
Note to “SEAN & THE PEACENIKS”…the bus is leaving NOW!! Please remember to bring your "Time Out Timers"...and may I be the first to say, "Happy deployment!"
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)
Crocodile Tears
by Jack Lee
Have you watched the news showing people wailing and carrying on in a display of public misery at the funerals/demonstrations for Islamic terrorists? It makes for great media coverage... you know the drill, "If it bleeds - it leads". However, there is a better observation to be noted here, it's that the people crying at funerals are also the people sending their kids on suicide missions. For me, this is a glaring contradiction. Talk about family values and it's reason #6134 in my long list of reasons why I like living here as opposed to the Middle East.
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:32 AM | Comments (2)
March 26, 2007
Sean Slams Bush
by Jack Lee
About 800 people crammed the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, Calif., to hear the one-time Hollywood bad boy and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., discuss the Iraq war, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
"You and your smarmy pundits — and the smarmy pundits you have in your pocket — can take your war and shove it," Penn said, according to the paper. "Let's unite not only in stopping this war, but in holding this administration accountable."
Peace lover Penn never mentions Islamic attrocities, Iran's threats nor even North Korean nukes...it was all about attacking Bush"
Absent from Penn's call for a kinder and gentler world while condemning the USA and Bush was any whisper of criticism about Iran's nuclear weapons program. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denial of the holocaust and his often repeated threats to wipe Israel off the map escaped went without comment by peace loving Penn. So did the Muslim radical suicide bombings, beheadings, North Korean nukes. Not a critical word was heard about the Bathists or Taliban human rights oppression.
Muslim radical genocide teams in Darfur were also overlooked as were Muslim attacks on Hindi targets. Osama bin Laden's name never came up once for criticism. The Muslim terrorists attacks against civilians in Spain, England and the Philippeans were not even mentioned. In fact there must have been a 1000 other barbaric, ruthless acts aimed at civilians that have been in headlines recently that were not condemned by the all caring Mr. Penn and his rabid politico co-host. These two twits only focused on blaming Bush for taking out mass murderer Saddam Hussein, whose presence is hardly missed. Odd that they missed all those other terrible things, don't you think?
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:44 AM | Comments (2)
Iran's Growing Aggression
by Jack Lee
How long does the stand-off between Iran and Britain last before somebody launches a few missiles into Tehran? The British were well aware of Iran's increasing saber rattling and they knew that several U.S. Seal team members were captured by Iran in the Shatt El Arab canal during the invasion of Iraq and this caused us a lot of problems. Because of this, the Brits were tracking their movements using GPS accurate to within 6 inches as they boarded an Iranian freighter in Iraqi waters for inspection.
Apparently Iran didn't care about international law or that they were beyond their own boarder.. They had a secret plan to spring and when their freighter crossed into Iraqi waters and it was stopped, their forces reacted. The Iranian plan called for the capture of the entire inspection team which would likely also contain some Americans. The purpose: Political exploitation and concessions. Unfortunately for them, fortunate for us, there were no Americans involved, only British soldiers.
This was just one more provocation in a long list of criminal conduct by Iran. It was another piece of their ongoing master plan to harass coalition forces in Iraq and undermine peacekeeping efforts and they do it ALL with a feeling of impunity because we have lacked the political will to take a meaningful and forceful response.
The US reply to date has been to make several press releases to the effect this is a British problem and they (UK) are seeking their own solution. So, why did we take this tact? It appears that if the U.S. becomes involved in direct talks this would play into Iran's strategy and it's exactly the poltical upper hand advantage they were hoping for. Consider, to do anything to humiliate the USA is to increase the popularity President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad among the radical Iranian Shiites and it would be a boost to his prestige among the subversive Iraqi Shiites working with Iranian agents. The bonus is it also diverts attention away from Iran's nuclear weapons program which has come under increasing pressure this week. The timing of this kidnapping says diversion might have become their primary motive.
What's next? Likely the UK is in no position to do anything more than negotiate through the normal diplomatic channels. Meanwhile, Iran will simply hang on to the soldiers for as long as it suits their purpose. They know both the US and the UK are in a weak political position at home, thanks to the leftist anti-war movement. Few options are available to either Bush or Blair, except to allow the UK negotiate and use the UN to lobby for their release.
If Blair had the courage and the intelligence, he would give Iran an ultimatum and Bush should then back him up publically, saying they were prepared to use military force against Tehran if the soldiers are not released in the next 48 hours.
Posted by Post Scripts at 08:42 AM | Comments (2)
LINK UP TO SUPPORT THE TROOPS
It's titled "The Troops Need You, America!: Six Ways to Help Them Win From Your Living Room" and is available at either his website TROOPS NEED YOU or at Amazon.com.
Maj. Eric Egland, the author, previously served on the front lines in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He has graduated the Air Force Academy, holds a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College, and has briefed Congressmen on his Plan from the Troops.
On the home front, Maj. Egland wanted to see a database set up to match people who want to donate items and money with a list of what is needed in Iraq. One thing Maj. Egland told me in person was that they first started giving out candy to girls in the neighborhood to build goodwill, but the little boys stole it, so now they contacted a group of women in America who make homemade dolls. Dolls are an item the boys don't want to steal. If discount and closeout sales of tools occur at WalMart or Sears, most people wouldn't buy an extra three battery powered drills for themselves, but if they knew they could help the troops in Iraq, they just might.
Hat tip Jack Kemp for his article on the website American Thinker
Posted by Post Scripts at 07:56 AM | Comments (0)
CHIM CHIM CHIMERA?
United Kingdom-Dr Patrick Dixon, an international lecturer on biological trends, warned: "Many silent viruses could create a biological nightmare in humans. Mutant animal viruses are a real threat, as we have seen with HIV."
Animal rights activists fear that if the cells get mixed together, they could end up with cellular fusion, creating a hybrid which would have the features and characteristics of both man and sheep. But Prof Zanjani said: "Transplanting the cells into foetal sheep at this early stage does not result in fusion at all."
Read all about the 15% human/85% sheep CHIMERA in the daily mail.
Posted by Post Scripts at 07:50 AM | Comments (0)
Does the Focus on Bush Effectively Silence Other Voices?
Your life and your freedom might be at stake.
by Tina Grazier
Political strife in America is creating an atmosphere that endangers our way of life and perhaps even our existence. Whatever the underlying cause may be, the effect is an uninformed and narrowly focused population. We are distracted by petty arguments at a time when unity against a committed enemy is vital. The voices of distraction are those condemning the elected president, George W. Bush and, in response, those who must, if they are to remain politically viable, relentlessly explain or defend him. Have we, as Americans, been served by this? We have not. The constant drum beat assails and provokes hour after hour and day after day. Is it any wonder the public grows weary of both problem and process?
Concerned citizens must search for facts and information from sources other than our mainstream media; a media that merely highlights the narrow focus rather than digging for every bit of information available. I encourage you to seek out information for yourself and I highly recommend every article and opinion in this post. Please do yourself a favor, click on the links and read the articles.
This post offers only a taste of what other voices are saying; voices that may or may not reflect agreement with President Bush, but may very well reflect the concerns that our president and those in his council must face every day.
Lets begin with the voice of a man called Mohammed posting at iraqthemodel.blogspot.com. Mohammed is quoting his father who is offering a simple explanation for the war on terror:
When The Taliban regime in Afghanistan fell young men waited in lines to get a haircut and when Saddam fell barbers became targets.
This one thought is profound in its simplicity. The enemy easily changes focus, and in fact, uses adaptation as a main strategy. Mohammed goes on:
I wanted to talk about this because recently we've been watching the debate in America about redeployment of troops and identifying the real front we must focus on. ** I see that al-Qaeda and terrorists in general didn't hide their position in this respect—despite the fact that they still operate in many parts of the world, they are clearly redirecting most effort and resources to the war in Iraq.
Al-Qaeda itself boasts about the great "sacrifices" of more than 4,000 "martyrs" to emphasize the importance of the war here. And the hundreds of suicide bombers preferred to blow themselves up in Iraq than anywhere else should remind us that if al-Qaeda considers this the main war then why talk about redeployment? Walking away from the main war is not redeployment, it's quitting.
Next we visit several voices whispering of a possible Islamist insurgency in Pakistan to overthrow Musharraf; a threat that would establish an Islamist state and deliver nuclear arms to terrorists and sponsors of terrorism such as the Iranian mullahs, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Front Page magazine recently published evidence in a report by Jamie Glazov titled,
“Symposium: The First Nuclear Terrorist Power” that included five distinguished scholars and experts.
B. Raman, the former head of the counter-terrorism division of the Research & Analysis Wing, India's CIA, and a well-know analyst of jihadi terrorism. Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, the author of Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror. He is Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore. Steve Schippert, co-founder of the Center for Threat Awareness and managing editor for ThreatsWatch.org. Daveed Gartenstein Ross, a counterterrorism consultant. He is the author of the new book, My Year Inside Radical Islam, which documents his time working at the Al Haramain Islamic Foundation, an international Wahhabi charity that proved to be an al-Qaeda financier. Thomas Joscelyn, an expert on the international terrorist network.
Schippert: What we know is that there are elements of Musharraf's government (military and intelligence) that are sympathetic to al-Qaeda and/or the Taliban. We can reasonably surmise that his recent agreements with tribal leaders, such as the Miramshah Agreement in North Waziristan, are in response to his ineffectiveness in the tribal regions. More agreements are coming, for instance in Bajour and potentially the whole of the North-West Frontier Province. These agreements have and will cede control of significant swaths of territory to what I refer to as the Taliban-al-Qaeda alliance, different groups with differing objectives and both aided in large part by at least a portion of the ISI, the Pakistani military intelligence service. Yet, even as Musharraf bends to their demands, they hate him no less and disregard agreed-to terms without fear of consequence.
Thomas Joscelyn: …let me lay out three concrete ways the tenuous situation in Pakistan impacts the current “war on terror. The first has to do with the ability of so-called “al Qaeda central” to orchestrate terrorist attacks. Numerous reports indicate that senior al Qaeda officials operate out of the mountainous border region separating Pakistan and Afghanistan. And plots around the world have been traced to their doorsteps. (On a side note: There is also a substantial body of evidence indicating that senior al Qaeda officials continue to operate from Iran as well.) ** The second issue concerns the future of Afghanistan. The Taliban, al Qaeda and their allies are once again resurgent. Their ability to attack coalition forces, who are trying to stabilize the broken nation, has steadily grown. There is no doubt that the safe haven our terrorist enemies enjoy on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan allows them to orchestrate these attacks with increasing efficacy. ** The third issue, which is in no way less important than the first two, concerns ongoing terrorist attacks against India. Pakistan’s intelligence services have long supported Islamist terrorist operations inside India. It has been a prominent part of Pakistan’s ongoing proxy war. Recently, there has been some rapprochement between senior Indian and Pakistani government officials. The two sides are attempting to limit cross-border terrorism as well as prevent Islamists from triggering a devastating nuclear exchange.
Raman: There are four possible negative scenarios: ** (Worrisome Probability) Musharraf is removed from the scene either by death due to natural causes or through assassination either by a terrorist or an accomplice of the jihadi terrorists inside the armed forces. ** (Medium Probability): The Pakistan Muslim League (Qaide Azam) created by Musharraf and its allies, who are loyal to him, do badly in the elections due later this year or even lose them. ** (Low probability): A group of Army and ISI officers unhappy over his perceived co-operation with the US overthrow him, assume power and stop co-operation with the US in its war against terrorism. Such a coup will have some public and political support in the interregnum. It will particularly enjoy the support of the fundamentalists and the jihadi terrorists. ** (Even lower probability): There is an Islamic uprising similar to what one saw in Iran in 1978-79 and the Sunni/Wahabi terrorists take over power and assume control over the national security/nuclear establishments. ** I have always held the view that if there is an act of jihadi terrorism anywhere in the world in which a WMD is used, it would have almost certainly originated from Pakistan or Chechnya.
Gunaratna: After the US-led coalition intervention in Afghanistan, the ground zero of terrorism has moved to the FATA in Pakistan. Pakistan needs all the support the international community can give to fight both terrorism - but more importantly - extremism. ** Musharraf is America's most pivotal ally in the fight against terrorism. More than 25% of detainees in Gitmo were captured in Pakistan by the government agencies of Pakistan -- especially ISI and IB working with the CIA.
Gartenstein Ross: One of the problems with predicting Pakistan’s future is that there are a lot of unknowns about the country’s politics. In particular, there is an enormous amount that Western and other intelligence agencies do not know because of the fluid nature of the Pakistani military’s politics. If Musharraf is overthrown, who will have the support of key generals and officers? Our intelligence services cannot say with confidence. But we do know that factions within Pakistan’s military aren’t afraid to step in and take control. Three Pakistani governments—those of Ayub Khan, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, and Musharraf—grew out of military coups.
Finally I give you the voice of a lone reporter in Toranto, Michael Choren, who imagines a future history book as it looks back on this period in history. It’s a little piece called ”The reason we have to fight”.
In a chapter entitled, Why We Fought, it would list the crimes of an ideology and a movement, Islamic fundamentalism, that became so powerful and so grotesque in the opening years of the 21st century that the civilized world was obliged to resist. ** It would also recount how some people in the civilized world opposed the struggle, out of self-loathing, cowardice, leftist politics or simply because they were part of the jihadist movement:
They beheaded Christian girls in Indonesia who were making their way to school. ** They planted bombs in places of worship that belonged to their own Muslim faith... ** They murdered 150,000 of their own people in Algeria... ** In Iraq they kidnapped people who had devoted their lives to helping the impoverished and the abused, tied those good people up like animals and then tortured and humiliated them. ** In Lebanon they dragged badly wounded co-religionists from their hospital beds and beat them to death on the street. ** They declared their intention to target children because, they said, they knew their enemies valued children most of all and loved life. ** They indoctrinated their own children and taught them to hate and loathe and lust for blood and death. ** They despised progress, freedom, grace, gentleness, empathy, tolerance, civilization, truth, thought, understanding, joy, laughter and love. They hated humanity and they hated God.
These are small examples of the information and opinion available from many sources that are constantly diminished and made irrelevant by our media and political factions. They choose to be enthralled with the debased antics of celebrities or with juvenile political power games, particularly targeting the Bush administration rather than being compelled to act as witness or informant to the public on issues that threaten. Our troops are paying a high price and they deserve our support and our conscious attention to events and details.
Every day our president goes to work and squarely faces the terrorist threats to America. It’s too bad he must also face hostility from some reporters and others in his own country. It's unfortunate that he must take time to counter the drivel that passes as "news". Some would say it’s just part of the job. That may be true, but it is still ludicrous in a time of war. It's unbelievable that they seem determined to undermine the president rather than assist in the effort to defeat our enemies. Our next president will also need to address the terrorist threat. He or she will choose another group of advisors and administrators. Will these voices continue to be rendered effectively silent by a soft and inadequate media serving mainly as an entertainment enterprise or worse, a political arm?
We are at war and information plays a necesary and vital part in winning. There are voices that demonstrate the need to fight this war. They are voices that support the presidents position and they are voices being rendered silent by factions and news services bent on breaking Bush instead of keeping you and I, the citizens of this great nation, well informed.
Posted by Post Scripts at 07:47 AM | Comments (2)
March 25, 2007
President... Fred Thompson
Your thoughts?
Posted by Post Scripts at 07:44 PM | Comments (2)
March 24, 2007
Last Chance to Streak Legally-Oregon!
SALEM, Ore. - Supporters of a bill being considered by state lawmakers say it would close a loophole in the state's private indecency law. House Bill 3317 would amend the law by making exposure illegal when it is in view of a place where another person has an expectation of privacy. For instance, it would make it illegal to run around your yard naked in view of others.
So I guess nude lawn mowing, for instance, has been OK till now?
Posted by Post Scripts at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)
Serious Thought on Warming Issue
Herein lies the moral danger behind global warming hysteria. Each day, 20,000 people in the world die of waterborne diseases. Half a billion people go hungry. A child is orphaned by AIDS every seven seconds. This does not have to happen. We allow it while fretting about “saving the planet.”
What is wrong with us that we downplay this human misery before our eyes and focus on events that will probably not happen even a hundred years hence?- Philip Stott, guest author at To The Point News
Posted by Post Scripts at 11:08 PM | Comments (18)
March 23, 2007
Will He Run?
by Tina Grazier
Here’s the record:
He voted for national-debt reduction * the balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution * a presidential line-item veto to eliminate congressional pork and efforts to privatize elements of Social Security * He supported legislation in the interest of free enterprise and opposed many regulatory and tax measures * He opposed growth in social-welfare programs, including expansions in Medicare and welfare for immigrants * He supported efforts to decentralize or disenfranchise unconstitutional government programs * He voted for limits on death penalty appeals, product-liability punitive-damage awards and class-action lawsuits * He opposed decreasing restrictions on wiretaps * He supported increased oil exploration, including ANWR drilling permits, and is an advocate of free trade, understanding well the underlying national security implications * He supported an amendment to prohibit flag burning and voted for numerous measures in support of Second Amendment rights * On family and social issues, he opposed “marriage” between homosexuals, partial-birth abortion, cloning, the addition of “sexual orientation” to hate-crimes legislation and legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation * He voted for many education-reform measures, including the provision of school vouchers * Most important, his support for Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom was, and remains, steadfast.
He is a formidable presence, he has wide experience and he speaks well. His credentials include both private sector and government positions…but will he run? We're told he is considering it. He is....
Fred Thompson: J.D. from Vanderbilt University, private law practice, later served as an assistant U.S. attorney, Republican counsel during Watergate, his 1977 investigation toppled the crooked administration of Tennessee Democrat Gov. Ray Blanton, special counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, special counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee, In 1985, the Blanton scandal was the subject of the film “Marie,” in which Thompson played himself—because the director could not find an actor who could capture Thompson’s power and determination. His success in that film led to his roles in more than 20 other big-screen hits including “No Way Out,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Class Action,” “Cape Fear” and “In the Line of Fire,” Thompson won a landslide victory in 1994, garnering 61 percent of the vote to Cooper’s 39 percent—the largest victory margin in any statewide political contest in Tennessee history to take Al Gores open seat in the Senate… He won by an even wider margin in his 1996 re-election bid.
Hat tip Patriot Post “Democrats fear Fred Thompson…and should”
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:47 PM | Comments (6)
WARMING HUMOR
A quote from Tim Thorstenson’s article, “Why Did Global Warming become a Moral Matter” at the American Thinker.
“I am referring to the fact that the global warming issue is now regarded as a "moral" matter by its advocates. None other than The High Priest of Global Warming (Al Gore) has decreed it as such. Of course, there is some obvious humor in this because the liberals will also tell you that you "cannot legislate morality". Well, it does not take complicated logic to conclude that if global warming is indeed a moral matter and if it is true that you cannot legislate morality, then it should hold that you cannot legislate global warming.”
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:05 PM | Comments (2)
Anti-War Bill Passes!
by Jack Lee
This was a vote for defeat and it serves only to send a message to the insurgents, the terrorists, Iran and all of America's enemies that we are through, we're beat, and we're pulling out so just wait till August of next year. This bill is so disgustingly ill conceived and it puts US soldiers and Iraqi's at greater risk. It couldn't pass on it's own merits, so democrats resorted to bribery and added millions in pork to get opposition support. This bill reflects a strategy of "slow bleed" to force the troops out of Iraq and deny Bush a victory which will pave the way for a Democratic President in 08.
"Washington, D.C. (AHN) - With the help of votes from two Republican lawmakers the U.S. House approved the $124.3 billion war supplemental measure (HR 1591), which includes the first binding deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by August 31, 2008. It only took two hours of an often heated debate before the Democratic-controlled House passed the bill today with a vote of 218 to 212."
If the democrats wish to defund the war, then it is their Constitutional right, but it is not their right to make battlefield decisions as dictated in this bill and slowly cut off funding for the war. This bill clearly undercuts Presidential authority and it is a big stab in the back to our US servicemen who count on the funding without the kind of strings this bill includes.
Justification for the anti-war bill was presented in this statement, by Nancy Pelosi, "The American people have lost confidence in President Bush's plan for a war without end in Iraq, that failed approach has been rejected by the voters in our nation and it will be rejected by the Congress."
The Seattle Times reported, "WASHINGTON — A sharply divided House voted today to order President Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq next year, a victory for Democrats in an epic war-powers struggle and Congress' boldest challenge yet to the administration's policy."
President Bush said, "This brings us no closer to giving our troops what they need to finish the job" and he vows to veto the bill. The President was confident the House would not vote to override his veto.
Posted by Post Scripts at 12:15 PM | Comments (3)
New Home Sales Rise
by Jack Lee
Thanks to sellers willing to lower prices new homes sales rose 3.9% in February, so says the National Association of Realtors. Although existing-home sales were unexpectedly up 3.9%, inventories went up even more, at 5.9%, the most in nearly a year. This according to a Market Watch report. More inventory gains than home sale gains means that supply and demand will favor buyers with better prices now and in the near term future. Chico home prices seem to be lagging behind the trend, but are still well off their highs of two years ago. Existing home prices here are down about 8.5% from last last year.
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2007
$20 Billion In Pork for Iraq Bill
by Jack Lee
We just tossed out a bunch of Republicans for doing this and here come the Democrats, thus providing a strong hint it's more a flawed system than flawed party's. It's estimated that the Defense Appropriations Bill, which will include a time-line for withdrawl and benchmarks, will also include about 20 billion in pork spending. The pork includes temptations to lure key Republican legislator support. But, wasn't it the Democrats who spent the last couple of years complaining Republican spending, pork and deficits?
Bush has yet to veto a spending bill and Dems are betting he’ll sign the Iraq appropriations bill with all it's pork, like money for peanut storage in Georgia, spinach growers in California, menhaden in the Atlantic Ocean and even more office space for the lawmakers themselves is included in what has ballooned into a $124 billion war bill! ! The bill includes $74 million for peanut storage, $25 million for spinach growers and $100 million for citrus growers.
"We have provided all of the money the president requested- and more," boasted House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer.
Bottom line: The bill with all it's timeline stipulations and benchmarks would in essence make Nancy Pelosi the defacto commander-in-chief for managing the Iraq war.
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:36 AM | Comments (6)
Quote of the Week
If we do not clean up campaign politics all of us will continue to work under a cloud of suspicion, where the public always assumes that we serve our own interests before the country's and the ends always justify the means." - U.S. Senator John McCain
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2007
CIRCULAR WARMING CONUNDRUM
by Tina Grazier
I love to watch the antics that flow from liberal thought on environmental stuff; it’s an amusing way to pass the time. Withn the realm of the BIG Eco-Emergency protectors of the environment , and the solutions they demand, lie the seeds of a collision that has the potential to make their heads explode. They believe the BIG oil pollution problem can be easily solved with alternative fuels. Enter a green solution, ethanol…the next BIG thing! This new technology promises to save the planet from impending doom...tah dah! What do you want to bet that green hero’s like Al Gore are heavy investors? This does present a fantastic opportunity for economic growth in many poor countries. Good for them. Unfortunately for the greens, if this thing takes off, the demand for corn and sugar cane will grow, and Grow and GROW. …and so… “Uganda approves destruction of protected rainforest” OH NO!!! This little scenario is only one of many that in the next few years will test the bottom line for the eco freaks and the eco-heroes:
Officials said President Yoweri Museveni was keen on expanding the country's agricultural and industrial base in a bid to boost his donor-dependent economy. "This is the proper way of utilising the resources. It is easier to relocate the forest by planting trees elsewhere than to relocate a factory," Museveni's spokesman Tamale Miriundi told AFP.
But furious conservationists have warned that further encroachment of the forest would threaten up to 312 tree species, 287 bird species and 199 butterfly species. "This is going to be a disaster," warned a National Forestry Authority official who requested anonymity. "The ecosystem will be disturbed, the biodiversity will be destroyed and people's livelihoods will change for the worse."
I’ll bet ol’ Al is biting his nails in private…but, as long as the blow up holds off long enough for him to win the Peace Prize and make a few bags of cash, he’ll be fine.
Posted by Post Scripts at 08:17 PM | Comments (2)
What I Am Learning About Running For Office - II
I talked with a professional campaign consultant in Sacramento today. In exchange for his candor, not to mention free advice, I won't use his company name. But, just know this was an actual conversation with a very highly respected Sacramento politican campaign advisor, not a fictionalized account of what one might say. He informed me that I would have an advantage as a Chicoan and having grown up in Marysville and Yuba City, along with my other credentials, but the bottom line in the race is the money. I have no track record for raising money and as repeated the money is most likely going to determine the outcome. That was his whole emphasis! Everything else like idealism, hard work, ideas, pales in comparison to the cash. If you've read any of my past articles about campaign finance reform, then you know how strongly I hate this idea that money can buy an election...it's repulsive and NOW I'm told I have to be a money raising machine or forget it? The latest FPPC stats say over 93% of elections are won by the candidate with the most money. I think this is obscene.
What's happened to our democracy when money means more than character or ideas?
This Assembly race could likely cost $350,000 and there's a good chance it could run as high as $500,000! My advisor pointed out in a race in SoCal, it went over a half million and the candidate was incredibly well endorsed and well known, but it took that much money just to keep ahead of her wealthy opponent.
To keep this election in perspective, it's for a seat in the California Assembly, it's not for a seat in Congress! It's a humble 1/80th vote from within the minority party! Why should it cost this much to run an assembly race? This professional said, in so many words, the only way to Sacramento is a path paved with money.
My fears about the runaway cost of running for election is coming true.
It gets worse...stay tuned.
Posted by Post Scripts at 08:05 PM | Comments (3)
What I Am Learning About Running For Office
by Jack Lee
As you may already know, I was entertaining the idea of running for the State Assembly in District 3. Maybe you have thought about running for office too at some point in your life? Well, it's a big decision and here's some of my observations on the process of just considering to be a candidate. Ok, aside from the fear factor of having your entire life on display and subject to criticism and mudslinging, you better love red tape....
If you love paper work, running for election is going to have you in hog heaven. You'll be reading and filing all sorts of legalistic forms and doing it in triplicate half the time and you better be good at it too, because one serious mistake could potentially send you to jail or get you a big fat fine!
Of course if money is no object then you can just hire some people to take care of all that....not to worry.
In my case I have to worry! I don't have much money, so here is a sample of what I would have to deal with as an Assembly candidate...Form 400 (1/05) -- Slate Mailer Organization Statement of Organization Form 401 (1/05) -- Slate Mailer Organization Campaign Statement Form 402 (1/05) -- Slate Mailer Organization Statement of Termination Form 410 (1/05) -- Statement of Organization Form 425 (1/01) -- Semi-Annual Statement of No Activity for Non-Controlled Recipient Committees Form 450 (1/05) -- Recipient Committee Campaign Statement-Short Form. Form 460 (1/05) -- Consolidated Campaign Disclosure Form. Form 461 (6/06) -- Independent Expenditure Committee and Major Donor Committee Campaign Statement Form 465 (1/05) -- Supplemental Independent Expenditure Report Form 470 (1/05) -- Officeholder/Candidate Campaign Statement-Short Form and Form 470 Supplement Form 495 (1/05) -- Supplemental Pre-Election Campaign Statement Form 496 (1/05) -- Late Independent Expenditure Report Form 497 (1/05) -- Late Contribution Report Form 498 (1/05) -- Late Payment Report (Slate Mailer Organizations) Form 501 (1/05) -- Candidate Intention Statement Form 511 (1/02) -- Paid Spokesperson Report Form 900 (6/05) -- Prior year versions of campaign disclosure forms.
And this brings us to the Candidates Manual #1 issued by the Fair Political Practices Commission and it's only a mere 144 pages long! !
This election process also involves the Secretary of State. You go there to get your candidates application packet. That packet hasn't been prepared yet for the 2008 election, but I am told in 30 days it should be ready and they will mail it to me. I am the first on their list...imagine that? First.
No, I haven't made a decision to run yet, but there's still plenty of time, the primary is not until June of 2008. So, I'm still in the gathering of information stage and speaking with friends and family trying to decide if we should undertake such a huge effort.
Part of that gathering will be a couple of interviews with professional campaign consultants. These are the people that assess a candidate's strong and weak points, then they try to package that in some easy to understand product that will resonate well with the voter. "Uh, but I don't want to packaged!!", that was my first reaction. Then I thought hey, I'm me, what you see is what you..thats the package! But, I also understand that having some professional advice is going to be necessary if I am going to make a credible run...otherwise I am just going to be a marginal candidate of no consequence. I will be wasting my time and my supporter's time...if I allow that to happen. So, IF I run, I have to make a real committed effort! I have to run to win (but I refuse to do whatever it takes to win). I will have to assess what I have to offer, refine it and put it on display for the voter's approval. It also means I better be really careful that I never change my core values to fit the situation or violate my personal prime directive (see above in parenthesis).
I can see what Dan was talking about in his previous comments, he's right and it's what I hate about politics!
When you think about running for office it sounds easy at first, but it's not... as we are all finding out. There's a lot to do and a lot to consider. And it's not just about me running, if it was, this decision would be a whole lot easier. It's about my friends and family. It's about us giving up a lot of our time, energy, money and privacy. So if I run, I better worth it and have something to offer or it could turn into something I will seriously regret for the rest of my life...but, then there is the flip side. This is the side where people ought to reach a little higher, try a little harder and do the right thing for the right reasons when the time comes. It's easy to see how my time has come, heck I'm 60 years old and as age and politics go, it's probably now or never.
More to follow....
Posted by Post Scripts at 11:26 AM | Comments (2)
March 20, 2007
PC CAPTAIN-AWAY!
by Tina Grazier
R.I.P. Captain America by James Lileks is a must read for all you comic book Superhero fans:
Captain America has been a vessel for cultural self-loathing for some time now. If we put out an unapologetically patriotic Captain America these days, we'd be shouted down as fascists who want to give military recruiters access to day-care centers...In the old days, though, figures like Cap were plentiful and resolute, smashing Nazi schemes to drill a tunnel under the Atlantic to Brooklyn....If Captain Saudi was shot trying to teach his daughter to drive a car, it would mean something. If Captain France turned into a vigilante prowling the suburbs to root out Islamic radicalism, we'd pay attention. So the death of Captain America is important. But what does it mean?
It means he'll probably be back as Captain American't, a tortured superhero who realizes the futility of nationalism in an interconnected world……
For those who are the REAL superhero’s…this is a great article. Lileks addresses the pathetic mindset of many of our countrymen today...but he ends the piece with a hint that a new "old" trend is on the rise:
For a more pertinent lesson, you might look at another Frank Miller work; instead of Batman, it concerns a band of brothers whose martial code compels them to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their freedom, their society, their conception of liberty. It's called "300.'' They made a little movie out of it, and it seems to be doing well.
Trading Captain America for the King of Sparta may not be the ideal bargain, but these days, you take what you can get.
I saw "300" last Friday and I highly recommend it. A simple story line, nearly all compelling action...riveting to the very end. At one point I surprised even myself...shouted I, "Yeah!"
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:54 PM | Comments (2)
California Changes Presidential Election Process
by Jack Lee
SB 113 sponsored by Senator Calderon-D, has been signed into law. This moves the California Presidential primary to February 5, 2008, making it one of the earliest primaries in the United States. California is a blue state and that means when we cast our primary vote on February 5th next year a
Democrat is going to be the recipient of a majority vote. Democrats know this and it'w why they want it and why the GOP doesn't. Both parties are well aware how that vote will shape the momentum of the Presidential race.
Half the electoral votes will be decided on this fateful day as California now joins other heavy weights like New York in casting their ballots and the rest of the process could become a sideshow. However, if there is a ray of sunshine for the GOP it's that the love fest with Democrats here seems to be waning as the changing voter demographics show, but then these voters are not all running to the Republican's camp either, many are moving to vote as independents or 3rd party voters and that reflects a growing discontent with the leadership of both parties.
Now comments from both sides...
Fabian Nunez-D and Speaker of the Assembly said today, "This bill gives 16 million Californians (18 million if you count the illegal vote) – the most diverse electorate in the nation – a stronger role in the process and it gives our issues like climate change, and health care, and coastal protection and immigration reform more prominence with the contenders."
3/6/07: "SACRAMENTO- Assemblyman Keene (R-Chico) and Assembly Republicans today voted to oppose a move by Democrats to change the date of the presidential primary election from June, (the current primary date) to February.
Proponents of Senate Bill 113 argued that California loses out at the national level on federal funding because of a lack of political clout and consequently becomes a “donor state” and that under the present primary schedule, the largest state in the union effectively has no influence on presidential primary outcomes. If this were truly the case, it would perhaps be a discussion worth having.
“This bill is a Trojan Horse designed to force a change in the election date for the self-serving purpose of incumbent politicians who are committed to placing a term limit extension on the ballot at a projected cost of over 90 million dollars to taxpayers. This is just a blatant effort for some politicians to have another bite at the apple.”
SB 113 passed on a party-line vote of 32 to 48.
"Moving our presidential primary election from June to February means California will have the influence that it deserves when it comes to choosing America's next presidential candidates. Already, more candidates from both parties are coming out here to California, campaigning harder, campaigning more, going to more places and campaigning than anyone has ever seen." Governor Schwarzenegger. For his entire speech on video follow this link.
Posted by Post Scripts at 08:28 AM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2007
Bureaucratic Nightmare/Political Beast
by Tina Grazier
Listen up America!
SALISBURY (AP) — A nurse responsible for monitoring care of frail military veterans didn't visit patients as required for two years and filed one report that listed a dead patient in stable condition, according to a federal inspection obtained by The Charlotte Observer.
The little snippet was taken from an article ‘VA nurse lists dead patient as 'stable'” out of Virginia. It is one of many stories we will no doubt be seeing in the coming weeks as American’s are massaged into blaming the Bush administration for the shameful conditions of our VA hospitals. But before we start condemning republican leaders let’s look at the recent history concerning Congressional efforts on healthcare issues for our veterans.
June 4, 1996 House Passes VA Medical Construction Bill - HR. 3376
January 14, 1998 Chairmen Unveil Proposal to Expand Health Care Access for Veterans
May 20, 1998 House Passes Veterans' Legislation - Bills Expand Programs for Homeless Veterans And Authorizes Construction of Medical Facilities for Providing High Quality Care to Veterans
March 26, 1999 HOUSE BUDGET INCREASE SAVES VETERANS FROM CLINTON/GORE CUTS
I hope you did indeed wade through the partial list of investigations, hearings, and bills that our politicians have considered since 1996 in the “continue reading section” of this article. It demonstrates an Herculean effort in the republican managed Congress to ensure that veterans will receive the care they deserve. I am reminded too of the way the democrat minority party was bent on blocking all legislation (not written by them) no matter how worthy the cause. They speak of bipartisanship...they fail to execute when given the opportunity to cooperate.
And so now, after all the effort...suddenly we have these big problems and complaints at Walter Reed? What exactly is going on?
I submit that this is either about politics in an election cycle or the inefficiency, red tape, waste and fraud that accompanies government run institutions. These conditions didn’t just show up in the last two weeks; the bureaucratic monster has been blocking progress for decades. So I think it’s safe to assume this is yet another dirty political ploy brought to us from the democrat dirt machine; a machine that, when it can’t find dirt, simply manufactures some. But we need not speculate when we have proof:
MSNBC reports on the AP story "Walter Reed gives Democrats political ammo":
Army hospital scandal provides weapon against Bush’s plans for Iraq
“This is the Katrina of 2007,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., comparing the hospital scandal to the 2005 hurricane that left Gulf Coast residents stranded for days without federal assistance.
“There is a pattern here that we’re just not focused on what needs to be done to help these young men and women,” said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., a 2008 presidential contender.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said the Bush administration failed to plan adequately for the long and bloody war.
“And now they’re failing those who have sacrificed so much,” said Kennedy.
Blah Blah Blah....
Enter President Bush to appoint Bob Dole and Donna Shalala to co-chair a commission to review VA medical conditions:
The president announced last Friday he had ordered a comprehensive review of conditions at military and veterans hospitals, which have been overwhelmed by injured troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The review came in the wake of disclosures of shoddy outpatient health care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, one of the nation's premier facilities for the wars' wounded.
Yes, the president offers more busy work. After all, what more can he do? What do the democrats expect him do...wash the floors and paint the walls himself? In 40-50 years the very thing the democrats have failed to do, pass legislation, complete with funding to support quality care for our veterans and FIX THIS PROBLEM... can hardly be accomplished by another commission.
This is AN ELECTION CYCLE...and the beast must have it's blood...and the rhetoric piles up as dung from that beast!
May 17, 1999 HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE SCHEDULES LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON REFORM OF VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
September 10, 1999 HOUSE OKAYS 'UNPRECEDENTED' $1.7 BILLION INCREASE IN VETERANS' HEALTH CARE SPENDING
November 16, 1999 HOUSE PASSES COMPREHENSIVE VETERANS' HEALTH AND BENEFITS PACKAGE
September 21, 2000 HOUSE PASSES PAY HIKE FOR VA NURSES AND INCREASED ACCESS TO VA HEALTH CARE.
March 1, 2001 SMITH CALLS FOR $550 MILLION TO REPAIR VA’S CRUMBLING HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS
March 21, 2001 HOUSE VA COMMITTEE ACTS ON BENEFITS, HOSPITAL REPAIR BILLS
September 5, 2001 CONGRESSMAN TERRY EVERETT SAYS ARREST OF THREE ATLANTA VA EMPLOYEES FOR EMBEZZLEMENT OF $6 MILLION IN VETERANS BENEFITS INICATES THE VA IGNORED HIS WARNINGS TO TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT SUCH FRAUD.
March 11, 2002 VETERANS COMMITTEE CALLS FOR $3.2 BILLION BOOST FOR VA HEALTH CARE
(January 29, 2003) The "State of Veterans' Health Care" was the subject of a hearing before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. With record numbers of veterans seeking medical care at VA facilities, the Committee examined how well VA is meeting their obligations to provide comprehensive and timely care to veterans.
(May 6, 2003) Two new bills to increase revenue for veterans’ health care services were approved by the Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee today.
(May 7, 2003) Fugitive felons collecting veterans’ benefits and part-time doctors being paid without records of work being performed are two topics to be discussed at a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to be held tomorrow
(June 16, 2003) - Saying “it’s time to fix veterans’ health funding”,…bill embodies the central recommendation of a two-year Presidential task force on veterans’ health care which found an alarming mismatch between demand for services and available resources threatening the quality of VA health care.
(October 15, 2003) Tomorrow, Thursday, October 16 at 10:00 AM an investigative hearing arising from disturbing reports of gaps in health care coverage for transitioning veterans.
(October 30, 2003) The House of Representatives today unanimously passed new legislation authorizing $1.4 billion for the construction and repair of critically-needed veterans’ medical care facilities.
(July 8, 2004) Legislation to authorize leases for 16 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics was approved today by the Veterans Affairs’ Health Subcommittee.
(September 30, 2004) The House of Representatives has approved two new bills to improve the quality and timeliness of VA medical care services. H.R. 4231, the Veterans Affairs Nurse Recruitment and Retention Act of 2004, would establish new and enhance existing VA programs designed to improve the recruitment and retention of nurses...
(November 17, 2004) The House of Representatives today gave final approval to a three bills to expand access to VA health care services, boost veterans benefit programs, and strengthen legal protections for servicemembers and veterans.
Posted by Post Scripts at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2007
BRAWLING TOLERANCE
Think "Dueling Banjo's"...
The finger-pointing came after an altercation occurred at a meeting for the Fremont Alliance for a Hate-Free Community, where a discussion about hate crimes deteriorated into an ugly incident, witnesses said.While trying to eject 71-year-old Barbara Marques from the monthly gathering Monday, the Rev. Garnet McClure grabbed and shook the chair in which Marques was sitting, attendee Sharon Giottonini said. McClure, a female pastor at Fremont Congregational Church, reacted after Marques said the 2002 slaying of transgender teen Gwen Araujo might not be a hate crime, several witnesses said.
“might not be”?…”might not Be”?…. Whoo…boy howdy, them’s fightin’ words!
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
A REAL CORKER!
by Tina Grazier
While democrats press onward in their quest to destroy the presidency of GWB and his efforts to defeat the sworn enemies of Americans, one republican voice stands strongly above the fray and solidly behind our fabulous troops!
It all began when republican’s agreed not to block votes on nonbinding resolutions on the war. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid then issued a “nya na nya’ warning in the press:
"They may wind up with a surprise," Reid, a Nevada Democrat, told reporters. "More Republicans than they think may wind up being in favor of this."
Drum roll please…the nya nya nya warning came back to bite Senator Reid when the senate voted 50-48 against, with only one Republican (Oregon's Gordon Smith) joining 47 Democrats in favor. The Democrats who broke ranks with Reid: Connecticut's Joseph Lieberman, Nebraska's Ben Nelson and Arkansas's Mark Pryor.
This resounding defeat for the quitters was followed by a double whammy…pay attention troops…two more resolutions passed with overwhelming support:
1. No action should be taken to undermine the safety of the Armed Forces of the United States or impact their ability to complete their assigned or future missions," passed 96-2.
2. No funds should be cut off or reduced for American Troops in the field which would result in undermining their safety or their ability to complete their assigned mission," passed 82-16.
And here’s the "Real Corker": a statement by BOB CORKER of Tennessee, the Senate's only freshman Republican, who voted against all three resolutions.
"I think the American people recognize this debate for what it is--political posturing," said Corker. "The real debate on Iraq will occur in the coming weeks when we take up the supplemental funding bill."
"Congress has spent far too much time debating non-binding resolutions and resolutions that claim to be binding, and I plan to vote against all of them--Democrat and Republican. Though I strongly disagree with their position, if members of Congress want to oppose the war in Iraq they should vote to cut off funding, not pass more meaningless resolutions.”
"I've been clear about my position. I believe we must give General Petraeus until mid-summer to see if we can turn the downward spiral in Iraq into an upward spiral so that Iraq has the ability to take over its own destiny and maintain its own security. Therefore I will be voting in the supplemental to give General Petraeus and our troops on the ground in Iraq the support they need and deserve."
Hat tip James Toranto, WSJ Opinion Journal
Posted by Post Scripts at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2007
SEE JACK RUN
Submitted by NF...
Jack has an integrity and honesty about him which is needed so desperately.
In a time when so many see politics as a profession of self aggrandizement, I wonder if Jack will see the absolute necessity of someone of his moral character running.
Running for political office should not be predominately a personal choice. It should be sought when the evidence is made so clear that your positions, moral character, and ability to explain them are superior to that of your peers. I am reminded of Washington who did not seek political office, but had it thrusted upon him by necessity. As I see the second congressional district of CA, and the country as a whole, moving in a direction contrary to our finest republican principles, I wonder who will step forward. Not out of desire to be a politician, but out of a sense of duty to ones nation.
It is difficult for men like Jack to see in himself the necessity of the moment. Jack has lived his life as a man of action, one who is able to confront his enemy on a field and let skill and determination decide the victor. The world of politics does not readily appeal to such a man,; but it is exactly such an individual who is needed most in our current situation.
In a time where we are so inclined to make light of the momentous, we sometimes forget that history is recording our actions, and will not speak well of those who possessed the ability, but lacked the moral clarity to do what is needed.
Jack is above all modest and of a humble nature. I sincerely hope such traits will not be utilized in such a manner as to prevent an honest man from pursuing public office.
I have no need of another politician to pursue self interest; but I can scarce imagine what I would not give for one honest man to act as our representative.
It is for these reasons that I implore Jack Lee to run for public office. Not because he seeks it, rather it is because he does not. Such a position would be only a burden for Jack, and as a friend I would not ask him to take up such a task, if I did not honestly feel that his wisdom was needed.
It is not for your own benefit that you should seek such responsibility Jack, so please do not let such a thought prevent you. I ask you to run for selfish reasons, understanding that it is you who will bear the hardships; but cognoscente of the fact that you are capable of overcoming them.
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:08 PM | Comments (17)
The People Win
In a major triumph for the Constitution, the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled last Friday that the Second Amendment means exactly what it says. Six plaintiffs had sued the District, saying that their rights were infringed by the District’s ban on hand guns. In the 2-1 decision the majority agreed, tossing the District’s gun ban onto the scrap heap of history. *** The ruling is truly sweeping in its scope, and while the District said it will appeal, losing such an appeal has the potential to sweep aside more of the nation’s anti-gun laws. Patriot Vol. 07 No. 11 | 16 March 2007 | PatriotPost.US
The ruling:
“To summarize, we conclude that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. That right existed prior to the formation of the new government under the Constitution and was premised on the private use of arms for activities such as hunting and self-defense, the latter being understood as resistance to either private lawlessness or the depredations of a tyrannical government (or a threat from abroad).”
Three Cheers for the RED, WHITE, and BLUE
Posted by Post Scripts at 12:34 PM | Comments (5)
March 16, 2007
Royal Rife Fraud - A Conman's Story
Goldstar33 writes to us...
You could be very sick, tired with pills and drugs, finally try a rife machine... and start feeling better till you are well. You could write up the best report and no medical publication would publish it. Are you aware that the FDA and drugs companies work together? I don't trust the FDA - they create products that kill people. You should be attacking them and warning people about them. Doctors kill 300,000 people a year with drugs and mistakes. Does that bother you? Would you rather talk to FDA who will lie to you? You think if someone is sick and gets well it could be misdiagnosed and by luck? Couldn't you say the same for FDA tests?
We do extensive testing. People contact us with many diseases and we track their results. They are were fed up and disgusted with FDA drugs. They were thrilled with the rife machine results. How many hundreds of testimonials from people do you need? You should try a machine and become a believer too. Sitting at my desk today I have had 3 people call with heartwarming Rife success stories. How can this be cheating them? Please go find a quality rife machine you can use before you get so bitter and mad about something you are not familiar with. If people are unhappy with the results they can ask for their money back but almost enver do. Can you explain how we are cheating people that finally got their health back after conventional medicine failed them. Do you have a phone number where you can be reached? Every time you send a nasty ebay letter why do I get 10 supportive emails from people I don't even know? Keeping an open mind is being intelligent. People reading this: would you rather believe an official FDA report hear from actual users?
Note: Goldstar33 does business on ebay selling these quack devices. Why he isn't in jail is a real mystery. Our system is flawed when cons like him can operate out in the open and fleece people.
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:36 AM | Comments (19)
March 15, 2007
This Weeks Best Joke - Why Men Are Happier
submitted by ShariG, "Why Men Are Happier"
What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You
can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress~$5000. Tux rental~$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to
them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier. Send this to the women who can handle it and to the men who will enjoy reading it.
Posted by Post Scripts at 11:14 AM | Comments (1)
City To Enforce Illegal Sign Ban - Totally Unfair!
by Jack Lee
The ER story today said Chico City officials are seeing an increase in illegal signs and that a recent surge in illegal signs is taking up too much city staff time as they try to remove them and enforce the law. Remove illegal signs? That is a cruel and heartless thing to do. Is the City not taking into account those illegal signs are here trying to exist like any other sign?
I say we should let any sign that wants to come to Chico do it, even if they are going in front of legal signs. And another thing, calling them illegal is offensive! It's a biased stereotype. We should be calling them undocumented signs.
Chico is a big, rich city and we should take in all the undocumented signs that want to be here and not worry about it! Afterall, those undocumented signs have made our economy what it is and who else is going to advertise your garage sales? These little signs do what the big, fat billboard signs can't or won't! Think about it...besides we're not the sign police, you want us to start checking all our signs just because the City has a law?
Stop the Hate - Viva La Signs - Amnesty Now!
(Protest rally to follow - 3rd and Main Saturday)
Posted by Post Scripts at 10:24 AM | Comments (4)
March 13, 2007
BRAVE GREEN WORLD
by Tina Grazier
Life is stranger than fiction, or so they say, but a story out of England could spell a stranger than science fiction reality for all of us if the greens get their way, politically speaking.
About 25 years ago someone said that ending hunger within twenty years was possible, except that the world lacked the “political will” to get it done. Since that time reliance on government solutions has become the order, or should I say the new world order, of the day for activists yearning to matter. Tony Blair and Parliament seem determined to walk down this path; a path that will lead to a global tax structure, a multilayered behemoth of red tape and bureaucracy, and most likely worldwide depression. Find the stories HERE and HERE. A few little snips…of the insanity that grips…the political greens:
Homeowners who refuse to make their properties energy efficient will face financial penalties under drastic government plans to transform Britain into the world's first 'green' economy. *** …every new home should be 'carbon neutral' within ten years - and existing properties subject to a 'home energy audit' to assess how green they are.
The Prime Minister said the key to tackling global warming, domestically and worldwide, was "practical" policies. *** "Proposals that are fair and can work and allow business and citizens to play their part without penalising them," he said.
Politicians never intend to “penalize” the public and they always want to make things “fair”. They enter public “service” to “make a difference”…to “help” people and make things “better”...as if the laws of survival didn’t apply to individuals. As if people were incapable of finding a need and filling it through the power of their own creativity and desire. As if people were blobs of goo waiting to be forced into molds…or pods….green pods…pods of compliance and submission. Pods that pay!
He said he would be meeting World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz this evening to press the UK's proposals for "global action" to match domestic efforts.
"We have a task to set a strong set of leadership goals here. We've then got to get Europe to take action, and in the end the real prize is not just to get the Europeans in but the Americans, the Chinese and the Indians too." *** The "next big step" would be when the G8 nations get together with emerging nations such as China and India to develop agreements.
Problems are best solved privately, with better efficiency, less waste, and the assurance that if a problem actually exists, and can be solved, it will be. Funding comes from those who have extra money lying around...they are called investors. They spend willingly because they believe in the product or technology. Government involvement will bring red tape, wasted funds, corruption of process, restriction and regulation, and questionable solutions…and the taxes to pay the bill will increase and increase and increase, without end, causing an ever greater burden on the people. The rich, despite what you are told, can more easily escape an oppressive tax scheme than can the average Joe. That means you will be stuck with your "fair share"...and we all know what thatmeans. So before we take a giant leap toward government solutions and go the way of the English, we better dam* well be sure the problems are real, actually caused by man, and fixable by man in a way that doesn’t cause greater problems and hardships...and government should just get out of the way. LOL as Jack always says. We are the will in "political will". Unless we resist this new layer of political oppression we will find ourselves under new administrators who will send agents into the world; agents with more pods...pods to force compliance and submission. The earth will be covered with uninspired pod people in tiny pod homes and ….we’ll all look just the same in our politically determined "Brave Green World". Except for those "pigs" that are more equal than others, of course!
Posted by Post Scripts at 09:41 PM | Comments (1)
Fighting Back on eBay!
by Jack Lee
Because eBay still allows quacks to sell the Royal Rife machine (see article below) without any medical evidence to support it's claims, I decided to fight back and do something about this.
First, I wrote to ebay to expose this fraud, but they were indifferent. Their attitude is this is something between the buyer and the seller and they are only a 3rd party. They did not exactly say this part, but they implied they have no moral or legal obligation to do anything. Of course I see it differently and I think if ebay can restrict the sales of guns or Nazi collectables because of their politically correct notions, they ought to extend that moral or ethical reasoning to other things, like the fake diet pills and even more overt frauds like the Rife machine.
So here's what I did...I took out an ad on eBay and put it right amongst the quacks selling their Rife machines. If you care to see my ad, go to eBay and do the advance search using this number, 130089809924. I have already sold one story for $14, which I will donate to the American Cancer Society. I will do the same for the next story. In the meanwhile here's this ad debunking the quacks trying to sell their machines and boy are they ticked! (too bad)
So if eBay won't fight those quacks...I WILL!
Posted by Post Scripts at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)
Scary math: More homes, fewer buyers
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer
March 13 2007: 5:01 PM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Subprime lenders are already getting crushed, but the impact rising mortgage delinquencies will have on home prices overall is still an open question.