Posts
Rand Paul: Republicans should be a party of “second chances” | Rare: "“Many of us are Christians, we believe in a second chance in our religion. Anybody here who’s not a sinner, raise their hand,” he said.
“We believe in redemption should the law allow people a second chance. I think if we’ll be more of a compassionate party who believes in that and believes that people in poverty needs a second chance, maybe we can do something for Detroit.”
“[S]how that we do care about people who are poor, who live in bad circumstances,” he added."
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
Detroit dad saves a whole neighborhood | Rare
Detroit dad saves a whole neighborhood | Rare: "The 50-year-old born-and-bred Detroiter has turned his block into a safe place for kids to have fun and parents to relax. In the lot next to his house, Davis has set up a place to work out, a swing set for kids to play on, and a homemade movie screen for families to watch movies at night.
In a field across the street, Davis built a go-kart track for kids where he also teaches them how to fix go-karts and mini bikes."
"The father of two wasn’t always a do-gooder. When he was younger, Davis was arrested several times on theft charges. He has since turned his life around and has even received a certificate of appreciation from his church."
In a field across the street, Davis built a go-kart track for kids where he also teaches them how to fix go-karts and mini bikes."
"The father of two wasn’t always a do-gooder. When he was younger, Davis was arrested several times on theft charges. He has since turned his life around and has even received a certificate of appreciation from his church."
Sunday, July 27, 2014
No booze for DC residents? New Hampshire calls it an oversight, may fix law to avoid confusion | Fox News
No booze for DC residents? New Hampshire calls it an oversight, may fix law to avoid confusion | Fox News: "the state's tobacco law says a license from "another state" can be used to show proof of age, without mentioning Washington or U.S. territories."
Saturday, July 26, 2014
When A Restaurant Burns Down, The Owner Makes A Huge Sacrifice To Show Staff How Special They Are
When A Restaurant Burns Down, The Owner Makes A Huge Sacrifice To Show Staff How Special They Are: "With no revenue coming from his decimated restaurant and Kroll wanting his employees to remain with the company, he made a personal sacrifice – by taking the payroll from his own pocket. Khon 2 News reports:
Kroll paid the remaining four months of paychecks, almost $144,00 out of his own pocket."
"Kroll made employees promise to do one thing while he was helping them out. He asked them to volunteer their time, and pay it forward in their community. And they did."
Kroll paid the remaining four months of paychecks, almost $144,00 out of his own pocket."
"Kroll made employees promise to do one thing while he was helping them out. He asked them to volunteer their time, and pay it forward in their community. And they did."
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Western Pennsylvania father charged in deaths of young daughters killed by falling dresser | Fox News
Western Pennsylvania father charged in deaths of young daughters killed by falling dresser | Fox News: "David Beatty was charged with manslaughter because Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh says he heard the furniture crash but didn't check on the girls for 10 minutes or more. Berosh believes the girls might have lived had their father responded sooner."
What was he doing something that shouldn't be interrupted during those 10 minutes? Is it bad parenting to not check out every potentially dangerous sound immediately?
What was he doing something that shouldn't be interrupted during those 10 minutes? Is it bad parenting to not check out every potentially dangerous sound immediately?
Google Public Policy Blog: A step toward government transparency
Google Public Policy Blog: A step toward government transparency: "the government has chosen to disclose an estimated number of “targets” that it has surveilled, rather than the number of “accounts” at issue. This means that where the “target” is an organization composed of many people, and the government uses FISA to require disclosure of information from many different providers about the many accounts used by those people, covering a broad array of services, it may only report that there was one target. By contrast, in our methodology, and that used by other companies, we each would count the number of accounts impacted by a particular surveillance request. The government could provide more meaningful transparency by specifying the number of accounts too."
Mike Domitrz developed 'Can I Kiss You?' to promote healthy dating - CSMonitor.com
Mike Domitrz developed 'Can I Kiss You?' to promote healthy dating - CSMonitor.com: "Two young US soldiers went into a bar. As the night wore on, they noticed a man hitting on an intoxicated young woman.
When he offered to take her home, they stepped in and said they would go along to make sure she got there safely. At her house, the two refused to let the other man go inside, which prompted a fight before he stormed off. They called a cab to get home.
“They said it was worth it, because he was a risk to her,”"
"His talk, and his related 2003 book, “May I Kiss You?,” challenges people to always ask and receive consent before engaging in an intimate act, even a kiss. It goes on to show how people can intervene in problematic situations, just as the two soldiers did. And it explains how everyone can “open the door” for people they care about to confide in them if those individuals are survivors of sexual assault."
When he offered to take her home, they stepped in and said they would go along to make sure she got there safely. At her house, the two refused to let the other man go inside, which prompted a fight before he stormed off. They called a cab to get home.
“They said it was worth it, because he was a risk to her,”"
"His talk, and his related 2003 book, “May I Kiss You?,” challenges people to always ask and receive consent before engaging in an intimate act, even a kiss. It goes on to show how people can intervene in problematic situations, just as the two soldiers did. And it explains how everyone can “open the door” for people they care about to confide in them if those individuals are survivors of sexual assault."
California couple faces fine for brown lawn after complying with water-saving rules | Fox News
California couple faces fine for brown lawn after complying with water-saving rules | Fox News: "On the same day the state approved mandatory outdoor watering restrictions with the threat of $500 fines, the Southern California couple received a letter from their city threatening a $500 penalty for not watering their brown lawn.
It's brown because of their conservation, which, besides a twice-a-week lawn watering regimen, includes shorter showers and larger loads of laundry.
They're encouraged by the state's new drought-busting, public service slogan: Brown is the new green.
The city of Glendora sees it differently.
"Despite the water conservation efforts, we wish to remind you that limited watering is still required to keep landscaping looking healthy and green," says the letter, which gives Korte and Whitney 60 days to restore their lawn."
It's brown because of their conservation, which, besides a twice-a-week lawn watering regimen, includes shorter showers and larger loads of laundry.
They're encouraged by the state's new drought-busting, public service slogan: Brown is the new green.
The city of Glendora sees it differently.
"Despite the water conservation efforts, we wish to remind you that limited watering is still required to keep landscaping looking healthy and green," says the letter, which gives Korte and Whitney 60 days to restore their lawn."
Two men cleared of AIDS virus after bone marrow transplants - CNET
Two men cleared of AIDS virus after bone marrow transplants - CNET: "A 53-year-old and a 47-year-old man appear to be clear of HIV after receiving bone marrow transplants for leukaemia and lymphoma respectively at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, Australia, in partnership with the University of New South Wales' Kirby Institute.
Moreover, the leukaemia patient is the first recorded case of clearing the virus without the presence of a rare anti-HIV gene in the donor marrow.
To date, there have been several reported cases of cleared HIV. Timothy Ray Brown, a US citizen, was treated in 2007 and 2008 for leukaemia with transplanted stem cells from a donor with the CCR5 delta32 mutation, which is resistant to HIV, and was reported clear of the virus in 2008. Brown stopped taking his antiretroviral medication and has remained HIV-free.
In 2012, two other patients in Boston had similar treatments with bone marrow cells that did not contain the mutation. They initially tested clear of the virus, but -- when they ceased taking antiretroviral medication -- the virus returned."
Moreover, the leukaemia patient is the first recorded case of clearing the virus without the presence of a rare anti-HIV gene in the donor marrow.
To date, there have been several reported cases of cleared HIV. Timothy Ray Brown, a US citizen, was treated in 2007 and 2008 for leukaemia with transplanted stem cells from a donor with the CCR5 delta32 mutation, which is resistant to HIV, and was reported clear of the virus in 2008. Brown stopped taking his antiretroviral medication and has remained HIV-free.
In 2012, two other patients in Boston had similar treatments with bone marrow cells that did not contain the mutation. They initially tested clear of the virus, but -- when they ceased taking antiretroviral medication -- the virus returned."
Texas longhorns may come to the rescue in desert lands - CSMonitor.com
Texas longhorns may come to the rescue in desert lands - CSMonitor.com: "In the desert environments that they call home, there is no better survivor than the Texas Longhorn. They eat invasive shrubs and cacti, they are resistant to the diseases rampant in hotter areas, and their namesake horns make them less vulnerable to predators, poachers, and thieves alike.
Contrast this with the European cattle now found wasting away in the deserts to which it they have no acclimation. They thrive on grass, of which there is little. Higher feed costs means less nutrition, which in turns leads to higher calf mortality rates, which remain a dismal 30 percent."
Contrast this with the European cattle now found wasting away in the deserts to which it they have no acclimation. They thrive on grass, of which there is little. Higher feed costs means less nutrition, which in turns leads to higher calf mortality rates, which remain a dismal 30 percent."
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Bankrupt solar panel firm took stimulus money, left a toxic mess, says report | Fox News
Bankrupt solar panel firm took stimulus money, left a toxic mess, says report | Fox News: "The Abound Solar plant, which got $400 million in federal loan guarantees in 2010, when the Obama administration sought to use stimulus funds to promote green energy, filed for bankruptcy two years later. Now its Longmont, Colo., facility sits unoccupied, its 37,000 square feet littered with hazardous waste, broken glass and contaminated water. The Northern Colorado Business Report estimates it will cost up to $3.7 million to clean and repair the building so it can again be leased."
Solar is green during its normal lifetime but it isn't green during manufacture and it probably isn't green at the end of its useful life.
Solar is green during its normal lifetime but it isn't green during manufacture and it probably isn't green at the end of its useful life.
Wednesday, July 09, 2014
July 2014
July 2014: "The stunning number of cold cases solved in Ohio after Petro’s DNA-testing initiative got underway led him to changes in his views about innocence and wrongful convictions."
"“The error rate in the justice system–whether the most conservative or the most liberal calculation–would not be even remotely tolerated in the U.S. food industry or the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, for example. Why we have accepted it in the justice system is another question."
"“The error rate in the justice system–whether the most conservative or the most liberal calculation–would not be even remotely tolerated in the U.S. food industry or the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, for example. Why we have accepted it in the justice system is another question."
Monday, June 30, 2014
Illinois mom elated after defeating powerful union in Supreme Court | Fox News
Illinois mom elated after defeating powerful union in Supreme Court | Fox News: "there's not going to be a union contract inserted between my son and I, there's not going to be union rules and regulations dictating how I can provide the care that Josh needs"
"Joining the union meant the Harris home would become a union shop, the Harris family would have to start following union rules within their home and some of the money provided by the state to care for Josh for would be deducted for union dues. Harris estimates about $90 per month came out of the check and went to the SEIU."
"I don't rock the boat. But when it comes to taking public funding intended for people with disabilities, someone has to stand up."
"Joining the union meant the Harris home would become a union shop, the Harris family would have to start following union rules within their home and some of the money provided by the state to care for Josh for would be deducted for union dues. Harris estimates about $90 per month came out of the check and went to the SEIU."
"I don't rock the boat. But when it comes to taking public funding intended for people with disabilities, someone has to stand up."
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Worried about Net neutrality? Maybe it's the FCC that should really concern you - CNET
Worried about Net neutrality? Maybe it's the FCC that should really concern you - CNET: "the court sided with the FCC over the argument of whether the agency even has the authority from Congress to regulate the Internet. On that question, the FCC won. And it won big."
Despite rise in inequality, climbing the economic ladder hasn't gotten harder since the 1970s | Fox News
Despite rise in inequality, climbing the economic ladder hasn't gotten harder since the 1970s | Fox News: "the study found that 9 percent of children born in 1986 to the poorest 20 percent of households were likely to climb into the top 20 percent — little-changed from 8.4 percent for such children born in 1971."
The Sustainability Hoax | Cato Institute
The Sustainability Hoax | Cato Institute: "The Department of Energy, for example, has found that multifamily housing actually uses more energy (and therefore emits more greenhouse gases) per square foot than single-family homes. The only way multifamily housing would save energy would be if people accept smaller homes. A better solution is making single-family homes more energy efficient, which costs less and does not require the loss of privacy in multifamily housing.
Meanwhile, data from the Department of Transportation show that transit uses, on average, about the same amount of energy — and emits about the same amount of greenhouse gases — per passenger mile as the average car. Getting people out of their cars and onto transit won’t reduce emissions, but it will inconvenience a lot of people because transit is slow, expensive and inflexible."
Meanwhile, data from the Department of Transportation show that transit uses, on average, about the same amount of energy — and emits about the same amount of greenhouse gases — per passenger mile as the average car. Getting people out of their cars and onto transit won’t reduce emissions, but it will inconvenience a lot of people because transit is slow, expensive and inflexible."
Thursday, June 12, 2014
All Our Patent Are Belong To You | Blog | Tesla Motors
All Our Patent Are Belong To You | Blog | Tesla Motors: "Technology leadership is not defined by patents, which history has repeatedly shown to be small protection indeed against a determined competitor, but rather by the ability of a company to attract and motivate the world’s most talented engineers."
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Google Backs Netflix in Epic Battle With Comcast | Enterprise | WIRED
Google Backs Netflix in Epic Battle With Comcast | Enterprise | WIRED: "“We give companies like Netflix and Akamai free access to space and power in our facilities, and they provide their own content servers,” Google Fiber director of engineering Jeffrey Burgan wrote in a blog post on Wednesday. “Since people usually only stream one video at a time, video traffic doesn’t bog down or change the way we manage our network in any meaningful way–so why not help enable it?”"
How focusing on profit can help the poor - CSMonitor.com
How focusing on profit can help the poor - CSMonitor.com: "Without a sustainable business plan, efforts to help the poor can burn out. Although the profit margin on Essence of Life products is smaller than other products, Teichmann said it’s vital."
" “What we do is make enough money to continue the investment and get some return back so we can bring on people and make more products, expanding the portfolio [we can offer to farmers],” he continued. “The business model sustains itself, which is very important.” "
"Xylem cuts production costs by partnering with nonprofit organizations and government agencies to distribute the pumps – groups that know these rural communities well.
“We utilize their intimate understanding of conducting transactions and relationships in rural communities,” Teichmann said. “They become a part of our logistical channels to not only bring the product in, but to service the product as well.”
That service component is crucial, Teichmann said. If farmers can’t get repairs or replacement parts, even the most innovative and necessary product becomes useless."
"We see competitive products rusting in fields because there was no proactive service proposition, and they broke."
" “What we do is make enough money to continue the investment and get some return back so we can bring on people and make more products, expanding the portfolio [we can offer to farmers],” he continued. “The business model sustains itself, which is very important.” "
"Xylem cuts production costs by partnering with nonprofit organizations and government agencies to distribute the pumps – groups that know these rural communities well.
“We utilize their intimate understanding of conducting transactions and relationships in rural communities,” Teichmann said. “They become a part of our logistical channels to not only bring the product in, but to service the product as well.”
That service component is crucial, Teichmann said. If farmers can’t get repairs or replacement parts, even the most innovative and necessary product becomes useless."
"We see competitive products rusting in fields because there was no proactive service proposition, and they broke."
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
UCLA rejects $3M gift from Sterling for kidney research | Fox News
UCLA rejects $3M gift from Sterling for kidney research | Fox News: "UCLA said it is rejecting the $3 million donation received last month from the Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling after he was banned for life from the NBA over a racist audiotape."
Isn't it good to take money from a racist and you use to research disease?
Isn't it good to take money from a racist and you use to research disease?
Judge approves forfeiture of car, despite not guilty verdict - Campaign for Liberty
Judge approves forfeiture of car, despite not guilty verdict - Campaign for Liberty: "A Minnesota man who had his car seized in connection with an arrest for burglary will not get his car back despite being found not guilty."
"State’s Attorney Ron McBeth says there were no witnesses to the burglary and the case was highly circumstantial."
"State’s Attorney Ron McBeth says there were no witnesses to the burglary and the case was highly circumstantial."
Monday, April 28, 2014
Obama's Drone Wars Undermine American Values - Campaign for Liberty
Obama's Drone Wars Undermine American Values - Campaign for Liberty: "n 2012 President Obama approved “signature strikes” in Yemen, a criteria for attack that is not based on actual or suspected wrongdoing, but rather on a vague set of behaviors that are said to be shared by militants.
This means that the individuals killed in the most recent drone attacks were not necessarily terrorists or even terrorist suspects. They were not proven to have committed any crime, nor were they proven to have been members of al-Qaeda or any terrorist organization."
This means that the individuals killed in the most recent drone attacks were not necessarily terrorists or even terrorist suspects. They were not proven to have committed any crime, nor were they proven to have been members of al-Qaeda or any terrorist organization."
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Piketty Gets It Wrong | Cato Institute
Piketty Gets It Wrong | Cato Institute: "does it matter if some people become super-rich as long as we reduce poverty along the way? Which matters more, equality or prosperity?"
"In the end, there are two ways to address inequality. You can bring the top down, or you can lift the bottom up."
"In the end, there are two ways to address inequality. You can bring the top down, or you can lift the bottom up."
ACA Exchanges at Risk | Cato Institute
ACA Exchanges at Risk | Cato Institute: "Obamacare makes going uninsured an even safer bet. It increases premiums for healthy people and the penalty for not buying health insurance is largely toothless. So if you earn too much to qualify for subsidies or you take steps to avoid paying the penalty, going uninsured will save you even more money than before.
Obamacare even more dramatically reduces the downside of going uninsured. For example, suppose the day after you cancel your health insurance, you receive a serious diagnosis like diabetes, or cancer. Pre-Obamacare, you would not be able to buy coverage for that illness. Under Obamacare, however, insurers are required to cover you at the same premium they charged when you were healthy. You may have to wait until January for that coverage to take effect, but even so the downside risk of going uninsured is much smaller.
And in many cases, you can get coverage before January."
Obamacare even more dramatically reduces the downside of going uninsured. For example, suppose the day after you cancel your health insurance, you receive a serious diagnosis like diabetes, or cancer. Pre-Obamacare, you would not be able to buy coverage for that illness. Under Obamacare, however, insurers are required to cover you at the same premium they charged when you were healthy. You may have to wait until January for that coverage to take effect, but even so the downside risk of going uninsured is much smaller.
And in many cases, you can get coverage before January."
Our Oligarchs Can Thank James Madison - Ryan McMaken - Mises Daily
Our Oligarchs Can Thank James Madison - Ryan McMaken - Mises Daily: "In the essay, Madison’s position is that large expansive republics are superior to small limited republics because they balance a variety of “factions” (by which he meant interest groups and voting blocs) against each other and prevent any single group from unduly influencing the government. In a small republic, Madison argued, small factions are able to easily take control of the state’s resources or the state itself. Included among these factions is any large voting bloc with similar interests. The majority and its alleged penchant for the oppression of the minority can be controlled by cancelling out the interests of local majorities at the national level with majorities from other states, thus leading to a balanced population in which no particular faction can gain an upper hand.
Madison’s purpose was to demonstrate that if the American states were allowed to remain largely independent, as they indeed were in 1787, they would degenerate into despotism, but if the states were all consolidated into one federal system, the different factions within the many states would be balanced out and no group or alliance could ever take control of the new government."
Madison’s purpose was to demonstrate that if the American states were allowed to remain largely independent, as they indeed were in 1787, they would degenerate into despotism, but if the states were all consolidated into one federal system, the different factions within the many states would be balanced out and no group or alliance could ever take control of the new government."
Saving the Asylum System | Cato Institute
Saving the Asylum System | Cato Institute: "Making such a claim starts a long legal process that allows many unauthorized immigrants claiming asylum to work legally in the United States for years on a de facto work permit. This is an effective loophole that is growing in popularity but reformers must be careful not to close off this vital humanitarian safety valve.
From independence to the 20th century, America was the world’s safe haven for religious refugees. But in 1921 the federal government imposed the nation’s first immigration quotas, removing the last hope for many millions of people seeking to flee dictatorship, war, and genocide. Those restrictions led to the U.S. government shamefully turning away ships full of German Jews fleeing Nazi Germany."
"the asylum loophole is an unintended consequence of severe restrictions that make it exceedingly difficult for lower-skilled immigrants to enter the country legally. The asylum loophole problem could be resolved by creating a low-skilled guest worker visa program to channel would-be unauthorized immigrants into the legal system — removing the incentive for some of them to make dubious asylum claims."
"Individuals apprehended by the Border Patrol who then seek asylum status could be paroled, electronically monitored, and levied a large fine to be paid within one year. Raising the cost for illegally entering incentivizes honest asylum seekers to go through ports of entry.
Legal behavior should be rewarded. Asylum seekers who apply through a port of entry should also receive their work permit within a brief period of parole, ideally a week, instead of the current 180 days."
"Under today’s asylum rules, the pilgrims would probably not pass the first stage of interviews because they were relatively unmolested in the Netherlands. Any proposed reform to the asylum system that would deny our ancestors the right to settle here should be rejected."
From independence to the 20th century, America was the world’s safe haven for religious refugees. But in 1921 the federal government imposed the nation’s first immigration quotas, removing the last hope for many millions of people seeking to flee dictatorship, war, and genocide. Those restrictions led to the U.S. government shamefully turning away ships full of German Jews fleeing Nazi Germany."
"the asylum loophole is an unintended consequence of severe restrictions that make it exceedingly difficult for lower-skilled immigrants to enter the country legally. The asylum loophole problem could be resolved by creating a low-skilled guest worker visa program to channel would-be unauthorized immigrants into the legal system — removing the incentive for some of them to make dubious asylum claims."
"Individuals apprehended by the Border Patrol who then seek asylum status could be paroled, electronically monitored, and levied a large fine to be paid within one year. Raising the cost for illegally entering incentivizes honest asylum seekers to go through ports of entry.
Legal behavior should be rewarded. Asylum seekers who apply through a port of entry should also receive their work permit within a brief period of parole, ideally a week, instead of the current 180 days."
"Under today’s asylum rules, the pilgrims would probably not pass the first stage of interviews because they were relatively unmolested in the Netherlands. Any proposed reform to the asylum system that would deny our ancestors the right to settle here should be rejected."
Florida elementary school stops serving Mountain Dew to students before standardized tests | Fox News
Florida elementary school stops serving Mountain Dew to students before standardized tests | Fox News: "A central Florida elementary school has stopped a long-standing practice of serving students Mountain Dew before standardized tests."
"it was part of an effort to get kids excited about the FCAT"
"it was part of an effort to get kids excited about the FCAT"
Federal Government: Sorry America, no powdered alcohol for you - Campaign for Liberty
Federal Government: Sorry America, no powdered alcohol for you - Campaign for Liberty: "Last week, the Federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax, and Trade Bureau announced it had approved the sale of powdered alcohol, which is dry alcohol that can be mixed with water to create an alcoholic beverage. Today the agency announced that the initial approval was issued “in error” and has now been rescinded. So we can add powdered alcohol to the list of products that the federal bureaucrats have decided we cannot be allowed to have – even though the 21st amendment explicitly leaves the power to regulate alcohol to the states."
IRS workers who didn't pay taxes got bonuses
IRS workers who didn't pay taxes got bonuses: "he Internal Revenue Service handed out $2.8 million in bonuses to employees with disciplinary issues — including more than $1 million to employees who didn't pay their federal taxes"
Civil Liberties Hodgepodge - Campaign for Liberty
Civil Liberties Hodgepodge - Campaign for Liberty: "The court found that because high ranking officials have publicly discussed the existence of the targeted killing program, and in February 2013, the DOJ released a 16-page white paper defending the program, the administration waved any “states secrets privilege” that might have prevented them from having to disclose their legal reasoning."
" As the Atlantic reported last year, we haven’t seen a lockdown and an occupation of an American city on the scale of what happened in Boston after the marathon since the Watts riots — not in Oklahoma City after the Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995, not in Atlanta after the 1996 bombing in Centennial Olympic Park, not in D.C. during the 2002 sniper attacks, not after a series of pipe bombs went off in federal courthouse in San Diego in 2008, not during the dozens of instances in which a mass killer or serial killer was still at large. In Boston, 19,000 National Guard troops moved into an American city, not to put down a civil uprising, quell riots or dispel an insurrection, but to search for a single man. Armored vehicles motored up and down residential neighborhoods. Innocent people were confronted in their homes at gunpoint or had guns pointed at them for merely peering through the curtains of their own windows.
In the end, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wasn’t found by Guardsmen, a commando team or a police officer in an armored vehicle. After the shelter in place had been lifted, he was spotted by a resident of Watertown who saw something unusual in his back yard and called the police. Only then did SWAT teams respond to apprehend the suspected bomber. (More on that later.) For such a massive show of force, the fugitive was captured in a pretty conventional manner."
" As the Atlantic reported last year, we haven’t seen a lockdown and an occupation of an American city on the scale of what happened in Boston after the marathon since the Watts riots — not in Oklahoma City after the Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995, not in Atlanta after the 1996 bombing in Centennial Olympic Park, not in D.C. during the 2002 sniper attacks, not after a series of pipe bombs went off in federal courthouse in San Diego in 2008, not during the dozens of instances in which a mass killer or serial killer was still at large. In Boston, 19,000 National Guard troops moved into an American city, not to put down a civil uprising, quell riots or dispel an insurrection, but to search for a single man. Armored vehicles motored up and down residential neighborhoods. Innocent people were confronted in their homes at gunpoint or had guns pointed at them for merely peering through the curtains of their own windows.
In the end, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wasn’t found by Guardsmen, a commando team or a police officer in an armored vehicle. After the shelter in place had been lifted, he was spotted by a resident of Watertown who saw something unusual in his back yard and called the police. Only then did SWAT teams respond to apprehend the suspected bomber. (More on that later.) For such a massive show of force, the fugitive was captured in a pretty conventional manner."
Ron Paul Classic: Close down the Export-Import Bank - Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul Classic: Close down the Export-Import Bank - Campaign for Liberty: "the beneficiaries of Eximbank are visible to all; what is not seen is the products that would have been built, the businesses that would have been started, and the jobs that would have been created had the funds used for the Eximbank been left in the hands of consumers."
"True free trade involves the peaceful, voluntary exchange of goods across borders, not forcing taxpayers to subsidize the exports of politically powerful companies. Eximbank is not free trade, but rather managed trade, where winners and losers are determined by how well they please government bureaucrats instead of how well they please consumers."
"small businesses receive only 12-15% of Eximbank funds; the vast majority of Eximbank funds benefit large corporations. These corporations can certainly afford to support their own exports without relying on the American taxpayer."
"It never ceases to amaze me how members who criticize welfare for the poor on moral and constitutional grounds see no problem with the even more objectionable programs that provide welfare for the rich."
"True free trade involves the peaceful, voluntary exchange of goods across borders, not forcing taxpayers to subsidize the exports of politically powerful companies. Eximbank is not free trade, but rather managed trade, where winners and losers are determined by how well they please government bureaucrats instead of how well they please consumers."
"small businesses receive only 12-15% of Eximbank funds; the vast majority of Eximbank funds benefit large corporations. These corporations can certainly afford to support their own exports without relying on the American taxpayer."
"It never ceases to amaze me how members who criticize welfare for the poor on moral and constitutional grounds see no problem with the even more objectionable programs that provide welfare for the rich."
Campaign Finance: Untangling Citizens United and McCutcheon | Cato Institute
Campaign Finance: Untangling Citizens United and McCutcheon | Cato Institute: "three truths about campaign finance regulations: First, their stated reason — to prevent corruption — is too often trumped by their real motive, which is to protect incumbent officeholders from under-funded challengers. Second, each new regulation inevitably spawns an adroit means by which the regulation is circumvented. Third, campaign money is mostly designed to support candidates whose views agree with those of the donor — not to entice candidates to change their views in return for a donation."
Let Interns Be Interns | Cato Institute
Let Interns Be Interns | Cato Institute: "In modern America, it’s never more than a short jump from “this isn’t for everyone” to “let’s ban it.”"
"Paying to Learn Nothing = Legal. Paying Nothing to Learn = Illegal"
"Paying to Learn Nothing = Legal. Paying Nothing to Learn = Illegal"
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Osprey battles Maryland authorities to build nest in front of traffic camera | Fox News
Osprey battles Maryland authorities to build nest in front of traffic camera | Fox News: "A small bird is ruffling the feathers of Maryland state officials as they battle a determined osprey that has been trying to build a nest in front of a traffic camera since last week.
Maryland Transportation Authority reportedly removed a nest three times from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge"
People could train endangered birds to build nests in front of red light cameras. :-)
Maryland Transportation Authority reportedly removed a nest three times from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge"
People could train endangered birds to build nests in front of red light cameras. :-)
Monday, April 21, 2014
Three Things You Don't Know about Money in Politics | Cato Institute
Three Things You Don't Know about Money in Politics | Cato Institute: "magine a world where contribution limits to candidates were set at $50, or even $100. It would take a long time to amass enough money to run just a single ad telling voters your name and ideals. Challenging an incumbent under those conditions would be nearly impossible. This is one reason why incumbents tend to like campaign finance laws.
Moreover, many studies have shown that ads increase voter knowledge, interest, and even turnout."
"Candidates in safe districts, districts where the margin of victory all but ensures that one party will win, still get donations. According to election guru Nate Silver, the number of landside districts has doubled since 1992. There are now 242 of them. Candidates who oppose the entrenched party or incumbent receive very few donations and party support, thus essentially ensuring that, in those 242 districts, the “bigger spending” candidate will win. But it is the demographics and gerrymandering that cause those victories, not the spending."
"wealth and socioeconomic status do not effectively predict political beliefs. There are poor Democrats and rich Democrats, same as Republicans. For every Sheldon Adelson there’s a George Soros. For every Charles Koch there’s a Warren Buffett."
"Blaming money in politics for perceived policy failures also provides a convenient explanation for why the world doesn’t align with your policy preferences."
Moreover, many studies have shown that ads increase voter knowledge, interest, and even turnout."
"Candidates in safe districts, districts where the margin of victory all but ensures that one party will win, still get donations. According to election guru Nate Silver, the number of landside districts has doubled since 1992. There are now 242 of them. Candidates who oppose the entrenched party or incumbent receive very few donations and party support, thus essentially ensuring that, in those 242 districts, the “bigger spending” candidate will win. But it is the demographics and gerrymandering that cause those victories, not the spending."
"wealth and socioeconomic status do not effectively predict political beliefs. There are poor Democrats and rich Democrats, same as Republicans. For every Sheldon Adelson there’s a George Soros. For every Charles Koch there’s a Warren Buffett."
"Blaming money in politics for perceived policy failures also provides a convenient explanation for why the world doesn’t align with your policy preferences."
Ten Ways the Income Tax Harms Civil Liberties | Cato Institute
Ten Ways the Income Tax Harms Civil Liberties | Cato Institute: "Many studies have found that citizens, tax professionals, and the IRS all commit a large number of errors on their tax calculations. Looking at these studies, Professor David Vance of Rutgers University recently concluded that “the tax code is so complex that it is unconstitutionally vague,” likely violating due process under the Fifth Amendment."
"Tax laws, regulations, and related rules span 74,608 pages"
"Due process requires that government provide accused citizens a clear notice of a claim against them and allow them a hearing before executing enforcement action. But the IRS engages in many summary judgments, and enforces them prior to any judicial determinations."
"To obtain a jury trial and related rights for civil tax cases, one must file suit in a U.S. District Court. But before that can happen, the alleged tax, penalties, and interest must be paid in full."
"the IRS’s summons authority under tax code section 7602 allows it to obtain records of every description from any person without showing probable cause and without a court order"
"The requirement to file tax returns under penalty of perjury operates to invalidate the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination."
"Tax laws, regulations, and related rules span 74,608 pages"
"Due process requires that government provide accused citizens a clear notice of a claim against them and allow them a hearing before executing enforcement action. But the IRS engages in many summary judgments, and enforces them prior to any judicial determinations."
"To obtain a jury trial and related rights for civil tax cases, one must file suit in a U.S. District Court. But before that can happen, the alleged tax, penalties, and interest must be paid in full."
"the IRS’s summons authority under tax code section 7602 allows it to obtain records of every description from any person without showing probable cause and without a court order"
"The requirement to file tax returns under penalty of perjury operates to invalidate the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination."
Store smartphone apps should help the user find items
I checked the description of the smartphone apps for Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot. They all had catalog access and some had shopping lists but there is much more needed for the app really help your shopping experience.
- When I walk into a store, I should know that there is a website or app for helping me shop (ad at the front).
- There should we free WiFi that at least lets me use the website or app.
- The website/app should help me find the things I want! I should be able to ask it were something is and it should give me directions. It should know where I am in the store and how to get to the item I want.
- If I have a list of items to get, it should give me a good route to get all of them.
- It can make reasonable suggestions for other things to buy. You are getting milk, eggs, and flour -- do you also want chocolate chips?
- If it allowed me to comparison shop, I would be more likely to use it. It could even emphasize the benefits of buying at the store compared to online: "You can take this home right now for $99 or get it for $89 from Amazon and wait 2 days."
- It should make the checkout process easier. It can electronically send a list of items to make scanning quicker.
- It should make payment easier. It can store payment info and allow payment with the press of a button.
What else should it do?
Abusive Civil Asset-Forfeiture Laws | Cato Institute
Abusive Civil Asset-Forfeiture Laws | Cato Institute: "Do you think the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies should have the right to seize your assets, including your bank accounts, when you have not been convicted of wrongdoing? The fact is, the IRS and other government agencies do this all of the time, and often without even a formal accusation of wrongdoing."
"Institute for Justice lawyers have noted that the “federal civil forfeiture law features an appalling lack of due process: It empowers the government to seize private property from Americans without ever charging, let alone convicting, them of a crime.” "
"Institute for Justice lawyers have noted that the “federal civil forfeiture law features an appalling lack of due process: It empowers the government to seize private property from Americans without ever charging, let alone convicting, them of a crime.” "
Why we fight the IRS - Campaign for Liberty
Why we fight the IRS - Campaign for Liberty: "This is not about transparency. The donor information is not going to the FEC or any other public database, like donations to a federal candidate would."
"This fight is not even about taxes. No one who donates to Campaign for Liberty receives a tax deduction. So why does the IRS want this information? Nothing good can come of this, especially when the IRS has a repeated history of “accidentally” releasing this donor information to the public. Just last year the IRS “accidentally” released the National Organization for Marriage’s donor information."
"This fight is not even about taxes. No one who donates to Campaign for Liberty receives a tax deduction. So why does the IRS want this information? Nothing good can come of this, especially when the IRS has a repeated history of “accidentally” releasing this donor information to the public. Just last year the IRS “accidentally” released the National Organization for Marriage’s donor information."
Income Inequality Institute Will Pay Paul Krugman $25,000 Per Month - Campaign for Liberty
Income Inequality Institute Will Pay Paul Krugman $25,000 Per Month - Campaign for Liberty: "City University of New York will pay Paul Krugman $225,000 to work for the university’s Income Study Center, which researches income and income inequality."
"Krugman’s salary is coming from taxpayers"
That's a little ironic!
"Krugman’s salary is coming from taxpayers"
That's a little ironic!
Dems Want Government Health Care for All -- No Matter the Cost | Cato Institute
Dems Want Government Health Care for All -- No Matter the Cost | Cato Institute: "In fact, consumers in many countries that we associate with “socialized medicine,” such as France, actually pay more out of pocket for their health care than do Americans."
"And it’s not as though those subsidies are going only to the poor, who otherwise could not afford insurance. Although more generous to those earning 250% of the poverty line ($58,875 for a family of four), some level of subsidy is available up to 400% of poverty ($94,200 for a family of four). In fact, taking into account various income disregards, some families with even higher incomes could receive a subsidy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 700,000 people with incomes more than three times the poverty level will receive a subsidy next year."
"And it’s not as though those subsidies are going only to the poor, who otherwise could not afford insurance. Although more generous to those earning 250% of the poverty line ($58,875 for a family of four), some level of subsidy is available up to 400% of poverty ($94,200 for a family of four). In fact, taking into account various income disregards, some families with even higher incomes could receive a subsidy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 700,000 people with incomes more than three times the poverty level will receive a subsidy next year."
Saturday, April 19, 2014
School bus used to crack down on distracted driving
School bus used to crack down on distracted driving: "It took about an hour or so to get the first distracted driver as they drove up and down a few-mile stretch of Interstate 35W.
Most of the violations were seat belt related."
Once/hour on 35W doesn't seem very frequent.
Most of the violations were seat belt related."
Once/hour on 35W doesn't seem very frequent.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Reid calls armed backers of Nevada rancher 'domestic terrorists,' refers to federal task force | Fox News
Reid calls armed backers of Nevada rancher 'domestic terrorists,' refers to federal task force | Fox News: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is calling armed backers of a Nevada rancher "domestic terrorists" for using guns in a grazing rights battle with the federal Bureau of Land Management."
US legal system shifts away from treating eyewitness testimony as 'gold standard' of evidence | Fox News
US legal system shifts away from treating eyewitness testimony as 'gold standard' of evidence | Fox News: "Courts and legislatures are slowly shifting away from using eyewitness testimony as the gold standard of evidence. The reason: Studies show it's only right about half the time.
That has led a small group of police chiefs, courts and lawmakers to toughen laws governing the handling of eyewitnesses and their accounts of crimes. Reform advocates say procedures long regarded as solid police work can fundamentally alter what someone believes they saw."
That has led a small group of police chiefs, courts and lawmakers to toughen laws governing the handling of eyewitnesses and their accounts of crimes. Reform advocates say procedures long regarded as solid police work can fundamentally alter what someone believes they saw."
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Ron Paul Classic: The IRS's job is to violate our liberties - Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul Classic: The IRS's job is to violate our liberties - Campaign for Liberty: " IRS agents in the 1930s where essentially “hit squads” against opponents of the New Deal. It is well-known that the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson used the IRS to silence their critics. One of the articles of impeachment drawn up against Richard Nixon dealt with his use of the IRS to harass his political enemies. Allegations of IRS abuses were common during the Clinton administration, and just this week some of the current administration’s defenders recalled that antiwar and progressive groups alleged harassment by the IRS during the Bush presidency.
The bipartisan tradition of using the IRS as a tool to harass political opponents suggests that the problem is deeper than just a few “rogue” IRS agents—or even corruption within one, two, three or many administrations. Instead, the problem lays in the extraordinary power the tax system grants the IRS."
The bipartisan tradition of using the IRS as a tool to harass political opponents suggests that the problem is deeper than just a few “rogue” IRS agents—or even corruption within one, two, three or many administrations. Instead, the problem lays in the extraordinary power the tax system grants the IRS."
Tax Day | Cato Institute
Tax Day | Cato Institute: "The OECD measured the ratio of percentage of taxes paid to percentage of market income for the top 10 percent of earners in 24 countries. Total market income is far larger than total taxes paid, so even if the ratio is above 1, this is not saying this population pays more in taxes than they earn; it is saying that the share of taxes they pay is greater than the share of income they earn. In this report the U.S. came out on top, with the share of taxes paid equaling 135 percent of the share of income earned, far ahead of such “progressive” countries as France (110 percent), Denmark (102 percent), and Sweden (100 percent)."
The Shocking Secret Behind Obamacare Enrollment Numbers | Cato Institute
The Shocking Secret Behind Obamacare Enrollment Numbers | Cato Institute: "In January of this year, the Obama administration began spending billions of dollars of unauthorized subsidies to induce Americans to enroll in the 34 Exchanges established by the federal government. The president is literally forcing taxpayers, without any legal authorization, to subsidize two out of every three Exchange enrollments. "
Virginia Tech pays $32,500 in US fines stemming from April 2007 campus massacre | Fox News
Virginia Tech pays $32,500 in US fines stemming from April 2007 campus massacre | Fox News: "The U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday the university has paid two fines totaling $32,500 for violations of the Clery Act, which requires universities to issue timely warnings of campus threats.
Student gunman Seung-Hui Cho (sung-wee joh) shot two at a dorm on the Blacksburg campus hours before his rampage at a classroom building. University officials have defended their decision to not alert the campus of the first shootings because police said that they were domestic in nature and that the broader campus was not at risk."
So are they supposed to listen to the experts or just follow the letter of the law no matter what?
Student gunman Seung-Hui Cho (sung-wee joh) shot two at a dorm on the Blacksburg campus hours before his rampage at a classroom building. University officials have defended their decision to not alert the campus of the first shootings because police said that they were domestic in nature and that the broader campus was not at risk."
So are they supposed to listen to the experts or just follow the letter of the law no matter what?
ACLU backs Nebraska man arrested for handing out religious fliers | Fox News
ACLU backs Nebraska man arrested for handing out religious fliers | Fox News: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said Wednesday that Larry Ball was on a public sidewalk and exercising his First Amendment rights when he handed out the fliers."
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Russian aircraft buzz US Navy destroyer: How big a deal? - CSMonitor.com
Russian aircraft buzz US Navy destroyer: How big a deal? - CSMonitor.com: "During the cold war, these sorts of flybys “happened all the time,” says Christopher Harmer, a retired Navy officer who served as deputy director of future operations for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet."
Monday, April 14, 2014
The NSA's Heartbleed Problem Is the Problem with the NSA | Cato Institute
The NSA's Heartbleed Problem Is the Problem with the NSA | Cato Institute: "The agency’s recently-disclosed minimization procedures permit “retention of all communications that are enciphered.” In other words, when NSA encounters encryption it can’t crack, it’s allowed to — and apparently does — vacuum up all that scrambled traffic and store it indefinitely, in hopes of finding a way to break into it months or years in the future. As security experts recently confirmed, Heartbleed can be used to steal a site’s master encryption keys — keys that would suddenly enable anyone with a huge database of encrypted traffic to unlock it, at least for the vast majority of sites that don’t practice what’s known as “forward security”, regularly generating new keys as a safeguard against retroactive exposure."
"That creates a huge dilemma for private sector security experts. Normally, when they discover a vulnerability of this magnitude, they want to give their colleagues a discreet heads-up before going public, ensuring that the techies at major sites have a few days to patch the hole before the whole world learns about it.
The geeks at NSA’s massive Information Assurance Directorate — the part of the agency tasked with protecting secrets and improving security — very much want to be in that loop. But they’re part of an organization that’s also dedicated to stealing secrets and breaking security. And security companies have been burned by cooperation with NSA before: the influential firm RSA trusted the agency to help them improve one of their popular security tools, only to discover via another set of Snowden documents that the spies had schemed to weaken the software instead.
Giving NSA advance warning of Heartbleed could help the agency protect all those government systems that were relying on OpenSSL to protect user data — but it also would aid them in exploiting the bug to compromise privacy and security on a massive scale in the window before the fix was widely deployed."
"That creates a huge dilemma for private sector security experts. Normally, when they discover a vulnerability of this magnitude, they want to give their colleagues a discreet heads-up before going public, ensuring that the techies at major sites have a few days to patch the hole before the whole world learns about it.
The geeks at NSA’s massive Information Assurance Directorate — the part of the agency tasked with protecting secrets and improving security — very much want to be in that loop. But they’re part of an organization that’s also dedicated to stealing secrets and breaking security. And security companies have been burned by cooperation with NSA before: the influential firm RSA trusted the agency to help them improve one of their popular security tools, only to discover via another set of Snowden documents that the spies had schemed to weaken the software instead.
Giving NSA advance warning of Heartbleed could help the agency protect all those government systems that were relying on OpenSSL to protect user data — but it also would aid them in exploiting the bug to compromise privacy and security on a massive scale in the window before the fix was widely deployed."
Another Phony Budget Debate :: The Mises Economics Blog: The Circle Bastiat
Another Phony Budget Debate :: The Mises Economics Blog: The Circle Bastiat: " Only in DC could a budget that increases spending by 3.5 percent per year instead of by 5.2 percent per year be attacked as a “slash-and-burn” plan."
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Does the Paycheck Fairness Act help or hurt women? - Campaign for Liberty
Does the Paycheck Fairness Act help or hurt women? - Campaign for Liberty: "The Paycheck Fairness Act will make it harder for women to negotiate their own salaries, and for the company to respond to the needs and demands of those it employs. There are many conceivable reasons a woman might accept a lower salary: perhaps they’d like to market themselves competitively when coming back to work after raising children, or exchange lower pay for flexible hours. Under the Paycheck Fairness Act, these women will find themselves at a disadvantage."
Friday, April 11, 2014
New algorithm guesses SSNs using date and place of birth | Ars Technica
New algorithm guesses SSNs using date and place of birth | Ars Technica: "the authors estimate that even a moderate-sized botnet of 10,000 machines could successfully obtain identity verifications for younger residents of West Virginia at a rate of 47 a minute.
All of that requires that the botnet master have access to date and place of birth information, and a number of commercial services will happily provide that data for a price. But the authors also point out that it may not be necessary to pay; they cite a publication in progress that indicates it's easy to harvest a lot of that information from social networking sites like Facebook."
All of that requires that the botnet master have access to date and place of birth information, and a number of commercial services will happily provide that data for a price. But the authors also point out that it may not be necessary to pay; they cite a publication in progress that indicates it's easy to harvest a lot of that information from social networking sites like Facebook."
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Taking from the poor to give to the rich - Campaign for Liberty
Taking from the poor to give to the rich - Campaign for Liberty: "The Affordable Care Act ultimately relies on the same redistributionist principle—taking extra money from the young and healthy and using it to subsidize the health care of our far wealthier and less healthy parents and grandparents.
All told, “more than 50 percent of federal benefits flow to the 13 percent of the population over 65”—the same segment of the population with forty-seven times young people’s income and net worth. This makes no sense."
All told, “more than 50 percent of federal benefits flow to the 13 percent of the population over 65”—the same segment of the population with forty-seven times young people’s income and net worth. This makes no sense."
Computer technical support call a year after laptop was stolen leads to burglary arrest | Fox News
Computer technical support call a year after laptop was stolen leads to burglary arrest | Fox News: "Mike Witonis got an email from Apple thanking him for calling customer service about his laptop computer. Problem is, someone had stolen it from him a year earlier."
After 25 years in prison, man exonerated of NYC murder committed while he was at Disney World | Fox News
After 25 years in prison, man exonerated of NYC murder committed while he was at Disney World | Fox News: "From the day of his 1989 arrest in a deadly New York City shooting, Jonathan Fleming said he had been more than 1,000 miles away, on a vacation at Disney World. Despite having documents to back him up, he was convicted of murder.
Prosecutors now agree with him, and Fleming left a Brooklyn court as a free man Tuesday after spending nearly a quarter-century behind bars.
Fleming, now 51, tearfully hugged his lawyers as relatives cheered, "Thank you, God!" after a judge dismissed the case. A key witness had recanted, newly found witnesses implicated someone else and prosecutors' review of authorities' files turned up documents supporting Fleming's alibi."
"Fleming had plane tickets, videos and postcards from his trip, said his lawyers, Anthony Mayol and Taylor Koss. But prosecutors at the time suggested he could have made a quick round-trip plane jaunt to be in New York, and a woman testified that she had seen him shoot Rush. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison and was due to have his first parole hearing soon.
The witness recanted her testimony soon after Fleming's 1990 conviction, saying she had lied so police would cut her loose for an unrelated arrest, but Fleming lost his appeals."
"Prosecutors' review produced a hotel receipt that Fleming paid in Florida about five hours before the shooting — a document that police evidently had found in Fleming's pocket when they arrested him. Prosecutors also found an October 1989 Orlando police letter to New York detectives, saying some employees at an Orlando hotel had told investigators they remembered Fleming.
Neither the receipt nor the police letter had been provided to Fleming's initial defense lawyer, despite rules that generally require investigators to turn over possibly exculpatory material."
Prosecutors now agree with him, and Fleming left a Brooklyn court as a free man Tuesday after spending nearly a quarter-century behind bars.
Fleming, now 51, tearfully hugged his lawyers as relatives cheered, "Thank you, God!" after a judge dismissed the case. A key witness had recanted, newly found witnesses implicated someone else and prosecutors' review of authorities' files turned up documents supporting Fleming's alibi."
"Fleming had plane tickets, videos and postcards from his trip, said his lawyers, Anthony Mayol and Taylor Koss. But prosecutors at the time suggested he could have made a quick round-trip plane jaunt to be in New York, and a woman testified that she had seen him shoot Rush. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison and was due to have his first parole hearing soon.
The witness recanted her testimony soon after Fleming's 1990 conviction, saying she had lied so police would cut her loose for an unrelated arrest, but Fleming lost his appeals."
"Prosecutors' review produced a hotel receipt that Fleming paid in Florida about five hours before the shooting — a document that police evidently had found in Fleming's pocket when they arrested him. Prosecutors also found an October 1989 Orlando police letter to New York detectives, saying some employees at an Orlando hotel had told investigators they remembered Fleming.
Neither the receipt nor the police letter had been provided to Fleming's initial defense lawyer, despite rules that generally require investigators to turn over possibly exculpatory material."
Monday, April 07, 2014
EPA exposed humans to high levels of pollutants - Campaign for Liberty
EPA exposed humans to high levels of pollutants - Campaign for Liberty: "The agency conducted tests on people with health issues and the elderly, exposing them to high levels of potentially lethal pollutants, without disclosing the risks of cancer and death, according to a newly released government report.
These experiments exposed people, including those with asthma and heart problems, to dangerously high levels of toxic pollutants, including diesel fumes, reads a EPA inspector general report obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The EPA also exposed people with health issues to levels of pollutants up to 50 times greater than the agency says is safe for humans."
These experiments exposed people, including those with asthma and heart problems, to dangerously high levels of toxic pollutants, including diesel fumes, reads a EPA inspector general report obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The EPA also exposed people with health issues to levels of pollutants up to 50 times greater than the agency says is safe for humans."
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute: "In other words, executives running a multibillion-dollar industry — until they were enlightened by government bureaucrats — were too ignorant to understand that providing “free” contraception to everybody costs less than covering a few pregnancies."
Friday, April 04, 2014
Dissent on a One Way Street | RedState
Dissent on a One Way Street | RedState: "The left in the United States increasingly refuses even to consider other arguments. Children must be taught only the left’s arguments. Scholars and pundits must only share the left’s views. Any other views must be marginalized, silenced, or punished. Those who hold unpopular views must be shunned, fired, or re-educated."
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute: "In other words, executives running a multibillion-dollar industry — until they were enlightened by government bureaucrats — were too ignorant to understand that providing “free” contraception to everybody costs less than covering a few pregnancies."
The Whistleblower vs Mugabe at the Un | Cato Institute
The Whistleblower vs Mugabe at the Un | Cato Institute: "The controversy demonstrates that something is very wrong with the UN system. Observed writer Armin Rosen: “This case involves more than just a single UN bureaucrat enjoying a disturbingly close relationship with one of the most oppressive governments on earth. The UN system also actively abetted a toxic organizational status quo in Zimbabwe, even when it meant ruining the career of an employee who the [review UN] tribunal found to be a talented humanitarian professional and a courageous whistleblower—and even if it meant putting thousands of Zimbabweans’ lives in danger.”"
"The judges concluded their devastating opinion by noting that no names had been redacted: “It is the considered view of this Tribunal that when individuals occupy high public offices, if the circumstances so warrant, their actions that lead to injustice should be exposed openly. This is also a component of transparent justice and accountability of public servants as reiterated by the General Assembly.” "
"The judges concluded their devastating opinion by noting that no names had been redacted: “It is the considered view of this Tribunal that when individuals occupy high public offices, if the circumstances so warrant, their actions that lead to injustice should be exposed openly. This is also a component of transparent justice and accountability of public servants as reiterated by the General Assembly.” "
What Do American Indians Deserve: Name Changes or Policy Changes? | Cato Institute
What Do American Indians Deserve: Name Changes or Policy Changes? | Cato Institute: "Only about five percent of land on Indian reservations is fee simple [individually owned]. The great majority of land is trust land, which can be difficult to develop and use productively. Trust land generally cannot be leased, mortgaged, or transferred without approval by the BIA. And the land cannot be easily used as loan collateral for an entrepreneur who wants to raise funds for investment.
Economist Terry Anderson, an expert on tribal economies, has noted that when you drive through reservations and “you see 160 acres overgrazed and a house unfit for occupancy, you can be sure the title to the land is held by the federal government bureaucracy. In contrast, when you see irrigated land in cultivations with farm implements, a barn and a well-kept house, you can be sure the land is held fee simple.”"
Economist Terry Anderson, an expert on tribal economies, has noted that when you drive through reservations and “you see 160 acres overgrazed and a house unfit for occupancy, you can be sure the title to the land is held by the federal government bureaucracy. In contrast, when you see irrigated land in cultivations with farm implements, a barn and a well-kept house, you can be sure the land is held fee simple.”"
March Madness, lottery tickets and our government | Fox News
March Madness, lottery tickets and our government | Fox News: "After locking up bookies for "dangerous and criminal" activities, like running "numbers rackets," most states now offer much worse odds in state lotteries. Then they take money from taxpayers to advertise their scams.
Some states even run commercials that mock hard work, pushing the benefits of a long-shot jackpot. Poor people become poorer, because they buy most of the lottery tickets. Then politicians brag how money from the lottery helps the poor. "
"when "unapproved" websites offered Internet poker, at far better odds, the federal government charged the operators with "money laundering" and shut the sites down."
"Politicians turn small problems into big ones. I wish politicians would notice that their clumsy one-size-fits-all laws can never take into account how 300 million different Americans react to a complex experience like gambling.
The way people gamble will vary, just as the way they drink or play sports varies. Most people are careful; some are reckless. But we don't respond by forbidding drinking or sports."
Some states even run commercials that mock hard work, pushing the benefits of a long-shot jackpot. Poor people become poorer, because they buy most of the lottery tickets. Then politicians brag how money from the lottery helps the poor. "
"when "unapproved" websites offered Internet poker, at far better odds, the federal government charged the operators with "money laundering" and shut the sites down."
"Politicians turn small problems into big ones. I wish politicians would notice that their clumsy one-size-fits-all laws can never take into account how 300 million different Americans react to a complex experience like gambling.
The way people gamble will vary, just as the way they drink or play sports varies. Most people are careful; some are reckless. But we don't respond by forbidding drinking or sports."
Monday, March 31, 2014
A Closer Look at Income Inequality - Andrew Syrios - Mises Daily
A Closer Look at Income Inequality - Andrew Syrios - Mises Daily: "say everyone in the country made the same income, but got a promotion each decade. They start at $20,000/year in their 20s, then they go to $30,000/year in their 30s, etc. In addition, they save 5 percent of their income each year and make no return on their savings. To make things simpler, we’ll assume there is the same number of people in each age bracket."
Then those over 60 would have 30% of income even though they represent only 20% of wage earners.
Then those over 60 would have 30% of income even though they represent only 20% of wage earners.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Quiet riot on Spotify as band pays for free tour with silent album - CNET
Quiet riot on Spotify as band pays for free tour with silent album - CNET: "Sleepify by LA funk band Vulfpeck consists of ten 30-second tracks of complete silence. The idea is that fans put the album on repeat and repair to bed, the tracks repeating all night thus racking up the plays and raking in royalties for the band.
The boys in Vulfpeck reckon they earn around 0.5 cents per play and around $4 for your night's spinning. So far each track has spun around 3,000 times.
It isn't just a cash grab, though, as Vulfpeck plan to use the money raised to fund a tour this autumn consisting only of free shows. Spotify data will also be used to schedule the tour, taking the tour bus to locales where the most people have been listening to the band. It's a similar method to that employed by heavy metal heavyweights Iron Maiden, who have made millions by bringing daughters to the slaughter in places where people are pirating their music."
The boys in Vulfpeck reckon they earn around 0.5 cents per play and around $4 for your night's spinning. So far each track has spun around 3,000 times.
It isn't just a cash grab, though, as Vulfpeck plan to use the money raised to fund a tour this autumn consisting only of free shows. Spotify data will also be used to schedule the tour, taking the tour bus to locales where the most people have been listening to the band. It's a similar method to that employed by heavy metal heavyweights Iron Maiden, who have made millions by bringing daughters to the slaughter in places where people are pirating their music."
Monday, March 24, 2014
Progressive Trickle-Down in Maryland | Cato Institute
Progressive Trickle-Down in Maryland | Cato Institute: "In markets, only projects that promise a return in excess of the cost of borrowing get built. Government allocation of capital, by contrast, exalts the judgments of politicians and bureaucrats over those of consumers and investors, and substitutes political pull for economic merit in the competition for capital. In combination, this is a prescription for inefficiency, inequity and corruption."
No civil liability for deputies in deadly raid over video game - JSOnline
No civil liability for deputies in deadly raid over video game - JSOnline: "It may well have been overkill to conduct a SWAT-style home raid over a stolen video game, but once the resident pointed a gun at a deputy who had yelled "stop, poliice," he was justified in killing the resident, a federal judge has ruled."
No civil liability for "overkill"?
"Deputy Mathew Secor, who had long hair and goatee and was dressed in plain clothes, followed him. When Secor got to the top floor, he saw Brown pointing a shotgun at him. Secor fired his automatic assault rifle at Brown, who was struck by four rounds and died."
How is someone supposed to know that a "plain clothes" person is actually an officer?
No civil liability for "overkill"?
"Deputy Mathew Secor, who had long hair and goatee and was dressed in plain clothes, followed him. When Secor got to the top floor, he saw Brown pointing a shotgun at him. Secor fired his automatic assault rifle at Brown, who was struck by four rounds and died."
How is someone supposed to know that a "plain clothes" person is actually an officer?
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Sweatshops: A Way Out of Poverty - Benjamin Powell - Mises Daily
Sweatshops: A Way Out of Poverty - Benjamin Powell - Mises Daily: "I found 83 cases of supposedly exploitative sweatshop wages reported in popular press sources and compared those earnings to the living standards in the countries where they were found. In every country where the sweatshops were located, more than 10 percent of the population lived on less than $2 per day. In more than half of the countries, more than 40 percent did. Yet, in 77 of the 83 cases, the sweatshop wages exceeded the $2 a day threshold. Five of the six exceptions occurred in Bangladesh, where the workers earned more than $1.25 per day — something that more than half the population of that country failed to achieve at the time."
"sweatshop earnings even compared favorably to the average incomes in the countries where they were located. In six of the 17 countries, the average reported sweatshop wage exceeded the average income in the country — in Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua it was more than twice the national average. In another six countries, the average reported sweatshop wages were around the national average. In four of the five countries where sweatshop wages were 50 percent below the national average, the workers were immigrants (sometimes illegal) from other countries and their sweatshop wages exceeded the average wage in their native country.
In short, sweatshops provide the least-bad option for the workers who work in them."
"That process of development took roughly 150 years in Great Britain, because much of the capital had to be created anew and the technology invented. The United States transformed from a pre-industrial society to a post-sweatshop society more rapidly, because it imported technology and capital from Great Britain.
In 1950, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea were just beginning the process of development with sweatshops. In about a generation and a half, they catapulted from pre-industrial levels of development to first world living standards."
"In countries with average incomes above $12,000, there is virtually no child labor. But for countries whose incomes are below $2,000, more than 30 percent of children work.
As families escape poverty, they remove their children from the labor force. Child labor laws go unenforced or force children to work in informal sectors when they are passed prior to achieving a level of development that would have removed children from the labor force anyway."
"sweatshop earnings even compared favorably to the average incomes in the countries where they were located. In six of the 17 countries, the average reported sweatshop wage exceeded the average income in the country — in Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua it was more than twice the national average. In another six countries, the average reported sweatshop wages were around the national average. In four of the five countries where sweatshop wages were 50 percent below the national average, the workers were immigrants (sometimes illegal) from other countries and their sweatshop wages exceeded the average wage in their native country.
In short, sweatshops provide the least-bad option for the workers who work in them."
"That process of development took roughly 150 years in Great Britain, because much of the capital had to be created anew and the technology invented. The United States transformed from a pre-industrial society to a post-sweatshop society more rapidly, because it imported technology and capital from Great Britain.
In 1950, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea were just beginning the process of development with sweatshops. In about a generation and a half, they catapulted from pre-industrial levels of development to first world living standards."
"In countries with average incomes above $12,000, there is virtually no child labor. But for countries whose incomes are below $2,000, more than 30 percent of children work.
As families escape poverty, they remove their children from the labor force. Child labor laws go unenforced or force children to work in informal sectors when they are passed prior to achieving a level of development that would have removed children from the labor force anyway."
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
No Obamacare Slogan Is Going to Save Dems | Cato Institute
No Obamacare Slogan Is Going to Save Dems | Cato Institute: "Now there’s a slogan for Democrats to run on: “We’re spending $41 billion of your money this year and we’ve insured as many people as we’ve uninsured.”"
Libertarianism 101 | Cato Institute
Libertarianism 101 | Cato Institute: "Exclusive licenses to privileged rivals nurture monopolies at public expense. Targeted tax benefits, subsidies, guarantees, and loans; or tariffs and quotas to protect domestic companies from foreign imports, spawn the same anti-competitive environment that antitrust laws are meant to foreclose. Corporations exploit the law — consorting with members of Congress, their staffers, and the best lobbying firms that money can buy. Too often, that’s the practical consequence of government intervention."
Friday, March 14, 2014
Bureaucrats a Bad Rx for Care | Cato Institute
Bureaucrats a Bad Rx for Care | Cato Institute: "The regulators believed that such standardization would lead to more accurate processing of Medicare claims.
Instead it made doctors and hospitals wedge their patients and services into predetermined, ill-fitting categories."
"CMS instituted protocols based on statistically generalized — rather than individualized — outcomes in large population groups.
It is easy to standardize treatment protocols. It is impossible to standardize individual patients."
Instead it made doctors and hospitals wedge their patients and services into predetermined, ill-fitting categories."
"CMS instituted protocols based on statistically generalized — rather than individualized — outcomes in large population groups.
It is easy to standardize treatment protocols. It is impossible to standardize individual patients."
The Ingrained Intolerance of Liberal Tolerance | Cato Institute
The Ingrained Intolerance of Liberal Tolerance | Cato Institute: "Indeed, why would a gay couple want, say, a Christian opposed to gay marriage to photograph their wedding or prepare their cake? It hardly seems the best way to ensure a satisfactory job. One suspects that it is an exercise in humiliation, an attempt to force those with unfashionable scruples to affirm what they reject. It is, in short, a calculated effort at intolerance."
"The objective was to force Catholics, mostly, and the few fundamentalist Protestants who hold similar theological views, to pay for what they oppose. In fact, there is no better way to humiliate those you hate. It is pure and unadulterated intolerance, the ultimate Washington triumph: Make those you despise pay for what they despise."
"Nevertheless, some decisions are more uncomfortable than others. Most photographers probably don’t care about the person’s background when taking their portrait. Covering a wedding — actively participating in and celebrating the ceremony — is different. As a writer, I have ghosted articles for people of varying political views. But there are boundaries that I would not transgress."
"The objective was to force Catholics, mostly, and the few fundamentalist Protestants who hold similar theological views, to pay for what they oppose. In fact, there is no better way to humiliate those you hate. It is pure and unadulterated intolerance, the ultimate Washington triumph: Make those you despise pay for what they despise."
"Nevertheless, some decisions are more uncomfortable than others. Most photographers probably don’t care about the person’s background when taking their portrait. Covering a wedding — actively participating in and celebrating the ceremony — is different. As a writer, I have ghosted articles for people of varying political views. But there are boundaries that I would not transgress."
In Fighting the 'Job Lock,' Democrats Opened a Poverty Trap | Cato Institute
In Fighting the 'Job Lock,' Democrats Opened a Poverty Trap | Cato Institute: "“the phase-out effectively raises people’s marginal tax rates (the tax rates applying to their last dollar of income), thus discouraging work.”
In fact, for those low-wage workers who fall into this phase-out range, CBO estimates that it will increase their marginal tax rate by an average of 12 percentage points. As CBO points out, “[f]or those workers, the loss of subsidies upon returning to a job with health insurance is an implicit tax on working.”"
"While there is no easy answer to the poverty trap, we should recognize that every time we raise taxes, and every time we set up a new welfare program, we help trap people deeper into poverty. We may make that poverty a bit more comfortable, but we make it harder for them to get out."
In fact, for those low-wage workers who fall into this phase-out range, CBO estimates that it will increase their marginal tax rate by an average of 12 percentage points. As CBO points out, “[f]or those workers, the loss of subsidies upon returning to a job with health insurance is an implicit tax on working.”"
"While there is no easy answer to the poverty trap, we should recognize that every time we raise taxes, and every time we set up a new welfare program, we help trap people deeper into poverty. We may make that poverty a bit more comfortable, but we make it harder for them to get out."
The Responsibility to Resist Fiscally Irresponsible Politicians | Cato Institute
The Responsibility to Resist Fiscally Irresponsible Politicians | Cato Institute: "It is important for citizens to recognize that resources are always scarce, and the function of government should be to prevent hell on earth, rather than try to establish heaven. When the state tries to do too many things, it inevitably brings excessive complexity in its actions and becomes inefficient."
"Good fiscal policy exists when the private sector grows faster than the public sector, while fiscal ruin is inevitable if government spending grows faster than the productive part of the economy."
"Good fiscal policy exists when the private sector grows faster than the public sector, while fiscal ruin is inevitable if government spending grows faster than the productive part of the economy."
Europeans Watch Ukraine and Fear Russia: They Should Take over NATO And Europe's Defense | Cato Institute
Europeans Watch Ukraine and Fear Russia: They Should Take over NATO And Europe's Defense | Cato Institute: "Ukraine long has been divided along ethnic, cultural, and linguistic lines, with pro-Russian sentiment increasing the further one goes to the east. It is highest in Crimea. In fact, that region only ended up in Ukraine in 1954 when then Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Nikita Krushchev, from Ukraine, shifted it administratively."
"Independence from the Soviet Union is fine. Independence from Ukraine is not. Everyone believes in self-determination, except when they don’t."
"The best answer for the Crimean crisis is a negotiated climb-down, where Russia pulls back its forces, Kiev addresses those disenfranchised by Yanukovich’s ouster, Crimea delays its referendum, Ukraine accepts a secession vote, Europe respects the result, Washington stops meddling in Kiev’s politics, and everyone disavows any intention of bringing Ukraine into NATO. Kiev would not be pressed to choose between east and west, but could look to both economically. Moscow would accept expanded European economic ties without allied defense commitments to its southern neighbor and the U.S. would eschew playing a new Great Game against Russia along its border."
"Independence from the Soviet Union is fine. Independence from Ukraine is not. Everyone believes in self-determination, except when they don’t."
"The best answer for the Crimean crisis is a negotiated climb-down, where Russia pulls back its forces, Kiev addresses those disenfranchised by Yanukovich’s ouster, Crimea delays its referendum, Ukraine accepts a secession vote, Europe respects the result, Washington stops meddling in Kiev’s politics, and everyone disavows any intention of bringing Ukraine into NATO. Kiev would not be pressed to choose between east and west, but could look to both economically. Moscow would accept expanded European economic ties without allied defense commitments to its southern neighbor and the U.S. would eschew playing a new Great Game against Russia along its border."
Governing for Poetry | Cato Institute
Governing for Poetry | Cato Institute: "When government welfare spending increases, private charitable giving tends to decline. Conversely, when welfare programs are cut — or perceived to be cut — Americans step up and increase their charitable giving. As Murray explains, “if government is not seen as a legitimate source of intervention, individuals and associations will respond. If instead government is permitted to respond, government will seize the opportunity, expand on it, and eventually take over altogether.”"
"In the absence of widespread government enforced discrimination, such as existed in the Jim Crow South, there would seem to be numerous non-governmental tools — boycotts, public shaming, etc. — available to punish bigoted business owners. Sometimes the correct answer is not “there ought to be a law.”"
"No less than liberals, too many conservatives believe that virtue can and sometimes must be compelled by the state.
All of this bespeaks a lack of faith in one’s own convictions and moral authority. When George Washington contrasted government to civil society in his farewell address, warning that “government is not reason, it is not eloquence — it is force,” he was making an important distinction. Government relies on force and coercion to achieve its objectives. In contrast, the civil society relies on persuasion — reason and eloquence (and, yes, sometimes poetry) — to motivate people."
"In the absence of widespread government enforced discrimination, such as existed in the Jim Crow South, there would seem to be numerous non-governmental tools — boycotts, public shaming, etc. — available to punish bigoted business owners. Sometimes the correct answer is not “there ought to be a law.”"
"No less than liberals, too many conservatives believe that virtue can and sometimes must be compelled by the state.
All of this bespeaks a lack of faith in one’s own convictions and moral authority. When George Washington contrasted government to civil society in his farewell address, warning that “government is not reason, it is not eloquence — it is force,” he was making an important distinction. Government relies on force and coercion to achieve its objectives. In contrast, the civil society relies on persuasion — reason and eloquence (and, yes, sometimes poetry) — to motivate people."
Choosing to Learn | Cato Institute
Choosing to Learn | Cato Institute: "The compelled conformity fostered by centralized standards and tests stifles the very diversity that gives consumer choice its value.
Most low- and middle-income families today have no viable alternative to their zoned public school. Absent any alternatives, the school is not directly accountable to them, so policymakers try to approximate real accountability through one-size-fits-all regulations.
But distant bureaucrats cannot know the individual needs and preferences of every family. Nor do they share the local knowledge enjoyed by educators."
"A global review of the scientific research comparing different types of education systems reveals that the most market-like, least regulated systems consistently outperform more centralized and regulated ones — by a ratio of 15 statistically significant findings to one, across seven different measures of educational outcomes."
Most low- and middle-income families today have no viable alternative to their zoned public school. Absent any alternatives, the school is not directly accountable to them, so policymakers try to approximate real accountability through one-size-fits-all regulations.
But distant bureaucrats cannot know the individual needs and preferences of every family. Nor do they share the local knowledge enjoyed by educators."
"A global review of the scientific research comparing different types of education systems reveals that the most market-like, least regulated systems consistently outperform more centralized and regulated ones — by a ratio of 15 statistically significant findings to one, across seven different measures of educational outcomes."
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Parent Appalled Over Essay Asking 8th Graders If They’d Rather Be Slaves Or Factory Workers « CBS Detroit
Parent Appalled Over Essay Asking 8th Graders If They’d Rather Be Slaves Or Factory Workers « CBS Detroit: “As far as I’m concerned, they are diametrically opposing circumstances. You have on one end, a slave that is not free, who has no free will. And on the other end, you have a factory worker and although it was in the Industrial Revolution, they still had a free choice and they had a choice to walk away if they wanted to.”
"the essay was based on a Michigan Content Expectation, in which 8th grade students were asked to be able to explain the differences in the lives of free blacks — including those who escaped from slavery — with the lives of free whites and enslaved people."
"“The majority of the class felt that they would rather be a slave than to be a factory worker. And she was just extremely confused by that, knowing what slaves went through, she couldn’t understand why anyone would choose that,” James said. “The rationale by those students to choose slaves was that they had free housing, they had free food and they had free protection. But the argument that she and I put forth was that those things were not free.”"
"the essay was based on a Michigan Content Expectation, in which 8th grade students were asked to be able to explain the differences in the lives of free blacks — including those who escaped from slavery — with the lives of free whites and enslaved people."
"“The majority of the class felt that they would rather be a slave than to be a factory worker. And she was just extremely confused by that, knowing what slaves went through, she couldn’t understand why anyone would choose that,” James said. “The rationale by those students to choose slaves was that they had free housing, they had free food and they had free protection. But the argument that she and I put forth was that those things were not free.”"
A conservative 'war on women'? That's just silly | Fox News
A conservative 'war on women'? That's just silly | Fox News: "Insurance companies still charge men more for car and life insurance. A survey of car insurance companies found that the cheapest policy for a woman cost 39 percent less than for a man. A 60-year-old woman pays 20 percent less than a man for a 10-year life insurance policy. Seventy-year-old women pay half as much as men."
"Obama even cynically repeats the misleading claim that women make 77 cents for every dollar men make, although his own Department of Labor says the difference evaporates once you control for experience and other choices."
"Obama even cynically repeats the misleading claim that women make 77 cents for every dollar men make, although his own Department of Labor says the difference evaporates once you control for experience and other choices."
Friday, March 07, 2014
Hagel's 'Defense Cuts' Are Smoke And Mirrors - Campaign for Liberty
Hagel's 'Defense Cuts' Are Smoke And Mirrors - Campaign for Liberty: "What Hagel proposes is not cuts, but instead a shift in spending away from personnel and toward new high-tech weapons which are favored by and profitable to the military-industrial complex.
The F-35, for example, will continue in production according to Hagel’s plan, despite the numerous cost over-runs and design flaws. This is likely because the F-35 is built in 46 US states and nine foreign countries! That makes it particularly popular in Congress, regardless of its flaws and expense."
The F-35, for example, will continue in production according to Hagel’s plan, despite the numerous cost over-runs and design flaws. This is likely because the F-35 is built in 46 US states and nine foreign countries! That makes it particularly popular in Congress, regardless of its flaws and expense."
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Ohio Has a Ministry of Truth, and It Isn't Much Better Than George Orwell's | Cato Institute
Ohio Has a Ministry of Truth, and It Isn't Much Better Than George Orwell's | Cato Institute: "the investigation manager for the Florida Election Commission testified under oath that 98 percent of the complaints received are “politically motivated” and that “many times” the point is to punish political opponents or to “harass that person and otherwise divert their attention from the campaign.”"
Monday, March 03, 2014
The Continuing Al-Qaeda Threat - Campaign for Liberty
The Continuing Al-Qaeda Threat - Campaign for Liberty: "Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified that he could not say the threat from al-Qaeda is any less today than it was ten years ago. It was a shocking admission. Does he mean that the trillions of dollars spent fighting the war on terrorism have resulted in no gains? That those who urged us to give up some of our liberties to gain security have, as Benjamin Franklin warned, lost both?
What if Clapper is telling us the truth, however? What would this revelation mean if that is the case?
For one, it means that we have gotten very little for the tremendous amount of spending on the war on terrorism and the lives lost. We are told that the military and intelligence community can protect us if they are given the tools they need, but it appears they have not done a very good job by their own admission.
More likely, it may mean that the US government’s policies are causing more al-Qaeda groups to arise and take the place of those who have been defeated by US drone and military attacks. Clapper does mention that there are so many different al-Qaeda franchises popping up it is difficult to keep track of them all, much less defeat them. But why is that? A former State Department official stated last year that every new drone strike in Yemen that kills innocent people results in the creation of 40-60 new enemies. Likewise, the young girl from Pakistan who had been brutally shot by the Taliban for her desire to go to school told President Obama during a White House meeting that “drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people.”"
What if Clapper is telling us the truth, however? What would this revelation mean if that is the case?
For one, it means that we have gotten very little for the tremendous amount of spending on the war on terrorism and the lives lost. We are told that the military and intelligence community can protect us if they are given the tools they need, but it appears they have not done a very good job by their own admission.
More likely, it may mean that the US government’s policies are causing more al-Qaeda groups to arise and take the place of those who have been defeated by US drone and military attacks. Clapper does mention that there are so many different al-Qaeda franchises popping up it is difficult to keep track of them all, much less defeat them. But why is that? A former State Department official stated last year that every new drone strike in Yemen that kills innocent people results in the creation of 40-60 new enemies. Likewise, the young girl from Pakistan who had been brutally shot by the Taliban for her desire to go to school told President Obama during a White House meeting that “drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people.”"
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
How Special-Interest Groups Benefit from Minimum Wage Laws - Gary Galles - Mises Daily
How Special-Interest Groups Benefit from Minimum Wage Laws - Gary Galles - Mises Daily: "Non-union workers and employers in high cost of living areas, where virtually everyone earns above the federal minimum wage, benefit, by raising the cost of production imposed on rivals where wages are lower (Which is why many in high-wage areas favor higher federal minimum wages, while those in low-wage states — the alleged beneficiaries — often oppose them). Workers and producers where state minimum wages exceed the federal minimum also gain because it raises the cost of production where the federal minimum is binding, relative to where they are located."
"Because Wal-Mart already pays more than the federal minimum, in low-wage areas a federal minimum-wage increase raises competitors’ costs, but not theirs. In high-wage areas, supporting a higher federal minimum wage is a costless way for Wal-Mart to demonstrate compassion for workers."
"The same mechanism is at work in the depression-era Davis-Bacon Act, which is still in force. It required the payment of “prevailing wages” on any project that received federal money. But its genesis was the explicitly racist intent to exclude lower-cost southern firms employing black workers from underbidding local white workers for construction projects, by forcing them to pay their workers more."
"Because Wal-Mart already pays more than the federal minimum, in low-wage areas a federal minimum-wage increase raises competitors’ costs, but not theirs. In high-wage areas, supporting a higher federal minimum wage is a costless way for Wal-Mart to demonstrate compassion for workers."
"The same mechanism is at work in the depression-era Davis-Bacon Act, which is still in force. It required the payment of “prevailing wages” on any project that received federal money. But its genesis was the explicitly racist intent to exclude lower-cost southern firms employing black workers from underbidding local white workers for construction projects, by forcing them to pay their workers more."
Presidents Day: What's to Celebrate? | Cato Institute
Presidents Day: What's to Celebrate? | Cato Institute: "The demands Americans place on the presidency are virtually boundless: They “invest in the president their highest aspirations not just for the federal government, but for the general polity, for their communities and families, and for their own private lives.” Responding to the incentives that confront them, presidents naturally seek power to meet the insatiable public demands for presidential salvation.
Thus, Howell writes, “from nearly the moment he assumes office, the most self-effacing presidential candidate will quickly be transformed into a great apologist for presidential power.”"
“presidents can ill afford to repudiate any power that might enable them to address the onslaught of expectations put before them.”
"The private interests of individual congressmen lead them to cede power to the executive branch and focus on reelection. Congress rarely guards its institutional turf — yet every president ends up leaving the presidency stronger than he found it."
Thus, Howell writes, “from nearly the moment he assumes office, the most self-effacing presidential candidate will quickly be transformed into a great apologist for presidential power.”"
“presidents can ill afford to repudiate any power that might enable them to address the onslaught of expectations put before them.”
"The private interests of individual congressmen lead them to cede power to the executive branch and focus on reelection. Congress rarely guards its institutional turf — yet every president ends up leaving the presidency stronger than he found it."
In a pickle: New Jersey breaks out the brine for snowy roads as it awaits fed OK for salt delivery | Fox News
In a pickle: New Jersey breaks out the brine for snowy roads as it awaits fed OK for salt delivery | Fox News: "The salt is sitting at a port in Maine, docked until New Jersey officials obtain a federal waiver. Once that is done, it will take two days to ship the load from Maine to Newark.
The shipment is being denied entry because it’s on a vessel that isn’t flying under a U.S. flag – a violation of the 1920 federal Maritime Act -- also known as The Jones Act -- that requires shipments to arrive on a ship with goods traveling between two U.S. ports to be flying the American flag."
The shipment is being denied entry because it’s on a vessel that isn’t flying under a U.S. flag – a violation of the 1920 federal Maritime Act -- also known as The Jones Act -- that requires shipments to arrive on a ship with goods traveling between two U.S. ports to be flying the American flag."
Monday, February 17, 2014
By the numbers: Tea partyers, liberals agree on Snowden, protecting people's privacy from NSA | Fox News
By the numbers: Tea partyers, liberals agree on Snowden, protecting people's privacy from NSA | Fox News: "Q: Which is the more important goal for the government: Protecting the rights and freedoms of U.S. citizens or making sure that U.S. citizens are safe from being harmed by terrorists?
Percentage who say protecting rights is more important:
Tea party supporters: 69 percent
Liberals: 67 percent
Republicans who don't support the tea party: 54 percent
Democrats who aren't liberals: 51 percent
U.S. overall: 61 percent"
Percentage who say protecting rights is more important:
Tea party supporters: 69 percent
Liberals: 67 percent
Republicans who don't support the tea party: 54 percent
Democrats who aren't liberals: 51 percent
U.S. overall: 61 percent"
Friday, February 07, 2014
ABC News reports on guns mislead Americans | Fox News
ABC News reports on guns mislead Americans | Fox News: "84 percent of the injuries were for 15 to 19 year olds and 62 percent as a result of criminal assaults. These injuries don’t occur from young children accidentally mishandling a gun in their own home, but rather as victims of brutal crimes, often gang related. "
"in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control reports that 76% of firearm injuries were for those under age 20 were for 17, 18, and 19 year olds."
"For all children under age 10, the Centers for Disease Controlreports that for 2010 (the latest year available) there were 36 accidental gun deaths, and that is out of 41 million children living in the United States.
In addition, two thirds of these accidental gun deaths involving young children are not shots fired by other little kids but rather by adult males with criminal backgrounds."
"Accidental suffocations alone claimed 1,070 deaths, drownings 609 deaths; fires 262 lives; poisonings 54 lives.
If your child is offered a ride in a car, it would make more sense to check the parents’ driving record than whether they own guns. After all, 923 children under 10 died in car accidents. "
"in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control reports that 76% of firearm injuries were for those under age 20 were for 17, 18, and 19 year olds."
"For all children under age 10, the Centers for Disease Controlreports that for 2010 (the latest year available) there were 36 accidental gun deaths, and that is out of 41 million children living in the United States.
In addition, two thirds of these accidental gun deaths involving young children are not shots fired by other little kids but rather by adult males with criminal backgrounds."
"Accidental suffocations alone claimed 1,070 deaths, drownings 609 deaths; fires 262 lives; poisonings 54 lives.
If your child is offered a ride in a car, it would make more sense to check the parents’ driving record than whether they own guns. After all, 923 children under 10 died in car accidents. "
Why USA will win Sochi Olympics medal count. (It's not what you think.) - CSMonitor.com
Why USA will win Sochi Olympics medal count. (It's not what you think.) - CSMonitor.com: "The United States is expected to top the overall medal table in Sochi, and, ironically, the very lack of government funding could in some ways be cited as a driving cause."
"And in struggling to make a living playing the sports they love, American athletes have received a clear (if at times brutal) message: The winners get the money, and with no golden parachute of government-funded stipends to fall back on, success becomes a sort of Olympic Darwinism – a natural selection of the best team the nation can produce."
"But the fact that the USOC has to be accountable to the public (in this case through the media) has a deep effect on how the Olympics are viewed in America. Foreigners watching NBC's coverage understandably complain about how it's all profiles and weepy backstory. To the USOC, however, this is simply a matter of promoting its product to potential investors."
"And in struggling to make a living playing the sports they love, American athletes have received a clear (if at times brutal) message: The winners get the money, and with no golden parachute of government-funded stipends to fall back on, success becomes a sort of Olympic Darwinism – a natural selection of the best team the nation can produce."
"But the fact that the USOC has to be accountable to the public (in this case through the media) has a deep effect on how the Olympics are viewed in America. Foreigners watching NBC's coverage understandably complain about how it's all profiles and weepy backstory. To the USOC, however, this is simply a matter of promoting its product to potential investors."
Thursday, January 30, 2014
How President Obama Could be Swept Away with His Executive Orders That Defy Congress and the Courts | Cato Institute
How President Obama Could be Swept Away with His Executive Orders That Defy Congress and the Courts | Cato Institute: "In 1974, the Senate Committee on National Emergencies and Delegated Emergency Powers was surprised to discover that “Since March 9, 1933, the United States has been in a state of declared national emergency. There are now in effect four presidentially-proclaimed states of national emergency. In addition to the national emergency declared by President Roosevelt [during the Great Depression], there are also the national emergency proclaimed by President Truman on December 16, 1950, during the Korean conflict, and the states of national emergency declared by President Nixon on March 23, 1970 and August 15, 1971.”
The committee report continued, “These proclamations give force to 470 provisions of Federal law, delegating to the President extraordinary powers, ordinarily exercised by the Congress, which affect the lives of American citizens in a host of all-encompassing manners…The President may seize property, organize and control the means of production, seize commodities, assign military forces abroad, institute martial law, seize and control all transportation and communication, regulate the operation of private enterprise, restrict travel, and in a plethora of particular ways, control the lives of all Americans.”"
"Reportedly every president since Grover Cleveland has had some of his executive orders modified or revoked by legislation."
The committee report continued, “These proclamations give force to 470 provisions of Federal law, delegating to the President extraordinary powers, ordinarily exercised by the Congress, which affect the lives of American citizens in a host of all-encompassing manners…The President may seize property, organize and control the means of production, seize commodities, assign military forces abroad, institute martial law, seize and control all transportation and communication, regulate the operation of private enterprise, restrict travel, and in a plethora of particular ways, control the lives of all Americans.”"
"Reportedly every president since Grover Cleveland has had some of his executive orders modified or revoked by legislation."
School District Seizes Lunches From 40 Elementary Students in Debt
School District Seizes Lunches From 40 Elementary Students in Debt: "So the department did what any humane, understanding person would do: they snatched the meals from the children and threw them in the trash."
How does wasting the food help anything?!?
How does wasting the food help anything?!?
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Obama Keeps Showing Why He's Impeachable | Cato Institute
Obama Keeps Showing Why He's Impeachable | Cato Institute: "Back in March 2012, “the White House released an executive order, ‘National Defense Resources Preparedness.’ The document is stunning in its audacity and a flagrant violation of the Constitution. It states that, in case of a war or national emergency, the federal government has the authority to take over almost every aspect of American society. Food, livestock, farming equipment, manufacturing, industry, energy, transportation, hospitals, health care facilities, water resources, defense and construction.”"
11-year-old Illinois girl's cupcake business shut down by county officials | Fox News
11-year-old Illinois girl's cupcake business shut down by county officials | Fox News: "Amy Yeager, a health department spokeswoman, told the newspaper the county was only applying the law governing businesses that sell and distribute food to the general public.
"The rules are the rules. It’s for the protection of the public health," Yeager said. "The guidelines apply to everyone." "
Maybe the rules should be changed...
"The rules are the rules. It’s for the protection of the public health," Yeager said. "The guidelines apply to everyone." "
Maybe the rules should be changed...
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Jay Leno: 'I don't want to do another 'Tonight Show'' | Fox News
Jay Leno: 'I don't want to do another 'Tonight Show'' | Fox News: "You always put the joke first. A lot of times I see comedians put their political belief in front of the joke. If you're going to be a comedian, tell jokes. The real trick is, especially with politicians, I never question their patriotism and I never question their basic decency, I just question their judgment."
Cheap Coin from the Republicans - Campaign for Liberty
Cheap Coin from the Republicans - Campaign for Liberty: "When Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and White House, this legislation could have passed Congress and would have been signed into law—but the GOP leadership never showed any interest in moving this legislation. They only showed an interest in this issue after Obama became President. Perhaps I am being too cynical, but this suggests the GOP leadership is more interested in symbolic votes to make opponents of taxpayer-funded abortion think they are on their side than actually protecting taxpayers from being forced to subsidize abortions."
Friday, January 24, 2014
RNC slams ‘unconstitutional’ NSA spying - James Hohmann - POLITICO.com
RNC slams ‘unconstitutional’ NSA spying - James Hohmann - POLITICO.com: "The resolution, affirmed by a voice vote at the GOP’s winter meeting, was a remarkable move from many of the same party activists who vigorously defended controversial surveillance programs during George W. Bush’s administration."
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Obama Reveals Himself as a Champion of the Surveillance State | Cato Institute
Obama Reveals Himself as a Champion of the Surveillance State | Cato Institute: "his review group on NSA surveillance ... [didn't] find any evidence that the program had been particularly useful. As the group’s report, issued in December, put it, information derived from bulk collection “was not essential to preventing attacks and could readily have been obtained in a timely manner” through other means."
MILLER: D.C. trial for one shotgun shell but no gun, not given NBC David Gregory offer - Washington Times
MILLER: D.C. trial for one shotgun shell but no gun, not given NBC David Gregory offer - Washington Times: "A hunter and gun owner, Mr. Witaschek has always kept his firearms at his sister’s house in Virginia. If convicted, he faces a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for having a single, inoperable shotgun shell in his home. "
Monday, January 13, 2014
Five overlooked costs of the NSA surveillance flap - CSMonitor.com
Five overlooked costs of the NSA surveillance flap - CSMonitor.com: "The NSA-Snowden episode has undermined US arguments on the international stage in favor of wide access to information via the Internet and against censorship and government surveillance of citizens, experts in the US say."
If Snowden didn't bring it to light someone else would have (especially given NSA's lax security standards) so including Snowden in the cause is like blaming the last straw for breaking the camel's back.
If Snowden didn't bring it to light someone else would have (especially given NSA's lax security standards) so including Snowden in the cause is like blaming the last straw for breaking the camel's back.
Monday, January 06, 2014
Desert Tech, Utah gunmaker, turns down $15 million deal with Pakistan | Fox News
Desert Tech, Utah gunmaker, turns down $15 million deal with Pakistan | Fox News: "Mike Davis, sales manager at Desert Tech, said the company was on a short list for a contract with Pakistan, but spurned the opportunity because of unrest in Pakistan and ethical concerns.
It was a difficult decision because of the amount of money involved, he said, and the sale of rifles to Pakistan would have been legal."
It was a difficult decision because of the amount of money involved, he said, and the sale of rifles to Pakistan would have been legal."
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Putting Headlines Ahead of Science | Cato Institute
Putting Headlines Ahead of Science | Cato Institute: "So, if Science and Nature differentially publish flashy research, and publishing there will deliver funding and tenure, scientists are naturally going to gravitate toward trendy topics and produce flashy research. It’s a cycle that perpetuates Armageddon-style headlines that compel politicians to disburse more money, for more research, ultimately buying a beach house for the doom-saying scientists."
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