Something I need to keep in mind more often

Whatever is true,

Whatever is noble,

Whatever is right,

Whatever is pure,

Whatever is lovely,

Whatever is admirable —

If anything is excellent or praiseworthy —

Think about such things.

                          — Phillippians 4:8 (NIV)

Brought to mind by this story, which will both break and lift your heart.

About that "consensus" on manmade global warming....

Often global warming alarmists will argue as though the science on manmade global warming is settled, that a mere handful of kooks disagree with their conclusion, and that few, if any, reputable scientists disagree with it.  The editor of "Physics and Society," a publication of the American Physics Society, wrote these words:

There is a considerable presence in the scientific community of people who do not agree with the IPCC (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) that anthropogenic CO2 emissions are very probably likely to be primarily responsible for the global warming that has occurred since the Industrial Revolution.

Sigh...Lubbock hits the (questionable) big time....again

Now when somebody asks "Where you from?" and you answer "Lubbock, Texas," expect a few snickers.

Another Obamacare Revelation

Congressman Tim Huelskamp of Kansas has written an Op-Ed in the Washington Examiner detailing a proposed rule request by HHS.  This rule would require insurers and healthcare providers to hand over patient information to the government.  The rule request is listed in the Federal Register. The pertinent section of this mind-numbing piece of literature is section 153.340, "Data collection under risk management."

Hmmm....I wonder what the government could do with everyone's individual medical records?  Maybe ration care?  Maybe determine who is healthy enough to approve medical treatment for, and who is not?

Nancy Pelosi said they had to pass Obamacare so we could find out what was in it.  Now we know.

Another take on "fair share"

I thought I'd take my last post and put it into a more visual medium.  Incidentally, these figures were compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"Fair share" = "Wait, what?"

As Barack Obama pounds the bully pulpit to let us know that he thinks the "rich" should pay their "fair share," what almost no one outside of Washington knows is that the top income earners in the United States pay a higher percentage of taxes in relation to their income than those in any other industrialized nation in the world.  But Democrats in Washington sure know it.  

No "Present" vote for Obama this time

In direct defiance to a request by the United States, the Palestinian Authority has issued an official request to the United Nations for the UN to recognize a Palestinian state.  


This puts Barack Obama in a pickle. He has tried to play both sides of the Arab/Palestinian - Israeli conflict since taking office.  His sympathies lie naturally with the Muslim Palestinians, but Israel is a devoted ally and the Jewish vote is vital to the Democrat party.  With the move by the PA, Obama has two choices: veto the PA's request in the UN Security Council, or do nothing and allow the vote, which is almost sure to pass (with the Arab world united against Israel.)


One small sticking point: The Palestinian Authority's charter calls for the destruction of Israel. In a meeting with Palestinian leaders, Mahmoud Abbas, head of the PA, made it clear. "They talk to us about the Jewish state, but I respond to them with a final answer: We shall not recognize a Jewish state,"


Obama has been careful his whole political career to avoid making decisions that might have a negative effect on his career.  He has been mocked for the number of "Present" votes he cast on controversial issues when he was a member of the Illinois legislature.  He has played both sides of the budget debate.  He really, really hates being nailed down.  


So Obama is forced to make a decision, and that decision will redound throughout the world, and will have a major impact on the 2012 elections. Obama would give anything to let this decision simmer until 2013 (like all the extra taxes that will be forced on Americans because of Obamacare,) but he may not have that choice. 

I'm finally excited about fashion

The Ohio University football team had been bugging their coaches about getting something a little more stylish than their traditional green or white jerseys. See what happens when their wishes come true. It's kind of cool to see a bunch of young guys get this excited about something relatively small.  This video helps me remember that very often it's the little things that count.


Here's the "reveal" video.

It's only fair (to Obama)

Big coverage of Obama’s plan to raise taxes on “the rich”  ($1.5 trillion in higher taxes is the number being quoted.) The stories portray this as his move to fight the budget deficit, which is on everyone’s mind right now. 

A few points:

Obama added at least $3 trillion to the deficit in two years (with his “stimulus” package and Obamacare,) 

He advocated higher taxes in his book The Audacity of Hope in 2006 (when the economy was still relatively good and no one was taking about the deficit.)

The math doesn’t work.  The government will spend about $3.8 trillion in 2011.  If you taxed the top 1% of taxpayers at 100% -- every single bit of their income – you’d collect about $1.7 trillion, or only enough to pay one year’s bills through about June 12th. Guess who will pay for the rest of the year? (And every year after that, as all those people leave the country.)

Is it not reasonable to assume that his push for higher taxes -- 

Has nothing to do with the budget deficit, and

Has nothing to do with the amount of revenues that would be collected, and

Has everything to do with exploiting class envy for political purposes?  

The Chicago Obama Way

Among the many advantages Barack Obama enjoys heading into the 2012 elections is the fact that he has so far managed to avoid any major political damage from scandals.  However, given that he was trained in the Chicago school of corrupt politics, the phrase “it’s just a matter of time” comes to mind.
It looks as though that time may be closer than you think.

Scandal #1.  First, there’s the matter of Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturing company that recently went bankrupt.  Solyndra received a taxpayer-guaranteed loan of $500 million in 2010.  Obama made a special appearance at their plant to tout the success of his “green” agenda.  A year later, taxpayers are on the hook for another half a billion dollars.

The Bush administration had previously rejected Solyndra’s loan application because of concerns over the company's finances.  Government accountants had warned the Obama White House about the company’s problems.  Despite those warnings, Obama & Co. approved the loan.  Why?  One of the major shareholders of Solyndra is also a major fundraiser for Obama.  This fundraiser made several visits to the White House in the months just before the Obama administration approved Solyndra’s loan.

The FBI and a House Committee are now investigating Solyndra, and the evidence is piling up.  The political backscrubbing has become so undeniable that even the major networks are covering it.




Scandal #2.  A four-star Air Force general said he was pressured by the Obama White House to alter histestimony to a House committee investigating the company Lightsquared.  Lightsquared is a satellite broadband company that has proposed a project for the military.  The Pentagon has expressed concerns over the company’s technology, and its effect on GPS systems.

General William Shelton was scheduled to present prepared testimony to the House committee. Such testimony is usually vetted to make sure of accuracy.  According to officials familiar with the situation, Shelton’s prepared testimony was leaked in advance to the company.  According to General Shelton, the White House asked him to alter his testimony to reflect more favorably on Lightsquared, its technology, and the project.  General Shelton was understandably miffed at this, both by the political interference (since when do we let the subject of an inquiry influence expert testimony?) and the prospect of compromising military effectiveness.

Lightsquared’s majority owner is an investment fund run by – you guessed it – a big Democrat donor.

Obama managed to avoid major political damage when he took Chrysler away from legitimate stockholders and gave it to his buddies in the autoworkers union.  We’ll see if his luck holds out against these two newest scandals.