Saturday, August 21, 2010

Larwyn's Linx: Another Team Obama draft memo You Must Ignore!

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Nation

Another Team Obama draft memo You Must Ignore!: Malkin
Dems' New ObamaCare Message: We're 'Improving' It: RWN
Another Obama recess appointment, another radical: AT

Unmosqued: Tapes Unearthed of 'Moderate' Imam Rauf: Ace
Sleeping With the Enemy: Noisy Room
Oh My: Dino Rossi Ahead of Patty "Tennis Moron" Murray By 7!: Ace

Economy

ShoreBank's Faux Shutdown: Malkin
Video: The New Orleans School Voucher Program: BlogProf
How Teachers Unions Abuse Non-Union Teacher Paychecks: RWN

Welfare Bureaucrats Swarm Like Locusts: RWN
First It Was Jobs Saved, Now Obama Counting 'Lives Touched' : JWF
The Ride Down: AT

Climate & Energy

Obama's Stealth Ocean Confiscation: Malkin
23,000 workers impacted by Obama drilling ban: WashExam
When You Truly Need Someone To Do Something Stupid, Look For A Climate Creationist: RWN

Media

An open letter to Michael Calderone regarding the definition of ‘Ground Zero’: Caller
DNC Pulls Bush Ad: LegalIns
‘How dare you call Obama a Muslim? Not that there’s anything wrong with it…’: Caller

Bitter Clingers in the Mist: Driscoll
Muslims, not Americans, are religious bigots: Tapscott
Ann Coulter vs. WND: WashExam

World

Tapes Reveal Moderate, Bridge-building GZ Imam Not So Moderate: Nice Deb
Are They Lying To Us?: GoV
Burqa Banned at Trial: Jawa

Wikileaks Founder Charged With Rape, Molestation in Sweden: TAB
Why Is Accounting Firm KPMG Funding Putin’s Version of Hitler Youth?: PJM
Direct Talk About Direct (Israel-Palestinian) Talks: BRubin

Will Captured Illegal Arms Dealer Link Democrats to the FARC Terror Group?: GWP
The American media's taboo regarding the ineffectiveness of MAD with Iran: AT
U.S. Assures Israel That Iran Threat Is Not Imminent: C&S

SciTech

Study: Astronauts as weak as 80-year-olds in space: Breitbart
Facebook Movie: 'The Social Network' Trailer: YouTube
100 tips essential to being a smarter better twitterer: Jim Grygar

Cornucopia

He's No Joe Namath: iOTW
Gold bullion stolen from Florida treasure museum: Reuters
School for Radical Play Babies: C&S

Obama Doctrine Rollover Fun: C&S
Six Common Baby Names That Might Hurt You: Neatorama
Police bust Paris "booby" trap gang: Reuters

Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Thank John McCain for Confirming Eric Holder: Support J.D. Hayworth for U.S. Senate


Friday, August 20, 2010

Yep

No comments required.

Incredible New Voter Sentiment Index: Counting Comments at "The Hill"

I have arrived at the best scientific assessment of voter sentiment since, well, Fred Zogby's historic 1965 prediction that Al Gore would invent the Internet. At TheHill.com -- not exactly the center of right-wing thought -- I tallied the ratio of pro-Obama to anti-Obama comments.

By the time I tired of the exercise, the score (for this article) read:

35 anti-Obama to 3 pro-Obama to 3 neutral

After 41 comments, I'll be honest -- I gave up.

Do with this data what you will. No matter what: vote in November.


Record Number of 401(k) Hardship Withdrawals Reported; Retirement No Longer a Concern Given Vaunted Stability of Social Security Per President Obama

Durden explains the latest grim Obama record. In truth, these economic records are wearing a little thin.

...according to a new study by Fidelity, a record number of workers tapped their retirement funds and made hardship withdrawals from their accounts in the second quarter. In other words, just like the country they live in, Americans no longer give a rat's ass about the retirement years in a narrow sense, and the future in a broader one, and since real unemployment is about 20%, wage deflation is everywhere, even as Solitaire time is down to 0 (except for SEC employees), and nobody has any money left, the only logical recourse is to borrow from the self-funded pension fund...

... According to the Fidelity study, "Among the 11 million workers whose 401(k) plans are run by Fidelity, 11 percent [Ed: 1.2 million people!] took out a loan from their plan during the 12 months ended June 30, the company said, up from 9 percent at the same point a year earlier. By the end of the second quarter, plan participants with loans outstanding against their 401(k) accounts had reached 22 percent versus 20 percent a year earlier."

The likelihood that these loans will ever be repaid are roughly equivalent to the odds that Jean Claude Van-Damme will pull down a lifetime achievement Oscar.

And funding your retirement won't be much of a problem. Well, at least according to President Obama:

President Obama said Social Security is not in crisis and only modest changes are needed to keep it solvent...

"I have been adamant that Social Security should not be privatized, and it will not be privatized as long as I am president," he added.

Obama also said his bipartisan fiscal commission could come up with proposals to extend the life of the program.

"I am absolutely convinced it can be done," he said.

My primary concern is whether we should call Social Security "History's Greatest Ponzi Scheme" -- or just the "United States' Fiscal Death Panel".


Nancy Pelosi Calls for Investigation into Funding Sources of Families of 9/11 Survivors who Object to Ground Zero Victory Mosque

Citing concern with First Amendment issues and/or local zoning rules, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for investigations into the funding sources of those who oppose the Ground Zero Mosque.

"It seems incomprehensible to me that in this great country of ours, which tolerates all religions and especially atheism, that anyone could object to the construction of a massive 15-story mosque near the Ground Zero crater. Or, as the Associated Press refers to it, 'Manhattan's Friendliest Sharia-Compliant Mosque'," the Speaker opined.

"For this reason, I have asked Attorney General Holder to launch an investigation of all opponents of this mosque, including the 9/11 families. I have also requested that the Internal Revenue Service and the newly-formed Federal Bureau of Health Care Investigations research the funding behind this insidious organization that does not demonstrate the religious tolerance of all things Islamic."

After the Speaker's press conference, other House Democrats also expressed interest in investigating the funding sources of pro-life groups, talk show hosts and long-haul truck drivers.


Image: Record-Online.

Larwyn's Linx: Obamacare really is an abomination; The Truth About America

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email. You can also install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget.

Nation

Obamacare really is an abomination: Pundette
Another 'draft' memo: stop enforcing immigration laws: Corner
Who approved Ground Zero Victory Mosque?: ConTeach

The Truth About America: Doc Zero
A New Gun Rights Lawsuit in Maryland: Instapundit
Obama bans over 100,000 rifles: Volokh Conspiracy

Economy

Obama and the Socialist Bourgeoisie: Patriot Post
Begin with the end in mind: Chicago Boyz
Obama Gives Unions Special Breaks for the Third Time: GWP

The Selling of ObamaCare: WashExam
The Economy Must Change: AT
Barney Frank Discovers Fiscal Responsibility: RWN

Small businesses not hiring--and why should they?: Mish
More on 'unexpected' rise in unemployment claims: BlogProf
The 56-year Benner Cycle: Insider

Climate & Energy

Guess what gets blamed for Pakistan flooding?: RWN
Is Obamandius Selling Out His Warmist Base?: CBullitt

Media

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!! AP has a 'standards center'?: Sister Toldjah
Never Enough: Liberalism's Guiding Philosophy: AT
Palin: Pelosi’s Investigation of Harry Reid & Howard Dean “Will Be Enlightening”: GWP

Conservative Bloggers Select The 25 Greatest Figures In American History: RWN
NYT: ‘Birthers’ And Bigots Oppose Obama: S&L
With a Whimper or a Bang — or Not at All?: Hanson

Muslims in Manhattan Need a Place to Pray: S&L
Is Obama A Secret Muslim?: RWN
Dear 43, How About Grabbing a Mop?: Dewey

World

Obama Appoints Woman Linked to Top Cuban Spy as... Ambassador to El Salvador: RedState
The Imam Has Landed: So When Does He Phone Home?: Rosett
Strange Political Bedfellows: Hamas-Supporting Code Pink Honcho Hosts Jerry Brown Fundraiser: BigJournalism

The Muslim Student Association's Terror Problem: PJM
The Last US Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq: S&L
Our Friends the Saudis: Judge Considers Paralysis Punishment: GWP

SciTech

Hands-on with Sharpie's Liquid Pencil: CNet
Nikon Unveils SLR Camera With Hi-Def Video: Information Week
Democrats Slam Google-Verizon Internet Proposal: NewsFactor

Cornucopia

Mysteries of Consciousness: On The Square
“Silver People on the Shoreline, Let Us Be.” : MOTUS
Okay, Ladies. You Heard Cosmo.: iOTW

Images: Barking Crayon
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Thank John McCain for Eric Holder by Supporting J.D. Hayworth.

QOTD: "I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer." -- Benjamin Franklin as quoted by Mark Alexander in Obama and the Socialist Bourgeoisie


Thursday, August 19, 2010

The AP needs a new name for Ground Zero Mosque: won't you please help? Update: The Top 15 #APMosqueNames So Far

Because the AP ordered its reporters to stop referring to the Ground Zero Mosque as, well, the Ground Zero Mosque, helpful commenters at Michelle Malkin's site suggested some alternatives.

Pro journalists: take note. The top 15?

15. Landing Gear Mosque
14. Project Bloomberg
13. 9/11 Victory Mosque
12. Daily Kosque
11. Caliphate-on-Hudson
10. The Gorelick & Clarke Building
 9. Mosque formerly known as the Ground Zero Mosque
 8. Hamosque
 7. Crater’s Edge
 6. Bullseye
 5. The Mohammed Atta Memorial
 4. Hormel House
 3. The Debris Field Mosque
 2. Burlington Terrorist Factory
 1. New York Fire Training Academy

Won't you please help the AP?


Update: Cerploda House.

The Naked Harry Reid

Harry Reid likes to paint his opponent in this year's Senate race -- conservative Republican Sharron Angle -- as some sort of extremist because she believes in the Constitution. But Sharron Angle didn't nationalize the health care system against the will of the people. She didn't put America on a trajectory of economic ruin with unprecedented "Stimulus" spending. She doesn't favor open borders like Reid. And, best I can tell, Sharron Angle isn't involved in the shady, sleazy deals that Reid's been entangled with for decades.

From 2002 to 2005, Senator Reid was exceedingly generous with Christmas gifts for service workers at his luxury condo. He gave away $3,000 in gifts and gratuities for elevator and cleaning personnel. Unfortunately, the money came from campaign contributions and not his own bank account. It was only after the Associated Press' John Solomon discovered the sleazy behavior that Reid claimed it was a clerical issue and a Republican smear campaign.

In 2004, for example, after Reid made a profit of $1.1 million on a real estate deal, he failed to fully disclose the details as required by the Senate. And his partner was reported to have extremely odd ties to the casino business and reportedly surfaced in investigations into organized crime and bribery.

In 2005, Sen. Reid sponsored an $18 million earmark to build a bridge over the Colorado River. Coincidentally, a few miles from the bridge's location is a 160-acre parcel of land owned by one Senator Harry Reid. So, yes, Reid's own earmark greatly increases the value of his huge swath of land.

Curiously, Reid had received 60 of the acres from an oil magnate friend -- the owner of Haycock Petroleum -- for a total of $10,000 in 2002, though its assessed value was $120,000. And Reid continues to underreport the value of the land, though nearby sales put its real value at nearly half a million.

Harry Reid's three sons and his son-in-law are also concerned with serving the people. All have served as lobbyists and have blurred the line between family connections and special interests. In fact, his son-in-law helped increase lobbying fees at DC's Holland & Hart from $100K to $2 million in only one year. A series of LA Times investigative reports suggested that Reid had introduced legislation and pressured regulators to unblock a huge real estate deal fronted a heavy Reid contributor who also happened to be the employer of Reid's son Leif.

At the same time, Reid was vice-chair of the Senate Ethics Committee. When asked specifically about conflicts of interest involving family member-slash-lobbyists, he insisted there were none. Yet the Senate's rules have since changed to prohibit lobbying by family members, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

The Times' story found that mining companies paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobbying firms, and the payments just happened to follow around Reid's son-in-law from firm to firm. Rory Reid's services were also sought out by mining firm Placer Dome, according to the Times.

Reid's son-in-law was also engaged by the American Gaming Association, a helicopter tour company fighting restrictions near the Grand Canyon, chemical companies seeking deals in Nevada and the Hughes Corporation as it looked for land near Vegas. Sen. Reid helpfully advanced all of their agendas -- purely for altruistic reasons -- and even helped a partner in the law firm that employed all of Reid's sons get a right-of-way moved off his property.

"Reid never told his Senate colleagues or the public that the provisions he authored, some of which were technically and not apparently beneficial to anyone, were, in fact, introduced on behalf of clients who paid his sons and son-in-law over $2 million."

But Harry Reid's public service wasn't yet complete. In running the Senate, Harry's "spread the wealth" -- using the taxpayers' money to jam through socialized medicine with various bribes, payoffs and "incentives".

When Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana was undecided about DemCare, Reid ensured she received a $300 million "bonus" for her state. Chris Dodd received a $100 million medical facility in Connecticut (any guess as to what it might be called?).

In short, Harry Reid is a menace to this country. His opponent, Sharron Angle, is not.

Remember in November.


Based upon: ELECTION YEAR: Defeating Harry Reid, an excerpt of the new book 2010: Take Back America: A Battle Plan  


Civil War Breaking Out in Failed Narco-State; President Obama Welcomes Combatants Into Arizona

23,000 people have died in Mexico as a result of its ongoing civil war. It's gotten so bad that business executives in the once-safe capital of Monterrey have taken out full-page newspaper ads pleading for help.

The growing violence in Monterrey, long one of Mexico's most modern and safe cities, is a sign that the country's war against drug gangs is spreading ever further from poorer battlegrounds along the border and into the country's wealthiest enclaves.

...Residents opened their newspapers Wednesday morning to find the ads taken out by Mexican business leaders, begging the government to send more military into the city. "Enough already," said the notice that ran in national and local papers, criticizing what it said was a slow response of police against "criminal bands that in every act look to establish a new boundary of terror."

Later that day, the body of Edelmiro Cavazos, mayor of the Monterrey suburb of Santiago, was found beside a highway. Mr. Cavazos had been abducted Sunday night, the latest in a string of attacks against politicians in Mexico's north.

His killing is another incident in a terrifying spell for Monterrey residents that began Saturday when armed gangs set up more than a dozen roadblocks on key boulevards of the city, paralyzing traffic for hours...

...The next day, a grenade was lobbed at the offices of an important television broadcaster. On Tuesday night, grenades were also hurled at several small businesses on the city's outskirts...

...The brutality of the conflict is escalating. Alleged gang hit men broke into the home of a Chihuahua state policeman this week and strangled to death his 4-year-old brother, authorities said...

...Across the country, mutilated and decapitated bodies turn up virtually every day, sometimes hanging from bridges.

It wasn't always this way in Monterrey. Mexicans know the city of 2 million as "The Sultan of the North," a nickname stemming from its wealth, generated by corporations such as Mexico's beverage titan Femsa S.A.B. de C.V. and U.S. businesses such as Whirlpool Corp. and General Electric Co., which have large offices in Monterrey. International architects built the city's skyline, which is framed by dramatic mountains.

As the civil war inside Mexico's failed narco-state spreads, border security will become an increasing concern.

The violence, drugs and refugees spreading into our country would tax even an economically healthy United States. And, thanks to the Obama Democrats, our country is anything but.

That is why the Democrats' failure to enforce immigration law is doubly insane.


I join those who have called for looking into how Nancy Pelosi's facelifts are being funded

Seriously. Something is very, very wrong with the Speaker of the House.

In an interview with KCBS radio, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) yesterday called for a congressional investigation into opposition to the Cordoba House, "There is no question there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some. And I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded."

Is there a medical phenomenon related to an overdose of face-lifts? A brain-squeeze effect or something?

So who is funding Pelosi's face-lifts?

The answer is likely as obvious as the answer to her question about the mosque's opposition, but since this lady is third in line from the presidency, we can't be too careful.