Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Larwyn's Linx: Obamacare's Destruction of Medical Innovation

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

Obamacare's Destruction of Medical Innovation: IBD
Obamacare Abominations: Stossel
Jackson-Lee: Obama should use Executive Order to do what he wants: Malkin

Tehran holds Obama re-election wild card: Pipes
Ex-Ron Paul Aide Disputes Paul on Newsletters: AmSpec
Ron Paul: Wikileaks Leaker Manning Is a 'Hero': AmSpec

Taxpayer-funded Hamas Public High School in Lutz, Florida?: HyScience
Michelle Obama’s Unsavory School Lunch Flop: Malkin
LA Schools Reject Michelle’s School Lunches: S&L

Economy

Tax Cut? No, Just Another Raid On Social Security: IBD
It's California business as usual as debt, taxes grow: Exam
FBI Pulls Off ‘Perfect Hedge’ to Nab Insider Traders: Bloomberg

5 Worst Economic Ideas of 2011 (and 12 Great Ones for 2012): Peth
Carl Levin's Irrational Fear of Repatriated Capital Continues: ATR
Demolishing the pathetic lie of "The One Percent": Spew

Gunrunner & Energygate

Eric Holder Claims Criticism Due To Racism: S&L
Under Fire, Holder Brazens On: Nice Deb
Holder Cowardly Plays Race Card in Fast and Furious: IBD

Climate & Energy

When green bananas go bad: Bayonet
Canada and the Kyoto Protocol: Who says quitters never win?: RWN
NCDC: United States Getting Colder: Watts

Media

Three Cheers for Politifact: AmPower
Left Kind of Upset With Politifact’s ‘Lie of the Year’ Choice: Malkin
Politifact Lie of the Year: “Republicans Voted to End Medicare”: GWP

Slate Writer Really Needs You To Know He's A Ninny: Ace
The Washington Examiner warns conservatives that they should think twice about Newt: ProWis
The Year of Krugman Thuggishness: NB

World

Crisis Unfolds in Iraq: WS
RyanAir CEO Slams EU at EU Innovation Summit: AmSpec
UN condemns telling the truth about Islam, Obama Administration joins in: JihadWatch

Ron "The Only Man Who Can Save America" Paul: Sociopathic Traitor Bradley Manning a "Hero", "Patriot": Ace
"The terrifying truth behind the so-called Arab Spring": JihadWatch
Saudi women's suffrage mired in suppression: GlobPost

Egypt’s Women Rally In Force To Protest Police Brutality Against Them: Dollard
Taliban Mutilate Woman Breast-Feeding Child: Creeping
Hannity: Ron Paul’s Foreign Policy is “Naive”: Shark Tank

Sci-Tech

When Northwest Logging Was Still Young: iOTW
HTC says Apple patent workaround ready: CNet
R.I.P. Saab: PJM

Cornucopia

Return of the Grinch: MOTUS
Gird your loins and saddle up!: C&S
'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' has glaring problems: Post

Image: MOTUS
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Senate Conservatives Fund

QOTD: "The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama, but includes no ornament readily visible to a person standing near the tree's base that uses the word “Christmas,” or includes an image of the Nativity, or bears the name or image of Jesus Christ." --Terence Jeffrey

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Obama's policies are so destructive, even his union pals are getting pissed

After he's done being president, maybe he'll go back to academia and write a book on how to destroy capitalism.

President Obama tells anyone who'll listen that from dawn until dusk he's focused on job creation. Apparently, no one in his administration listens, since day after day they keep making job-killing decisions.

In fact, when it comes to jobs, Obama's policies are so bad that even his union pals are starting to notice.

The latest to take notice is the Communications Workers of America union. It reported last month that AT&T's $39 billion bid for T-mobile would have brought 5,000 quality jobs back from overseas and created "as many as 96,000 additional quality jobs in the build-out of high-speed wireless broadband."

...Then there's Obama's own decision to put the protection of environmentalist votes over the creation of tens of thousands of good jobs by delaying his Keystone XL pipeline decision until after the election.

Terry O'Sullivan, general president of the Laborers' International Union of North America was astonishingly blunt in his response: "The administration chose to support environmentalists over jobs — job-killers win, American workers lose."

And Obama's attacks on the private jet industry caused International Association of Machinists President Tom Buffenbarger to take offense. "In this industry, a few misguided words can put at risk even the ever-so-modest recovery we have experienced."

Meanwhile, Obama's supposed focus on job creation has failed to penetrate the walls of the Environmental Protection Agency. New EPA air pollution rules, for example, will shutter three dozen power plants, putting all their employees out to pasture, with three dozen more plants at risk, according to a new AP analysis of the effects of the mandates. All this to produce air quality improvements that will provide negligible health benefits.

Methinks a large contingent of union members will be casting their secret ballots for the Not Obama ticket.


And We Have a Winner: With Just Days Remaining, Whoopi Goldberg Wins 2011's Most-Doltish-Comment-on-"The View" Award

A normal person would have to drink a forty of stupid juice to match Joy Behar on even their worst day. But "normal" doesn't apply to Whoopi "Windy" Goldberg.

After mentioning the background of new leader Kim Jong Un and his education at a Swiss boarding school, Goldberg proclaimed, "...If you say that this is how our culture is and then you send your child to a Swiss boarding school. You know, this is what happens with communism. It's a great concept. On paper it makes perfect sense."

The comic added, "But once you put a human being in power, it shifts. We saw it in Russia, we've seen it all around the world."

After lauding the "great concept" of communism, Goldberg said of North Korea: "But, I keep my fingers crossed."

Co-host Joy Behar chimed in, "We wish them well in North Korea."

I wish both of them would express their good tidings to the new dictator in person.


Hat tip: TrendingRight.

Saad: Saab is dead

The quirky Swedish automaker is calling it quits after suffering through the last two fitful decades.

The past two years have been rough for Saab. Since its independence from General Motors in 2010, the quirky Swedish brand has been beleaguered with financial woes, production stops, and an ever-shrinking customer base for its products...

[Despite numerous attempts to resurrect it] there is little chance left for Saab. The board of Saab's parent company -- Swedish Automobile, formally know as Spyker -- has decided that the best solution at this point is to file for bankruptcy and liquidate what is left of the company's asset...

Saab was one of the first automakers to turbocharge its engines. It did so because of its aviation heritage; turbocharging a radial engine was a surefire way to derive more horsepower for a prop.

But after its acquisition by GM, things really started to go south.

Under GM's direction, the badge-engineered Saab 9-2X (based on the Subaru Impreza) and Saab 9-7X (based on the Chevrolet Trailblazer) were introduced in the American market in 2005 with the hope of increase sales. Both models were a critical and commercial failure and were scrapped a few years after production.

Gee, I wonder why.

A Saab Impreza and a Saab Tahoe? Marketing genius.

R.I.P, Saab. I once owned a 1985 Saab 900 Turbo (with the ignition on the floor between the two front bucket seats). It was a great, great car with dozens of unique features that were eviscerated by the bean-counters in Michigan.

We'll miss you.


Image credit: Saab Network.

Is Iran the key to Obama's reelection? [Dan from NY]

Dan from NY:

Concerning Iran and its nuclear weapons program, I’ve contended for years that a) it’s (still) vulnerable to attack; b) Iran’s threatened reaction would be much less damaging than advertised; c) the U.S. military -- and only the U.S. military -- could get the job done using unmanned stand-off weapons; d) the strongest incentive for Obama to move would be unambiguous signals from Israel that she would (and could) go it alone if necessary.

Now, in light of these statements recently made by Defense Secretary Panetta, I am adding e) a successful US-led operation would virtually guarantee Obama’s reelection.

###

Panetta: Iran will not be allowed nukes


By Scott Pelley

CBS News, December 19, 2011

The U.S. Secretary of Defense said Monday night that Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. In an interview, Leon Panetta, said despite the efforts to disrupt the Iranian nuclear program, the Iranians have reached a point where they can assemble a bomb in a year or potentially less.

Secretary Panetta spoke with us at the end of an overseas trip during which he reviewed strategy in Afghanistan and formally ended the war in Iraq.

CBS News anchor Scott Pelley caught up with Secretary Panetta on his tour last week of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. On the way home, he boarded the jet nicknamed "The Doomsday Plane." This is the command post where he and the president would direct a nuclear war. In an interview for "60 Minutes," we sat down in the compartment where he would execute the commander-in-chief's orders. Panetta told CBS News that Iran needs only one year to build a nuclear weapon.

Pelley: So are you saying that Iran can have a nuclear weapon in 2012?

Panetta: It would probably be about a year before they can do it. Perhaps a little less. But one proviso, Scott, is if they have a hidden facility somewhere in Iran that may be enriching fuel.

Pelley: So that they can develop a weapon even more quickly...

Panetta: On a faster track....

Pelley: Than we believe....

Panetta: That's correct.

Pelley: If the Israelis decide to launch a military strike to prevent that weapon from being built, what sort of complications does that raise for you?

Panetta: Well, we share the same common concern. The United States does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. That's a red line for us and that's a red line, obviously, for the Israelis. If we have to do it we will deal with it.

Pelley: You just said if we have to do it we will come and do it. What is it?

Panetta: If they proceed and we get intelligence that they are proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon then we will take whatever steps necessary to stop it.

Perhaps Obama really is willing to go to war to stop Iran in the hope that it guarantees his reelection.

In any event, there are at least two reasons for Americans to support such an attack: (a) it's the right thing to do; and (b) the foaming-at-the-mouth, radical Left (and the Paul-bots) will go stark-raving mad.


Photo: Seen the Light [Papa B]

Papa B sends this dispatch from the mall:

Good man.


Larwyn's Linx: The Real Purpose Of The DOJ Lies About Sheriff Arpaio

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

The Real Purpose Of The DOJ Lies About Sheriff Arpaio: Federale
The Past and the Present: Sowell
Good News: Nancy Pelosi Thinks Dems Can Win Back the House: Powers

For Rick Perry: Ace
The Strategic Incompetence of Mitch McConnell: RS
Why Rick Santorum is more impressive in person than Rick Perry: Shapiro

White House Politicizing Labor Statistics (PJM Exclusive): PJM
The Company Ron Paul Keeps: WS
NAACP Opposes Bill to Ban Race-Based Abortions: LifeNews

Economy

BLS Caught Red Handed Leaking Confidential Employment Data: ZH
Obama's Big Labor Wins a Big One: AmSpec
Issa: Four more Friends of Angelo in Congress: Hot Air

Greece: Is This Where We’re Headed?: PJM
U.S. on the hook for 17% of Euro debt: Winter Soldier
China Debts Dwarf Official Data: Bloomberg

Gunrunner & Energygate

Eric Holder Pulls Race Card: Critics Attacking Me and Obama Because We’re Black: Stand With Arizona
Obama and Holder Should Put the Race Card back in the Deck: DLim
NYT runs ‘Fast and Furious’ factual inaccuracy, favoring Holder: DC

Climate & Energy

Obama’s Great Green Fleet: Navy forced to purchase expensive and dubiously green biofuel: NRO
New EPA rules expected to cause closures of at least 32 power plants: Star-Telegram

Media

WaPo Story Notes ObamaCare State and Federal Exchange Set-ups Running Behind Schedule: Blumer
Times Co. negotiating to sell regional newspapers: DC
MTV Ditches ‘Choose or Lose’ Slogan: Malkin

Why Thomas Friedman Abetted Anti-Semitism: RWN
Two Polls Show Newt's National Lead Over Romney Has Collapsed; "Ginrick" and "Rombley" Are Now Tied, Nationally: Ace
POTUS has Coffee with Progressive Media Stars: Tapper

‘DING DONG! KIM JONG IS DEAD’: Driscoll
Maria Conchita Alonso confronts Sean Penn, calls him a “communist a**hole“: Blaze
Bawney Fwank Has Advice For Obama: 'Things Would Have Been Worse Without Me Not A Winning Slogan': WZ

World

North Koreans React As Expected To Kim Jong-il’s Death: Camelback Land
Joe Biden: The Taliban per se is not our enemy: Malkin
The Secret History of Kim Jong Il: ForPol

Gingrich's Worthy Brain Pulse - An electromagnetic pulse attack is not a fanciful notion.: WSJ
Syria: The Forgotten — Including by the Obama Administration — Revolution: BRubin
Behold! The Dear General: AmSpec

Sci-Tech

AT&T, T-Mobile deal is dead: Big Phone's colossal $4bn cockup concludes: Register
HTC faces US smartphone ban: TG Daily
Jolt in WikiLeaks Case: Feds Found Manning-Assange Chat Logs on Laptop: Wired

Cornucopia

Top 10 Suggestions For Tucker Carlson On His Dinner With Bill Ayers: Glob
Unwise Gift Suggestion: AmDig
A Jihadi Ducked Into a Jewelry Store...: Mellow Jihadi

Image: iOwnTheWorld: the Despicable Shrew Bernardine Dohrn
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Senate Conservatives Fund

QOTD: "In a New York Times interview with Attorney General Eric Holder, published Sunday, author Charlie Savage made use of a factual inaccuracy in what was — in effect — a defense of Holder from his chorus of critics.

Savage wrote that there are no “documents or testimony” to support allegations that Holder knew of the “gunwalking” tactics employed in Operation Fast and Furious... “Mr. Holder has denounced the tactics used in the operation, known as ‘gunwalking,’ but said he did not know about them or sanction their use,” Savage wrote. “No documents or testimony have shown otherwise, but Republicans have pummeled him at oversight hearings and in news media appearances.”

Savage made these statements without attribution." --Matthew Boyle, "NYT runs ‘Fast and Furious’ factual inaccuracy, favoring Holder"

Monday, December 19, 2011

Ron Paul's Greatest Hits

Oh, he's sooo mainstream, as evidenced by quotes from the Ron Paul newsletter (written and edited by... Ron Paul):

• "Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks" read a typical article from the June 1992 “Special Issue on Racial Terrorism"

• Racial apocalypse was the most persistent theme of the newsletters; a 1990 issue warned of “The Coming Race War,” and an article the following year about disturbances in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C., was entitled “Animals Take Over the D.C. Zoo.”

• Paul alleged that Martin Luther King Jr., “the world-class philanderer who beat up his paramours,” had also “seduced underage girls and boys.” The man who would later proclaim King a “hero” attacked Ronald Reagan for signing legislation creating the federal holiday in his name, complaining, “We can thank him for our annual Hate Whitey Day.”

• No conspiracy theory was too outlandish for Paul’s endorsement. One newsletter reported on the heretofore unknown phenomenon of “Needlin’,” in which “gangs of black girls between the ages of 12 and 14” roamed the streets of New York and injected white women with possibly HIV-infected syringes. Another newsletter warned that “the AIDS patient” should not be allowed to eat in restaurants because “AIDS can be transmitted by saliva,” a strange claim for a physician to make.

• Paul gave credence to the theory, later shown to have been the product of a Soviet disinformation effort, that AIDS had been created in a U.S. government laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

• Three months before far-right extremists killed 168 Americans in Oklahoma City, Paul’s newsletter praised the “1,500 local militias now training to defend liberty” as “one of the most encouraging developments in America.” And he offered specific advice to antigovernment militia members, such as, “Keep the group size down,” “Keep quiet and you’re harder to find,” “Leave no clues,” “Avoid the phone as much as possible,” and “Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”

• In a March 2009 interview, Paul entertained [a] claim that NORTHCOM, the U.S. military’s combatant command for North America, is “taking over” the country. “The average member of Congress probably isn’t a participant in the grand conspiracy,” Paul reassured the fevered host, essentially acknowledging that such a conspiracy exists. “We need to take out the CIA.”

• In a January 2010 speech, Paul announced, “There’s been a coup, have you heard? It’s the CIA coup” against the American government. “They’re in businesses, in drug businesses,” the congressman added.

This is a presidential candidate?

Can you imagine what Barack Obama's billion dollars would do to Ron Paul and his KKK, Stormfront, racist, and antisemitic background should he somehow gain the GOP nomination?

Ron Paul is a flat-out loon that legacy media likes to promote as a legitimate candidate for one reason and one reason alone: to damage the GOP.


Going into our third annual "Summer of Recovery", Gallup finds unemployment is... still worsening

I'm shocked... shocked... that an already horrific employment situation appears to be collapsing (again).

Gallup, which unlike the BLS, does not fudge, Birth/Die, or seasonally adjust its data, has just released its most recent u(n)employment data. And it's not pretty... Gallup which constantly pools 30,000 people on a weekly basis, has found that for the past 4 weeks, both underemployment and unemployment have risen for 4 weeks in a row...

In summary, here is how Gallup debunks the BLS' propganda: "The sharp drop in the government-reported unemployment rate for November and the sharp drop in jobless claims during the most recent reporting week have combined to create the perception that the job market may be improving... Gallup's data suggest little improvement in the jobs situation... it may be wise to exercise caution in interpreting the drop in the government's most recent jobless claims numbers." Or, less diplomatically, the BLS is lying like a drunken sailor just as the economy is about to turn...

"...Gallup's data suggest little improvement in the jobs situation. December unemployment is up slightly on an unadjusted basis. In fact, the government is likely to report essentially no change in the unemployment rate when it issues its report on December unemployment in the first week of 2012. Of course, this assumes that the labor force doesn't continue to shrink at so rapid a pace that it drives down the unemployment rate, as it did last month."

Wait. Just. A. Second.

So after three straight Stimulus packages, QE1, QE2, Cash-for-Clunkers, Operation Twist, HAMP, HARP, and trillions in wasted government spending, you mean to say that central planning really doesn't work?


Results of Obama's Outreach to the Middle East Are In: Hamas Takes a Victory Lap [Dan from New York]

Dan from New York:

These Islamists are so clannish. With the fall of the secular dictatorships giving way to the rise of the Islamic variety, suddenly the welcome mat is out for Hamas throughout the Middle East.

First time since Hamas took power: Haniyeh to tour Mideast

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH 12/19/2011 21:09

Trip comes amid Islamist rise to power in Arab world; Qatari emir invites Hamas prime minister to visit Doha.

Buoyed by the rise of the Islamists to power in the Arab world, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is planning a tour of Arab and Islamic countries – the first of its kind since his movement came to power in 2006. ...Haniyeh is currently considering visiting not only Qatar, but also Turkey, Bahrain, Tunisia and a number of Arab countries. He pointed out that Turkey had also invited Haniyeh.

On Sunday, Haniyeh phoned the emir of Qatar to congratulate him on the emirate’s independence anniversary. During the conversation, Haniyeh invited the emir to visit the Gaza Strip... the emir has accepted the invitation, saying it was a “national duty to go to the Gaza Strip under the current circumstances.” However, no date has been set for the visit, Rizka added.

Qatar is one of the few Arab countries that openly support Hamas. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal has visited Doha several times in the past few years.
Haniyeh also phoned the king of Bahrain and the crown-prince of Saudi Arabia and thanked them for their ongoing support for the Palestinians, the Hamas advisor said.

###

There's more than one way to throw Israel under the bus, isn’t that right Mr. Obama?

Many decades from now, when the history books are written, the "Obama Doctrine" -- such as it is -- will be described as the lynch-pin of the Islamist overthrow of the Middle East.


The Perfect Christmas Card for 2011 [Papa B]

Papa B:

How true.

More Water-cooler here.


New Documentary Released on the Death of Kim Jong-Il

NMA just released a documentary on the death of Kim Jong-Il, although I have some doubts about the authenticity of the video.

Because in the real Hell, barrels of acid aren't marked as toxic. Everyone's already dead.


Larwyn's Linx: Gingrich's Attempt To Redress Judicial Activism

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

Gingrich's Attempt To Redress Judicial Activism: Wolf Howling
The EPA vs. Private Property: Townhall
Will the SCOTUS stop the EPA?: Hot Air

Obama officials say we don’t trust the government enough: Post
Who is Ron Paul, Really?: Ace
Obama more likely to lose than win again, say voters: Hill

Court: Iran, Hizballah Aided in 9/11 Attacks: BigPeace
Why the Proposed Car Cellphone Ban Is Wrong: MoneyRunner
Insanity?: Erickson

Economy

Labor Unions, and the Problem With "More": Woodhill
Most Americans don't buy Obama's class warfare rhetoric: Exam
Extending Unemployment Insurance a Bad Deal: AmSpec

If Obama 'can't wait' for new jobs, why's he halted Keystone XL?: IBD
3 new NLRB decisions keep recent pro-union streak alive: BizMgmt
'Old GM' buried with bad assets of '09 bankruptcy: DetNews

Gunrunner & Energygate

Dallas Morning News: Is anyone really buying Holder’s excuses on Fast & Furious?: Hot Air
Want Answers About Fast and Furious? You're a Racist: Pavlich
Holder Plays The Race Card On His Critics: They’re Attacking Me And Obama Because We’re Both Black: WZ

Climate & Energy

The Politics and Policy of Cap and Trade, 2008-2010: Ace
A Word on Incandescent Light Bulbs: Bruce
EPA rules threaten older power plants: TheCabin

Media

How to make Quote of the Year: Surber
More Turmoil At The New York Times As CEO Retires Unexpectedly: BigJourn
Ending race-based admissions: Jacoby

Here's the perfect Occupy poster child: Exam
Why Not Rick Santorum?: C4P
Pamela Geller responds to the cast members of All-American Muslim: Atlas

World

North Korea's Kim Jong Il dies; South goes on high alert: CNN
Syria – The Tipping Point Into Hell: NoisyRm
'I'm gonna send that kaffir (non-Muslim) b**** straight to hell': Atlas

Reform Judaism Shows Its Support For Obama's Anti-Israel Policy: Lid
Obama to approve 'indefinite detention' bill of US citizens and aliens: AsianTribune
China Local Debts Dwarf Official Data Prompting Alarms: BizWk

Reform Judaism Convention Passes a Progressive "Manifesto": Lid
Homosexuality is not an excuse for betraying your country: GayPat
Shocking 'Arab Spring' video: Unconscious girl brutally beaten by Egypt military: CazyBlood

Sci-Tech

Good News! T-Mobile Just Switched On 3G For Some iPhone Owners: Insider
Microsoft-Novell antitrust case ends in hung jury: NetworkWorld
Verizon devours more spectrum with Cox deal: NetworkWorld

Cornucopia

We should all be thanking our troops: Star Parker
The Top 10 Snipers of World War II: Ace
Love on the Rocks: the Decline of Marriage: Ace

Image: CNN
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Rick Santorum Money Bomb

QOTD: "It is not surprising that unionized companies like GM, Chrysler, and Bethlehem Steel went bankrupt, and that heavily unionized States like California, New York, and Illinois are in deep financial trouble. By their very nature, unions must seek to drive their employers into bankruptcy. If they don't, then they aren't doing their job...

...People won't work for nothing. Even without unions, companies must offer an overall package (wages, benefits, working conditions) sufficient to attract and retain the workers that they need. The interaction between the company's needs and the workers' alternatives sets the "market wage"...

...The purpose of a union is to extract from its employer more than the market wage. If it doesn't do this, then there is no reason for workers to support it or to pay dues to it. Because companies must sell their output at market prices and pay market returns for the capital that they employ, they cannot afford to pay more than "market" for any major input. Accordingly, any unionized company for which labor is a significant part of its cost structure will eventually be destroyed." --Louis Woodhill

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Good Riddance: Kim Jong-Il Roasting in Hellfire

May he bake on a spit for all eternity.

Kim Jong Il, the second-generation North Korean dictator who defied global condemnation to build nuclear weapons while his people starved, has died, Yonhap News reported. He was 70.

The news came in a radio broadcast at noon local time, Yonhap reported, citing North Korea’s official media. Kim probably had a stroke in August 2008 and may have also contracted pancreatic cancer, according to South Korean news reports.

The son of Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder, Kim was a chain-smoking recluse who ruled for 17 years after coming to power in July 1994 and resisted opening up to the outside world in order to protect his regime. The potential succession of his little-known third son, Kim Jong Un, threatens to trigger a dangerous period for the Korean peninsula, where 1.7 million troops from the two Koreas and the U.S. square off every day.

Kim Jong-Il's rule -- with millions dead from starvation, torture and genocide -- represents just another failed experiment in progressivism, Statism, or whatever brand of Marxism you want to call it.

To wit: "Tell the world we are starving."


Union Bosses Welcome Their New Chinese Overlords

The Communist-linked labor movement has been responsible for more job losses in the U.S. than any other cause you could name. GM, Chrysler, Bethlehem Steel, California, New York and Illinois all serve as evidence of the destructive nature of unions.


And nowhere is this phenomenon more visible than in Michigan.

The largest private employer in Saginaw, Michigan will soon be the city government of Beijing, as a 104-year-old unit of General Motors will be sold to new owners from China. The $450M purchase received little attention this summer, but it is a landmark deal - the first time Chinese investors have bought a U.S. industrial operation of such scale and history.

Louis Woodhill, writing in Real Clear Markets, describes the fallacy of a labor union movement within a capitalist system.

People won't work for nothing. Even without unions, companies must offer an overall package (wages, benefits, working conditions) sufficient to attract and retain the workers that they need. The interaction between the company's needs and the workers' alternatives sets the "market wage".

Unless workers are held at gunpoint, it is not possible to "exploit" them for any length of time... The logic of the free market is for companies to pay market wages, earn high profits, and reinvest their earnings in more factories.

...The purpose of a union is to extract from its employer more than the market wage. If it doesn't do this, then there is no reason for workers to support it or to pay dues to it. Because companies must sell their output at market prices and pay market returns for the capital that they employ, they cannot afford to pay more than "market" for any major input. Accordingly, any unionized company for which labor is a significant part of its cost structure will eventually be destroyed.

In a free market system, unions prevent employers from adapting to competition. Unions force employers to compensate workers based upon tenure, not ability. Employment rules are codified in massive agreements that are outdated the instant they are written.

And union bosses laugh all the way to the bank, even while their members are suffering, over and over again.


Thrifty: Obama's 17-Day Hawaiian Vacation Will Only Cost U.S. Taxpayers About $4 Million

But it's truly a bargain at any price. At least he's not in Washington cooking up even more destructive policies.

...Figures obtained by Hawaii Reporter reveal the trip is expected to run taxpayers about $4 million. It has already cost taxpayers about $100,000 extra just so first lady Michelle Obama and the president’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, could leave Friday before the president, according to White House Dossier...


...Hawaii Reporter’s comprehensive breakdown uses government data to calculate travel, housing, hotel and local costs...

...White House press secretary Jay Carney was asked about the vacation’s cost at a briefing last week. He dodged questions about Michelle Obama’s desire to travel separately from the president.

With all of the vacations and golf, it's a wonder he's been able to eviscerate so much of America's economy!


Illinois: Worst-funded retirement system in U.S. to make up shortfall by investing in Euro debt swaps, other super-safe assets

Say, how are the last eight decades of unchecked Democrat rule in Illinois working out? Eh, for you drones -- that's a rhetorical question.

The Illinois Teachers' Retirement System — the worst-funded major pension plan in the U.S. — is pumping more of its assets into higher-risk investments while using accounting methods that some pension experts say understate its funding shortfall.
 
Springfield-based TRS, the state's largest pension provider, plans to allocate about a third of its $37.8-billion portfolio to alternative investments such as private-equity and hedge funds, a four-month Crain's investigation of TRS holdings and practices finds. These unconventional assets typically dangle the potential for higher returns, but only because they also carry greater risks and fees. TRS is shifting its portfolio while it's still developing an in-house risk-management system.

Gunning for bigger returns exposes the plan to the possibility of bigger losses, further jeopardizing the pensions of 362,121 former and current teachers. The system, which has just 46.5% of the assets it needs to cover promised payments to retirees, is counting on an 8.5% annual return, which many portfolio managers and investors, including Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s Warren Buffett, say is unrealistically high. If TRS banked on a 7.75% return — the rate that two other Illinois public pensions lowered their forecasts to this year — its assets would equal only 43% of obligations. That would swell its shortfall to $50.1 billion from $43.5 billion.' Their solution seems to be going to Vegas with our money.'— Neil Mott, chemistry teacher,
Rolling Meadows High School...

...The plan also is dabbling in volatile derivatives, including wagers on Brazilian interest rates, and credit default swaps on sovereign debt from Italy and Spain... Illinois taxpayers are already on the hook for most of the $81.3 billion in TRS' long-term obligations because the state is required to fund the lion's share of TRS benefits. That liability will keep expanding, likely at a faster rate than assets, unless fund administrators and lawmakers can make up the $43.5-billion shortfall. If the plan defaults, the state will be lobbied hard to come to the rescue.

...The state's pension system in general is teetering. Moody's Investors Service in September 2010 revised Illinois A1-rated debt to add a negative outlook, its worst credit rating among states, partly because of the state's inability to address pension liabilities. Illinois had the largest unfunded pension liabilities of any state, with $85 billion owed for its five state-funded plans, as of June 30, 2010, Moody's says. Those plans' assets come to less than half that amount, according to the state's annual report.

...Illinois' public pension plans owe their troubles to broken promises by the Legislature. To preserve labor peace, the state routinely offered generous pension benefits. But to avoid hiking taxes and upsetting even more people, it didn't pay its share to cover these payments. Lawmakers could get away with this because the pension bills didn't come due for years or even decades...

What could go wrong?

Seriously -- citizens of Illinois: I have a suggestion. Please continue electing Democrat hacks who are beholden to union bosses. The sooner your state collapses, the better example you'll be for the rest of America.


Larwyn's Linx: New reason to doubt Romney would repeal Obamacare

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

New reason to doubt Romney would repeal Obamacare: Exam
House Republicans may save Social Security: Surber
Obama Campaign Says it Won’t Keep GOP Emails: Dossier

The Ron Paul Newsletters: Lord
The Company Ron Paul Keeps: WS
Ron Paul Goes Nuts on Leno: WZ

Romney on Obamacare: "Repeal the Bad and Keep the Good": Rico
Des Moines Register Backs Mitt: RWN
Merry Christmas from Satan Claus: Steyn

Economy

One Year to Go Until Largest Tax Hikes in History: ATR
Did The Fed Quietly Bail Out A European Bank On Tuesday?: ZH
Class Warfare Blowback: Majority Wants Obama Out: ZH

SEIU Job Description: Occupy State Buildings, Takeover Banks: RS
Would Cars Be Allowed If They Were Just Invented?: PJM
Income Inequality In Baseball: TAB

Gunrunner & Energygate

It's not fast and furious for Eric Holder: Carlson
Holder Ignores Voter Intimidation But Will Go After Voter ID Requirements: Aces
ABC World News Reports On Illegal Gun Sales … In NYC: BigJourn

Climate & Energy

Virginia residents oppose preparations for climate-related sea-level rise: WaPo
EPA finalizes tough new rules on emissions by power plants: WaPo
PG&E Tells City Board: ‘Customers Will Go Without Power Until A Smart Meter Is Reinstalled’: GWP

Media

Netanyahu Refuses to Write Op-Ed for New York Times Due to Paper's Anti-Israel Bias: NB
Carney Dodges Questions on Michelle’s Hawaii Flight: Dossier
Sean Hannity Flummoxed By Michelle Malkin: RSM

One brave soul at National Review stands up for Newt: LI
Radio Host Nails Chris Matthews: 'You're Clearly Working for the Re-Election of Barack Obama': NB
The Top 50 Examples of Liberal Media Bias: Huston

World

U.S. drone captured by hacking into GPS, says Iranian engineer: DigitalJournal
Hezbollah Laundered Millions Through U.S. Used Car Lots: Creeping
Should You Worry About Europe's Back Door Bank Run?: MoneyMorning

CAIR Offers Powerful Newt Endorsement: Atlas
5,000 Syrians have been massacred by Bashar Assad since March, including 300 children.: Atlas
Bibi, You Rock: RSM

Copenhagen Muslims Attack Hare Krishna Temple: GoV
Saudi Security Forces Arrest 42 Ethiopian Christians For Praying: WZ
Saudi Woman Tortured And Murdered — Cops Suspect Genie: WZ

Sci-Tech

Find My Car Smart app makes finding your car fast, hassle-free: Autoblog
NASA finds new planet Kepler 22b outside solar system with temperature right for life: WaPo
Kindle Fire Triggers Anxiety in Corporate IT Departments: ChiBiz

Cornucopia

T4T Hits & Mrs.: MOTUS
The Legend Grows: "Tebow" Sniffs Out Kilo Of Cocaine, Helps Feds Bust Florida Airport Smuggler: TSG
Brooklyn junior high school racks up most suspensions in city for sexting: Post

Images: Atlas Shrugs (top) and Guardian
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Senate Conservatives Fund

QOTD: "...just last year, in reaction to President Obama's health care law. Romney [said]: "I hope we're ultimately able to eliminate some of the differences, and repeal the bad and keep the good." --Ben Domenech

Saturday, December 17, 2011

What is seen cannot be unseen: mannequin maker creates Obama dummy

POTUS cuts quite a fine figure, to be sure, but I'd be much happier with the dummy as president. It would do significantly less damage.

...According to Las Vegas Mannequins there was so much demand for him that they went ahead and created a fiberglass version of Barack Obama, ready to model khakis, polos, or whatever, with a surprisingly buff and sculpted body.

...If you don't need—or can't afford—the full body mannequin, you also have the option of ordering just his disembodied head.

I wonder what kind of ab workout the POTUS mannequin's doing. He's ripped.


Hat tip: Brian.

Google Easter Egg Frosts Your Screen

Just in time for the holidays, Google's added an Easter Egg -- an old software colloquialism that means a hidden feature for 'insiders' -- to its search portal.

Google has hidden a special holiday "Easter Egg" that turns your screen into a winter wonderland.

Simply search for "let it snow" on Google and prepare yourself for an HTML5 blizzard--actually, it's more like a few flurries. The cool part comes after a few seconds, when your screen "frosts over" and your cursor can be used to trace messages or doodles like a finger against a window on a chilly day.

Press the Defrost button to remove the snow.


Hat tip: TrendingRight.