Jimmy Carter's Second term

May 24, 2008
Thanks American Thinker
By Paul Miller
It was a cold and rainy October night when my mother and I stood outside a Skokie, Illinois Synagogue to hear and hopefully meet Georgia Governor James Earl "Jimmy" Carter. My parents and most [liberal] Americans were still sickened over Watergate, President Gerald Ford's unconditional pardon of Richard Nixon and the disaster of the Vietnam War. They hungered for "change" and "new hope". Many Americans believed they found what they desperately yearned for in a peanut farmer turned politician from Georgia.

Four years later Jimmy Carter's name couldn't be uttered by my father without being proceeded by four-letter expletives. My mother cried herself to sleep believing that Carter's school-busing program was going to take me from my elementary school down the block to a school and hour away on the southside of Chicago. Supporters of Israel began to distrust him as he began showing signs of an anti-Israel bias. The economy was devastating families with double-digit inflation and the Iran hostage crisis made Americans ashamed of their President.

Today there is an eerie similarity to the election that led up to the disastrous Carter administration. All the Presidential candidates are speaking the rhetoric of "change" and "trust" in government. However, assumed Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has based his entire bid for the White House with Carter-style ideas and campaign policy advisers stemming directly from the administration and school of thought of the Carter Presidency.

For the rest of this article see:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/05/jimmy_carters_second_term.html

RIM allows Indian government to monitor Blackberry network

Coming next to a country, oops, it's you.

by Nilay Patel, posted May 22nd 2008 at 2:28PM

Well, it took longer than 15 days to reach a resolution, but apparently RIM is going to back down and allow the Indian government to monitor the Blackberry network in that country. What's worse, it appears that RIM was more interested in covering its own ass than protecting user data during the negotiations: the only concession the company received from the Indian government was a promise that it won't be held liable if there's a leak of users' personal information. Yeah, that ought to provide a sparkling incentive to keep things safe. There's no word on when monitoring might begin, but we've got a feeling privacy-loving Indians might suddenly be in the market for a new smartphone.

[Thanks, Rishab J.]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/22/rim-allows-indian-government-to-monitor-blackberry-network/?icid=100214839x1202784911x1200100902

Congresswoman Battles Foreclosure

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/congresswoman-battles-foreclosure/20080524103909990001

By ERICA WERNER,

AP

Posted: 2008-05-24 11:41:29

Filed Under: Nation News, Politics News

WASHINGTON (May 24) - Congresswoman Laura Richardson claimed Friday that her Sacramento home was sold into foreclosure without her knowledge and contrary to an agreement with her lender. But foreclosure buyer James York say[s] the house is his now.

Richardson said that she is like any other American suffering in the mortgage crisis and wants to testify to Congress about her experience as lawmakers craft a foreclosure-prevention bill.

Like many other politicians, she lies like a dog. Fact: she took a $500k loan on this second home and spent it on her campaign - on her flippin' campaign. She couldn't raise contributions so she stole it from the bank; WaMu. She made no payments - none. And there is no fraud 'cause liberals get a free pass. And AP publishes her BS 'cause they're in the fascist tank. Wonder how AP will like suspension of the First Amendment; that's what liberals do. BTW AP enjoy the fleas.

Note to a friend on oil

Yeah, Congressional hearings have long been a stage for the legislators to do their grandstanding thing. Trouble is, this time they happened against folks who were smarter/ didn't care/ better prepped and able to get their own licks in. (House vs. oil execs)
As for the real issue, it's money movement. The stock & bond markets are relatively stable, saving accounts, etc.are way too low and the housing bubble went poof (REIT and other bundling schemes) so the investors, pension funds, insurance, unions, went to commodities. Metals, meat (remember pork bellies for bacon?) and oil all have active commodities markets. (Also see commodities market index.) The trading is in futures; that is goods to be delivered at some future date. The investors trade paper contracts while others handle the actual goods. Besides crude oil, there are markets in gasoline, diesel, av gas and the other refined products, too. All made to fleece the naive but do provide stability for the knowlegible. (e.g. Jet Blue has its fuel on contracts at $2.60 bought back when. American and United are paying current spot c. $10. They didn't have the reserve bucks back then so are hurting still.) Worldwide trading is done in reserve currencies. There's only one left; US$. Reason: volatility; the country no longer has control over its currency.
Then comes another complication: currency traders (!). These guys move megahowsomevers back and forth to gain small fractions. Make enough small fractions and it becomes real money. Again, no actual money changes hands only contracts. They do the actual reduction of dollar vs. Euro, Yen or whatever.
The real problem is that the run up on oil futures this time is looking like a bubble. Bubbles always go poof as demand falls below what was anticipated; that seems to be happening. Spot gold took a jump last week from c. $860 to c. $940. (google spot gold and look at the Kitco graphs.) Is on its way down a bit. Gold is the commodity for the nervous; first to rise but also first to fall as its appreciation (kinda like interest) is low. On the other hand, a crash in any of several US areas will crash the rest of the world, too.
The above makes it seem that I understand these markets. My knowledge is about the level of a high school freshman about science; they exist. Besides, my purse is way too small.
Hope this helps but suspect it is just more mud. Looks we are living in "interesting times". BTW gas in Europe also jumped c. 50%.
Spending more tax dollars than are taken in is a mixed blessing. Useful in very poor economic times but wayyy too tempting to politicians all the time. Like most medicines, the wrong prescription can kill the patient.

Israel at 60

Happy birthday, Israel.

Since the 1948-49 War of Israeli Independence, the Jews and Arabs have been almost continuously fighting. The 1956 Saini War and 1967 Six Day War are high points, or increased activity times, of an ongoing conflict from 1948 to the present. In all instances the Jews have taken the measure of five or six Arab nations and found them wanting. Heap big smoke but no fire, worth mentioning anyway. Arabs have repeatedly shown behaviors that are characterized by cowardly actions. Hiding behind women and children is not the meaning of a man. Neither are car or suicide bombers. Nor are unguided missile launches onto civilian areas, ambushes and traps characteristic of military power. The Arabs are cowards, growing a population unsustainable at any humane level then provoking retaliation and crying "Human rights!" The techniques of guerrilla war are used because the Arab powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran, are too cowardly and comfortable to actually fight for their desires and risk defeat. Total political sniping.

America has been in the lead in supporting Israel. Egypt and Jordan have done the proper civilized action in establishing diplomatic relations. The others use Lebanon and Palestinians as cats paws. For sixty years this situation has continued. Mostly because America has been cowardly, too. But Israel has the bomb. And Arabs are too CS to provoke them.

We are the nation with hydrogen bombs and ICBMs. We faced down USSR with numbers and accuracy. The Arabs are sure we won't use them so thumb their noses and use economic war with impunity; on the whole world since 1973. The Arabs still want to get Israel but won't mind if a few other prizes fall into their pot as well. There is a real war in 2008 and it is worldwide. The US is being a co-conspirator with the Arabs and it must stop. With twenty five years of appeasement, it will take a strong blow to get their attention. Riyadh, Mecca or Medina in Saudi Arabia and Tehran in Iran with an air burst will be a minimum to do the job. (For you "forever" folks, look at Hiroshima and Nagasaki today.)

The Russians will shout and scream but privately shake hands with each other. The Chinese will make noises less loudly but be as pleased. Nobody else counts. But another twenty or thirty years of relative peace and prosperity (a generation) will follow. Peace thru superior firepower does work as was shown in 1991. And Israel can look forward to a much more peaceful 80th or 90th birthday. Historians of 2100 will applaud the insight and courage of 2008.

Thanks History Guy

Greys (psitticus erithicus) are the clearest talkers and are quite intelligent. They are "closet talkers" and will stay quiet while people are present. For sure, everybody is glad to have him back home. This time trim his flight feathers.

Lost parrot tells veterinarian his address

Wed May 21, 7:51 PM ET

TOKYO - When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.

Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.

He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.

"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.

"We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we've found Yosuke," Uemura said.

The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.

But Yosuke apparently wasn't keen on opening up to police officials.

"I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me," Uemura said.

American Flag Fights Back

THE AMERICAN FLAG FIGHTS BACK!! Burn a**hole, burn!

Peshawar 2001 Thanks AP

Somebody in Texas CPS has put the whole state up for grabs via the suit bonanza route. Where were the adults of this agency? Flocks of trial lawyer vultures have been gathering and now they descend. This is what happens when "feelings" overcome fact and logic. Agnostic personally so have no use for either fundamentalists or nanny states. On the plus side, the FLDS probably has no use for Austin.
Hey FLDS, I got a spot for you in CA. State has no money for services but always pays suits. google for details Thanks AOL News

Court Says Sect Kids Unlawfully Taken

By MICHELLE ROBERTS,

AP

Posted: 2008-05-22 17:10:26

Filed Under: Nation News

SAN ANGELO, Texas (May 22) - A Texas appeals court said Thursday that the state had no right to take more than 400 children from a polygamist sect's ranch, a ruling that could unravel one of the biggest child-custody cases in U.S. history.

The Third Court of Appeals in Austin ruled that the state offered "legally and factually insufficient" grounds for the "extreme" measure of removing all children from the ranch, from babies to teenagers.

The state never provided evidence that the children were in any immediate danger, the only grounds in Texas law for taking children from their parents without court approval, the appeals court said.

It also failed to show evidence that more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused, and never alleged any sexual or physical abuse against the other children, the court said.

After gaffe, Democrats planning to redo farm bill

By MARY CLARE JALONICK,
Whatta buncha, well, oafs. Can't even get even. Open mouth insert foot. But the drive-bys will still call it a success.

Associated Press

Posted: 2008-05-22 05:29:36

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats are picking up the pieces after an embarrassing technical gaffe that delayed a triumphant rejection of President Bush's veto of a massive farm bill.

Members from both parties hoped to bring the $290 billion bill, which includes election-year subsidies for farmers and food stamps for the poor, back to their districts over Memorial Day. But that is looking less likely now that the legislation will have to be passed all over again due to a printing error.

The House voted overwhelmingly, 316-108, on Wednesday to override Bush's veto of the legislation earlier in the day.

The Senate then was expected to follow suit quickly, but action stalled after the discovery that a 34-page section of the bill had been omitted from the printed bill sent to the White House. That means Bush vetoed a different bill from the one Congress passed, raising questions that the eventual law would be unconstitutional.

In order to avoid a partisan dustup, House Democrats hoped to pass the entire bill, again, on Thursday under expedited rules usually reserved for noncontroversial legislation, and the Senate was expected to follow suit. The correct version would then be sent to Bush under a new bill number for another expected veto.

Lawmakers also will have to pass an extension of current farm law, which expires Friday.

Bush says the legislation is too expensive and would send too much government money to wealthy farmers. A bipartisan group of negotiators on the bill made small cuts to subsidies to appease the White House, but Bush said it wasn't enough.

What Conservatives Need To Know About Liberals

Liberals are mostly human even if a lower form. But they are so aggravating! Seems they are everywhere. Some simple tips to smooth your encounters with them. BTW wear your flag pin.

1) Demonization/ridicule is almost their only weapon. Belief is all they possess. That is held tightly and contrary information is excluded. Libs are not rational. Seems the old comment to never argue with an idiot is appropriate. However the Socratic technique rules.
2) Every experience is fitted into their belief; if it doesn't fit, it must be changed to fit. Our rational experience modifies belief. The liberal belief modifies reality.
3) Liberals are not ignorant. On the contrary they are often intelligent but limited by ... belief. Conservatives must prepare well in advance for encounters with liberals. "What an interesting/curious/unusual idea. Could you, please, explain just this small part that I don't understand?" An irresistible trap but must be done with kindness as liberals, as explained above, will completely deny any incriminating statement. Liberals are not liars but their memory of facts changes as convenient, totally. So never close the trap. "Okay, so that's the idea." works. And smile. Help them trap themselves ... then open the door. And smile.
4) Encounters with liberals are fun. If they must shout, whisper. Or vis versa. "Harassment!!" is unanswerable but "Rape!!" needs the right situation.
5) Chose the situation. "Pity" said with a neutral expression and descending tone is effective. "You said something?" works, too. Liberals want to start trouble so rapid defusing is devastating.
6) Have fun with liberals. Learn to play them. God made liberals for some reason and it must have been for conservatives amusement. Or maybe the Darwin effect is slower than predicted.