Congress rich, dems want more

Story: "When Democrats blasted Republicans last fall for taking annual congressional pay raises while blocking numerous attempts to raise the minimum wage, it was an effective campaign tactic. Democrats vowed not to accept the annual cost-of-living hike until Congress increases the minimum wage.
But Republicans angered over the political attacks are unwilling to allow Democrats to reinstate the so-called members' COLA, forcing Democratic leaders to scuttle the 1.7 percent pay hike for the entire year.

"There will be no COLA adjustment," said a disappointed Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the House's No. 2 Democrat, on Tuesday.

Hoyer has for years played a central role in finessing the ticklish issue of lawmakers' pay, working cozily with GOP leaders to make sure an annual pay-related vote went smoothly.

Lawmakers' pay will be frozen at $165,200 for this year in the dispute, in which Democrats violated a yearslong understanding that the competing parties would not use the pay raise issue in campaign ads. "

I think this is crazy... they make $165,000 a year!! Thats a LOT of money, and they want a pay raise? Shee, tax dollars at work.
And now, after the elections, the republicans change their mind? What were they thinking about before the election???

On a Socially Savvy Geek and Drug Dealers

Story: Kym Sidney Tyrone O'Hara last week faced a 25-year prison term for selling $700 worth of ecstasy and methylamphetamine to friends at Port Lincoln in 2003 and 2004. But Judge Barry Beazley said the "hard working and highly motivated" 22-year-old's "fear of imprisonment" and his sporting abilities would lead him to reassess his life.

This judge either has remarkable faith in mankind, is stupid, or both. Hey, all you drug dealers! Tired of fearing imprisonment? Looking for a safe and easy way out? Get "sporting abilities"! It worked for this guy!

This story was done by a former soldier in this war, who has moved onto other things, and has now returned to the blogsphere. Check him out here.
The story in itself is quite shocking.

Illigals afraid of the law

Story: "Cook Rosa Maria Salazar's eyes dart anxiously to the door as customers file into the Salvadoran cafe in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles.

"We're terrified. The police could come for us at any time and deport us," she said in Spanish earlier this week as diners fingered maize tortillas stuffed with beans and pork scratchings and chatted softly.

The 55-year-old undocumented worker from Guatemala is among many Hispanics deeply shaken by recent immigration raids at the heart of Latino communities in southern California.

The-seven day Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweep, dubbed "Operation Return to Sender," targeted jails across five counties in the Los Angeles area, where police took 423 of what they called "criminal aliens" into federal custody for deportation, after being held on charges unrelated to their immigration status.

Federal agents from seven teams also fanned out in local communities, where they nabbed 338 undocumented immigrants, more than 150 of whom were classed as "immigration fugitives" -- foreign nationals who ignored final deportation orders."

I heard about the bust, but I didn't post on it. Apparently, the cops being allowed to do their job has created some fear among the local criminal class.

In other news, I was in government class yesterday, and we (the professor, I, and 2 others) Debated Iraq for about 50 minutes. We didn't even get our text books open, it was so much fun. :D

Ford: You fail because you are stupid

Story: " Ford Motor Co. may resume paying executive bonuses to boost the morale of managers battered by three rounds of job cuts and plant closings in the past five years, people familiar with the matter said.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker is considering the renewal of bonuses as a way of supporting managers coping with reduced benefits, the elimination of merit raises and the threat of job losses, said the people, who didn't want to be identified because the discussions are private.

Ford paid no bonuses to its top 6,000 executives during the last two years. Ford's net income shrank to $1.44 billion for 2005. Ford said today it lost $5.8 billion in the fourth quarter and $12.7 billion for 2006, the biggest annual loss ever. The company is cutting 40,000 factory and white-collar jobs in hopes of restoring North American auto profits in 2009. "

Bonuses for the executives of a falling company? Look at Ford, a one time Titan of the auto industry, who has now fallen to the lowest point in this companies history. $13 billion in losses!
And the proper response to this? Give Bonuses to the leadership responsible?
Its companies like this that make it so hard to defend the CEOs who deserve their bonuses.

In other news, American Airlines turned its first profit since 2000, a victory of unbelievable magnitute, considering the airline industry and its difficulties with such things.

Colonel sanders would be proud

Story: "Hundreds of chickens have been found dead in east China -- and a court has ruled that the cause of death was the screaming of a four-year-old boy who in turn had been scared by a barking dog, state media reported on Wednesday.
The bizarre sequence events began when the boy arrived at a village home in the eastern province of Jiangsu in the summer with his father who was delivering bottles of gas, the Nanjing Morning Post reported.
A villager was quoted as saying the little boy bent over the henhouse window, screaming for a long time, after being scared by the dog.
"One neighbour told police that he had heard the boy's crying that afternoon and another villager confirmed the boy screaming by the henhouse window," the newspaper said.
A court ruled the boy's screaming was "the only unexpected abnormal sound" and that 443 chickens trampled each other to death in fear.
The boy's father was ordered to pay 1,800 yuan ($230) in compensation to the owner of the chickens."

Wow. Fragile creatures...

Iran predicts US & Isreal's doom

Story: "Israel and the United States will soon be destroyed, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday during a meeting with Syria's foreign minister, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) website said in a report.

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives," the Iranian president was quoted as saying.

"Sparking discord among Muslims, especially between the Shiites and Sunnis, is a plot hatched by the Zionists and the US for dominating regional nations and looting their resources," Ahmadinejad added, according to the report.
Ahmadinejad has threatened the State of Israel with annihilation several times in recent months, and has recently added the US and Britain to the list of countries he says will be destroyed.

Syria's Foreign Minister, Wailed Mualem, accused the US of attempting to carry out a "massacre of Muslims" and of sowing "discord among Islamic faiths in the region.""

And we're not concerned about the nuclear weapons he's developing? This guy funds terrorism, yet gets a free pass from most of the world, including, often enough, the US. Remember the Baker report? We have Iran help us out with Iraq.
I'm more concerned about these guys then I am China.
Oh, and lets not forget. Courtesty the French & Russians they have anti-aircraft capabilities, as well as more advanced nuclear weaponry. May those nations hang in shame.

State of the Union

Ok, Health Care: It is not the governments obligation to provide health care for any one but the soldiers, I don't care what the dems say.

Earmarks.. How is this going to work?

Immigration: No amnesty, yet we get amnesty. Humbug.

Energy
How on earth is Bush going to enforce the mandate for alt. fuels, 5 times the current level?
Did he just say climate change? Wrong, and lame.
Cut gas consumption by 20% in 10 years? Not going to happen. Not at all.

War on Terror:
He's solid, and its the only issue I can support so far.
"To win the war on terror, we must take the fight to the enemy". YES.
We're still at war, stay the course. Muy Bueno.
BTW, I love watching 'The Enforcer-Cheney' making the facial expressions of a Conservative, and Miss America Pelosi making the faces for liberals. The problem is Pelosi is happy far to often here. Cheney seems to be grimacing a lot though, and Pelosi's keeps blinking, its like she has make up in her eye.

Iraq has a constitutional, democratic government. 12 million people voted, for crying out loud!!!
We can stiffen our resolve, and we will turn this tide.
"We didn't drive Al-queda out of Afganistan only to turn the free nation of Iraq into their base'.
"Nothing is more important in our history then to spare the american people from defeat in the middle east".
Aye, victory.
"The war on terror is a generational struggle that will continue long after you and I have turned over our duties.

Darfur... Yeeks.
AIDS???? WHY ON EARTH IS THE US GOVERNMENT FIGHTING AIDS IN AFRICA???
Gates and his foundation can do that, I find no where that this is the Feds responsibility.
Malaria? Bring back DDT...

This Rockets guy is pretty cool.
So's Mrs. Clark, the video lady.
Autrey... What a brave soul.
Sgt. Clark... Wow. Silver star. God bless him.

Good speech, I agree with the war. Otherwise, far to much outreach to the libs.

China is bald.

Story: "Chinese Foreign ministry officials have told a visiting U.S. diplomat that China's successful test of an anti-satellite weapon should not be seen as a threat and does not signal the beginning of a race to militarize space, the State Department said Monday.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill raised the issue with Chinese officials over the weekend in Beijing. China has not made a public announcement of the Jan. 11 test, in which it shot down one of its own old weather satellites, but officials acknowledged it during their meeting with Hill, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "

Why is China bald? Because they just lied with a bald face... Holy cow. Shooting down a satilite with a weapon does not signal a start to a space weapons war?
Crazy Commies.

Calderon enforces Mexico's laws

Story: "President Felipe Calderon announced Friday that 7,600 soldiers have massed in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero to go after drug gangs that have committed beheadings and other violence in the resort city of Acapulco in recent months.

Calderon had already sent more than 10,000 troops to two other states since taking office on Dec. 1, promising a tough response to organized crime that claimed the lives of at least 2,000 Mexicans last year.
The soldiers, who arrived Sunday, joined more than 1,000 troops that started conducting random checks on vehicles throughout Acapulco last week.
...
Calderon earlier sent 7,000 troops to his home state of Michoacan and 3,300 soldiers and federal police to Tijuana — across the border from San Diego — to hunt down drug gangs.

The soldiers in Tijuana swept police stations and took officers' guns for inspection in response to allegations by federal investigators that a corrupt network of officers protects smugglers."

Heard the Tijuana story while I was down south last week, but this is even better. Now, if you'll notice, what we have here is a man willing to enforce his laws by any means nessesary.
In contrast in the US, our finest are jailed for doing their job. What idiocy...

Anyways, I'm glad Calderon is taking the fight back to the carels. Even if the army isn't a permant solution, the disruption of this vile buisness is good news for all law-abiding citizens.

Perversion of cinema, round 728

This is the kind of thing that makes me at once blood-boiling-infuriated, at yet proud of a friend and ally.

Hound Dog is a movie depicting a 12-year old girl, doing a lot of sexual promiscus things, then being raped by her father.
Rather boring plot, but far more disturbing is the graphic nature of the film.

Now, this post on Kingdom Advancing, which I read yesterday, is what has made me proud. Its a jewel in the archives of blogging, something you can show your grandparents for what a blog can be.
Without further adu, Wrong in So Many Ways.
His analysis is dead on, and I wish I could have written something like this myself.

Border agenst prosecuted for going beyond the call of duty

Story: "Two Texas Border Patrol agents — convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in the backside while on duty — were scheduled to turn themselves in to U.S. Marshals Wednesday, and there's still no word on whether President Bush will grant them a pardon.

Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean are scheduled to begin serving 11 and 12 years, respectively, on Wednesday for the February 2005 non-fatal shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila.
...
"This ruling by Judge Cardone is the most disgraceful act that I have ever heard of in the history of our great nation and both she and the prosecutors should be ashamed of themselves for taking the word of a drug smuggler, caught in the act, while ignoring the facts," Friends of the Border Patrol Chrairman Andy Ramirez said in a statement. "Evidence that would have severely damaged the credibility of the known drug smuggler, and exonerated Compean & Ramos was sealed and suppressed and the attorneys were prevented from mounting a proper defense."
...
"I must remind the public that narcotic traffickers and human smugglers laugh at law enforcement as they know that the Johnny Sutton’s of DOJ will not prosecute them, and instead will prosecute officers who do their job and keep that poison off our streets and out of our schools, parks, and neighborhoods," Ramirez wrote.
...
Compean and Ramos were convicted by a jury last March of violating the civil rights of Davila when they shot him on Feb. 17, 2005, in Fabens, Texas, about 30 miles east of El Paso, then tampering with evidence by picking up shell casings from the shooting.

The ex-agents say Davila had a gun, and that's why they fired at him, but a gun was never found.

In exchange for his testimony against the two agents, Davila was granted immunity from prosecution by the U.S. government for attempting to smuggle nearly 750 pounds of marijuana — which had a street value of more than $1 million — into the United States on the day he was shot. He was treated in a U.S. hospital and is now suing the federal government for $5 million, Poe said.

"It's just an absurd case," Poe said Wednesday. "There's something weird about our government being so interested in making sure these two border guards go to prison. We hope to get to the bottom of what this is all about."
...
Snow and Sutton have both pointed out that at the time Davila was originally pulled over, the agents didn't know he was an illegal alien, nor did they know he had over 700 pounds of marijuana in his truck. The agents also had arms training the day before the incident, so they knew what was required of them in the case of a shooting, they said. "

Holy cow... Why on earth are two of our finest, the border patrol men, put in prison for stopping a drug smuggler & illegal alien???. They're just two men doing their job, and they are locked up in jail for a 'civil rights violation', all for stopping 700 pounds of dope from crossing the border.
Not only that, but they aren't allowed to go free on bond? These are US citizens, and we treat criminals from a forign land far better then we are these two men.
In addition, what on earth is the White house doing? Rather then ripping on these men, and supporting a crooked court of law, they should be giving them a pardon, and endorsing their actions.
It seems everyday this administration wanders farther and farther from what is right.

US Economy Surgeing

Story: "Economists are hastily upgrading their forecasts for the US economy after a series of surprisingly strong reports suggesting the so-called "soft landing" may be over and growth is accelerating.
...
Over the past week, surprises have come in stronger-than-expected reports on US job creation, the trade balance and retail sales -- all key contributors to economic activity.

Lehman Brothers chief US economist Ethan Harris on Friday boosted his forecast for fourth quarter 2006 growth to an annualized rate of 3.3 percent, a leap from the firm's prior call for just 2.0 percent growth.

"After slowing in November, the economy seems to have regained its stride," Harris said.

"With the last of the major data in, we are now revising fourth quarter GDP to an above-trend 3.3 percent. A wide range of indicators have been stronger than expected. Most important have been the strong consumption data and the surprising improvement in the trade balance."

A slow down in the economy? We're still growing folks, the largest and most productive economy this world has ever seen.
Capitalism rocks ya'll.

Petty Tyrants declare economic war on US

Story: "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said they were ready to spend billions of dollars (euros) financing projects in other countries to help thwart US domination.

The anti-US Presidents whose efforts to extend their influence have alarmed Washington met Saturday in Venezuela’s capital, the first stop on Ahmadinejad’s tour of Latin America that will also see him visit newly elected leftist leaders in Nicaragua and Ecuador.

The oil-rich nations had previously announced plans for a joint USD 2 billion fund to finance investments in Venezuela and Iran, but Chavez and Ahmadinejad said Saturday that the money would also be used for projects in friendly third countries."

Yeah, we'll see how this goes. Two small, communist or tyranical countries challenging the economic might of the United States? No way they can win.

Back

Hey,
Back from mexico, I had a productive trip.

And, I'll be switching to the new blogger. Should be interesting.

Ok, because I was gone for a week, I seriously have been out of the news cycle, so what do ya'll think were the stories of the week?

Border assult

Hey,
I don't have anytime to make a full baked post, but here is a story about our national gaurd being attacked by an armed gang of mexicans.
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/borderstory0104-CR.html

The Governator sails into the deep end

Story: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will propose that all Californian children, including those in the state illegally, be guaranteed medical insurance as part of the health-care overhaul he intends to unveil next week, according to officials familiar with the plan.

If enacted by the Legislature, his proposal would affect about 763,000 children who now lack insurance. Although the administration has not revealed details of how it would pay for such a program, officials estimate that extending insurance to all children could cost the state as much as $400 million a year.
...
"We believe Californians do not want to reward illegal behavior," said Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines of Clovis. "There are so many here [legally] who are hurting and trying to make ends meet, we've got to focus on them first.""

Of all the insanity in this world, its the stuff like this that drives me up a wall.
Ok, lets look at this from a few perspectives.
-Government responsibilities
Who decided it was the governments job to pay for kids health care? ITS THE PARENT'S JOB!!! Yegads...
-Immigration
Why on earth is the government even thinking about providing benifits, which shouldn't even be given to citizens of this nation, to people who have avoided the law, and been in the nation working illigally? This is in the range of providing food stamps to illegals, drivers licsenses, and like in New York City, voting!!

Crazy all the way.

The 110th Congress

W-Post: "If yesterday was any indication, the 110th Congress will be highly entertaining, if not terribly productive. So far, it's hard to tell which will be a larger impediment to Democratic leaders: the McHenrys or the Sheehans."

The article is a pretty entertaining/informative read, but its far to long to post here. Essentially, we've got a bunch of republicans giving the democrats the same list of 'minority rights' demands that the dems gave the Republicans back in the day, and Pelosi laughed in their face.
Will wonders never cease, right? Democrats trying to hold on to power and accomplish something from their agenda? I think the Republicans could learn a lesson or two here.

Then, something strange happen. Deranged mother of a fallen hero, Cindy Sheehan, lead a protest in Washington, effectivly ending a speech. And it wasn't a republican speech, but Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat from Illinois, along with other democrat commitee members.
Apparently, minimum wage and student loan intrest rates are not an inspiring platform.

Back to the quote above, if the government doesn't do anything new, is that really a bad thing?

On Cheese, TV, and the Nanny State

Story: "Much to the disgust of its makers, cheese is to be regarded in the same light as crisps, sugary cereals and cheeseburgers.

In fact, under the criteria used by the Food Standards Agency to determine junk foods, such products are actually regarded as healthier than cheese.

The ban follows evidence that TV commercials have an indirect influence on what children eat and are contributing to obesity in the young.

The Food Standards Agency model assesses the fat, sugar and salt content in a 100g or 100ml serving of food or drink.

But the British Cheese Board points out that a typical portion of cheese was 30 to 40g - not the 100g used in the agency's model.

Most cheese would be exempt from the ban if a typical portion had been used in the calculations, according to the board.

It pointed out that cheese was one of the most 'nutritionally complete' foods.

The National Farmers' Union described the decision as ' nannying gone mad'.

'To suggest there is anything inherently harmful about cheese is absurd,' spokesman Anthony Gibson said."

Cheese! How on earth cheese can be considered un-healthy, I don't know. Anyone ever have those string cheese sticks when you were little? I loved them, and they're healthy!
This is just a government interviening based on indirect evidence that TV ads make people fatter, which is just absurd. People get fat because they eat to much, or don't burn the calories they put it. TV commercials have nothing to do with that.

What else has been banned?
"Marmite, Flora Lite, half-fat cheddar, Dairylea triangles, bran flakes, camembert, sugar-coated puffed wheat, instant hot oat cereal, Jaffa cakes, reduced calorie mayonnaise, multi-grain hoop cereal, half-fat creme fraiche, takeaway chicken nuggets, potato waffles, Greek yoghurt (from sheep's milk), ham, sausages, bacon rashers, low-fat spreads, peanuts, cashew nuts, pistachio-nuts, peanut butter, raisins, sultanas, currants, low-fat potato crisps, olive oil, butter, pizza, hamburgers, tomato ketchup, chocolate, brown sauce, cola and lemonade."

Dude... Way to suck all the joy out of a childs life, if they're being told Oatmeal, Ham, Peanut Butter, and Lemonade(!) is unhealthy for them.
Matt, maybe you can help with this. What is a bacon rasher?

And in any case, this story was a good excuse to put a picture of Wallace, eating cheese, on the site.

The state of Iran

CNN: "Some people in the crowd in Ahvaz on Tuesday tried to remind the president of the need to address domestic problems. State television showed a placard carried by one spectator that read: "Inflation, unemployment, insecurity, drug addiction have desiccated the tree of the revolution."
Inflation is officially at 12 percent but thought to be much higher, and an estimated 3 million people are unemployed."

Well, this may put Iran in a new perspective. It is not a country with a vibrant economy, despite the oil revenues.
Still, a rengade nation does not need to be healthy to hurt innocents, North Korea has been around for a while now.

Oh yeah, the rest of the article is just Amadinjad rambling about the up-and-coming humiliation of the United States, and I'm sure there was some 'destruction of the zionests' in the message, just to kick it up an notch.