From Politico:The Senate barely does anything these days — except approve judges that could shape the law for a generation. Since Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) changed Senate rules in November to ease the approval of most of President Barack Obama’s nominees, Democrats have churned through confirmations of dozens of new judges — giving them lifetime appointments that will extend the administration’s influence for years to come. Over a roughly equivalent period during the 113th Congress, the Senate confirmed 36 district and circuit court...
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
From Politico:Obama hinted during a press conference Thursday that he may not act by the end of summer, a deadline he set in June when he turned from a legislative strategy to an administrative one. At the White House briefing Friday, press secretary Josh Earnest also declined to say that Obama would make a move soon. . . .The deadline was a political one and he broke it for political reasons.&nb...
From Megan McArdle at Bloomberg View:If you're writing about inversions, and you don't prominently mention global taxation in the first few paragraphs, then your article is not serious and anyone with even a smidgen of actual interest in the issue should stop reading. . . . The purpose of an inversion has never been, and never could be, and never will be, "ooh, Canada has a 15 percent tax rate, and the U.S. has a 35 percent tax rate, so we can save 20 points of taxes on all our income by moving." Instead the main purpose is always: "If we're...
MIT Technological Review has a pretty devastating discussion on the problems that the Google car team has yet to solve.Weather: "Among other unsolved problems, Google has yet to drive in snow, and Urmson says safety concerns preclude testing during heavy rains."Road obstacles: "The car’s sensors can’t tell if a road obstacle is a rock or a crumpled piece of paper, so the car will try to drive around either. Urmson also says the car can’t detect potholes or spot an uncovered manhole if it isn’t coned off."Unmapped areas: "Google says that its cars...
Can't people look up on the internet how to roast marshmallows? Yes, they can. Indeed, posts exist that even have pictures to show you how to do it. In case you didn't know it, you can find out how to roast marshmallows over a candle or a toaster oven or a regular oven. But in case all the many posts aren't enough for you or you can't find enough information on what we should be eating, the Obama administration has decided it should spend our tax dollars on writing up things such as this:Now, let’s get to the marshmallow...
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
With one title in the New York Times pointing out "Democrats see winning issue in Carbon Plan," it isn't too surprised the Obama administration is just going to ignore the Democrat controlled Senate. Apparently a UN agreement is being planned for next year (a non-election year) from the Obama administration. From the New York Times:The Obama administration is working to forge a sweeping international climate change agreement to compel nations to cut their planet-warming fossil fuel emissions, but without ratification from Congress....
Monday, August 25, 2014
The court's decision in SILVESTER v. Harris has ten states and the District of Columbia impose a waiting period between the time of purchase and the time of delivery of a firearm. Three states and the District of Columbiahave waiting period laws for the purchase of all firearms: California (10 days), District of Columbia (10 days), Illinois (3 days for pistols, 1 day for long guns), and Rhode Island (7 days). Four states have waiting periods for hand guns: Florida (3 days), Hawaii (14 days), Washington (up to 5 days...
This is one of the rules that was supposed to go into effect this last January. As we get closer to January 1st, more and more people are going to be forced back to less than 30 hours of work a week. As one teacher points out in this news story on WTAJ (CBS TV in Altoona, PA), what happens when the primary teacher is sick for a week? The students can't even have the same substitute for the same we...
Professor Charles Ogletree's statements about what happened in Ferguson even seems to make Chris Matthews uncomfortable. The strong certainty by which he claims that Michael Brown was shot in the back and that he had his hands up and was trying to surrender is surprising. It is concerning that a professor at Harvard Law Sch...
Saturday, August 23, 2014
It is interesting to see Senator Harry Reid complain about wealthy individuals helping out Republicans when it appears as if Democrats are getting more donations from billionaires than are Republicans. Harry Reid should know as these donations are also going to Harry Reid's own Senate Majority PAC. From Politifact:We cross-checked the Open Secrets list of the top 100 individuals donating to outside spending groups in the current election against the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires and found that, as...
Georgia's current law about schools and gun-free zones seems pretty clear, but there was sufficient ambiguity that a court decision is necessary to clear things up. Well, it looks like that such a legal challenge might be at hand. From Fox News:A Georgia father has filed a lawsuit after he says the principal at his daughter’s elementary school told him he was not allowed to bring his gun on school grounds. MyFoxAtlanta.com reported Friday that the lawsuit claims that the principal told Hugh Myers that he could not bring his gun...
-- Student punished and thrown out of class for saying "bless you" to a fellow classmate who sneezed.-- Boy Arrested and suspended for a week for writing a fictional story about shooting a dinosaur in school project.-- Cookies served for 40-years in Elyria, Ohio banned from public schools by federal government because "It has too many calories."-- Now something from a college: University of Mary Washington's student newspaper has been called "The Bullet" since 1922, but political correctness has caused them to change the name to "The...
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
This is one tempting car to drive. But valets aren't going to be taking any joy rides with these Corvettes. From the LA Times:Attention valet drivers: Don’t get frisky with the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette -- big brother is watching. General Motors is offering next year’s model of the famous sport coupe with a data recorder that captures video, audio and driving data from the vehicle when switched into a special “Valet Mode.” The Vette’s owner can come back from dinner and check out if the valet was testing the sports car’s 3.8...
Monday, August 18, 2014
This Republican ad using Amanda Curtis' own words seems to be pretty damning (more of her videos are available here). Did the Democratic nominating committee actually look into this candidate before they nominated her? I guess the question is whether she will drag down other Democrats who are running for office in Montana.Here is some more information on her.[Montana Shooting Sports Association] tracked 24 gun-related votes cast by Curtis in the Montana House last session. Curtis voted anti-gun on 23 of 24 opportunities. ...
Big surprise here. If the president has all the poser because he can make laws on his own, why should lobbyists bother with Congress. From the New York Times:. . . the process of drafting what will likely be the only significant immigration changes of his presidency — and his most consequential use of executive power — has been conducted almost entirely behind closed doors, where lobbyists and interest groups invited to the White House are making their case out of public view.Mr. Obama’s increasingly expansive appetite for the...
Friday, August 15, 2014
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.comI wanted to wait until some evidence was in about the Ferguson, Missouri shooting. However, after watching this video of a robbery that Michael Brown committed shortly before he was shot by police, I find it credible that Brown could instigate a fight with a police officer. This is one big guy who was very belligerent. Whether he also attacked the police officer isn't clear at this point, but I would find it quite plausible that he did.More commentary from a former federal prosecutor...
Is Hillary Clinton willing to say anything and take any position to win the presidency? She keeps trying to portray herself as a moderate when she previously supported Obama's position. From Fox News:For a moment, Hillary Clinton appeared to draw a clear distinction with President Obama on foreign policy, after telling The Atlantic that the “failure” to help moderate Syrian rebels allowed extremists to flourish. But her comments both before and after that interview have left unclear what the former secretary of State’s...
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
From the Orlando Sentinel:An armed Lakeland man killed a 14-year-old gang member in a shootout Wednesday evening after both drew guns and opened fire, according to the Lakeland Police Department. At 7:49 p.m., Smith and two unidentified companions began taunting Canteen in the courtyard outside his Oregon Avenue apartment before the teen drew an handgun, a witness told police. Canteen also had a handgun and, according to Canteen, the teen began shooting at him first, striking him several times in the "upper extremities," police spokesman...
Michael Bloomberg put $150,000 into the Milwaukee Sheriff's race. In response, former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson urged Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary. Well, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, David Clarke was beating Chris Moews by 52 to 48 percent. As someone who respects Clarke, this is great news.It looks like Thompson's request worked. The Milwaukee Sheriff Democratic Primary had 108,955 votes while Milwaukee Treasurer Democratic Primary had just 68,181 votes. It could be that the difference...
Monday, August 11, 2014
Technology has made it very difficult to steal cars made after about 2000. The old cars that can be stolen are not very valuable. If it wasn't for old Hondas retaining some of their value, auto theft would be down even further. From the New York Times:. . . 1990, the city had 147,000 reported auto thefts, one for every 50 residents; last year, there were just 7,400, or one per 1,100. That’s a 96 percent drop in the rate of car theft....
I have met Sheriff Clarke and I have had the chance to be interviewed by him on his radio show. If Bloomberg's money makes a difference in this race, it is something that we will hear a lot about. From Fox News:Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg - who through his political group has publicly committed to spending $50 million on gun-control politics in 2014 – has paid $150,000 to air a series of television ads targeting Clarke’s conservative pro-gun policies.The money from Bloomberg’s Independence USA super PAC is more than...
Sunday, August 10, 2014
From the BBC:In a little-noticed move, a small number of police officers are now routinely carrying sidearms while on patrol in parts of the mainland UK. . . .It's a sight that once would have been unthinkable. In this corner of the Scottish Highlands - an area with one of the lowest crime rates in the UK - the officers showing up to a relatively workaday disturbance are armed.Although every police force has a firearms unit, for decades it has been an article of faith that in the mainland UK, almost uniquely among major industrialised nations,...
Clicking on the screen shot will enlarge the picture. The Economist information is available here. Prices tell us what types of characteristics in women that men like most. The second slide probably tells us what women don't like to do and the prices make a lot of sense. Oral sex without a condom is much more dangerous and less desirable than with a condom (similar for splitting out semen or swallowing it). Having sex...
Saturday, August 9, 2014
KGTV San Diego: "College student wants right to carry gun on campus"var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 420; p.config.height = 243; p.loadVideoExpressV3('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|1000011|SPS');Fox...
Friday, August 8, 2014
Thursday, August 7, 2014
After almost six years of Obamanomics, why is such an overwhelming majority of want more Democrat solutions. What I would like to see is how these percentage compare to 2008, 2010, and 2012. From the Wall Street Journal:. . . This week's Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that women are more in sync with Democrats on a range of economic issues, including minimum wages and concerns about growing income inequality. With Republicans...
Even by the Federal government standards, not being able to account for $619 billion is a lot of money. From Fox News:The Obama administration failed to properly account for how it spent nearly $619 billion, according to a watchdog audit of the main federal website meant to track where taxpayer money is going. The report from the Government Accountability Office picked apart the website USASpending.gov, and the agencies feeding information to it. The database of government spending and contracts was created out of a 2006...
Bloomberg's gun groups claimed that this change would hurt safety in Missouri. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the claims. An explanation of the changes to the Missouri Constitution are available here at KFVS Channel 12:Missourians voted to strengthen the state's gun rights law when they headed to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 5. This ballot measure reads as follows:"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to include a declaration that the right to keep and bear arms is an unalienable right and that the state government is obligated...
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The states without an income tax areAlaskaFloridaNevadaSouth DakotaTexasWashingtonWyomingApparently, Tennessee and New Hampshire are not really zero income tax states as they impose significant taxes on interest and dividend income (6% and 5%, respectively). There is a list of the wealthiest person in each state available here.I ran two regressions: one with the wealthiest person in the state on a dummy variable for them not having an income...
Here is the first part of the story that was the lead up at Fox News:A 20-year-old Dartmouth student says she may have to give up her Ivy League dream and drop out of school because the prestigious college won't allow her to carry a gun -- to protect herself against a predator.Taylor Woolrich, a junior, says Dartmouth administrators told her they won’t let her carry a gun on campus, even though she lives in fear of a man who has been stalking her...
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
New piece at the Daily Caller: "Why Legalizing Concealed Carry Is The Answer To Persistent Stalkers"
Here is a piece that I had at the Daily Caller:Stalking victims often despair because they can’t control their own lives. They are forced to move, stay indoors, keep drapes closed, avoid posting on social media sites, and even change their cars. It’s almost like being held hostage. Shall we tell women that they just have to put up with this? The answer is “no.” Women must be able to defend themselves. The most effective way of doing this is by using a gun. By the time the police arrive to enforce a restraining order, it is often too late. One...
Monday, August 4, 2014
From the Daily Caller:Students for Concealed Carry is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprising over 43,000 college students, professors, college employees, parents of college students, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that they enjoy virtually everywhere else. The group will hold its...
Friday, August 1, 2014
Megan McArdle deserves a hat tip for pointing to this article by Cat Vasko:A couple of years ago, I got it into my head that I wanted to roast a whole chicken, just because. I wandered around my local Ralphs for a few minutes looking for poultry that hadn't already been turned into individually shrink-wrapped meat units before asking for help. The gentleman I flagged down blinked a few times at my question. "Um," he answered finally. "You know we have chickens for sale up at the front of the store that have already been cooked, right?" I bought...
Outrageously, the CIA engaged in surveillance of Senate emails. When they were caught they "demonstrated a lack of candor about their activities." Democratic Senators have "lost confidence" in Brennan, but is Obama talking about firing Brennan? No. There is no criticism at all coming from the White House. It makes it look as if President Obama has no problem with what the CIA did. From Fox News:The director of the CIA, offering a rare apology, has acknowledged an internal probe's findings that CIA employees in the...
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