Fishing I can support banning

I think that Paul Watson is a grandstanding ass and a thug.
He is an over-the-top ham when the cameras are on and he surrounds himself with zealous acolytes bent on violent confrontation rather than civilized change.
I cannot fathom why anyone would watch more than a few minute of "Whale Wars" without changing channels, but it is still on the air (proof of idiocy in the viewing public).
Having said that, he and his group are (at least in part) trying stop true abuses and prevent overfishing.
I hope they focus their energies on the emerging issue of illegal fishing where not only are fishing stocks being depleted illegally, but crewmen are being treated as virtual slaves.

Motel design turns into "Death Ray"

A Las Vegas hotel is having trouble because of its design.
Modern buildings try to maximize efficiency by using glass that provides plenty of light but blocks as much heat as possible,
Combine that with a curved design where the inside of the curve faces south and you have focused reflected sunlight that is much greater than natural light.
Just like a magnifying glass, the hotel collects and concentrates light and heat into small areas (foci) that sometimes happen to be where guests are trying to get a "little" sun.
The owners claim they knew of a potential problem but thought they had mitigated it by applying a special film to the glass, but the problem still had guests feeling like they were literally burning.
They are reportedly still working on a solution.

Idiots!
This is a failure at a level so basic, it is like building a bridge without performing a wind loading test.

Caterpillar to create new jobs (in China)

Obama told us that stimulus money would help create American jobs.
Obama told us Caterpillar would create jobs because of the stimulus.
Caterpillar is opening a whole new factory.
In China.
Maybe there are a bunch of Americans living in China that just got hired?

Toddler's birthday party turns into brawl

What started as a birthday party for a 3 year old turned into a brawl where more beer bottles flew than there are socialists in the current administration.
An argument between a woman's boyfriend and ex-husband is blamed for starting the whole fight.
Multiple people were injured during the 1:00 AM fight.
Police claim that the children present witnessed the brawl.
When the cops arrived to break up the fight, there were still about 150 people present and the biggest problem they had was communicating with the mostly Spanish speaking guests.

So, why are their over a hundred people at a toddler's party and why are they still there at 1:00 AM?
It seems to me that this party was an excuse to gather and drink, not celebrate the kid's 3rd birthday.
What kind of people keep children up past midnight while they drink and party?

Border fence gets built

A border fence is being built on Mexico's border to keep out illegal aliens!
Great news, right?
Well, only if you want to stop the illegals from Guatemala and countries to its south.
The fence is being built by Mexico to keep out the illegals they don't want.

So, Felipe Calderon can lecture us on our attempts to secure our border.
He gets help from our Snarky Marxist Prez in calling us a bunch of racist haters for trying to prevent an invasion of people that begin their stay by breaking the law and continue to break it every moment they are here.
You can cut the hypocrisy with a knife.

SEIU head under FBI scrutiny

I am not holding my breath waiting for the FBI to actually charge or arrest Andy Stern, but I can dream.
The SEIU is the current poster child for lying and thuggish behavior when it comes to unions.
They are quite likely the most militant socialist organization in America today.
The FBI is investigating them for corruption and Stern is part of the investigation, although he apparently has no direct links to the alleged wrongdoing.
Of course not.
He isn't dumb enough to be close to this kind of stuff.
That is why he hires minions.

More idiots try to run Gaza blockade

More people tried to run the Gaza blockade that Israel set up to prevent weapons smuggling that would resupply terrorists with rockets and explosives.
The catamaran carrying "activists" who must be completely ignorant of the lack of restrictions on food and medicine flowing legally into the Palestinian territory, allowed Israeli forces to board their boat and route it to the required inspection point.
The new wrinkle in this act of ignorance is that the activists include Jews, one of them a former fighter pilot, that wanted the world to know that not all Jews support the blockade.

Israel has not stopped the flow of goods to Gaza.
They have only required inspection prior to delivery.
If there are any shortages in the Palestinian territories, it is due to Hamas and Fatah, not the Israelis.

Victory for people's rights over the government

Anthony J. Graber was (and likely still is) an idiot for videoing his motorcycle runs where he speeds and drives recklessly.
But, according to a judge, he is not a criminal for making or posting the video.
Police charged him with an unconstitutional "wiretap" law that claims we have no right to record what the cops do in a public setting and the judge decided they have no right to privacy in a public traffic stop.

I support the right of the police to record us and use the video evidence in court (no matter how pissed I might be if it catches me in violation of the law), but I believe we have the reciprocal right to present our side.
My main reason for this is that there are too many cases where a cop wins in court because the judge will side with them over us.
I am also sick and tired of seeing lowlifes on TV claiming they or their relatives/friends are innocent and the cops were the bad guys because there is no video to show the cops had every right to beat/stun/shoot the person they are defending.
Video doesn't lie.

Nature kills more than criminals in Oaxaca Mexico

Heavy rains led to a massive landslide in Oaxaca Mexico that may have killed hundreds of people.
Government spokesmen say that there is no confirmation of damage or death as teams are still en route to the town of 9000 "indigenous" Mexicans.
It is a tragedy when a lack of government oversight allows buildings and sites that are at risk, which is likely the case here.

We may be in trouble

If there are aliens out there in the Universe willing and able to visit earth, I am not sure they should now.
It seems the UN has appointed an "Ambassador" to greet any aliens that may visit and he is an expert in "Space Law".
Lord save us!

SEIU protects true thugs

We joke about "union thugs" while realizing that most union members are decent people, but that doesn't mean that the leadership consists of decent people.
As if we needed more proof, we have this story of the SEIU resisting rule changes for in-home care workers that would weed out criminals that would otherwise be left alone with some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Apparently, dues and power are more important than the safety and security of the very people used as pawns by the left when they try taking more of our money.

I prefer Rosemary and Thyme

A recent study by the same university that gave us the global warming hoax has shown that oregano reduces methane emissions and increases milk production in cows.
We are saved!
One less greenhouse gas to worry about!
Have we tested the other spices too?

Congressional hearings put into perspective

When a comedian appears before a congressional committee concerning illegal immigration and farm workers at the invitation of the hearing's chair, we can say that the process has become a mockery.
Such was the case when Steven Colbert was invited by Zoe Lofgren (D) to expound on his "vast" knowledge of the subject after spending one whole day on a California farm.
Representative John Conyers (D) asked Mr. Colbert to leave before he began his remarks, and Colbert replied that he had an invitation and would only leave at the behest of Ms. Lofgren.

And they wonder why we don't take them seriously (except for their proclivity for tax increases and regulation).

Man "scuffles" with his parrot

This is one of those stories you can't make up.
A man was walking with his parrot in a backpack.
He got into a physical altercation with the bird which ended with the bird losing feathers and the man suffering from bird bites.
His story is that the bird is not trained and would not listen, so he shook it.
Anyone who doesn't respect a large bird's ability to damage anything it can fit it's nut-cracking beak around is a fool.

New tourist stop in Russia shines

Well, maybe it "glows".
Tourists are flocking to Chernobyl to see the aftermath of nuclear disaster despite lingering levels of dangerous radiation.
Radiation is ~32 times normal and you can't stay long but the draw is in seeing an area and a town locked in stasis since the 1986 disaster occurred.
Tourists explain that visiting the site is no different than visiting Auschwitz or the Colosseum in Rome because of the large number of deaths that happened there.
You can't be too curious or lazy when visiting the site as signs remind you not to touch anything or even sit down.
I'm sure the tourists leave with a certain "glow".

Marine disgraces the himself

A marine stationed in California has pled guilty to beating and stoning ducks and geese at a park in Iowa.
The plea will only cost him a measly $625 for taking part in killing 50 waterfowl.
I bet Ted Nugent wishes he had stoned 50 ducks in Iowa instead of killing one deer in California.
It is unfortunate that the title of this article (and mine) use the word "Marine" to refer to this idiot, but he is still in the corps.

How to make a bad review worse

I can sympathize with a hotel manager being upset at a bad review from a guest.
But when that guest was kept out of his room for "re-carpeting" and then removed by the police after supposedly posting a bad review on the internet, don't you think the follow-up review will be more damning?
Somehow, I think the real story is even more interesting than what is stated here.

Teachers a no-show at back-to-school night

We are constantly reminded that teachers are tireless, caring, dedicated professionals who will pay out of their own pockets for school supplies.
They would never let our kids down.
"Never" doesn't include a fight over paying for health care.
When the district and teachers' union couldn't come to an agreement over health care costs, the students were tossed under the bus by a suddenly greedy and selfish group of uncaring monsters.

Dem flier includes Social Security #. Stupid or evil?

Democrats mailed a flier attacking a Republican candidate in Florida that included his social security number.
Allen West had had a tax lien in Indiana for $11K that was promptly paid and the Democrat mailer reproduced the document without removing the easily identifiable 9 digit number.
They claim the error was simply an oversight.
So, are they stupid or evil?
And what is up with Indiana letting people view documents with SSNs on them?

Police break 84 year old's neck

An 84 year old man was upset that his car might be towed for parking in spot with warning signs.
Police were called and the man "put his hands on" an officer several times, despite warnings to stop, and insisted he wouldn't leave until he "knocked this cop out".
The man was apparently drunk (so he wouldn't be safe to drive his car).
The officer hip checked the old man and brought him to the ground to cuff him.
The take-down broke the old man's neck in a manner doctors claimed was not usually survived but the old man made it to the hospital and surgery.
Police policy allowed for the take-down and the officer is claiming imminent threat.
I wasn't there and I don't even know how big or heavy the old man was, so I can only guess what level of threat he offered.
Having said that; how many 84 year olds aren't as easy to arrest as an 8 year old, and why don't the police have something to use between talk and tackle?

UK wants the worker's paychecks

In a chillingly Socialist move, the UK government has proposed having all workers' paychecks go to the government first and the government depositing the remainder after deductions.
This is very scary stuff and the Obama administration is likely watching this very closely to see if they might get away with it.
Implementing the system would require massive data collection and data warehousing in order to calculate and track taxes and pay.
It would expose workers' private accounts to government mistakes and do away with their option (and right) to only pay at the year's end.
Given the reputation of government IT and data security, this is very scary stuff.
Add to that the bureaucratic reluctance to let people have so much as a penny back once they have their mitts on it, you have the makings of a very bad situation.

Oh snap! Interpol chief had ID stolen

How embarrassing is it if you are a major law enforcement person and someone hijacks your identity?
The Chief of interpol recently had his Face Book identity hacked by someone that used his profile to access data on interpol investigations.
That's gotta hurt!

Better off expelled?

A Broward county boy was expelled from school for bringing a toy gun to school.
That isn't so unusual in this era of PC stupidity and zero tolerance for anyone who isn't a real criminal, but he is still not allowed to return over a year later.
He is only 8 years old!
The best behaved 8 year olds will absolutely break some rules and this punishment is way out of line.
The only good thing about it is that the school has not been able to indoctrinate him for more than a year.

I hope to hear that the entire school board in that county is voted out.

Meanwhile, another Broward county Dad actually boarded a bus and threatened to kill anyone harassing his daughter.
She hasn't been expelled for "bringing a weapon" on the bus.

Maxine Waters' aides know no shame

It's bad enough that Liberal lawmakers give tickets to whack jobs so they can enter the capitol and disrupt sessions by shouting, unfurling banners, or shoving red stained hands in (conservative's) faces.
It is just unacceptable when one Liberal has her minions try to unfurl banners at another (higher level) Liberal's speech.
Well, Maxine "Nepotism" Waters had her minions trying to get the cameras on banners claiming Maxine is ethically pure as the wind driven snow and they tried to crash Nancy Pelosi's speech at the X Prize presentation for vehicle efficiency.
Nancy's peeps kicked Maxine's minions out the door.
Too bad they don't do that to all the nut jobs that show up when congress is in session.

Govt. workers still surfing porn

Senator Charles Grassley had taken on the issue of government workers wasting time searching porn or gambling while at work and was promised that things would change.
Now he is highlighting the lack of change and disparate treatment of those caught breaking the rules.
Whistle blowers have testified that employees at the National Science Foundation (NSF) are still accessing inappropriate sites and that higher level employees are suffering harsher punishment than low level (union) employees.
Grassley was also informed that a filtering service installed at the NSF was only turned on "hurriedly" after he wrote to ask about progress.

Maybe this is why we haven't gotten to the truth of climate change.

And you thought Ted was bad

Ted Nugent (Rock Star and avid hunter) recently got into trouble in California for taking a deer illegally because he used bait and the deer was not old enough (as judged by antler points).
Now we hear that Brothers in Kansas have allegedly held illegal hunts involving at least 60 hunters from other states and 119 deer.
James and Marlon Butler are accused of encouraging hunters to use illegal methods like spotlighting (deer in the headlights anyone?), hunting without a valid license, and using firearms during bow season.
Unlike Nugent, they may spend a lot of time in jail for the charges against them.
While it is doubtful the court or jury will accept their arguments, the brothers do have a point when they say the state is paying out large sums of money to cull herds due to overpopulation and it is somewhat hypocritical to arrest someone for doing it in an unofficial capacity.
All of the hunts took place on private property leased by the Butler brothers.

Women more likely to believe in global warming

A recent study of American sentiment concerning Global Warming shows that Women are more likely to believe in the 'scientific consensus' than men and men are more likely to be confident in their analysis and belief than women.
A telling factoid is that women and men more supportive of feminism are more likely to believe in man made climate change.
Since modern day feminists are more interested in political power than helping women, that makes these people useful idiots or partners in crime with the hoaxers.

"Pants on the ground", 38 found

Two men were sitting in a car at a White Castle burger joint when a third man slipped into the back seat.
None of them had any fast food, so two police officers decided to take a closer look.
When they saw a suspicious baggie and the man in the backseat admitted it was pot, the cops ordered them out of the car.
When one of the men had his already precipitously low pants fall to his ankles, one of the officers pulled them up and found a pistol in his pocket.
One more in a line of (too few) examples of idiots suffering for a fashion statement that only seems to say "I'm really stupid!".

College Dean's throat slashed

Minutes before a scheduled press conference by the Kansas Governor, a student in a bullet resistant vest slashed the throat of the school's Dean.
The Dean survived thanks to quick action by bystanders while others grabbed the attacker and held him for police.
The student was acting strangely (grabbing the microphone at the podium and acted like he was doing a sound check, had "demonic" tattoos, and wrote symbols on a wall poster) and "seemed" to be on drugs.
It might seem strange that his apparently "crazy" behavior immediately prior to the attack did not trigger intervention but he is a college student and this all may seem pretty normal behavior in some colleges (like Berkeley).

Possible out for states opposing Obamacare

Virginia (and more than 20 other states) are suing the federal government to void the portion of the law that mandates individual policies for almost everyone.
This might not be such a big deal if they succeed if the law were like so many other laws as most laws have a boilerplate severance clause which allows for the remainder of a law to remain in force if any portion of the law proves to be unconstitutional.
But the thousands of pages that make up this bill do not contain this clause, so if the one portion demanding each person buy insurance for themselves is shot down in court, the whole law will become invalid.
This shows that Congress either a) believed there was no chance that any part would be found invalid, b) didn't care a fig about constitutionality, or c) planted a self-destruct to be able to claim they "tried" without ending up as uber-badguys in the history books.

I'm thinking 'b'.

Redneck reputation secured

A Kentucky man unhappy with the way his wife prepared breakfast shot and killed 5 people before killing himself.
After the argument began, the wife allegedly told neighbors which seemed to prompt Stanley Neace to kill them just for knowing what happened.
He proceeded through the trailer park (yes, a trailer park in Kentucky) shooting at trailers and people before returning home where he shot himself as police arrived.
Trailer Trash all over the US must be proud of his successful attempt to "represent".

Too bad she didn't put something "special" in his breakfast to get him first.

Overreaction to chemical suicide

A lab technician apparently committed suicide using cyanide.
Cyanide is not the best choice for suicide as even though it is fast, you feel as if you are asphyxiating.
The usual suspects have ascended their soap boxes and started trying to fan public fears of lab technicians gathering large quantities of toxic substances with mayhem in mind.
They obviously wasted no time considering what inventory controls are already in place and how hard research can become if more stringent controls are added.

The number of people that are able to obtain chemicals that are dangerous in and of themselves or that can be made dangerous with only a little treatment is enormous.
We can't clamp down too hard on access without putting an already fragile economy in the dumper.

Newest Obama non-headline

Don't hold your breath waiting for the MSM to trumpet the fact that Obama has presided on the largest increase in the national debt in history.
Not only has he eclipsed any other president's contribution to the debt, he has increased it to a level that is lager than all past debts of all presidents COMBINED!

And the news will be about something else, anything else.

Bedbugs may help save millions

The debate over the use of DDT was "settled" as far as the media an the environmentalists were considered.
Their lies, distortions, and omissions had successfully doomed millions of Africans and South Americans to disease and death by denying them the ability to control disease vectors.
Any second or third world country that wanted to obtain DDT found it was no longer made, and any attempting to manufacture their own found themselves in the crosshairs of multinational environmental groups and organizations like the UN.
Now that bedbugs have developed resistance to the chemicals used in lieu of DDT and Americans now face an epidemic of biting insects, even in Uber Liberal cities like New York, some are arguing again for DDT.
I did some research years ago and discovered that DDT had been falsely maligned by the left, starting with Rachel Carson and her book of lies; Silent Spring.
This book is thought of by many as the seminal work behind the environmental movement (fitting that organizations steeped in lies started with them).
People have believed, as I once did, that DDT moves into the food chain and causes harm all the way to the apex predators.
Studies over the years (ignored by the press) have shown that DDT is not only far less harmful than believed, it can be used in ways that have maximum impact on disease vectors with minimum environmental impact.

So, maybe now that actual Liberals are feeling the bite, if not contracting diseases, they will reconsider DDT.
Then again, maybe it will take an influx of Dengue fever to shake them enough to see the truth.

More climate change debunking

Al Gore must be looking for a cave in Afghanistan to hide in.
First there is a new revision of icecap loss showing that previous estimates need to be cut in half because researchers did not take into account the isostatic response of the earth's crust to removal of glaciers after the last ice age (they missed another important factor? I'm so not shocked.)
Then there is the Old Farmer's Almanac, which predicts a colder, albeit shorter, winter and a cooler than normal spring and summer.
This is at odds with the people at NOAA, so I think they may be right since the NOAA is in the grip of leftist bureaucrats..
.

Man arrested for defense of home and self

A Long Island man was arrested for using a legally owned rifle to scare off a gang of thugs that were threatening him and his family.
His rifle was referred to as an AK-47, which is obviously a falsehood as that label only applies to the fully automatic version of the Kalashnikov design rifle.
His story is that he was about to drive a relative home when gang members accosted them and threatened them.
He believed them to be members of MS 13.
He grabbed his legal rifle and told them to leave.
They dared him to use it and stated they would kill him and his family.
More of the gang showed up because of the ruckus, raising the threat level.
He fired into the grass in front of them and they left.
He is being charged with felony reckless endangerment, which would require prosecutors to prove there was a good chance that someone could have been hurt, which they will fail to prove in court.
Whatever happened to "being in fear for your life" being a valid reason for warning shots?
If 20 men are threatening to kill you and your family, isn't that enough?
What was he going to do? Kung Fu them?

Conservative network to launch

Kelsey Grammer is the public face and investor in a new entertainment network calling itself RightNetwork.
The new network promises to deliver entertainment aimed at and reflecting the values of conservatives.
Admitting that they have a real struggle to get their programming picked up even by on demand distributors, they are still plowing ahead with the shows they have so far.
They make a point of saying that they aren't out to skewer their political opposition in the entertainment industry, just to provide an alternative from their biased product.

Fitting location for Al Gore school

A $75 million school is opening up in the LA area.
It is dedicated to the environment and is named after Rachel Carson and Al Gore Jr..
Its location on a toxic site, next to a gas station that may eventually leak and across the street from an oil well is perfect.
After all, Rachel Carson and Al Gore have both proven to be toxic liars who have polluted our culture and education system with their falsehoods.
I wonder if the name will cause a karmic disaster at the school.

Al Sharpton's National Action Network in dire straights

Al Sharpton's National Action Network (NAN) was recently audited and found to be nearly broke and in financial disarray.
Part of what seems to have protected them is that their accounting practices make it very difficult to determine what goes on and where the money is.
Sharpton has already paid $2M in late personal taxes after a criminal probe was dropped and his organization still owes over $1M to the state of city and state of New York as well as the feds.
Even though the organization is bleeding money they have continued to add branches around the nation.
Some existing branches are in trouble with local landlords, meeting locations and travel agencies for non-payment.
Sharpton has also been fined for illegally using NAN money for his failed presidential campaign.

And he is still allowed to continue his extortion racket.
Why do people and organizations like this continue to get a pass for not following the rules they insist we follow?

Better than NASCAR

 Just the kind of thing that appeals to the stereotypical NASCAR fan; trailer racing.
You don't just go in circles, you have to cross an intersection and even make right turns.

Historic truth about unions and communism

The Ford Motor Company was the last of the big auto companies to fold to unionization.
It was ironic that the unions chose Ford at all because Henry Ford had already upset his competition by paying his employees better and hiring minorities.
He even helped the Communists by training them in mass production techniques.
But he was a one of those hateful Capitalists and he had to go down as much as the rest of them so Communism could look better and eventually triumph.
It is interesting to read how little the left's playbook has changed since the 1920's.

Machete is a hatchet job on Caucasians for a closed border

The new, heavily advertised, film Machete is all about making Americans for border control look like Al Queda's big brother.
Apparently, wanting to stop an illegal invasion of people bent on "making their lives better" at any cost, regardless of the law or what is right is racist, hateful and leads to the murder of pregnant women.
Opposition of illegals justifies revenge killings by Mexican gangs and the illegals themselves are pure as the distilled product of fermented agave.
If that isn't bad enough, Texas gave them tax breaks based on the belief that they would not be pushing their brand of racism and they may not be able to get out of the deal.

If you don't like being called a racist by a bunch of racists supporting an illegal invasion, don't pay to see this film.

Soros tries harder to lie about the Tea Party

George Soros, who made money off of other's misery, has been trying for decades to tear the fabric of this country apart in favor of a socialist society that exempts elites like himself from having their wealth redistributed.
It's great being a billionaire when no one else can become one.
Soros has funded multiple leftist organisations that often break the rules concerning non-profits when it comes to political involvement.
Now he is taking on the Tea Party with a new organization purely focused on hyping and, undoubtedly, manufacturing 'proof' of hate and racism within the party.

Jesse gets some justice

Jesse Jackson was in Detroit trying to shake down someone else for more money and power in the name of the people.
While he was marching with a militant from the UAW to try forcing the government to subsidize "green" jobs, some of his peeps stole his Escalade and stripped it.
I guess there is no honor among thieves.

Mission not accomplished

After Bush made his mistaken "Mission Accomplished" landing on an aircraft carrier, the leftist media hounded him whenever soldiers were involved in combat and more so when they were killed.
Obama made a point of not saying mission accomplished when he announced the end of combat operations in Iraq.
Does that give him a pass when US soldiers are involved in combat or killed in Iraq?
No.
But the press will apply very little energy or pressure in reporting the first or any subsequent battles involving our troops because they are still in the tank for "The One".
That's why you will have to search for this story.

British Tabloids Hack People's Phones

The next time you think the American press has gone too far, remember this story.
Driven by constant pressure to outdo the competition or lose their jobs, UK reporters started hacking the mobile phones of celebrities, including the royal family.
Often, the hacking was simplified by the phone's owner not changing the password from the factory preset of 1111 or 4444 (for instance).
Once they were in, reporters would review voice and text messages to obtain information used in gossipy stories about the details of the victims' lives.
When the authorities figured out what was up they only focused on several reporters, and even then, only concerning certain victims.
After one victim hit the jackpot with a million pound court award, people began demanding that police tell them if they were also hacked because, as one lawyer put it, it was a "golden ticket" to a winnable lawsuit.

I think the worst aspect of this story is how lightly the police treaded when it came to punishing these criminals.
This is a clear cut case of illegal invasion of privacy.
The other part that bugs me is that people knew and didn't set the B*st*rds up with disinformation to embarrass the tabloids and hurt their credibility.

I think it's safer in the mine

One of the trapped Chilean miners may want to stay in the mine after the rescue shaft is completed.
His wife was holding vigil at the mine when she heard another woman shout her husband's name, and she found out that the woman was her husband's secret lover.
The mistress is sure the man will leave his wife for her and the wife claims she will not give up her husband to an illegitimate relationship.
One way or the other, this guy is in more trouble on the surface than he is underground.

Gang Members Hold Press Conference

Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis invited local gang leaders to a meeting where they were warned of stiff penalties should gang violence and murder to continue and be traced back to them.
Threatened with RICO act enhancements for crimes linked to them, the gangs claim they were misled as to the intent of the meeting and announced they will be holding a press conference to address the harassment they have 'suffered'.

Gangs holding press conferences?
Only in Chicagoland.
What is this world coming to?

Whale blown up

Australian officials decided to euthanize a young whale that was determined to be terminally ill and had beached itself on a sandbar.
The method they chose has sparked debate.
After deciding that shooting the young whale may have not succeeded on the first try, causing increased suffering; they opted for an explosive solution.
Same have criticized the method as cruel or wrong, but it is the method officially sanctioned by the International Whaling Commission.

I couldn't find any video of this particular episode, but here is one showing the downside of using explosives on whales.

More billboard fun

The latest billboard to make the news is one located in Ozark County Missouri.
It has a picture of Obama on it and asks the question: "Voted Obama? Embarrassed yet?".
Commercial One Brokers, a real estate firm paid for the billboard because they felt the question should be asked.
I support them and their efforts, but I am disappointed at their naivety.
They are actually surprised at the vocal minority that send them hate mail/eMail, phoned in death threats and called them racists, haters, and worse.
You can't criticize Liberals without getting an extreme reaction from the worst of them.
The leftist's nut jobs cannot handle the slightest criticism and go ballistic when they find it.

BBC admits it 'was' biased to the left

The BBC issued an internal report in 2007 that was critical of their ability to respond to viewers' concerns when they were considered off limits by the left.

The report claimed there was an institutional liberal bias that need to be recognized and effectively dealt with.

The current director of the Beeb (Mark Thompson) claims that the bias issue was mainly due to the old guard of the BBC leadership and editorial staff and that the 'new' blood running the Beeb is objective and fair.

Right! Pull the other one Mark!

China tests satellite rendezvous

China tested its ability to maneuver satellites in a manner that would allow them to perform a kinetic 'kill' using a sacrificial satellite or payload to take out another country's space assets.
In 2007 China performed a 'kill' interception of one of their defunct weather satellites, leaving a debris field that still threatens damage to satellites in certain orbits.
China's increasing capability and apparent willingness to weaponize space is worrisome to other nations, especially in light of their apparent lack of concern over the potential damage caused by their tests.

One more actor to not watch

I liked John Cusack.
His characters were entertaining and witty.
I never knew what his politics were.
Now I know.
He is calling for the death of Fox News and Conservative figures in a way that may provoke mentally unstable fans to commit violent acts.
He is doing exactly the type of thing the left accuses the right of doing.
What a useless tool!

Municipal Mergers?

Cash strapped cities in California are considering the "D" word as a solution to their fiscal woes.
No, I don't mean Democrat (that's what caused the problem), I mean dis-incorporate.
Over the last twenty years, many cities have incorporated in order to retain tax revenue that would normally go to the county and retain more autonomy.
With dis-incorporation, the taxes and power return to the county along with the fiscal responsibilities.
It isn't clear if the move by cities like Half Moon Bay will resolve issues with employee unions, but the responsibility will be the county's and perhaps they will be able to justify layoffs due to duplication.
Public employee unions in California have effectively blocked cities from declaring bankruptcy unless approved by a state board stacked with pro-union members which will not approve any deal that doesn't insure union members still get everything promised them.

Isn't this solution the municipal equivalent of a merger or acquisition?