I found this op-ed by Charles Hurt in the Washington Times to be rather to the point considering how the Washington pols are so poorly handling the debt debate this week. And How Mr. Obama is failing to have any plans at all, preferring instead to lecture the rest of us.
Hurt-obama-offers-lectures-but-no-answers
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Red Tape Rising: Regulatory Excess in Your Wallet
Heritage Foundation has released a new report about how red tape costs all of us more and more each day.
Web page: Red-Tape-Rising-A-2011-Mid-Year-Report
The .pdf file: Red Tape Rising
For instance:
Web page: Red-Tape-Rising-A-2011-Mid-Year-Report
The .pdf file: Red Tape Rising
For instance:
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Fast & Furious: House Oversight Hearing Today
The House Oversight Committee held further F&F hearings today.
Part 1 of 3 video here: Oversight Hearings July 26
Not surprisingly, a lot of stonewalling occurred again. Some was by William Newell, former ATF Special Agent in Charge for Phoenix Field Division, who steadfastly said it was not the intention to let guns go to Mexico, but that they wanted to identify higher ups in the cartels. He wouldn't even admit that they allowed/encouraged straw purchases to occur, for thousands of guns. Congressman Jason Chavetz had to ask four times, "When did you first think that guns were walking?" Newell refused to answer directly. In effect, because ATF watched as the straw purchases were made from gun shops and and the guns did not pass through ATF hands and ATF did nothing but watch, thus ATF didn't actually allow guns to walk. Amazing gall. The cover-up was obvious.
Washington Post - Newell Testifies
Newell even let it be known today that EEOC and IRS were involved with the operation. The EEOC made sure the demographics of the straw purchasers were appropriate. And that a security adviser at the White House was informed.
Later on, there was testimony about what happened in Mexico. Critically, ATF was not in communication with Mexican officials, as shown in the piece by LA Times reporter James Serrano in Washington:
LATimes - US Embasy Not Told of ATF Guns Sting
Further details of the frustration of US Officials in Mexico are shown in this article:
Washington Post - Report-details-objections-in-atf-to-fast-and-furious-gun-operation
Quote: "The frustration of Darren Gil, the former ATF attache to Mexico, reached such a boiling point that he got into a screaming match with his superior about the large volume of AK-47 variants and .50-caliber sniper rifles recovered at Mexican crime scenes and traced back to the same Phoenix gun stores. “Hey, when are they going to shut this, to put it bluntly, damn investigation down,” Gil recalled in congressional testimony. “We’re getting hurt down here.”
Part 1 of 3 video here: Oversight Hearings July 26
Not surprisingly, a lot of stonewalling occurred again. Some was by William Newell, former ATF Special Agent in Charge for Phoenix Field Division, who steadfastly said it was not the intention to let guns go to Mexico, but that they wanted to identify higher ups in the cartels. He wouldn't even admit that they allowed/encouraged straw purchases to occur, for thousands of guns. Congressman Jason Chavetz had to ask four times, "When did you first think that guns were walking?" Newell refused to answer directly. In effect, because ATF watched as the straw purchases were made from gun shops and and the guns did not pass through ATF hands and ATF did nothing but watch, thus ATF didn't actually allow guns to walk. Amazing gall. The cover-up was obvious.
Washington Post - Newell Testifies
Newell even let it be known today that EEOC and IRS were involved with the operation. The EEOC made sure the demographics of the straw purchasers were appropriate. And that a security adviser at the White House was informed.
Later on, there was testimony about what happened in Mexico. Critically, ATF was not in communication with Mexican officials, as shown in the piece by LA Times reporter James Serrano in Washington:
LATimes - US Embasy Not Told of ATF Guns Sting
Further details of the frustration of US Officials in Mexico are shown in this article:
Washington Post - Report-details-objections-in-atf-to-fast-and-furious-gun-operation
Quote: "The frustration of Darren Gil, the former ATF attache to Mexico, reached such a boiling point that he got into a screaming match with his superior about the large volume of AK-47 variants and .50-caliber sniper rifles recovered at Mexican crime scenes and traced back to the same Phoenix gun stores. “Hey, when are they going to shut this, to put it bluntly, damn investigation down,” Gil recalled in congressional testimony. “We’re getting hurt down here.”
2nd Amendment: UN Arms Trade Treaty
The UN is currently holding another in a long (10 years plus) rotation of attempting to essentially ban civilian arms around the world. They do this by seeking to control "small arms," which they say don't include civilian arms but which certainly will. For them small arms also include shoulder launched missiles, grenades, cannon, etc.
Last week, Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas and 44 other senators wrote to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton expressing their concerns about the dangers that the UN Arms Trade Treaty talks pose for Second Amendment rights. Clinton agreed two years ago to a 180 degree change of course from what Ambassador John Bolton had set at the UN when he declared that the US would never agree to any treaty that threatened the 2nd Amendment rights of its citizens. Clinton agreed to be receptive to the possible treaty.
The Treaty negotiations at the UN took a serious hit last week when Canada declared that civilian arms must be off the table in any new treaty. This is a 180 degree change for Canada, which previously had been supportive of gun control. Of course the change is due to the new Conservative majority government in Canada, which has sworn to erase the Long Gun Registry, long a poster-child for the global gun control movement.
One must remember that the UN is not a representative organization. The country delegates are not elected and do not represent people. They represent their governments, For most countries, these governments love the idea of ordinary citizens not having guns, because then they are free to pursue heavy-handed policies to control their subjects. Think about China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Mexico, Venezuela, etc. which are all models of personal freedom; NOT!
Last week, Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas and 44 other senators wrote to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton expressing their concerns about the dangers that the UN Arms Trade Treaty talks pose for Second Amendment rights. Clinton agreed two years ago to a 180 degree change of course from what Ambassador John Bolton had set at the UN when he declared that the US would never agree to any treaty that threatened the 2nd Amendment rights of its citizens. Clinton agreed to be receptive to the possible treaty.
The Treaty negotiations at the UN took a serious hit last week when Canada declared that civilian arms must be off the table in any new treaty. This is a 180 degree change for Canada, which previously had been supportive of gun control. Of course the change is due to the new Conservative majority government in Canada, which has sworn to erase the Long Gun Registry, long a poster-child for the global gun control movement.
One must remember that the UN is not a representative organization. The country delegates are not elected and do not represent people. They represent their governments, For most countries, these governments love the idea of ordinary citizens not having guns, because then they are free to pursue heavy-handed policies to control their subjects. Think about China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Mexico, Venezuela, etc. which are all models of personal freedom; NOT!
Fast & Furious: Felons Bought Guns with Administration Blessing
New details on F&F came out this weekend:
1. Convicted felons were allowed to purchase guns even though NICS checks showed them to be ineligible and those purchases would be illegal.
2. The Mexican ATF liaison to the Mexican Government was never informed of the F&F Operation that US Attorneys and FBI was running. Agents in Mexico saw a steady stream of F&F guns and couldn't figure out where they were coming from and were given orders to not ask questions. Many of these guns resulted in Mexican deaths.
3. Responses about F&F from the Obama Administration continue to be "mums-the-word" or "we have our own investigation going so we can't talk about it."
Even more contrary to reality, the Washington Post is still trying to protect the Obama Administration by insisting that the underlying strategy of F&F was sound and that it is unfair that Darrel Issa's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is making all the very special career FBI, DEA, ATF and US Attorney people look bad.
1. Convicted felons were allowed to purchase guns even though NICS checks showed them to be ineligible and those purchases would be illegal.
2. The Mexican ATF liaison to the Mexican Government was never informed of the F&F Operation that US Attorneys and FBI was running. Agents in Mexico saw a steady stream of F&F guns and couldn't figure out where they were coming from and were given orders to not ask questions. Many of these guns resulted in Mexican deaths.
3. Responses about F&F from the Obama Administration continue to be "mums-the-word" or "we have our own investigation going so we can't talk about it."
Even more contrary to reality, the Washington Post is still trying to protect the Obama Administration by insisting that the underlying strategy of F&F was sound and that it is unfair that Darrel Issa's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is making all the very special career FBI, DEA, ATF and US Attorney people look bad.
What Do You Mean I Can't?
1000yds, in the Supported Sitting position, off of a prosthetic leg.
Some soldiers are extremely motivated and innovative:
Who Owns America? And Visualizing How Big is the Debt Really is.
Everybody likes to say that China owns America because they own most of America's debt. Well, it is simply not true. The Chinese only own 8% of our debt. Here is one breakdown of who has the rest:
Who-owns-America? Hint-its-not-china
Here's another: Wikipedia - United_States_public_debt
Here's a good view: Seekingalpha.com - Who-holds-US-debt?
And just how big is the debt? Some good graphics here:
America's Debt in Pictures
Who-owns-America? Hint-its-not-china
Here's another: Wikipedia - United_States_public_debt
Here's a good view: Seekingalpha.com - Who-holds-US-debt?
And just how big is the debt? Some good graphics here:
America's Debt in Pictures
Friday, July 22, 2011
Fast & Furious 2? Operation Castaway Receives Daylight
As if F&F weren't enough, more details about Operation Castaway, run out of ATF's Tampa offices, are now coming out. The number of guns may be similar to F&F at 1500 to 3000. The difference is that these guns went mostly to Honduras, perhaps to MS-13.
And what is the response from DOJ? Why, to listen to The Brady Campaign fools and place more controls on honest gun dealers. What the heck is wrong with Washington these days? Are they all living on a differenct planet?
See more here: Operation Castaway - Another ATF Gun Scandal
And what is the response from DOJ? Why, to listen to The Brady Campaign fools and place more controls on honest gun dealers. What the heck is wrong with Washington these days? Are they all living on a differenct planet?
See more here: Operation Castaway - Another ATF Gun Scandal
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Canadian Gun Registry: Harper Gov't Promises Demise in Fall
It may finally happen. After 16 years, a $2,000,000,000 plus dollars wasted, no crimes solved, hundreds of people jailed, thousands of citizens inconvenienced and harassed, millions of database mistakes, and only 50% of guns in Canada registered, the Canadian Gun Registry should be put to death in September or October by the new majority Conservative government of Prime Minister Harper.
Gun owners played a key role in defeating anti-gun members of Parliament in the May election. Grass roots organizing and monetary support showed the new government how critical it is to listen to the citizens that you serve. Finally, law abiding citizens should see their rights restored. Once again, the whole ugly history of gun control placed only on lawful people has shown that only criminals disobey the law. Of course there was not a little civil-disobedience in Canada over this Registry that good-thinking people everywhere knew to be useless and insulting.
With luck, the sources of all the Registry grief, the Chretien Liberals1995 C-68 Firearms Act and C-17 from the Mulroney era, will also be extensively revised. These overly restrictive firearms laws essentially made forearms owners into instant criminals just for possessing guns they had safely owned for decades. It is time for police and the Justice Ministry to once again treat law abiding citizens as innocent until proven guilty.
More from Canada's National Firearms Association at Harper to End Registry and Goals - Immediate firearms legislation reform
Gun owners played a key role in defeating anti-gun members of Parliament in the May election. Grass roots organizing and monetary support showed the new government how critical it is to listen to the citizens that you serve. Finally, law abiding citizens should see their rights restored. Once again, the whole ugly history of gun control placed only on lawful people has shown that only criminals disobey the law. Of course there was not a little civil-disobedience in Canada over this Registry that good-thinking people everywhere knew to be useless and insulting.
With luck, the sources of all the Registry grief, the Chretien Liberals1995 C-68 Firearms Act and C-17 from the Mulroney era, will also be extensively revised. These overly restrictive firearms laws essentially made forearms owners into instant criminals just for possessing guns they had safely owned for decades. It is time for police and the Justice Ministry to once again treat law abiding citizens as innocent until proven guilty.
More from Canada's National Firearms Association at Harper to End Registry and Goals - Immediate firearms legislation reform
Fast & Furious: DOJ Tells Agents Not to Talk to Congress
An LA Times story today reveals more obstructionism by DOJ of the F&F investigation being conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Regulation.
See here: ATF sought to downplay guns scandal, emails show
From Richard Serrano at LA Times: "After the death of Terry and Grassley's inquiries, the agency sought to close ranks. In an email on Feb. 3, ATF supervisors were told "you are in no way obligated to respond to congressional contacts or requests for information.... You are not authorized to disclose non-public information about law enforcement matters outside of ATF or the Department of Justice to anyone, including congressional staff."
In addition, in a series of emails to William J. Hoover, the ATF's acting deputy director, bureau officials discussed what steps to take to throw Grassley and congressional investigators off the trail."
In a story July 19, we find this quote:
Justice Department trying to shield officials in guns scandal, ATF chief says
"Melson said the Justice Department repeatedly thwarted his attempts to tell investigators about the failures of Fast and Furious, which was run out of the ATF's Phoenix field office. When the ATF reassigned managers in Phoenix, he said, "the department resisted" his offer to tell Congress about the changes. Melson said he was told not to issue any news releases about Fast and Furious and was instructed not to brief rank-and-file ATF agents about the growing scandal.
When Grassley sought to meet with Melson this year, the Justice Department blocked that interview too, Melson said. "This is really just poking [Grassley] in the eye," Melson said he told Justice Department officials. "He's going to get it through the back door anyway, so why are we aggravating this situation?""
See here: ATF sought to downplay guns scandal, emails show
From Richard Serrano at LA Times: "After the death of Terry and Grassley's inquiries, the agency sought to close ranks. In an email on Feb. 3, ATF supervisors were told "you are in no way obligated to respond to congressional contacts or requests for information.... You are not authorized to disclose non-public information about law enforcement matters outside of ATF or the Department of Justice to anyone, including congressional staff."
In addition, in a series of emails to William J. Hoover, the ATF's acting deputy director, bureau officials discussed what steps to take to throw Grassley and congressional investigators off the trail."
In a story July 19, we find this quote:
Justice Department trying to shield officials in guns scandal, ATF chief says
"Melson said the Justice Department repeatedly thwarted his attempts to tell investigators about the failures of Fast and Furious, which was run out of the ATF's Phoenix field office. When the ATF reassigned managers in Phoenix, he said, "the department resisted" his offer to tell Congress about the changes. Melson said he was told not to issue any news releases about Fast and Furious and was instructed not to brief rank-and-file ATF agents about the growing scandal.
When Grassley sought to meet with Melson this year, the Justice Department blocked that interview too, Melson said. "This is really just poking [Grassley] in the eye," Melson said he told Justice Department officials. "He's going to get it through the back door anyway, so why are we aggravating this situation?""
Sailing: Onto the rocks with GPS Degradation via Crony Capitalism
We had a wonderful day on SF Bay yesterday. It was sunny and warm and fairly light breezes south of the Bay Bridge, with the usual 20+ knots north of the bridge. We introduced a young lady from Sydney, Australia to the microclimates of the Bay.
Fast Kitty is normally pretty non-political, but an article in Latitude 38 magazine pissed her off yesterday.
Crony Capitalism About to Degrade Your GPS?
The story is that a company called LightSquared has received tentative approval from the FCC to develop a new national wireless system based on a piece of electromagnetic spectrum that lies close to the frequencies used for the global GPS system. If it goes through it probably will affect the sensitivity and accuracy of all GPS units near LightSquared towers.
As if that is not bad enough, LightSquared is using classic political cronyism tactics to get FCC and the Obama administration to bless their plans. It is owned by a guy named Falcone, a poorly performing hedge fund manager who used to contribute to Republicans but lately makes maximum contributions to Democrats; almost like government is for making money through favoritism. See also a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Regulation about the subject.
Harbinger Letter
For sailors, this is a life and death situation, if GPS reception is degraded I could find myself on the rocks. Ditto for my small plane pilot sister. Ditto for the military. For car drivers, it could mean poor performance and navigating to the wrong places. You can complain by July 30 through the BoatUS website at BoatUS Website.
Fast Kitty is normally pretty non-political, but an article in Latitude 38 magazine pissed her off yesterday.
Crony Capitalism About to Degrade Your GPS?
The story is that a company called LightSquared has received tentative approval from the FCC to develop a new national wireless system based on a piece of electromagnetic spectrum that lies close to the frequencies used for the global GPS system. If it goes through it probably will affect the sensitivity and accuracy of all GPS units near LightSquared towers.
As if that is not bad enough, LightSquared is using classic political cronyism tactics to get FCC and the Obama administration to bless their plans. It is owned by a guy named Falcone, a poorly performing hedge fund manager who used to contribute to Republicans but lately makes maximum contributions to Democrats; almost like government is for making money through favoritism. See also a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Regulation about the subject.
Harbinger Letter
For sailors, this is a life and death situation, if GPS reception is degraded I could find myself on the rocks. Ditto for my small plane pilot sister. Ditto for the military. For car drivers, it could mean poor performance and navigating to the wrong places. You can complain by July 30 through the BoatUS website at BoatUS Website.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Fast & Furious: Beyond Watergate...Stimulus Money Used for F&F?
Possibly, $10MM was appropriated from the Stimulus program to support Project Gunrunner, the parent program of Fast and Furious. Did some of that make it into F&F, and was it ultimately used by FBI and DEA to pay informants and buy guns? The answers are now quite possibly YES.
In addition, ATF Acting Director Melson is now saying that FBI and DEA were running informants but did not tell ATF about it. These DOJ departments and US attorneys were practicing classic silo operations (for their own ends) and preventing open communication between brethren agencies. Political appointees (like Eric Holder and Lanny Brewer) within DOJ appear to be responsible for creating these communication roadblocks.
Darrel Issa now says "...this is beyond Watergate and beyond Iran-Contra..." (Quote from interview of Mr. Issa with Cam Edwards of NRA News on July 19.)
In addition, ATF Acting Director Melson is now saying that FBI and DEA were running informants but did not tell ATF about it. These DOJ departments and US attorneys were practicing classic silo operations (for their own ends) and preventing open communication between brethren agencies. Political appointees (like Eric Holder and Lanny Brewer) within DOJ appear to be responsible for creating these communication roadblocks.
Darrel Issa now says "...this is beyond Watergate and beyond Iran-Contra..." (Quote from interview of Mr. Issa with Cam Edwards of NRA News on July 19.)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Fast & Furious: Was F&F Designed for Gun Control from the Get-Go?
First: At a press conference held in 2009, an Obama administration official happily alluded to a new program that would yield good results in the war on guns. Part of the proposal was the new regulation that DOJ this week imposed on border state gun dealers; it requires reporting of all sales of two or more semi-auto rifles. This is the same requirement that Congress imposes on handgun sales, but Congress has not required it for rifles. This is thus an executive fiat. (The Obama administration now prefers regulations because they consider Congress to be too difficult to deal with.)
Second: The most worrisome, and damning, evidence of DOJ guilt in F&F is the response that DOJ has been making to all of the Congressional inquiries. They have not responded like an honest person would by saying, "Yikes, did we screw up? Let's get to the bottom of it all in an open manner!" No, instead they are actively covering things up, and acting guilty.
Second: The most worrisome, and damning, evidence of DOJ guilt in F&F is the response that DOJ has been making to all of the Congressional inquiries. They have not responded like an honest person would by saying, "Yikes, did we screw up? Let's get to the bottom of it all in an open manner!" No, instead they are actively covering things up, and acting guilty.
Fast & Furious: New Covert Gun Walking Operations
F&F is getting broader and DOJ people are running for cover.
Darrel Issa's Committee is looking for about 200,000 pages of documents related to F&F. DOJ bragged that they passed over 2000 pages, many of which were fully redacted. They are hiding documents. It is starting to appear that DOJ knows where this is going and they are furiously stalling.
Stunner: There is now news that a congressmen in Florida is investigating an operations that is similar to Fast & Furious. As many as 1000 guns from Florida, under Operation Castaway, may have been run to Honduras and the nasty MS 13 gang. And in Dallas, there is circumstantial evidence of guns that were involved in Jaime Zapata's murder. People are also conjecturing that there may have been operations in Houston, Los Angeles, Denver, and New Orleans
What kinds of charges could be laid? At the least there could be multiple counts of accessory to murder, violation of the arms control export act, and everyone with knowledge of F&F has committed a felony.
Darrel Issa's Committee is looking for about 200,000 pages of documents related to F&F. DOJ bragged that they passed over 2000 pages, many of which were fully redacted. They are hiding documents. It is starting to appear that DOJ knows where this is going and they are furiously stalling.
Stunner: There is now news that a congressmen in Florida is investigating an operations that is similar to Fast & Furious. As many as 1000 guns from Florida, under Operation Castaway, may have been run to Honduras and the nasty MS 13 gang. And in Dallas, there is circumstantial evidence of guns that were involved in Jaime Zapata's murder. People are also conjecturing that there may have been operations in Houston, Los Angeles, Denver, and New Orleans
What kinds of charges could be laid? At the least there could be multiple counts of accessory to murder, violation of the arms control export act, and everyone with knowledge of F&F has committed a felony.
Dirt Road Fun and Games
I like dirt roads. They are fun and challenging at the same time. They mean that I am in remote country where the pedestrian tourist fears to venture. And they have their own little foibles:
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| Rare wildlife owns the road on Oregon range land. |
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| Where am I? |
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| A mobile cloud of dust approaches! |
YellowBear goes to Frenchglen: The Return
Yellowbear made it to Frenchglen and Steens Mountain last week. The trip was a partial success: rest and relaxation were accomplished; meeting new people was entertaining; riding on and near Steens Mtn. was fun. But getting to the top of Steens Mtn. was not to be. We were three days early and the snow was still being removed from the Loop Road at the top of the 9723 foot mountain. I guess another trip will have to occur.
BTW, the historic Frenchglen Hotel is wonderful - quaint, nice folks, great food. The Malheur Wildlife Refuge contains a lot more interesting stuff than one would think at first glance and it is huge. The campgrounds at Page Springs, Fish Lake and South Steens are excellent and cheap. Just be sure to bring lots of bug spray during bug season.
I particularly liked all the dirt road driving that exists in SE Oregon. From the Hart Mountain Antelope Preserve, to Steens Mountain north and south loop roads, to the East Steens Valley, all are wonderful smooth roads the way roads should be. Our return was via Denio and Highway 140 to 8a to Badger Pass Road to Soldier Meadows Road in northern Nevada. Again, more fun dirt roads, maybe 300 miles altogether. Of course it took me a day to wash the dust off and out of the truck and Yellowbear.
BTW, the historic Frenchglen Hotel is wonderful - quaint, nice folks, great food. The Malheur Wildlife Refuge contains a lot more interesting stuff than one would think at first glance and it is huge. The campgrounds at Page Springs, Fish Lake and South Steens are excellent and cheap. Just be sure to bring lots of bug spray during bug season.
I particularly liked all the dirt road driving that exists in SE Oregon. From the Hart Mountain Antelope Preserve, to Steens Mountain north and south loop roads, to the East Steens Valley, all are wonderful smooth roads the way roads should be. Our return was via Denio and Highway 140 to 8a to Badger Pass Road to Soldier Meadows Road in northern Nevada. Again, more fun dirt roads, maybe 300 miles altogether. Of course it took me a day to wash the dust off and out of the truck and Yellowbear.
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| Warner Valley west of Hart Mountain: |
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| Gravel Roads Rule |
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| Hot spring at Hart Mountain Preserve |
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| Frenchglen Hotel, first built in 1918 |
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| South end of Steens Mountain, before the thunderstorm |
Fast & Furious: LA Times Finally Reports
WOW, is F&F finally a real story now that the LA Times has finally reported on it? Why has it taken them 8 months to figure out there was a big story right under their noses?
Gun-smuggling cartel figures possibly were paid FBI informants
And now the roles played by the FBI and DEA is getting the daylight it should have: "The official said at least half a dozen cartel figures were being paid by one U.S. law enforcement agency while they were being targeted by another."
Thankfully, more big newspapers and networks are finally reporting F&F stories. And that is a good thing. The scandal continues to expand. And the butt-covering by DOJ, ATF and the Obama Administration is getting bolder.
Gun-smuggling cartel figures possibly were paid FBI informants
And now the roles played by the FBI and DEA is getting the daylight it should have: "The official said at least half a dozen cartel figures were being paid by one U.S. law enforcement agency while they were being targeted by another."
Thankfully, more big newspapers and networks are finally reporting F&F stories. And that is a good thing. The scandal continues to expand. And the butt-covering by DOJ, ATF and the Obama Administration is getting bolder.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Some Perspective: NLRB vs. Boeing
The National Labor Relations Board is currently dominated by Obama/Democrat appointees (3 to 1). While that should not necessarily be a bad thing, given who they are it actually is. The NLRB is now in the business of telling American companies where and how they can build manufacturing facilities and who they can hire. (Just today the NLRB is holding hearings to reduce the time that employers have to state their case after a union requests a certification vote to 10 days from 38 days. Certainly seems unfair to me.)
South Carolina, where Boeing built their new Dreamliner 787 plant, is a Right to Work state, one of 22. Washington is not. NLRB wants to shut down the plant and put 1000 people out of work.
The May/June issue of Impris, a publication of Hillsdale College, which accepts no federal money, contains an essay by Mark Nix describing the background of union organizing legislation like the Wagner Act of 1935 and Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and the damage it is doing today. Right to Work legislation in 22 states attempts to minimize that damage and restore individual freedom.
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis.asp
South Carolina, where Boeing built their new Dreamliner 787 plant, is a Right to Work state, one of 22. Washington is not. NLRB wants to shut down the plant and put 1000 people out of work.
The May/June issue of Impris, a publication of Hillsdale College, which accepts no federal money, contains an essay by Mark Nix describing the background of union organizing legislation like the Wagner Act of 1935 and Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and the damage it is doing today. Right to Work legislation in 22 states attempts to minimize that damage and restore individual freedom.
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis.asp
Climate: Temperature vs. Energy
As some of you know, I am a pretty strong skeptic of anthropogenic warming. Yes the earth has warmed some after 1940, but I seriously doubt CO2 emissions accounts for as much of it as the IPCC and environmental nazis proclaim. I am convinced, and several warmists lately have admitted, that the warming angst being foisted on us all is really a means to accomplish wealth transfer between rich and poor nations. Even the IPCC admits that spending trillions of dollars on reducing carbon emissions will not reduce temperatures by any useful amount.
Thus it was with great interest that I read this letter in the PEGG of June 2011, which is the publication of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta. It casts a diffeent light on the issues around temperature rise and shows how energy rise is really what we should be talking about. You may want to read it twice:
Thus it was with great interest that I read this letter in the PEGG of June 2011, which is the publication of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta. It casts a diffeent light on the issues around temperature rise and shows how energy rise is really what we should be talking about. You may want to read it twice:
TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE ELEPHANT
When it comes to the global warming debate, let’s forget the red herrings and minutiae and focus on the elephant in the room — temperature data and mean averages. Earth does not have just one temperature. It is not in global thermodynamic equilibrium, neither within itself nor its surroundings.
When it comes to the global warming debate, let’s forget the red herrings and minutiae and focus on the elephant in the room — temperature data and mean averages. Earth does not have just one temperature. It is not in global thermodynamic equilibrium, neither within itself nor its surroundings.
Just because we can compute something analogous to a global temperature” does not mean that it is meaningful. Individual telephone numbers are both meaningful and useful, while averages of telephone numbers in a directory have no meaning.
Thermodynamic variables come in two varieties: extensive and intensive. Extensive variables (volume, mass, energy and entropy) are proportional to the size of the system and are additive. Intensive variables (temperature, pressure) are independent of system size and represent a quality of the system. Combining two systems will not yield an overall intensive quantity equal to the sum of its components.
Temperature alone tells us nothing about the average heat content of Earth’s surface. A hot day in Arizona may be 110 F with five per cent relative humidity, but a hot day in Florida could be 78 F with 50 per cent relative humidity. The temperature difference is 32 F but the two air samples have exactly the same total heat content (enthalpy).
Temperature field averages are not useful in certain specific roles in which they have been cited, such as indicating the quantity/severity of storms, rainfall trends and glacier melt. No physically precise reasoning for the connection between the averages and the dynamic process has been proposed. Absolute intensities do not drive climate dynamics (gradients do); consequently, there is no reason to expect that averages over them will.
No physical arguments have been made for using a statistic as an index for climate driving force. Not even a statistical correlation has been offered for such a connection. The burden to demonstrate the utility of a statistic as an index resides with those who propose it as one. This has not been done.
ISO standards for measuring and calculating a global temperature index were promised after the Johannesburg climate meeting (2002), but ISO has not followed through.
Sums or averages over individual temperatures in the field are not temperatures, and nor are they proxies for internal energy. Different spatial averaging rules over temperatures can have contrary trends — some increase while others decrease in time. No physical or pragmatic ground has been provided for choosing any one such set of statistics over the rest as the one proper index for global climate.
There are dozens of averaging means” used in climatology. Use one and you would conclude that warming is taking place. Use another and you would conclude the opposite.
The proponents of an index have not advised why they chose their statistical measure and not some other extract with potentially opposite behaviour. Nor have they justified or demonstrated the physical usefulness of a statistic extracted from the temperature field.
Furthermore, this index is not a proxy for internal energy, since temperature and energy are not equivalent. While heat is a form of energy, temperature is, fundamentally, a measure of how energy is spread over quantum states.
For thermodynamic intensities there is no preferred coordinate system. The sum has little physical meaning, so all transformations are in play. Averages of the Earth’s temperature field are thus devoid of a physical context that would indicate how they are to be interpreted. Since temperature is an intensive variable, the total temperature is meaningless in terms of the system being measured, and hence has no necessary meaning either.
RICK WAUGH, PENG.
Santa Clarita, Calif.
Santa Clarita, Calif.
Monday, July 11, 2011
YellowBear goes to Frenchglen
In Oregon, there are several small communities in the eastern state where old hotels and ranches still exist that date from the immigrant days. Frenchglen is one such. The Frenchglen hotel provides room and board and favors motorcyclists. Frenchglen is a staging point for a large mountain complex called Steens Mountain, where the high desert views go forever, and hidden valleys contain cottonwood oasis. I am headed there with YellowBear on the back of truck. First stop is Lakeview, Oregon. The Interstate 8 hotel is neat and clean and only $55. It was a beautiful day on the road!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Love: Unconditional
Some days, the most interesting things seep into my knowledge in the morning as I listen, half awake, to the radio before getting up. Today on NPR, this heartwarming story was told. I think you'll like it too.
In Uganda American Becomes Foster Mom to 13 Girls
http://amazima.org/
In Uganda American Becomes Foster Mom to 13 Girls
http://amazima.org/
Friday, July 8, 2011
Fast & Furious: 43 Guns Recovered; Weich Prevaricates
Well, at least not all of the F&F guns (there may be 1800 to 2500) has walked across the border to Mexico. Some were recovered in Phoenix in mid-April, in the truck of a car driven by, what a surprise, illegal aliens.
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/43-weapons-in-phoenix-traffic-stop-linked-to-atf-strategy
In case you are wondering, these Romarm WASR-10 rifles are AK47 variants manufactured by RomArms of Romania and re-manufactured in the U.S. by licensed dealers like Century Arms. They contain US made trigger groups and other parts to comply with the ATF regulations on imported rifles. They are not machine guns; they are semi-automatic firearms. AK's use the intermediate power 7.62x39 cartridge. It has about 15% less energy than a Winchester 30-30 deer hunting cartridge. Don't call this a "high powered" rifle.
In the article are links to letters from Darrel Issa's Committee to Attorney General Eric Holder and a response from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich to Issa's Committee. There is a lot of he-said-she-said, but I find the tone and substance of Weich's letter to be essentially stonewalling.
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/43-weapons-in-phoenix-traffic-stop-linked-to-atf-strategy
In case you are wondering, these Romarm WASR-10 rifles are AK47 variants manufactured by RomArms of Romania and re-manufactured in the U.S. by licensed dealers like Century Arms. They contain US made trigger groups and other parts to comply with the ATF regulations on imported rifles. They are not machine guns; they are semi-automatic firearms. AK's use the intermediate power 7.62x39 cartridge. It has about 15% less energy than a Winchester 30-30 deer hunting cartridge. Don't call this a "high powered" rifle.
In the article are links to letters from Darrel Issa's Committee to Attorney General Eric Holder and a response from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich to Issa's Committee. There is a lot of he-said-she-said, but I find the tone and substance of Weich's letter to be essentially stonewalling.
Budget: Day 800 and Waiting...
It is now 800 days since Senate Democrats have passed a budget. I wonder how the government can continue to keep the doors open without an approved budget for over two years? Don't we need to have a budget to make expenditures legal, regardless of whether or not the debt ceiling has been reached? Yeessh!
South Sudan Becomes a Nation
I posted the following comment to a New York Times story today.
South Sudan, the Newest Nation, is Full of Hope and Problems
"I truly wish the peoples of South Sudan a bright, safe, prosperous future. I spent a short six weeks in Southern Sudan in 1984, working on the first oil project in the country. The prospects for economic development spinoffs from the oil revenues were tremendous. Unfortunately, after 20 years of peace, the fighting restarted the day after my arrival, with attacks on our facilities. I did not get to spend my expected two years of work in this amazing place.
I say amazing, because it was the people who I most remember today. The beautiful, bright young faces of children in small villages, smiling and hopeful, excited to interact with a foreigner. The young engineers, graduated from college in Khartoum, with a real job to do. The people of the souk, selling their fried-in-front-of-you chicken and goat meat; selling a myriad of other handmade and imported products. Vibrant commerce given a chance to bloom by peace. The people, whether of southern agrarian or northern nomadic origin, working together to make a project and a nation. The workers, some ill with malaria, who came each day to install facilities, working long hours in 120 degree heat to feed their families.
I often wonder where some of these people are today. The young engineer to whom I gave my engineering texts when I left? The kids in the mud huts? The truck drivers in their colorful cabs? I can look at Google satellite photos and see the remains of our camp...but I can't see the people. I wish them well."
South Sudan, the Newest Nation, is Full of Hope and Problems
"I truly wish the peoples of South Sudan a bright, safe, prosperous future. I spent a short six weeks in Southern Sudan in 1984, working on the first oil project in the country. The prospects for economic development spinoffs from the oil revenues were tremendous. Unfortunately, after 20 years of peace, the fighting restarted the day after my arrival, with attacks on our facilities. I did not get to spend my expected two years of work in this amazing place.
I say amazing, because it was the people who I most remember today. The beautiful, bright young faces of children in small villages, smiling and hopeful, excited to interact with a foreigner. The young engineers, graduated from college in Khartoum, with a real job to do. The people of the souk, selling their fried-in-front-of-you chicken and goat meat; selling a myriad of other handmade and imported products. Vibrant commerce given a chance to bloom by peace. The people, whether of southern agrarian or northern nomadic origin, working together to make a project and a nation. The workers, some ill with malaria, who came each day to install facilities, working long hours in 120 degree heat to feed their families.
I often wonder where some of these people are today. The young engineer to whom I gave my engineering texts when I left? The kids in the mud huts? The truck drivers in their colorful cabs? I can look at Google satellite photos and see the remains of our camp...but I can't see the people. I wish them well."
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Fast and Furious: More Agencies and Public Money...
Further info from Ken Melson's testimony on July 4th and from emails disclosed by Dave Workman:
Other DOJ agencies, such as DEA and FBI, were knowledgeable about F&F and guns walking to Mexico. Further, public money supplied by DOJ agencies MAY have been used to purchase guns through paid informants. And further, this entire operation was not run by Phoenix ATF, but by the Phoenix DOJ Attorney's office.
So, there are levels upon levels being discovered in this investigation. At the lowest levels, Phoenix based agents had no idea that a lot of background intrigue was happening. At the higher levels, DOJ agencies may have had paid informants involved and they did not tell ATF agents on the ground so as to avoid conflicts.
The evidence now reveals that we can finally call this a DOJ scandal, not simply an ATF scandal. The big question: How high does it go?
Other DOJ agencies, such as DEA and FBI, were knowledgeable about F&F and guns walking to Mexico. Further, public money supplied by DOJ agencies MAY have been used to purchase guns through paid informants. And further, this entire operation was not run by Phoenix ATF, but by the Phoenix DOJ Attorney's office.
So, there are levels upon levels being discovered in this investigation. At the lowest levels, Phoenix based agents had no idea that a lot of background intrigue was happening. At the higher levels, DOJ agencies may have had paid informants involved and they did not tell ATF agents on the ground so as to avoid conflicts.
The evidence now reveals that we can finally call this a DOJ scandal, not simply an ATF scandal. The big question: How high does it go?
Fast and Furious: Melson Accuses DOJ of Obstruction
BATFE's Acting Director, Kenneth Melson, on Monday accused DOJ of trying to "stymie" the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious by Congressman Darrel Issa's House Committee on Oversight.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/gunrunnerprobe-doj-charlesgrassley-darrylissa/2011/07/06/id/402689?s=al&promo_code=C914-1
Melson testified on July 4th, ten days before he was scheduled. The date changed when he realized he could have his own lawyer present, instead of a DOJ lawyer, something DOJ had "forgotten" to tell him.
Melson claimed that DOJ was running a campaign to downplay and stonewall the Congressional investigation. They took over communications from ATF and “If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DOJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand.”
Melson also claims that DOJ reported (falsely) that he would be resigning, in hopes that having a sacrificial lamb would stop interest in the F&F investigation.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/gunrunnerprobe-doj-charlesgrassley-darrylissa/2011/07/06/id/402689?s=al&promo_code=C914-1
Melson testified on July 4th, ten days before he was scheduled. The date changed when he realized he could have his own lawyer present, instead of a DOJ lawyer, something DOJ had "forgotten" to tell him.
Melson claimed that DOJ was running a campaign to downplay and stonewall the Congressional investigation. They took over communications from ATF and “If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DOJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand.”
Melson also claims that DOJ reported (falsely) that he would be resigning, in hopes that having a sacrificial lamb would stop interest in the F&F investigation.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Fast and Furious - First Whistleblower is Fired
Vince Cefalu, who has been working for years within BATFE to get better management of operations, was given notice last week. He and others have tried to change bad practice and had been stonewalled for years. His involvement with F&F is that he started a website, www.CleanUpATF.org, initially to expose mismanagement and then to investigate the deaths of agents Brian Terry and Jaime Zapata.
ATF senior counsel Ronald Weich promised in front of Darrel Issa's House Committee on Oversight that agents would not be retaliated against. I guess that promise was made with crossed fingers.
To listen to Vince Cefalu tell his story, go to www.NRANews.com and find the interview that Ginny Simone did June 29. Or these news feeds: http://cleanupatf.org/forums/index.php?/topic/213-vince-cefalu-firing/
ATF senior counsel Ronald Weich promised in front of Darrel Issa's House Committee on Oversight that agents would not be retaliated against. I guess that promise was made with crossed fingers.
To listen to Vince Cefalu tell his story, go to www.NRANews.com and find the interview that Ginny Simone did June 29. Or these news feeds: http://cleanupatf.org/forums/index.php?/topic/213-vince-cefalu-firing/
Fast and Furious: Mexico Wants to Prosecute US Officials
Fast and Furious is a BIG deal in Mexico. The press there has been covering it better than NBC and ABC have here. Now comes word that officials in Mexico want to prosecute US officials for flooding Mexico with illegals guns. And remember, the possible deaths in Mexico now number in the hundreds.
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/breaking-f-f-firestorm-mexican-officials-want-to-prosecute-u-s-officials
Further damning evidence surfaced by Dave Workman yesterday shows that, contrary to ATF testimony that they have only been aware for a "few" months, many people knew about Fast and Furious as long ago as October 2009. And, F&F is solely a product of the Obama administration.
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/redacted-f-f-e-mail-possibly-tells-more-than-it-was-supposed-to
Comment: My original post on F&F prognosticated that this scandal could be similar in severity to Watergate. It now appears that it will be. The U.S. public should be absolutely outraged over this flouting of the law by those who are supposed to protect it.
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/breaking-f-f-firestorm-mexican-officials-want-to-prosecute-u-s-officials
Further damning evidence surfaced by Dave Workman yesterday shows that, contrary to ATF testimony that they have only been aware for a "few" months, many people knew about Fast and Furious as long ago as October 2009. And, F&F is solely a product of the Obama administration.
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/redacted-f-f-e-mail-possibly-tells-more-than-it-was-supposed-to
Comment: My original post on F&F prognosticated that this scandal could be similar in severity to Watergate. It now appears that it will be. The U.S. public should be absolutely outraged over this flouting of the law by those who are supposed to protect it.
Monday, July 4, 2011
History: Join, Or Die
Today, July 4th is hot and I am watching a Glen Beck re-run about the Founding Fathers. Glen's Founding Fridays shows contain a lot of good history that is little known or taught.
Benjamin Franklin produced this cartoon to help unite the colonists against the French and their Indian allies during the frontier wars. The men who fought in these skirmish wars that lasted several decades, became the hardened fighters who formed the basis of the militias available after 1776 to fight their former British masters.
From Wikipedia: "Join, or Die" is a well-known political cartoon, created by Benjamin Franklin and first published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754.[1] The original publication by the Gazette is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by a British colonist in America.[2] It is a woodcut showing a snake severed into eighths, with each segment labeled with the initials of a British American colony or region. New England was represented as one segment, rather than the four colonies it was at that time. In addition, Delaware and Georgia were omitted completely. Thus, it has 8 segments of snake rather than the traditional 13 colonies.[3] The cartoon appeared along with Franklin's editorial about the "disunited state" of the colonies, and helped make his point about the importance of colonial unity. During that era, there was a superstition that a snake which had been cut into pieces would come back to life if the pieces were put together before sunset.[citation needed]
The cartoon became a symbol of colonial freedom during the American Revolutionary War."..."The difference between the use of "Join or Die" in 1754 and 1765 is that Franklin had designed it to unite the colonies for 'management of Indian relations' and defense against France, but in 1765 American colonists used it to urge colonial unity against the British."
Benjamin Franklin produced this cartoon to help unite the colonists against the French and their Indian allies during the frontier wars. The men who fought in these skirmish wars that lasted several decades, became the hardened fighters who formed the basis of the militias available after 1776 to fight their former British masters.
From Wikipedia: "Join, or Die" is a well-known political cartoon, created by Benjamin Franklin and first published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754.[1] The original publication by the Gazette is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by a British colonist in America.[2] It is a woodcut showing a snake severed into eighths, with each segment labeled with the initials of a British American colony or region. New England was represented as one segment, rather than the four colonies it was at that time. In addition, Delaware and Georgia were omitted completely. Thus, it has 8 segments of snake rather than the traditional 13 colonies.[3] The cartoon appeared along with Franklin's editorial about the "disunited state" of the colonies, and helped make his point about the importance of colonial unity. During that era, there was a superstition that a snake which had been cut into pieces would come back to life if the pieces were put together before sunset.[citation needed]
The cartoon became a symbol of colonial freedom during the American Revolutionary War."..."The difference between the use of "Join or Die" in 1754 and 1765 is that Franklin had designed it to unite the colonies for 'management of Indian relations' and defense against France, but in 1765 American colonists used it to urge colonial unity against the British."
History: Sybil Ludington Outrides Paul Revere
On April 26, 1777, a 16-year old woman named Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles to rouse the militia for the defense of Danbury, CT. Her ride was twice as long at 40 miles as that of Paul Revere's poem-recounted ride.
"The British are burning Danbury. Muster at Ludington's," Ludington shouted to inform the militiamen.
See the rest of the story here:
http://radio.mikehuckabee.com/Article.asp?id=1401472&spid=33201
http://wn.com/sybilludington See video in Memory.
http://www.suite101.com/content/sybil-ludington-colonial-heroine-a146150
And here is another amazing rider that many don't know about: Wentworth Cheswell also rode that night. He went west to recruit blacks to the cause. He was a black man and a judge and remained so for 47 years.
From Wikipedia: "Wentworth Cheswell (11 April 1746 – 8 March 1817) was an African-American teacher, American Revolutionary War veteran, assessor, auditor, selectman and Justice of the Peace. He is considered by some[who?] the first African American elected to public office, as well as the first archaeologist in New Hampshire, despite being perceived by local contemporaries as white."
"The British are burning Danbury. Muster at Ludington's," Ludington shouted to inform the militiamen.
See the rest of the story here:
http://radio.mikehuckabee.com/Article.asp?id=1401472&spid=33201
http://wn.com/sybilludington See video in Memory.
http://www.suite101.com/content/sybil-ludington-colonial-heroine-a146150
And here is another amazing rider that many don't know about: Wentworth Cheswell also rode that night. He went west to recruit blacks to the cause. He was a black man and a judge and remained so for 47 years.
From Wikipedia: "Wentworth Cheswell (11 April 1746 – 8 March 1817) was an African-American teacher, American Revolutionary War veteran, assessor, auditor, selectman and Justice of the Peace. He is considered by some[who?] the first African American elected to public office, as well as the first archaeologist in New Hampshire, despite being perceived by local contemporaries as white."
Sunday, July 3, 2011
My New Most Favorite Fantasy
As reported below, I loved the country in NW Nevada around Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch.
http://redbearrides.blogspot.com/2011/06/soldier-meadows-is-slice-of-heaven.html
But to share it with Fast Kitty will not work for her on motorcycles very well. Therefore, my new fantasy vehicle is a side-by-side ATV by Can Am.
http://en-us.can-amside-by-side.brp.com/showroom/all-series.aspx
http://redbearrides.blogspot.com/2011/06/soldier-meadows-is-slice-of-heaven.html
But to share it with Fast Kitty will not work for her on motorcycles very well. Therefore, my new fantasy vehicle is a side-by-side ATV by Can Am.
http://en-us.can-amside-by-side.brp.com/showroom/all-series.aspx
Fast and Furious - Disgusting Partisan Politics by Elijah Cummings
Elijah Cummings is the Democrat Minority member on Darrel Issa's House Committee on Oversight. Despite damning and specific testimony by three BATFE officers at the Committee hearing two weeks ago which clearly accused BATFE management of wrong-doings that resulted in the deaths of two Border Patrol agents, Cummings went off on his own crusade.
He convened a Minority committee meeting designed specifically to place the blame on guns and gun laws rather than BATFE mis-management. He invited a half-dozen anti-gunners to testify, and no-one from the pro-gun side. The idea was to create a red-herring issue to try to move the blame off of ATF and onto law-abiding gun owners, and existing gun laws. And then he produced a 26-page report that doesn't even mention Project Gunrunner or the two dead agents. Or the recently reported possible 150 dead Mexican police officers.
Cummings knows that Fast and Furious is going to eventually implicate the Acting Director of ATF, other ATF management, probably Attorney General Eric Holder, and possibly President Obama. So he is using classic, and morally abominable, political mis-direction techniques.
See following link for an article with more details:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/rep-cummings-gunrunner-report-neglects-to-mention-gunrunner/
Overall Picture: President Obama will not admit publicly to hating guns and the 2nd Amendment. But he is doing everything possible behind the scenes to weaken our Constitutional right.
He convened a Minority committee meeting designed specifically to place the blame on guns and gun laws rather than BATFE mis-management. He invited a half-dozen anti-gunners to testify, and no-one from the pro-gun side. The idea was to create a red-herring issue to try to move the blame off of ATF and onto law-abiding gun owners, and existing gun laws. And then he produced a 26-page report that doesn't even mention Project Gunrunner or the two dead agents. Or the recently reported possible 150 dead Mexican police officers.
Cummings knows that Fast and Furious is going to eventually implicate the Acting Director of ATF, other ATF management, probably Attorney General Eric Holder, and possibly President Obama. So he is using classic, and morally abominable, political mis-direction techniques.
See following link for an article with more details:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/rep-cummings-gunrunner-report-neglects-to-mention-gunrunner/
Overall Picture: President Obama will not admit publicly to hating guns and the 2nd Amendment. But he is doing everything possible behind the scenes to weaken our Constitutional right.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Fun with Clunker Math
I make no claims for the veracity of this calculation, but it is fun and sounds about right.
CLUNKER MATH
A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year.
A new vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons of gas a year.
So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.
The government claims 700,000 clunkers have been replaced so that’s 224 million gallons saved per year.
That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of US consumption.
More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $70 per barrel costs about $350 million dollars.
So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $350 million.
We spent $8.57 for every $1.00 we saved.
I’m pretty sure they will do a much better job with our health care though.
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