Cook bacon in a preheated oven at 400°for 12-14 minutes or until brown and crispy. Set aside then crumble when cool.
with foil. Make sure you leave enough extra foil so that you can fully close it on top of the potatoes. Spray with PAM or wipe down with oil. Place the chopped potatoes into the crock pot. Make sure you top each layer of potatoes with ranch dressing, cheese, and bacon. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cheese to put on top at the end. Cover the potatoes and cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for about 3 hours.
When finished, sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Recover for another few minutes until it melts. Top with the chives and serve.


text:
Aston Croall (born 10 July 1984) is an English rugby union player for Harlequins. He usually plays at loosehead prop or hooker. He has represented England at the Under 16, 18, 19 21's and England counties. he was part of the England Under 21 squad that competed in the International Rugby Board Under 21 World Championships in June 2005. In 2010 Croall made the switch to join Sale Sharks. On 10 November 2011 it was announced he was returning to Harlequins for the remainder of the 2011/12 Season as an injury replacement.
Aston went on to play in a number of games that season for harlequins including a Heineken cup match away in Toulon in which he started in the front row as Hooker.
After the end of the season Aston headed back up the M6 to Manchester to see out his 3rd year of his contract.
Aston signed an extension on his contract for 1 more season keeping him at sale sharks until 2014.
During the summer of 2014 Aston signed a contract with National league 1 side Blackheath, where he featured in all but 1 game due to injury. It was during this season that Aston was chosen to play for England Counties, But Also for the invitation team  BARBARIANS FC. Aston finished his playing career at Tonbridge Wells after spending one year with them as player coach, and it was said that he cherished his last moments there on the playing field.

External links
 Harlequins profile
 Profile at ComeAllWithin.co.uk

References

1984 births
Living people
English rugby union players
Harlequin F.C. players
Rugby union players from Kent
Rugby union props

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Home › Protests ripple across America
Protests ripple across America
A chaotic weekend plunged the country into another crisis. More than 100k Americans have died from the coronavirus. More than 40m have lost their jobs since the pandemic upended the economy. Over the weekend, protests erupted over the senseless death of George Floyd, a black man killed by a white police officer.
To be honest, we had a tough time stringing our words together for this email. It's hard to focus on business and tech when the country is in so much turmoil. Just know we're thinking about you.
A Nation in Crisis
Unrest across America: The early impact on businesses
The protests over the death of George Floyd that spilled across US cities this weekend evoked one of the most tumultuous periods in American history, drawing comparisons to 1968 — and the unrest that exploded after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
A deluge of support for Black Lives Matter
In the business world, dozens of brands spoke out, pledging their support for racial equality:
Nike turned its famous slogan inside out: "For once, Don't Do It," urged the text of the company's new ad. "Don't pretend there's not a problem in America. Don't turn your back on racism."
Twitter updated its bio to read #BlackLivesMatter — a hashtag that appeared in posts by HBO, Nordstrom, and many other companies, according to The New York Times.
In a memo to employees obtained by Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the "painful past" of racism "is still present today." While our country's laws have changed, he wrote, "the reality is that their protections are still not universally applied."
In his memo, Cook said Apple would be donating to several groups, including the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that focuses on racial injustice.
YouTube said it would donate $1m to the Center for Policing Equity, a think tank that works with departments to reduce racial disparities in law enforcement.
How companies have scaled back
While large companies voiced support for the protesters, the demonstrations also led some big businesses to adjust their operations.
Amazon scaled back deliveries and closed Whole Foods locations in some major cities. Apple kept many of its stores closed on Sunday. On Sunday evening, Walmart closed hundreds of stores across the country, according to The Wall Street Journal. CVS closed stores across more than 20 states.
The impact on small businesses
Some business owners in cities rocked by the demonstrations were left to pick up the pieces after their stores were looted. The pandemic was already threatening their livelihoods — and owners whose businesses were ransacked said they may not recover.
Cynthia Gerdes, the co-founder of a Minneapolis restaurant that shut down because of the coronavirus in March, had planned to start offering takeout next month. But she told the Journal that she's reconsidering, calling the unrest "a gut punch."
TLDR: 10 Quick Takes to Catch You Up
In case you thought everything was bad this weekend, there was one bit of good news on Sunday: NASA astronauts boarded the International Space Station after Saturday's SpaceX launch.
1⃣ The SpaceX capsule carrying 2 NASA astronauts successfully docked with the International Space Station.
2⃣ President Trump postponed the G7 summit until September — and will expand the invite list to include Australia, India, Russia, and South Korea.
3⃣ More news from the White House: Trump held a call with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday, after issuing an executive order to crack down on social media companies.
4⃣ And speaking of Facebook: The company's R&D group released Venue, a new app that wants to be your preferred 2nd screen for live events.
5⃣ The US Supreme Court rejected a request from a California church to block the state's restrictions on places of worship.
6⃣ Dubai's Emirates airline laid off an undisclosed number of workers, becoming the latest carrier to shed staff while international travel is grounded.
7⃣ Amazon removed images featuring racist language from some headphone listings on its UK site, a company official said Sunday.
8⃣ Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is buying a stake in Beacon, a supply-chain startup in the UK.
9⃣ Microsoft is cutting dozens of news production workers at MSN — and replacing them with AI.
🔟 Coming soon to the candy display near you: Necco Wafers, which are now back after a 2-year absence.
Today is a day we were all looking forward to: We were preparing to give one of you readers $25,000 cash or a Tesla Model 3. It was going to headline our email today… But, in light of this weekend's events, that just didn't feel right. So, if you'd like to learn more, read the bottom of our email today, or simply keep an eye out at the top of the email tomorrow.
Slow recovery
Reopening alone won't bring back the workforce
Did you catch the silver lining in last week's unemployment figures? Although 2.1m people filed new claims for unemployment, the overall unemployment rate fell slightly: 3.86m Americans canceled their ongoing unemployment claims — meaning, most likely, they got their jobs back.
But with states across America reopening, the job gains feel… slim.
There are 2 separate factors at play here: First, businesses can't afford to hire just yet. In Philadelphia, for instance, just 10% of companies brought back furloughed workers.
But there's a 2nd problem: Many workers aren't ready to return even if they are offered their jobs back.
Someone please take care of the kids
In its semi-regular economic update, the Fed cited 3 big reasons for worker hesitation:
Childcare: Many schools and summer camps are taking the next few months off — and while childcare centers are slowly gearing up for an onslaught of anxious kids, as many as half might be at risk of closing permanently.
Health fears: Retail and fast food workers are putting themselves at risk to enforce mask and social distancing rules, and that "customer is always right" ethos is starting to get in the way.
Pay cuts: For ⅔ of workers, going back to work would mean a pay cut from $600/week in unemployment benefits — not an easy ask in such a tight economy.
Lawmakers are finally facing the music
That V-shaped recovery? Especially after such a turbulent weekend, it's not going to happen without some interventions.
To relieve working parents, Congress is considering proposals for a childcare bailout.
And for low-wage workers, it's weighing whether to create a bridge out of unemployment: A "return-to-work bonus" that would add $450/week to worker salaries for the first several weeks after they reenter the workforce.
This self-driving lawn mower is solving the 2 biggest problems in commercial landscaping:
High labor costs
In a $53B market, fixing just a single one of these issues would disrupt the entire industry.
So what do you call it when one startup manages to solve both?
A massive frickin' opportunity.
Meet Graze, the fully autonomous solar-powered lawn mower
Graze reduces labor costs by more than 50%, completely eliminates fuel costs, and allows commercial landscapers to grow their businesses while spending less than ever.
That's because Graze is 100% electrically powered (with support from top-mounted solar panels).
Plus, thanks to machine learning paired with smart features like a localization GPS, an optical suite, and proximity detection, Graze can map and mow job sites with maximum efficiency.
So, where's the opportunity for you? Right here:
Graze has secured partnerships with two of the largest landscaping companies in the U.S. to bring their product to market… and they're still open for investments.
If you want to get in on the ground lawn level, all you have to do is check out their SeedInvest page today to get started:
Let's mow →
Uno, dos
People counting? It's as easy as 1, 2, 3
Forget sheep: These days, everyone in tech is trying to count people.
Plenty of states are limiting the capacity of offices, factories, or restaurants at 25% or 50% — but instead of asking one poor employee to tally up who enters and exits on a notepad, businesses are turning to tech.
One startup, Density, tracks when people move in and out of, say, conference rooms. A screen positioned outside will warn you when a room is full and estimate how long you have to wait.
Density's customer base is getting crowded: Since last quarter, the company has witnessed a 560% jump in sales, including signing on an Indiana meatpacking plant.
The crowd management biz is near capacity
Once upon a time, the sector was tiny. Big businesses used a service like Density to measure which of its spaces were most popular.
But now everyone wants to show off their counting skills. WaitTime, a company originally designed as a "Waze for concession stand lines," is marketing itself to sports stadiums — WaitTime will monitor crowded bathroom lines and signal when it's safe to enter.
Another rival, VergeSense, can monitor the distance between workers in office spaces, and it's "on track" for 500% growth.
Tracking companies like SenSource and SafeCount are also seeing ballooning grocery store fandoms. Honestly, counting to 10 has never been so cool.
They call this "a very good bed for a very good dog." We couldn't agree more. Go on, treat your pooch like a prince.
15,000+ marketers and growth hackers trust Stacked Marketer to keep them up to date on the latest advertising hacks, insights, tips and tricks. Subscribe for free here and up your marketing game today.*
Good sleep is one of the best ways to support your immune system. These new dream capsules by beam contain nano CBD, melatonin, and magnesium for better sleep and health. Get 20% off with code HUSTLE.*
⛈ Meet the Air Force meteorologists who call off all those rocket launches.
💰 Why Kylie Jenner is no longer a billionaire.
🤔 How one university's virtual graduation turned into a "vaporwave nightmare."
🌍 Germany has a pitch for Twitter: Kick the US to the curb and move here instead.
💃 Health researchers are turning to TikTok to study new COVID-19 symptoms.
SHARE THE HUSTLE
Want to win a Tesla?
Well, it's your lucky day. We're giving away a Tesla (or $25k in cash) this month.
Here's what you need to do:
Step 1: Pick between a Tesla Model 3 or $25k cash
Step 2: Copy your personal referral link below
Step 3: Share your link with everyone you know. Send emails, post it on social, give it to your mailman — we don't care, the more the merrier. Every friend that signs up through your link gives you one additional entry in the raffle.
Step 4: Cross your fingers and find out who wins after July 3!
Share The Hustle →
Copy & paste your referral link to others:
Today's email was brought to you by Nick DeSantis, Michael Waters, and Bobby Durben.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We will look at local routing on geometric graphs. Let $G$ be a geometric graph on a point set $P$. For two vertices $s$ and $t$ in $P$, we are interested in routing a packet through $G$ from $s$ to $t$ using local knowledge and constant memory, such that the length of the path found is not more than a constant $c$ times the Euclidean distance between $s$ and $t$. The constant $c$ is known as the routing ratio.
While the problem is not solvable in arbitrary graphs, there are classes of graphs on which it can be solved. We will look specifically at the Delaunay triangulation. The current best routing algorithm on the Delaunay triangulation achieves a routing ratio of $5.9$. We will describe, in high level, three routing algorithms that we are currently working on that look to improve this bound. We will give a flavour of the analysis, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm.


text:
Failure to Preserve Science Journals
Today online research can supplement field and lab research in multiple sciences, but a study suggests that some potentially important findings are no longer available because they have not been preserved.
The work of archiving and preserving science journals is time consuming and there is no uniformly applied process to preserve free downloadable journal articles. If the publisher ceases to exist, the journals may vanish.
Eighty-four online-only, open-access (OA) journals in the sciences, and nearly 100 more in the social sciences and humanities, have disappeared from the internet over the past 20 years as publishers stopped maintaining them. The average duration of online access appears to have been about 10 years.
"The analysis demonstrates that research integrity and the scholarly record preservation … are at risk across all academic disciplines and geographical regions," says Andrea Marchitelli, managing editor of JLIS.it, the Italian Journal of Library, Archives, and Information Science.
The authors of the study are Mikael Laakso (Hanken School of Economics), Lisa Matthias (Free University of Berlin), and Najko Jahn (University of Göttingen). To determine the list of the 176 vanished journals, they did some digital detective work because clues about them are fragmentary. After the journals go dark their names no longer appear in bibliometric databases.
The authors defined a vanished journal as one that published at least one complete volume as immediate OA, and less than 50% of its content is now available for free online. Some of the content may be accessible as printed copies or in paywalled commercial services.
They used a historical archive of internet content, the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, to determine when production ceased and when content disappeared from the internet (within 5 years for three-quarters of the journals). The journals had been based in 50 different countries. Most of the now dark journals published articles only in English.
The study found that only about one-third of the 14,068 journals indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals in 2019 ensure the long-term preservation of their content. Some commercial services offer it, and the Public Knowledge Project Preservation Network, does so for free.
Source: Dozens of Internet Journals Have Vanished; How Open Access Journals are Transforming Science
Labels: Science research
The Moon is Rusting
Corn Moon Rising


text:
Q: can emeditor's marco select multi-line simulatensly? i justi study and test emeditor's marco now
here i have a question about how can i use emediotr's marco to select multiline
for example
i want to select line-10 to line-20 simulatensly
how i can do it in marco language
i have know i can use this
document.selection.SetActivePoint(eePosView,1,10)
document.selection.selectline();
document.selection.SetActivePoint(eePosView,1,10)
document.selection.selectline();

but it can only select line-10 then line-20, there are two line
how can it select line-10 to line-20 simulatensly ,  like line-10 to line-20 , ther are 10 lines
my english is poor
thanks for you time to read my poor english
i don't have a skill for javascript , if possible, code as simple as stupid ,
thanks

A: If you want to select lines 10-20, You can write a macro like this:
document.selection.SetActivePoint(eePosView,1,10);
document.selection.SetActivePoint(eePosView,1,20,true);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Giants Team | New York Giants – Giants.com
Aaron Wellman Blaise Bell Brendan Prophett Chad Klunder Chris Mara Chris Pettit Chris Watts Corey Lockett Corrin Martin D.J. Boisture Dave Gettleman Jeremiah Davis Jeremy Breit John K. Mara, Esq. Jon Berger Jonathan Tisch Ken Sternfeld Kevin Abrams Marcus Cooper Mark Koncz Marquis Pendleton Matt Shauger Nick La Testa Patrick Hanscomb Steve Tisch Thomas Stallworth Tim McDonnell
Mark Koncz
Director of Player Personnel
Mark Koncz is in his third season as the Giants' director of player personnel. Koncz joined the Giants as a personnel consultant prior to the 2018 NFL Draft. Koncz was a member of the Carolina Panthers' organization from 1994-2017, and he was their director of pro scouting from 2000-17. He worked under Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, who held the same position with the Panthers for the four seasons prior to the 2017 season.
Mark Koncz is in his third season as the Giants' director of player personnel. Koncz joined the Giants as a personnel consultant prior to the 2018 NFL Draft.
Koncz was a member of the Carolina Panthers' organization from 1994-2017, and he was their director of pro scouting from 2000-17. He worked under Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, who held the same position with the Panthers for the four seasons prior to the 2017 season.
Koncz and his pro scouting staff helped the Panthers win three consecutive NFC South titles from 2013-15, and the 2015 conference championship and a berth in Super Bowl 50. He and his department evaluated NFL, Canadian and Arena League players in preparation of filling roster needs both in and out of season. When an injury created a need during the season, it was their responsibility to be ready with a list of recommended players to fill that need. Koncz and his staff also recommended veteran players to sign as unrestricted free agents and reserve futures when the roster size increased to 90 players at the end of the season. The pro scouting department helped the Panthers coaches during the season by providing in-depth scouting reports for the Panthers' upcoming opponents.
Koncz began his Carolina career as an intern in the ticket office in 1994 and moved to football operations the following year. In October 1995, he was promoted to the manager of football operations, overseeing the team's travel, budgets, and day-to-day activities of the team.
Koncz moved to the pro scouting department in 1998 and was named the director of pro scouting two years later.
Koncz attended Barrington High School in Illinois and was a 1990 graduate of the University of Kansas, where he was a three-year letterman and a three-year starter for the Jayhawks, serving as team captain his senior year. He earned a master's degree in sports administration in May 1994, and joined the Panthers three months later.
Koncz has a daughter, Milena and son, Nolan.


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May 13: Note on coal jobs; Zillow admits it is under CFPB investigation – LOs and real estate agents beware
May 13, 2017 by Higher Source Sites
Recently my commentary stated that "the number of coal mining jobs roughly equals that of florists in the U.S." The statement prompted Wyoming's Ward Anderson to send, "Your comparison of the much-discussed coal jobs roughly equaling florist's jobs in the U.S. was disturbingly misleading. There are many areas that 'coal jobs' are substantially different than 'florist jobs' and I am not discussing the physical differences in the job duties but more importantly the economic differences.
"To start with 'coal jobs' lead to many other jobs in the economy that simple don't compare to the number of jobs created by the 'florist jobs.' You have entire dedicated staffs at equipment manufacturers, railroad companies, shipping companies and power plants. Even with the big days of Valentine's day and Mother's Day combined, the shipping and delivery of flowers for these special days don't come close to providing the same number of jobs.
"The next very crucial economic issue would be the average annual salaries for the 'coal jobs' and all that tie to them versus the 'florist jobs': coal versus florist jobs. While this group of jobs seems to be narrowly confined as you put it, that couldn't be farther from the truth in our industry of mortgage lending. I would hope that next time you plan a visit to Wyoming you might consider the real facts before making such a statement and then trying to hide your true feelings by throwing on the cover phrase of 'Nothing against either profession.' We are lucky that here in Wyoming there is still a strong work ethic and a desire to improve oneself. We do 'Take pride in our work.' Thank you Ward.
Zillow saga continues & heats up
With state after state knocking down Ocwen, it has had better months. And Zillow has had better weeks. First off, Zillow is being sued for its Zestimate product which calculates a house's worth. Of course, Zillow has never been inside an actual house, but no matter, right? And anyone can sue anyone for anything. But it made the news.
But more importantly, the CFPB is investigating Zillow. That's a call you don't want to have. "Uh, Mr. Rascoff, the CFPB is holding on line 2." Of course, an investigation doesn't mean any company is guilty of anything, right? But given the limited CFPB resources, many believe it is unlikely if some of those resources were being spent just for practice. The news garnered attention by Brian Chapelle's Potomac Partners and Inman.
I've had a few previous commentaries where I brought up the question of Zillow, RESPA violations, and the CFPB: March 13th and March 25th. Zillow obviously has plenty of attorneys who pass judgement on legal issues, but this could be yet another example for LOs and real estate agents where just because Zillow, or any other large company, is doing something doesn't make it legal. And, of course, a situation where a real estate agent is paying nothing for an ad and a loan officer is paying all of it, and that is a supposed "split," is not legal. Anything stating "fair share" is subjective.
Susquehanna Financial Group, LLLP's Shyam Patil did a thorough write-up of Zillow last week, and about how the "CFPB investigation revelation adds significant risk to the story and will move fundamentals to the 'rear seat'." "The 2017 picture got much worse…with the CFPB revelation, which we see as adding significant risk to the story. We believe enforcement actions could potentially be filed, >10% of revenue could be exposed, and additional damages could be possible…"
Last week Patil noted, "ZG disclosed that the CFPB has been investigating the company for potential RESPA violations with its mortgage co-marketing product. Based on commentary from our checks, we estimate revenue exposure could be at least 10%, and any damages would likely be incremental. The CFPB has made three documented inquiries into this matter with ZG (2015 – initial CID, 2/2017 – NORA, 4/2017 – 2nd CID), and from what we understand the NORA letter suggests that the CFPB could be prepared to potentially issue formal charges against the company. We find it odd that ZG disclosed the matter last night after withholding the previous inquiries for about 2 years, and we think ZG may be trying to get in front of a potential announcement from the CFPB in the coming weeks. In terms of next steps, based on our understanding we could potentially see a settlement or litigation, neither of which are good options, especially considering the legal disaster last year with Move."
The analyst's report noted some additional key points about Zillow. The first concerned its market-based pricing model. "1Q was ZG's first full quarter under its new self-serve pricing model, following the nationwide rollout in 4Q. In the company's most important markets, ZG saw a 10% increase in revenue independent of traffic growth. Moving forward, management indicated the company's ability to increase pricing will largely depend on the platforms ability to generate greater ROI for premier agents."
The second point was that traffic growth continues to decelerate. "UVs were 167 million, up 7% y/y, a six point deceleration from 4Q, and 5% below our estimate." The third is that Zillow is "changing its KPIs…Again. Zillow once again changed the key metrics, this time from leads to visits. The company will no longer report leads, premier agents or ARPA. Moving forward the company will focus on visits, which the ZG defines as a group of interactions by users on Zillow, Trulia, and StreetEasy's mobile app and/or website."
And in its 10-Q filed for the first quarter of 2017, Zillow Group, Inc. announced that it was being investigated by the CFPB for possible RESPA violations and that Zillow had received a Notice and Opportunity to Respond and Advise (NORA) letter in February.
Zillow also acknowledged in the 10-Q that it had received another Civil Investigative Demand in April after they provided the response to the CFPB's NORA request in February. Zillow concludes that "there is a reasonable possibility that a loss may be incurred; however, the possible loss or range of loss is not estimable."
Going to its 10-Q and pressing "control F" and entering "CFPB" will yield you the results. But Zillow states, "In April 2017, we received a Civil Investigative Demand from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB") requesting information related to our March 2017 response to the CFPB's February 2017 Notice and Opportunity to Respond and Advise ("NORA") letter. The NORA letter notified us that the CFPB's Office of Enforcement is considering whether to recommend that the CFPB take legal action against us, alleging that we violated Section 8 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act ("RESPA") and Section 1036 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act.
"The purpose of a NORA letter is to provide a party being investigated an opportunity to present its position to the CFPB before an enforcement action may be recommended or commenced. This notice stems from an inquiry that commenced in 2015 when we received and responded to an initial Civil Investigative Demand from the CFPB containing a broad request for information. We believe our response to the NORA letter addresses the CFPB's concerns related to our co-marketing program under which a lender pays us to appear in advertising alongside a real estate agent."
From a real estate agent's perspective, they need to be aware of this. Author Andrea Brambila did a piece in Inman titled, "CFPB investigates Zillow's co-marketing program: What agents should know." "…At the very end of its earnings call remarks, the real estate giant announced that for the last two years, the CFPB has been investigating its co-marketing program for compliance with the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). The program, launched in June 2013, allows 'Premier Agents' who pay for advertising on Zillow Group's apps and websites to invite lenders to share marketing costs by paying Zillow Group to appear as 'Premier Lenders' in advertising alongside the agent. The CFPB's Office of Enforcement is considering whether to recommend that the CFPB take legal action against the company, alleging Zillow Group violated an anti-kickback provision of RESPA and a part of the Consumer Financial Protection Act that prohibits anyone from helping financial service providers deceive consumers."
The article goes on. "RESPA experts say portal co-marketing programs such as Zillow Group's could expose agents to legal liability under state and federal laws if regulators find that agents are not paying their fair share of advertising spend. The CFPB has demonstrated an increasing willingness to go after those accepting payments for mortgage referrals – as evidenced by fines leveled at real estate brokerages in February – which will likely impact more real estate brokers in the future. Agents may also find themselves with less ad buying power if lenders pull back from portal co-marketing programs or if sites alter or eliminate their programs following the CFPB's investigation of Zillow Group's program."
LOs and real estate agents should be well-versed in Section 8(a) of RESPA. It forbids settlement service providers (lenders, real estate agents & brokers, etc.) from paying or receiving any fees or other items with the understanding or agreement that business will be sent their way. And RESPA's Section 8(b), prohibits settlement service providers from splitting charges made or received for performing a real estate settlement service other than for services actually performed.
Inman's article points out that, "Section 1036 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act prohibits those offering or providing a consumer financial product or service from engaging in 'any unfair, deceptive, or abusive act or practice.' It also forbids anyone from 'knowingly or recklessly' providing 'substantial assistance' to service providers engaging in such acts or practices.
There is an exception to this rule, however: Solely 'providing or selling time or space to a covered person or service provider placing an advertisement' is not a violation. In its SEC filing, Zillow Group said it believed its March response to the NORA letter addressed the CFPB's concerns related to its co-marketing program.
In the CFPB's recent consent order against Prospect Mortgage, the agency alleged Prospect violated RESPA by using a third-party's website ads to pay for referrals. The order did not identify the website. "In return for subsidizing a portion of these agents' third-party website advertising, Respondent's loan officers required them to exclusively promote Respondent in all the agent's advertisements on that third-party website."
In January this commentary contained a letter from attorney Marx Sterbcow who weighed in on whether an LO buying a hot dog for a real estate agent is a RESPA violation. Mr. Sterbcow also had some thoughts for Ms. Brambila's article on fair market value. "It's the general market value for a good or service that a non-settlement service provider would pay for that good or service. When demonstrating to attorneys, compliance experts, and regulators that you are providing a thing of value at fair market value, you must show that the value of the good or service is commensurate with what anyone would expect to pay for it today. The idea is that providers aren't paying you a higher or lower rate for goods or services with the expectation that you will be referring business to each other as a reward."
"'If [agents] participate in a program that's illegal and where someone else is subsidizing more than their fair market value or their pro rata share, then the agents have exposure from both federal laws under RESPA, state laws, even civil litigation, class action litigation,' Sterbcow said."
"'You really have to be careful with these programs.' The most important thing agents can do before they enter into co-marketing agreements is to talk to their broker and their broker's in-house counsel for their legal opinion, Sterbcow said. Agents should also talk to in-house counsel about whether what they're paying for advertising is fair market value."
Agents should not rely on a company's affirmation that a program is RESPA compliant, according to Sterbcow. '[Agents are] professionals. They have a responsibility to the consumers to do what is best for the consumer, not themselves. And that's the way the government looks at it,' he said. Besides that, the 'single most important thing that agents and lenders need to know' is that their emails to each other can be used as evidence, Sterbcow said. 'No matter how compliant you set it up, the email can sink the entire thing,' he said. A loan officer or an agent typing something as simple as 'Hey, did you get these people? I sent them over to you' could indicate an illegal referral arrangement, he added."
A yellow Labrador walks into a job referral agency and asks if they have any openings for him. After the astounded receptionist picks herself up off the floor, she asks the dog to come back in an hour. The dog agrees and walks out. As soon as the dog leaves she calls the circus and asks if they can use a talking dog. "Of course," says the owner, "send him down." An hour later, the dog walks back into the agency and the receptionist yells that she has a job for the dog in the circus. To which the dog replies, "What does the circus want with a carpenter?"


text:
#define KMSG_COMPONENT "cpcmd"
#define pr_fmt(fmt) KMSG_COMPONENT ": " fmt

#include <linux/kernel.h>
#include <linux/module.h>
#include <linux/slab.h>
#include <linux/spinlock.h>
#include <linux/stddef.h>
#include <linux/string.h>
#include <asm/diag.h>
#include <asm/ebcdic.h>
#include <asm/cpcmd.h>
#include <asm/io.h>

static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(cpcmd_lock);
static char cpcmd_buf[241];

static int diag8_noresponse(int cmdlen)
{
	register unsigned long reg2 asm ("2") = (addr_t) cpcmd_buf;
	register unsigned long reg3 asm ("3") = cmdlen;

	asm volatile(
		"	sam31\n"
		"	diag	%1,%0,0x8\n"
		"	sam64\n"
		: "+d" (reg3) : "d" (reg2) : "cc");
	return reg3;
}

static int diag8_response(int cmdlen, char *response, int *rlen)
{
	register unsigned long reg2 asm ("2") = (addr_t) cpcmd_buf;
	register unsigned long reg3 asm ("3") = (addr_t) response;
	register unsigned long reg4 asm ("4") = cmdlen | 0x40000000L;
	register unsigned long reg5 asm ("5") = *rlen;

	asm volatile(
		"	sam31\n"
		"	diag	%2,%0,0x8\n"
		"	sam64\n"
		"	brc	8,1f\n"
		"	agr	%1,%4\n"
		"1:\n"
		: "+d" (reg4), "+d" (reg5)
		: "d" (reg2), "d" (reg3), "d" (*rlen) : "cc");
	*rlen = reg5;
	return reg4;
}

/*
 * __cpcmd has some restrictions over cpcmd
 *  - the response buffer must reside below 2GB (if any)
 *  - __cpcmd is unlocked and therefore not SMP-safe
 */
int  __cpcmd(const char *cmd, char *response, int rlen, int *response_code)
{
	int cmdlen;
	int rc;
	int response_len;

	cmdlen = strlen(cmd);
	BUG_ON(cmdlen > 240);
	memcpy(cpcmd_buf, cmd, cmdlen);
	ASCEBC(cpcmd_buf, cmdlen);

	diag_stat_inc(DIAG_STAT_X008);
	if (response) {
		memset(response, 0, rlen);
		response_len = rlen;
		rc = diag8_response(cmdlen, response, &rlen);
		EBCASC(response, response_len);
        } else {
		rc = diag8_noresponse(cmdlen);
        }
	if (response_code)
		*response_code = rc;
	return rlen;
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL(__cpcmd);

int cpcmd(const char *cmd, char *response, int rlen, int *response_code)
{
	char *lowbuf;
	int len;
	unsigned long flags;

	if ((virt_to_phys(response) != (unsigned long) response) ||
			(((unsigned long)response + rlen) >> 31)) {
		lowbuf = kmalloc(rlen, GFP_KERNEL | GFP_DMA);
		if (!lowbuf) {
			pr_warning("The cpcmd kernel function failed to "
				   "allocate a response buffer\n");
			return -ENOMEM;
		}
		spin_lock_irqsave(&cpcmd_lock, flags);
		len = __cpcmd(cmd, lowbuf, rlen, response_code);
		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cpcmd_lock, flags);
		memcpy(response, lowbuf, rlen);
		kfree(lowbuf);
	} else {
		spin_lock_irqsave(&cpcmd_lock, flags);
		len = __cpcmd(cmd, response, rlen, response_code);
		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cpcmd_lock, flags);
	}
	return len;
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL(cpcmd);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
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    keySequenceLength: 0
  };

  this.bindAction();
};

KeysterEgg.prototype.bindAction = function(){
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    _this.watchKeys(e, _this);
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};

KeysterEgg.prototype.iskeySequenceCode = function(){
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  for(var i = 0; i < window.keyHistory.length; i++){
    if(window.keyHistory[i] === 37 && this.props.keySequence.charAt(i) === '←'){
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};

KeysterEgg.prototype.watchKeys = function(e, _this){
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    window.keyHistory = window.keyHistory.slice(1);
  }
  window.keyHistory.push(e.keyCode);

  if(_this.iskeySequenceCode()){
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};


text:
It takes secure boundaries for America's affection for immigrants to flourish.
By Peggy Noonan
Republicans Introduce Bill to Extend Tax Cuts
House Republicans introduced legislation Thursday that would make tax cuts first implemented in 2001 and 2003 permanent, citing economic growth as evidence that they work...
Record Abortions, Profits for Planned Parenthood
Despite a drop in donations and the first fall in income from clinics in its history, the nation's biggest abortion provider made a record profit last year, thanks to the American taxpayer.
Republicans need to attack earmarks and stop wasting taxpayer money
By Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
"House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) has handed Republican lawmakers a golden (literally) opportunity to end earmarking during the current session of Congress." Read on.
The Democratic War Against Prosperity Marches On
By Lawrence Kudlow
"Democrats in Congress and on the presidential trail are intensifying their high-tax war against prosperity and the so-called rich." Read on.
Is 'Decency' Enough for Citizenship?
"Now that the president has tried to revive the comatose Senate amnesty bill, at least as big a question as whether he can bring it back to life is why on earth he would want to?"
SOME TOUGH (AND UNEASY) QUESTIONS
Can Muhammad and Jefferson Coexist?
By John Andrews
The ACLU Never Forgets Its Pro-Communist Roots
By Alan Sears
Just as a leopard cannot change its spots, nor a zebra its stripes, an organization whose founder admired the "ideals" of the hammer and sickle can never really abandon those destructive beginnings. Read on.
Arafat's Children
Gaza's mayhem is the bitter fruit of terror as statecraft.
The 'Oh, so predictable' news headline of the week: "Blame Bush"
Takeover by Hamas Illustrates Failure of Bush's Mideast Vision
"Five years ago this month, President Bush stood in the Rose Garden and laid out a vision for the Middle East .... "
Apparently, according to "The WAPO" Bush's mistakes were:
(1) calling for an Israel and a state called Palestine living together in peace.
(2) calling on the Palestinian people "to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror."
What shameful goals, such shameful requests .... what was Bush thinking?
I am quite surprised, yet heartened, that the WAPO is concerned over Israel's safety. I am equally surprised WAPO calls Hamas a 'militant group' and considers them 'radical' and malfunctioning. Who new?
Apparently, another mistake Bush made was in pushing for Israel's departure from the Gaza Strip, according to the Post. But if "Gaza has no territorial issues with Israel, since there are no Israelis in Gaza," and since so much of the blame coming from the left (and that includes the Post) is laid at the feet of Israel, and demanding Israel leave Gaza which they captured during the Six Day War after Israel was attacked, how and why is this a mistake? One can argue it was a mistake for Israel to pull out of Gaza for their own safety and security reasons, but that is a different argument. It seems that if the Palestinians cannot get along with each other, the blame game can only be directed at themselves, not Bush, and not Israel.
Another 'mistake' was trying to separate/isolate the moderates from the extremists so we can work with the moderates. What's up with that? Doesn't Bush know we have to negotiate and work with them too? It's a matter of 'fairness'. After all, the extremists are no different than anybody else, they are just ... well more extreme.
And finally, I guess, it boils down to the 'less is more' argument. "The less we try to intervene and shape Palestinian politics, the better off we will be," said Robert Malley, an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the International Crisis Group.
Now if I could only forget the hundreds of times that I heard, Bush is not doing enough to solve the Israel - Palestinian problem.
DDT and Malaria
Nature spoke, Rachel Carson listened
By LARRY J. SCHWEIGER
As the nation commemorates pioneer conservationist Rachel Carson's 100th birthday, we should reflect on the relevance of her career to the overriding environmental challenges of our own time. In an article she wrote in 1938 following her attendance at a National Wildlife Federation convention, Rachel reminded us that "wildlife … is dwindling because its home is being destroyed. But the home of wildlife is also our home." Somehow too many of us have lost sight of this basic tenet.
Rachel understood the direct cause-and-effect relationship between man's conservation stewardship and the vitality of all living creatures. Despite her warnings about the need to nurture this delicate relationship, many in our country, both then and now, didn't listen to Rachel's admonitions.
Most remember Rachel Carson for her famous book "Silent Spring"; however, our collective memory of Rachel's contribution must be re-examined in light of her early warnings about global warming.
"WHEN Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was published in 1962, a small group of scientists pointed out its errors. Some of them were so egregious that even a nonspecialist would have spotted them if not at once, then after a moment of reflection."
Rachel Carson's legacy
BY Rony V. Diaz
The majority of her readers, however, took her book for revealed truth and were almost instantly converted to her vision of militant environmentalism.
Her political program was clear in "Fable for Tomorrow," the initial chapter. "There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. . ." Then one day a "strange blight," an "evil spell" killed all plants and animals and sickened all humans. This contagion "silenced the rebirth of new life."
The cause of this apocalypse was the synthetic contact insecticide DDT, a compound that entered the tissues of both prey and predator, as well as their food chains. DDT, she claimed, was also the cause of cancer and foresaw an "epidemic of cancer" sweeping the world. It did not happen.
There is a couple of things you should know about DDT .... well actually 100 things you should know about DDT . Also, an expert on malaria wants DDT back because "the battle to combat this killer disease, which affects nearly six million people annually in Malawi, can only be won if DDT is used to kill mosquitoes." A country in southeastern Africa, Malawi is approximately the size of Pennsylvania.
"The mosquito-borne illness claims the lives of 3,000 children daily and more than one million each year—the majority in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda alone, reports indicate that more than ten million are infected and up to 100,000 mothers and children die from the disease each year."
Give Us DDT
By SAM ZARAMBA
The United States and Europe eradicated malaria by 1960, largely with the use of DDT. At the time, Uganda tested the pesticide in the Kanungu district and reduced malaria by 98%. Despite this success, we lacked the resources to sustain the program. Rather than partner with us to improve our public health infrastructure, however, foreign donors blanched. They used Africa's lack of infrastructure to justify not investing in it.
Today, every single Ugandan still remains at risk. Over 10 million Ugandans are infected each year, and up to 100,000 of our mothers and children die from the disease. Recently Ugandan country music star Job Paul Kafeero died of the disease, a reminder that no one is beyond its reach. Yet, many still argue that Africa's poor infrastructure makes indoor spraying too costly and complex a means of fighting malaria.
"The ban of DDT by the EPA caused many other countries to follow suit and discontinue use of DDT as a method for malarial control."
The Legacy of the DDT Ban, the Legacy of Rachel Carson
By Patricia Ludwig
The ban was supported by many aid agencies such as USAID, the WHO, the Norwegian Development Agency, and the Swedish Aid Agency, which contributed a large portion of public health aid to poor nations. These countries, dependent on aid, could not continue to use DDT after the ban. Many countries also stopped using DDT for fear that European countries would refuse to buy their agricultural exports. The ban on DDT thwarted progress in the eradication of malaria. In South Africa, DDT was phased out in 1996, causing malaria cases to increase from 12,500 in 1995 to 50,000 in 1999. However, cases dropped by 80% in 2000 in KwaZuluNatal, the one province in South Africa that began using DDT extensively again. Though DDT need not be used on everything as it was in the 1950s and 1960s, its judicious use is clearly effective in controlling malaria.
To replace DDT, many countries such as South Africa began using synthetic pyrethoids to kill malarial mosquitoes. The problem with these substitutes is that they are more expensive and less effective. In addition, A. funestrus, a malaria-transmitter mosquito that feeds almost exclusively on humans, has developed resistance to pyrethroids. In the 1950s, it had almost disappeared from South Africa. It began to reappear in the 1990s, which correlates with the removal of DDT."
Secure the border first
By Michael Steele
"When House Republicans passed legislation last December that secured our borders and put a premium on strict enforcement of our immigration laws, the American people had hope that their elected leaders had heard their demands.
Sadly, the legislation that is currently leading the debate in Washington shows our Senators have turned a deaf ear to the public. Despite last week's action stopping it from coming to the Senate floor for a final vote, efforts are being made to tinker around the edges with this legislation and pass it later this year.
The better course of action is for our elected leaders to follow the no-nonsense direction being called for by hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens: Secure Our Borders Now!"
The Castro/Chavez Axis
By Fred Thompson
"We're coming up on the 45th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis and I think it's worth talking about. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy faced down the USSR, risking total war, and forced the Soviets to remove ballistic weapons from Cuba. Missiles located less than a hundred miles from America were aimed at the US.
A lot of people, I think, have forgotten. Most schools don't even teach about it in any real detail. Judging by the indifference that many people have to the nuclear arming of Iran, I think it's a lesson almost entirely lost -- except among Cuban-Americans.
Over the years, they've never stopped watching ..... "
REVAMPING IMMIGRATION
It appears Charles Krauthammer has come around to my way of thinking:
WASHINGTON -- Comprehensive immigration reform is in jeopardy because it is a complex compromise with too many moving parts and too many competing interests. Employers want a guest worker program; unions want to kill it. Reformers want to introduce a point system that preferentially admits skilled and educated immigrants; immigrant groups naturally want to keep the existing family preference system. Liberals want legalization now; conservatives insist on enforcement "triggers" first.
This has been my contention all along, that the "whole immigration issue" is complex, has many layers, is an emotional issue, and that there will never be a consensus on how all the various issues of immigration should be handled; particularly those illegal immigrants that have been here for many years.
With that in mind, doing nothing only exasperates the problem and intensifies the emotions surrounding what to do with "law abiding" border crossers who have lived here for many years and have had children (anchor babies) and as more continue to pour across the border.
Therefore, many people, myself included, want and wonder why a fence cannot be built, making our borders more secure, and give ourselves the time to wrangle with the difficult issues regarding those already here and not be over-run with new "border crossers" during the process of debate.
I had suspicions from the start and now feel justified in those suspicions that the border fence bill passed and signed by Pres. Bush last year was a ploy .... merely political pandering .... to bide time and give some cover for some elected legislators up for re-election. It appears my suspicions were spot on. Krauthammer again appears to be of like mind.
Why not start by passing what everyone says they want? After all, proponents of this comprehensive reform insist that the current situation is intolerable and must be resolved. It follows, therefore, that however much they differ in the details of how the current mess should be resolved, they are united in the belief that such a mess should not be allowed to happen again. And the only way to make sure of that is border control.
So why not pass it, with the understanding that the other contentious provisions would be taken up subsequently? Because for all the protestations, many of those who say they are deeply devoted to enforcement are being deeply disingenuous. They profess to care about immigration control because they have to. But they care so little about the issue that they are willing to make it hostage to the other controversial provisions, most notably legalization.
Read the rest of Krauthammer's The Jeopardy of Reform.
Harry Reid: Working Overtime For Failure in Iraq
By Lorie Byrd
"The time for niceties has passed. The leaders of the Democratic party not only do not support the war effort, they do not want our troops to win and it is getting harder every day to pretend that they do.
Those in the field have noticed it, too. The L.A. Times recently reported: "Under a sweltering Iraqi sky, [Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis,commanding general of Marine Forces Central Command] asked for questions fromh is troops. Many were reluctant, but Marine Lance Cpl. Jack Kessel, 19,of Raleigh, N.C., stepped forward. Something had been gnawing at him as he and his buddies go about the business of winning hearts and minds in al-Anbar province: 'How are we supposed to fight a war when people back home say we've already lost?' "
Pulling Money Can Break Iran
"The past week has very possibly been the key turning point in the drive to cripple the Iranian government and force it to back off its nuclear weapons program. Uncovered by the mainstream media, a courageous and far-sighted effort by Reagan's assistant secretary of defense, Frank Gaffney, to force state pension systems to stop investing in companies that do business with Iran or Sudan has won key victories in Florida, California and Ohio. Spurred by vigorous"
Bush's Deal: Border Cash for Amnesty
By Amanda Carpenter
"In an effort to resurrect the Senate's immigration bill,President Bush has agreed to spend $4.4 billion to increase border security based on the premise that money would be repaid later with penalties and fines from illegal aliens seeking legal status.
In a speech before the National Contractors Union on Thursday,President Bush said that he would support an amendment to the bill that will likely be sponsored by Republican Conference Chairman Sen. Jon Kyl (R.-Ariz.) and Republican National Committee Chairman Sen. Mel Martinez (R.-Fla.).
"One common concern is whether the government will provide the resources to meet the goals in the bill," he said. "They say, 'It's fine to talk about it. Are you actually going to do something?'"
'Orrible 'Arry Reid
By Jed Babbin
Yes, conservatives are angry with the President. And yes, we're going to hang in there as long as it takes and work as hard as needs be to defeat this disastrous immigration bill he's pushing. We won't give in, we won't compromise on border security. And we won't be bought off with the $4.4 billion he offered to spend on "security and job enforcement" the other day.
But no matter how angry we are with President Bush, we can't take our eyes off the Democrats, especially 'Orrible 'Arry Reid.
A Home Invader Program?
People who are pushing for a "guest worker" program show not the slightest interest in what has been happening under guest worker programs in Europe. Facts are apparently irrelevant.
So is logic. Guests are people you invite to your home. Gate crashers are people who come without being invited. Home invaders are people who break in, despite doors that have been shut to keep them out.
Why Do Rush And Sean Scare Them So?
Radio station WIOD, AM 610, has been the official channel for emergency information from Broward County government for the past year. The County Commission, all Democrats, balked at renewing the deal Tuesday, unable to stomach the station also being home to [Rush] Limbaugh's talk show.
I have heard of brass-knuckled politics before, but never anything on the order of denying your political opponents news of approaching hurricanes.
Now we have actual proof of Democrats wanting to keep conservatives in the dark about approaching storms.
By Hugh Hewitt, Towwnhall.com
China Slams Bush Over Remarks on Communism
China Thursday criticized President Bush's remarks at the dedication of a memorial to 100 million-plus victims of communism, accusing him of a "Cold War" mentality...
Political Money Could Dilute Edwards' Populist Message
– John Edwards has tried to set his 2008 presidential candidacy apart from the pack by highlighting poverty and criticizing corporate power, but the North Carolina Democrat in recent years has accepted tens of thousands of dollars in donations from individuals working for the tobacco, pharmaceutical, oil and other sectors...
"On Fox News the other night, I was told by NPR's Juan Williams, 'You're anti-immigrant!' Er, actually, I am an immigrant—one of the members of the very, very teensy-weensy barely statistically detectable category of 'legal immigrant.' But perhaps that doesn't count any more. Perhaps, like Colin Powell's blackness, it's insufficiently 'authentic'."
"[A]nother amnesty will be the best thing to happen to America since the influenza epidemic of 1918 and the Wall Street Crash of '29."
—Don Feder
DoD braces for a fight with Pelosi
Pentagon officials are bracing for a fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over her desire to allow lawmakers' adult children to tag along on taxpayer-funded travel for free.
NATO Secretary Lauds Troop Efforts in Afghanistan
BRUSSELS, Belgium, – Immense progress has been made in providing international assistance to the people and government of Afghanistan, the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said today in his opening statement during the two-day session of the North Atlantic Council here.
"As we meet today, we must first of all pay tribute to the men and women who take part in the NATO-led operations and missions from the Balkans to Afghanistan," said Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. "We mourn those whose lives have been lost and offer our condolences to their loved ones."
The secretary general said he is proud of the achievement of NATO forces and their commitment to providing political leadership and the resources they need to undertake their missions." Read more.
Zapata officials face bribe charges
"LAREDO — Three Zapata County officials were arraigned in federal court Wednesday, charged with taking bribes from drug traffickers in exchange for protecting loads of marijuana that were hauled through their area.
FBI agents Tuesday arrested Justice of the Peace Manuel 'Meme' Martinez, 43; county attorney's office investigator Jose Amaro, 40; and county code enforcement worker Ruben Elizondo, 37.
Martinez was a Zapata County sheriff's deputy when ....... "
Pakistan tells U.S. it's trying to secure Afghan border
"QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan told a visiting U.S. official on Thursday it was trying its best to plug its long, porous border with Afghanistan and denied Taliban leaders were hiding in Pakistan."
ElBaradei urges Iran to halt atomic expansion
Yahoo! News: "VIENNA (Reuters) - The chief U.N. nuclear monitor urged Iran on Thursday to stop expanding uranium enrichment to ease a standoff with world powers, who have demanded Tehran shut down the program entirely."
Anti-Syrians bury slain Lebanese MP, blame Damascus
Yahoo! News: "BEIRUT (Reuters) - Some 3,000 mourners chanted anti-Syrian slogans on Thursday at the funeral of a Lebanese legislator killed in a car bomb attack that deepened Lebanon's political crisis.
Walid Eido was the seventh anti-Syrian figure to be assassinated since February 2005, when former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was killed in a suicide truck bombing."
Hamas overruns rival Fatah's key posts
Yahoo! News:
"GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas fighters overran two of the rival
Fatah movement's most important security command centers in the
Gaza Strip on Thursday, and witnesses said the victors dragged vanquished gunmen into the street and shot them to death execution-style.
Meanwhile, ......."
Al Qaeda's American Harbor
OpinionJournal
A bad decision likely to be overturned.
"On Monday, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that al Qaeda agent Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri can't be detained as an enemy combatant. The press corps is reporting--no, shouting, cheering, doing somersaults--that this is further proof that Bush Administration detainee policies are doomed to legal oblivion.
Well, here's a wager: This decision is the outlier and will be overturned on appeal, while most of the Administration's legal antiterror architecture will survive past January 20, 2009. Any takers?" Read on.
"Freedom is not the absence of laws... Freedom requires the rule of law."
—Alisa Craddock
"[I]n Washington, D. C.,... a Victims of Communism Memorial will be dedicated... While the memorial is a welcome reminder of man's capacity to do evil, one wishes that a similar structure were erected to remind the world of leftist academics, clergy and journalists who enabled communism to survive by writing and speaking lies about its true nature. They were more than enablers. They were co-conspirators and accessories to murder. They, too, deserve to share in communism's ignominy."
"There is nothing to say that the 12 million people here illegally have to start the process of becoming citizens." —Thomas Sowell
To All You Fathers Out There
With Father's Day coming up, keep these in mind:
"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." —Charles Wadsworth
"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years." —Mark Twain
Rudy's 12 commitments to the American people
Rudy feels that many of the things he did as Mayor of New York City are transferable to what America needs today. He says "these commitments are intended to lift our vision from the rear view mirror to the road ahead of us - the future."
1. I will keep America on offense in the Terrorists' War on Us.
2. I will end illegal immigration, secure our borders, and identify every non-citizen in our nation.
3. I will restore fiscal discipline and cut wasteful Washington spending.
4. I will cut taxes and reform the tax code.
5. I will impose accountability on Washington.
6. I will lead America towards energy independence.
7. I will give Americans more control over, and access to, healthcare with affordable and portable free-market solutions.
8. I will increase adoptions, decrease abortions, and protect the quality of life for our children.
9. I will reform the legal system and appoint strict constructionist judges.
10. I will ensure that every community in America is prepared for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
11. I will provide access to a quality education to every child in America by giving real school choice to parents.
12. I will expand America's involvement in the global economy and strengthen our reputation around the world.
Illegal Worker Probe Spurs Raid in Oregon
CBS News/AP:
Federal Agents Raid Food Plant Suspected of Employing Illegal Workers; 100 Arrested
FBI warns universities to watch out for spies
CNN/AP
Iranian Weapons Intercepted on Way to Taliban
India snubs West on climate change
"India will not curb its greenhouse gas emissions as long as the West continues to treat it as a 'second class global citizen' with less right to pollute than the developed world, a senior Indian environment official has said." More.
Las Vegas SUN: Virginia Tech Report Faults Privacy Laws WASHINGTON (AP) -
"Schools, doctors and police often do not share information about potentially dangerous students because they can't figure out complicated and overlapping privacy laws, according to a federal report released Wednesday on the Virginia Tech shooting." More.
US-French Strategic Interests Intersecting, Says US Official
By Eva Cahen
'The Worst Thing About Communism Is That It Still Exists'
By Monisha Bansal
THE PROBLEM WITH GOING GREEN
'Green' Energy Source a Major Polluter
(CNSNews.com) - Call it green pollution. The ethanol industry, which is marketed as environmentally friendly and has been called a "cornerstone of America's energy policy," is dirtying air and water supplies across the heartland, according to a Cybercast News Service investigation...
Ethanol Industry, Congress Accused of Bending Rules
(CNSNews.com) - In a move drawing criticism from regulators, environmentalists and rural Americans, the Environmental Protection Agency is introducing a new rule that will allow ethanol refineries to emit 150 percent more pollution than they currently do -- without any penalties...
Bill Clinton Predicts Gore to Enter Race
Nasty: McCain Attacks Romney in Email
Cheney's Daughter Backing Fred Thompson
Al D'Amato Backing Fred Thompson
Speilberg Now Backing Hillary, Drops Obama
HEADLINE DECEPTION
From James Taranto, Best of the Web, at Opinion Journal.com: There's a Sucker Born Every Minute
"U.S. and Iraqi forces raided a bomb factory yesterday, the Associated Press reports from Baghdad:
The entry room to the al-Arij factory was booby-trapped and the building was empty because the workers fled after apparently being tipped off to the raid, according to the officer, army commander Brig. Gen. Nour al-Din Hussein. He said an anti-aircraft gun was hidden on the roof.
Until three years ago, the building was used to make candy. The AP's headline: "U.S.-Iraqi Forces Raid Lollipop Factory."
Media Deliver WSJ Paper Chase Exactly as Expected
Reporters and editors continue to oppose Journal bid from 'predatory capitalist' Murdoch. Bussiness and Media Institute's Dan Gainor explains why.
Media Exaggerate Student Loan 'Crisis'
Business & Media Institute
"Private Loans Deepen a Crisis in Student Debt," cried the [New York] Times headline that began by presenting the situation of Lucia DiPoi, "the first in her immigrant family to attend college."
"The Times complained that DiPoi "gave up her dream" of working in an overseas refugee camp as a result of too much debt, and now has private loans with high interest rates. But the blame was thrown squarely at the lender: Sallie Mae in this instance.
Nowhere did the Times question DiPoi's decision to attend Tufts University, a private school where the tuition, fees, room and board come to $44,500 per year. That's nearly three and a half times the average cost of a public college or university, according to the College Board." Read on.
AG scandal not about Gonzales
"The thing you always need to remember when Democrat politicians talk is that they're lying.
(How's that for open-minded dialogue?)
I suppose that is a bit too strong; let me rephrase. It's not that they're lying, exactly; they're just not really talking about what they're talking about. A good example is the Iraq war debate. What, exactly, is their position? After all, they all believed ...."
The Immigration Bill May Rise Again
By Paul Weyrich
"My longtime friend Richard A. Viguerie issued a press release congratulating grassroots America for killing the Immigration Bill. I hope Richard is right. I fear he is not. In all of the years I have been here I never have known when the establishment really wants something that the establishment cannot obtain it. And the establishment really wants this bill.
Some critics point to the ....."
It Ain't Over 'Til the Alien Wins
"As you follow the debate over the Bush-Kennedy immigration bill, keep this cardinal rule in mind: 99.99 percent of the lawmakers who promise you that they'll ensure the deportation of anyone who doesn't follow their new 'guest-worker' regulations are either A) lying or B) completely clueless.
Rule No. 2: Anyone who plays the Enforcement equals Kicking-Down-Doors-And-Depriving-Babies-of-Mother's-Milk card (yes, that's you, Geraldo Rivera) is either A) lying or B) completely clueless." Continue.....
Immigration Legislation Demonization
"WASHINGTON -- Harry Reid, the Senate's majority leader and resident Uriah Heep, affected 'umble and syrupy sadness about the Senate's inability to pass the immigration bill that he pulled from the floor last Thursday evening for a transparently meretricious reason. Saying the Senate's time was too precious to expend on what would have been limited debate on a limited number of Republican amendments to the bill, Reid vowed: ``Everyone that's been home, there are two issues that are foremost in their minds: Number one is the Iraq War and number two are gas prices. We're going to deal with that as soon as we finish with this immigration legislation.''
So the Senate took Friday off, wasted Monday in the predictable futility of ....."
Competition or Monopoly
"Are consumers better off with a competitive or monopolistic provision of goods and services? Let's apply that question to a few areas of our lives.
Prior to deregulation, when there was a monopoly and restricted ....."
Property Owners Win One
By John Stossel
"Opponents of eminent domain finally have something to celebrate. After a public campaign, Target Corp. has decided not to build a store on condemned property in Arlington Heights, Ill.
Five years ago, the Village trustees declared ...."
This fight WILL NEVER be over
Immigration Political Dynamics
By Bruce Bartlett
"The immigration bill may be dead for now, but the political forces behind it have not gone away. Those will continue to impact both major political parties for many years to come.
The basic force is that Hispanics are increasing as a share of the population. According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, there were 44.3 million Hispanics in the United States as of July 1, 2006, constituting 14.8 percent of the population. And they are the fastest growing ethnic group, accounting for about half the growth of population during the previous year—1.4 million out of a total increase of 2.9 million.
It is extremely unlikely ......" Continue reading here.
Liberalism never goes away, so this fight won't either.
Americans overwhelmingly support voter ID. Are they are all racists?
By John Fund
America had its civil war. Why expect freedom to come easy to Iraq?
BY NOURI AL-MALIKI
Alas, it falls on too many deaf ears
Listening to the Enemy
Some members of the so-called "peace movement" cherish the naive belief that an end to the Iraq War would greatly reduce the fanaticism of al Qaeda, but they should listen to one of the terrorists' chief spokesmen, "Azam the American."
This Muslim convert issued a late May declaration promising devastating attacks unless the president agreed to six "non-negotiable" demands--including removal of all U.S. personnel from all Muslim nations, imposing a "ban on all broadcasts to our region," stopping all aid and contact to all 56 "apostate" Muslim regimes and freeing all Muslims from U.S. prisons, regardless of their crimes.
Azam also helpfully announced: "A pull-out from Iraq alone in the absence of compliance with the remainder of our legitimate demands will get you nowhere and will not save you from our strikes." Those activists who believe they understand the real motivations of our enemies ought to listen occasionally to what those enemies have to say.
House Republicans Declare War on Secret Earmarks & Wasteful Spending
By John Boehner
"This week on the House floor Democrats in Congress will begin their efforts in earnest to hide pork-barrel projects from voters, budget watchdog groups, and Republicans who challenge wasteful spending. They're gutting rules designed to help voters know where their tax dollars are going and creating massive slush funds for secret earmarks. And while they shut voters out of the budget process, they're spending more with each passing day – an extra $105 billion so far this year alone. With the first four major appropriations bill on the House floor this week, Republicans are saying, "Enough is enough."
Last fall, Democratic leaders repeatedly promised to lead Congress in a more "open" and "honest" fashion. Now they're not only breaking those promises, they're actively moving in the opposite direction.
It started in January when Democrats gutted Republican earmark reforms by allowing bills to be certified as "earmark-free" -- even if they contain earmarks. House Democrats exploited this loophole to pass a massive spending bill ("continuing resolution") in February that contained hundreds of millions of dollars in hidden earmarks. The conveniently-flawed procedure was most famously abused by Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) who secured passage of an illegitimate taxpayer-funded earmark in bill meant to fund our intelligence activities. Murtha was caught by C-SPAN's cameras threatening House Republicans who tried to object."
China Moves Up the Weapons Spending Ladder
"China has overtaken Japan to become the biggest military spender in Asia -- and the fourth biggest in the world -- according to a new report on global arms spending.
China chalked up almost $50 billion in military expenditures in 2006, according to the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). The top five countries were the United States ($528.7bn), Britain ($59.2bn), France ($53.1bn), China ($49.5bn) and Japan ($43.7bn)."
Iran Threatens to Make US 'Regret' Arrest of Diplomats
"Jerusalem - Iran threatened on Tuesday to make the U.S. 'regret' its detention of Iranian diplomats earlier this year in Iraq.
The U.S. raided the Iranian consulate in the Kurdish-controlled northern Iraqi city of Irbil in January, arresting five Iranians and confiscating documents and computers. The U.S. accused the diplomats of being involved in the insurgency against American and Iraqi forces.
'We will make the U.S. regret its revolting [and] illegal action against our consulate agents,' Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said during a press conference on Tuesday, the Iranian news agency ISNA reported."
New Poll: Thompson and Rudy Tied at 24%
"In a new national telephone survey of likely Republican voters, Rassmussen finds Fred Thompson, who is not officially a candidate yet, and Rudy Giuliani are tied with 24% favorability for each.
This past weekend, the Associated Press reported that Thompson's presumed entry into the Republican presidential field would draw 'crucial strength from conservatives and older men,' and would subsequently vault him 'into the thick of the nomination fight' in 2008 - a prediction that appears to be coming true in the polls."
Putin's Ploy
By Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.
"Chess is the national sport of Russia. It is, therefore, as Soviet Communists like Vladimir Putin used to say, "no coincidence, comrade" that the proposal on missile defense that he rolled out at last week's G-8 meeting was a sophisticated gambit, a crafty effort not to advance the protection of Europe and the United States from future Iranian missiles, but to block such anti-missile defenses. Call it Putin's ploy.
In fact, in the manner of an accomplished master of the game – for example, his ....."
Immigration bill: Why I was opposed
By Mike Pence
U.S. Congressman: 6th District Of Indiana
"Last year, President Bush set out his views on immigration reform to the American people, saying there must be 'a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation.'
I agree with the president that a rational middle ground can be found between automatic citizenship and mass deportation, but the amnesty bill that was defeated in the Senate was not the middle ground.
I opposed the Senate immigration bill because ...."
Another Lesson In Selective Tolerance
"People who don't think the radical homosexual lobby is trying to force its views on society probably aren't paying close attention. Increasingly, in various parts of this nation, if you express traditional views on traditional marriage, you risk being branded a bigot and your speech being muzzled.
For the radical homosexual lobby, it isn't enough that its views are guaranteed full protection, even special protection by the state. They also want to ensure that those disagreeing with them are demonized and denied their First Amendment rights."
More by David Limbaugh.
Bipartisan betrayal
"With immigration, as with other issues, the most important decision is: Who is to make the decision?
It should be too obvious for words that decisions about who is to come into the United States and live among Americans should be made in the United States by Americans.
In reality, however, for years that decision has been made in Mexico by Mexicans and by others who chose to cross the border from Mexico into the United States with impunity, knowing that even if they were caught, they would at worst be turned back -- and could try again.
Many would not even ...."
"It is the duty of parents to maintain their children decently... to protect them according to the dictates of prudence; and to educate them according to the suggestions of a judicious and zealous regard for their usefulness, their respectability and happiness."
— James Wilson, 1791
In the Absence of Men
What happens when boys grow up without the influence of male authority? The absence of engaged males in authority--fathers in particular--leads to brutal, crude, dangerous and narcissistic teenage boys and young men.
Stewart Dakers writes of young adolescent males who intimidate passersby on London sidewalks.
As Dakers explains, they live in a world of female authorities. Their fathers--if they know their fathers--are remote and aloof, never there when the boys need discipline and male authority. The boys face only female authority in the home, at school and in the social service sector. These boys are coddled, entertained and reinforced in self-assertion by a constellation of female influences. Dakers warns that boys raised in a female environment learn quickly to become masters of manipulation.
Boys need the controlling force of male authority--the male voice they cannot ignore. This is a need society cannot ignore.
Heavy-Handed is well aware of the anger many Americans are feeling in regards to our porous borders and the idiotic bills before the Congress offering illegal aliens/immigrants/border crossers, et al, with amnesty/citizenship/Z visas/ and a plethora of perks that many U.S. citizens don't even qualify for.
Adding to this feeling of uneasiness and outright distress is the knowledge that we have not enforced previous laws, so we have no reason to believe the new laws, good or bad, would be enforced.
And let's not forget that just last year, after citizens became outraged in similar fashion about the then-proposed legislation regarding illegals, we got what we demanded - namely a 854 mile wall, increased border patrol guards, an increase in tools to do the job - like unmanned drones and other high tech equipment.
Unfortunately, although it was passed and signed into law, not a lot of improvements have been made. The fence in particular has been ignored.
So Heavy-Handed, feeling like he needed to contribute something, to do some digging and get some answers, contacted the Department of Homeland Security. And while I did not get to talk to United States Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff directly, I did learn that he felt people like me not only do not want amnesty for the illegals (although it's not really amnesty they say), but would rather see the illegals executed.
I was surprised to hear this. I did not know I felt this way. Thanks for the free psychoanalysis, Mike.
But all was not lost. It was not a complete waste of my time. I learned that money had been allocated and spent on 'stuff' to comply with the bill Bush had signed into law.
We should start to see results soon with the recently spent funds that brought us these improved tools to secure the border:
(1.) 854 miles of supreme quality fencing material:
(2.) One gross of unmanned planes to help patrol the border:
(3.) High tech communications network system to coordinate the timely and effective transfer of information between border guards, their supervisors, and Dept. of Homeland Security:
(4.) New hats for our border patrol that will help promote multiculturalism, goodwill, and lessens the intimidation factor (also provides uncompromising sun protection):
(5.) Fashionable new uniforms for our border patrol, sure to inspire pride and foster a desire to do the job right:
(6.) An assortment, you might even say a wide array, of signs that can be posted at the appropriate locations to facilitate proper communication:
(English translation: Don't disregard the signs)
Yes. I do believe we should start to see measurable results soon. How could we not?
NEW QUARTER
HA, HA, Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha !!!!!!!!!
Animal Group Blames Cat Influx on Global Warming
"A coalition of animal shelters says there has been a "dramatic" increase in the number of cats brought in – and it blames the trend on global warming. According to the president of Pets Across America, 'many believe global warming is extending cat breeding seasons and causing the cat population to swell.' "
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ..... Read on ......... ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Gingrich Handicaps GOP Presidential Race
"Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Friday threw some weight behind 2008 Republican presidential frontrunner Rudy Giuliani even though Gingrich may himself decide to enter the race in September.
Citing his 'extraordinary accomplishments' as New York City mayor, Gingrich praised Giuliani for bringing a new approach to an inefficient government. Gingrich said this needs to happen on a much larger scale across the nation.
The speech at the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI) was another in a series introducing the Republican politician's efforts to spark vast government reform, dubbed 'American Solutions for Winning the Future.' "
Prisons Banning Books From Radical Inmates
Hillary: 'No Child Left Behind' Cramps Creativity
Fla. Evangelist Backs Attack on Romney
Lieberman Endorses Military Strikes on Iran
Hillary Taps Impeached Judge as National Co-Chair
Poll: Fred Thompson Even with McCain
Hillary Clinton: I Play Pickup Basketball
"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton loves to tell whoppers.
Her latest: she has played 'pickup basketball.'
It's the latest in tall-tale fibs she has been spinning to make herself more likeable to voters.
The New York Times revealed Hillary's problem in a feature article this weekend headlined 'Hillary Clinton Searches for Her Inner Jock.' "
Continue story.
Three Kinds of People
By Mike S. Adams
"When I was growing up my father used to say there were two kinds of people in this world. When I would ask him "What time is it?" he would say "There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who ask what time it is and those who wear watches." He had so many variations on the theme that I eventually decided there really were two kinds of people in this world: Those who dichotomize and those who do not.
But, later, with the help of Lt. Col. David Grossman, I decided there are three kinds of people in this world: Sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs.
The sheep form the largest segment of our society. According to Grossman, these are the people who are living in a constant state of denial. They are generally incapable of doing violence to another person and largely unaware of the existence of evil in this world – the true evil which is, thankfully, confined to a minority of the population."
Why the immigration bill failed
"It's still an open question whether the Senate immigration bill once hailed as a "grand bargain" returns to the Senate floor this week or fades forever from public and political consciousness. But before they try to resurrect this or any other immigration bill, President Bush and the senators who supported this failed effort would be well-advised to heed the opinion of the people who have elected them.
A New York Times/CBS poll taken May 18-23 found that 69% of Americans believe that illegal immigrants should be prosecuted and deported; 82% of those surveyed said the federal government should be working harder to ""keep illegal immigrants from crossing into this country." And according to a Rasmussen poll, by a two-to-one margin (60% to 28%), Americans set a higher priority on gaining control of the nation's borders than regularizing the status of illegal immigrants, while 75% opined that it's very important for the United States to "improve border enforcement and end illegal immigration."
At its heart, the bill was profoundly out of step with public opinion. In fact, it's remarkable that any legislation with so many elements so at odds with prevailing opinion among Americans was ever given much of a chance at passing. Perhaps ....."
By "Higher Education," They Mean the Price
By Burt Prelutsky
"Like all of my conservative colleagues, I have often taken up a cudgel or even an axe in the ongoing battle with liberals, leftists, Socialists, progressives, Maoists, Castroites, Communists, and all the other whack-jobs on the wrong side of history.
Some of the issues that we on the right usually agree about involve affirmative action, taxes, capital punishment, bilingual education, welfare, illegal aliens, the military, the Constitution, and the belief that logic and commonsense should always trump emotion when it comes to making national policy.
There is one issue, however, of some importance about which nobody else seems even slightly concerned. And, no, I am not referring to my book sales, but, rather, to the cost of what is amusingly referred to as higher education. Higher than what, you well might ask, considering that a good number of college graduates can not do simple math or write a coherent sentence, and would be better served if they repeated the eighth grade. Still, countless American families are mortgaging their homes and future solvency so that their kids can attend college." More.
Red Nation, Blue Nation
"Listening to the recent debates among the candidates, monitoring their Websites and reading the poll numbers, one gets the impression that the Republican and Democratic primary electorates are living in two different nations -- or the same nation that faces two very different threats.
The Republicans want to protect us against Islamist terrorists. The Democrats want to protect us against climate change. Each side believes the other's fears are largely imaginary." More.
War, lies and Hillary Clinton
By Star Parker
"I assume that Senator Clinton's campaign hopes that most folks will not read 'Her Way,' by New York Times reporters Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta, Jr., or the New York Times Magazine article adapted from the book, 'Hillary's War.'
Anyone that does will appreciate the transparently false picture that the Senator is transmitting about why she voted in 2002 to authorize going to war in Iraq.
The Senator's vote has become a ....."
"Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society.
It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained,
or until liberty be lost in the pursuit."
-- James Madison
A Great Gulf
"The debate among the GOP candidates hosted by CNN in New Hampshire demonstrated a number of very significant points.
First, the immigration compromise bill before the Senate of the United States is not supported by any of the would-be nominees except John McCain.
Second, all of the Republican candidates except Congressman Ron Paul believe that the threat from Islamic jihadism is real and very serious.
Third, the GOP majority believes in victory in Iraq, not in a cut-and-run strategy.
And, finally, that the GOP is still the party of life.
There is incredible separation between the Democratic and Republican parties on a series of crucial issues. The vote in 2008 will be at least as significant as any that has gone before it. The long campaign is quickly becoming the campaign for America's future. This is exactly the sort of campaign that we need, and exactly the sort of campaign that is required."
Bush immigration failure hurts Mexico's Calderon
"MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Washington's failure to change its immigration laws is a blow to pro-U.S. Mexican President Felipe Calderon as he faces his toughest challenges since taking office in December.
After a strong start to his presidency, Calderon is struggling to defeat violent gangs that smuggle drugs across the U.S. border and his government is embroiled in tough talks with Congress to hammer out a tax reform.
Winning a relaxation of U.S. immigration laws has been the main ......."
ABC News: Thompson on '08: 'I'm Going to Do This'
"As he prepares to join the hunt for a red November, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is walking into the line of fire.
Without raising a single campaign dollar or giving a single stump speech, Thompson threatens to knock one or more of the 2008 candidates out of the top tier -- and his 6-foot 6-inch frame will crowd out long-shot candidates who hope to emerge as the choice of social conservatives."
Iranians confirm fourth US arrest
"Iran has officially confirmed that it is detaining a fourth Iranian American on suspicion of spying.
Ali Shakeri, an American Iranian peace activist and academic disappeared while on a visit to Iran last month but officials initially denied his arrest.
These arrests of dual nationals have sent shock waves through the huge Iranian diaspora.
They have also prompted many academics to think twice about attending conferences in Iran."
More at BBC NEWS
Sentencing of Scooter Libby
"The sentencing of Scooter Libby was the last in a series of acts that has resulted in a shocking injustice – one created by and enabled by federal officials. As I've been saying for many months, this is a "he said-she said" case about political infighting that would have never been brought in any other prosecutor's office in America.
The CIA started the ball rolling by sending the Democratic partisan husband of one of its employees to Niger on a sensitive mission. Knowing an opportunity when he saw one, he returned and blasted the Bush Administration (the fact that he blatantly falsified a few important things along the way is another story). It should not have been a shock to CIA officials when people then asked, "Who is this guy and why was he sent to Niger?" The only mystery in Washington is why the CIA employee-wife's name, Valerie Plame, took as long as it did to leak.
Nevertheless ...."
The Incredible Judicial Disparity: Berger v. Libby
If you needed any more proof that the American judicial system is completely – and alarmingly – subjective, look no further than the disparity between the sentences imposed on Sandy Berger and I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby. In Washington's version of The Peoples' Court, it would seem that the deciding factors in how severe a sentence one gets depends on political party affiliation -- the severity of the crime be damned…
UK Airport Security for US-Bound Flights Found Severely Deficient
London - A U.S. lawmaker is calling for a suspension of transatlantic flights from the main airport in Britain's second-largest city after an investigation uncovered what appeared to be major lapses in security. An undercover investigation found security staff at the Birmingham International Airport apparently sleeping on the job, not bothering to examine luggage as it was x-rayed, and leaving planes unguarded...
NAACP Money Woes Prompt Downsizing
While the NAACP says financial problems are forcing layoffs and office closures, one black conservative told Cybercast News Service that the NAACP is "a dinosaur" that needs to "come to grips with the fact that America has changed" since the civil rights movement began in the 1960s…
Taking a Step Backward on Earmarks
"After repeatedly promising the "most honest" and "most open" Congress in history, Democratic leaders have moved to make the earmark process entirely secret.
It started in January when the House quickly adopted rules that have prevented lawmakers from challenging an earmark as long as the bill to which it's attached contains a list of earmarks – even if the list is inaccurate and doesn't list the earmark at issue. The rules were supposed to ensure all earmarks receive appropriate scrutiny and opportunity for debate but have instead made it nearly impossible to challenge wasteful spending. In fact, in February the majority used this loophole to certify a massive spending bill as "earmark free," despite the fact that it contained hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks."
William Jefferson Scandal Taints Entire Democratic Party
By Matt Margolis & Mark Noonan
There is perhaps no better example of the fraudulent nature of the Democrats ethical posturing than that of Rep. William Jefferson, who after more than two years of being the target of a federal investigation was finally indicted on Monday. The 16-count indictment includes charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes, money laundering, obstruction of justice, corruption, and conspiracy. The scandal should have major repercussions for the entire Democratic Party, which largely ignored scandal during the 2006 campaign, then afterwards rewarded and protected Jefferson up to the day he was indicted.
American Support For Amnesty Fades
By Michael Franc
"The role the Senate plays in our legislative process was best described by George Washington. "We pour legislation into the senatorial saucer," he told a skeptical Thomas Jefferson, "to cool it."
Indeed, after two weeks of debate on the comprehensive immigration reform bill, a growing number of Americans have cooled on this legislative endeavor. Pollster Scott Rasmussen reports that support for the "grand bargain" has slipped three points (to 23%) while opposition has ticked up to 50%. Other polls have found that the more Americans know about it, the less likely they are to support it."
The 2008 juggernaut: Reagan Democrats
By Salena Zito
"They were the defectors of the late 20th century who twice swept Ronald Reagan into office in landside proportions: ethnic working-class Northerners, typically Catholic with traditional values and populist tendencies.
Nearly 30 years after they first split from their party, Reagan Democrats are once again at the epicenter of an election cycle."
Immigration Bill Isn't Dead Yet
By Robert Bluey
Conservatives cheered last week when Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pulled the immigration proposal from the Senate floor. But don't be taking any victory laps just yet. The bill is far from dead.
Base to GOP: Hasta la Vista, Baby!
Success in politics depends on the ability of a candidate or a party to forge and maintain coalitions. One of the most successful coalitions in modern political history has been the "Reagan Coalition", which brought together economic and social conservatives under the umbrella of the Republican Party. Preserving that coalition brought the Republicans great success, including occupancy of the White House and twelve years of control over the House of Representatives. The coalition that Reagan fashioned is fraying, however, and is on the verge of unraveling. The causes are many, but the coup de grace is likely to be the current controversy over immigration.
JUST THE FACTS, JACK
In 1970, six percent of all births in the United States were born to illegal aliens.
Presently, 20 to 25 percent of children born in the United States are born to illegal aliens.
In 1994, 36 percent of the births paid for by Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid, were to illegals.
The Latino voting block represents 12 percent of the electorate. (This is who both parties are pandering to in their immigration discussions in an attempt to secure their vote.)
Currently, there are deportation orders for more than 600,000 illegal aliens (but virtually no funding or effort to enforce these orders.)
There are substantial penalties for hiring illegal immigrants, there is no funding or effort to enforce these laws, either.
"Laws are made for men of ordinary understanding and should, therefore, be construed by the ordinary rules of common sense." -- Thomas Jefferson


I'm not going to mince words with you. We never thought we'd see Ringo Deathstarr again. They have been on a roll since before we were lucky enough to have them at Phog. I'm equally shocked and thrilled that they're coming back to Phog on Friday, October 12th.
Looking them up on Youtube, I've found many places where they're playing to THOUSANDS of people. And this is old hat for them! They do it with regularity. And they are easily up there with Fiftywatthead and Lodown for loudest bands ever to play Phog.
We had such a great time before the show…and laughing our butts off after the show while leafing through the Phog quote books…that we cannot wait to hear them again.
Also returning to Phog for this show is Kestrels, from Halifax, and on the same label as Ringo Deathstarr (Sonic Unyon).
Last but certainly not least, coming fresh off of their Phog Phest 4 set that had MANY newcomers talking about them, Windsor's Club Thunderbolt are going to also mangle the moorings of Phog when they unleash their incredible brand of music on the crowd. I love this band…and the Phog Phest set made me an even bigger fan of this SMART, SMART group.
"Club Thunderbolt is a new band born out of a gritty history of musicians who have lived in vans and played in dingy night clubs and concert halls from Williamsburg to Austin and back to "south" Detroit with such acts as Full White Drag, Mezzanine C-14 (NYC), Godhead, The Western Movement and Spine.
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