Bloomberg.com: Is Obama overdoing the Obama=Lincoln thing?: "“Everyone wants to be Lincoln,” says Harold Holzer, who has written or edited more than 20 books on Lincoln and the Civil War. “Is Obama overdoing it? Maybe.”"
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None of these academics dares to be perceived as criticizing The One. Let me wade right in. Is Obama overdoing it? Hell, yes.

The choo-choo train whistle-stop tour is the point where he jumped the shark. If he starts wearing a stovepipe hat I'm moving to Canada.

The Growing Foreclosure Crisis - washingtonpost.com: "The foreclosure crisis has become a wave, afflicting neighborhoods of every stripe -- but particularly communities created by the boom itself."
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This is a long and very detailed article that should chill the blood of anybody living in one of the new CIDs around the nation. It isn't a subprime crisis anymore. The new housing stock, full of CIDs, is next in line.

This housing market collapse is like one of those 1950s horror movies where as soon as you forget about him, the giant gila monster just sort of pops out of the mesquite and knocks a gas truck off the road. Then he crawls off, and you go back to watching the kids at the sock hop in the old barn. But guess where the giant gila monster just happens to be crawling?

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan (January 16, 2009) - The Centrist

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan (January 16, 2009) - The Centrist: "If Obama manages to leverage this crisis toward entitlement reform, he would become an historic president. It really would be Buchanan-Lincoln. I've spent too long in DC to believe it, but I can still hope can't I? And the key thing this time around is whether we can build a grass-roots movement to support Obama in this, just as we did in the campaign. Raise the retirement age, means-test social security, raise Medicare premiums for the affluent. After what has amounted to a generational war on the under-40s under Bush, re-balancing is actually a moral cause."
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The direction that the Obama Administration takes on the future of federal entitlement programs is as important as anything else on their plate.

Farkitrol® - It can help™ with Dangerous Playgrounditis.

Farkitrol® - It can help™ with Dangerous Playgrounditis.: "Every single year, the Mainstream Media reports on exactly how unsafe it is for a kid to go out and play on the grounds that have been designated 'playgrounds'. Farkitrol® works by helping the patient realize that they were once kids themselves, and that falling down and scraping an elbow or slamming their shins against the ladder for the monkeybars didn't kill them. It just made them learn how not do that the next time."
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This new drug would be good for those HOAs that are closing their playgrounds out of fear of litigation. But be sure to scroll down and read the possible side effects.

Canal ice helps Dutch rediscover national identity - International Herald Tribune

Canal ice helps Dutch rediscover national identity - International Herald Tribune: "NIEUWERKERK AAN DEN IJSSEL, Netherlands: For the first time in 12 years, the Netherlands' canals froze this month, bringing the Dutch, who like their tulips in neat rows, a heady mix of pandemonium and euphoria.

Hundreds of thousands of skaters, their cheeks as red as apples in the freezing temperatures, took to the ice, and hospital wards were filled with dozens of people with fractured arms, sprained ankles and broken legs."
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Take a look at the photo of people skating on the canal with windmills in the background. Does that look like fun, or what? For our part here in the Chicago area, yesterday it was -18 F. The wind chill factor took it down to -36. A bit cold for skating on our frozen lake.

I guess Al Gore should basically lay low for the rest of the winter. He won't find a receptive audience in the general public at the moment.

CaliforniaCityNews.org: New Nationwide Study Reveals Low Civic Participation in California

CaliforniaCityNews.org: New Nationwide Study Reveals Low Civic Participation in California
Low indeed. The state is 45th in volunteering, 44th in "attending civic meetings," and 45th in "working on community problems."

I thought the great CID revolution in California was going to produce this huge outburst of communitarianism and local involvement.

Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link.

My Way News - Calif. tax refunds to be delayed starting Feb. 1

My Way News - Calif. tax refunds to be delayed starting Feb. 1: "SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's controller says he will begin a 30-day delay on tax refunds and other payments starting Feb. 1 because the state is running out of money.

Controller John Chiang said Friday he must delay $3.7 billion in payments next month because lawmakers have failed to address California's growing deficit."
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I wonder at what point the dysfunctional legislature will get the picture. Maybe never? And then the issue is whether the electorate will weigh in and replace the current crowd with people of a more fiscally conservative inclination. But that might mean voting for (gasp!) Republicans.

Professional advice on dealing with home invasion robberies: In view of the fact that fire codes prohibit dead bolts on back doors, smart home invaders just kick them down, and they tend to be in groups. Solution?

"The only real way to counter this is to carry your gun with you everywhere you go inside of your home."
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Gee, that's helpful. I will just walk around the house strapped like Wild Bill Hickock. I'll get myself a waterproof rubber gun for the shower, too.

In Bush's Farewell, a Self-Portrait of Decisiveness With Few Apologies - US News and World Report

In Bush's Farewell, a Self-Portrait of Decisiveness With Few Apologies - US News and World Report: "He dealt only minimally with his mistakes and failures. 'Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks,' he said. 'There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.'...Bush has said repeatedly that history will vindicate him and that he will eventually be seen as a wiser, more prescient leader than he is given credit for today. But his standing with the public remains very low. The latest Gallup Poll finds that 61 percent of Americans disapprove of his job performance, while 34 percent approve, mostly fellow Republicans. This is almost as grim as Richard Nixon's ratings after he resigned in disgrace in August 1974, when Nixon had 66 percent disapproval and 24 percent approval, Gallup said."
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I have never been a Bush hater. I think he made some enormous mistakes, but for the most part he was trying to do what he believed were the right things. The problem is that he has a limited frame of reference and quickly seizes on certain courses of action that he can't change. He is not an introspective or particularly curious man, and has lived a live of almost infinite privilege that has left him with an enormous sense of entitlement.

Clearly he is a stubborn man, and I don't think that is necessarily a bad quality in a leader as long as there is a point where a reality check kicks in. For example, Lincoln's determination to keep the Union together and win the Civil War showed stubbornness, but he changed his approach at various points when things weren't working, and eventually won the war and kept the Union.

But with Bush, sometimes I get the sense that he really doesn't want to hear contrary opinions or facts that undermine his fixed ideas. That makes it easy for people to manipulate him. Just tell him there is a crisis and he has to act and make a hard decision right now, and there is only one course of action open. He will do it every time. Then just keep telling him what he wants to hear--things are going well; we will find the WMD; the Iraqis love us and want democracy; the bailout will work; whatever.

He also trusts certain people and won't change his opinion. His trust in Cheney and Rumsfeld, and also the slimy George Tenet, undid his administration. Contrary voices were shut out and Bush's stubbornness took over. The rest is history--which will not vindicate Bush, as he continues to believe.

Foreclosure Filings Up 81% in 2008 - WSJ.com

Foreclosure Filings Up 81% in 2008 - WSJ.com: "WASHINGTON -- More than 2.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure proceedings last year, an 81% increase from 2007, with the worst yet to come as consumers grapple with layoffs, shrinking investment portfolios and falling home prices. Nationwide, more than 860,000 properties were actually repossessed by lenders, more than double the 2007 level, according to RealtyTrac, a foreclosure listing firm based in Irvine, Calif., which compiled the figures. Moody's Economy.com, a research firm, predicts the number of homes lost to foreclosure is likely to rise by another 18% this year before tapering off slightly through 2011. Still, foreclosures -- which keep breaking records going back 30 years, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association -- are likely to remain well above normal levels for years to come, and that will continue to keep home prices from rebounding."
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I listen to talk radio when I am writing, and I hear people on investment shows and various ads (sometimes indistinguishable from each other) saying that now is the time to buy real estate. That seems to be the default position, no matter what the market conditions. I am not an economist, but despite the low prices I think buying real estate now is still a risky proposition. It may be a long time before prices go up again, and holding property for investment purposes costs money.

In court, Countrywide calls its ads ‘puffery’ - Mortgage Mess- msnbc.com

In court, Countrywide calls its ads ‘puffery’ - Mortgage Mess- msnbc.com: "In marketing, advertising and testimony before Congress, Countrywide Home Loans has said repeatedly that it is working hard to modify the mortgages of financially strapped borrowers caught up in the subprime meltdown. But in a New Hampshire court, attorneys for the lending giant are singing a different tune, describing such assurances as “mere commercial puffery.”

Saying the modification offers are “only Countrywide’s vague advertisements,” attorneys for the lender are asking the court to throw out a lawsuit alleging breach of good faith, fraud, negligence and misrepresentation, which was filed on behalf of a family that was refused a loan modification by the California-based company."
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Read this and tell me if it doesn't tick you off just a little bit.

Community Profile: Oak Brook IL Real Estate -- chicagotribune.com

Community Profile: Oak Brook IL Real Estate -- chicagotribune.com: "Although Oak Brook residents live in a collection of disconnected subdivisions, that suits professionals who appreciate the privacy they afford.

'Professionals, including lots of physicians, who work downtown or in other suburbs,' describes buyers of Oak Brook houses, says Bob Briant of Re/Max Elite in Hinsdale. 'They can get on a highway in any direction and get to work quickly.'

Buyers typically request one subdivision, Briant reports. 'They want one of the gated ones, the one with a pool and tennis courts or the one with the biggest lots,' he says. 'Each has different characteristics.'"
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I love the way the American press can talk and talk about a place without ever mentioning that most of these subdivisions have homeowners' associations.

Homeowner’s Association President indicted on charges of sexual abuse of a child | LOCAL NEWS | WHAS11.com | News for Louisville, Kentucky

Homeowner’s Association President indicted on charges of sexual abuse of a child | LOCAL NEWS | WHAS11.com | News for Louisville, Kentucky: "John Sheesley is the President of his neighborhood’s Homeowners Association, an organization that is supposed to notify residents about sex offenders in the community."
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Sounds like he may have failed to mention one offender to the police.
Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.

Ricardo Montalban passes away: "Ricardo Montalban, the Mexican-born actor who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later as the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's 'Fantasy Island,' died Wednesday morning at his home, his family said. He was 88."
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Not only Patrick McGoohan, but Ricardo Montalban as well. Montalban was another terrific actor and by all accounts a true gentleman...except when he was tormenting James T. Kirk, as Khan.

islandpacket.com | Polling places inside gates not an automatic problem

islandpacket.com | Polling places inside gates not an automatic problem, says opponent of bill to prohibit them: "Here in southern Beaufort County, we've been voting inside our gated communities for many years now. We can't recall any problems associated with that. Most people who vote at these locations live in the communities. Election officials don't seem to go out of their way to locate polling places behind private gates if a location outside the gates would work as well...One of the bill's sponsors says that when polling places are in gated communities, there's a chance voters who live outside the gates might not be able to get in to vote."
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That's Hilton Head, SC, which is basically wall to wall (pun intended) gated communities. How would a fellow who lives inside a gated community even be aware that voters were trying to get inside to vote, but being turned away? Flags, ambulances, ice cream trucks, process servers, realtors, and apparently voters have been excluded from these places. And if you look at the story below, all that security doesn't always prevent bad things from happening.

MyFox Washington DC | Double Murder in Upper Marlboro

MyFox Washington DC | Double Murder in Upper Marlboro: "The Oak Creek community is a quiet, gated community with a guard stationed at the entrance gate.

Police will not say if it was a random crime or if the couple was targeted, nor is it clear if anything was taken from the home."
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This is not just quiet. These are McMansions in Prince George's County.

Barack Obama: it is no longer essential to kill Osama bin Laden - Times Online

Barack Obama: it is no longer essential to kill Osama bin Laden - Times Online: "As recently as October 7, in a presidential debate, Mr Obama said: 'We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al-Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority.'

Yesterday, the President-elect adopted far less aggressive language, saying his 'No 1 priority' was to protect America from further attack.

'I think that we have to so weaken [bin Laden's] infrastructure that, whether he is technically alive or not, he is so pinned down that he cannot function,' he said. 'And I'm confident that we can keep them on the run and ensure that they cannot train terrorists to attack our homeland.'"
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"Technically alive"? Isn't it interesting how quickly campaign rhetoric becomes inoperative?

Calif fire officials mull over stay-defend policy - cbs13.com

Calif fire officials mull over stay-defend policy - cbs13.com: "Modeled after a concept in Australia, where homeowners in rural areas fight fires on their own, the program would teach people how to make their homes more fire-safe and how to save their property if firefighters are unable to respond."
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I call this the ultimate in privatization.

City of Madison, Wis. Eyes Draconian Zoning Ordinances to 'Adapt to Climate Change'

City of Madison, Wis. Eyes Draconian Zoning Ordinances to 'Adapt to Climate Change': "Call this a case of liberalism via central planning gone wild. In one of the most politically left-of-center cities east of Berkeley, Calif., ideas put forth at city hall in Madison, Wis. would dramatically limit free enterprise and personal liberty, all in the name of environmental sustainability."
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Among other things, if you cut down one tree on your property, you have to plant two.

Feces-throwing monkey on the loose in Tampa Bay

Feces-throwing monkey on the loose in Tampa Bay: "Wildlife officials said a rhesus monkey known to throw feces when mad is on the loose in Tampa Bay. Authorities have been trying to capture the primate since Tuesday afternoon, but it managed to evade a bucket truck and tranquilizer dart."
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Probably just Al Franken celebrating his election to the US Senate.