American Stonehenge: Monumental Instructions for the Post-Apocalypse: "Called the Georgia Guidestones, the monument is a mystery—nobody knows exactly who commissioned it or why. The only clues to its origin are on a nearby plaque on the ground—which gives the dimensions and explains a series of intricate notches and holes that correspond to the movements of the sun and stars—and the 'guides' themselves, directives carved into the rocks. These instructions appear in eight languages ranging from English to Swahili and reflect a peculiar New Age ideology. Some are vaguely eugenic (guide reproduction wisely—improving fitness and diversity); others prescribe standard-issue hippie mysticism (prize truth—beauty—love—seeking harmony with the infinite)."
----------------
Judging by the words of wisdom, I think it should be called Stoned-henge.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Stimulus funds to repair Texas Governor's Mansion - Yahoo! News
Stimulus funds to repair Texas Governor's Mansion - Yahoo! News: "AUSTIN, Texas – While Gov. Rick Perry is criticizing Washington bailouts, state lawmakers are planning to use $11 million in federal stimulus money to help rebuild the badly burned Texas Governor's Mansion."
----------
Question for state's rights Governor Perry: How is contributing to rebuilding the governor's mansion a federal responsibility?
----------
Question for state's rights Governor Perry: How is contributing to rebuilding the governor's mansion a federal responsibility?
California budget crisis could bring lasting economic harm - Los Angeles Times
California budget crisis could bring lasting economic harm - Los Angeles Times: "The spectacle that played out in the national media this week of a state unable to get its fiscal act together is reinforcing the notion that the Golden State is a rotten place to do business, experts say."
---------------
Hard to see how California can rehab itself, much less its image, anytime soon.
---------------
Hard to see how California can rehab itself, much less its image, anytime soon.
In Depth: Where U.S. Homeowners Are Most In Debt - Forbes.com
In Depth: Where U.S. Homeowners Are Most In Debt - Forbes.com
Modesto, CA: 81% of all loans from the last five years are upside down.
Modesto, CA: 81% of all loans from the last five years are upside down.
Lovable misunderstood pit bull attacks 2 year old
Son Of Steelers' Harrison Attacked By Family Dog - Sports News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh: "FRANKLIN PARK, Pa. -- Channel 11 News learned that a pit bull owned by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison attacked the player's 2-year-old son, James III.
The attack happened at Harrison's Franklin Park home along Matterhorn Drive on Thursday.
Officials said the attack allegedly happened after the boy's mother let the dog out of its pen. She, and the family's massage therapist, were also injured by the dog as they tried to protect the boy."
-----------------------
A two-year old and a pit bull. What could possibly go wrong?
Harrison is the jerk who refused to go to the White House with his team. It wasn't political. He just "didn't want to go." Why? Because President Obama didn't really want to see the Steelers--he would have invited whoever won the Super Bowl.
The attack happened at Harrison's Franklin Park home along Matterhorn Drive on Thursday.
Officials said the attack allegedly happened after the boy's mother let the dog out of its pen. She, and the family's massage therapist, were also injured by the dog as they tried to protect the boy."
-----------------------
A two-year old and a pit bull. What could possibly go wrong?
Harrison is the jerk who refused to go to the White House with his team. It wasn't political. He just "didn't want to go." Why? Because President Obama didn't really want to see the Steelers--he would have invited whoever won the Super Bowl.
What the fork?
Unusual utensil upsets neighborhood | Latest News | KENS5.com: "STONE OAK – Damien Watel sees nothing wrong with the 18 foot silver fork outside his business off Stone Oak Parkway, but then again he paid more than $20,000 to have it built.
Watel calls the oddly shaped sculpture “art”, while the Stone Oak Homeowners Association calls it an “eyesore” and is demanding he either take it down or cover it up."
--------------
Seems Mr. Watel didn't get the HOAs permission before forking up the neighborhood. But a compromise is in the works: build a knife and spoon to go with the fork. Not really.
Watel calls the oddly shaped sculpture “art”, while the Stone Oak Homeowners Association calls it an “eyesore” and is demanding he either take it down or cover it up."
--------------
Seems Mr. Watel didn't get the HOAs permission before forking up the neighborhood. But a compromise is in the works: build a knife and spoon to go with the fork. Not really.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Washington declines to help California, at least for now - Los Angeles Times
Washington declines to help California, at least for now - Los Angeles Times: "California needs to solve its financial crisis by itself and should not expect an emergency bailout from the White House, an array of Obama administration officials said Thursday, making clear they had no appetite to step in and provide financial assistance or loan guarantees.
'Look, we're going to examine what we can do. What we need to do, however, is to treat states fairly and that means uniformly,' David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, said in an interview. 'Whatever we do for one state, there will be other states who also will want to do that. And there's a limit to what the government can do.'"
-----------------
I agree with Axelrod. If they bail out California, how can they say "no" to Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and a number of other states? What would be the principle underlying a decision to help one state but not the others? And if the national government goes down that road, what about federalism? States are supposed to have, and pay for, their own policy agenda, and a state government elected by the residents of that state. They make their own decisions and they have to pay for them. If the national government is going to underwrite all the states' economic risks, federalism is gone and we are a unitary nation like France or Japan.
What is going on with the auto industry is bad enough. Let's not compound it.
'Look, we're going to examine what we can do. What we need to do, however, is to treat states fairly and that means uniformly,' David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, said in an interview. 'Whatever we do for one state, there will be other states who also will want to do that. And there's a limit to what the government can do.'"
-----------------
I agree with Axelrod. If they bail out California, how can they say "no" to Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and a number of other states? What would be the principle underlying a decision to help one state but not the others? And if the national government goes down that road, what about federalism? States are supposed to have, and pay for, their own policy agenda, and a state government elected by the residents of that state. They make their own decisions and they have to pay for them. If the national government is going to underwrite all the states' economic risks, federalism is gone and we are a unitary nation like France or Japan.
What is going on with the auto industry is bad enough. Let's not compound it.
Obama cuts out press, produces own "news" coverage of...himself!
Do You Want Your OTV? - Political Punch
So now Obama is producing his own "news." I tell Obama lovers about how aggressively he and Axelrod control his press coverage and they all swear it can't be true. The press conferences are stage-managed, with reporters being told in advance who will be called on. The pressers are so scripted that Obama has been using a teleprompter. The cover of Newsweek has essentially been dedicated to Obama, Inc., MSNBC's legs are quivering, and you have to go to YouTube to find any of Obama or Biden's gaffes.
Reagan's people were very good at managing his press coverage for at least his first term, but the Obama team has them beaten easily. Axelrod and the others are very, very good at their jobs. There is a lot of spin, schmoozing, manipulation, and intimidation going on behind the scenes. And now they have decided to cut out the middle men--the actual news organizations--and produce their own "coverage."
So now Obama is producing his own "news." I tell Obama lovers about how aggressively he and Axelrod control his press coverage and they all swear it can't be true. The press conferences are stage-managed, with reporters being told in advance who will be called on. The pressers are so scripted that Obama has been using a teleprompter. The cover of Newsweek has essentially been dedicated to Obama, Inc., MSNBC's legs are quivering, and you have to go to YouTube to find any of Obama or Biden's gaffes.
Reagan's people were very good at managing his press coverage for at least his first term, but the Obama team has them beaten easily. Axelrod and the others are very, very good at their jobs. There is a lot of spin, schmoozing, manipulation, and intimidation going on behind the scenes. And now they have decided to cut out the middle men--the actual news organizations--and produce their own "coverage."
Green Building Red-Lighted by Homeowners’ Associations
Green Building Red-Lighted by Homeowners’ Associations: "With environmentalism en vogue, many homeowners are finding economic solutions within the green building movement. However, restrictive covenants established by homeowners’ associations (HOA) have made it extremely difficult for many Americans to make their homes more energy efficient."
---------
Thanks to Mark Pike, recent grad of William and Mary School of Law, for this post and his law review note.
---------
Thanks to Mark Pike, recent grad of William and Mary School of Law, for this post and his law review note.
Trickle-down austerity
California Cities Irked by Borrowing Plan - WSJ.com: "California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his efforts to find funds to balance the state budget, has proposed borrowing $2 billion from municipal governments over the next fiscal year, a tactic that is rankling local officials up and down the state.
Mr. Schwarzenegger is invoking a 2004 law that lets the state demand loans of 8% of property-tax revenue from cities, counties and special districts. Under the law, the state must repay the municipalities with interest within three years."
---------
And then what? The cities cut services and ask more from the few remaining real estate developers?
Mr. Schwarzenegger is invoking a 2004 law that lets the state demand loans of 8% of property-tax revenue from cities, counties and special districts. Under the law, the state must repay the municipalities with interest within three years."
---------
And then what? The cities cut services and ask more from the few remaining real estate developers?
Will the Urban Renaissance Outlast the Bubble? - Megan McArdle
Will the Urban Renaissance Outlast the Bubble? - Megan McArdle: "There's a lot of angst out there over whether products like Starbucks that seem somehow emblematic of an era of wasteful spending will outlast the current downturn. The other day it occurred to me to wonder if the same isn't true of US cities."
-----------
Good question. Chicago's urban renaissance relied on TIFs, CIDs, federal HOPE VI money, the real estate bubble mentality, and a few other features of the 1990-2008 bygone era.
-----------
Good question. Chicago's urban renaissance relied on TIFs, CIDs, federal HOPE VI money, the real estate bubble mentality, and a few other features of the 1990-2008 bygone era.
Recession Turns Malls Into Ghost Towns - WSJ.com
Recession Turns Malls Into Ghost Towns - WSJ.com: "Some analysts estimate that the number of so-called 'dead malls' -- centers debilitated by anemic sales and high vacancy rates -- will swell to more than 100 by the end of this year."
-----------
Macy's, J.C. Penney, Sears...all suffering, according to the article. If the anchor tenants are in trouble, so is the landlord.
-----------
Macy's, J.C. Penney, Sears...all suffering, according to the article. If the anchor tenants are in trouble, so is the landlord.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Pa. middle school expels teen with eyebrow shaver
Pa. middle school expels teen with eyebrow shaver: "PENN HILLS, Pa. (AP) - A Pittsburgh-area teenager has been suspended from middle school when a random search turned up an eyebrow shaver in her handbag. Officials at Linton Middle School in Penn Hills recommended at a Wednesday disciplinary hearing that 15-year-old be expelled for the rest of this year and 45 days next year."
----------
Six more years and all three of my kids will have graduated from high school and will be forever out of the clutches of the idiots who run them.
----------
Six more years and all three of my kids will have graduated from high school and will be forever out of the clutches of the idiots who run them.
Nick Gillespie to fellow Libertarians: "You fools!"
Hit & Run > Obama on Taxes and Traffic: Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated? Or, can we start talking about Obama's vision deficit? - Reason Magazine: "Question to the folks, including some of the libertarian persuasion (you fools!), who were bullish on Obama back when the alternative was John McCain, the Terri Schiavo of presidential candidates: When are you going to admit that Barry O stinks on ice?"
--------------
I always find libertarians interesting folks to talk politics with because they have a core set of values and they try to stick to them, but they end up taking some strange positions. For example, the idea of a libertarian voting for Obama seems absurd because anybody could see he was a big-government liberal if not a crypto-socialist. Apparently, some libertarians voted for him, presumably because McCain was so bad and Obama is liberal on social issues. But now Nick Gillespie takes Obama voters to task--all from a libertarian perspective.
The worst example of libertarianism leading people to strange beliefs is their support for HOAs, where they actually end up defending tyranny in the name of freedom.
--------------
I always find libertarians interesting folks to talk politics with because they have a core set of values and they try to stick to them, but they end up taking some strange positions. For example, the idea of a libertarian voting for Obama seems absurd because anybody could see he was a big-government liberal if not a crypto-socialist. Apparently, some libertarians voted for him, presumably because McCain was so bad and Obama is liberal on social issues. But now Nick Gillespie takes Obama voters to task--all from a libertarian perspective.
The worst example of libertarianism leading people to strange beliefs is their support for HOAs, where they actually end up defending tyranny in the name of freedom.
Trinidad: Gated communities not so safe?
Trinidad News, Trinidad Newspaper, Trinidad Sports, Trinidad politics, Trinidad and Tobago, Tobago News, Trinidad classifieds, Trinidad TV, Sports, Business: "THE PERCEPTION that gated communities are safer than living out in the open was shattered on Tuesday afternoon by three young gunmen, who walked to the front gate of a house, called out to their target and then shot her several times, killing her on the spot."
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Legislature Debates HOA Bill - Las Vegas Now |
Legislature Debates HOA Bill - Las Vegas Now |: "The FBI continues its investigation into HOA political corruption, trying to tie posh developers to boards scattered throughout the valley. SB 182 would make influence peddling and kickbacks a crime.
The bill has faced little opposition to this point and the end of session deadline is looming. The bill's supporters and those in the HOA community say now is the time to strike.
'They have all the powers of a government, okay. And there is no one watching all this money,' said State Senator Mike Schneider."
------------
The bill has to be voted out of committee by next Wednesday or it will die there. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
The bill has faced little opposition to this point and the end of session deadline is looming. The bill's supporters and those in the HOA community say now is the time to strike.
'They have all the powers of a government, okay. And there is no one watching all this money,' said State Senator Mike Schneider."
------------
The bill has to be voted out of committee by next Wednesday or it will die there. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
Budget crisis could push O.C., other localities into bankruptcy - Total Buzz - OCRegister.com
Budget crisis could push O.C., other localities into bankruptcy - Total Buzz - OCRegister.com: "Could Orange County go bankrupt again?
That’s the talk at the county Hall of Administration a day after voters resoundingly rejected a series of ballot proposals. As officials grapple with filling a $100 million hole in their general fund budget for the fiscal year 2009-2010, they are deeply worried that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s threat to borrow property taxes from local governments could tip them over the edge.
County CEO Tom Mauk said that if the governor goes through with his pledge, that could mean an additional $43 million taken away from the county government. And that produces a $143 million hole in the general fund, which is tough to fill without cutting local government’s main cost: public safety."
----------
Fred Pilot sent this, noting that it could lead to even more government privatization and/or reducing services to minimal levels--even policing?
That’s the talk at the county Hall of Administration a day after voters resoundingly rejected a series of ballot proposals. As officials grapple with filling a $100 million hole in their general fund budget for the fiscal year 2009-2010, they are deeply worried that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s threat to borrow property taxes from local governments could tip them over the edge.
County CEO Tom Mauk said that if the governor goes through with his pledge, that could mean an additional $43 million taken away from the county government. And that produces a $143 million hole in the general fund, which is tough to fill without cutting local government’s main cost: public safety."
----------
Fred Pilot sent this, noting that it could lead to even more government privatization and/or reducing services to minimal levels--even policing?
"California is hosed!" - Megan McArdle
Is California Too Big to Fail? - Megan McArdle: "You can blame Republicans who won't pass a budget, or Democrats who spend every single cent of tax money that comes in during the booms, borrow some more, and then act all surprised when revenues, in a totally unprecedented, inexplicable, and unforeseable chain of events, fall during a recession. You can blame the initiative process, and the uneducated voters who try to vote themselves rich by picking their own pockets. Whoever is to blame, the state was bound to go broke one day, and hey, today's that day!"
---------------
And that is the way it looks. So what is to be done? Federal bailout? Bankruptcy and receivership?
---------------
And that is the way it looks. So what is to be done? Federal bailout? Bankruptcy and receivership?
California voters kill budget measures - Los Angeles Times
California voters kill budget measures - Los Angeles Times: "Schwarzenegger has called for cuts that would hit every corner of the state. He announced plans to lay off 5,000 of the state's 235,000 workers and has proposed slashing education by up to $5 billion, selling state properties, borrowing $2 billion from local governments and potentially reducing eligibility for healthcare programs.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa predicted that the city's budget could take a hit -- but he vowed a fight: 'I'm going to do everything I can to protect the city coffers.'"
------------
I guess the voters of California aren't quite as fond of paying taxes as they are of government services. There is a close relationship between the two, but you'd never know it if you look at election returns.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa predicted that the city's budget could take a hit -- but he vowed a fight: 'I'm going to do everything I can to protect the city coffers.'"
------------
I guess the voters of California aren't quite as fond of paying taxes as they are of government services. There is a close relationship between the two, but you'd never know it if you look at election returns.
A gated community with excitment
Detectives shot 25 times at Harvell | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register: "Three West Des Moines police detectives fired 25 shots at a serial rapist last week after he pointed a blank-firing gun and threatened to kill them, according to a search warrant unsealed this morning.
Adam Harvell, 36, was shot and killed after the detectives took a different search warrant to his townhouse in the Village at Glen Oaks, a gated community southeast of Jordan Creek Town Center."
Adam Harvell, 36, was shot and killed after the detectives took a different search warrant to his townhouse in the Village at Glen Oaks, a gated community southeast of Jordan Creek Town Center."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)