Odds and Ends

TWO NEW HOMELAND TERROR THREATS
The Department of Homeland Security has issued a report to Congress on threats to the Homeland, Here are two threats that they listed:

• Dependence on fossil fuels and the threat of global climate change that can open the United States to disruptions and manipulations in energy supplies and to changes in our natural environment on an unprecedented scale.


• Climate change is expected to increase the severity and frequency of weather-related hazards, which could, in turn, result in social and political destabilization, international conflict, or mass migrations.

Really? These are terrorist threats? Sounds like an agenda. So Secretary Napolitano, what would you have us do? Coal supplies 50% 0f our electricity needs. We have plenty of oil, but laws prevent us from drilling. What would you have us do, Janet? Oh, and Hurricanes -- the lowest incidence in recent years in 2009. Anyway, isn't this in some one else's portfolio of problems to deal with, not yours? Or should I start duct taping my windows now?



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A STARTLING USE OF VOCABULARY:

The word "UNEXPECTED" is showing up a lot these days -- as in "unexpected temperatures," "unexpected Jobs Report," "unexpected economic downturn." Well, if these experts are being fooled all the time by "unexpected" results, then shouldn't we get some new experts? Or, maybe we should find several words to substitute for "unexpected" like "surprising, amazing, shocking, or startling."

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POLITICS IN ILLINOIS:
The state of Illinois is known for its rough politics, gangland political associations, and scandals. The current Governor, Pat Quinn, who took over from ousted Governor Rob Bogoyevitch, declared yesterday that he had claimed the Democratic nomination to stand for Governor in the November Election. He also learned yesterday that his Democrat running mate for Lt. Governor, has just been outed as having been accused of domestic abuse by his ex-girlfriend, a prostitute, and that he is also facing charges of tax-evasion. Just another political day in Illinois!

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CAN GOVERNMENT LEGISLATE JOBS?
From 1920 - 1933, the United States was under Prohibition; selling or consuming alcohol was illegal. This led to Speakeasies, Bootlegging, Organized Crime, and the start of the family fortunes based on rum-running. What did we learn from that? A Government cannot legislate behaviour.

But -- today, can Government Legislate Jobs, creating Jobs by stimulating the economy with a "Jobs Bill?" Jobs have been created this past year, but in a surprising/not-so-surprising way. The largest growth segment of the economy has been (drum roll, please) ... Government jobs, and primarily Government Union Jobs. Private Sector Union membership has actually declined in the last year, while the Union jobs working for the government has increased.

So to answer my own question -- can the Government Legislate Jobs? Only if the Government bureaucracies get bigger, because that's what happened this year.

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GLOBAL WARMING NEWS:
India has disassociated itself from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, saying that they cannot rely upon the accuracy of UN IPCC reports. This comes after it was revealed that the IPCC Report citing melting glaciers in the Himalayan mountains was flawed and not peer reviewed.

Elsewhere, the Netherlands has criticized another part of the IPCC Report which stated that Netherlands was 55% under water. Actually, only 26% of the country is under water. The authors of the report reported that the Netherlands would be 55% under water if their rivers overflowed.

[Yeah, and I would be at a perfect weight if my height was 6'8"]

There are Lies ... Damned Lies ... and Statistics!

~~ Mark Twain

Have a nice weekend and go Colts!