Tuesday, May 31, 2011

War Games: Cyber Attacks Now an Act of War

Media_httpmedia1webbr_bcbvz

WASHINGTON—The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force.

Well, now we have another casus belli. I didn't know we need another one.

Hospitals Face Short Supply of Life Saving Drugs

Media_httpwwwfloridad_cijqf

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A growing shortage of medications for a host of illnesses - from cancer to cystic fibrosis to cardiac arrest - has hospitals scrambling for substitutes to avoid patient harm, and sometimes even delaying treatment.

"It's just a matter of time now before we call for a drug that we need to save a patient's life and we find out there isn't any," says Dr. Eric Lavonas of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Goldman Sachs Calls $5 Gas This Summer

Media_http2bpblogspot_ldmbe

Goldman Sachs' crystal ball is proclaiming that oil will soon soar to $135 a barrel, and likely have service stations jacking up fuel prices to $5 a gallon in New York just like the summer of 2008 that preceded the recession.

Jumping the Legal Hurdles to Develop a Driverless Car

Media_httpfortunebrai_bxhyx

 

The driverless car is illegal in all 50 states. Google, which has been at the forefront of this particular technology, is asking the Nevada legislature to relax restrictions on the cars so it can test some of them on roads there.

Faster please!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Video: Marine Band sings Beautiful Girl during NYC Fleet Week

 

Provided by NYCMarinesvideo. NEW YORK -- Marines from the Marine Forces Reserve Band sang "Beautiful Girl" by Sean Kingston, to one special Marine Day Times Square visitor. More than 3,000 Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen in the area participating in community outreach events and equipment demonstrations as part of Fleet Week New York 2011. This is the 27th year New York has hosted the sea services for Fleet Week. (Official Marine Corps video by Sgt. Randall A. Clinton / RELEASED)

North Korean Cracks Down on Liberty Loving Women

Media_httpenglishchos_hcmbo

The Chosun Ilbo: N.Korea Cracks Down on Female Defectors:

The North Korean regime has reportedly ordered border guards to stop all women from traveling on railways and roads to the North Korea-China border. The order, which targets all girls and women between 10 and 60, came recently from the powerful National Defense Commission.

...

There are several reasons why women are leading the exodus. First, since elements of small-scale capitalism were introduced in the early 2000s, women have become more active earning money for their families in the open-air markets and as a result found themselves with more power. But after a botched currency reform in 2008 that aimed to quell small-scale capitalism, these women gave up on the regime that tried to destroy their livelihood. 

"It was women in the markets who strongly resisted the regime after the currency reform," said a defector who used to be a senior official there. "Women no longer have any hope for the regime" despite an ongoing generational change in the leadership.

Video: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) on Jobs

 

Associated Press: GOP Address: Employment:

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., says boosting employment requires cutting taxes, reducing regulations, completing bogged-down trade agreements with several countries and expanding energy exploration in the United States.

Best Quote about Supreme Court Order Requiring Prisoner Release in California

Walter Russell Mead: SCOTUS Makes It Official: California A Failed State: "...when you produce so many criminals that you can’t afford to lock them up, you are a failed state."

Sarah Palin Documentary, The Undefeated, Coming to St. Louis

97.1 FM Talk: Dana Loesch interviews Steve Bannon about "The Undefeated":

Film maker, Steve Bannon talks with Dana about Steve's latest film/documentary about Sarah Palin

During the interview, Steve and Dana talk about a screening here in St. Louis within the "next week or two." I hope to be there.

According to the RCP report, the film, entitled "The Undefeated," is divided into three acts and focuses largely on Palin's successes as Alaska governor - particularly in regard to energy and fiscal matters - while avoiding controversial ideological issues like abortion. The film paints Palin as an inspirational maverick, as well as "the only conservative leader who can both build on the legacy of the Reagan Revolution and bring the ideals of the tea party movement to the Oval Office," as RCP's Scott Conroy writes.

Video: U.S. Soldiers and Afghan Border Police Provide Aid to a Remote Village

Video of the Afghan Border Police now providing for Afghanistan's security. Produced by Petty Officer Cody Hitson. Provided by American Forces Network Afghanistan.

Still time to Register for Faith and Freedom Conference

Media_httpffcoalition_iwddy

The Faith and Freedom Coalition is having their annual conference in DC Friday, June 3rd, thru Saturday, June 4th. I received the following information from their Missouri state coordinator:

National FFC has booked a 47 passenger bus from MidAmerica Coaches. The bus will depart from the St. Louis area (possibly Pillar in the Valley) at noon on Thursday, June 2nd and arrive at in DC around 7am Friday, June 3rd. We will depart from the DC hotel at 6am on Sunday, June 5th and should get into St. Louis around 11:30pm Sunday night.

FFC is covering the cost of the bus and allowing MO attendees to still register at the early bird rates of $99 with the Gala Dinner and $49 for the Conference only.  I will work on a hotel contract when I have a better handle on how many rooms we need.  We should assume the hotel will be approx.  $100 a night for 2 nights.

This will be a great opportunity to hear all the Republican Presidential hopefuls and Congressional Leaders.

Take a look at the list of confirmed speakers below and you quickly realize it's an incredible value for the money. If you would like to attend, please contact Jaci at mofaithfreedom@gmail.com. Time is short, so email her today!

Confirmed Speakers 2011.doc Download this file

 

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Video: MO Gov. Jay Nixon Joplin like a "Battlefield"

Missouri News Horizon: Nixon: Joplin like a 'battlefield':

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Governor Jay Nixon says standing amidst the ruins of the south end of the city of Joplin is like “standing on the hallowed ground of a battlefield.” Nixon returned to Jefferson City Friday for the first time since arriving on the scene of the tornado in Joplin late Sunday evening. Nixon tells a hastily arranged news conference in his office that he has “been awed by the work of the first responders who have come from all over the midwest”. The governor announced that President Obama would attend a memorial service at the Taylor Performing Arts Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus Sunday at 2 pm. The governor also said that 90 people on the official missing persons list had been accounted for, six of them had been confirmed dead, but as of early this morning, another 22 people had been added to that list for a total of 156 people still accounted for.

Photos: Lt. Dan Band fundraiser for CPL Todd Nicely

CPL Todd Nicely and his wife on stage with Gary Sinise

Gary Sinise (aka: Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump) was in St. Louis Friday with the Lt. Dan Band. The band performed at the Family Arena with proceeds of the concert going towards building a home for Cpl Todd Nicely, USMC. Nicely is a quadruple amputee. Thanks to JD Wilson for sending in these photos!

 

Friday, May 27, 2011

Rand Paul (R-KY) Defends Your 4th Amendment Rights While Harry Reid (D-NV) Tramples Them

 

On May 25, 2011, Senator Rand Paul responded to Harry Reid's baseless attacks on his opposition to the misnamed "Patriot" Act and reiterated his defense of the Bill of Rights and the American people's privacy.

Rand Paul's offers a strong defense of the 4th Amendment and the need for judicial oversight for search warrants. Make sure you watch to the end.

Strategy Advice to Democrats from Mickey Kaus

The Daily Caller: Dems Fail to Keep Fear Alive:

Dems out-stunt themselves: Was it a good idea for Democrats to kill off the Ryan plan by forcing a vote in the Senate? Once it’s clear the plan isn’t going anywhere, it’s not so scary anymore.

MiniTrue Explains Why You'll Like $5 Gasoline

MSN Money: Why you should love $5 gas:

As you pump 13 gallons into your Honda CR-V  -- American's best-selling SUV with 28 mpg on the highway and 21 in town -- it's nearly impossible to view the $50 you're spending with a positive attitude.

With the national average for regular at $3.81, it's easy to label oil executives as pond scum, but try to remain open-minded. Think of the big picture: Though that promised road trip to Disney World has gone up in carbon monoxide, high gas prices may actually have an upside. Not for you and your family personally, maybe, but perhaps for the United States as a whole.

I can only speculate, but I believe the author is vying for a position in the Obama administrations Ministry of Truth.

Video: The Government's War on Cameras--Photography is NOT a Crime

 

Who will watch the watchers? In a world of ubiquitous, hand-held digital cameras, that's not an abstract philosophical question. Police everywhere are cracking down on citizens using cameras to capture breaking news and law enforcement in action.

FOIA Request Nets Some of Michael Mann's Global Warming Research

"Hockey Stick" Chart

 

Washington Examiner: Judge orders U.Va. to release climate research documents:

A conservative group granted access to controversial climate change research documents from the University of Virginia on Wednesday says it will post those documents on the Internet, a move that Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said wouldn't necessarily lead him to drop legal action seeking similar documents.

"Anything we get we are going to post," said David Schnare, an attorney for the American Tradition Institute, which filed a Freedom of Information Act request in January seeking documents related to former U.Va. professor Michael Mann, whose research on climate change has drawn the ire of global warming skeptics.

Congratulations to James O’Keefe and Project Veritas for Securing Nonprofit Status from the I.R.S.

The Internal Revenue Service has granted nonprofit status to the group that brought down two senior executives at NPR and dealt a death blow to the community organizing group Acorn with videos of its employees giving tax advice to people claiming to be a pimp and prostitute.

Project Veritas, a group founded by the videographer James O’Keefe, received the status from the I.R.S. in April, according to documents gathered by The Chronicle of Philanthropy through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Did a Key Jewish Democrat Donor Abandon Obama Over Treatment of Israel?

Media_httpwwwobamabio_wbbie

 

Commentary Magazine: Key Jewish Donor Breaks With Obama:

“I’m very perplexed as to why the president, who’s been to Cairo, to Saudi Arabia, to Turkey, has not made a stop in Israel and spoken to the Israeli people,” [Haim Saban said]. “I believe that the president can clarify to the Israeli people what his positions are on Israel and calm them down. Because they are not calm right now.”

However, the view from JTA casts doubt on the premise of that story: Haim Saban can’t ‘break’ what he never forged:

...Saban and Obama never were an item. Saban did everything he could to push Hillary Rodham Clinton past the post in 2008. He hasn't had a change of heart since then. As far as I can make out from Open Secrets, the man never supported Obama, period.

Lawyer Says Edwards in a 'Whole Heap of Trouble'

Is it Time for Congress to Cut Funding for Our Libyan Adventure?

 

Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) Recommends Cutting Funding Of The Military Operation In Libya

President Barack Obama has violated the 1973 War Powers Resolution.

That is a good thing. The War Powers Resolution was constitutionally dubious when it was passed -- by a Democratic Party-controlled Congress intent on obstructing the powers of a Republican president.
Instead of taking a principled stance against a questionable law, however, President Obama chose to mask his violation with cleverness -- a corrosive, shallow cleverness smacking of the worst in partisan skullduggery.

Too bad. Tackling the War Powers Act would have strengthened the presidency as an institution and reinforced Obama's moral authority.

The Future of Developed Countries? Belarus's Economy Craters after Currency Devaluation

Belarus Ruble chart: this is what happens to every country that resolutely continues to live outside its means

"Unless Belarus heeds Russia’s call for mass privatization of state assets, it is headed for “hyperinflation, massive un- and under-employment, and a shutdown of production" [Alexei Moiseev, chief economist at VTB Capital] concludes. Ah: "privatization" as Greece is about to learn, the lovely word that describes a fire sale of assets to one's creditors, courtesy of a "globalized" new world order. Ironically, this is precisely the warning that will be lobbed at each country in the developed world...

It looks like Belarus is the canary in the economic coal mine. Whether it's lifeless body will provide any guidance for the other two nations at the precipice (Greece and Ireland) remains to be seen. Perhaps it will be an object lesson for the U.S. about the importance of fiscal responsibility.

PayPal Co-founder Offers $100k for Students to NOT go to College

Media_httpwwwmybudget_hjurn

The current, and the money, is beginning to flow the other way. Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, has read the tea leaves,  seen the pattern in the carpet, and felt the shifting winds of change.  Here’s the relevant headline form The Chronicle of So-Called Higher Education:

The most important data point is not the 100,000 smackeroos but the word “talented.”

It's been evident to me for awhile that entrepreneurial companies would begin to eschew college grads because the salary/performance ratio of talented high school grads is better than they'll get if they hire someone with a sheepskin. Thiel is responding to that new market reality. Eventually, the only people attending college will be the liberal arts majors as they mark time before a lifetime of asking customers: "do you want fries with that?"

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Moves into $14M Tribeca Townhouse as IMF Considers Stanley Fischer

Media_httpwwwnypostco_akcjl

A brief description of the 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom townhouse which was recently listed by StreetEasy as costing $13.995 million.

You should click through for a glimpse of his humble accommodations in Tribeca.

Greg Mankiw notes that Stanley Fischer is a candidate to replace DSK. Mankiw offers this assesment:

I have known Stan for many years. I first took a graduate course from him at MIT in 1980, and he was the main adviser for my PhD dissertation a few years later.  He also took the lead in 1987 in trying to recruit me, unsuccessfully, to leave Harvard to join the MIT faculty. Saying no to Stan was one of the hardest things I ever did.

Stan is a superb economist and international policymaker: smart, sensible, experienced, personable, and open-minded. He would be an ideal person to head the IMF.

Video: The U.S. Treasury has begun Selling Off Your Investment in AIG at Loss

American International Group (AIG) was mired in the red since the open ahead of plans to sell around 300 million shares of stock worth an estimated $9 billion after the bell today. The U.S. Treasury is expected to sell 15% of its AIG stake, as the federal government continues to close out investments it made in troubled companies to stem the 2008 financial crisis. The stock is down 38% this year and is the worst-performer in the S&P 500 index, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Video: The Heritage Foundation Cuts through White House Spin on the Gas Price

 

Heritage Foundation: Busting Gas Price Myths:

As Americans across the country gas up their cars for their Memorial Day getaways this year, their wallets will take a bigger-than-usual hit. That's because gas prices are up $1.06 from last year according to a study by AAA. In fact prices have more than doubled since President Obama took office. And while the media has been slow to demand answers of the President, he has been busy trying to deflect attention away from his incoherent energy policy with a number of gas price-related myths. From overstating the impact of green energy to downplaying the devastating impact of his drilling moratorium, the President should spend less time trying to deflect criticism and more time working to ease pain at the pump.

Video: Ed Martin for Congress Rally

Late last Sunday afternoon, Ed Martin held a rally for his supporters and campaign workers at McArthur's Bakery. Several people spoke before Ed including State Representative Cloria Brown (R) and State Senator Brian Nieves (R). Nieves fired up the conservative crowd before introducing Ed.

Video: Sarah Steelman Speaks in St. Louis

On May 15th, Sarah Steelman spoke to St. Louis area conservatives about the future of America and Missouri. Steelman is a Republican running to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate. Steelman's comments begin at 3:20 in the video above.

Video: Paul Curtman on the 2011 Missouri General Assembly and the Joplin Tornado

This interview with Missouri State Representative Paul Curtman (R) covers many aspects of the 2011 Missouri General Assembly. Curtman's H.B. 708, American Laws for American Courts, is covered in depth. My goal in this interview was to get the perspective of a freshman state legislator on the process of how the system works. This playlist will provide some insight into the mechanics of the legislative process.

DROP OFF LOCATION: 
Cornerstone Church 
17617 Old Manchester Road 
Wildwood, Missouri 63038
(near Highway 109 and Manchester)

DROP OFF TIMES:
Tuesday (3-8 pm) 
Wednesday (9 am-noon)

NEEDED ITEMS:
Food (non-perishables, canned goods, snack crackers, etc...)
Basic Hygiene Items (toothbrushes, soap, razors, deodorant...)
Baby Wipes
T-Shirts
Athletic socks (ankle length)
Infant Care Supplies (diapers, formula...)
Work Gloves 
Basic Tools
Sunscreen

ANYTHING ELSE YOU THINK WOULD HELP!

Imagine if one of the homes destroyed was your own family's... 

We are very hopeful to need more than one truck, so THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY! 

Please pass along the word, and let's show Joplin how much we care!

Zemanta helped me add links & pictures to this email. It can do it for you too.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Waiting for the Flood Waters in Louisiana

 

Associated Press: As Water Inches Closer, an Agonizing Wait in La.:

As backwater flooding begins to encroach on the area, the mandatory evacuation order for the Butte Larose, Louisiana, area was reinstated Tuesday. The Atchafalaya River is expected to rise several more feet.

Video: Federal Gas Tax Debate on CNBC: Cato's Jerry Taylor vs Tyson Slocum

CNBC and Cato Institute: Cato's Jerry Taylor Debates Tyson Slocum on the Federal Gas Tax on CNBC:

Why does the federal government need 18.4 cents from every gallon of gasoline you purchase? Shouldn't state and local governments be spending on transportation infrastructure?

During a time when people are less and less able to afford gasoline, Cato senior fellow Jerry Taylor and Public Citizen energy program director Tyson Slocum debate whether or not a gasoline tax is good for the economy, or for our fiscal habits.

Video: Competition between Apple's iPhone, iPad and Google's Android

Device makers releasing new phones and tablet computers to compete with iPhones and iPads

While the Fox News report above seems to dismiss iPhone competitors, Eric S. Raymond (esr) of Armed and Dangerous has a different take. The story above covers all of the major iPhone competitors and focuses on the iPad, while esr has been arguing for months that Google's Android will eclipse the iPhone. In on of his latest posts, he makes a compelling argument for the growing dominance of Android.

Media_httpesribiblioo_wghzw

...there are significant methodological issues about how far we should trust a graph like this. By exploring them, I hope to help my readers become a bit more informed about how to apply rational skepticism to statistical extrapolation. There’s an awful lot of lying with statistics going on out there, much of it on issues weightier than smartphone market share; it is good to learn how not to be fooled.

Video: Dominique Strauss-Kahn's DNA Found on Accusers Shirt

New tests have found that the DNA of former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn matches material found on the shirt of a Manhattan hotel maid who says he attacked her, two people familiar with the investigation told AP.

WSJ.com: DNA Said to Link Strauss-Kahn to Maid:

Tests matched a DNA sample submitted by former International Monetary Fund director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and semen found on the shirt of the hotel maid who told police she had been sexually assaulted by him, law-enforcement officials said.

Video: The Missouri National Guard Assists Rescue Efforts in Joplin after the Tornado

Missouri News Horizon produced the video above: Missouri National Guard responds to Joplin tornado 2011.

JOPLIN, Mo. — PoliticMo wanted to take readers on the ground in Joplin to observe the horrific damage and reaction to an F4 tornado that killed more than 100 and destroyed 2,000 buildings.  The photos below were taken Monday, May 23.

To register for help, survirors can call 800-621-3362, and apply for relief at www.disasterassistance.gov. AT&T is working to place temporary cellular towers in the area, and insurance companies have set up claims sites.


Rescue crews dug through piles of splintered houses in a search for victims of a huge tornado that killed at least 116 people in Joplin, Missouri.

The Joplin Globe: From graduation to terror:

But just minutes after the 455 newly minted graduates of Joplin High walked across the stage Sunday afternoon at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus, the tornado sirens began to scream. The destruction that followed would leave the graduates and their families shaken, if not worse, and may come to define the passage of this class to adulthood.

JOPLIN, Mo. — The death toll from Sunday’s tornado climbed to 116 on Monday as first responders continued to pull bodies from a debris field that was three-quarters of a mile wide and six miles long.

Seventeen individuals found buried alive in the debris were rescued, including one at Home Depot, where several bodies have been recovered. The other survivors were found in the debris of residences and other commercial structures that were destroyed.

Seven of the rescued were found before 3 p.m. Monday. The others were found later Monday night as weary first responders pressed on in the dark, struggling against heavy rains and intense lightning.

Authorities said two emergency workers were struck by lightning while trying to assist in the effort on Monday. Details about their injuries were not available Monday night.

In addition to finding survivors, authorities said, it is likely that more bodies will be found and that the death toll will climb higher.

More than 1,150 people with injuries or medical conditions connected to the tornado were treated at hospitals in Joplin and across the Four-State Area.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Interest Armageddon: Ballooning Payments on the U.S. Debt if Rates Rise

 

Government Gone Wild: The Coming Interest Armageddon:

This video shows the SHOCKING figure of what our interest payments will be if we return to the rates of the 1980's.

St. Louis Judge Provides Object Lesson in Conservatism for the Missouri GOP

State bills in Missouri's General Assembly to curtail red light cameras came up short in the recent legislative session, but there's good news in St. Louis!

According to KMOX, Judge Mark Neill has thrown out red-light camera laws in St. Louis.

The 22nd Judicial Circuit Court judge ruled there was no state legislation to enable the red-light cameras in the city.  The cameras, which earned the city approximately $3 million each year in revenue through $100 fines, are no longer valid in the City of St. Louis due to Neill's ruling.  

Officials from the city have not commented on whether the ruling will be appealed.

Tornado Strikes Joplin Missouri: Hospital, High School, Businesses Devastated

Life Flight Helicopter lies on its side in front of St. John's Regional Medical Center
Windows were blown out and a fire started in St. John's Regional Medical Center when a half-mile wide tornado struck the city. Damage was extensive and while only 24 deaths have been reported so far there are signs that the toll will be much higher. For instance, there are reports on twitter about establishing a morgue and discussion of  how to manage the corpses:
@ProducerMatthew: A temporary morgue is being established at a university near Joplin, MO.
@Lets_Go_Hawks: listening to joplin scanner radio. just heard a guy asking if he should load bodies in the back of his truck and take them to temp morgue.
@brooksbayne: the cops in joplin said they're just leaving "flashers" out where the dead are so the morgue trucks can find the bodies and transport them.
@paulvseale: Listening to the law enforcement scanner sounds like more than 24 people died in Joplin. Law enforcement asking for more body bags. /shudder
PoliticMO's Eli Yokley quotes one Joplin resident: ”It was like an atomic bomb went off,” and from the pictures it's hard to argue with that.
Another photo of the Joplin, Missouri firehouse from resident... on Twitpic
Firehouse Collapsed on Firetruck
Cell towers and phone lines are down across the area making communication with family members difficult. A facebook page has been established to help loved ones locate one another.
#tornado #Joplin My apt parking lot piled w debris incl crump... on Twitpic
Cell Tower fell on Apartment Building
Businesses have been destroyed as well. A Walmart and a Home Depot have both suffered extensive damage.
The Joplin Walmart without walls or a roof
The power of this twister is evident from the damage done in parking lots. Cars were picked up and thrown around by this twister. 
Walmart parking lot after the Joplin tornado
The high school was devastated, too. 
Joplin High School.  Too close from comfort. on Twitpic
Damage to the Joplin High School
Emergency officials are asking sightseers to stay away from the area while the damage is assessed. To volunteer, call 1-800-427-4626
The Red Cross says volunteers are being mobilized and a shelter has been set up at Missouri Southern State College at 3950 E. Newman Road in Joplin at the Leggett & Platt Ath Center.
For nurses or doctors looking to help, call (417) 832-9500 for the Greater Ozarks chapter of the Red Cross.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is asking all first responders to go to Joplin to a command post at 34th & Main.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Photos: Ed Martin for Congress Rally

Video: Iceland's Grimsvotn Volcano Fills Sky with Ash, Smoke, and Steam

 

Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled all domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles into the air.

Video: State Rep Paul Curtman on Redistricting


State Rep Paul Curtman (R) talks about the back and forth process of getting Missouri's redistricting map. A map was passed and then vetoed by the governor; however, the veto was overridden with the help of four Democrats in the Missouri House.

Video: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) on Domestic Oil Production

Associated Press: GOP Address: Oil Production:

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas accused the Obama administration of over-regulating and not doing enough to spur production at a time of $4-a-gallon gasoline.

Video: Some Flood Levels Along the Mississippi Have Been Revised Down

Evacuations that were supposed to become mandatory today in one Louisana town have been put on hold, after officials said the river that's threatening Butte LaRose might not get as high as feared.

Closing the river to barge traffic is bad, but at least we've finally gotten some good news about the flooding levels. The news in Butte La Rose, Louisiana, is that the flood level is being revised downward.

Video: Overview of the Missouri Precinct Project

Anita presents an overview of Missouri Precinct Project. The goals of the Missouri Precinct Project are to recruit committeemen and women and get them out walking in their neighborhoods on a monthly basis.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Video: Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan Thanks the American People on Armed Forces Day

From the YouTube description:

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, spokesman for United States Forces - Iraq, gives thanks to those who serve America on Armed Forces Day 2011.

Video: State Rep Paul Curtman on H.B. 708 American Laws for American Courts


State Rep Paul Curtman (R) talks about H.B. 708, American Laws for American Courts. The bill failed to pass in the 2011 Missouri General Assembly. Had it passed it would have assured Missourians that their rights as guaranteed by the US Constitution and the Missouri Constitution could not be compromised via the application of foreign or international law.

Curtman also discusses the legislative process from when the bill was introduced, through the House committee, and over to the Senate where it died.

Video: LA Union Rally: Don't Believe Everything Teachers Tell You

 

From the YouTube description:

Teachers unions say California must not roll back annual increases in public school spending. And they're not too careful about facts when they make that case.

Teachers frequently claim, for example, that California is in either 49th or 50th place among the 50 states in per-pupil spending. In fact, the Golden State is 31st in per-pupil spending.

Teachers also say the Golden State could solve its chronic budget shortfalls by raising tax rates on the rich. But California is already unusually dependent on taxes collected from high earners. This is why revenue collections can drop sharply during recession, while spending -- which has increased 37 percent since 2001 -- continues to grow at rates exceeding inflation and population growth.

Last Friday, May 13, teachers all over Los Angeles left school early to attend a Downtown rally. Reason TV tagged along to find out what other whoppers teachers are telling (outside the classroom, that is).

Ed Koch (D): Israel Facing 'Most Dangerous and Critical Period' Ever

Media_httpisraelseenc_jegai

 

Democratic senior statesman Ed Koch says Israel is facing its “most dangerous and critical period” and he is ready to break with his party in the next presidential election over President Obama’s policies on the Middle East.
...
[Koch said] “I supported President Obama, believing he would be good on foreign policy, particularly with respect to the support of Israel. It turned out badly.”

Unrest in Spain ahead of Saturday Elections

Media_httpmsnbcmedia2_epfgu
Thousands of demonstartors defy a protest ban at Sol square Friday in Madrid. (Photo: Emilio Morenatti  /  AP)

msnbc.comTens of thousands defy Spain protest ban:

Tens of thousands of people are defying a pre-election ban on demonstrations and protesting unemployment in squares around Spain in defiance of an order to quit at midnight.

The government avoided saying if it would order police to break up the crowds on Saturday, but at the stroke of midnight officers kept a discreet presence on the edges of the demonstrations.