Latest Analysis, Commentary and Opinion*
(The title of each article is linked to the complete article)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Technology can lower health insurance costs
   Health Care piece by Offsite (2/24/10)

With his health care overhaul stalled, President Barack Obama has challenged America to come up with alternatives. “You got a better idea? Bring it on,“ he recently announced. A televised summit meeting on health care ideas is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Credit Card Act Hits Cardholders, Entrepreneurs
   Economics piece by Offsite (2/23/10)

Today, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 goes into effect and is being hailed as a boon for consumers. But the law passed last May is already showing a slew of unintended consequences.

Gordon Lightfoot is Alive and Well and Has a Clean Set of Teeth
   Entertainment piece by Aaron Goldstein (2/23/10)

Last Wednesday evening, during a break at poetry night at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I took a walk around the block to clear my head.  While doing this I was listening to “Summer Side of Life” by Gordon Lightfoot.  As I was listening to the song I thought to myself that Lightfoot could die any day.

Selective safety
   Nanny State piece by Offsite (2/23/10)

News from around the world: In Britain, it is traditional on Shrove Tuesday to hold pancake races, in which contestants run while flipping a pancake in a frying pan. The appeal of the event depends on the potential pitfalls in attempting simultaneous rapid forward propulsion and pancake tossing. However, in St Albans, England, competitors were informed by health and safety officials that they were “banned from running due to fears they would slip over in the rain.“ Watching a man walk up the main street with a skillet is not the most riveting event, even in St Albans. In the heat of the white-knuckle thrills, team captain David Emery momentarily forgot the new rules. “I have been disqualified from a running race for running,“ he explained afterward.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Health Care: More Government Is Not the Answer
   Health Care piece by AynRandInstitute: Alex Epstein (2/22/10)

WASHINGTON—President Obama’s latest proposal for health care reform will give the Health and Human Services Department the ability to deny or limit “substantial” premium increases, contains an insurance mandate, and bars insurance companies from denying coverage, according to the Associated Press.

Senate Weighs Final Push of Climate Bill
   Elitists piece by Offsite (2/22/10)

WASHINGTON - (Reuters) - A last-ditch attempt at passing a climate change bill begins in the Senate this week with senators mindful that time is running short and that approaches to the legislation still vary widely, according to sources.

Lawmakers in 44 States Warn Congress
   The Republic piece by Offsite (2/22/10)

(AP) - With tax collections dropping and jobless rates at record highs, state legislators hundreds of miles from Washington have found an easy way to appeal to conservative voters: Bash the federal government.

Climate scientists withdraw journal claims of rising sea levels
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (2/22/10)

Scientists have been forced to withdraw a study on projected sea level rise due to global warming after finding mistakes that undermined the findings.

Tiger’s Faith-Road Home
   General piece by Guest: Rusty Wright (2/22/10)

Tiger gets religion? - Tiger Woods publically apologized to his family, friends, and fans for behavior he labeled “irresponsible,“ “selfish,“ and “foolish.“  He confessed to unfaithfulness, affairs, and cheating, calling them “wrong.“  He expressed remorse and took responsibility.  “It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity,“ affirmed the Associated Press’ Athlete of the Decade.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Another Failing Biofuel Miracle
   Bird-Brain Flu piece by Guest: Dennis T. Avery (2/21/10)

CHURCHVILLE, VA - My wife is complaining about our increased costs at the supermarket. I remind her that every pound of meat, milk, and butter we buy requires several pounds of corn to produce - and biofuel mandates have shoved the corn price up from about $ 2 per bushel to $3.60. Many hog producers, dairymen, and egg farms have gone bust due to the inevitably higher cost of feed for livestock.

The Multi-Billion Dollar Global Warming Fraud
   ClimateGate piece by Alan Caruba (2/21/10)

As the massive global warming fraud implodes, the one aspect of it that has not been explored in depth is the equally massive waste of billions of dollars spent by the United States and nations around the world, we were told, to avoid global warming.

A Wonderful Opportunity Squandered
   The Republic piece by Charles Cole (2/21/10)

Glenn Beck delivered another of his historical lectures in his keynote address to the recent CPAC convention in Washington.  He was his usual, entertaining self and made several excellent points about how the progressive movement has wreaked havoc with our country over the past hundred years or so.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Longtime Dem Consultant Torpedoed by Union Thugs
   Unions piece by Warner Todd Huston (2/19/10)

In Democrat political consulting circles Pat Caddell is a big name. One-time adviser to President Jimmy Carter and longtime political strategist for the left, Caddell isn’t someone you throw off a campaign easily. But the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)  doesn’t care about past success. It only cares about its power.

Discussing economic prosperity and more on Fox News
   Economics piece by Kevin Price (2/19/10)

One of my favorite programs is Fox News’ Strategy Room and I enjoy spending time on that program almost as much as my own, the Price of Business. The host of the hour I was on, Eric Bolling, has this unique knack of focusing on the consequences of government policies in a manner that is uncommon among many media personalities today. This may be due to the fact that his knowledge does not end with a traditional journalist education, but years of experience of working in the business world in general and the rough and tumble world of commodities in particular.

Change Our Military Can’t Believe In
   Military piece by Jeff Lukens (2/19/10)

Many gays and lesbians serve honorably in today’s military. That is no secret. It is also no secret that open homosexuality within the ranks could hinder unit cohesion, reduce war-fighting capability, and place our troops at greater risk. No wishful thinking, edict, or State of the Union speech can alter this reality. Closeted gays do not cause a disruption in the military precisely because they are closeted.

Appreciating America
   The Republic piece by Ari Kaufman (2/19/10)

Yesterday, two husky South African men “on holiday” here in the snowy Midwest, visited my place of work. Like many international observers, they marveled at the monuments and military tributes “we in America” have. They indicated the 19 hour flight from Johannesburg is “always well worth it” because they “love America” and are “here as often as possible.“ The gentlemen, donning matching Eddie Bauer jackets, also mentioned they visited New York City’s Ground Zero last year and described the experience as “unlike anything” they’ve ever done.

In The Post Office
   Government piece by Leon A. Weinstein (2/19/10)

Today in the post office I witnessed an interesting conversation. There was a usual for afternoons long line and not enough postal workers to serve it. In the mornings there were not a lot of customers but plenty of help. In afternoons when customers would begin to come after work in herds, the post office employees were leaving to do their own chores. It always reminded me of the Soviet Union where all restaurants were closed for at least an hour during lunch time because as the head of the Union of Service Employees put it “all employees in the USSR have equal rights and the restaurant workers earned a right for lunch like anyone else.“

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Strength And POWER Of Love
   Society piece by Rev. Miles (2/18/10)

Love is the glue that holds together the Majesty of the Bible coupled with the power of Christ. It can produce phenomenal results if we dare to love fully. Indeed, love is a vital part of our lives and service. It is THE element that brings success if deeply implanted, or, failure if we neglect it. As clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 13, without love, we are nothing. Without love, we really can give nothing or have power over anything.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Government Control of Education Doesn’t Work
   EdukShun piece by Offsite (2/17/10)

The government-school establishment has said the same thing for decades: Education is too important to leave to the competitive market. If we really want to help our kids, we must focus more resources on the government schools.

In Mideast, Bet on a Strong Horse
   Middle East piece by Daniel Pipes (2/17/10)

The violence and cruelty of Arabs often perplexes Westerners.

Abusegate: Teaching Women to Falsely Accuse
   AbuseGate piece by Carey Roberts (2/17/10)

“Oh, I just got raped.“ - With those five words, Danmell Ndonye turned the lives of four innocent men into a living nightmare. For several days last September, Stalin Felipe, Kevin Taveras, Jesus Ortiz, and Rondell Bedward were publicly branded as rapists, mauled by jail guards, and threatened with 25 years behind bars.

Monday, February 15, 2010

QandA: Professor Phil Jones
   Global Warming piece by Offsite (2/15/10)

B - Do you agree that from 1995 to the present there has been no statistically-significant global warming?

Climategate: Viscount Monckton Takes a Victory Lap
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (2/15/10)

For several months, the “Monthly CO2 Reports,“ compiled by me at scienceandpublicpolicy-dot-org, have been pointing out that there has been no statistically significant “global warming” for 15 years. Regular attacks on my calculations and graphs have appeared on blogs by the usual suspects - Gavin Schmidt of NASA being, as usual, the most venomously ad hominem and the least scientifically plausible.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

IPCC Science Scandals Aren’t New
   ClimateGate piece by Guest: Dennis T. Avery (2/14/10)

CHURCHVILLE, VA - The UN’s climate change panel is reeling from a series of scandals about unsupported claims in its 2007 report.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

A Video You Shouldn’t Miss
   EdukShun piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (2/13/10)

I stumbled across this today.  You should watch it!!  Some 6 minutes of truth!!!!

An Old Film with a Vital Message
   Progressivism piece by Bruce Walker (2/13/10)

Turner Movie Classics on January 27th showed its viewers My Son John, a 1952 film which Robert Osborne advised his audience had been deliberately put out of circulation since soon after it was released.  In his introduction to the film, Osborne acknowledges that the film’s stars and producers were first rate.  The cast included Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, and Robert Walker.  Osborne also makes it clear that the film is an embarrassment to the film industry, full of childish anti-Communism and the foolish paranoia of America in the 1950s.

U.N. jump-starting cash collections for ‘climate change’
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (2/13/10)

Says $10 billion must be raised to kick off programs - UNITED NATIONS – Trying to jump-start a climate change campaign that has stalled amid claims of fraudulent reports and data manipulation, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the formation of a new high-level advisory group.

The Lincoln We Need
   History piece by Warner Todd Huston (2/13/10)

These last 20 or so years has seen a bifurcated treatment of Abraham Lincoln. There are the enthusiasts and hagiographers that still revere him as the best that America has to offer—the proverbial great emancipator, Father Abraham. Then there is a second stream, enthusiasts of another sort, viewing the Civil War president in the opposite manner. That second group are the Lincoln haters. Those such as Thomas DiLorenzo, the sort that calls Lincoln a criminal and despot, and Henry Louis Gates Jr., the sort that castigates Honest Abe as an unremitting racist, have been joined by a small group of Lincoln detractors trying to convince America that Lincoln is to be discounted, even hated by history.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Global warming snow job
   Global Warming piece by Offsite (2/11/10)

Climate-change pseudoscience is fraught with fraud - Record snowfall illustrates the obvious: The global warming fraud is without equal in modern science.

U.S. Deserves Junk Credit Rating
   Economics piece by Offsite (2/11/10)

Investment guru Marc Faber says the U.S. deserves to see its triple-A credit rating replaced with a junk designation.