Sorry, guys – I was really tired and almost brain dead when I got back from teaching last night.
Door’s open.
No tea yet, jest hold yer britches.
Pile up the papers on the floor to make room on the couch.
Oh, and if anyone can find a plumber to fix my kitchen faucet, I’d much appreciate it…..
Thursday Open Comments
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Guten morgen, #1!
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Can’t you barter plumbing work in The Dome for — oh I don’t know — a hot breakfast??
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Seriously, bunsonburner if you want me to photoshop you into a picture or something just give me a shout.
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I think we need to send some one to visit Squawks and see if he looks any different. I mean, does he gots 45 days growth of hair, beard, tusks, etc?
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From Matt Ridley, an original thinker and very bright guy, who decided to research fires after firemen in the UK went out on strike:
In my case, as somebody always on the look-out for under-reported good news stories, it also served to alert me to just how dramatic the fall in “demand” for firefighters has been. Intrigued by the strike, I looked up the numbers and found to my amazement that in 2011, compared with just a decade before, firefighters attended 48 per cent fewer fires overall; 39 per cent fewer building fires; 44 per cent fewer minor outdoor fires; 24 per cent fewer road-traffic collisions; 8 per cent fewer floods — and 40 per cent fewer incidents overall. The decline has if anything accelerated since 2011.
That is to say, during a period when the population and the number of buildings grew, we needed to call the fire brigade much, much less. Most important of all, the number of people dying in fires in the home has fallen by 60 per cent compared with the 1980s. The credit for these benign changes goes at least partly to technology — fire-retardant materials, self-extinguishing cigarettes, smoke alarms, sprinklers, alarms on cookers — much of which was driven by sensible regulation. Fewer open fires and fewer people smoking, especially indoors, must have helped too. There is little doubt that rules about such things have saved lives, as even most libertarians must concede. -
I don’t go to Matt Ridley’s site often enough…
If you are reading this with the hatches battened down, it may not be much comfort to know that 2013 has been an unusually quiet year for big storms. For the first time in 45 years no hurricane above Category 1 has made landfall from the Atlantic by this date, and only two in that category, confounding an official US government forecast of six to nine hurricanes in the Atlantic, three to five of which would be big. Even if the last month of the hurricane season is bad, it will have been a quiet year.
The global death rate as a result of tropical storms (cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes) was 55 per cent lower in the 2000s than it had been in the 1960s. Much of that change is down to technology, but freedom helps too. In 2007 Hurricane Dean, a Category 5 storm, struck the Yucatan in capitalist, middle-income Mexico, but the country was well prepared and not a single person died. A year later a storm of similar ferocity hit impoverished, authoritarian Burma and killed about 200,000 people.
One of the things that makes the world more resilient to weather disasters is trade. In 1694, some 15 per cent of the entire population of France starved after heavy rains destroyed the third harvest in a row, while plenty of food existed elsewhere in Europe. Trade was so small a part of the economy that the means to get sufficient grain into France from other countries in Europe simply did not exist. At one point a convoy of 120 ships left Norway to bring grain to France, but was captured by the Dutch before being heroically recaptured by the privateer Jean Bart and escorted in triumph to Dunkirk. Yet even this was not enough to save many French lives. -
Just found out my niece is having a double mastectomy on Monday, having finished her chemo. Radiation continues until February.
My sister-in-law is working part-time to help out with the two young girls, God bless her. My niece is only in her thirties. -
Josh Barry, of Camp Hill, Penn., wants to know why the president of the local teacher’s union thinks he’s a neo-Nazi after he complained about a classroom assignment that he believed to be biased.
“I’m Jewish and my wife is half-black, half-white,” Barry told me in a telephone interview. “I am the furthest thing from a neo-Nazi.”
Last week, his daughter’s eighth grade American History class at East Pennsboro Middle School was asked to analyze a New York Times story about the recent government shutdown.
Barry, who said he is a registered independent, read the story and then read a list of questions his daughter was required to answer and he immediately determined the assignment was “grossly slanted.”
The worksheet included questions like “To what issue do House Republican leaders insist on tying the federal budget?” and “Whom do you hold most responsible for the government shutdown?”
Barry fired off letters complaining about the assignment to his daughter’s teacher as well as the school board. But a few days later, he was shocked to discover that the head of the local teacher’s union was making calls around town – asking if he was a neo-Nazi.Union tactics at their best.
Teacher’s Union Investigates Jewish Dad Who Complained about Liberal Bias -
Texpat;
Your Matt Ridle citations are excellent but I like this the most:There is little doubt that rules about such things have saved lives, as even most libertarians must concede.
🙂
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10 Darren says:
November 7, 2013 at 9:57 am
Texpat;
Your Matt Ridle citations are excellent but I like this the most:There is little doubt that rules about such things have saved lives, as even most libertarians must concede.
🙂
Why?
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I got the news about my niece, then I see this story:
Double mastectomy patient has a dance party with her op team before surgery -
New Mexico going for a world record,
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/06/another-minor-traffic-stop-in-new-mexico-another-serious-violation-of-a-mans-body-same-exact-police-dog/ -
I think Texpat’s Matt’s criticism of retiring firefighters doing less than the private sector is full of crap.
In the meantime, for two hours this morning, the union that represents firefighters has merely reminded us that a firefighter who is called out 40 per cent less than ten years ago will retire at 60 and has pension rights equivalent to a private pension pot of half a million pounds, to which he will have contributed half as much as a private sector worker.
This is bogus. “Matt” implies that firefighters do not deserve “full retirement” pay based on there “contributions” compared to civilian .
I am not defending the unions I am not defending the net amount of retirement pay that government workers receive. Historically it does exceed their civilian counterparts. One can debate whether a fire department should be all volunteer “or not” I for one have no problems with city provided paid firemen.
But to insinuate that firemen “contribute” less than civilians in “work” equity because the number of fires has declined in England is crap. Firemen are an “as needed” service. The men are required to remain at the firehouse………. waiting. I wonder how this guy feels about the military when they are assigned duties at home rather than in a “combat” zone. I mean all they are doing is setting around their station……. waiting,
As for this guy being some “free thinker”There is little doubt that rules about such things have saved lives, as even most libertarians must concede.
He must not be a very deep thinker to come up with something that pointless and trite. That statement appears to me that he needed another whipping boy to make his point(s) attacking firefighter retirement pay.
His argument and premise is better suited for the ash heap but with a little tweaking he could make a better argument why the citizenry might be better served with an all volunteer firefighting service. He might make a good firefighter himself because he is all wet on this subject. -
Matt’s libertarian snipe really adds nothing to his argument. It is just a drive by swipe with no supporting argument.
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Matt’s libertarian snipe really adds nothing to his argument. It is just a drive by swipe with no supporting argument.
Are those bad regulations? As a libertarian would you say they have not saved lives or they should not necessarily have been established?
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I would take issue with the implication that libertarians are inherently anti-safety rules. He seems to be using the term “libertarian” interchangeably with “anarchist”. I can’t think of any libertarian minded people I know who would be against rules that increase safety and save lives provided said rules truly do what they purport to do and aren’t just an excuse to grow government.
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#16 Squawk
Ridley is a libertarian. He won the 2011 Hayek Book Prize and Lecture award at the Manhattan Institute.
Regarding the pensions of British firefighters, I read it as they were required to financially contribute far less than a private sector worker to their funds. It’s not really explained and may be something that is more common knowledge in the UK, which is the audience he was addressing in that article. -
I saw a video of the busiest fire station in the US a few years back. I believe the actual time spent fighting fires was 4%. The rest of the time was in training and most importantly fire prevention – doing outreach, home inspections, school programs and the like. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Ashely Brilliant said, “In order to be ready when needed, you must be ready when you are not needed.” -
Texpat
Regarding the pensions of British firefighters, I read it as they were required to financially contribute
I sit corrected. 🙂
DarrenAs a libertarian would you say they have not saved lives or they should not necessarily have been established?
Yawn
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#19 cont’d.
His remark about libertarians is just a rhetorical device to say: …even I, a publicly recognized libertarian, admit proper regulations do save lives and property. -
is this guy a libertarian?
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On the point of firefighters contributing less to their pensions than private sector folks….
I have a good friend who works for the City of Houston in a very public capacity. He would be the first to tell you how police and firefighters will not hesitate to hold public safety hostage in their quest for compensation. No doubt in my mind on that point.His remark about libertarians is just a rhetorical device to say: …even I, a publicly recognized libertarian, admit proper regulations do save lives and property.
That makes sense.
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#8 Tedtam, prayers to your niece, I hope all goes well.
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One of squack’s kindred spirits gets suspended from school in Kansas over a European Shoulder Bag.
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I’m thinking at least a couple of cops/deputies in south-central NM are gonna wind up in jail.
They have established a pattern of extreme searches for contraband after minor traffic stops.
I would not be surprised to see more victims start to come forward. -
Those Kansans are such hicks.
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18 Dooood says:
November 7, 2013 at 11:18 am
I would take issue with the implication that libertarians are inherently anti-safety rules. He seems to be using the term “libertarian” interchangeably with “anarchist”. I can’t think of any libertarian minded people I know who would be against rules that increase safety and save lives provided said rules truly do what they purport to do and aren’t just an excuse to grow government.Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Who here made THAT kind of implication? Merciful heavens, no.
Something that really needs to happen is for Establishment Republicans stop demonizing Libertarians. Alienating those people is costing you freaking political geniuses elections, or haven’t you noticed? -
In the meantime the Establishment mulls over whether or not to change the rules on how a candidate is chosen—so that they can prevent a conservative from winning.
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Good morning Hamsters. Lovely start at 6 with 47 degrees and everything still, nobody stirring yet amongst the wildlife. The walk to the barn and then out to fetch the paper was brisk, with some regret in not having put on an extra layer. Some light high clouds graced the eastern sky where Dawn’s rosy fingers soon intervened and made a deep strawberry pink cake filling between the multiple cloud layers. A gorgeous hello to a new day and free for anyone up at that time to enjoy. Priceless. Thank you, Lord.
Regarding the bilateral mastectomy Tedtam’s niece will be undergoing, God bless her and keep her safe.
Several years ago a good friend from the horse world who was a breast cancer survivor discovered a lump in the opposite breast–it was malignant but not the same kind of malignancy as in the first breast. This is not very common. She opted for bilateral mastectomies on the advice of her oncologists. Stalwart lady that she is, she had a farewell party with close friends at Hooters a few days before surgery. The Hooters girls at first were perplexed, but after she explained the purpose of the party they joined in with a much better understanding of breast cancer and a lot of respect for her.
She came through surgery without complication–Thank you, Lord–and attacked recovery with her typical vigor. As soon as possible she began making regular visits out to the barn to commune with her horses and counted the days until she could start riding again. Once well along on recovery, her oncologists then recommended she undergo a hysterectomy for fear of metastasis of the second malignancy. She agreed and went through recovery from that too, with the goal of riding again as soon as practical keeping her going. That and lots of support from husband and friends and her friends in the barn.
Admirable lady for whom the glass is half full regardless. And what secrets only those horses know. 🙂 -
In the meantime the Establishment mulls over whether or not to change the rules on how a candidate is chosen—so that they can prevent a conservative from winning.
I don’t understand how this…
The party leaders pushing for changes want to replace state caucuses and conventions, like the one that nominated Mr. Cuccinelli, with a more open primary system that they believe will draw a broader cross-section of Republicans and produce more moderate candidates.
…would prevent a conservative from winning. Our primary system chose Cruz as the nominee over a slew of less desirable candidates. Florida’s 2010 primary chose Rubio over Crist.
Choosing candidates in conventions and caucuses always smacked of cronyism to me. -
I predict that we’ll see a commercial airliner get shot down (I mean actually shot down, not simply a rough landing like Gaston the Air France pilot made a couple weeks ago) within the next year.
The threat is real. In 2002, for example, two Soviet-designed SA-7 missiles barely missed a Tel Aviv-bound passenger jet leaving the airport in Mombasa, Kenya. The Government Accountability Office estimates that at least 500,000 MANPADS — some secured, some not — are in more than 100 countries.
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Pink Sneakers Davis is “pro-life”.
Who’d have thought? -
Doode;
I can’t think of any libertarian minded people I know who would be against rules that increase safety and save lives provided said rules truly do what they purport to do and aren’t just an excuse to grow government.
I agree and requiring a smoke detector in a building code really is no big deal.
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texpat #19;
Regarding the pensions of British firefighters, I read it as they were required to financially contribute far less than a private sector worker to their funds. It’s not really explained and may be something that is more common knowledge in the UK, which is the audience he was addressing in that article.
It’s speculation on my part but according to the amount of governmental power in Great Britain I compare it to California’s government and if their retirement scheme is anything like California’s than Ridley has every reason to express concern over it.
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From Ripley’s report:
The reason for the reluctance of firefighters to boast about the success of their efforts at prevention, of course, is that it implies the need for fewer of them. They fear that fitness tests will in many cases lead to redundancy before the new retirement age. The statistics I have quoted come largely from the recent report that recommended that the Government could make large efficiency savings in the fire and rescue service.
Sir Ken Knight’s report to the Government’s fire minister, Brandon Lewis, pointed out that despite deaths from fires having hit an all-time low and the number of incidents falling rapidly, “expenditure and firefighter numbers remain broadly the same. This suggests that there is room for reconfiguration and efficiencies to better match the service to the current risk and response context.” Employment in the fire and rescue service has dropped by just 6 per cent during the time when incidents have decreased by 40 per cent.
It is not just the overall numbers of firefighters that could come down as fires come down. There are plenty of opportunities for efficiency savings, as in any public service. Sir Ken observed that he could not explain the differences in the spending of Britain’s 46 separate fire services. Some areas spent almost twice as much as others, yet the discrepancy could not be explained by population density, degree of industrialisation, or level of deprivation. Nor did greater spending produce a faster fall in the number of fires. Noting that localism can become “siloism”, Sir Ken concluded drily that “fire and rescue authorities spend to their budgets, not to their risk.”Sounds very reasonable to me.
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Something that really needs to happen is for Establishment Republicans stop demonizing Libertarians. Alienating those people is costing you freaking political geniuses elections, or haven’t you noticed?
I agree as written but many libertarians today are very left leaning and I’ve no desire to cater to them. If they joined a conservative cause than I’d more than welcome it but I’m not going to stop my disagreements of them for the sake of their political support. Now Libertarians, the ones you identified, are not the problem per se and in many ways speak more closely to the Funding Fathers than conservatives. Doode was defending them and did so correctly; but libertarians, the ones I identified initially above, are very much a concern. One helped cost Cuccinelli a victory.
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It’s been reported for months that labor unions, whose leaders heavily campaigned for Obamacare and President Obama’s reelection, are extremely unhappy with the details of the Affordable Care act. In July, Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa, UFCW President Joseph Hansen and UNITE-HERE President D. Taylor sent a letter to Democratic leaders in Congress demanding the law be fixed, warning the legislation would kill the 40 hour work week and strip union workers of hard earned healthcare benefits. In September, union leaders met at the White House to further express their concerns and to hash out a sweetheart deal. That deal, is now here:
The Obama administration has found a way to give unions relief from an Obamacare tax nearly three weeks after Republicans rejected a Democratic push to include the labor carve-out in the latest budget deal.
The Department of Health and Human Services quietly released a final rule last week that includes an intention to exempt some union insurance plans from a substantial new tax known as the reinsurance fee.As part of Obamacare, the tax was supposed to be levied against all insurance plans to share the risk for insurers taking on the sickest patients next year. To put it simply, labor unions just got an Obamacare waiver. At this point, Congress has granted themselves an Obamacare waiver. The Obama administration has granted corporations and businesses an Obamacare waiver until 2015 by delaying the employer mandate. The average American citizen however, of whom millions are losing health insurance plans President Obama promised they could keep, is still required to comply with all aspects of the law and the individual mandate. And yes, this is still a requirement for individuals even with a broken and nonworking Obamacare website.
The Obamacare Bailout for Unions is Here
How could Obama do this? I thought he was going to sever his ties to labor unions and do the will of the people; not union fat cats. 🙂 -
I celebrated my birthday which was yesterday by playing golf today. What a beautiful day it was today, I wish my game matched the day. Unfortunately my skill level is in negative numbers.
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#41: I wnat to know how the 14th amendment does not apply in this case, different groups of people are being treated differently, ie there is no equal protection under the law.
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#23 – now THAT’s funny! (or sad depending on if you’ve been DROPPED,,,,,,,,,,,,,,)
OR if you’re a MALE and don’t need pregnancy coverage -
Insightful and inspiring video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNQC-_srxH8 -
Not as insightful though than Yogi Berra’s, “if you come to a fork in the road, take it.” 😉
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I now forgive Obama. (Not really) 👿
By Chuck Todd, NBC News
President Obama said Thursday that he is “sorry” that some Americans are losing their current health insurance plans as a result of the Affordable Care Act, despite his promise that no one would have to give up a health plan they liked.
“I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me,” he told NBC News in an exclusive interview at the White House.
“We’ve got to work hard to make sure that they know we hear them and we are going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this.Obama’s comments come 10 days after NBC News’ Lisa Myers reported that the administration has known since the summer of 2010 that millions of Americans could lose their insurance under the law. Obama has made repeated assurances that “if you like your health plan, you will be able to keep your health plan” with Obamacare.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear.
Exclusive: Obama personally apologizes for Americans losing health coverage -
Obama’s comments come 10 days after NBC News’ Lisa Myers reported that the administration has known since the summer of 2010 that millions of Americans could lose their insurance under the law.
Millions could lose their insurance under the law?!? Are you wissin kidding me? It was guaranteed and designed into the law that millions absolutely would lose their insurance. I am going to take a full swing with this baseball bat and cause it to hit your face, I’m sorry if it hurts and it could make you bleed. Gee, I’m so sorry that your nose got in the way of my fist as I was punching in your direction.
The fact that politically connected businesses, labor unions and polititerds get a special sweetheart deal, exemption outright or extention as to when they will have to comply is an indication that it is wrong to start with.
His apology means nothing and is actually little more than a F U suckers. -
Had my first gym workout in a coupla months. Did some floor work, then worked on the upper body machines. Did a few lower body – carefully, since I’m being reminded still that walking at the quilt show for hours is still beyond my absolute comfort level. I felt okay, so I thought I’d burn some calories on the stationary bike.
Ummmmmm……no.
After three minutes I hopped off that puppy and left the gym. Came home and kinda weeded one of my veggie beds and tossed the greens into my compost pile. I picked up some deadfall that’s been accumulating in the backyard. The yard is slowly looking better. If’n I’m up to it, I may pull out my new chainsaw this weekend and tackle that dead (yes, it’s really dead!) tallow tree laying on top of Mirkwood. I have a baby shower on Saturday afternoon and I meet another friend Sunday afternoon, so we shall see how the schedule works out….
If I’m not back on the crutches tomorrow. I hate this delayed effect injury – I never know when I’m doing too much until after it’s too much.
Have to go cook myself some dinner and then off to church for funeral services for a friend’s daughter. -
Me and the Mrs. are watching Charade, the original with Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Mathow, George Kennedy and James Coburn. A classic.
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OSatanama lied. Health care died.
Impeach OSatanama. -
When I post a comment these days I …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_Zrj5fmgys&feature=youtube_gdata_player -
Petros Papadakis has the goods to take over from Brent Muffburger as the most annoying game caller in college football.
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My neighborhood has its own radio station:
KGV is a community radio station serving Garden Villas and the surrounding Houston area with great songs from the 50’s through the 80’s and features local community news and other fun elements you’ll find entertaining.. KGV is a low-power AM radio station operating with geographical coverage limited under the FCC Rules and Regulations under Part 15. As such, unfortunately you won’t be able to tune in much outside the neighborhood. However, the station streams on the Internet as CBNet Radio with worldwide coverage using http://www.Shoutcast.com and can be received on Internet radios. We believe Internet radio is the wave of the future as more and more consumers are turning to this medium that offers more variety than conventional terrestrial radio. Internet radio is already a standard feature appearing in many 2014 automobiles.
I might try tuning in occasionally. The music should be interesting.
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