Rusted Sky

You ever see signs for 'free kittens'? (Or puppies?)

Any pet owner knows there's no such thing. You get a cat (or dog), you're also going to have to take that dog (or cat) to the vet on a regular basis, buy it food, set up and maintain a litterbox to deal with the, um, 'wastes' it generates.

Yeah, the cat (or dog) was free. Nothing ELSE connected to it is. Once you take on the obligation of the 'free kitten', (or puppy) you're stuck until the beast dies.

So the government is offering free kittens (AND puppies, too!) to the states. All sorts of colorful, neat programs that are going to be paid for by the Stimulus Bill! They're so cute! They're so cuddly! How could you NOT want to take SEVERAL home? They're FREE!

For now...

Later? Not so much. One thing that isn't talked about is the UPKEEP of the programs once the stimulus money runs out. You've created a program, you're going to have people dependent on it - you're going to have to KEEP funding the thing.

Funding it until it either dies of old age or gets merged into ANOTHER program. Of the two, the latter is more likely.

It's not suprising that some states are looking to opt out of taking stimulus money. They realize that there's going to be an obligation created with the programs that money is supposed to fund, and they're going to be on the hook for it long after the money's gone.

The best way to avoid the expense of the free kitten (or puppy) is to not take it home in the first place. No matter HOW much the kids whine for it.

J.

Man, oh man... Cramer decidedly isn't a fan of what's going on. But then, Obama's apparently not a fan of Cramer.

You know, I'm starting to see a fair amount of that. Folks who were for Obama are seeing what he's doing - and they're not impressed.

I think Obama forgot a basic rule of when you get into a new position - look at what's going on and see what works and what doesn't. Then don't mess with what's working - and try to get what ISN'T working right to work properly.

But then - you look at his record and he's never really been responsible for managing much of anything. So naturally, we gave him the country to play with.

There is speculation that what is happening is an intended consequence. Now, I think you'd have to be pretty stupid to crater the economy, block drilling when we've seen just how BADLY our economy is affected by high energy prices, be tone deaf on the Second Amendment when we've got a small-scale war going on directly on the border (in Juarez) - and then snub allies - but you've got to wonder...

For all the 'bad' Bush supposedly did to the country, what Obama is doing seems to be potentially an order of magnitude worse.

I really don't like the way things are going...

Update: I watched this again - can you recall ANY time in the last 8 years where the host of a TV show was literally pleading with the President to change what he was doing, much less a FINANCIAL program?

Admittedly Cramer's stock picks and advice have been iffy at points, but that's to be expected with our system. In this case, he's worried that the financial sector is burning down, and Obama's throwing gas on the fire, then basking in the warmth as he proclaims he's the only one who can 'fix' things.

Well, destroying something is 'fixing' it - in that you don't have to worry about how it functions any more...

J.

President Barack Obama just plain rude to Britain. Don't call us in future. :: Iain Martin

Why couldn't President Obama have put on more of a show for his British guests? He looked like he simply couldn't be bothered.

Number 10 may be content that they just about got away with the visit to the Oval Office yesterday, as Andrew Porter reports from Washington.

But on this side of the Atlantic the whole business looked pretty demeaning. The morning papers and TV last night featured plenty of comment focused on the White House's very odd and, frankly, exceptionally rude treatment of a British PM. Squeezing in a meeting, denying him a full press conference with flags etc. The British press corps, left outside for an hour in the cold, can take it and their privations are of limited concern to the public.
But Obama's merely warmish words (one of our closest allies, said with little sincerity or passion) left a bitter taste with this Atlanticist. Especially after his team had made Number 10 beg for a mini press conference and then not even offered the PM lunch.

We get the point, sunshine: we're just one of many allies and you want fancy new friends. Well, the next time you need something doing, something which impinges on your national security, then try calling the French, or the Japanese, or best of all the Germans. The French will be able to offer you first rate support from their catering corps but beyond that you'll be on your own.

When it comes to men, munitions and commitment you'll soon find out why it pays to at least treat the Brits with some manners.

Heh. No dollars, no donuts. He was lucky to get as much as he did.

/sarcasm

So tell me again just how Obama is so politically adept? I really can't believe that he stiffed the PM like this. Such a thing would have been cause for enormous criticism here in the US under Bush, showing just how diplomatically inept he was - not that he would have done it in the first place. But you can imagine the outcry if he HAD.

But this? God help us - first the economy gets thrown into the dumpster, and now our allies are being pitched the same way. It's gonna be a LONG 4 years.

It's going to be a hell of a job rebuilding our diplomatic ties after Obama gets done cutting them...

J.

Delayna D: commented:

I've seen a lot of blog commenters question whether 0 is deliberately cratering our economy or if he is just incompetent. In this case, I have to go with option (A) with extra suck sauce--he's doing it on purpose. Nobody could screw up so many things so perfectly in such a short time by accident. Go long on canned food and shotgun shells. And maybe Alcoa. Every time I watch the news, I want to put on a tinfoil hat.

But he didn't realize that he'd actually have to WORK in the job. Wasn't the hard part just getting elected? After that - it'd be smooth sailing!

And then reality hit. All of a sudden the gilded palace became much more of a gilded cage - and he's stuck in a job he not only doesn't know how to do, he's managed to ailenate the people who could help him, AND what he thinks he knows as far as how the economy works and diplomacy works is just plain wrong. Not to mention that the slack the media would cut him normally seems to be shrinking - there's a lot more of the small stuff being reported like the diplomatic gaffes, and tax cheats in his appointees and such.

All in all, it's sucking to be him - because (I believe) he's started to realize just how out of his depth he is - and who can he turn to? Joe Biden? Pelosi and Reid? There's no '"How to be a President" for Dummies' book out there - and he never had any of the experience that he needs at this point.

You also said...

I don't know if the pain can just "stop". My 401K is now a 101K, and there are millions of people who were planning to retire in a year or two who now wonder if they'll ever be able to (and God help the poor people who *are* retired, and whose investments have cratered).

Unless Zero goes radical in the opposite direction (enacting the Fair Tax, or at least eliminating cap gains and other anti-wealth taxes), it'll be years before the wealth that has been lost since he passed McCain in the polls will be recovered.

It's one thing for a President to see stocks dive, do the right things and watch a slow recovery. It's another to demonize the very idea of wealth and the institutions that create it (while nationalizing all those pesky financial companies--gee, *I* want us to all have to go to the gov't for loans!).

Every action Zero has taken since he was sworn in has been to dismantle our economy and fling the pieces in a wood chipper. I am frightened of what will have to happen to reverse this.

It'd turn out pretty wierd if Obama were a secret Fairtax proponent - but unfortunately, I think he only knows how to do two things... demagogue against the 'rich' and raise taxes. And he's been against business for so long, if he does a 180 his supporters are going to leave him. And maybe take his teleprompter. Then he'll REALLY be in trouble!

SueK said...

I understand that Obama has eliminated the custom of "Hail to the Chief" being played at various functions. I don't know if it's true, but have seen references to it.
Maybe he thinks that ritual and pomp are unnecessary? I could understand that. He's wrong, of course - ritual and pomp are a means of conveying messages publicly without words - but I could understand it.

Dennis Prager had a discussion about how people dress to go to Sunday services, and disparaged the modern custom of showing up in all sorts of informal - to the point of trashy - clothing. Many called up to say "God doesn't care about my clothes". Dennis' point was that it wasn't a matter of God not caring - it was a matter of people being lazy and not caring.

I wonder if Obama's position might fall into the same sort of category - he may not have intended to offend...he may just think that ceremony is dumb.

Big mistake. Not as big as some others he's making, but big.

It's Comedy Night at the White House. Might as well laugh!

J.

Obama Car Czars To Visit Detroit To Learn About Industry

Well, thank heavens. We'd hate to have the men charged with saving our auto industry not be well prepared.

J.

It's pretty bad when you can't even get them to climb onto the deck in the first place!

Timothy Geithner, alone and working night and day

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is practically alone on the job, working night and day to cope with the worst economic downturn in decades.

Of the 15 key Treasury Department positions that require Senate confirmation, only one has been filled. Stuart Levey, a leftover from the previous administration, who as under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, is not central to the crisis management however.

Unemployment figures which revealed Friday that 651,000 jobs were lost in February, showed the recession is running ever deeper, but Geithner, who started work in late January, has no deputy secretary, no under secretaries for international affairs and no deputy under secretaries.

Annette Nazareth, who had been expected to be chosen as deputy secretary -- Geithner's top aide -- has withdrawn her name, the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition, citing people familiar with the matter.

The former Security Exchange Commission head "withdrew in large part because of the long vetting process" President Barack Obama has put in place to choose members of his government, the daily said.

Geithner's choice for undersecretary for international affairs, Caroline Atkinson, also took her name out of the running.

His handling of Gordon Brown was far more like handling some secretary for a third-world state with an excess of consonants. "Get 'em in, get 'em photographed, give 'em a cheap gift, get 'em out, and run them through the White House gift shop." (It's a federal law, apparently.) And I'm afraid we're going to see much more of stuff like this...

Barack Obama 'too tired' to give proper welcome to Gordon Brown - Telegraph

The real views of many in Obama administration were laid bare by a State Department official involved in planning the Brown visit, who reacted with fury when questioned by The Sunday Telegraph about why the event was so low-key.

The official dismissed any notion of the special relationship, saying: "There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment." The apparent lack of attention to detail by the Obama administration is indicative of what many believe to be Mr Obama's determination to do too much too quickly.

Good lord, it's amateur hour in the White House.

But on the good side, we're considering normalizing relations with Cuba. Maybe he'll treat Raoul Castro with much more pomp and ceremony.

So let's run this down.

He cuddled up to Russia on Iran, only to get slapped down. He's willing to scrap European missile defense, and Iran launches a long-range missile. He's willing to be dismissive of long-term, staunch allies, and try hard to get states which we're against to be best buddies. Financally, he's got one man who can't get a staff appointed (hell, nobody wants to be associated with it!) to do all his heavy lifting, and every time Obama speaks on the economy (with or without teleprompter) it drops another 200 points?

On the military side of things... well, we won't go there yet, okay? However, Obama's talking about normalizing relations with the Taliban.

Why do I get the feeling we've gotten stuck into a VERY bad novel?And why do I get the feeling that the WORST thing that could have happened to the Democratic Party was to get Obama elected, AND have control of the House and Senate?

And why do I feel we've got worse to come ourselves?

J.

The Volokh Conspiracy - Withdrawn High-Level Nominees:

Question: What are the five most terrifying words you'll ever hear from Obama's lips?

Answer: "Will you work for me?"

**************

Question: How do you know you're in really deep s***?

Answer: If Obama uses your name and "my nominee" in the same sentence.

Heh.

J.

Judicial Watch Uncovers Documents Detailing Pelosi's Repeated Requests for Military Travel | Judicial Watch

Speaker Pelosi came under fire in 2007 for requesting a 42-seat Air Force carrier to ferry the Speaker and her staff back and forth between San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was allowed access to a 12-seat commuter jet for security reasons after the events of 9/11.
"Taken together, these documents show that Speaker Pelosi treats the Air Force like her personal airline," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Not only does Speaker Pelosi issue unreasonable requests for military travel, but her office seems unconcerned about wasting taxpayer money with last minute cancellations and other demands."

Most Responsible Congress - Sure...

Pelosi seems to see herself as being above the common people, doesn't she? Flying commercial is apparently too inconvenient or demeaning, so she requests military aircraft be placed on standby like a personal air taxi service... regardless of the costs or even if it's going to be used.

What a bunch of clowns. Sadly, WE'RE the ones they play their pranks on - and we're expected to laugh and keep on paying for the pain!

J.

At least, if you aren't adhering to the 'Don't listen to him!' commands from Obama.

EIB Q1 Revenue and Listenership Through the Roof Thanks to You

RUSH: I normally would not release this kind of information, but there have been noted efforts to impugn this program's ratings and success as part of the effort to demonize me. We here at the EIB Network, in the midst of a recession, have just closed the first quarter of 2009.

Revenues at the EIB Network in the first quarter of 2009 are up 13.5% over first quarter revenues of 2008, and at our revenue baseline, that is not an insignificant percentage or amount represented by it. Now, here's the difference, or here's the thing. This fact that I have recently imparted... Oh, and I can share with you that we have just finished an analysis of Arbitron listening data for... What is it? Is it January-February or February-March? It could be all three months; I'd have to check the e-mail. But the cume audience, which means total bodies, is up 32%. Now, when you're starting at a baseline of 20, 22 million, 32% is a significant number in the cume -- and that's total listeners. That's not getting into demographics; it's total listeners. Now, there are certain people who are responsible for this.

One thing that people don't get about Limbaugh - he's a conservative ideologue who's ENTERTAINING. He's not everyone's cup of tea - I don't like him much but I agree with a lot of his ideas. A lot of people DO like him, and listen every day.

You listen to Air America... if you can find it, that is - and they're NOT entertaining.

I have little doubt that when Obama said 'Don't listen to Rush' - people did just that, prepared to be shocked and appalled. And instead, what they found was a reasonable, humorous talk show host. He might have been a bit nuts, but he grew on you, and what he said was actually the way you were thinking... only funnier.

People will listen to that.

And there's pretty much no handle the Democrats can twist that'll shut up Rush. His faults and failures are wide open - and he's paid for them. He can laugh at himself - and if there's one thing the left doesn't seem to get, it's the concept of how self-depreciating humor can make you MORE likeable.

So keep it up, Obama. You're making Rush rich.

J.

Wait a second - didn't we see this movie before?

CQ Politics | Congress to Erase Obama’s Name From Earmark

Print | E-mailCQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS – APPROPRIATIONS
Feb. 26, 2009 – 4:29 p.m.
Congress to Erase Obama’s Name From Earmark
By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff
Congress will scrub President Obama’s name from a list of earmark cosponsors in the $410 billion omnibus spending bill.
The reason: Whether Obama cosponsored the earmark depends on what the definition of earmark is and when an earmark becomes an earmark, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The provision itself is still considered an earmark, and it’s staying in the bill (HR 1105) — but it’s losing the Obama brand.

There's just too many lawyers in Congress. AND the Presidency.

J.

I've refrained from mentioning it here - since the little guy occasionally checks the blog now. But - he's got a few days off from school, and it's time for a road trip.

I've been pretty secretive about where we're going this time. The custom is he can know WHERE we're going, or WHEN - but not both. So he knows WHEN (IE today) but not WHERE.

And the WHERE, if things work out right - should be pretty impressive. I've been thinking about taking him to see one for a while - with no real luck as far as the schedule coinciding with his free time, and although it's something I think is pretty impressive, I couldn't justify yanking him out of school for it.

But now - apparently there's going to be TWO pretty much back to back.

A Shuttle Launch - and an Atlas missile launch.

The Shuttle launch was originally scheduled for Thursday, then they changed it to Wednesday, but now it's delayed to Sunday. That'll work... And the Atlas was moved up, so...

Got reservations, got the bags packed and loaded - and soon we'll be on the road. It should be fun! Aaron's a good traveller, and as I said I've been fairly secretive about where we're going. He knows it's on a radius of approximately 450 miles from Atlanta - and it's South and East. (Got my old GPS set up with a waypoint at the motel, direct to it is about 450 miles.) But so far he hasn't figured out QUITE what it is. He almost guessed it - said "A Space Shuttle launch?" but I told him it'd been delayed. I didn't deny it, however... I don't know if he picked up on that or not.

Might swing by Disney World on the way - I'll swing by the base ticket office and see what's going on re specials. I know they've got slightly discounted tickets for KSC, so I'll get them there.

It's going to be a fun weekend, I do believe...

J.

Quick version -

Thursday I picked up the little guy after school, and we headed south. We spent the night in Gainesville, kept going the next morning and watched the sun rise as we approached Orlando. I really hadn't intended (much) to go to Disney - but the opportunity arose last week with the news of a special military ticket price (free) and extremely discounted spouse/dependent tickets. So - we (actually, I) bit. Got the tickets at the Shades of Green resort down there, and went over to EPCOT. Got on a bunch of rides - the attendance was VERY light for Disney - the only thing with a long wait was "Test Track". "Mission: Space" was about a 10 minute wait, other rides were pretty short. "The Seas" has been rethemed to "The Seas with Nemo and Friends" - and not improved by the change, I think. But the little guy enjoyed it. "Journey into your Imagination" was pretty good - as well as "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience". Took a monorail ride (sitting in the front, whoo-hoo!) over to the main gate area, then another to the Magic Kingdom - then took one of the ferries back to the main gate, then the monorail back to EPCOT, and headed out to Cocoa Beach.

Saturday we went out to Jetty Park/Port Canaveral to look over the campground - we might try staying there later in the year. Saw a couple of cruise ships in port - a Disney and a Carnival - and those things were huge! The port facilities looked pretty large without them present for comparison...

Called up a kayaking company - arranged for a beginner's session on Sunday. Went out to Kennedy Space Center - and I could just plain cuss... I don't like what's happened to the space program over the last 30 years, and don't see it getting any better anytime soon - in fact, I think it likely to see cutbacks - but for that's for another rant. The 'Shuttle Launch Experience' ride is the closest I'll ever get to orbit - and it was pretty good, all in all.

Then back so Aaron could get some beach time - and then we cleaned up and went to dinner. (Although the weather was good, the temperature started dropping with the sun....) It looked like we might be able to get a decent shot of the shuttle launch from the beach, though it wouldn't have been my first choice of possible observation venues.

Aaron bought a little half-surfboard, to mess with the next day of there was time.... and there was. The kayaking was rather fun - but about a half-hour too long. I'll cross that off my 'to-do' list - I don't see much of a need to repeat it unless the little guy wants to do it again.

We cleaned up, tried to go back out to KSC, found it close, so we went to the beach. Aaron found a jellyfish - or it found him in the water, and that ended the beach time...

We got cleaned up, applied first aid to the jellyfish welts, (Apply hand sanitizer, scrape with a plastic card, hand sanitizer, scrape - apply shaving cream, cover w/washcloth, wait ten minutes, scrape, apply second layer of shaving cream, cover, wait half-hour.) Then it was time to get into the traffic jam as everyone and their brother-in-law headed out to see the launch...

More (and links) later...

J.

Boy, that Beaker's got a good soprano, doesn't he? She? Um.... whatever.

Enjoy!

J.

Gordon Brown apologises for unacceptable failings at 'Third World' Stafford hospital | Mail Online

There can be "no excuses" for what happened to patients at Stafford Hospital, the Prime Minister said today as he apologised to families caught up in the scandal.Gordon Brown promised relatives they would be entitled to an independent review of case notes and said standards "fell far short" of what people could expect from the NHS.A damning report form the Healthcare Commission yesterday detailed a catalogue of failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stafford and Cannock Chase hospitals.

Dehydrated patients were forced to drink out of flower vases, while others were left in soiled linen on filthy wards. Relatives of patients who died at Staffordshire General Hospital told how they were so worried by the standard of care they slept in chairs on the wards.

Well - hope for change, folks.

J.

Obama May Find Anger Over Bonuses Backfires on Agenda (Correct) - Bloomberg.com

March 18 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama’s attempt to harness public anger over bonuses paid by American International Group Inc. may backfire on him as Republicans try to redirect that anger toward his administration.

Obama’s spokesman yesterday was forced to defend Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and the administration’s response against attacks by Republican lawmakers, some of whom threatened to block any more bailouts of struggling companies.

The public furor over the $165 million in bonuses AIG handed out to employees gives administration critics a new weapon to thwart Obama’s agenda, from his budget to plans for financial-market regulation. It’s also sparking a new round of legislative proposals to penalize -- and potentially tax -- executives who receive bonuses at rescued companies.

The avalanche has started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.

All we can do is try to ride it out, and hope there's not too much damage done...

J.

Back to the trip...

We did what we could for Aaron's jellyfish welts and headed out, hoping to find someplace workable for the launch. Worst comes to worst, we'd head back to the beach and set up, but I was hoping we wouldn't have to do that.

We ended up on a slope about 13 miles from the launch pad... but that wasn't much of a hindrance.

It was... impressive.

VERY impressive.

(Yeah, telephoto lens, cropping - but still...)

There are times I could cuss NASA up one side and down the other for what's NOT happened in the last 30 years. But right now? I've got no complaints...

J.

SPACE.com -- Bat Hung On For a Ride Into Space

A small bat that was spotted blasting off with the space shuttle Sunday and clinging to the back side of Discovery's external fuel tank apparently held on throughout the launch.

Well, for one last flight that'd be the way to go out...

J.

Photographers' access limited to Obama-Leno taping - Yahoo! Finance

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is hoping to use comedian Jay Leno's late-night show to add a light touch to his work getting the economy on track. But news photographers who cover the White House aren't laughing.

The pool of media that accompanies the president wherever he goes won't be allowed into the NBC studio during Thursday's taping of that night's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." That pool of about 14 journalists, made up of print and radio reporters, one TV camera crew and a few still photographers, will instead be held in a separate room where a live feed from the studio will be shown.

But you know, it's kind of funny. Apparently you can get tickets to sit in the audience without much trouble... it's kind of strange that the reporters who travel with the President won't be allowed to see what's going on.

Then again - maybe not. Given his performances without a teleprompter...

J.

For certain definitions of 'better'...

Obama White House bars press from press award ceremony | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

We are not making this up:

Barack Obama was elected commander-in-chief promising to run the most transparent presidential administration in American history.

This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. to name him "Newsmaker of the Year."

The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.

The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press

Look - I don't think he's a stupid man. I do believe he's exceedingly self-centered, charismatic, and projects a sense of entitlement (and undeserved competence) that he's used to get people to support him to where he is today. I also think he's contemptous of the people who support him - just like a con man thinks the marks he steals from are stupid for being gullible enough to fall for his line.

From what I'm seeing on-line, it's starting to become apparent to the not-quite-rabid folks on the left that their dream candidate is turning into a nightmare. Another month or two, and THEY will be suggesting the tar and feathers...

I'm still hoping he'll pull his head out of his nether regions and realize how important his job is - but as I've posted before, I believe he's looking at his position as a reward for being just so damn excellent at everything he's done to this point. It's going to take one hell of a wakeup call to knock that idea out of his head, and if blowing out trillions of dollars won't do it, I don't like to think what would.

J.

First Western tourists visit war-torn Iraq - News- msnbc.com

And on the other...

Protesters call for an end to Iraq war - Invasion Iraq: Six Years Later- msnbc.com

Picture 6 in the photostory below shows the crowd at the pentagon. It's ... underwhelming.

Marching for peace - Picture Stories- msnbc.com

"Authorities in Arlington County, Virginia, estimated there were 2,500 to 3,000 protesters. " - but it looks like a lot less to me. (You can look like a really big crowd if you've got a lot of signs and a cooperative photographer - Pictures 1 and 4 seem to show a lot of people, but 4's with a wide-angle lens pretty close, and 1 has a lot of signs. I believe picture 6 really shows the size, however, and I think there was an attempt to block it.)

You compare that protest to the pictures of the "Tea Party" protests, which are getting a LOT less coverage than the PC 'Anti-war' protests - despite having a lot MORE people apparently there...

Nah, no media bias. Why would you even THINK of such a thing?

But doesn't it strike you as rather peculiar that there'd be an Iraq war protest covered on the one hand, and a tourism article on Iraq on the other hand? Seems to me like you wouldn't be terribly interesting in touring a war zone...

J.

Update - looks like there's at least SOME local interest in the tea party phenomenon - the Orlando Sentinel reports more than 4000 people attending. Now THAT looked like a 4000 person crowd in the pictures linked above.

And people are starting to notice things...

'Tea Party' protests spending to stimulate economy - The Connecticut Post Online

"The more we talk to people the more we feel this upswell of resentment over what's happening," Francis said. "The average person who is conservative, not just Republican, but conservative -- they're not flag-wavers or placard-carriers -- they've just started to realized that if they don't do things they've never done before, the country is going to be taken away from them."

J.

Kroft to Obama: Are you punch-drunk? - Craig Gordon - POLITICO.com

President Barack Obama said he believes the global financial system remains at risk of implosion with the failure of Citigroup or AIG, touching off “an even more destructive recession and potentially depression.”

His remarks came in a “60 Minutes” interview in which he was pressed by an incredulous Steve Kroft for laughing and chuckling several times while discussing the perilous state of the world’s economy.

“You're sitting here. And you're— you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, ‘I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money—’ How do you deal with— I mean: explain. . .” Kroft asks at one point.

“Are you punch-drunk?” Kroft says.

“No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day,” Obama says, with a laugh.

The joke's sure on us, isn't it? He's got his hand on the financial lever - cue the hysterical laughter!

J.

My Way News - Treasury's toxic asset plan could cost $1 trillion

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration's latest attempt to tackle the banking crisis and get loans flowing to families and businesses will create a new government entity, the Public-Private Investment Program, to help purchase as much as $1 trillion in toxic assets on banks' books.
The new effort, to be unveiled Monday, will be followed the next day with release of the administration's broad framework for overhauling the financial system to ensure that the current crisis - the worst in seven decades - is not repeated.

Trillions being tossed around, Obama finding time to go on talk shows and acting like a second-rate comic, going on '60 Minutes' and having the host being agast at his actions - would someone PLEASE tell the author of this damnable tale that not only is there no way it's ever going to sell since the characters in a political thriller are at least SUPPOSED to be marginally competent, but it's not even that amusing as a political comedy where the characters are assumed to be completely incompetent?

I think we're screwed. And we're not only screwed, but we've got no idea just HOW screwed we are yet. Obama's pulling hard on the wrench, and he's paying NO attention whatsoever to the torque limits...

J.

BBC NEWS | Business | World's cheapest car is launched

Only the Tata has a rear-mount engine, about half the CCs of my old car. (Which had 65 HP, if I remember right...)

I wonder if they'll import it here? If so - they might need to change the branding...

J.

The little guy is getting into radio - and we're going to be making (as soon as the parts come) a crystal radio set out of the Radio merit badge handbook.

So I've got a question on antennas, oh knowledgeable readers, which I cannot seem to find an answer for in a quick perusal of webbish resources.

Generally with a long-wire antenna, the longer the antenna (especially for a crystal set) the better. Now, having a spool of telephone wire in the basement (about 100 feet or so) - would it make an effective antenna if I connected the 4 wires inside it to make one LONG wire about 400 feet long? Or will inductance or capacitance issues render it about as effective as a 100 ft antenna would be - or less?

Any help would be appreciated!

J.

Obama Asks Volcker to Lead Panel on Tax-Code Overhaul (Update3) - Bloomberg.com

March 25 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama is putting former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in charge of a tax- code review aimed at closing loopholes, streamlining the law and generating revenue, budget Director Peter Orszag said.
Volcker, 81, who heads the president’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, is being asked to take a look at the laws in an effort to rebalance the tax system.

Orszag said the review, given a deadline of Dec. 4, is being ordered to make recommendations on steps to simplify the code, built over the last 96 years, in ways that would reduce tax evasion and what he called “corporate welfare.”

Might want to buy stock here and here. 'Cause I don't see ANYTHING good coming from a hasty revamp of our tax structure, especially with 'social justice' seen as a desired prerequisite.

(The FairTax would be an improvement, but what's the probability of that getting implemented? .003% or less?)

J.

'I'm having a very good crisis,' says Soros - who made ｣1billion as the world plunged into recession | Mail Online

A hedge fund manager who predicted the global credit crunch has said the financial crisis has been 'stimulating' and the culmination of his life's work.George Soros, who predicted the global financial crisis twice before, was one of the few people to anticipate and prepare for the current economic collapse.Mr Soros said his prediction meant he was better able to brace his Quantum investment fund against the gloabal storm.

So just what DID happen last September? $550 billion 'disappeared' out of money market accounts. And a further $5 TRILLION was going to go out before the Fed stopped it.

(Liveleak video here...)

Now, I might be wrong about this, but with all the layers of security on electronic transactions (not to mention physical transactions - are there ever any mass movements of money/gold any more?) how could there NOT be big bloody footprints leading from where the funds 'were' to where they are 'now'?

You'd think that this would have gotten a bit more press than that - but this might be the snowball that got everything rolling.

The question is - who would benefit?

Who would both have the resources to move out that much money - and the desire to do it?

I'm thinking... Soros. He's already done a number on the Russian economy - why not the US one also? Just... because he can. He doesn't like the US much in the first place - why NOT knock it over just for grins?

I'm likely seeing things that aren't there - but if you're looking for the likely thief of a very large, heavy object, and the only person with the ability to move it is someone who doesn't like you much in the first place, it's not much of a stretch to be suspicious of that person... Might not have proof - but that money had to go somewhere, and that the news has been so quiet on a sudden disappearance of $550 billion makes you kind of curious.

J.

Geithner to Propose Vast Expansion Of U.S. Oversight of Financial System - washingtonpost.com

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner plans to propose today a sweeping expansion of federal authority over the financial system, breaking from an era in which the government stood back from financial markets and allowed participants to decide how much risk to take in the pursuit of profit.

So just who is SUPPOSED to be managing this expansion of authority?

They keep coming up with ideas that require really, really competent people to oversee - and they just don't have the folks to do it. Anyone competent is going to be running far and fast from this, not wanting to have anything to with it - so you're going to be left with the folks who'll botch the job, which will require even MORE authority and oversight... oh.

Riiiight. Now it becomes a bit more clear.

J.

SueK sent this...

Found this link. It's not optimistic - that much is obvious. What is still not obvious to me is what is going on and who's doing what. Any enlightenment welcome...

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/898-The-End-Game-Approaches.html

China sure won't. Saudi and the ME? Nope. Other countries? Not so much.

Now, I'll admit there's a good possibility that some agency is so ticked off at the US that it wouldn't MIND destroying the world economy to strike at the US economy - but they'd have to live with the aftermath on that, and I'm finding it hard to believe any group or organization would be so blind that they're not going to consider the results of their financial actions.

So that leaves two possibilities. An individual (or small group of individuals) who doesn't CARE what they're going to do financially will wreck things worldwide - or a massive blunder on the part of our 'economic elite'... the governmental version of a massive overdraft fee.

Which? I don't know. All I can do is observe and theorize.

BTW, SueK - click on the 'Email Me' link in the right-hand column for my address.

J.

Ain't that somethin'...

Wire wound on a paper towel roll, a discarded phone handset, and a 1N34 diode. Plus a 200 foot wire antenna.

Picks up WSB and a local Spanish station, pretty clearly too.

Hard to believe that it was less than a century ago the early crystal sets came out.

(And here I am, writing this on an electronic network using a computing machine that would have been considered a totally outlandish fantasy at the time.)

Truely we live in an age of unappreciated wonders...

J.

Big Hollywood ｻ Blog Archive ｻ California To Ban TV: But Not For Good Reason (like there's nothing decent to watch)

Why is it that many government agency names are oxymoronic? How much new water has the California Department of Water Resources delivered in the past couple of decades? How much energy has the federal Department of Energy or the California Energy Commission produced or encouraged?

It should come as no surprise that in 2009, an era when the L.A. Basin's air quality bureaucracy, the SCAQMD, wants to ban dark cars because they need more air conditioning in the summer, that the California Energy Commissariate is drafting an order to outlaw TVs. (Perhaps if our TVs had one state-approved channel they would relent.)

Extra power plants just don't seem to be on the agenda, do they? Of course not - they take decades to build and they're polluters. Same thing with offshore drilling - that was quietly taken off the table.

California used to be the golden land. Now, with increasing taxes and regulation it's turning into a land where only those who must live there will stay. Another 20 years - and the only ones left will be screaming for more government services, to be paid for by a sector that's tapped out and gone...

J.

J.

Li'l Abner -- (Movie Clip) The Very Best of Hands

Not much has changed! Bafflegab is eternal...

J.

We find something else to spend it on.

My beloved's Mazda MPV van has done excellent work over the last 8 years - from trailer hauling to moving bunches of people to moving furniture and boxes, it's done well. But lately, it's been getting... expensive.

The radiator split, there's been miscellaneous computer problems (or ignition problems, which couldn't be isolated even after several large monetary IVs to the dealer...) and lately the check engine light comes on when it rains... for a while. We don't need a money pit - we need reliable transportation.

So we went out this weekend to find a new replacement. (Thought about buying used - but even with a fleet vehicle you're really not sure what you're going to be getting maintenance wise.)
Specs were - needs to be able to tow a minimum of 3500 lbs, and be what we considered 'affordable'. 3rd-row seating very desirable, but not essential, given sufficient thought to 'affordability'. No pickup trucks need apply.

Chrysler's Aspen was considered - but the local dealer didn't have much in stock and it was too expensive considering fit and finish. Salesman didn't offer to search for anything in the area that would work. No idea when they'd get something in, didn't seem concerned about it. Wasn't really much of a surprise on the availability, to be sure. When you've got a company about to go under, making product isn't going to be a high priority. Making affordable product will be even less.

And the salesman attitude was odd. We seemed to be an annoyance, not a revenue source. In the midst of a sales downturn, you'd think they'd be at least SLIGHTLY pleased we dropped in.

(Then today we find out GM is going to have their warranties backed by the government. Looks like the GM salesfolk have turned on the "Government Salesman Mode" - "Buy it or not - we don't really care. I get paid the same whether you get a car or not, and it's a lot less hassle for me if you don't."

Saturn VUE? Nope, couldn't haul enough. Saturn Outlook? Didn't feel good, fit and finish weren't there, and too expensive for the perceived value. There weren't ANY GM products available that were within striking distance of our criteria. And at every GM shop, the sales attitude was the same studied indifference.

Nissan? Toyota? "Nothing available, don't know when anything might be coming in." Apparently the lower gas prices have sparked a run on the larger models. Might have been able to swing a good deal for a Hummer H3, but... no third row seating and I'd need a friggin' stepladder to get my aged parents into it. Couldn't see THAT happening... plus the price was more than we wanted to pay - though we could get a slightly used one at CarMax for less.

Ended up looking at a Kia 'Borrego', and it's a heck of a lot more for a lower price than any comparable GM product. (Even beat Honda, Nissan, and Toyota..) AND the salesman wanted to make a sale - that was more than the GM folks seemed to want to do.

We looked, poked, prodded, then came home and I started digging on line.

The Borrego (I call it the Burrito and my wife hits me, so we'll possibly call it the Borg...) is relatively new, but it's been out since last August. Couldn't find sales figures for last year, but there were over 700 sold here in the US in Jan and Feb, total in the US so far seems to be about 10K or so.

I looked HARD on-line for any horror stories, and couldn't find a one. (Which doesn't mean all that much.) Found a LOT of complimentary stuff, reviews, and it was even a Kelly Blue Book 'Deal of the week' - so I'm thinking it'll at least last out the payments. Finally found ONE negative review - in a Detroit paper. (Yeah, no possibility of bias there, right?) Other than that, the worst that was said was that it's a model that's out of its time, and gas mileage isn't great. (16 to 23. Eh. We'll see.)

And to make things even better - there was a $3000 rebate with 0% financing, and since it was near the end of the month, they weren't adverse to haggling. We got the midline EX for the cost of the LX. And the copper color is even one my lovely bride has always wanted.

All in all, it was interesting going car shopping this weekend. It really didn't turn out like I was expecting...

J.

mamapundit - Blog Archive - FREE healthcare (no, really)

Walgreen has announced plans to offer FREE healthcare to unemployed/uninsured folks:

As I noted in the comments there, if you were looking for an almost ready-made infrastructure to create a national health service, you could do a lot worse than use commercial entities such as Walgreens and Walmart. Either lease space, or subsidize the eisting clinic. Heck, if they'll give space (in WalMart's case) to banks, optometrists, nail parlors, arcades, and tax preparers, a clinic should be no problem. In addition, you'll have a ready-made logistics infrastructure for your perishables and expendables.

Which pretty much guarantees it won't be used. Why use an existing wheel when you can spend billions to reinvent it? And you DON'T want to give any money to those horrible capitalists, after all.

Frankly, after seeing what they've done with the banking and auto industries, I figure after they dismantle the medical field we'll be darn lucky to even have a mini-clinic like this to go to...

J.