Say Anything Blog

TACOMA, Wash.—A federal judge in Tacoma has told a lawyer he needs to make it snappy.

Judge Ronald Leighton balked at a 465-page lawsuit that made its way onto his desk. He invoked a rarely used rule that requires a “short and plain statement” of allegations.

The title of the racketeering lawsuit filed by attorney Dean Browning Webb was eight pages long.

The judge issued his order in a limerick:

“Plaintiff has a great deal to say,

But it seems he skipped Rule 8(a).

His Complaint is too long,

Which renders it wrong,

Please rewrite and refile today.”

What wasn’t mentioned was ...  we’re talking 465 pages, with an 8-page title.
Good for you Judge Leighton, I certainly don’t blame ya

On a 69 ayes 28 nayes vote.

Obama voted for both cloture (ending debate and forcing the vote) and the measure.

I hear heads ‘slpoding all around me here in San Jose…

Hat Tip: Hot Air

Interesting how that worked out:

EXTRA
Political Diary
July 9, 2008

Reviving Redistributionism

New data from the IRS will be out in a few weeks on who pays how much in taxes. My contacts at the Treasury Department tell me that for the first time in decades, and perhaps ever, the richest 1% of tax filers will have paid more than 40% of the income tax burden. The top 50% will account for 97% of all federal income taxes, while the bottom 50% will have paid just 3%.

Interesting.

Somehow those tax cuts for the rich shifted the tax burden such that the top half (by reported income) of all taxpayers paid 97% of the taxes collected.

One suspects we’ve reached the point of diminishing returns with regard to the taxes collected from that top 50% of earners, which means that the real increases to pay for the programs of the democRATs will have to come from somewhere else.

Sameh El-Shahat addresses this question in his commentary in The Telegraph.

Yes, we’ve all heard the Bushisms and laughed at them but do you really think somebody supposedly that thick can make it to the top of the most sophisticated political system the world has ever seen?

No, and that is because Mr Bush is far cleverer than most of his predecessors. He may not have been a Rhodes Scholar, but he has the ability to reach out to his people and read them.

Take the Iraq war for example. OK, so he got us into Iraq in the first place. But for Pete’s sake, he’s the leader of the world’s only superpower. He needs to take decisions, even if sometimes they have nasty consequences - which is far better than we do in Europe, where we enjoy dithering not as a means to an end, but as an end in itself.

Something had to be done about Iraq and our government was all for attacking it too. So let’s not blame G.W. for the war.

And when things did go wrong in Iraq, and there were calls to pull out, Mr Bush just followed his own counsel and doubled his bet with the Surge.

And he was right because Iraq is in a relatively better shape today than it ever was and Al Qa’eda is a shadow of its former self in that country.

This is a man who has the courage of his convictions.

Let’s not forget how Europe does wars.

Usually we wait and wait until the enemy starts attacking, then we let them win a bit, then we fight until we are tired, then we just call the US to come over to clean our mess.

That is what happened in WWI, WWII, and the Balkans.

Bush is just showing us what a bunch of dangerous ditherers we are and we hate him for it. Naturally.

Interesting commentary.  If Bush is a buffoon, it’s probably not for any of the reasons that El-Shahat explores, is all I’m going to say on the matter.

Other than to note that many of the criticisms of Bush fall into the framework of being intellectually lazy.  It’s always easy to point fingers at other people, or to sneer at what they do, especially when you yourself are ignorant of the basic facts.  Once again this illustrates the difference between cynicism (a pretense for intellectualism in some circles) and healthy skepticism.

CHRYSLER BLDG. GOES ABU DHABI

Lois Weiss

AS of today, the majority of the iconic Chrysler Building should be in the - we expect - happy hands of the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.

The nearly $800 million deal, first reported by The Post on June 11, by the Middle East sovereign wealth fund included the purchase of 90 percent of the ownership stake while leaving local Tishman Speyer Properties as the manager of the 77-story tower.

Sources tell us the secretive ADIC will also soon close on the separate purchase of the retail sections that include the dramatic Philip Johnson-designed pyramid-shaped Trylons along E. 42nd St. that’s now rented to the Capital Grille steakhouse.

Andrew Bolt

PSYCHIATRISTS have detected the first case of “climate change delusion” - and they haven’t even yet got to Kevin Rudd and his global warming guru.

Writing in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Joshua Wolf and Robert Salo of our Royal Children’s Hospital say this delusion was a “previously unreported phenomenon”.

“A 17-year-old man was referred to the inpatient psychiatric unit at Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne with an eight-month history of depressed mood . . . He also . . . had visions of apocalyptic events.”

(So have Alarmist of the Year Tim Flannery, Profit of Doom Al Gore and Sir Richard Brazen, but I digress.)

“The patient had also developed the belief that, due to climate change, his own water consumption could lead within days to the deaths of millions of people through exhaustion of water supplies.”

But never mind the poor boy, who became too terrified even to drink. What’s scarier is that people in charge of our Government seem to suffer from this “climate change delusion”, too.

[...]

So psychiatrists are treating a 17-year-old tipped over the edge by global warming fearmongers?

Pray that their next patients will be two men whose own delusions threaten to drive our whole economy over the edge as well.

The first of many, no doubt.

Rick Moran

Well, not directly of course. President Ahmadinejad has already said he’d meet with McCain or Obama. I can’t recall whether that was before or after the little troll said he would “burn” Israel and the US Navy if we bombed his nuke sites. 

But a much more concrete demonstration of Ahmadinejad’s love and affection came yesterday when Iran tested another long range missile - and you could sense the jitters from Amman to Abu Dhabi:

Iran test-fired a missile capable of reaching Israel early this morning, as part of war games that escalate the sabre-rattling between the Islamic Republic and the West.

The new version of the Shahab-3 missile was one of nine medium and long-range missiles launched from the desert during wider war gaming in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway off the south of the country through which passes about 40 per cent of the world’s oil.

The aim of the test was to “to demonstrate our resolve and might against enemies who in recent weeks have threatened Iran with harsh language,” said the air force commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, General Hoseyn Salami.

Two other types of missile with shorter ranges were also tested, and state television reported a total of nine launches, showing footage of three missiles firing simultaneously.

“Our hands are always on the trigger and our missiles are ready for launch,” General Salami said. “The enemy must not repeat its mistakes. The enemy targets are under surveillance.”

[...]

The point is simple; Iran could have foregone testing their new and improved Jew-Killer missile as a gesture of understanding and peace for the potential next president of the US who has made it clear he wants to talk, not bomb.

If Obama was listening, he got his answer.

This is the inevitable result of trying to negotiate from a weak position; victory first, then diplomacy.  Reversing that brings the missiles.

....in one simple step. No, I don’t recommend trying, but our government does exactly this. How?

They reduce Social Security benefits by 50 cents for every dollar earned after a certain threshold. When you count FICA, state income tax, and federal income tax, you come to the uneasy realization that Social Security takes back 50 cents, and the rest of government takes back up to 40 cents on the dollar. Not surprisingly, a study performed at my alma mater (Michigan State) found that seniors don’t work for a dime on the dollar.

But how does this kill people and inheritances? Simple. Retirement is a disaster for health, as it all too often trades physical activity for worship of the idiot box, and when you combine poor health with poor income, you simultaneously kill Grandpa and the inheritance he wanted to pass down.

Dare I suggest repeal of this ill-founded rule?

Much of the most promising American oil lands have been declared off limits for oil drilling and production for many years. This has cost us all lots of money at the gasoline pump, but the effects elsewhere may be even bigger. The office of US Rep. John E. Peterson has prepared an estimate of the royalties (which means government revenues that wouldn’t come from individuals’ taxes) that could be realized, and arrives at the astonishing figure of 2.5 trillion dollars.

This figure may be too high (and few details are on offer about the study), but even if the study doubles what would be realized, it would amount to a staggering sum. Not to mention the spin-off wealth and tax revenues from increased domestic economic activity, when drilling and production is done here instead of overseas. Plus the effects on retail prices of enhanced oil supplies from offshore, ANWR, and federal lands int he West.

Meanwhile, the Democrats in Congress remain committed to impoverishing oridinary Americans through restricting oil supplies. 

[...]

Past 24 hours Iran test fires 9 missiles to demonstrate they can blow up Israel. 

Oil price doesn’t budge and drifts lower a bit.

And there’s oil bubbling up out of the ground in Northern Iraq

And there are ten reasons why Oil can’t get it on any more.

If Iran testing missiles doesn’t run the price of oil up then what will?

Hang on to your Amoco hat.

This troublemaker eleven-year-old is quickly becoming a legend. In 2007, Semaj Booker stole a car and drove it on the highway until the engine blew. Then, he snuck past security onto two flights to get his runaway self from SeaTac to Texas. Booker tried the plane trick again just last month, and now he’s back in court for attempted burglary.

[...]

He’s been ordered to remain in custody while the court figures out if he understands the charges and sounds out Booker’s moral compass. Someone give the boy a brownie and a hug, for God’s sake.

HAH! ... NO HUGS for you lil man. IMHO you could use a good ass whuppin’

Here.

Burlington Telecom, owned by the small city of Burlington, Vermont, (population 39,000), decided to carry Al Jazeera English, sparking debate among residents and leading some groups to ask for its removal from the list of channels.

Aha! Its the conservative, ‘government out of my backyard and into that faggot’s bedroom’, crowd who wish to have it banned. Of course, don’t speak of banning Fox…

Another issue which lays bare the fact that the whole conservative complaint that Dems want you regulated and not them is pure hogwash. That inconsistent position is proudly trumpeted by both parties now.

Forget conservatives versus liberals—the real debate over Al Jazeera in Burlington and elsewhere is increasingly turning into a debate between those who have watched the channel and those who have not. Those who have watched Al Jazeera on air will benefit from its strong global perspective on international news and affairs. On the flipside, most of the sections of society insisting Al Jazeera be dropped have never even watched it.

...one group should not be allowed to impose itself on the other…

Even if you are against the content that some news channel like Al Jazeera is broadcasting, don’t you nonetheless want it available to you if you choose to watch it? I don’t see why anyone would censor any of these news channels… be it Fox or Al Jazeera.

here’s a cross post from http://www.outdoornewsguy.com

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its preliminary report on mid-continent breeding ducks and habitats, based on surveys conducted in May and early June. Total duck populations were estimated at 37.3 million breeding ducks on the surveyed area. This estimate represents a 9 percent decline over last year’s estimate of 41.2 million birds, but remains 11 percent above the 1955-2007 long-term average.

full post at outdoornewsguy.com

Would you pay $5 for the chance to turn down the prize of being back stage with BH Obamarama?

C. Y. —

I wanted you to be the first to hear the news.

At the Democratic National Convention next month, we’re going to kick off the general election with an event that opens up the political process the same way we’ve opened it up throughout this campaign.

Barack has made it clear that this is your convention, not his.

On Thursday, August 28th, he’s scheduled to formally accept the Democratic nomination in a speech at the convention hall in front of the assembled delegates.

Instead, the convention will move to an outdoor stadium where Barack will join more than 75,000 people for a huge, free, open-air event and deliver his acceptance speech to the American people.

It’s going to be an amazing event, and Barack would like you to join him. Free tickets will become available as the date approaches, but we’ve reserved a special place for a few of the people who brought us this far and who continue to drive this campaign.

If you make a donation of $5 or more between now and midnight on July 31st, you could be one of 10 supporters chosen to fly to Denver and spend two days and nights at the convention, meet Barack backstage, and watch his acceptance speech in person. Each of the ten supporters who are selected will be able to bring one guest to join them.

Make a donation now and you could have a front row seat to history:

https://donate.barackobama.com/DNCconvention

We’ll follow up with more details on this and other convention activities as we get closer, but please take a moment and pass this note to someone you know who might like to be there.

It will be an event you’ll never forget.

Thank you,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Since someone signed me up for the Dem’s emails, and the ‘bounce’ feature hasn’t discouraged them from sending more, they put me on their junk mail list too.  I remove anything with my name on it and send the rest of it back in the supplied postage paid envelope.

Citizens stunned as school board walks out of meeting
Students, supporters of reassigned teachers protest to empty chairs

A crowd of students and citizens of Guilderland, N.Y., gathered last week at a public school board meeting to protest the questionable reassignment of two teachers, only to look on in disbelief as the school board stood up and left the room.

Matt Nelligan, Reassigned Teacher

As WND reported, two former teachers at Guilderland High School, Matt Nelligan and Anne Marie McManus, were informed on the last day of the 2008 school year that they would be involuntarily reassigned to the Farnsworth Middle School for reasons neither teacher fully understood.

School officials have said that the move was designed to address problems with the cultural climate of the social studies department, but Nelligan believes he was transferred because of his outspoken, conservative viewpoints and criticism of the teachers’ union leadership.

“It’s a witch hunt and a punishment,” he told the Altamont Enterprise. “Everybody knows it’s punishment.”

Yes, the school board had a reason for leaving:

After the board finished organizational matters, board President Richard Weisz explained the board’s policy about open discussions of personnel decisions: “If you refer to someone by name,” he said, “we take that in executive session. I’m supposed to gavel you if you talk about a personnel item.”

It is understandable in normal circumstances that the School Board would not discuss personal, personnel matters in public. I would want them to be that sensitive. However, everyone on the School Board knew that the issue was about whether or not these teachers were transferred as a form of punishment because they held conservative views and whether or not that was because the School Board wants to promote a liberal political agenda.

In this case, IMO, the School Board demonstrated an arrogance of power, a desire not to be responsive to the genuine concerns of the taxpayers, parents and students about the political nature of their decisions. The School Board could have spoken to that issue and refused comment or discussion if the debate wandered from the central issue into other more personal matters; but the plain truth is, they were found with their hands in the Liberal Educational Cookie Jar and they feared the truth might jeopardize their positions of absolute power over the children in their school district.

This school board deserves en masse to be recalled for their dictatorial style and their refusal to be open about their political agenda.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=68995