Clipmarks | burndata0's clips

So much for trimming the PORK

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:37:24 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: "Next time, it will be different"
I call Bull S#it on this one...

Critics question Obama's pledge to end 'pork'

(CNN) -- As a spending bill loaded with pork makes its way through Congress, President Obama is getting pushback from members of his own party who are questioning his vow to end wasteful spending.

The president on Wednesday pledged turn tide on an "era of fiscal irresponsibility," reiterating his campaign promise that the days of "pork ... as a strategy" are over.

Nearly $1.8 million for pig odor research in Iowa

$950,000 for a convention center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

$143,000 for a natural history museum in Las Vegas

$238,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Hawaii

About 60 percent of the earmarks are from Democrats, and about 40 percent are from Republicans, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The White House says this bill is just last year's unfinished business -- and next time, it will be different.

Tags: pork, obama, budget, change

Day 3 - The Pirate Bay’s ‘King Kong’ Defense

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:13:27 GMT

clipped by: burndata0

Clip Source: torrentfreak.com

Day 3 - The Pirate Bay’s ‘King Kong’ Defense

The Pirate Bay trial is moving forward rapidly and again the day in court has ended early. On the third day the prosecution presented the amended charges. The defendants all called for acquittal while Carl Lundström’s lawyer scored points with the already legendary ‘King Kong’ defense.

The third day of the trial started with prosecutor Håkan Roswall who presented his updated/amended charges to the Court, taking into consideration the developments of yesterday (50% charges removed). He characterized these amendments as a “small change”.

The lawyers representing all four called on the court for the acquittal of their clients.

Tags: king kong, the pirate bay, trial

Real Jobs Create Wealth

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:58:30 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: follow the link for the full article and the full point he is trying to make.

Clip Source: www.realclearpolitics.com

Real Jobs Create Wealth

So President Obama got his stimulus bill. For a mere $787 billion, he has pledged to "save or create" 3.5 million jobs. That's only $224,857 and change per job! (If I still have my job next year, will he take credit for saving it?)

Egypt built more than 100 pyramids beginning sometime in the third millennium B.C. to house the corpses of the pharaohs and their significant others. Think of all the jobs that project created. I'll bet the unemployment rate was something any pharaoh could have proudly campaigned for reelection on -- if he faced election, that is. Pyramid building is one heck of a public-works project.

So creating jobs is not difficult for government. What is difficult for government is creating jobs that produce wealth. Pyramids, holes in the ground and war do not produce wealth. They destroy wealth. They take valuable resources and convert them into something less valuable.

Tags: bailout, jobs, stimulus

Diamond is no longer nature’s hardest material

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:19:14 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: just kind of cool

Clip Source: www.itvnews.tv

Diamond is no longer nature’s hardest material

London: Diamond will always be a woman’s best friend but the gemstone is no longer the world’s hardest material, according to scientists.

Instead, a rare natural substance, called lonsdaleite, which is made from carbon atoms just like diamond, has emerged as 58 per cent harder than the gemstone, according to a report in the New Scientist.

The simulation revealed that the first one, wurtzite boron nitride, withstood 18 per cent more stress than diamond, while the second, the mineral lonsdaleite, 58 per cent more.

Tags: diamonds, hard, science

The Pirate Bay

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:48:44 GMT

clipped by: burndata0

Clip Source: www.tagbanger.com

Tags: the pirate ba

Charges dropped against Cole bombing jihadist

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:56:25 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: We should just put these guys in a room with the men and women who survived this attack for 5 mins, no questions asked. That would put an end to this insanity. Way to go Obama...

Clip Source: michellemalkin.com

Gitmo gall: Charges dropped against Cole bombing jihadist

While President Doom wallows in the politics of fear to salvage the failing stimulus behemoth, a national security mess looms.

The Pentagon’s senior judge overseeing terror trials at Guantanamo Bay dropped charges Thursday against an al-Qaida suspect in the 2000 USS Cole bombing, upholding President Barack Obama’s order to freeze military tribunals there. The charges against suspected al-Qaida bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri marked the last active Guantanamo war crimes case.

The legal move by Susan J. Crawford, the top legal authority for military trials at Guantanamo, brings all cases into compliance with Obama’s Jan. 22 executive order to halt terrorist court proceedings at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Crawford dismissed the charges against al-Nashiri without prejudice. That means new charges can be brought again later. He will remain in prison for the time being.

Tags: obama, stupid, jihadist, terror, cole

Zombies Ahead!

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:11:42 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: Apparently the "authorities" are idiots. They should talk to the local high school kids, as the instructions on how to hack these signs have been on the internet for a while now.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Traffic Delays for Road Work, Not Zombies

Pranksters in at least three states are corrupting electronic road signs meant to warn drivers of road work. The latest breach came Tuesday during the morning rush hour near Collinsville, Ill., where hackers changed a sign along Interstate 255 to read, “Daily lane closures due to zombies.” A day earlier in Hamilton County, Ind., the electronic board in a construction zone warned drivers of “Raptors ahead — Caution.” And signs in Austin, Tex., recently flashed: “Zombies in area! Run.” The authorities have not figured out how the signs are being reached. (AP)

Tags: zombies, road signs, funny, idiots

61 ex-Guantanamo inmates return to terrorism

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:21:06 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: Now how do you like that. We had them all nice and locked up and we let them go, right back to terrorism. Wanna bet that there will be a public outcry of "why did we let them go!?" whenever one of these guys kills a bunch of people. Best part is that it will probably be by the same people who protested us keeping them there in the first place.

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

Pentagon: 61 ex-Guantanamo inmates return to terrorism

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday that 61 former detainees from its military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appear to have returned to terrorism since their release from custody.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said 18 former detainees are confirmed and 43 suspected of "returning to the fight."

He said the figures, updated at the end of December, showed a higher rate of recidivism than seen in a previous report showing 37 former detainees as active militants.

Tags: guantanimo, inmates, terrorism, dumb, stupid

Even the porn industry wants a bailout

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:25:39 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: Finally, someplace worthy of getting our hard earned tax dollars

Clip Source: www.philly.com

Morning Report: Even the porn industry wants a bailout

Finally, in this era of unprecedented government bailouts, there is an industry worthy of our tax dollars.

In a story that no sportswriter could invent, CNN last night reported that another major American industry is asking for assistance as the global financial crisis unfolds.

Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis said yesterday they will request that Congress allocate $5 billion for a bailout of the adult entertainment industry.

Things must be tough all over.

Tags: bailout, porn, flynt, girls, wild, hustler

How The Music Industry Garnered Record Profits in 2008

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:38:45 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: Funny how all that downloading the record industry has been crying about for the past 10 years has only made their profits increase almost every single year.

Clip Source: www.medialoper.com

How The Music Industry Garnered Record Profits in 2008

With Chinese Democracy topping 1.5 million in CD sales and downloads in its second week — for a two-week total of 5 million, the best ever — it is now official: the American Music Industry has never been healthier. Even in what is easily the most crippling recession most of us have seen in our lifetimes, people are buying music at a record pace.

How have they done it? According to Frederick Stamphammer, the RIAA’s Vice-President of Digitization — and the man seen by most insiders as the key figure behind the transformation of the music industry into a virtual profit machine — it was by seizing the opportunity afforded by the internet nearly 10 years ago.

“If there was any quality in the music whatsoever, we would eventually make a sale. Most people are honest: they’ll pay a fair price for quality. And the ones that won’t, probably wouldn’t have anyway.”

Tags: mp3, download, piracy, record industry

Obama's Speech Writer

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:49:39 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: I think this guy is a good choice for Obama. If you want to reach the up and coming generation you employ one of their own to help. Its a good move, not to mention the guy consulted with Peggy Noonan who wrote Regan's speeches. Obama certainly has poised himself, so far, to go down in history as a great speaker.

the article is way to long for the clip so go check it out.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

The Obama Speechwriter

Helping to Write History

During the campaign, the buzz-cut 27-year-old at the corner table helped write and edit some of the most memorable speeches of any recent presidential candidate. When Obama moves to the White House next month, Favreau will join his staff as the youngest person ever to be selected as chief speechwriter. He helps shape almost every word Obama says, yet the two men have formed a concert so harmonized that Favreau's own voice disappears.

"He looks like he's in college and everybody calls him Favs, so you're like, 'This guy can't be for real, right?' " said Ben Rhodes, another Obama speechwriter. "But it doesn't take long to realize that he's totally synced up with Obama. . . . He has access to everything and everybody. There's a lot weighing on his shoulders."

Tags: obama, speech, inaugural

Sugary Soda Tax

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:39:24 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: Ehh, not sure what to think about this. On one hand it certainly did well for me to drastically reduce my soda intake a few years ago (lost 10 lbs in 2 months by just cutting out sugary drinks) but on the other hand it is up to individuals to control themselves not the government. But, Americans are increasingly stupid about their dietary choices.

Check out the rest of the clip at the link.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Miracle Tax Diet

When the human body was evolving, almost the only things we drank were breast milk for the first few years and then water, water and more water.

It would obviously have been bad if we had evolved to feel full when water was sloshing about our stomachs because then we wouldn’t have eaten our fill the next time we speared a mastodon. Today, the unfortunate result is that if you drink a bottle of 7-Up, you still don’t feel full — the body treats the liquid as empty calories, like water — and so you won’t eat any less the next time you spear a Big Mac.

Mr. Paterson suggested the tax — an 18 percent sales tax on soft drinks and other nondiet sugary beverages — to help raise $400 million a year to plug a hole in the state budget. But it’s also a landmark effort that, if other states follow, could help make us healthier.

Tags: tax, soda, diet

Feds adopt rules to crack down on some credit card abuses

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:32:04 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: Tighter credit restrictions to eliminate subprime credit cards and the credit card companies can't change the interest rate on money you have already charged. I can't believe it took this long to bring this into action.

Clip Source: www.usatoday.com

Feds adopt rules to crack down on some credit card abuses

In the most sweeping changes to credit cards in decades, federal regulators on Thursday approved new rules to crack down on so-called unfair and deceptive practices by card issuers, such as raising interest rates on existing debt.

The rules, issued by the Office of Thrift Supervision and expected to be approved later Thursday by the Federal Reserve and the National Credit Union Administration, come at a time when the economy has plunged into recession, and loan delinquencies and charge-offs are swelling as borrowers struggle to pay their bills.

The rules, which take effect in July 2010, will let credit card companies raise interest rates only on new credit cards and future purchases or advances, rather than on current balances.

They also restrict such lender practices as allocating all payments to balances with lower interest rates when a borrower has balances with different rates.

Tags: credit, subprime

Chinese Protesters: Stop Nabbing, Eating Our Cats

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:20:54 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: I knew that "chicken" tasted a little weird

Clip Source: www.newser.com

Chinese Protesters: Stop Nabbing, Eating Our Cats

Cats are seen caged after being rescued by China Small Animal Protection Association from a Tianjin market that trade cats for meat and fur. ((AP Photo/EyePress))

(AP) – Several dozen protesters in Beijing today urged an end to the "shameful" and "cruel slaughter" of cats for food as they unfurled banners in a tearful demonstration. Thousands of cats across the country have been rounded up recently by traders and transported to Guangdong province; protesters claim they are skinned and cooked alive. The Chinese media have been filled with pictures of cats in cages, rescued enroute to Guangzhou, the provincial capital.

One paper estimates that 10,000 cats are consumed daily in Guangdong. "We must make them correct this uncivilized behavior," the protest leader said, urging the provincial government to crack down on cat traders and restaurants that serve cat meat, although it's not illegal, and has long been common in some parts of China.

Tags: chinese, food, cats, tastes like chicken

Can blue Colored Light Prevent Suicide

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:02:05 GMT

clipped by: burndata0
clipper's remarks: I'm not sure about suicide but for about a year back in high school I used to wear round sunglasses with blue tinted lenses all the time. I always told people that when I was wearing them I always felt more mellow (and no, it wasn't because of the smoke, didn't venture into that area until well after high school) I guess it wasn't just in my head

follow the link for the rest.

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Can Blue-Colored Light Prevent Suicide?

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

An intriguing, anecdotal finding was recently reported by some news outlets that the implementation of blue-colored streetlights has reduced both crime and suicides:

Glasgow, Scotland, introduced blue street lighting to improve the city’s landscape in 2000. Afterward, the number of crimes in areas illuminated in blue noticeably decreased.

The Nara, Japan, prefectural police set up blue street lights in the prefecture in 2005, and found the number of crimes decreased by about 9 percent in blue-illuminated neighborhoods. Many other areas nationwide have followed suit.

Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. changed the color of eight lights on the ends of platforms at Gumyoji Station in Yokohama, Japan, in February.

Since the railway company introduced the new blue lights, they’ve had no new suicide attempts.

Tags: blue light, depression, suicide, happy, interesting