Moody Clarifies The Problem With Public Employee Unions

Moody’s Triples Pension Debt Estimates Before you think what's the big deal, please remember that Public Employee unions are paid for by YOU the taxpayer. This debt is going to be shifted to tax payers unless quickly dealt with.

As we follow the evolving story of collapsing public pensions, one of the trickiest issues is the lack of reliable estimates of future returns on investment. Many of the biggest offenders among pensions assume returns of 8 percent or higher. These numbers may seem reasonable by historical standards, but they’re hopelessly optimistic today. Even plans that have revised their estimates downward still project returns far above what most analysts expect. If these estimates don’t come through, taxpayers will be left holding the bag, and either pension payouts will have to shrink or other services, including education and law enforcement, will have to. Unions have long claimed that these worries are mere alarmism, but now Wall Street is stepping in to say it, too: pension investment projections are far too high. A new estimate from Moody’s anticipates average pension returns of 5.5 percent rather than the traditional 7 or 8 percent investment projection. The result of this estimate is a tripling of national pension debt, from $766 billion to $2.2 trillion. This is a major increase, but many analysts believe that it is accurate, or at least more accurate than previous estimates

Kimberlin Wants To Be Left Alone

Then he shouldn't have attacked bloggers by the VERY dangerous SWAT-ting. Brett Kimberlin: ‘I Want to Be Left Alone’ Why Brad Friedman Matters In The Kimberlin Story The Kimberlin Story: The Short Version

Sex, Baby

Preglimony and Pro-Choice Rhetoric If we ask fathers to support a pregnancy, aren’t we admitting that the fetus is a child?

I don’t actually think it is in the interests of feminism or the pro-choice movement to cling so rigidly to outdated notions of “life.” It no longer helps our cause to try to argue that the fetus is not “life.” The reason for this, as people have noted, is that technological advances, like sonograms, where you can see feet on a fetus in the first trimester, have made those claims clearly and patently hollow to even ardently pro-choice people who have seen the black and white staticky fuzziness take shape into human form. How can we possibly claim that the moving creature, with feet and toes that we can see, is not “life”?

The author is trying to protect a pro-choice position while acknowledging that a pregnant woman has a life within her. But there is a deeper position here. Sex is seen as a purely pleasureable activity and any creation of life merely a biproduct. This demeans one of the most important activities in a human life to mere biology. Before the sacredness of sex was stripped away by the "Sexual Revolution", it was entered into either through marriage or in less reputable and secretive ways. Gratification required responsibility (or payment). You could get married by a JP but most of the time, you were married by a religious authority who wanted your marriage to be successful both with children and contentment. Then it was all the meaning was gone. Certainly a lot of freedoms were unleashed by the "sexual revolution" but so were a myriad of problems. Unwed mothers, easy divorce, sexual diseases, and on and on. We can not turn back the clock but perhaps simply encouraging modesty could be a start. Describing sex not simply as a biological function but as a joyful expression of God's love that is best shared with a soulmate/spouse/partner who accepts the responsibility and duty of caring for both you and your shared offspring. I'm the first one to admit sex is awesome. But with sex, comes babies. That should mean families, love, support, and grace. Not abortion.

US Feds Knew About LIBOR in 2007

Pay attention to this because it explains why regulators are no guarantee of good behavior. In 2007, New York Fed was told about problems with Libor

Barclays’ regulator in the United States is the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which was run at the time by current Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner. Diamond said that his bank had alerted the New York Fed to issues with Libor at least 12 times. After receiving initial reports in 2007, the New York Fed said, it made additional inquiries of Barclays about its Libor operations, and subsequently made suggestions for changes to British authorities. Geithner personally participated in several conversations with Barclays executives, according to his New York Fed calendar, later posted on the Web site of the New York Times. It wasn’t clear if these meetings focused on the Libor issues now coming to light.

Story of My Driving

Top Nine Passive-Aggressive Things to Say to Your Husband on a Road Trip

My beloved husband doesn't like to drive on highways. His beloved wife doesn't want to have to chock him one of these days....

Why This Test Was Important

And why we need to "harden" our infrastructure: The 50th anniversary of Starfish Prime: the nuke that shook the world

But the effects were far more than a simple light show. When the bomb detonated, those electrons underwent incredible acceleration. When that happens they create a brief but extremely powerful magnetic field. This is called an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP. The strength of the pulse was so huge that it affected the flow of electricity on the Earth hundreds of kilometers away! In Hawaii it blew out hundreds of streetlights, and caused widespread telephone outages. Other effects included electrical surges on airplanes and radio blackouts. The EMP had been predicted by scientists, but the Starfish Prime pulse was far larger than expected. And there was another effect that hadn’t been predicted accurately. Many of the electrons from the blast didn’t fall down into the Earth’s atmosphere, but instead lingered in space for months, trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, creating an artificial radiation belt high above our planet’s surface.

That's Gotta Sting

Former Obama Donor Holds High Dollar Fundraiser for Romney with Former Obama Donors

Amnesty Pilot Program

Judicial Watch Sues DOJ for Records of Illegal Alien Amnesty Program

"Many citizens in the cities of Baltimore and Denver might be surprised to learn that they provided a “testing ground” for the Obama administration’s dangerous (and unlawful) policy of suspending the deportations of illegal aliens last year."

Judicial Watch is doing hero's work here!

Our Beautiful World

Orbiting the Earth Put together by an 18 year old is this marvelous video of the Earth. Gorgeous shots.

Apparently The Shame of Guantanamo No Longer Stings

Liberals ignore Obama's Guantanamos The same people who excoriated Bush's war on terror are letting Obama do as he pleases

"Venture Socialism"

Oh Goody! Another BAD idea from Obama Obama's subsidies: Private profit, public risk

Obama plans to use the Export-Import Bank -- a federal agency that gives taxpayer-backed loans and loan guarantees to foreign buyers who buy American goods -- to subsidize U.S. manufacturers even when they are selling to other American companies. This would be a significant step in the federal government's transformation into a venture capital firm and investment bank involved in all corners of the economy. It's private profit and public risk. Conservative Sen. Jim DeMint calls it "venture socialism."

Damn Dirty Hippies

Against the Hippies: Or, In Defense of American Individualism I've cursed the Baby Boomers for ages on this website. But the great Timothy Dalrymple does a better job above.

Happy Fourth of July Everybody!

"Celebrate the independence of your nation by blowing up a small part of it!"

The Difference

Shamefully swiped from Just A Conservative Girl

A Tale of One Tragedy and Two Campaigns

A Tale of One Tragedy and Two Campaigns

At the above link to Potluck Bloggers please find Just A Conservative Girl's outstanding post comparing how Obama and Romney are handling the current state-of-emergency in the states impacted by the "land hurricane" which killed over a dozen people.

Romney's campaign is working with the Red Cross to collect food and water bottles for distribution.

Obama's campaign wants to sell you a tank top.

(Crossposted from Potluck Bloggers)

It's Gonna Get Taxing Soon

WSJ Chief Economist: 75% of Obamacare Costs Will Fall on Backs of Those Making $120K or Less

Interesting Times

While I admit my initial reaction was shock and disappointment, I held off on commenting because I wanted to see what far more learned and intelligent people have to say.  And the more I read, the happier I became about this decision.

We have a long, long fight in front of us but I think SCOTUS's Obamacare decision is a striking blow against the progressives and I am thrilled.

The articles which influenced my thinking on this are below:

The Decision to Uphold the Mandate as Tax Represents a Gestalt Shift in Constitutional Law

Is the Supreme Court’s Health-Care Ruling a Turning Point in Constitutional Law? This one is by Randy Barnett and is very important

A Modest Proposal The chief justice threw down the gauntlet on Thursday to those of us who support limited government.

SCOTUS Ruling: Bring on Kate Smith & Reactions UPDATED

Five Possible Silver Linings in the Obamacare Decision

Jensen: Does the Taxing Clause Give Congress Unlimited Power?

Roberts is not the goat in today’s Supreme Court decision

An Act of Great Cunning

Conservatives’ consolation prize

Why Roberts did it

A Beautiful Lesson In Life and Longevity

Be nice to others because time WILL make a difference!

One day you will no longer be the big dog... Just the old dog... And my friend, WE are now the old dogs.

HOWEVER, OLD DOG IS BETTER THAN DOG-GONE.

One Hungry Mouse

The extraordinary  scene was captured by  photography student   Casey  Gutteridge at the Santago Rare  Leopard Project in   Hertfordshire. The   19-year-old, from Potters Bar,  Hertfordshire,  who was photographing the  leopard for a course project, was astounded by the mouse's behaviour.

He said: 'I  have no idea  where the mouse came from -  he just appeared in  the enclosure after  the keeper had dropped in the meat for the  leopard. He didn't take any notice of the  leopard, just went straight over to the meat and  started feeding himself.'

'But the leopard was pretty surprised - she bent down and sniffed the mouse and flinched a bit like she was scared. In the meantime the mouse just carried on eating like nothing had happened.

But even a gentle  shove does not deter the little creature from  getting his fill... 'It was  amazing, even  the keeper who had thrown the meat into the  enclosure was shocked - he said  he'd never  seen anything like it before.'  

Project owner Jackie James added:  'It  was so funny to see - Sheena batted  the mouse a couple of times to try to get it  away from her food.'  But the determined  little thing took no notice and just carried  on.' 

Sheena  was  brought in to the Santago Rare Leopard Project  from a UK zoo when she  was just four  months old.  She is one of 14 big cats in  the private collection started by Jackie 's  late husband Peter  in 1989.  The African Leopard can be found  in the continent's forests, grasslands,  savannas, and rainforests.

....so the mouse  continued to eat the leopard's lunch  and show the  leopard who was the  boss.  Just proves  no one can push you around  without your permission.

My 11-Year-Old's Open Letter to Obama

June 28, 2012

Dear Mr. Obama,

Why are you hurting our economy?  Why are you making Catholics pay for abortions? You think that the separation of Church and State is to protect the government from religion but it is to protect religion from government.

Your Obamacare rations healthcare. It means people will die because of you! It is a ticking time bomb!

Because of the workers' unions, tax payer money is going to pay other people's pensions. Cities like Detroit pay a huge percentage of their budget to the pensions. They will have to declare bankruptcy.

The food stamps will suck out government money.  As the great Maragret Thatcher once said, "The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money" If you want everyone on these food stamps then one day you will run out of our money!

Do not take this warning for granted!  Even though I can not voite, my voice is just as strong as yours! If you can not see what a girl of 11 can see, you might want to reconsider your campaign.

Yours,

Helen

Getting My Zo On

Why China Is Evil

Husband in China forced abortion 'missing': family

The husband of a Chinese woman whose forced abortion seven months into her pregnancy caused uproar has disappeared, a relative said Tuesday, adding her family is being harassed on a daily basis.

Feng Jianmei had to go through the termination earlier this month in the northern province of Shaanxi because she failed to pay a hefty fine for exceeding China's strict "one-child" population control policy.

The case caused an outcry when photos emerged online of Feng lying in a hospital bed in Zhenping county next to her baby's bloody corpse, prompting an official probe that concluded action should be taken against the perpetrators.

When Will Holder Be Thrown Under The Bus

Hey Holder - Check out this glimpse of your future!
WH embarrassed during Fast and Furious press briefing

GOP senator: White House claims about document handover are 'hogwash'

Why Tipping Your Server Is NECESSARY

I mean unless you get truly terrible service. But this excellent article is why I always try to tip and tip well.

The Worst Restaurants to Work For

"Workers are entitled to a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour if they do not receive tips and $2.13 per hour if they do, as well as overtime pay, if they work more than 40 hours per week; if tips and wages don't add up to $7.25 per hour, the employer is obligated to make up the difference. But many workers aren't aware that they're entitled to payment for all of the hours they work, let alone at what rate."

In short, most servers do not know that their employer must make certain they make at least $5.12 an hour in tips or pay them that on top of their minimum wage.  The employer's failure to do that is wage theft.

Plus here's a tidbit of information: thirty years ago, when I started working in restaurants, the tip-earning minimum wage was $2.01. So in THIRTY years, your server's wage has only gone up $0.12!  Twelve Cents.

Given inflation, that wage is actually the equivalent of working for free.

The Reunion

So I said to him, "Barack, I know Abe Lincoln, And you ain't Abe Lincoln .."

Since he used the Lincoln Bible at his inauguration, Obama has made numerous attempts to associate himself with Lincoln. So why doesn't Obama use this famous Lincoln quote?

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

... Abraham Lincoln