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Macrohard Blows
Author: TriSec    Date: 06/25/2011 13:30:41

Morning, folks.

I've been having computer issues this morning...it's taken 20 minutes to reach this place so far. I'll keep skimming for something interesting, but in the meantime...the patio is open!
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6 comments (Latest Comment: 06/26/2011 01:46:34 by velveeta jones)

Unintended Consequences
Author: BobR    Date: 06/24/2011 12:28:17

The Law of Unintended Consequences:
"...[the purposeful] actions of people — and especially of government — always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended."
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics


It's happened to all of us. We do something to accomplish a task, and something else happens that throws us for a loop. How did we not plan for that? How did we not anticipate that? Part of the science and art of Engineering is designing with a "what if?" mentality. Even trying to anticipate doesn't always work.
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44 comments (Latest Comment: 06/24/2011 22:30:56 by Mondobubba)

On a Roll
Author: Raine    Date: 06/23/2011 13:04:59

Way back in May, we found out that Osama Bin Laden was no longer on the FBI most wanted list, very early this morning Scoopster informed us that the FBI finally captured 'Whitey' Bulger. I know the New England contingent of the blog will be happy with this news. Plus there is the added bonus that there are 2 more job opening on the most wanted list! I am waiting for Mitt Romney to take credit for this one. He did, after all, force his brother out as President of UMass...

Also in this mornings news is information that the person involved with last week's security scare at the Pentagon may have been involved with shootings in Chantilly Virginia and Quantico. It appears that a much more critical situation has been averted. This pleases the Virginia contingent of the blog. Law enforcement is doing its job. Much like the alleged Times Square (almost) Bomber, this is what provides national and local security: capturing those that would harm us before they succeed in doing so. This I like to see.
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35 comments (Latest Comment: 06/23/2011 21:19:59 by livingonli)

The Ball is in Our Court
Author: BobR    Date: 06/22/2011 12:33:23

When the U.S. Constitution was crafted, the architects of our democratic republic envisioned a 3-legged stool, one that would not wobble despite one leg being shorter or longer than the others. With three branches, there would be checks and balances, and the Supreme Court would be the final arbiter of law. When we speak of redress of grievances, the court is the petitioner's last best hope. It is not meant to be a partisan institution. Unfortunately, it can still be an ideological one, depending on its members.

Those ideologies often reflect of the president who appointed them. The current court has 5 judges appointed by Republicans and 4 by Democrats. As such, the court often rules in favor of conservative ideology, often to the benefit of business and to the detriment of the individual.
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54 comments (Latest Comment: 06/23/2011 06:00:18 by Scoopster)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 06/21/2011 10:22:33

Good Morning.

Today is our 3,016th day in Iraq, and our 3,544th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing wars, courtesy of Anitwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4463
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4324
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3604
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 235
Since Operation New Dawn: 45

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,623
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 911
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448

We find this morning's Cost of War passing through:

$ 1, 209, 877, 500, 000 .00

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44 comments (Latest Comment: 06/21/2011 23:58:28 by Raine)

Bachmann's Stretch (re)Marks
Author: Raine    Date: 06/20/2011 13:33:36

Over the weekend, CBS' Political HotSheet asks the question : Did Michele Bachmann "Raise" 23 Children?
After her speech at the Republican Leadership Conference, I asked GOP presidential candidate and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann about her repeated claims that she has "raised" 23 foster children, a comment she reiterated in an interview with CNN following her speech.

Writing in the Daily Beast this week, Michelle Goldberg quoted Kris Harvieux, who worked as a senior social worker in the foster care system in Bachmann's county, who said at least some of Bachmann's placements were likely short term.

"Some of them you have for a week. Some of them you have for three years, some you have for six months," he said. "She makes it sound like she got them at birth and raised them to adulthood, but that's not true." ---snip---

Asked to explain her situation with her foster children, Bachmann said "we took children in as teenagers."

"Their family was facing a challenge and they weren't going to be able to be at home with their parents and so we took them in as teenagers," she continued. "And our job was to see that they graduated from high school and were successfully launched into the world."

Asked how long they lived with her, she said "it varied."

I asked Bachmann to explain the parameters of how long the children lived with her - was it as short as one week? As long as three years?

"It varied, it really varied depending on the children," Bachmann responded. "And we've never gotten into specifics about the children because we've always wanted to observe their privacy and that of their families. As I'm sure you can appreciate."


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47 comments (Latest Comment: 06/21/2011 03:37:25 by livingonli)

End Times
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 06/19/2011 14:17:42

Due to Apocalyptic weather, I cannot safely stay online. Welcome to the end times....

but on another note:

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7 comments (Latest Comment: 06/20/2011 01:55:40 by wickedpam)

To fight a fire
Author: TriSec    Date: 06/18/2011 11:19:08

Good Morning!

A fine day is in the offing in these parts...I'm headed off to the pond in a bit for another day of kayaking with Mr. Bean. Alas, that means I'll miss a wee little parade downtown today, but I guess that happens.

Let's talk about a couple of subjects that are near and dear to me...fire and airplanes. We'll start with fire. Not a small, cheerful campfire, mind you...but something more like this:
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3 comments (Latest Comment: 06/19/2011 01:30:43 by clintster)

Another Day at the Coliseum
Author: BobR    Date: 2011-06-17 10:11:00

It's been said that we get the government we deserve. Perhaps that's true as well for the pathetic excuse that is our media. The anal-retentive single-focus ADD OMG-we-have-24-hrs-to-fill cable news channels are feeding their customers what they want. Any number of important stories have been ignored this week in favor of the purient adolescent giggling over Anthony Weiner. It was a perfect storm of a firebrand politician with an unfortunate name and some icky pictures.

One would think that nothing of import occurred this past week. One would think that these scandals have never occurred before. David Vitter? John Ensign? Larry Craig? Where they driven to resignation within a week of their respective stories breaking? David Vitter actually got promoted to Senator. Where's the balance?
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43 comments (Latest Comment: 06/18/2011 03:24:33 by clintster)

Imagine for a Moment
Author: Raine    Date: 06/16/2011 12:54:35

How different things would be had the elections not turned out the way it did in 2008.
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67 comments (Latest Comment: 06/16/2011 20:02:43 by wickedpam)

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