Vincent Ferrari

FOX Nation and The Corner reported:

You’ve heard about the controversies within the bill, the process about the bill, one or the other. But I don’t know if you have heard that it is legislation for the future, not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America, where preventive care is not something that you have to pay a deductible for or out of pocket. Prevention, prevention, prevention—it’s about diet, not diabetes. It’s going to be very, very exciting. But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.

Call me old-fashioned but how about we read it first, then vote on it?

Wow. So we have to pass it to find out what’s in it.

That doesn’t sound very ethical, transparent, or hopeychangey.

FOX Nation and The Corner reported:

You’ve heard about the controversies within the bill, the process about the bill, one or the other. But I don’t know if you have heard that it is legislation for the future, not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America, where preventive care is not something that you have to pay a deductible for or out of pocket. Prevention, prevention, prevention—it’s about diet, not diabetes. It’s going to be very, very exciting. But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.

Call me old-fashioned but how about we read it first, then vote on it?

Wow. So we have to pass it to find out what’s in it.

That doesn’t sound very ethical, transparent, or hopeychangey.

I’d heard of the general principle of Parkinson’s law a few years ago. I only found out about the book more recently. I didn’t know until last night that Parkinson intended his principle to be applied more narrowly than it is applied now.

The full title of the first chapter of the book is “Parkinson’s Law, or The Rising Pyramid.” This chapter explains how work expands to fill the available resources within a bureaucracy and why bureaucracies grow exponentially at a compounding rate of around 5% per year. The subtitle addresses the mechanism for this growth, bureaucrats creating a pyramid of subordinates. Parkinson derives his law from “two almost axiomatic statements”: An official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals. Officials make work for each other.

Nowadays Parkinson’s law is usually condensed to saying work expands to the time allowed. It is applied to individuals as well as a burgeoning bureaucracies. Parkinson discusses this interpretation in his opening p

I’d heard of the general principle of Parkinson’s law a few years ago. I only found out about the book more recently. I didn’t know until last night that Parkinson intended his principle to be applied more narrowly than it is applied now.

The full title of the first chapter of the book is “Parkinson’s Law, or The Rising Pyramid.” This chapter explains how work expands to fill the available resources within a bureaucracy and why bureaucracies grow exponentially at a compounding rate of around 5% per year. The subtitle addresses the mechanism for this growth, bureaucrats creating a pyramid of subordinates. Parkinson derives his law from “two almost axiomatic statements”: An official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals. Officials make work for each other.

Nowadays Parkinson’s law is usually condensed to saying work expands to the time allowed. It is applied to individuals as well as a burgeoning bureaucracies. Parkinson discusses this interpretation in his opening p

Guns. Religion. Abortion. These are the no-win arguments that spoil family gatherings — and the stuff of retailers’ nightmares.

Starbucks has found itself in the middle of just such an argument as its stores became forums for demonstrations by both pro-gun and gun-control advocates. All for a firearm policy that hasn’t changed and is the same as most retailers’: follow the local law. If it’s legal to carry a firearm in town, it’s allowed in the stores.

In recent months, the “open-carry” arm of the gun-rights movement, which advocates that gun owners carry visible weapons as they go about their daily business, have been exercising their rights. They’ve been proudly displaying their sidearms in public places, sometimes meeting up in groups.

Starbucks’ association with a politically liberal, “latte sipper” ethos, made it a tempting target for gun-control advocates. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence attracted more than 26,000 signatures demanding that Starbucks “offer espresso shots, not gunshots.”

Starbucks’ response? It reiterated its policy of following state and local laws and politely asked everyone to leave it out of the debate.

It’s frightful territory for a business, which risks alienating customers and losing sales by taking sides on such emotional debates.

Starbucks is following the law.

How dare they!?

Guns. Religion. Abortion. These are the no-win arguments that spoil family gatherings — and the stuff of retailers’ nightmares.

Starbucks has found itself in the middle of just such an argument as its stores became forums for demonstrations by both pro-gun and gun-control advocates. All for a firearm policy that hasn’t changed and is the same as most retailers’: follow the local law. If it’s legal to carry a firearm in town, it’s allowed in the stores.

In recent months, the “open-carry” arm of the gun-rights movement, which advocates that gun owners carry visible weapons as they go about their daily business, have been exercising their rights. They’ve been proudly displaying their sidearms in public places, sometimes meeting up in groups.

Starbucks’ association with a politically liberal, “latte sipper” ethos, made it a tempting target for gun-control advocates. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence attracted more than 26,000 signatures demanding that Starbucks “offer espresso shots, not gunshots.”

Starbucks’ response? It reiterated its policy of following state and local laws and politely asked everyone to leave it out of the debate.

It’s frightful territory for a business, which risks alienating customers and losing sales by taking sides on such emotional debates.

Starbucks is following the law.

How dare they!?

The article is irrelevant; the picture is a home run.

The article is irrelevant; the picture is a home run.

I will keep governing to the end of the year, in the spirit of making the tough decisions and trying as hard as I can to fulfill the mission in which God placed me. In the last couple of months, I’ve been the victim of rumor and innuendo, gossip and absolute lies. The term ‘unsubstantiated reports’ used to mean you couldn’t print it. Now it means they put it on the front page.

Dare I ask one of my favorite questions? Oh hell, why not…

If Paterson was a Republican and said this, how much play would the comment get?

Oh well… Just another spin on the revolving Governor door of NY State.

I will keep governing to the end of the year, in the spirit of making the tough decisions and trying as hard as I can to fulfill the mission in which God placed me. In the last couple of months, I’ve been the victim of rumor and innuendo, gossip and absolute lies. The term ‘unsubstantiated reports’ used to mean you couldn’t print it. Now it means they put it on the front page.

Dare I ask one of my favorite questions? Oh hell, why not…

If Paterson was a Republican and said this, how much play would the comment get?

Oh well… Just another spin on the revolving Governor door of NY State.

She told the Sunday Times newspaper, “So many people say, ‘So, what, are you a party girl?’ And I say, ‘I’m a walking good time.’ Do I sometimes go out and drink? Hell, yes. But could I have a number one song if I wasn’t also working hard? Maybe that needs a little more respect.

Nah, Ke$ha. It’s not like you can just autotune your way to a #1 song…

I don’t know what I was thinking.

(Don’t hate, either… I like Tik Tok. It’s catchy as hell, but let’s not make it out to be Beethoven’s 9th or something, ok?)

She told the Sunday Times newspaper, “So many people say, ‘So, what, are you a party girl?’ And I say, ‘I’m a walking good time.’ Do I sometimes go out and drink? Hell, yes. But could I have a number one song if I wasn’t also working hard? Maybe that needs a little more respect.

Nah, Ke$ha. It’s not like you can just autotune your way to a #1 song…

I don’t know what I was thinking.

(Don’t hate, either… I like Tik Tok. It’s catchy as hell, but let’s not make it out to be Beethoven’s 9th or something, ok?)

As Cablevision said repeatedly since Disney went public with the dispute last Monday, the asking price for WABC was a little more than a $1 a sub per month or about $40 million. We reported earlier that Cablevision offered Disney 25 cents a sub, about $9.3 million. The number on the table now is roughly in the middle, as you might expect. The NYT suggests Disney’s target was close to 60 cents. The LAT has 55-65 cents as the result from one source—and another much lower at 27-37 cents. (Given Disney’s response to the 25 cents it’s hard to believe a number that low could solve the dispute, unless, as Joe Flint writes, it may somehow factor in other Disney deals.)

Cablevision told CNBC that the deal will not result in a rate increase. For all we know, the prospect of paying for WABC—the discussions date back at least two years—is already factored into Cablevision’s basic fees. It’s hard to gauge the full impact on Cablevision of two negotiations that wound up in blackouts. It took far less time to resolve this dispute; Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) took Food Network and HGTV off at midnight New Year’s Eve and them off for three weeks. We should get some sense when Cablevision earnings come out for the quarter. Results for Q409 earned rave results, especially for Cablevision’s ability so far to to withstand Verizon FiOS. It could be a different story for this quarter.

Translation: WABC yanked their programming and screwed over 3.1 million of its viewers on Oscar night for half a buck.

Nice one.

I think the fact that ABC put its programming back (note, Cablevision didn’t pull anything, ABC did) is proof positive that they realized what a big mistake they made, and how terribly the overestimated the groundswell that would arise if people couldn’t watch the Oscars.

As Cablevision said repeatedly since Disney went public with the dispute last Monday, the asking price for WABC was a little more than a $1 a sub per month or about $40 million. We reported earlier that Cablevision offered Disney 25 cents a sub, about $9.3 million. The number on the table now is roughly in the middle, as you might expect. The NYT suggests Disney’s target was close to 60 cents. The LAT has 55-65 cents as the result from one source—and another much lower at 27-37 cents. (Given Disney’s response to the 25 cents it’s hard to believe a number that low could solve the dispute, unless, as Joe Flint writes, it may somehow factor in other Disney deals.)

Cablevision told CNBC that the deal will not result in a rate increase. For all we know, the prospect of paying for WABC—the discussions date back at least two years—is already factored into Cablevision’s basic fees. It’s hard to gauge the full impact on Cablevision of two negotiations that wound up in blackouts. It took far less time to resolve this dispute; Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) took Food Network and HGTV off at midnight New Year’s Eve and them off for three weeks. We should get some sense when Cablevision earnings come out for the quarter. Results for Q409 earned rave results, especially for Cablevision’s ability so far to to withstand Verizon FiOS. It could be a different story for this quarter.

Translation: WABC yanked their programming and screwed over 3.1 million of its viewers on Oscar night for half a buck.

Nice one.

I think the fact that ABC put its programming back (note, Cablevision didn’t pull anything, ABC did) is proof positive that they realized what a big mistake they made, and how terribly the overestimated the groundswell that would arise if people couldn’t watch the Oscars.

Queens Assemblywoman Barbara Clark has steered hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to a charity she helped found, which spends a large portion of the money on rent, salaries, office expenses and tax penalties while operating as a vague “referral center.”

The Community Care Development Project, which has taken in more than $1.9 million in city and state money since 1996, is supposed to help residents “avoid the bureaucratic obstacles which prevent them receiving immediate services.”

That’s the same help constituents can get at Clark’s district office — located only three doors down from the charity on Springfield Boulevard in Queens Village.

The lone employee at the referral center last week sent a reporter seeking help in finding a nursing home for a family member to Clark’s office, saying the group did not provide that service.

Community Care acts as an intermediary in handing out taxpayer money to groups including the New York Junior Tennis League and Kickers Youth Sports Association as well as public schools, churches and Little Leagues.

Clark sponsored at least $481,500 in member-item money to Community Care from 2006 to 2009, with $209,500 going out to other organizations. The rest was used for salaries and office expenses.

Lisa Bang-Jensen, a senior policy analyst at the Empire Center for New York State Policy in Albany, said such pork-barrel spending should be eliminated because there is no transparency.

“There’s no way for the public to know where the money’s going,” she said.

Clark, a Democrat who has been in office since 1987, said she founded the organization in 1989 to help immigrants in her district get public resources and services.

Nice. This is almost as good as the Katrina scam that came out this time last month. Tons of money in with nothing to show for it.

The only thing lacking from these stories? Outrage.

Queens Assemblywoman Barbara Clark has steered hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to a charity she helped found, which spends a large portion of the money on rent, salaries, office expenses and tax penalties while operating as a vague “referral center.”

The Community Care Development Project, which has taken in more than $1.9 million in city and state money since 1996, is supposed to help residents “avoid the bureaucratic obstacles which prevent them receiving immediate services.”

That’s the same help constituents can get at Clark’s district office — located only three doors down from the charity on Springfield Boulevard in Queens Village.

The lone employee at the referral center last week sent a reporter seeking help in finding a nursing home for a family member to Clark’s office, saying the group did not provide that service.

Community Care acts as an intermediary in handing out taxpayer money to groups including the New York Junior Tennis League and Kickers Youth Sports Association as well as public schools, churches and Little Leagues.

Clark sponsored at least $481,500 in member-item money to Community Care from 2006 to 2009, with $209,500 going out to other organizations. The rest was used for salaries and office expenses.

Lisa Bang-Jensen, a senior policy analyst at the Empire Center for New York State Policy in Albany, said such pork-barrel spending should be eliminated because there is no transparency.

“There’s no way for the public to know where the money’s going,” she said.

Clark, a Democrat who has been in office since 1987, said she founded the organization in 1989 to help immigrants in her district get public resources and services.

Nice. This is almost as good as the Katrina scam that came out this time last month. Tons of money in with nothing to show for it.

The only thing lacking from these stories? Outrage.

The AP published a lengthy article today on the “sudden parade of predjudice” witnessed on campuses across California.

But, the writer forgot to mention that a minority student admitted to hanging the noose at the UCSD campus. It’s a slight detail.

Yep. Ever-so-slight. So slight as to not even warrant a mention.

The AP published a lengthy article today on the “sudden parade of predjudice” witnessed on campuses across California.

But, the writer forgot to mention that a minority student admitted to hanging the noose at the UCSD campus. It’s a slight detail.

Yep. Ever-so-slight. So slight as to not even warrant a mention.

Just because.

Just because.

John Patrick Bedell, the man who went on a shooting spree outside the Pentagon this week, was a Bush-hating, pot smoking, registered democrat.

Although, officials said he did not have any suspected links to terrorist groups it was discovered this weekend that Bedell used the Arabic term “inshallah” or “God willing,” using Arabic font – “?? ??? ????” – on more than one on his internet postings.

A guy on Twitter yesterday referred to both Bedell and Stack as “Beck Followers,” implying that Glenn Beck is at the root of their actions. Anyone with a brain knows that isn’t true because Stack is pretty much a communist as evidenced by his screed, and Bedell is a registered Democrat who’s into 9/11 trutherism and seems to have an affinity for Jihad.

Not that any of those facts will stop the press or dopes on the internet from reporting them as Beck supporters. After all, Beck is a known Democrat jihadist.

John Patrick Bedell, the man who went on a shooting spree outside the Pentagon this week, was a Bush-hating, pot smoking, registered democrat.

Although, officials said he did not have any suspected links to terrorist groups it was discovered this weekend that Bedell used the Arabic term “inshallah” or “God willing,” using Arabic font – “?? ??? ????” – on more than one on his internet postings.

A guy on Twitter yesterday referred to both Bedell and Stack as “Beck Followers,” implying that Glenn Beck is at the root of their actions. Anyone with a brain knows that isn’t true because Stack is pretty much a communist as evidenced by his screed, and Bedell is a registered Democrat who’s into 9/11 trutherism and seems to have an affinity for Jihad.

Not that any of those facts will stop the press or dopes on the internet from reporting them as Beck supporters. After all, Beck is a known Democrat jihadist.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded Monday that sports officials step down over the country’s dismal performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Russia, a traditional winter sports powerhouse, won just 15 medals — with only three golds — in one of its worst performances. Officials said before the games that 30 medals and a top-three finish in the medal standings was the target.

Russia placed 11th for golds and sixth in the overall medal count.

In televised comments, Medvedev said if those responsible for preparing the athletes don’t resign then the decision will be made for them. He did not mention anyone by name.

“Those who bear the responsibility for Olympic preparations should carry that responsibility. It’s totally clear,” Medvedev said. “I think that the individuals responsible, or several of them, who answer for these preparations, should take the courageous decision to hand in their notice. If we don’t see such decisiveness, we will help them.”

Oof. Wouldn’t want to be one of those guys. Those meetings won’t be going well.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded Monday that sports officials step down over the country’s dismal performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Russia, a traditional winter sports powerhouse, won just 15 medals — with only three golds — in one of its worst performances. Officials said before the games that 30 medals and a top-three finish in the medal standings was the target.

Russia placed 11th for golds and sixth in the overall medal count.

In televised comments, Medvedev said if those responsible for preparing the athletes don’t resign then the decision will be made for them. He did not mention anyone by name.

“Those who bear the responsibility for Olympic preparations should carry that responsibility. It’s totally clear,” Medvedev said. “I think that the individuals responsible, or several of them, who answer for these preparations, should take the courageous decision to hand in their notice. If we don’t see such decisiveness, we will help them.”

Oof. Wouldn’t want to be one of those guys. Those meetings won’t be going well.

Illinois State Senator Dale Risinger (R, Peoria) has offered a bill in Springfield that drives our society further along the path of making parts of the human body a commodity, undercutting the sacred status of human life.

SB 3613, the Presumed Donor bill, amends the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act to define all Illinois patients as “presumed donors” unless they specifically avail themselves of the opt out clause. In other words, unless you tell the government that in the case of your presumed brain death you don’t want your body parts cut out and donated to other patients, they will be cut out and given to others.

As the law stands now a potential donor has to opt in to the organ donor program in order to allow the government to authorize usage of organs in case of brain death. One must inform the state ahead of time that one will agree to donate his organs. This bill would reverse that process of consent. If SB 3613 passes all patients will be assumed to be fodder for transplants unless they’ve specifically told the state that they do not want their body parts to be parceled out to other people.

As the synopsis of the bill states: This bill, “Provides that, on and after July 1, 2012, each resident of Illinois who is of sound mind and who has attained the age of 18 years is presumed, by operation of law, to have given all of his or her body for any organ donation purposes.”

Proponents of this bill say that it will help alleviate the desperate need for donor organs and will help hundreds of patients live that might otherwise die due to their disease and lack of donor organs.

Holy shit on a shingle. There’s no way in hell this thing sould pass and yet you know some crackpot dumbass will pass it.

I guess once the state runs out of stuff to take out of your pocket, they have to take stuff literally from your heart.

Or your actual heart.

Wow.

Illinois State Senator Dale Risinger (R, Peoria) has offered a bill in Springfield that drives our society further along the path of making parts of the human body a commodity, undercutting the sacred status of human life.

SB 3613, the Presumed Donor bill, amends the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act to define all Illinois patients as “presumed donors” unless they specifically avail themselves of the opt out clause. In other words, unless you tell the government that in the case of your presumed brain death you don’t want your body parts cut out and donated to other patients, they will be cut out and given to others.

As the law stands now a potential donor has to opt in to the organ donor program in order to allow the government to authorize usage of organs in case of brain death. One must inform the state ahead of time that one will agree to donate his organs. This bill would reverse that process of consent. If SB 3613 passes all patients will be assumed to be fodder for transplants unless they’ve specifically told the state that they do not want their body parts to be parceled out to other people.

As the synopsis of the bill states: This bill, “Provides that, on and after July 1, 2012, each resident of Illinois who is of sound mind and who has attained the age of 18 years is presumed, by operation of law, to have given all of his or her body for any organ donation purposes.”

Proponents of this bill say that it will help alleviate the desperate need for donor organs and will help hundreds of patients live that might otherwise die due to their disease and lack of donor organs.

Holy shit on a shingle. There’s no way in hell this thing sould pass and yet you know some crackpot dumbass will pass it.

I guess once the state runs out of stuff to take out of your pocket, they have to take stuff literally from your heart.

Or your actual heart.

Wow.

In March 2009, a girl and a boy in the sixth grade at the Hunts Point School in the Bronx were fooling around and each drew a line on the other’s desk with an erasable marker. The teacher told them to erase the lines, and the kids went to get tissues. This blew up into a major offense when school safety officers became involved.

The safety officers, who have been accused in many instances of mistreating children, are peace officers assigned to the schools. They wear uniforms, work for the New York Police Department and have the power to detain, search, handcuff and arrest students. They do not carry guns.

In this case, the officers seized the two pupils and handcuffed them. Before long, an armed police officer showed up to question the youngsters. The girl asked for her mother and began to cry. Tears were no defense in the minds of the brave New York City law enforcers surrounding this errant child. They were determined to keep the city safe from sixth graders armed with Magic Markers.

The children were transported in handcuffs to the local precinct.

There are some tough schools in the city, which is why the NYPD took over school safety in the first place. That being said, the way they act, in general, is an embarrassment.

It’s funny, when you think about it, because the biggest dicks in the NYPD work for the Division of School Safety (not real cops) and the Traffice Enforcement Division (also not real cops). I wonder why that is?

Hint: It starts with “inferiority” and ends with “complex.”

In March 2009, a girl and a boy in the sixth grade at the Hunts Point School in the Bronx were fooling around and each drew a line on the other’s desk with an erasable marker. The teacher told them to erase the lines, and the kids went to get tissues. This blew up into a major offense when school safety officers became involved.

The safety officers, who have been accused in many instances of mistreating children, are peace officers assigned to the schools. They wear uniforms, work for the New York Police Department and have the power to detain, search, handcuff and arrest students. They do not carry guns.

In this case, the officers seized the two pupils and handcuffed them. Before long, an armed police officer showed up to question the youngsters. The girl asked for her mother and began to cry. Tears were no defense in the minds of the brave New York City law enforcers surrounding this errant child. They were determined to keep the city safe from sixth graders armed with Magic Markers.

The children were transported in handcuffs to the local precinct.

There are some tough schools in the city, which is why the NYPD took over school safety in the first place. That being said, the way they act, in general, is an embarrassment.

It’s funny, when you think about it, because the biggest dicks in the NYPD work for the Division of School Safety (not real cops) and the Traffice Enforcement Division (also not real cops). I wonder why that is?

Hint: It starts with “inferiority” and ends with “complex.”

President Barack Obama’s budget proposal would generate bigger deficits than advertised each year for the next decade, with the 10-year shortfall totaling $1.2 trillion more than the administration estimated, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The nonpartisan CBO, in an annual analysis of the White House budget proposal, said today that under Obama’s plan deficits would never shrink below 4 percent of the economy between now and 2020. The cumulative deficits would total $9.76 trillion, and debt held by the public would amount to 90 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product by 2020, the CBO said.

By 2020, the federal debt would grow to $20.3 trillion under Obama’s budget, according to CBO.

Bad, getting worse, and showing no sign of getting better.

President Barack Obama’s budget proposal would generate bigger deficits than advertised each year for the next decade, with the 10-year shortfall totaling $1.2 trillion more than the administration estimated, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The nonpartisan CBO, in an annual analysis of the White House budget proposal, said today that under Obama’s plan deficits would never shrink below 4 percent of the economy between now and 2020. The cumulative deficits would total $9.76 trillion, and debt held by the public would amount to 90 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product by 2020, the CBO said.

By 2020, the federal debt would grow to $20.3 trillion under Obama’s budget, according to CBO.

Bad, getting worse, and showing no sign of getting better.

In a potential reversal, White House advisers are close to recommending that President Barack Obama opt for military tribunals for self-professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four of his alleged henchman, senior officials said.

The review of where and how to hold a Sept. 11 trial is not over, so no recommendation is yet before the president and Obama has not made a determination of his own, officials said. The review is not likely to be finished this week.

Officials spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss private deliberations.

Un.

Effing.

Real.

Even when this moron and his administration of morons gets something right, they try to go out of their way to get it wrong.

In a potential reversal, White House advisers are close to recommending that President Barack Obama opt for military tribunals for self-professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four of his alleged henchman, senior officials said.

The review of where and how to hold a Sept. 11 trial is not over, so no recommendation is yet before the president and Obama has not made a determination of his own, officials said. The review is not likely to be finished this week.

Officials spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss private deliberations.

Un.

Effing.

Real.

Even when this moron and his administration of morons gets something right, they try to go out of their way to get it wrong.