Category: Self-Inflicted Wounds

During the recent Presidential election campaign, Obama and his minions steadfastly denied that Medicare was going to take a $700+ billion hit to fund Obamacare as Romney claimed. Well, the non-existent cuts went into effect yesterday, primarily in the popular Medicare Advantage program. The issue is funding and who decides on medical care. Under Medicare Advantage private health insurance carriers make the decisions, heaven forbid! Thus there is a double reason to get rid of them. Way to go all you seniors who voted to re-elect Obama! Don't whine when your treatment request is denied.

www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/02/20/With-Election-Over-Obama-Announces-Medicare-Cuts-To-Fund-ObamaCare

Clancy as Prophet

Tom Clancy's new book out Threat Vector focuses on a Red Chinese cyberwar group that not only hacks the U.S. for commercial and military secrets, but can and does go on the offense and take over those assets in advance of Chinese military operations. Clancy has always had a good pipeline into the U.S. military and black ops community and now comes an article that reads like the story line from his book. 

The C/net article reports that a Chinese Army backed unit of hackers in a 12-story building in Shanghai is the origin for most of the high level hacking and cyberwar efforts in the world today. Everything from industrial secrets to building nuclear warheads has been hacked and this is probably the mothership for all of these high-level hacks. More importantly, you may remember when a number of regional power systems were hacked a few years ago. At the time, this was said to be the work of "criminals." Perhaps, but a better guess on the identity of the perps might be  the folks in Shanghai. www.pcworld.com/article/141564/article.html

The U.S. is ramping up its effort in the cyber defense area, which is a good thing if a little late - better late than never. This will be the nature of a modern Pearl Harbor if things get really ugly between us and the Chinese. 

news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57569983-83/chinese-army-linked-to-hacks-of-u.s-companies-agencies/

Car-Killing Bunnies of the Plains

It's been awhile since my last post, so let's get started again with a hard-hitting piece - KILLER RABBITS! Yes, bunnies at Denver International Airport are eating the wiring out of cars parked in outlying parking lots at DIA. Spraying coyote urine on the engine apparently wards off these maniac rabbits, but I personally can't imagine driving down the street with a hot engine smelling like coyote pee. Pick your poison, I guess. These bunnies are undoubtedly cousins of the ones that attacked President Carter in 1977 while he was canoeing in his pond. 

hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_BUNNY_BLOCKERS?SITE=KGW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=ENTERTAINMENT.html

Speaking Truth to Power

Dr. Ben Carson is the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University. He came from extreme poverty and was raised by a single mother who would not give up on him. There is an excellent documentary about his story: Gifted Hands; The Ben Carson Story. 

Dr. Carson recently spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast and his comments are well worth hearing. Surrounded by politicians of all stripes, including President Obama, he spoke truth directly and in a gentle manner that all Americans need to hear. I hope you will take the time to listen.

townhall.com/tipsheet/danieldoherty/2013/02/10/wsj-ben-carson-for-president-n1509059

Blue Angels Grounded

The sequester cuts hitting the Defense Department as a result of the inability of Congress and the White House to make intelligent spending cuts are starting to bite. The Navy is pulling out one of two carrier battle groups in the Indian Ocean due to the cuts. That's a nice peaceful part of the world, so no problem there. One that really blows, though, is the decision to ground the Blue Angels for the rest of the 2013 season. That's right, we have to cut out the Blue Angels (and carrier battle groups) to build bridges to nowhere, subsidize pork to everybody and their mothers, and all sorts of other giveaways to buy votes. Idiots!

www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/5/navy-clip-blue-angels-wings-if-sequester-hits/

Bill Gates and Polio

I am not a Microsoft guy and Bill Gates can sometimes be irritating in his public pronouncements, but let's give credit where credit is due. The world is on the verge of eradicating polio and Gates and his wife Melinda have pumped more than $1 billion of their own money into the effort. In 1988 over 350,000 children were paralyzed or died worldwide from the disease; last year it was down to 620. The medical people think that complete eradication of the dread disease is not far off. That is a testament to be proud of and an excellent example of the right use of wealth. Well done Mr. and Mrs. Gates!

www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2012/01/12/bill-gates-and-polio-victory-not-conspiracy/  

(Tip o' the hat to Clover Stein)

Random Thoughts

As Katie Pavlich notes, the NRA and others have been roasted for suggesting that armed guards in schools are the way to protect our school kids. After all, we have armed guards in our banks, jewelry stores, the White House - why don't are kids rate? The school shooting in Atlanta yesterday was stopped by a - yup, you guessed it - armed guard. Think about it.
townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/02/01/armed-police-officer-stops-shooting-in-georgia-n1502907

• The unemployment rate is up to 7.9% again. At this rate, we will all be working for the government in a year or two. Come to think of it, that may be Obama's strategy.

www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-january-unemployment-jobs-20130201,0,5056680.story

• What's in store economically for Oregon? Why more of the same, of course! Here is what Oregon's Department of Economic Analysis is projecting for 2013:

"Expectations call for growth in the coming few months to look like the growth we have been
experiencing: slow. Although the fundamentals underlying economic growth remain strong,
uncertainty continues to weigh on both businesses and households. Given weakness among our leading trading partners, and an uncertain federal policy environment, many firms are reluctant to take the risk of expanding their operations despite ample resources and profits. Similarly, households remain reluctant to make large purchases until their future job prospects become more certain."

www.oregon.gov/DAS/OEA/docs/economic/press1212.pdf

• Since the economy is doing so well, President Obama disbanded his Jobs Council (President's  Council on Jobs and Competitiveness). It was created in 2011 as a forum for business leaders to have input to the President on things like strengthening the economy, job creation, and enhancing America's competitive position in the world. Sure glad that's all been accomplished!

blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2013/01/stockman-says-obama-abolished-white-house-jobs-council-so-he-wont-be-distracted-by-the-economy/

Enough of this - seize the weekend and enjoy the Super Bowl. This will all be here on Monday.