Pelosi Attacks Bush, Praises Clinton

This is INCREDIBLE. Pelosi can't resist blaming the "Bush" policy's for something he didn't cause. Federal spending didn't cause this, and the recession actually started when Clinton was sill in the Whitehouse, Bush didn't inherit surpluses, he inherited a burst "dot com" bubble. Clinton did NOT cause the dot-com bust, and Bush did not cause this one. This was cause by the "sub-prime" mortgage lending, and it was liberals in Washington that insisted on lending to people that couldn't afford houses, and they told Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac to do just that. Then the real estate bubble hit (again not caused by anyone in DC) and home values got unreasonable. However there was still a "lend to anyone" mentality. So now we have a lot of foreclosures on loans given to people that shouldn't have had one, on a home that was unrealistically overpriced. This led to a lot of bad debt being traded and whoever got stuck holding the "hot-potato" when the music stopped is in serious trouble. And just how did Bush cause all of this?

I agree then needs to be some more regulation in how mortgage backed securities are packaged and bought and sold. But that doesn't need to be in this bill. This bill just needs someway for the federal government to buy these assets and then deal with them.

Regardless, this speech is poor leadership right before a "must pass" bill.

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How The U.S. Government Engineered The Current Economic Crisis

This is what I was thinking... these loans were called "sub-prime" for a REASON.. and it wasn't Wall Street that wanted to make these loans, it was Washington!! No, once it got rolling, Wall Street ran with it while the times were good... so they aren't innocent by any means..


How The U.S. Government Engineered The Current Economic Crisis [This Post Continues after the jump...]

A new way to make Stem Cell

Stem Cell Alchemy Refined | Wired Science from Wired.com

All the talk about having to kill embryos to get their stem cells is being proved wrong.
Stem cells are great and we should research how to use them to cure people, BUT not by [This Post Continues after the jump...]

CNN’s Spin

Commentary » Blog Archive » CNN’s Poll vs. CNN’s Spin

THIS is what I mean when I say the media is Bias....
The Headline say "The poll" says Obama won.. but the poll was known to be bias and when that is taken into account, it was a "Tie".
It was only a CNN Political Researcher (aka "an opinion") that says Obama won...

gezzz [This Post Continues after the jump...]

The Key to Passing the $700 Billion Bailout Is Insurance

Note to Paulson: The Key to Passing the $700 Billion Bailout Is Insurance - Michael Barone usnews.com

Wow, this explains it better than anything else I've seen. I heard this morning on the news that the republicans wanted to use "loan garuntees" instead of purchases, but that didn't mean anything to me then (just financial gobbly-goop) but now the term means something.. [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Mistrial for RIAA's $222,000 defendant

This is great... the "make available" argument was bogus to begin with.

Mistrial for RIAA's $222,000 defendant | Politics and Law - CNET News

A federal judge on Wednesday threw out the verdict against Jammie Thomas, the peer-to-peer network user ordered to pay the recording industry $222,000 for allegedly sharing music online.

U.S. District Judge Michael Davis of Duluth, Minn., declared a mistrial in the case against Thomas, who was charged in October with violating copyright law by making 24 songs available for others to download on the Kazaa network.

Davis set aside the verdict on the grounds that he misguided the jury, telling jurors that simply the act of making a copyrighted song available for sharing amounts to infringement. The judge first indicated in May that he was considering granting a new trial.

In June, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other consumer and industry groups weighed in, also claiming the jury instructions were erroneous.

The Recording Industry Association of America argued that the jury instructions were valid.

"Requiring proof of actual transfers would cripple efforts to enforce copyright owners' rights online--and would solely benefit those who seek to freeload off plaintiff's investment," RIAA attorney Timothy Reynolds wrote in a court filing.

Thomas is the only individual charged with copyright infringement by the RIAA who has taken her case to trial.

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Republican anger at ‘financial socialism’

FT.com / In depth - Republican anger at ‘financial socialism’

I too don't like this idea... I don't know the details, but the idea stinks..

If these are bad loans, then they need to be sold at significantly less than face value... the people that gave out these loans need to be taught a lesson, the same with the people that bought them. I know the 2nd part is harder, these loans were hidden in bundles with "A+" credit ratings. The system failed and no government regulation is going to fix it. The companies that rated these loans too highly NEED to go out of business. The NEW companies that take their place will have stronger rules... other investment companies that survive will have stricter rules on what they buy.

In other words ALLOWING these companies to fail will correct the market more and anything congress can do. Primarily the mortgage compies that gave out these bad loans should be allowed to FAIL, anyone that invested in them should loose their money. Also the credit rating companies and their stock owners should be allowed to fail.

Finally, people and compianies that bought over rated bad loans should be helped out, buy the loans back for 80% of its value or something like that... then the government can work with the borrowers to pay back only 75% or something like that. (some people would still pay 100% of their loan back, maybe that's unfair, but I'm paying 100% of my loan, so others can too, there are no real "innocent" victums here)

Most People get to keep their houses, the broader market gets most of it's money back (enough to keep them afloat) and the government only pays the different (what they by the loans for plus whatever they can get from the homeowners).

This can be done without costing 700 Billion if it's done right... [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Gay Marriage Is Issue Candidates Would Rather Avoid

Gay Marriage Is Issue Candidates Would Rather Avoid - America’s Election HQ

I think both candidates are smart to avoid this issue. It could only hurt McCain and according to this article, it's unknown if it would help or hurt Obama... so he'll avoid it... [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Al Qaeda’s Defeat In Iraq

The Democrats and Obama keep trying to separate Iraq from Al Qaeda. But they can't. The Invasion of Iraq is old news... but they keep talking about Iraq as if it were the pre-invasion Saddam Hussein's Iraq. It isn't anymore. The insurgency is mostly Al Qaeda and similar terrorist groups that kill more Iraqis than Americans.

Fighting in Iraq today IS fighting Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. There is no long any legitable "insurance" fighting to free Iraq.

Obama needs to quit saying Iraq IS currently a distraction from the real fight. Maybe it was at one time, and maybe not, but today it very much IS the center of our efforts to fight terrorism.... and we're winning...

Commentary » Blog Archive » Al Qaeda’s Defeat In Iraq [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Cell Kept Calling Loved Ones After Man Died

Train Victim's Cell Kept Calling Loved Ones After He Died

This is just weird... if it were just one number I wouldn't think anything of it... but different numbers makes it interesting... of course they could all be single digit speed dialed number or something like that....

but even then, what's the root cause?

it's interesting how these people interpret it though... the calls could be interpreted as calls for help... but they choose to think of them in a good way.... [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Do Political Beliefs Have a Biological Basis?

Do Our Political Beliefs Have a Biological Basis? | Newsweek Health | Newsweek.com


This is interesting... but I take such things with a grain of salt... even though in this case I LIKE it. Seeing a threatening image SHOULD make a person want to protect themselves and others. But I think liberals also want to help people in need.. they just might think of "in need" differently.

Plus the article touched on things that I hope the researchers filtered out.. such as School Prayer and the truth of the Bible. It's hard to tell if that was a part of the study or the authors interpretation of the study.
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USA Attitudes are changing

and we're doomed...

Three Questions:
• What should be the role of government?
• Should moral absolutism or moral relativism guide our actions?
• Should our foreign policy primarily pursue unilateral interest through military power or a multilateral approach grounded in diplomacy?

The answers seem to be changing...

For the record, I think the 3rd question is biased and worded in a very liberal way (of course this is an Op-Ed so it is allowed). The question shouldn't be military vs diplomacy. It's not like conservative want to close the State Department and liberals want to close the Defense Department. And it's not even about a balance between the two. It's really about the UN and how much it should effect us. Opinions of allied democracy should effect our foreign policy, but the UN is neither an ally nor a democracy and should not drive or limit US foreign policy.

Op-Ed Contributor - Another Country - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Sanchez Introduces Border Search Bill

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez - September 11, 2008: Sanchez Introduces Border Search Bill

I have no idea what else the congresswoman has done, but this is VERY MUCH needed and I hope it passes. [This Post Continues after the jump...]

In capitalism, failure is not a dirty word

Private companies make enormous profits and justify it saying they are taking the risk, they should reap the benefits when things work out. But are they really taking any "risk"? The fact is some of the companies are just "too big" to be allowed to fail. If that's the case, then they should be split up like monopolies are split up. Monopolies are "too big" to allow for competition and they can legally be split up.

Likewise companies that get so large that their failure would hurt too many people must be split up somehow. If that can't be done, then we need to be willing to allow these large companies to actually fail. If a company gets too large that we are unwilling to let it fail, then there is no longer any "risk" for that company and therefore there is no justification of private ownership and huge profits. If the government/people guarantee the company, then the govt/people should reap the benefits/profits.

But I don't like government/public ownership of private companies. I prefer limiting company size (as we already do in some cases of media ownership, monoplies, utilities, etc) rather than some kind of public ownership.

OpenMarket.org » Archive » Lehman bankruptcy: In capitalism, failure is not a dirty word [This Post Continues after the jump...]

John McCain and Gays

Interesting... but not really surprising to me...

It's a myth that all Republicans are homophobic...

GayPatriot » An Emerging Pattern with John McCain and Gays [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Use of brain scans in courts

Wow.. this is incredible.... actually it's NOT credible which is the point.
Reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Kirk is convicted based on "infallible" computer evidence. Or a few others where they had a high tech lie detector in trials. But this seems to go further than just detecting a lie. This seems to suggest that a brain scan can read what a person remembers.. chilling....

India's use of brain scans in courts dismays critics - International Herald Tribune [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Florida will require I.D. match for all would-be voters

sounds like a good idea to me.... I've never understood opposition these type of requirements....

McClatchy Washington Bureau | 09/10/2008 | Florida will require I.D. match for all would-be voters [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Bishops criticize Biden's abortion statements

My Way News - Bishops criticize Biden's abortion statements

Attention all Catholic Democrats. Please consult with a priest before commenting on Catholic Church teaching. [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Obama Campaign Calls In The Cavalry

So Obama's going to flip-flop on 527's.

He hasn't changed the democratic party, he hasn't changed how elections are run, and he won't change Washington, it'll change him...

And remember he also flip-flopped on public financing when he realized how much he could raise.

Marc Ambinder (September 09, 2008) - Quietly, Obama Campaign Calls In The Cavalry

Of course, this is just rumor now. and Obama might sill keep a lid on things like he is doing with Palin's family. But outside groups won't be so kind. [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Factcheck.org: Sliming Palin

Well, this is not surprising .
There so disparate to find SOMETHING bad about Sara Palin that they are grasping at staws....

Factcheck.org: Sliming Palin | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008 | Newsweek.com [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Poll: 55% of Fla. voters support gay marriage ban

I don't want to focus on this, but it is news... I'm more concerned with how this being on the ballot effects turnout... I can't decide who it helps (if anyone)....

Right now only 55% support for the Gay Marriage ban, it needs 60% to pass, but that's 60% of the total people that actually vote one way or the other on it... some might think simply ignoring it is like voting against it. But I don't think that's true. If one person votes FOR it and no one votes against it, I think it passes.


Poll: 55% of Fla. voters support gay marriage | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY [This Post Continues after the jump...]

DVD ripping goes legit with RealDVD

This should have been "legal" years ago... And while this is a good first step, it still has a long ways to go. Paying more money to watch your movies on other PC is silly, only being able to rip the movie "uncompressed" is lame.

And the whole idea of having to pay for the right to copy and watch your own DVD's is just silly....


DVD ripping goes legit with RealDVD | Crave, the gadget blog - CNET [This Post Continues after the jump...]

US Might have to Abandon the ISS to the Russians

This is sad... we're caught in between the shuttle and Orion. I hope Congress extends the shuttle flights. We have more stuff to fly and it would fill in the Gap... but it'll cost a lot... so... who knows what will happen..



floridatoday.com | The Flame Trench | Florida Today's Space Team Blog [This Post Continues after the jump...]