Nancy, you’re not fooling anyone

Posted on August 14, 2008 by ChrisA

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appears to have yielded to demands that offshore drilling be allowed. Instpundit readers are slightly suspicious…

You can keep up with the poll results here.

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China women gymnasts

Posted on August 14, 2008 by ChrisA

win the gold medal.

Power Line comments succinctly and Rachel Lucas shares her point of view.

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Why engineers make good business people

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

Great speech by Sy Sternberg, Chairman and CEO of New York Life Insurance company who also as a bachelors and masters degree in electrical engineering.

Here’s a revealing portion of his speech…

Although many undergraduates may not yet realize it, engineering students don’t have to be engineers for their whole life. Their academic studies have provided them with a foundation that creates far more career flexibility.

Engineering grads can work for an engineering company, and then rise up the ladder to general management.

OR…

They can move to an entirely different industry. They might choose to go into financial services, working at Citigroup. Or consumer goods, with Procter & Gamble. Or real estate, with Starwood. You show me a successful Fortune 500 company, and I’ll show you an employer who values the talents of engineering graduates.

I should tell you up front that I bring a personal bias to this topic. I’m an engineer who has for the past ten years been CEO of a life insurance company. If you bear with me a few minutes, I will tell you how that happened.

Unfortunately, most upper level managers and above at high tech companies don’t understand this. They may understand it on an intellectual level but it doesn’t show in the day to day way they run their companies. Hi tech management tends to treat engineers not only like they are financially ignorant, but that they are incapable of understanding. Frankly, it’s insulting.

Then you combine that with 401k plans that are laden with fees and you can tell that upper management doesn’t understand finance either.

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No Chemistry at home…

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

Deeb fell afoul of the Massachusetts authorities for… doing experiments… Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for [the Massachusetts town of] Marlboro stated, ‘I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home occupation.’ Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman’s words into plain English: ‘Mr. Deeb hasn’t actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don’t like what he’s doing because I’m ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I’ll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down.'”

Yowza. It took them three days, either one hell of an experiment or a super paranoid government.

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Polis wins 2nd CD

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

bummer.

He’s confident that the 2nd district will continue to send a progressive democrat to Congress. As the Daily Camera states in their writeup…

Polis, who is heavily favored to win the general election due to the district’s Democratic-leaning electorate, could make history as Colorado’s first openly gay representative elected to Congress.

I had no idea Polis is gay, although the Camera obviously thinks it’s important.

Quick calcuations show that Jared spent $266/vote of his own money!

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Swat Teams: Just say no

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

Most of the time.

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Education Olympics

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

Joanne Jacobs reports that through three days of competition the United States hasn’t won a medal. This will haunt us one day, probably in the not too distant future.

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Offshore drilling myths

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

This Washington post article takes on three myths of offshore drilling:

1. Drilling is pointless because the United States has only 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves.

2. The oil companies aren’t using the leases they already have.

3. Drilling is environmentally dangerous.

I also agree with their “strongest argument against drilling”

The strongest argument against drilling is that it could distract the country from a pursuit of alternative sources of energy. There’s no question that the administration has been lax on that front. True leadership would emphasize both alternative sources and rational approaches to developing oil and natural gas. No, the United States cannot drill its way to energy independence. But with the roaring economies of China and India gobbling up oil in the two countries’ latter-day industrial revolutions, the United States can no longer afford to turn its back on finding all the sources of fuel necessary to maintain its economy and its standard of living. What’s required is a long-term, comprehensive plan that includes wind, solar, geothermal, biofuels and nuclear — and that acknowledges that oil and gas will be instrumental to the U.S. economy for many years to come.

No doubt we need to both increase oil exploration and develop alternative energy. Unfortunately, especially in Boulder, we have way too many people that have embibed too much of the Algore kool-aid and believe in energy independence in 10 years purely from alternative sources.

There are no technical or material impediments to achieving the goal of 100 percent clean electricity within 10 years. The only thing missing is political will. When will our politicians address the energy crisis with solutions that can revitalize our economy and solve the climate crisis?

Check the link, I’m not making this stuff up. There are a lot more like her and some of them work at the Daily Camera, I feel sure.

Posted in Boulder is stoopid, energy | Leave a comment

2nd CD, Polis leading in Dem primary

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

Don’t know what percentage of the vote is in, but I’m not a big fan of Jared Polis. Hopefully Joan Fitz-Gerald picks up some votes later in the evening.

You can keep up with the Democratic Primary here.

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House size limits

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

The Boulder County commissioners exercised their power and finalized plans to limit house sizes…

On Aug. 4, Pearlman and fellow Democratic Commissioners Will Toor and Cindy Domenico put the finishing touches the program, which also sets new site-plan review guidelines for how large a proposed home can be and still be presumed compatible with an existing county-defined neighborhood.

“That adds a lot more certainty to the process,” for both the applicants and their neighbors, Domenico said Monday.

“We’re not restricting growth,” Domenico said. “We’re actually allowing growth at a measured pace.”

Fortunately everyone of their challengers is against the limitations as well as the constant micromanaging of county affairs.

Remember to vote for anyone but Will Toor, Ben Pearlman and Cindy Domenico to bring some common sense to this elected position. In my opinion, this is way too much power in the hands of three people. We can’t change that in the near future, but we can change the office holders.

Posted in Boulder is stoopid, County Government | Leave a comment

Longmont man impersonates police for free porn

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

This guy is really stupid.

Here’s the Times Call version of the story.

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Crocs, the clock is ticking…

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ChrisA

The footware company with the ugly shoes is having troubles getting it’s financial act together.

Niwot-based Crocs Inc. on Tuesday notified the Securities and Exchange Commission that it won’t be able to file its quarterly financial report on time.

In the disclosure, Crocs officials cited “significant changes in (its) business operations during the three months ended June 30, 2008,” and that the quarterly results “could not be assembled and analyzed in a timely manner without unreasonable effort and expense.”

The company plans to file the report within the five-day extension period, officials said in the filing.

Either they will be taken over or they’re headed for filing bankruptcy (IMHO). No, I don’t work for Crocs, don’t have any inside connections or special insight.

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Daily Camera, they’re talking about you!

Posted on August 11, 2008 by ChrisA

Rasmussen Reports, reports on the publics view of media bias vs. big campaign contributions…

Voters overwhelmingly believe that politicians will “break the rules to help people who give them a lot of money,” but most say there’s a bigger problem in politics today—media bias.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 55% believe media bias is more of a problem than big campaign contributions. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree and think that campaign cash is a bigger problem.

Of course I’m displaying my media bias and am responsible for the bold and italics in the quotation.

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Beware of DUI checkpoints in Longmont

Posted on August 11, 2008 by ChrisA

From the Longmont Times Call…

LONGMONT — Six Longmont police officers will be dedicated to a special DUI patrol Friday night and Saturday morning, according to Sgt. Mike Bell.

The saturation patrol is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Friday and will continue until 4 a.m. Saturday.

“The Longmont Police Department wants to send a strong message to motorists for the rest of the summer and during the National Crackdown Labor Day enforcement period that drunken and drugged driving will not be tolerated,” Bell wrote in a prepared statement.

Bell recommended that designated drivers be selected to drive for friends or family who drink alcohol. He also recommended public transportation, taxi cabs, for those who have been drinking.

My suggestion is to be very very careful, it’s way too easy to be DWI or DWAI. Calculate your BAC with this handy dandy calculator!

Here’s a BAC chart as well.

Also, a DUI and DWAI conviction stays with you for life, so you really really want to avoid one.

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Obama’s problem: The Clintons

Posted on August 11, 2008 by ChrisA

Here’s to hoping he screws it up.

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MSM: Where they deserve to go

Posted on August 11, 2008 by ChrisA

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25 Square miles surrounded by reality (part II)

Posted on August 10, 2008 by ChrisA

Now more than ever.

I certainly agree with this point of view

Neilson also believes that the swing toward an even bluer Boulder will correct itself as elected Democratic officials alienate the public. In the last year, several controversial programs have passed in the county, including rules to limit house size and a strict mandatory green building program.

“With some of the actions of the county commissioners — they are energizing the Republicans for us,” she said. “This abusive power that’s going on at the county level is frightening to me and a lot of people.” 

I don’t think it will necessarily swell Republican rolls, but perhaps voters will switch to unaffiliated.

The abuse of power comments are spot on as well. Unfortunately, the citizens of Boulder who are so quick to see abuse of power on the Federal level, especially with a Republican administration, are remarkably willing to tolerate local abuse of power that violates individual rights as long as it’s for the “common good”. Talk about a blind spot.

Posted in Boulder is stoopid, County Government | Leave a comment

Iran not ready for prime time

Posted on August 9, 2008 by ChrisA

The Olympic spirit doesn’t extend to Iran.

An Iranian swimmer pulled out of the Olympic Games men’s 100m breaststroke heats on Saturday, just minutes before he was due to compete against an Israeli rival.

Mohammad Alirezaei’s lane one was empty when the field left the starting blocks while Israel’s Tom Beeri, starting in lane seven, finished fourth.

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It takes an idiot

Posted on August 9, 2008 by ChrisA

Instapundit sums up the bias in the media coverage as only he can. Concluding…

Readers will be forgiven for concluding that there are different standards for left and right. They will not be forgiven for concluding the opposite, since only an idiot would think that at this point . . . .

And yes, the Camera reported on the McCain/lobbyist issue. Clay evans did his usual salute to the New York Time, noting that…

The story relied on some anonymous sources, but contrary to the outcry from the right-wing punditry, it was not simply a slash-and-burn hack piece.

Of course, Clay is preaching to the choir in Boulder, as I can’t imagine there are any conservatives that actually subscribe to the paper. I’ll take the internet over The Daily Camera or Clay Evans anyday. They are quickly becoming irrelevant.

Posted in Boulder is stoopid, msm | Leave a comment

Edwards fallout

Posted on August 9, 2008 by ChrisA

Slate tries to make the John Edwards story something it isn’t. Frankly, this is a John Edwards problem, not a Democrat or Republican problem. It doesn’t bother me in the least when a smooth talking snake oil salesman gets caught with the goods, but that’s pretty much the story as I see it.

Update: 8/9, 1:25pm

I won’t to modify my stance a little bit. As Edwards was a VP candidate his actions reflect even more poorly on him and it certainly put him in danger of truly embarrassing the Democratic party. If he had been selected as Obama’s VP, it would have been a body blow to the campaign. Still, at this point, that reflects much more on Edwards than on the Democrats. If I were a Democrat, this wouldn’t change how I felt about Obama.

Also, this has been bothering me as well…

Parts of Edwards’ story don’t fit – namely why would he be slinking around to avoid being seen with Rielle at the Beverly Hilton this past month. If Elizabeth already knew about the affair in 2006, then why hide it? Why stretch things out and not simply admit the affair to the Enquirer then and there? Hot Air has much more.

I’m with lawhawk, we haven’t heard the whole story yet. If Edwards chooses to drop the political scene entirely perhaps we don’t need to. Somehow, I don’t think the National Enquirer will let it slide.

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