Today's News & Record (Greensboro, NC), publishes a letter from Dan Holsenbeck of Greensboro. Holsenbeck writes:
"Last year, Barack Obama made a speech in front of NARAL, stating that if he was elected, that his first action as president would be to fight for the repeal of partial-birth abortion ban."
Holsenbeck has his facts wrong. First of all, the speech was to Planned Parenthood, not NARAL. Secondly, Obama did not say that he would "fight for the repeal of partial-birth abortion ban." Obama said that he would "sign the Freedom of Choice Act." [Video here -- at 30:15]
The Freedom of Choice Act, consistent with Roe v. Wade, allows states to make laws prohibiting abortions after fetal viability as long as there is an exception to allow for the life and health of the mother.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Consumer Report: May Roofing, Highly Recommended
A few months ago, our house suffered some some damage in a hail storm. It shattered the two skylights in our sun room. I was having a difficult time finding a roofer to do the repairs. Problems ranged from not having phone calls returned, to roofers telling me they couldn't get replacement skylights. One company even sent over a guy to start work before we had an estimate. I posted my lament on my blog.
That's when I got a call from Tim May of May Roofing in McLeansville. Tim found that, indeed, the usual supply houses either did not have the skylights or they only offered extremely expensive replacements. Tim didn't give up though, "Let me keep looking," he told us. Soon he called to tell us that he found suitable skylights at Lowe's at a reasonable price. He suggested that we purchase them and he gave us a price for the labor required to install them.
Tim and his crew just finished installing the new skylights. When it came time to pay, Tim told me, "That wasn't quite as hard as I thought it would be," and he knocked 20% of the price he had quoted us.
Tim is honest, cost-conscious, and willing to go the extra mile to help a customer out. The next rain will test the installation quality, but Tim made it clear that if there are any problems, he'll come back. This was a relatively small job compared to most, but Tim gave us great professional service. I get the sense that Tim likes pleasing people. I'd highly recommend him. You can reach May Roofing at (336) 697-8868,
That's when I got a call from Tim May of May Roofing in McLeansville. Tim found that, indeed, the usual supply houses either did not have the skylights or they only offered extremely expensive replacements. Tim didn't give up though, "Let me keep looking," he told us. Soon he called to tell us that he found suitable skylights at Lowe's at a reasonable price. He suggested that we purchase them and he gave us a price for the labor required to install them.
Tim and his crew just finished installing the new skylights. When it came time to pay, Tim told me, "That wasn't quite as hard as I thought it would be," and he knocked 20% of the price he had quoted us.
Tim is honest, cost-conscious, and willing to go the extra mile to help a customer out. The next rain will test the installation quality, but Tim made it clear that if there are any problems, he'll come back. This was a relatively small job compared to most, but Tim gave us great professional service. I get the sense that Tim likes pleasing people. I'd highly recommend him. You can reach May Roofing at (336) 697-8868,
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Obama's VP: I think it will be Clinton
I'm not very good at political prognostications. Although I was impressively close (impressive to me) in predicting Obama's margin of victory in the North Carolina primary, I am as often wrong as I am right in guessing political outcomes. Now that I've covered my ass, I think Obama will pick Hillary Clinton as his running mate.
I like Biden, Dodd and Richardson, they and Hillary all have things to offer that meet the test of conventional wisdom about what would make a good VP. But here is what I see as the bottom line: Winning (with someone who shares Obama's goals).
I think Obama is sincere when he says that his primary consideration will be to pick someone who is qualified to be president. Either of these four qualifies. Of equal importance though is to maximize Obama's chances of winning in November. There, Clinton is the superior choice. Sure, Obama can still win with another running mate, and sure, he'll have to face the prospect of managing Bill Clinton if he picks Hillary, but as a simple matter of winning, an Obama/Clinton ticket would be a juggernaut.
I like Biden, Dodd and Richardson, they and Hillary all have things to offer that meet the test of conventional wisdom about what would make a good VP. But here is what I see as the bottom line: Winning (with someone who shares Obama's goals).
I think Obama is sincere when he says that his primary consideration will be to pick someone who is qualified to be president. Either of these four qualifies. Of equal importance though is to maximize Obama's chances of winning in November. There, Clinton is the superior choice. Sure, Obama can still win with another running mate, and sure, he'll have to face the prospect of managing Bill Clinton if he picks Hillary, but as a simple matter of winning, an Obama/Clinton ticket would be a juggernaut.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Clinton Economy Was a Disaster
I took it for granted that anybody over 30 knows that the economy was better under the administration of Bill Clinton than it has been under George W. Bush. Whether one attributes this to congress or the executive branch or both, I suppose there is room for debate. But there is no doubt that the policies under Democrat Clinton resulted in a more robust economy than those of Republican President Bush.
Or so I thought.
I was recently challenged by a commenter on another blog to show that that is true. My first attempts to chide the commenter to return from the land of make-believe and simply acknowledge reality, were met with an insistence that the Clinton economy was a disaster. Sigh.
Against my better judgment, I spent some time gathering some statistics that illustrate how good the Clinton economy was and how anemic the economy has been under Bush. I'm sure the commenter will insist that everything good that happened during Clinton's eight years was a benefit of the Bush before him and that everything bad that happened under the current Bush is the fault of the previous president. If you don't fall for the self-contradictory silliness of such a view, you might find it interesting to see just how Bush's economic record stands up against Clinton's:
1. UNEMPLOYMENT
When Clinton took office, he inherited an unemployment rate of 7.3%. When he left office, unemployment was 4.2%, a 43% decrease.
When Bush took office, unemployment was at 4.2%. Today it is at 5.7%, an increase of 36%.
2. BUDGET DEFICIT
When Clinton took office, the federal budget deficit was $320B. When he left office, it was $32B, a 90% decrease.
When Bush took office, the federal deficit was $32B, it is projected by the CBO to be $482B this fiscal year. (And that's with the war being "off the books"), a 1,500% increase.
3. STOCK MARKET
When Clinton took office, the DOW was at 2,700. When he left office, it had grown to 10,800, an increase of 300%.
When Bush took office, the DOW was at 10,800. Today it is at 11,450, an increase of 6%.
4. PERSONAL INCOME
When Clinton took office, per capita income (in 2006 dollars) was $21,000. When he left office, it was $26,000, an increase of 24%.
When Bush took office, per capita income was $26,000. Today it is $26,300, an increase of 1%.
There are plenty of issues of importance for the upcoming presidential election, certainly the economy is among them. When you hear people saying that the economy will tank under a Democratic president, you may ask yourself if you should be frightened by fairy tales or make a decision based in reality.
.
Or so I thought.
I was recently challenged by a commenter on another blog to show that that is true. My first attempts to chide the commenter to return from the land of make-believe and simply acknowledge reality, were met with an insistence that the Clinton economy was a disaster. Sigh.
Against my better judgment, I spent some time gathering some statistics that illustrate how good the Clinton economy was and how anemic the economy has been under Bush. I'm sure the commenter will insist that everything good that happened during Clinton's eight years was a benefit of the Bush before him and that everything bad that happened under the current Bush is the fault of the previous president. If you don't fall for the self-contradictory silliness of such a view, you might find it interesting to see just how Bush's economic record stands up against Clinton's:
1. UNEMPLOYMENT
When Clinton took office, he inherited an unemployment rate of 7.3%. When he left office, unemployment was 4.2%, a 43% decrease.
When Bush took office, unemployment was at 4.2%. Today it is at 5.7%, an increase of 36%.
2. BUDGET DEFICIT
When Clinton took office, the federal budget deficit was $320B. When he left office, it was $32B, a 90% decrease.
When Bush took office, the federal deficit was $32B, it is projected by the CBO to be $482B this fiscal year. (And that's with the war being "off the books"), a 1,500% increase.
3. STOCK MARKET
When Clinton took office, the DOW was at 2,700. When he left office, it had grown to 10,800, an increase of 300%.
When Bush took office, the DOW was at 10,800. Today it is at 11,450, an increase of 6%.
4. PERSONAL INCOME
When Clinton took office, per capita income (in 2006 dollars) was $21,000. When he left office, it was $26,000, an increase of 24%.
When Bush took office, per capita income was $26,000. Today it is $26,300, an increase of 1%.
There are plenty of issues of importance for the upcoming presidential election, certainly the economy is among them. When you hear people saying that the economy will tank under a Democratic president, you may ask yourself if you should be frightened by fairy tales or make a decision based in reality.
.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Scam: Greensborosingles.org
If you get an email inviting you to visit greensborosingles.org, don't bother. The email invitation itself should send up red flag warnings. The email refers to "greensboro City," a term that anybody familiar with Greensboro knows isn't used to describe this place. Another clue is the supposed address of the greensborosingles.org home, 5657 N. Classen Boulevard -- there is no such street in Greensboro.
The domain name is registered to the IMAT Group, a company located in India that specializes in marketing and lead generation. Bother to "sign up" with greensborosingles.com and you'll be required to provide a lot of personal information including your gender, income, height, weight, phone number(s), marital status and more. Once provided, you won't get access to a dating site, you'll get a promise (warning?) that someone will call you soon.
It's a scam to generate sales leads.
The domain name is registered to the IMAT Group, a company located in India that specializes in marketing and lead generation. Bother to "sign up" with greensborosingles.com and you'll be required to provide a lot of personal information including your gender, income, height, weight, phone number(s), marital status and more. Once provided, you won't get access to a dating site, you'll get a promise (warning?) that someone will call you soon.
It's a scam to generate sales leads.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Are punching and kicking part of GPD's arrest techniques?
Timothy X video tapes a Greensboro police officer punching a suspect in the head and kicking him in the stomach (hat tip: Greensboring). It is very clear that the suspect is not complying with the officers' commands, but seriously, are the GPD not trained in techniques for apprehending a suspect that do not include punching and kicking?
Thursday, August 07, 2008
News & Record double-speak: McCain flip-flop consistent
In an article in today's News & Record (Greensboro, NC), reporter Mark Binker writes "McCain has been a consistent supporter of expanding offshore drilling..."
Say what? Binker is a great reporter and usually spot on accurate. But this is just flat out wrong. Until June of this year, McCain was against offshore oil drilling. That hardly makes McCain a "consistent supporter." I'm sure a correction will be published tomorrow.
Say what? Binker is a great reporter and usually spot on accurate. But this is just flat out wrong. Until June of this year, McCain was against offshore oil drilling. That hardly makes McCain a "consistent supporter." I'm sure a correction will be published tomorrow.
Tom Shuford: Letter writer, partisan clown
Today's News & Record (Greensboro, NC) publishes a fear-mongering letter from Tom Shuford of Lenoir, N.C. in which Shuford quotes Senator Barack Obama as saying:
"'Nobody in the Senate, other than maybe Ted Kennedy, has been more consistent in saying we need to have a pathway to citizenship for those who are undocumented. ...' (Obama in an interview with Univision, the Spanish-language network)."
Shuford conveniently forgets the Kennedy-McCain immigration reform bill (Oooooh, KENNEDY!), legislation that would have provided precisely a "pathway to citizenship" for illegal immigrants. McCain has since reiterated his support for a pathway to citizenship, recently telling a group of elected Latino officials that he would make a pathway to citizenship "my top priority."
Funny, Shuford. Like a clown, you amuse me.
"'Nobody in the Senate, other than maybe Ted Kennedy, has been more consistent in saying we need to have a pathway to citizenship for those who are undocumented. ...' (Obama in an interview with Univision, the Spanish-language network)."
Shuford conveniently forgets the Kennedy-McCain immigration reform bill (Oooooh, KENNEDY!), legislation that would have provided precisely a "pathway to citizenship" for illegal immigrants. McCain has since reiterated his support for a pathway to citizenship, recently telling a group of elected Latino officials that he would make a pathway to citizenship "my top priority."
Funny, Shuford. Like a clown, you amuse me.
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