SEN Reid Filibusters His Own Bill

Senate Republicans want a 60-vote threshold for a debt-limit bill to pass the chamber, but it's actually Democrats who are enforcing the filibuster on their own legislation, insisting on delaying a vote until 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

Republicans offered to let the vote happen Friday night, just minutes after the chamber voted to halt a House Republican bill. All sides expect Democrats' bill will fail too, and the GOP said senators might as well kill both at the same time so that negotiations could move on to a compromise.

"We would be happy to have that vote tonight," Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republicans' leader, offered.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid objected, even though the vote would occur on his own bill. He instead said the chamber would have to run out the full procedural clock, which means a vote in the early hours Sunday morning.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2011/jul/30/democrats-enforce-filibuster-against-own-debt-bill/

Flying the Flag

Posted 7/31/2011

An Airman parachutes to the ground from a C-17 Globemaster III while streaming an American Flag July 24, 2011, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., during the opening ceremony of the 2011 Air Mobility Command Rodeo. The Air Mobility Rodeo is the Air Force's premier international combat skill and flying operations competition designed to develop and improve techniques, procedures and interoperability, while optimizing international mobility partnerships and enhancing mobility operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kenneth W. Norman)

Markets

Answering a challenge from a discussion with friends, wherein it was pointed out that, as a champion of free markets, I had never cited an example of regulation I favored:

I don't like CAFE regulation, not as it's practiced, but not because it's undue interference in the market--it's not.  I disagree with Ed Wallace (author of link below) as often as I agree with him, but he makes disagreement hard as his facts are nearly always impeccable--I have to search very hard to find the bits and pieces he might miss, if he does at all (and then I have no choice but to re-evaluate my position).  Does a great bit on his radio show called the Backside of American History.

FWIW, Ed and I agree on what the flaws in CAFE are as well and they have to do with the loopholes that avoid the regulation (for producing ethanol using cars primarily).

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/07/22/3239807/the-battle-over-mileage.html

The Dinosaurs are Extinct Because They Didn't Have a Space Program....

Modern Human Invasion Caused Neanderthals' Extinction

Scientists have long debated what caused the Neanderthals to die off. A new study has suggested that a flood of prehistoric humans pouring into Europe inundated our ancient rivals and overwhelmed them with sheer force of numbers.

Neanderthals departed Africa about 400,000 to 800,000 years ago, and subsequently evolved in lands that now comprise France, Spain, Germany and Russia. They are believed to have died out (or absorbed into the modern human population) about 30,000 years ago.

A new study published in the journal Science found that humans outnumbered Neanderthals by about 10 to one in a region of Southwestern France, and its authors believe that a massive influx of humans migrating from Europe overwhelmed Neanderthals in the competition for resources.

"Numerical supremacy alone may have been a critical factor" in humans surviving, the study's authors wrote.

Or maybe they just failed to balance their budget.

An Epitaph?

"Ours, I'm afraid, is that we send people forward to protect the dream who can't even be truthful about the arithmetic."

http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=29508

How to tell what bill will cut spending

Guest poster J Howard at Protein Wisdom has a new post up:

CATO: "Boehner's New Plan Doesn't Cut Spending" [JHoward]

I'll leave you to go read the original post for it's insights, but I do want to highlight a couple of the comments.

Hrothgar posted on 7/28 @ 6:43 pm

Any "cut" that does not decrease the spending in the 2011 budget below that of the 2010 budget is a lie.
Any "cut" that does not decrease the spending in the 2012 budget below that of the 2011 budget is a lie.
Any "cut" that is scheduled to occur in any of the 2013-2021 budgets is a lie.

newrouter posted on 7/28 @ 6:22 pm

If we JUST CAPPED SPENDING– spent the same amount next FY as we did this FY,

the CBO would score that as a $9.5 trillion dollar cut.

So before anyone can claim we're "cutting" anything, the number they are talking about has to exceed $9.5 trillion.

But, the Polar Bears...?

NASA satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted, reports a new study in the peer-reviewed science journal Remote Sensing. The study indicates far less future global warming will occur than United Nations computer models have predicted, and supports prior studies indicating increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide trap far less heat than alarmists have claimed.

http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-data-blow-gaping-hold-global-warming-alarmism-192334971.html

Links Roundup

The third ranking Democrat in the House doesn't know the Constitution or history.

Rep. James Clyburn and a group of House Democrats are urging President Barack Obama to invoke the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling if Congress can't come up with a satisfactory plan before the Tuesday deadline.

Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, said Wednesday that if the president is delivered a bill to raise the debt ceiling for only a short period of time, he should instead veto it and turn to the phrase in the Constitution that says the validity of the U.S. government's debt "shall not be questioned."

And of course, the phrase cited is a product of the time it was passed--it refers to debt accrued by the US during the Civil War at a time when the states in rebellion could not have voted to incur that debt--it ensured that the South could not challenge paying for the debt on the basis of not having been represented.

"If that's what lands on his desk, a short-term lifting of the ceiling, the debt ceiling, he should put it on his desk next to an executive order," Clyburn said at a press conference. "He should sign an executive order invoking the 14th Amendment to this issue." The Associated Press reported that he was applauded when he suggested the idea at a caucus meeting earlier in the day.

"I believe that something like this will bring calm to the American people and will bring needed stability to our financial markets," Clyburn added, noting that President Harry Truman did it once during his presidency after Congress was unable to pass a bill to raise the debt ceiling.

 
And this is completely spurious.  Not only did Truman not unilaterally, in some way, raise the national debt ceiling, but his administration is the only one since the beginning of WWII in which there was no rise of the debt ceiling.



Not quite a New or Blue Moon--just a Trojan Asteroid.

Turns out the moon's not the Earth's only traveling companion. Space scientists have discovered an asteroid that's been following our fair planet for thousands of years, at least — and there may be many more where it came from, according to a recent study.

If other so-called Trojan asteroids are found, they could turn out to be ideal candidates for a visit from astronauts, something NASA hopes will be possible within the next 15 years.

Most of the asteroids in the solar system populate the belt of rocky debris between Mars and Jupiter. But planets can pull asteroids into their orbits, too. More than 4,000 Trojan asteroids have been discovered around the gas giant Jupiter, along with a few around Neptune and Mars.

Desert Vision.

The U.S. Army Driver's Vision Enhancer-Family of Systems (DVE-FOS) program now has a second supplier (BAE) to help with production (and keeping prices down). The army and marines are buying nearly two billion dollars worth of DVE equipment. DVE is an infrared (heat sensing) system that consists of a 2.5 kg (5.5 pound) sensor, and a flat panel display that shows the driver what is in front of the vehicle, despite night, fog, smoke or dust. DVE can spot standing man in a sandstorm at 190 meters, while at night, in clear weather, a stationary vehicle can be seen at 1,700 meters (over a mile).

The army has already bought over 40,000 DVEs in the last six years, so that the equipment could be used on a wide variety of vehicle and in all possible conditions. Current deliveries will equip just about new trucks and MRAPs. There are actually four different models of DVE. DVE Lite is for trucks the cart troops and supplies around. DVE CV is used by combat vehicles. DVE TWV allows the sensor to be moved around, to search a wider area, and is used by wheeled combat vehicles (Stryker and MRAP). There is also a variation of the DVE TWV, used specifically to detect enemy activity, like someone placing roadside bombs or mines.

Oh, Baby, baby, It's a Wild World

The Obama administration says Osama bin Laden's death has raised the risk of anti-American violence worldwide.

The State Department said in a global travel warning Tuesday that Americans should take precaution and maintain vigilance about terrorist threats, demonstrations and the possibility of violence against U.S. citizens.

Someone Lacks Some Self-Perception...

Within the GOP, Boehner won support from McCain, who ridiculed conservatives opposed to his plan, using lines from a Wall Street Journal editorial to make his point.

"The Republican House that failed to raise the debt ceiling would somehow escape all blame. Then Democrats would have no choice but to pass a balanced-budget amendment and reform entitlements, and the Tea Party hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor," he said the article continued.

"This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into GOP Senate nominees. The reality is that the debt limit will be raised one way or another, and the only issue now is with how much fiscal reform and what political fallout," McCain added, still quoting the Journal.

 Makes me wonder what the "crack political thinking" was that made McCain the GOP nominee for President in 2008, given that he was every bit as successful at Angle and O'Donnell.  I'm no less guilty of post hoc, ergo propter hoc reasoning anyway.  I can assure you, though, that standing on principles is NOT the common factor.

Those of us who may be "Tea Party hobbits" are content to fail on principle than to win by compromising them.  But one has ot be able to recognize a principle to understand that to begin with.

H/T to DaveinSoCal Commenting at Protein Wisdom



Six of one....

The U.S. government will foot the bill for half of all health care costs in the United States by 2020, according to a government report released Thursday.

That's up from 44 percent just two years ago, and reflects both the rising cost of health care and the fact that millions more people will have access to it under health reform, said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020 from $2.6 trillion in 2010.

A metaphor for distribution of medical service under Obamacare

The headline is, "Detroit to set services by neighborhood condition," but it could be, "Feds to set medical services by patents condition."

Detroit neighborhoods with more people and a better chance of survival will receive different levels of city services than more blighted areas under a plan unveiled Wednesday that some residents fear may pit them against each other for scarce resources.

Mayor Dave Bing released details from his Detroit Works Project, calling the changes a "short-term intervention" necessary because the city, with limited financial resources, a $155 million budget deficit and a dwindling population, was spread dangerously thin.

"Our focus is going to be on the people in the neighborhoods," Bing said. "We can effect real change and improve neighborhoods."

Bing's plan isn't about shrinking Detroit —the boundaries of the 139-square-mile city aren't receding. The plan also backs away from forcing the redistribution of what's left of the population into areas where people still live and where the houses aren't on the verge of caving in. Many residents had strongly opposed that idea.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43913000

Dallas Cowboys to cut Marion Barber, Roy Williams, Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo

Marion Barber is one of several Dallas veterans looking for a new team. (Paul Jasienski - Getty Images)

According to ESPNDallas.com reporter Calvin Watkins, running back Marion Barber, wide receiver Roy Williams, right guard Leonard Davis, tackle Marc Colombo and place kicker Kris Brown will all get their walking papers in Big D.

With all the money they're saving, the Cowboys may now make a stronger push to wrench coveted free agent CB Nnamdi Asomugha from the Houston Texans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/dallas-cowboys-cut-marion-barber-roy-williams-leonard-davis-and-marc-colombo/2011/07/26/gIQA5uZCbI_blog.html

Cool Pic

12
A polar bear eats an ice fruit cake inside its enclosure at Prague Zoo, Czech Republic. (Reuters)

Who Elected the Rating Agencies? Kibitzers help turn an artificial crisis into a real one.

Even without the Treasury empowered to borrow, plenty of cash will still be coming in, plenty of assets exist that can be liquidated. John Silvia of Wells Fargo told Bloomberg TV that a partial government shutdown (which still isn't a default) might not be needed for at least two weeks beyond the artificial Aug. 2 deadline set by the Obama administration in the wholly artificial debt-ceiling crisis.

But now we have a new problem. The rating agencies, especially Standard & Poor's, have decided to join the politicians in turning an artificial crisis into a real one. S&P says it plans a U.S. debt downgrade, regardless of any debt-ceiling outcome, unless it sees a "credible" plan to reduce future deficits by $4 trillion over the next 10 years.

This has become the real worry for Wall Street, but why? America's spending debate does not remotely make it any more of a default threat than it was a week or month or year ago. America's IOUs are still completely acceptable to the markets.

Even in the long term, the threat is not to bondholders. The threat is to Americans under 50 who think they can rely on Social Security and Medicare. The threat is to countries that hope the U.S. will fight their wars for them. The threat is to K Street bandits trying to live off federal handouts.

But the debt to bondholders will be the last to be dishonored—not least because, unlike a lot of claimants, bondholders can be satisfied with inflation-ravaged dollars.

For the unwarranted power granted to rating agencies, which after all merely issue opinions, blame U.S. law and regulation. These require bankers, pension funds and other regulated investment funds not just to consult ratings, but to act on them.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903591104576469923832521268.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h

U.S. Base In Bahrain In Danger

The United States is quietly looking for another country, on the west coast of the Persian Gulf, to host an American naval base. This is because months of political unrest in Bahrain has put the American base there in danger. So the U.S. Navy is looking at the possibility, and cost, of moving the Bahrain base to Dubai or Qatar. The navy is not happy about making the move, as it would be expensive and disruptive. But if the unrest in Bahrain continues, and escalates, there may be no choice.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20110726.aspx

Soros Moves to Avoid Regulations

George Soros, the billionaire hedge fund manager, is closing his Quantum fund to outside investors and returning their money.

Quantum, which will continue to manage about $24.5bn of Soros family money, blamed the decision on new financial regulations requiring hedge funds to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"An unfortunate consequence of these new circumstances is that we will no longer be able to manage assets for anyone other than a family client as defined under the regulations", Jonathan and Robert Soros, Mr Soros' sons and Quantum's co-deputy chairmen, wrote in a letter to investors on Tuesday.

New regulations require hedge funds with more than $150m under management to report details about investments, employees and investors, and also makes them subject to possible inspections by the SEC. Mr Soros' decision contrasts with his own reputation as an advocate for both government and corporate transparency.

A spokesman for Mr Soros declined to comment.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/42bd6288-b785-11e0-b95d-00144feabdc0.html

George Soros, the billionaire hedge-fund manager and philanthropist best known for breaking the Bank of England in 1992, will return capital to investors in order to avoid reporting requirements under the Dodd Frank reform act.

....
The reason? Under new requirements from the Dodd Frank act, hedge funds are required to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission by March 2012 if the fund continues to manage more than $150 million in assets for outside investors. The new requirements would call for funds to report information about the assets they manage, potential conflicts of interest, and information on investors and employees. The act allows an exemption for what the Commission considers "family office" advisers.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11198058/1/soros-returns-capital-avoids-dodd-frank.html

There he goes again.

In his speech Monday night Mr. Obama quoted Mr. Reagan speaking August 11, 1982 in Billings. Montana: "Would you rather reduce deficits and interest rates by raising revenue from those who are not now paying their fair share, or would you rather accept larger budget deficits, higher interest rates, and higher unemployment?  And I think I know your answer." At that time Mr. Reagan had reluctantly agreed to a deal in which the Democratic Congress promised to reduce spending by $3 for every $1 in new revenue. But this Faustian bargain only demonstrates why House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, is holding the line on taxes today. During the Reagan years, Congress went ahead and imposed the agreed-on taxes but quickly broke the spending-cut pledge and instead pursued even greater budget increases. As Reagan later lamented, "Congress never cut spending by even one penny."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/25/hijacking-reagan/

Obama to Banks: We're Not Defaulting

While officials from the Obama Administration raised their rhetoric over the weekend about the possibility of a debt default if the debt ceiling isn't raised, they privately have been telling top executives at major U.S. banks that such an event won't happen, FOX Business has learned.

In a series of phone calls, administration officials have told bankers that the administration will not allow a default to happen even if the debt cap isn't raised by the August 2 date Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says the government will run out of money to pay all its bills, including obligations to bond holders. Geithner made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows saying a default is imminent if the debt ceiling isn't raised, and President Obama issued a similar warning during a Friday press conference after budget negotiations with House Republicans broke down.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/07/25/obama-to-banks-were-not-defaulting/

Hummer Saved By A Chimney

A group of American aeronautical engineers have developed an innovate design change for hummers that make these vehicles as resistant to the blast effect of roadside bombs, as an MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle weighing more than twice as much. The solution was a chimney, made of lightweight, but very strong, material, that vents most of the bomb blast upward, sparing the crew. Five tests, using actual bombs, have proved the idea works. The new hummer also has a V shaped underbody, but still costs less than a third as much as an MRAP with the same carrying capacity. The Department of Defense wants to conduct more tests before building prototypes for testing in Afghanistan.

This new development gives hummers a new lease on life. Because of the roadside bomb danger, hummers have only been allowed to operate inside bases or in safe areas (that's actually most of Afghanistan, but not the areas where most American troops are operating, and fighting the Taliban.) All this is part of a decade long effort to make the hummer safe to use in the face of widespread use of roadside bombs.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htarm/articles/20110725.aspx

Really?

"Just remember, this is the United States of America. We write 80 million checks a month...." Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told "FOX News Sunday."

This is an argument in favor of his position?

Speaker of the House: Vertebral Development in Progress

The House speaker did say the U.S. cannot default. He said the crisis would be over if the Senate approves a new House Republican plan to be voted on in the House this week, and if the president signs it.

Not a F' yeah! moment, but its a start.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEBT_SHOWDOWN_BOEHNER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-07-25-16-36-14

In other news: The Sky is NOT Falling.

"The Federal Reserve and the Treasury can work together to generate enough cash probably for the next two or three months to avoid any kind of automatic default on the Treasury debt," Silvia, who is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's "In the Loop" with Betty Liu. "There's a way of getting around this issue for at least another month or two."

This, of course, presupposed that default is some kind of armageddon scenario.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-25/u-s-can-avoid-default-at-least-until-september-silvia-says.html

So, I will get a third star for my ACM.

Bronze campaign stars are now authorized for servicemembers who have served in Iraq since Sept. 1, 2010, or in Afghanistan since Dec. 1, 2009, Defense Department officials announced today.

The new campaign stars, worn on the Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals, recognize service during Operation New Dawn in Iraq and the Consolidation III campaign phase in Afghanistan.

Operation New Dawn began Sept. 1, 2010, marking the official end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and U.S. combat operations in Iraq and a new focus on advising, assisting and training Iraqi security forces.

The Consolidation III campaign in Afghanistan began Dec. 1, 2009, the date President Barack Obama committed to sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan with a plan to begin drawing down that force in July.

The services will announce implementing instructions to their members about wear of the new campaign stars.

Servicemembers who have qualified for the Iraq Campaign Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal may display a bronze campaign star on their medal for each campaign phase in which they participated. A silver campaign star is issued in lieu of five bronze stars.

Six other campaign phases were previously identified for Iraq, and three in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, they are:

-- Liberation of Iraq, March 19 to May 1, 2003
-- Transition of Iraq, May 2, 2003 to June 28, 2004
-- Iraqi Governance, June 29, 2004 to Dec. 15, 2005
-- National Resolution, Dec. 16, 2005 to Jan. 9, 2007
-- Iraqi Surge, Jan. 10, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2008
-- Iraqi Sovereignty, Jan. 1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2010

In Afghanistan, the previously identified campaign phases are:
-- Liberation of Afghanistan, Sept. 11 to Nov. 30, 2001
-- Consolidation I, Dec. 1, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2006
-- Consolidation II, Oct. 1, 2006 to Nov. 30, 2009

The Defense Department first authorized campaign stars for service in Iraq and Afghanistan in April 2008.

Higher Taxes Won't Reduce the Deficit: History shows that when Congress gets more revenue, the pols spend it.

The grand bargain so many in Washington yearn for—tax increases coupled with spending cuts—is a fool's errand. Our research confirms what the late economist Milton Friedman said of Congress many years ago: "Politicians will always spend every penny of tax raised and whatever else they can get away with."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704648604575620502560925156.html

How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education

Khan's videos are anything but sophisticated. He recorded many of them in a closet at home, his voice sounding muffled on his $25 Logitech headset. But some of his fans believe that Khan has stumbled onto the secret to solving education's middle-of-the-class mediocrity. Most notable among them is Bill Gates, whose foundation has invested $1.5 million in Khan's site. "I'd been looking for something like this—it's so important," Gates says. Khan's approach, he argues, shows that education can truly be customized, with each student getting individualized help when needed.

Not everyone agrees. Critics argue that Khan's videos and software encourage uncreative, repetitive drilling—and leave kids staring at screens instead of interacting with real live teachers. Even Khan will acknowledge that he's not an educational professional; he's just a nerd who improvised a cool way to teach people things. And for better or worse, this means that he doesn't have a consistent, comprehensive plan for overhauling school curricula.

Whatever Khan's limits, his site has become extremely popular. More than 2 million users watch his videos every month, and all told they answer about 15 questions per second. Khan is clearly helping students master difficult and vital subjects. And he's not alone: From TED talks to iTunes U to Bill Hammack the Engineer Guy, new online educational tools are bringing the ethos of Silicon Valley to education. The role these sites can (or should) play in our nation's schools is unclear. But classes like Thordarson's are starting to find out.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/07/ff_khan/all/1

Flashback

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies.

Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion.That is "trillion" with a "T." That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security trust fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers. And over the next 5 years, between now and 2011, the President's budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 trillion.

Numbers that large are sometimes hard to understand. Some people may wonder why they matter. Here is why: This year, the Federal Government will spend $220 billion on interest. That is more money to pay interest on our national debt than we'll spend on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. That is more money to pay interest on our debt this year than we will spend on education, homeland security, transportation, and veterans benefits combined. It is more money in one year than we are likely to spend to rebuild the devastated gulf coast in a way that honors the best of America.

And the cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the Federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and States of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on.

Every dollar we pay in interest is a dollar that is not going to investment in America's priorities.

Senator Barack Obama
Senate Floor Speech on Public Debt
March 16, 2006

Comic-Con 2011: Frank Miller on HOLY TERROR: “I Hope This Book Really Pisses People Off”

The main event, of course, was comic's own L'enfant terrible, Miller. His new book, Holy Terror began life in 2006 as Holy Terror, Batman! and was to detail Batman's battle against Al-Qaeda-style terrorists after an attack on Gotham City.

According to Miller – who was rumored to have received a seven-figure advance from DC – as the project evolved he decided it was not a good fit for the Dark Knight.

"I'd pushed Batman as far as I really felt like he deserved pushing and this wasn't Batman. So I reconfigured the character."

Other rumors indicate that in a post-Iraq, post-Bush Doctrine world the idea of a project that Miller once proudly proclaimed as "a piece of propaganda" lost favor with higher brass at the original publishing house.

But whether it be for reasons of personal taste, corporate politics, or a combination of the two, Batman became The Fixer, a new Dirty Harry-inspired, superhero.

"This character is much more well adjusted in committing terrible acts of violence on very evil people."

The presentation included several strange and even offensive images from the comic including a close-up of a masked character who resembled Watchmen's Rorschach with an oversized Star of David on his mask.

"I hope this book really pisses people off," said Miller with a knowing grin.

"I was raised Catholic and I could tell you a lot about the Spanish Inquisition but the mysteries of the Catholic Church elude me. And I could tell you a lot about Al-Qeada, but the mysteries of Islam elude me too."

And while there was noticeable discomfort from many in the audience at Miller's words and drawings, which have always played heavily on hateful and bigoted images, often to great artistic result, there was also strong and vocal support from other contingents.

 Several questions invoked 'Fascism' to describe Miller's stances, questioning how his with-us-or-against-us attitude is philosophically distinguishable from that of the faceless 'them' to which he alluded throughout the panel, but Miller remained staunchly oblique about his attitudes toward his characters and their connections to the real world.

When the final questioner asked if Miller was concerned that this divisive new work might make future readers reconsider his oeuvre in a more harsh light, Miller curled his lip into a cocksure smile befitting of the Joker.

"Not at all."

And the crowd went wild.

http://collider.com/frank-miller-comic-con-holy-terror/104800/

Information Warfare: Taliban Declares War On Children

Although real or imagined civilian deaths in Afghanistan, caused by foreign troops, makes the news, you don't hear much about the real trends. For example, during the first six months of this year, civilian deaths in Afghanistan are up slightly (to 240-250 a month) over the same period last year. But 80 percent of them are caused by the Taliban, drug gangs and bandits. Civilian deaths from these sources are up more than a quarter from the same time last year. Government and foreign troops caused 14 percent of civilian deaths this year, and the remaining six percent were caused by persons unknown.

A major reason for the increase in civilian deaths is the growing use of anti-personnel mines by the Taliban. While soldiers and police are trained to detect these mines (and sometimes electronic devices and trained dogs are used as well), most civilians walk right onto them. Worse, these mines are usually set to go off for a weight from 10 kg (22 pounds) to 100 kg (220 pounds). That means the mines won't go off if a small animal walks onto it, or a vehicle rolls over it. The lower range covers kids. The Taliban are eager to terrify civilians into submission, and discouraging civilians from using the increasingly common cell phones to call in terrorist locations. The Taliban believe dead children, blown apart by landmines, will do this. Has not worked so well.

The Taliban also use death squads, who just shoot or slit throats. Bombs and mines are more expensive, and are usually used in an attempt kill foreign troops. These efforts tend to kill five times more civilians than foreign troops. While civilian deaths from Taliban action are up, those caused by foreign troops are down. That's not news, but it is what is happening.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20110719.aspx

Afghanistan: Women And Children First

The Taliban "Summer Offensive" this year is mostly about terror, lots more terror. That means a lot more threats, kidnappings and assassinations. Taliban death squads are targeting government and tribal officials who oppose them. For the first six months of this year, civilian deaths were up 15 percent, although 80 percent of civilian deaths were caused by the Taliban. This gives the Taliban a very bad reputation among Afghans. But due to the number of officials owned by the drug gangs and the Taliban, every civilian death caused by foreign troops (less than 15 percent are) gets a lot more publicity than deaths (usually deliberate, while its usually accidental for foreign troops) caused by the Taliban.  The best way to terrorize the civilians is to threaten even wives and kids. Women and children first, as it were, is the road to victory.

Attacking foreign troops is still a goal, but the Taliban have done the math and discovered that it's a lot cheaper to terrorize civilians. This makes it more difficult for the foreign troops to get information (about Taliban operations) from civilians. Going after police and army commanders can cripple the intelligence networks of the security forces. By hurting the enemy intelligence network, the Taliban are more likely to avoid attack. In the last year, the increased number of raids and patrols by NATO forces has done a lot of damage to the Taliban and drug gangs.

Suicide attacks have not increased this year, but the targets are different. Thus failed attacks against foreign troops have been replaced by successful ones against government officials. These efforts are made easier by corruption, as Afghan security personnel can be bribed. This is why the most senior Afghan officials employ foreigners for their personal security. 

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/afghan/articles/20110720.aspx

Boehner wants debt ceiling plan by Sunday

Boehner walked away from talks for a large-scale deficit deal Friday, saying the White House abandoned an agreed upon number for a revenue increase and was insisting on tax hikes. That move, GOP aides and lawmakers said, was seen favorably by House Republicans, who are wary of deal making with Obama.

Boehner recounted to participants on the call what he told Obama.

"As I read the Constitution, the Congress writes the laws and you get to decide what you want to sign," Boehner said, recounting what he told the president, according to two sources.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59718.html

Iran says fires missiles to Indian Ocean for first time

"In the month of Bahman (Jan 21-Feb 19) two missiles with a range of 1,900 km (1,180 miles) were fired from Semnan province(in northern Iran) into the mouth of the Indian Ocean," Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace division, told a news conference some of which was shown on television.
Iran usually tests its missiles in extensive deserts in the heart of the country, so the firing into the Indian Ocean is an unusual move, aimed to prove Tehran's longstanding claims it can hit targets beyond its borders.
Television showed a missile being fired but the announcer did not specify if the pictures were of the Indian Ocean test-firing. No pictures were shown of a target being hit at sea.
The announcement came after a 10-day military exercise by the elite Guards that was designed to deter Iran's enemies by showing Iran is ready and able to hit back at U.S. bases in the Middle East and at Israel.
The United States and Israel have not ruled out military strikes on Iran if necessary to stop it getting nuclear weapons.
Iran says it has home-made missiles with a range of 2,000 km, designed specifically to hit U.S. interests and Israel.

Constituional Nonsense...

Just a few months after arguing majestically about how the Constitution puts virtually no limits on the “judgment of Congress,” Millhiser now hopes the White House begins “seriously exploring whether the Constitution will save America’s economy from the GOP’s extortionary tactics.” And David Dayen of FireDogLake, who thought it was “silliness” for members of Congress to read the Constitution in its entirety at the start of the session, now thinks it’s okay to read this one little section. He urges Democrats to stop tussling with Republicans over spending and taxes and just go with “a strategy that works: reading the Constitution.”
But this tortured interpretation of the 14th Amendment actually shows why members of Congress — as well as the pundit class — should have participated in the public reading of the entire Constitution earlier this year. If they had done that, they might not have skipped over an essential passage regarding the power to borrow. Article I, Section 8 — the same part of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to tax, appropriate, and “regulate commerce . . . among the states” (long the Left’s justification for any regulation of activity, or in the case of Obamacare, the inactivity of not buying health insurance) — also explicitly states: “The Congress shall have power to . . . borrow money on the credit of the United States.”
The 14th Amendment doesn’t affect this power one bit. It applies only to debt “authorized by law,” and as Catholic University Law School distinguished scholar John S. Baker wrote recently in NRO, “Only Congress — not the president — makes law.”