Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
Friday, April 22, 2011
‘Forget About the Law’: Union Bosses & White House Advisors Bob Park & Rich Trumka Admit They Are Overriding US Law & Sovereignty With the International Labor Movement
The following video had still been available: 11 January 2012.
The video had been removed.
$76,000 Cover Charge to Protest
White House pool reporter gives account of Obama's breakfast fundraiser in San Francisco.
A crowd of half a dozen protesters concerned with the treatment of Bradley Manning, the alleged Wikileaks source, disrupted an Obama $35,000 a plate fund-raiser with Oakland activist Naomi Pitcairn organizing the event for the group which calls itself the Fresh Juice Party. The group claims that Mannning is "languishing in a detention center in Quantico, Virginia since July 2010 without due process, often forced to stand naked and being refused the ability to meet with United Nations officials. The 5th and 8th Amendment violations against him have led to public outcry here in the United States and internationally. So much so that there are now plans to remove Manning to another facility."
The group are progressives who had worked for Obama and voted for him in 2008, but who were disappointed not only with Manning's treatment, but with Obama's policies on war as well.
The group maintains that "The FRESH JUICE PARTY is a satirical action group, but this is no joke: they promise to PAY individuals who post videos on YouTube of themselves singing the song (found at www.FreshJuiceParty.com) in a public forum, up to $100 per video and the top video will win an award of $1,000."
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Producer Behind ‘12th Imam’ Vid Arrested for Exposing Film Ties in Iran
$6 Gas? Could Happen if Dollar Keeps Getting Weaker
Just back from a trip to the middle east, Tom Petrie, Bank of America Merrill Lynch vice chairman, with his perspective on the future price of oil, and impact of global supply and demand.
DOJ to Supreme Court: Approve warrantless GPS surveillance
Redacted: Obama on the Emir of Qatar's view of democracy, slugs, budget, stupid
President Barack Obama bluntly criticized congressional Republicans and candidly assessed his own policies and the performance of federal workers in a meeting with campaign donors late Thursday in Chicago.
Apparently unaware that a microphone was still on, Obama said he essentially dared Republicans to try to repeal his health-care law during the recent budget negotiations. "I said, 'You want to repeal health care? Go at it. We'll have that debate. You're not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget. You think we're stupid?' "
The exchange was overheard by "CBS Radio News" reporter Mark Knoller, who had been listening from the White House to an audio feed of Obama's public remarks before the private meeting.
The White House regularly provides a feedback to Washington from public events across the country. Normally, a staffer traveling with the president will turn off the feed, but in this case no one did, and Knoller kept listening after reporters traveling with Obama left the room.
Later in the discussion, Obama said he told Republicans that they should try to pass a stand-alone bill to defund Planned Parenthood, rather than attach it to the broader budget bill.
"Put it in a separate bill," Obama said he told House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and his staff. "We'll call it up. And if you think you can overturn my veto, try it. But don't try to sneak this through."
White House press secretary Jay Carney on Friday dismissed any potential concerns with the comments. "He was taking questions from supporters," Carney said. "But there's nothing - nothing he said that contradicts anything he said in public."
In the conversation, Obama also weighed in on the performance of rank-and-file federal employees, saying it is "striking ... how generally smart and dedicated" federal workers are, according to Knoller.
But Obama added that some government workers "are slugs and not trying to do their job."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TQvuTU5HVc&feature=related
While in Chicago for a fundraiser, President Obama was caught on tape making comments after reporters had left the room. The president is heard here discussing the Emir of Qatar advocating democracy everywhere but in his own country.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
US Uncut "PAY UP!" Flashmob at Bank of America 4/15/11
US Uncut, in collaboration with The Ruckus Society and Brass Liberation Orchestra (BLO), kicked off Tax Day weekend (Friday afternoon 4/15/11) in San Francisco with a flashmob at Bank of America and told them to "PAY UP!"
The first minute shows the SF US Uncut troupe doing their rehearsed and choreographed dance routine. As you watch it, pay close attention and note one of their members wearing a light beige shirt, sunglasses hanging around his neck, with a balding pate and a five-o’clock shadow. You can’t miss him in the crowd. But then keep watching. The second minute shows US Uncut about 15 minutes (the full tape is available online) later after they have exited the bank and are now walking down the street. The videographer asks the exact same guy, “Are you here for this demonstration?”, to which he replies, “No, I’m just wandering by, but I think all corporations should pay their taxes!” Not satisfied with the first take the videographer then asks him to repeat his lines so that she can get a better take.
I hope US Uncut pays the proper royalties to the capitalist lackeys Salt N Pepa for borrowing their tune, "Let's Talk About Sex."
The full version of the protest is available to view.
Future of America: McDonald's
"McJob" even has a place in The Oxford English Dictionary, defined as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects."
Salaried managers for company-owned restaurants can make between about $32,000 and $50,000 annually.
The company said last year that about 75 percent of employees at company-owned restaurants are part-time, averaging 18 hours a week.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Good News: New Oil Refinery, Bad News: Its in Colombia
For Colombian Refinery Project
If the $2.84 billion loan to the Colombian company to expand and upgrade its refinery creates or sustains the 15,000 jobs in the United States that the bank believes it will create or sustain that would work out to $189,333 per job.
According to the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA), 95 percent of the gasoline purchased by U.S. consumers is refined inside the United States, meaning that expanding the gasoline refining capacity of Colombia is unlikely to have a significant impact on the supply of refined gasoline in the Untied States.
U.S. Gov't Agency Plans $2.84 Billion Loan for Oil Refinery—In Colombia
Video: S&P sounds alarm on US debt
TAX: Obama Gets $12,334 refund
Obama 2008: Bush Used Signing Statements To "Accumulate More Power"
"That's not part of his power, but this is part of the whole theory of George Bush that he can make laws as he goes along. I disagree with that. I taught the Constitution for 10 years. I believe in the Constitution and I will obey the Constitution of the United States. We're not going to use signing statements as a way of doing an end-run around Congress," then-Senator Obama said as a presidential candidate in 2008.
Jay Carney: Obama Was Never Opposed To Signing Statements
Jay Carney says President Obama was never against signing statements, just when President Bush "abused" them. Watch what then-Senator Obama said in 2008 while running for president and decide for yourself.
"His concern was with what he saw as an abuse of the signing statement by the previous administration. So that the positions he took in signing statements on the budget bill entirely consistent with that position, you need to retain the right to, as president, to be able to issue those signing statements, but obviously they should not be abused," White House press secretary Jay Carney told the press on Monday.
U.S. credit rating outlook lowered by S&P
"More than two years after the beginning of the recent crisis, U.S. policymakers have still not agreed on how to reverse recent fiscal deterioration or address longer-term fiscal pressures."
In its report, S&P said its outlook change was based on the growth of the United States' deficits over the last several years as a percentage of gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sleepers Awake: Fed Union Workers
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
America Only Great Since Obama
By that measure, America was not “a great country” for most of her history. Unemployment insurance did not exist in any state until Wisconsin adopted the program in 1931. FDR made the system national law in the Social Security Act of 1935. Lyndon Baines Johnson created Medicare and Medicaid by signing the Social Security Act of 1965.
That means America has been “a great country” for, at most, 46 years. Coincidentally, this time frame happens to overlap with Obama’s life.
Higher Education Bubble
Cf. http://youtu.be/hCP8Z8X0cMw
It is often said that a process that cannot go on forever, won't. Over the past few decades, college and graduate tuitions have climbed much faster than the rate of inflation and the growth of household income, with the difference being made up by debt taken on by students who assumed they'd have no trouble paying it off after graduation. Now students are graduating with big debts, but no jobs. This process can't go on forever. What happens when it stops?
Glenn Harlan Reynolds is the Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee. The author most recently of An Army of Davids: How Markets And Technology Empower Ordinary People To Beat Big Media, Big Government, And Other Goliaths, Reynolds is also a Contributing Editor at Popular Mechanics, a columnist at the Washington Examiner, and the host of "InstaVision" on PJTV.
A Tuition Bubble? by Andrew Gillen
Will Higher Education Be the Next Bubble to Burst? By Joseph Marr Cronin and Howard E. Horton
Price of Admission: America's College Debt Crisis
America's Most Overrated Product: Higher Education
CHANGE: PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS WORKING LOWEST SINCE REAGAN RECOVERY
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Paul Ryan Blasts Obama‘s ’Excessively Partisan’ & ‘Inaccurate’ Budget Speech
Big Think: Egypt, Saudi
Could There Ever Be a Saudi Revolution?
Ian Bremmer is the president and founder of Eurasia Group, a leading global political risk research and consulting firm started in 1998. Eurasia Group provides financial, corporate, and government clients with information and insight on how political developments move markets.
Bremmer has a PhD in political science from Stanford University (1994), and was the youngest-ever national fellow at the Hoover Institution. He presently teaches at Columbia University, and has held faculty positions at the EastWest Institute and the World Policy Institute. In 2007, he was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. His analysis focuses on global macro political trends and emerging markets, which he defines as "those countries where politics matter at least as much as economics for market outcomes."
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Obama Mistake: Raising Debt Ceiling in 2006
Obama, before casting his vote on March 16, 2006, said: “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit.”
Marxists and Muslim “Peaceniks” Unite
The United National Antiwar Committee includes:
Currently serving on the organization’s executive board are:
Shaik Ubaid, Muslim Peace Coalition USA
Seemi Ahmed, Muslim Peace Coalition USA
Abayomi Azikiwe, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, a leader of the pro-Cuban/North Korean Workers World Party
Sara Flounders, International Action Center, a leader of the Workers World Party
Teresa Gutierrez, May 1 Immigrant & Workers Rights Coalition, a leader of the Workers World Party
Jeff Mackler, Mobilization for Peace, Jobs & Justice, San Francisco – a leader of the Trotskyite group Socialist Action
Ashley Smith, A leader of the Trotskyite group International Socialist Organization
100 New York Imams endorsed the rally, as well as leaders of Democratic Socialists of America, SEIU, American Muslim Association of North America, the Communist Party USA controlled U.S. Peace Council, Students for a Democratic Society, American Muslims for Emergency and Relief, Ahmed Shawki, editor, International Socialist Review, Al-Awda NY: the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, Fight Imperialism Stand Together, International Antiimperialist and People’s Solidarity Coordinating Committee, League for a Revolutionary Workers’ Party, Malcolm X Center for Self Determination, Marxism-Leninism Today, Muslim Solidarity Committee, Muslimah Writers Alliance, AFSCME, New Socialist Project, Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center, Radical Party of America, Revolutionary Organization of Labor, USA, Socialist Party USA and several hundred other Marxist, labor and Islamic organizations.
Monday, April 11, 2011
DeHaven Says Obama Will Play `Class Warfare' on Taxes
April 11 (Bloomberg) -- Tad DeHaven, a budget analyst at the Cato Institute, talks about President Barack Obama's plan to announce long-term proposals this week for cutting the federal deficit, following up on the budget deal he reached with congressional leaders that averted a government shutdown. DeHaven speaks with Deirdre Bolton on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." (Source: Bloomberg)
Hillary Clinton to Address U.S.-Islamic Gathering in Washington, First Time in USA
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Roswell Aliens Confirmed
The FBI's Vault has been opened and files are accessible for the first time. According to the website, the Vault contains over 2,000 searchable documents. Roswell is one term.
Among the documents is a memo to the director from Guy Hottel, the special agent in charge of the Washington field office in 1950.
In the memo, whose subject line is ‘Flying Saucers’, Agent Hottel reveals that an Air Force investigator had stated that ‘three so-called flying saucers had been recovered in New Mexico’.
The investigator gave the information to a special agent, he said. The FBI has censored both the agent and the investigator’s identity.
Agent Hottel went on to write: ‘They were described as being circular in shape with raised centers, approximately 50 feet in diameter.
‘Each one was occupied by three bodies of human shape but only 3 feet tall,’ he stated.
The bodies were ‘dressed in a metallic cloth of a very fine texture. Each body was bandaged in a manner similar to the blackout suits used by speed flyers and test pilots.’
He said that the informant, whose identity was censored in the memo, claimed the saucers had been found in New Mexico ‘due to the fact that the Government has a very high-powered radar set-up in that area and it is believed the radar interferes with the controlling mechanism of the saucers’.
He then stated that the special agent did not attempt to investigate further.
The last point is the most unbelievable. This unusual incident did not bear investigation? Why not? Even if to dispute the account or in the case of a national defense it should have been pursued. That's odd and I wonder what the protocol is for an alien landing. Not worthy of investigation does not seem reasonable at all.
The Vault contains other documents that point to UFO investigations.
On April 4, 1949, FBI agents in Utah sent a cable marked “urgent” to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. It said an Army guard at the Ogden Supply Depot, a Logan policeman and a Utah Highway Patrol officer in Mantua each saw from miles apart a UFO — which they said exploded over Utah.
Under the title “Flying Discs,” the cable said they “saw a silver colored object high up approaching the mountains at Sardine Canyon” that “appeared to explode in a rash of fire. Several residents at Trenton … [reported] seeing what appeared to be two aerial explosions followed by falling object.”
I wonder who the aliens amongst us are?
Hermain Cain Educates Clinton on Economics in 1994 HC Town Hall Forum
In April 1994, Bill Clinton was stumping for his health-care bill, when Herman Cain debated the president's claim that restauranteurs would bear only a marginal new cost. Herman said that the bill would force Godfather's to fire part of its workforce. Clinton disagreed and said that Cain would only have to raise pizza prices by 2 percent. Insisting that Clinton was incorrect, Cain wouldn't give in. He told Clinton, "I'd had my financial people run the numbers". Clinton then asked Herman to send the numbers to him and he would have his advisers go over them.
The next day Herman Cain did send the numbers to the White House and he also submitted an oped piece to the Wall Street Journal. The Journal published them, and after Clinton's plan collapsed, Newsweek identified Cain as one of its "saboteurs"—a badge of honor, especially among conservatives today. Later Hilary Clinton would say the Clinton administration could not be held responsible for every under-capitalized small business in America.
"I Can't Afford Your Health Plan, Mr. Clinton"
By: Herman Cain
April 15, 1994
Appearing in: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today (among others)
Last week, President Clinton got into a sparring match with Herman Cain, president and CEO of Godfather's Pizza, over the impact on business and jobs on the Clinton health care plan's employer mandate. "Why wouldn't you be able to raise the price of pizza 2%?" the president asked at one point. "I'm a satisfied customer. I'd keep buying from you." On Tuesday, Mr. Cain sent the following letter to the president. The table is based on one that accompanied the letter.
Dear Mr. President,
During your April 7, 1994 town hall telecast from Kansas City, you asked me to send you my calculations of the impact on our business of your health care proposal. I am happy to do so in this letter.
As a reminder, the Godfather's Pizza system has 525 restaurants with over 10,000 employees. Two-thirds of these restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees of our company, whose operating financials are almost identical to our corporate-owned operations of 141 restaurants. Therefore, in order to be as specific as possible in our calculations, I will focus on just our corporate-owned operations with 3,418 employees.
Under your proposed health care plan, the cost to cover all 3,418 employees would be nearly $2.2 million annually. This amount of $2.2 million is a $1.7 million increase in our insurance, which is approximately 3 ½ times our prior-year insurance premiums to cover an 80% employer portion for all participating full-time employees.
You mentioned during the telecast that restaurants with approximately 30% labor need only increase prices 2.5%. This price appears to be arrived at by taking 7.9% times 30%. Quite frankly, we cannot just look at a percent of a percent, but instead we must look at the actual dollars involved. A $1.7 million increase would directly decrease "bottom line" profit. In order to produce the same "bottom line" as we are generating today, a 16% to 20% in "top line" sales would be required due to variable costs such as labor, food costs, operating expenses, marketing and taxes. Thus, it is incorrect to assume we can just add $1.7 million to the "top line" and expect it to flow directly to the "bottom line."
As a system of small businesses, we are concerned about the impact of any price increase for the following reasons:
1. Large price increases will drive customers away. Over 50% of our customers use coupons with their pizza purchases because they are very price conscious. In fact, 25% of all restaurant customers use a coupon with their purchase. (Source: NPD/ CREST)
2. Since it is likely that many of our suppliers of ingredients and materials will also experience increases in costs due to a mandate, they will likely pass some or all of those costs on to us and, thus, it becomes an inflationary "snowball."
3. Although consumers are spending more of their food dollars eating out, it is due to competitive forces which tend to hold prices down. This is evidenced by the cost of eating out rising slower than the cost of eating at home (Source: Consumer Price Index, Bureau of Labor Statistics). I believe price increases "by all competitors" in our industry would change this trend.
To summarize, Godfather's Pizza Inc. employs a large percent (67%) of younger, inexperienced and minimum-educated workers with a very high turnover rate of over 100% annually. This is typical of all quick service restaurants, which account for 47% of all eating place sales. I wish we could cover this group of workers, but the incremental cost under your plan causes a significant negative impact on our "bottom line" which cannot easily be rectified. We would then be put in a position to eliminate jobs which would impact productivity and ultimately profitability, or to increase prices to the point of being at a competitive disadvantage.
Mr. President, I believe your objective of coverage for everyone can be achieved without a mandate, using an alternative approach to health care reform... but this is what the debate is all about. I will not impose on the courtesy you have extended to me to personally review my calculations, but I will be more than happy to share some ideas with you personally on alternate approaches which are more business friendly and public friendly.
Thank you for your very valuable time and attention; I look forward to your response.
Most respectfully,
HERMAN CAIN
THE HIT GODFATHER'S WILL TAKE UNDER CLINTON'S HEALTH CARE PLAN
Annualized from January 1994 data
HOURS
WAGES
975 full-time employees
1,915,742
$18,671,075
1,570 part-time employees who work 10+ hours a week
1,537,983
$8,011,091
720 employees who work less than 10 hours a week
221,125
$1,115,347
153 employees on leave of absence/ other
0
0
3,418 TOTAL EMPLOYEES
$3,674,850
$27,797,513
UNDER CURRENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN
593 employees are eligible.
409 participate.
Current cost of plan: $540,758
Potential cost of Clinton Plan (cap of 7.9% of payroll) $2,196,604
Additional cost: $1,655,246
Source: Godfather's Pizza, Inc.
Was Herman Cain Right About Health Care?
By Joshua Green Jan 19 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Russia wants 'red button' rights for US missile defense system
The United States has said the new shield is needed to protect Europe and itself from long-range missile attacks from rogue states such as Iran.
Well all that is quite interesting given the fact that
the state-run energy company from Russia--Atomstroyexport--is arming Iran currently. The company is re-fuelling Iran's nuclear power plant.
Update: New Madrid Earthquake
Twice the article points out that natural gas wells were shut down recently. Is this going to be an attack now on natural gas?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Penner Says Government Shutdown to Hurt U.S. Growth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yIlfleXkP4
April 7 (Bloomberg) -- Rudolph Penner, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, discusses the potential economic effects of a U.S government shutdown if Democratic and Republican leaders fail to agree on a budget before tomorrow's deadline. Penner speaks with Deirdre Bolton on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." (Source: Bloomberg)
Faith The Christian Parody to Rebecca Black‘s ’Friday‘
Sadie B. and Community Christian Church in Chicago.
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