If This is True Huntsville Will Not Be Good in 2010

Fox News reports that Obama directed a >10% cut in the FY10 budget. They are the only source for this story at this time. If this is true, and during the campaign FCS and missile defense were specifically targeted by Obama, then Huntsville will take some major blows to its economy starting in October 2009. Lots of jobs will be lost, probably mainly contractor, but also government if acquisition programs are hacked. To clear $55 billion the programs are going to have to be hacked as that is probably close to 25% of the investment part of the budget. Most of it goes for people, beans and benefits which a lot of people don't realize. Of course the question is will Congress allow it as that is a lot of pork and constituent jobs gone.

Mazda Ad for My Car

I don't remember seeing this ad when I bought my Protege5 in 2002. I saw a review on the internet and got a good price. Here is the ad though:

Arsenal Look Set to Sign Arshavin

I didn't really think Wenger would do it, but Skynews reports that the team has got a work permit for him. That means they must be pretty close to bringing him in. See this article for more. The Daily Telegraph also reports that the team is comfortable not being in the Champions League next year financially so maybe they are expecting to be in the Top 5 or 6 vice 4.

Air Photo

I am trying out Air Photo. This application for the iPhone 3G allows you to print directly from your phone's camera roll. It skips the step of downloading to the computer and then printing. It works wirelessly. It is a neat ap and one I can use a lot.

Parker Griffith Must Consider Himself Vulnerable

According to The Weekly Standard the eleven Democrats who voted against the "stimulus bill" are considered vulnerable in 2010. I guess Parker Griffith is one of these as he voted against it. I am sure he will vote for it when the conference bill is made with the Senate. It is good to know though that he thinks he needs to stay to the right of the Pelosi Democrats.

Reasonable MSM Post on the Stimulus Bill

Probably by the time I write this the house will have voted on the bill, but this article at CNN Money is a reasonably fair and accurate post on the differences between the Pelosi Democrats and the Republicans in Congress. Why didn't I see this kind of stuff when George Bush was President?

History and Control

Somehow if you read this the AP is writing history before it happens. I think Obamahas been President for less than five days now. I also think some of his moves and language are pretty divisive. See the Whitehouse Website for more.

Democrats and Huntsville

Huntsville is a creature of the Federal Government. Yes there are some significant companies like Adtran or Digium that do not rely on the Federal teat for money, but he bulk of the economy is related to the Army and NASA. One of the core programs being run out of the Arsenal is missile defense. Unfortunately President Obama talked in the campaign about how it needs to be reduced or cut. We have a Democratic Congressman newly elected to replace the old Democratic Congressman and he quickly is realizing that he needs to support the Army and the local economy. He was on the local news here saying how Obama is starting to support missile defense and the military. Nice to know. This is why many argue we need a Republican to support us.

Doug and the Talking Heads

Doug was one of the original Nicktoons (along with Rugrats and Rem & Stimpy). It was about a middle school age boy, a dog, and his adventures in Bluffington. It had one episode when he formed a rock band to perform at the local rich girls party. He knew he had to wear a suit with "big shoulders" like David Byrne. It was a cool show as it had some great adult allusions especially for those of us who grew up in the Eighties.

Argument in the Right Wing Blogosphere

The argument among the Right/Conservative blogosphere is how to react to Obama. This post at The Strata-Sphere is a perfect example. The author wants to set a tone of respect for the new President while arguing against his policies. There is also a core of people who want to treat him with all the respect and decorum that President Bush received from the left. The comments to this post make the argument either way.

Personally the left will probably reap what they sowed. Maybe there will be really nutty Republican Congressman to lead the charge or a conservative equivalent of Code Pink. We have at least four years to see.

Lunatic Fringe

I saw Tom Cochrane, the lead singer of Red Rider, in 1992 opening for the Smithereens. It was at the Bayou a great club in DC that was blown up to build a parking garage ten years ago or so. This, to me, though was always a disappointing video.

Homelessness and George Bush

James Taranto at Best of the Web has a running joke that the media rediscover's homelessness when there is a Republican President. See Fridays entry for an example. It is about half way down. Now according to Scripps Media in a story linked here at Wizbang, homlessness was down 30% during President Bush's time due to an unpublicized initiative his U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness took. I guess better late then never.

Bad Driving

Some guy cut me off today on Route 255 and I almost blew my transmission as I downshifted into second at way too high a speed. The poor Honda Accord behind me almost wrecked as well. I hate that.

Sort of Like the Suicide Commandos of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Judea

Or the People's Front or some such splinter organization. Apologies to Monty Python.

HIlarious Comment on A Story About Government Cutbacks

This post at Reason magazine's blog, Hit and Run, discusses how San Diego cannot afford to have staff at skate parks. The point is that people are actually enjoying themselves doing things there they could not before. This comment is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time.

Leonidas | January 15, 2009, 9:59am | #

Except for Michelle Kendleton, who was there last week supervising her helmet-wearing son Kyle, 9. "This is madness," she said as she watched skateboarders two and three times her son's age zoom by without regard for the newly posted rules.

Madness?

THIS ... IS ... SAN DIEGO!!!

[kicks Kendleton down the half-pipe]

I Find This Report Shocking

Hey let's manipulate statistics to pimp our pet issue and maybe we can get some money out of it. The New York Times reports Report Calls Online Threats to Children Overblown. I always found it hard to believe the billboards with there 20% statistic. Not that the internet can be a dangerous place for kids.

If Congressman Rangel Cannot Pay His Taxes Why Would You Expect This Guy?

Obama's nomination for Treasury Secretary forgot to pay 34 K in taxes. Oh well, I am sure he will still be confirmed. Excite story is here. Somehow he remembered to pay them a few days before he was nominated.

Changes in Wine Botteling

The last two bottles of moderate Italian wine I purchased had screw tops. One was red and the other white. I had heard that more and more vintners in Europe were moving to the screw top, but this is the first evidence I have seen of it.

Nerf and Guns

I went ahead and ordered another 50 round belt for the EBF-25, but this is taking things a little to far. Also alcohol and Nerf guns don't mix.

Blog Statistics and the Holidays

I write for the Defense Procurement News site. Hits have been down for the last few weeks. Yesterday they soared as the accompanying google analytics graph shows. Most of that site's hits are from people at work and I guess they all came back yesterday.

Rumors Swirl Around Raiders that Make My Leg Tingle

There are reports that Al Davis may be selling off his controlling interest. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Raiders deny this. They also have "talked to" Kevin Gilbride but have not interviewed him for the coaching job. Of course being the Raiders they could have hired him before yesterday, but now they have to wait until the Giants are eliminated from the playoffs.

Terrorist Could Use Insects,or Bats, or Even Balloons

Yes the gist of this article in The Telegraph is true, terrorists could use insects to spread disease. Unfortunately for them the logistics of this kind of attack are horrible and there are much easier ways to do this. In WWII the U.S. was going to use "bat bombs" against Japan and then realized it was a lot more effective to use B-29. The Japanese launched paper balloons carrying incendiary warheads and managed to kill an Oregon family. These kind of things look good on paper but are in the end ineffective.

The First Rule of Holes and California State Employees

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating some of the paid holidays that State workers get each year as an attempt to balance the budget. This of course has not been well received by the unions. In this article in the San Jose Mercury News there is a state employee interviewed about how she doesn't want to give up any of their 14 holidays. You can argue that it will require a renegotiation of the contract and won't really save money but her quote at the end explains why people get upset at bureaucrats. "The public always cries about the benefits we get," she said, "but that's the perk of working for state government."

Random BrightKite Photo

This is a photo of sunset near Helensburgh, Scotland. I used to live near here thirty-five years ago. It is nice to see it is still beautiful scenery. It is from intoxicated's stream.

Alabama Stinks Up A House

Well most of the good feeling that Alabama fans had this year was erased by the last two games. Last night it looked like Alabama had slept for the last month rather then prepare for Utah. Thank God John Parker Wilson will be gone, although his last game (probably ever) was one of his worst. Pages and pages will be written about Andre Johnston's absence, and I guess he played his last game for Alabama as well. Way to ruin your career at Alabama Andre.

Oh well, as they always say, wait until next year.

Random Ugly Building on BrightKite

This photo is of an apartment building in London from ampster's stream. It is not a very attractive building with the top floor extension and chimneys (?).

Connecticut Democratic Legislators Don't Know Much About Economics

This article at JournalInquirer.com discusses new laws going into effect in Connecticut. One of them passed over the Republican governor's veto was an almost 5% raise in the minimum wage. The argument for it was that "Supporters say the increase is necessary for workers, particularly in a sluggish economy...". Yeah, that's it, we will have less workers but they might be paid a little more. Increasing business' costs in a recession will certainly increase job growth. I think not.

Toys I Wish That I Had as a Child

They didn't even make these back in 1978. That's too bad as my brothers and I could have had a lot of fun with this.