Harry Reid: Tax System Is Voluntary

I can't believe that this is real, but it sure looks to be (via moonbattery):

The hockey stick hoax

This was a classic from a few years ago - a graph purported to prove that anthropogenic global warming was indeed real. This was a centerpiece of Gore's fear-mongering. The researchers that made it refused to disclose their data, even though the study was funded with taxpayer money. In the end, it was proven to be a hoax (Did I mention it was funded by taxpayer money?). This should have been the nail in the coffin for the alarmists. Unfortunately, the controversy went right down the memory hole (surprise, surprise...). In any case, Powerline had a few things to say about it today. Here's the famous graph above climate data in Europe over the same time period (via moonbattery). See any differences? Yeah - me neither. Adds powerline: "The "hockey stick" graph had the virtue, from the alarmists' perspective, of "getting rid of" the Medieval Warm Period, which had always been acknowledged as the predecessor to the Little Ice Age and our own era, in which temperatures have recovered from the Little Ice Age..."

More:

More recent scientific work has thoroughly debunked the Mann "hockey stick" analysis. It has been shown to rest on "collation errors, unjustified truncation or extrapolation of source data, obsolete data, incorrect principal component calculations, geographical mislocations and other serious defects," as well as
"incorrect mathematics." There are indications, at least, that some of the errors on the part of Mann and his collaborators were deliberate--an instance of the corruption of science by politics and perverse financial incentives that underlies the entire global warming movement.

Andrew Bostom provides an excellent short summary of the significance of the hockey stick and its debunking by more rigorous scientists, which is readily understandable by the lay reader.

If you really want to worry about the climate, consider the fact
that we are due for another ice age.

UPDATE: Then there's this bar graph showing 2009 priorities (HT:moonbattery):

My guess is that BHO better be careful with this. It's a hot potato ready to burn him.

More on the stimulus Nazi

Remember the Robert Reich story I blogged about a few days ago? Michelle Malkin was on FoxNews to discuss the controversy:

(HT:HA)

Unsuccessful Iowa Legal Writing Faculty Candidate Sues, Claiming Discrimination Due to Her Conservative Views

This story via taxprof:

Teresa R. Wagner, Associate Director of the University of Iowa College of Law Writing Resource Center, has filed a lawsuit against the school and its dean, Tax Prof Carolyn Jones, claiming that she was twice rejected for a legal writing faculty position because of her conservative political views. From the Chroncile of Higher Education and Des Moines Register:

She argues that affiliations listed on her résumé, including stints with groups like the National Right to Life Committee, did her in with a liberal-leaning faculty. To bolster her case, the lawsuit dissects the political affiliations of the approximately 50 faculty members who vote on law-school faculty hires; 46 of them are registered as Democrats and only one, hired 20 years ago, is a Republican, the lawsuit states. Ms. Wagner also says that a law-school associate dean suggested that she conceal her affiliation with a conservative law school [Ave Maria] and later told her not to apply for any more faculty positions.

"She just wants to make it known that conservatives need not apply," Wagner's lawyer, Stephen Fieweger of Moline, Ill., said. "Liberals talk about diversity, except when it comes to bringing in a different, conservative point of view."

I'm shocked by this. Just shocked! How did a Republican get in???

Video: The surprisingly obligatory “school apologizes for winning 100-0″ clip

I wrote about this story yesterday. Here's an update (with video) via HotAir.

Chris Matthews: Palin’s book will do well “if she can read”

From HotAir: "I don’t think he meant it the way it came out, but Politico does. And I concede, I have no alternate explanation." Here's the video:

I don't have an alternate explanation either. Who does Mathews think writes Obama's speaches? Why can he not say anything without a teleprompter? He thinks Obama wrote his books himself too? Not likely.

Obama to GOP leaders: Stop listening to Rush Limbaugh

Sound pretty small for a sitting President? When I first hear this on Drudgereport, my first thought was "hasn't it been the 90's since Republicans listened to Rush?" Second thought was "that'll do it for getting the fairness doctrine in this term." Right on cue, HotAir has similar thoughts:

Haven’t they already? (stopped listening to Rush)
President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

“You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done,” he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package. One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.

Smart points in response from Tom Maguire, especially number three. If, contra his campaign rhetoric, The One really does plan on bringing back Fairness, he just made
his task of selling it to the public as a nonpartisan measure not aimed squarely at conservative talk radio a lot harder.

The Rush responded:

via Byron York: To make the argument about me instead of his plan makes sense from his perspective. Obama’s plan would buy votes for the Democrat Party, in the same way FDR’s New Deal established majority power for 50 years of Democrat rule, and it would also simultaneously seriously damage any hope of future tax cuts. It would allow a majority of American voters to guarantee no taxes for themselves going forward. It would burden the private sector and put the public sector in permanent and firm control of the economy. Put simply, I believe his stimulus is
aimed at re-establishing “eternal” power for the Democrat Party rather than stimulating the economy because anyone with a brain knows this is NOT how you stimulate the economy. If I can be made to serve as a distraction, then there is
that much less time debating the merits of this TRILLION dollar debacle.

Didn't Rush have this happen to him recently, perpetrated by none other than Colin "RINO" Powell? And didn't Rush take Powell to the back of the shed for it? Why yes. Yes he did! (And it was GOOD!)

This would be a pretty crappy meal if you asked me

Taiwan's Modern Toilet Restaurant. (HT: Emily Monticello)

Repercussions already???

I'm surprised, but in a good way. I think BHO made a very bad decision to lift the moratorium on taxpayer funding of abortion overseas (that's 2 for 2 counting Gitmo). In any case, the London Telegraph today has a devastating piece on Obama (surprising negativity considering the source). Here's a snippet posted this morning by Michelle Malkin:

This will end in tears. The Obama hysteria is not merely embarrassing to witness, it is itself contributory to the scale of the disaster that is coming. What we are experiencing, in the deepening days of a global depression, is the desperate suspension of disbelief by people of intelligence - la trahison des clercs - in a pathetic effort to hypnotise themselves into the delusion that it will be all right on the night. It will not be all right……

To anyone who kept his head, the string of Christmas cracker mottoes booming through the public address system on Washington’s National Mall can only excite scepticism. It is crucial to recall the reality that lies behind the rhetoric. Denouncing “those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents” comes ill from a man whose flagship legislation, the Freedom of Choice Act, will impose abortion, including partial-birth abortion, on every state in the Union. It seems the era of Hope is to be inaugurated with a slaughter of the innocents.

Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is like one of those toxic packages traded by bankers: it camouflages many unaffordable gifts to his client state. With a federal deficit already at $1.2 trillion, Obama wants to squander $825 billion (which will undoubtedly mushroom to more than $1 trillion) on creating 600,000 more government jobs and a further 459,000 in “green energy” (useless wind turbines and other Heath-Robinson contraptions favoured by Beltway environmentalists).

It is frightening to think there is a real possibility that the entire world economy could go into complete meltdown and famine kill millions. Yet Western - and British - commentators are cocooned in a warm comfort zone of infatuation with America’s answer to Neil Kinnock. We should be long past applauding politicians of any hue: they got us into this mess. The best deserve a probationary opportunity to prove themselves, the worst should be in jail.

(emphasis mine)

Conformity’s Seduction

A good article by Mark Steyn with the subline "Oh, yes, yes, yessssssss, we can!"

How dazzling is President Obama? So dazzling that he didn’t merely give a dazzling inaugural speech. Any old timeserving hack could do that. Instead, he had the sheer genius to give a flat dull speech full of the usual shopworn boilerplate. Brilliant! At a stroke, he not only gently lowered the expectations of those millions of Americans and billions around the world for whom his triumphant ascendancy is the only thing that gives their drab little lives any meaning, but also emphasized continuity by placing his unprecedented incandescent megastar cool squarely within the tradition of squaresville yawneroo white middle-aged plonking mediocrities who came before him.

Ouch! There's more. Read the whole thing (very good). (HT: HA)

$1.5 Billion in MI Reform Choices

The Center for Michigan has compiled a list of more than $1.5 billion in hard choices for budget cuts and reforms to the way Michigan's public sector does the public's business. (HT: Cameron Brown)

I'm curious if any of these even have a chance with the dems controlling the State House and the Legislature. Could more tax increases be on the way?

There are bad answers, and then there are no answers

How many jobs is the $1,000,000,000,000 stimulus package going to create? Curious minds (a minority on the Hill, apparently) want to know.

(HT:MCT)

If you are a civil libertarian,

Here's a good challenge in the sideblog at americandigest:

if you are in the ACLU or a law professor, or a liberal in good standing who swore that George Bush from Texas, with strut and twang and mangled vocabulary, destroyed your liberties with FISA, with the Patriot Act, and with Iraq, then please extend that outrage to Barack Obama, for whom all such shredding of the Constitution suddenly has become merely complex and problematic rather than fascistic. Please list, cite, name just one instance from 2002-8 in which you lost your freedom, or you were censored on the library internet, or you were followed around by the FBI, or your letter to the editor earned a wiretap, or even one instance of the loss of any freedom under Bush-- and if so, just one example of how the election of Obama has once again restored your lost liberty. Nothing in the abstract, please-- something concrete, an example both real and personal. -Works and Days - An Uneasy Feeling

Girls Basketball Team Regrets Winning 100-0, Seeks Forfeit

Via FoxNews: A Texas high school girls basketball team on the winning end of a 100-0 game has a case of blowout remorse. How did it get that bad? Here's an excerpt:

Last week Covenant, a private Christian school in Dallas, defeated Dallas Academy 100-0. Covenant was up 59-0 at halftime. A parent who attended the game told The Associated Press that Covenant continued to make 3-pointers — even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points.

As Ron Burgundy might say, "Stay classy, Dallas!" And for a Christian school, the coaches, as well as the player, simply should have known better far before the final score. Requesting a forfeit now is just silly. The game is over and the bed has been made. They now have to lay in it.

NASA data shows oceans cooling since 2003?

You don't say! Gee (no - GTE)! Yet another example of how science and politics do not mix. By Ed Morrissey over at HA:

This comes as no great shock, since the Arctic has the most ice in its cap since 1979. However, the data tends to support those who theorize that warming and cooling cycles are nothing more than that, and undermine the argument for global warming as a consequence of carbon dioxide. It also explains why the last two winters have gotten longer and colder instead of shorter and warmer.

We've been feeling the colder, longer winters here in Michigan. Especially now. I was surprised that NASA admitted to sensor bias. One of the things you almost never hear about is sensor accuracy/experimental uncertainty in measuring the effect. They tend to only argue about the cause.

UPDATE: RedState has more.

Obama to sign EO authorizing aid money for abortions today

Yesterday might have been a sad day in American history, but looks like the country's Big Toe wants to extend the sadness one more day. HotAir reports:

Yesterday, on the anniversary of Roe v Wade, abortion supporters expected Obama to issue an executive order reversing the Mexico City policy imposed by George Bush prohibiting American aid dollars for international abortions. Obama demurred, perhaps wishing to avoid the media scrutiny that would attend such a move on Roe’s anniversary. Instead, Obama will quietly sign the new EO today, away from the media spotlight.

This will likely be totally ignored by the MSM. So sad... Hope and change??? Maybe BO needs to see the video in my prior post above.

UPDATE: A good essay of a personal experience from a dad here. (HT: The Anchoress)

UPDATE#2: More from The Anchoress: "Some argument about whether or not Barack Obama served the culture of Death on his first day in office. Yes, of course he did, but it got barely a mention. Buried deep in the news reports." Just as I predicted earlier today.

Blago: Fed arrest like Pearl Harbor!

You've got to be kidding me. Pearl Harbor??? From HotAir:

I assume that Rod Blagojevich means the movie Pearl Harbor and not the actual attack. The latter killed over 2500 Americans, which would make Blago a ghoul. The movie, however, was almost as embarrassing as Blagojevich himself...

I vote ghoul.

Planned Parenthood: Force doctors to do abortions

This is just sick. To force a doctor (who took, ironically, the Hippocratic Oath) to perform a procedure that the doctor may very clearly see as murder. Are they going to force these doctors to pray to Ba'al also? Might as well. they already have the human sacrifice part down.

Young inventors

Sometimes, stories like these make me feel like Antonio Salieri at the beginning of the movie Amadeus. While Salieri was playing with the neighborhood kids, Mozart was composing symphonies. In 8th grade, I sure wasn't doing anything like this. I was more worried about what the girls at school thought, etc. Every now and again, stories like these crop up. i am always curious as to what becomes of these little inventors. (HT:CG)

Freed by U.S. from Gitmo, Saudi becomes an Al-Qaeda chief

This is bad. Sure makes Obama's decision to help the terrorists at Guantanamo look suspect at best, dumb at worst. And this from the NYT of all places! Based on what they report, I always assume it's just the tip of the iceberg, and that the worst 90% will be hidden from public view because of the agenda... (HT:CG)

Michigan must...

Michigan must now make workplaces smoke-free. From the freep. I would also say Michigan must now make all public schools liberal indoctrination-free. And I would add that the latter is far more important than the former. What say you writers of the freep? (crickets chirping)

Well this is interesting

Chronicle: University-Provided Laptops Are Taxable to Faculty. (via taxprof)

I previously blogged that the IRS increasingly is requiring faculty to report the value of university-provided cell phones as income under § 280F. This week's Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the IRS is similarly targeting faculty who receive a university-provided laptop: Professors May Have to Pay Taxes on College Laptops, by David Shieh:...

I'm not sure if Oakland U. has done anything in this regard. Then again, maybe they have such a policy somewhere in the 3-million page 'policy' book that seems to grow by the day. I haven't heard of anyone getting a university-provided phone either. At least not on the faculty side.

Study: Michigan could save millions with early release

Via the freep. How much did that study cost? And, by the way, if we release ALL prisoners and shutter the doors and windows, we would save a gazillion dollars.

Gitmo, Part Deux???

I saw this over at the Volokh Conspiracy: "Here is the draft executive order for shutting down Guantanamo. Note this language (emphasis added):

Sec. 3. Closure of Detention Facilities at Guantánamo. The detention facilities at Guantánamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order. If any individuals covered by this order remain in detention at Guantánamo at the time of closure of those detention facilities, they shall be returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country, or transferred to another United States detention facility in a manner consistent with law and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.

“Transferred to another United States detention facility”—including an American military facility, an American military facility located in another country?"

So its like moving homeless people to another city and telling everyone you solved homelessness. Got it!

Don't know about hope, but this sure was a change

Obama blows off Medal of Honor recipients . (HT:drudge)

The stimulus Nazi - No soup for WHITES!!!

This is just far far beyond the pale! Good grief! What the heck is going on around here? How is it equal protection (the operative word here is 'equal'), guaranteed in our Constitution, when these people are allocating benefits and burdens along racial lines??? Via HotAir: "Wasn’t this supposed (to be) the era of post-racialism? Robert Reich apparently didn’t get that message. In his appearance before Congress on structuring the stimulus plan on January 7th, Reich suggested that the package discriminate against white male workers:"

I'm positive that had the Supreme Court took the correct action years ago and struck down affirmative action as unconstitutional (since it is), we wouldn't be seeing this kind of stupidity from high-level government officials (then again, on second thought, never mind - we probably would).

Somehow I don't think this is what they meant by "creating jobs" in Michigan

From the Detroit News: Michigan to hire more workers to handle jobless claims. (HT: Cameron Brown)

Obama #2 in inauguration attendance too?

Who would have thought based on Obamamedia hype. 5 million. then 4. then 3. Then 2 million. Now this: Crowd more than a million.

Though early estimates Tuesday ranged as high as 2 million, satellite images of Obama's swearing-in suggested the actual size of the throng may have been closer to half that... ...The park service has not done official estimates in more than a decade, following an order by Congress to stop in the aftermath of controversy over how many people attended the 1995 Million Man March... ...(Lyndon B) Johnson's inaugural crowd was estimated at 1.2 million.

How much of this will filter into the MSM? Not much, I suspect. (HT: HotAir)

Isn't this just a bigger version of Michigan's problems?

Government for the benefit of more government (HT:betsyspage) Some snipets:

Democratic leaders of the California Senate and Assembly agreed in closed-door negotiations with Schwarzenegger to cuts in virtually every social services, health and welfare program in the state. This was the governor's price for going along with proposed increases in sales, gas and income taxes... ...But the cooperation ended when Schwarzenegger took his everyone-must-share-the-pain thesis to its logical conclusion. To ease the state's cash crunch, he announced plans to have state employees take off two unpaid furlough days a month beginning Feb. 1... ...Medical checkups for poor kids can be halved. Help for the developmentally disabled can be reduced. Job training for inner-city youths can be suspended. But when it comes to cutting pay or benefits for a highly compensated state work force, Democratic officeholders not only draw the line; they express horror at the very thought... ...This survival-of-the-fittest scrum has made more obvious than ever that Democrats in the state legislature aren't just allies of public employee unions. Instead, these lawmakers are best described as wholly owned union subsidiaries – people who see state government as a jobs program, not a means to provide services to the downtrodden or anyone else. (emphasis mine).

If we're not careful and get a grip on things here in Michigan, we will be where California is right now.

Obama #2 in inauguration viewership?

Yes he is! This from Nielson. Obama inauguration was watched by 37.8 million, second only to Reagan’s 41.8 million. (HT: drudge)

This is a sad day in American History

This is the anniversary of a day where our very own Supreme Court took it upon itself to legislate murder-on-demand into law out of whole cloth. Never mind that that in itself is unconstitutional. Now the supremes have made other egregious decisions in the past when a majority of the court is packed with activists. Even so, Roe v Wade has resulted in the death of more than 50 million children (the population of the U.S. would be about 375-400 million right now had it not been for RvW, and we probably would have a better economy and wouldn't be as worried about the imminent collapse of social security and Medicare) In any case, here's a roundup on this topic for today:

Ronald Reagan: Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation (1983). "We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life -- the unborn -- without diminishing the value of all human life."

Roe v Wade Day: What are you doing this afternoon?

And this is about the most powerful video you will see in some time (and very appropriate for today and yesterday)

No link I post today will hit you more than this video will. (HT: HotAir)

Most-Read Blogs Run by Academics:

From the annals of the Volokh Conspiracy:

Visitors (PageViews)
1 Instapundit 98,787,026 (103,482,564)
2HughHewitt 14,789,189 (17,915,768)
3VolokhConspiracy 10,461,075 (14,324,528)
4Althouse 6,245,764 (11,055,083)
5TaxProfBlog 2,403,737 (3,368,026)

Writes Eugene Volokh: "My question: What are the most-trafficked blogs written by academics, not limiting ourselves to law professors (and working in, if possible, people who have public counters but not SiteMeter)? I should note that I'm primarily interested in academic-themed content, but that's much harder to define and measure than the affiliation of the authors, so academic-written blogs are the best proxy I can think of."

Some nice big numbers up there, eh?

This is Just Creepy...

That from David Bernstein at The Volokh Conspiracy. "Go to 3:54: "I pledge to be a servant to our president and all mankind."" Here's the vid:

I disagree with David, however. The creepy part starts at 4:03 when the zoom out from airheaded Hollywood types (appropriate here but anyway) happens and we eventually see a picture of "dear leader." I went through a throwup motion when I saw it. Gag! By the way, "be the change?" Did they lift all but one word of that from Bruce Almighty?

I doubt this very much

Geithner Blames Turbo Tax For His Tax Troubles (from taxprof).

Let’s hope the economy is easier to figure out than TurboTax. That’s the software that Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy Geithner used when he failed to pay about $34,000 in taxes, he admitted this morning in a confirmation hearing that was delayed because of his tax flubs. “I used TurboTax to prepare my returns,” Geithner told the Senate Finance Committee, looking just a little embarrassed, and prompting laughs in the hearing room. He wouldn’t blame the software for his errors, but he didn’t say it helped him spot them, either.

Taxprof adds:

Of course, as any tax professional know, TurboTax (and any of the other leading software programs) easily calculate self-employment tax (as well as the disallowance of a dependent care deduction for the cost of your kids' overnight camps). The errors here were entirely Geithner's, not TurboTax's.

Yeah, I'm crying foul on this one also. I've been using TurboTax since 1998 and it does everything. Including self-employment tax.

Giving up on "her" seat?

On drudge: CAROLINE KENNEDY ENDS SENATE SEAT BID. That's disappointing. I thought she was the perfect pick. She was a woman with no relevant political experience entitled to the seat because of her last name. She was going to replace a woman who, when she got her senate seat, had no relevant political experience but was entitled to the seat because of her last name. Oh well...

Well, this can't be good.

If the trend continues, we will all be government employees! AhhhhHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! (from Fabius Maximus via CG)

Alien conspiracy?

Mark Your Time, Hu-Mans! by Iowahawk (HT:CG)

Mark your time! Behold the current heat readings of your atmosphere, which have now reached less than negative 40 in your Earth-degrees. Phase I of the Kremulakian conquest of your filthy pitiful orb is complete!... ...In Phase II you will turn over your delicious Earth-dollars to the Kremulakian Carbon Revenue Service. In Phase III, our tractor beams will relocate your planet to a more pleasing solar distance. In Phase IV, colonization and spawning.

Sometimes (well, often actually) I get the feeling Waxman's elevator hasn't gone to the top in some time. Has the guy stepped outside recently?

Must consult the chain of command!

Cassy Fiano: Feminist can’t defend feminism! (HT: CG)

Another feels it’s unfair that there are scholarships, etc. available based solely on race or gender. He takes issue with affirmative action because he feels it’s not helping to promote equality so much as diversity, and he says he’d rather people be valued for their achievements and contributions than their physical differences. And although their arguments don’t sit right with me, I don’t know how to articulate why something feels wrong.

There's the operative word right there! It's not about what feels wrong, it's about what is wrong! Good grief!!!

Well that didn't take long!

White House Web Site Becomes Pro-Abortion After Obama Takeover. (via CG)

In less than five minutes after Barack Obama took over as the next president, the White House web site changed from pro-life to pro-abortion. The previous site, which touted the pro-life proclamation President Bush signed late last week, now includes Obama's agenda for women, which calls for promoting abortion.

Is this what hope and change was all about?

Michigan’s unemployment rate hit double digits

Via the freep: "The state’s December jobless rate rose from November’s rate of 9.6% to 10.6%, the state’s Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth said today." Not good news at all!

I wonder how this one is going to get spun?!?!

Fighting illegally inflated property assessments

Especially for those of you living in Michigan! I was listening to Frank Beckmann this morning on WJR 760AM and Frank had a guest on who just launched a new website to help people figure out the true value of their home and how to make sure that the city assessor is not over-assessing your property. Apparently, many assessors stopped assessing in September 2008. And you know what happened since then, don't you? (besides the fact that it got a bit chilly) Home values plummeted (a short story on why is here if interested). This may not be reflected (may not? Come on, who am I kidding? Will not!) in the assessment statement that we will be getting shortly. The statement is supposed to reflect your home value as of December 31, 2008!!!

In any case, check out the website and make sure the government is not taxing your property beyond the law! Here it is: http://overtaxedproperty.com/

Presidential Power, before and after

Saw this post over at Powerline: Presidential Power -- the revisionism begins today. From the piece:

For at least six years, the liberal and MSM narrative on executive power has been fixed -- President Bush sought too much of it and, because the courts consistently rejected his claims, Bush's power grab ultimately proved destructive of presidential power.

Later:

But with the ascension of Barack Obama, the narrative has shifted dramatically. The shift is evident in this front-page Washington Post story by Barton Gellman. Gellman has been a critic of the Bush-Cheney approach to executive power, and the quotes from Bellinger and Goldsmith cited above both appear in today's story. However, they now receive a gloss. Both Bellinger and Goldsmith, Gellman tells us, believe that in disputes about presidential power "the president usually emerged the victor in practice." And leftist law professor Geoffrey Stone believes basically the same thing. He informed Gellman that "the limits that have placed [on presidential power] have not come close to the powers that have been concentrated."

How fast a tune can change indeed!

Is dissent still patriotic?

A good question by David Harsanyi at the Denver Post:

Do all Americans truly have a yearning to fundamentally "remake" our nation? There must be a subversive minority out there that still believes the United States — even with its imperfections and sporadic recessions — is, in context, still a wildly prosperous and free country worth preserving... ...Is there anyone who still believes the Constitution was created to ensure each citizen liberty and the ability to pursue happiness rather than a guarantee of happiness — and a retirement fund, health care, a job, an education, a house ... ?

I would be one. Read the whole thing. (HT: insty)

Celebrity dieting

Just a word of warning: please do not do any of these! Saw an article on the freep this morning: Just like us, celebs work to lose weight too. Well, not just like us, but anyway. The article, after some introductory paragraphs (yawn), gets into mostly dietary regimens used by several celebrities. Here are a few snippets:

Gwyneth Paltrow: The 36-year-old mother of two has dabbled in the Master Cleanse program, in which you can consume nothing but water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for a minimum of 10 days.

Paltow's was the most unhealthy on the list. Why? There are such things as essential nutrients. Essential amino acids and essential fatty acids (interestingly, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate). These are essential because your body cannot produce them itself. It must be consumed. Essential amino acids are found mostly (but not exclusively) in animal protein (if God wanted us to be vegans, he wouldn't have made animals out of meat). So if you eat meat and/or dairy, you're probably OK on this. Essential fatty acids are found in many sources (flax seed oil is a good one), but the best source is in fish oil.

In addition to not supplying the essentials for life, Paltrow's diet is insufficient in calories. It is not much different than determined starvation. The body, after about 17 hours of fasting, will begin to cannibalize its own tissue to survive. If only it would just take the fat. but such is not the case. Some fat will be utilized, but much protein (lean tissue) will be broken down also for a variety of reasons I will not go into here. In addition, minerals will be leached from bones and internal organs to maintain a health ph level in the blood (I don't think it would have hurt her to eat veggies). This is NOT good.

The goal should be maintaining lean tissue while shedding fat. Such selective use of tissue is a tricky maneuver. To maintain lean tissue, extra protein must be consumed, such that if any is broken down (into things such as blood glucose), it will come from the diet and not the lean tissue in the body. Secondly, resistance exercise must be employed to keep protein synthesis positive in the lean tissue, making it less likely to be cannibalized. Fat energy can only be utilized at a certain rate, which translates into a maximum 'healthy' weight loss of about 1-1.5 lbs per week. Any more, and the chances of lean tissue cannibalism increase dramatically. This amounts to about a 500 calorie/day deficit (to be made by either eating less, exercising more, or a combination of both).

Sure Paltrow lost weight, but I'd guess at least 50% of it was from lean tissue. From the freep article above, Elisabeth Hasselbeck appeared to have the best:

The 31-year-old credits fierce workouts at New York gym La Palestra, where they boast a staff of nutritionists and psychologists along with trainers... Hasselbeck has stayed the course on a wheat-free diet (she has celiac disease), and noshes on lean protein, vegetables, nutrition bars and nuts.

That sounds about right in general (minus the psychologists). Britney Spears and Halle Berry seemed to have mostly reasonable plans, but without more detail it is hard to judge.

For more information on recomposition of the human body in a scientific (and sane) way, here's a very good resource (albeit not exhaustive) of articles: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/articles

Elevating ourselves into outer space!

Being a sci-fi fan, long before I became a scientist, I have been fascinated with space travel since a small child. I was definitely one of those "I want to be an astronaut" kind of kids. Even though my field of research is in the fluid/thermal sciences, I keep track of technological developments especially in the area of space travel.

One of the best ideas out there, IMO, is the "space elevator." In essence, it's like swinging a ball overhead on a string, just on a planetary level. The centrifugal forces in the spinning counteract the gravity force that will invariably pull down the object. The centrifugal force, as a result of centripetal acceleration, is related to the velocity. That is why stuff in space orbiting the Earth have to fly around at tremendous speeds (17,000 mph+). In any case, if we could put a large object in geosynchronous orbit, and then run a strand of lightweight wire down to the surface of the Earth, and then another, and then another, etc. until we have a very solid cord tethered between the surface and the object in space, we can then use the cord to elevate objects into space just like a conventional elevator. Of course, because of the scale, the manufacture of this material might likely have to be in space, not on Earth. So there's that too.

Here's a video that breaks it down for you:

Now for the problem: we have nothing that's nearly strong enough and at the same time light enough. So I read an interesting article on FoxNews today: "Engineering Breakthrough May Make Possible 'Space Elevator.' " Could the dream be closer to reality than I thought? Possibly. If this material could be produced, it will have to be done so on a massive scale. And the elevator will be by far the largest (and most expensive) structure ever built by man. If the investment can be made (hey - the U.S. government is about to dump $1 trillion to maybe stimulate the economy), then we will have vastly cheaper access into space. The shuttle will no longer be launched from the surface of the Earth, which is too expensive. We will go to Mars. Heck - we might be taking vacations in space stations!

For another good viewing of the concept, check out Star Trek: Voyager (episode named "Rise"), Episode 19, Season 3. I can't remember exactly what the episode was about, but I sure do remember the space elevators!

Unity for me, but not for Thee!

Isn't it funny how fast a tune can change? Take for example the MSM's gushing, fawning over Obama, and their persistent calls to "unify!" "Be a citizen of the United States, not a Democrat or Republican." Funny how that was missing for the last 8 years. It's like a we moved to another planet with sand dunes and big worms and "the sleeper has awakened!" Case in point, Mitch Albom's show yesterday evening:

Driving home from classes yesterday, I was listening to "The Mitch Albom" show (760AM in Detroit). I had lots to say about Mitch, his columns, and his show yesterday morning. As is probably obvious to everyone, there was only one topic of interest (the inauguration) with tangential conversations here and there. A few things that Mitch said struck me about as well as fingernails running along a chalkboard. But let's start out with the congenial:

Mitch called for unity on this day. (and that was about it for congenial) He blasted Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity for not "coming together" on this day. Because Rush and Sean apparently didn't agree with any Obama policy on inauguration day, Mitch excoriated both for being "merchants of hate." (Disclaimer: I'm paraphrasing here as I cannot find an official transcript of the show online) Mitch claimed that Rush and Sean were "just following the money" by "spewing their hate." He accused Sean of switching from being a liberal to being a conservative just so he can make more money. I could hold back no longer. The words left my mouth (I was alone in my car): "Mitch you ignorant liberal!" (Think SNL with Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtin: "Jane you ignorant slut!") At that point in his program, who was spewing hate? I didn't listen to Rush or Sean that day (I had to teach after all), but whenever I do, I do not hear them "spewing hate." I hear policy disagreements. In any case, since Mitch railed against conservatives for not uniting with the Omamamaniacs (legions of glazed-eye people walking around aimlessly chanting oh-ba-ma, oh-ba-ma) and therefore showing disrespect on this inauguration day.

Let me show you an example of disrespect:

I know what you're saying, "Where is the respect? Where is the unity here?" How incredibly disrespectful was it to chant "nananana, nananana, hey, heyyy, good bye"??? Well, in liberal la-la land, unity means you have to do what THEY want (unify with ME!). If they have to unify with US, then, all of a sudden, dissent becomes the highest form of patriotism (as I touched on yesterday).

Further, Mitch stated that he thought that on this day, that the radio station (760 AM) should have only run live inauguration events on inauguration day. No Rush commentary. No Sean commentary. (760 AM also broadcasts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity before Mitch) This must be Mitch's idea of the fairness doctrine as he thought Rush and Sean ought to be silenced on this day while he got to do HIS commentary. Of course, since HE wasn't showing any disrespect (I disagree because of the above), it's OK. Good grief!

To top it all off, there was a "prayer" (if you can call it that) by Rev. Lowry which Mitch broadcast on his show. All I heard was "and when white will embrace what is right." What the...!!!! What WAS THAT! And Mitch and his sidekick thought it was funny and cute! Mitch said that Lowry was in the middle of the civil rights struggle, so "he should know best." (I'm paraphrasing again) Excuse me, but isn't this the example of "spewing hate" that Mitch accused others of? Is there a better example of having liberal blinders on? How can Mitch simply not see this as anything but offensive? I was shocked that it was said! Is this unity? Hope? Change? Here's the video:

Rick Warren's prayer, by the way, can be heard in full here. Note the lack of racist demagoguery in the latter that was clear in the former. One note on Rick Warren - I was pleased that he invoked the name of Jesus in the prayer. These days, with Christianity under unprecedented attack from liberals and their allies, it seems like public prayers use the generic 'God' rather than invoking the name of Jesus, unlike Muslim prayers that have no problem invoking "Allah."

For my part, I will continue to pray for Obama. My church as a body will continue to pray for him. We are commanded to do so. I will pray that he becomes a wise leader. That God bestows upon him great wisdom to make correct decisions. What I will not pray for is that somehow I unify with the policies that Obama espoused in the run up to the election. Abortion on demand. Card check and union thuggery. Losing the war on terror. Taking the assets of some to be distributed to others. Grow government which necessarily takes away some freedom and liberty from all. These things are anathema to Biblical principles. If that makes me a "spewer of hate" in Mitch's world, so be it.

UPDATE: How's this for respect: "Late Tuesday afternoon, Fox News was the only major national TV outlet that carried a live telecast of former President Bush's homecoming speech to cheering supporters in Midland, Texas." (via drudge)

UPDATE#2: Nick over at Rightmichigan has some thoughts on unity. So does redstate: Welcome to the Patriotic Party, Rest of the Country. We’ve Missed You These Last 8 Years. So does Michelle Malkin: "And they lecture us about showing more respect?" Why yes, yes they do! And About that race-based benediction: “When white will embrace what is right.”

UPDATE#3: Markets Greet Obama With Worst Inauguration Day Selloff In History. Mitch Albom mentioned this in his radio talkshow yesterday only by saying "the market is doing its own thing... no matter who the president is." (I'm paraphrasing)

Maddow's Sheltered Life Comes Back To Haunt Her

From the RadioEqualizer: FOX-ED INTO A CORNER.

"With a rapid rise accompanied by a generous helping of mainstream media fawning, it was only a matter of time before broadcast rookie Rachel Maddow began to trip over her own words. Isn't that how this kind of story always plays out?" ... "Maddow reportedly told hacks and flaks at a Television Critics Association gathering she's
"never seen a show on Fox at any time, ever." ... "Isn't that a funny thing: just six months ago, before her debut as full-time MSNBC host, Maddow was pitching her services to the FOX News Channel, ..."

"Earlier that same day, Air America Radio announced they were moving her talk show to mornings and cutting it to just one hour, raising speculation that it may be taped, given her evening MSNBC work and peculiar fear of taking live callers." ..."Finally, an overzealous producer also got Rachel into hot water, thanks to an embarrassing display at the site of last week's USAir crash into the Hudson River. Just as shaken, freezing passengers were being pulled from the frigid waters, they were solicited for appearances on Maddow's MSNBC program:..."

Major ouchie there! That's just gotta be downright embarrassing, albeit liberals tend to be embarrassed by nothing, but anyway... There's more, but you'll have to hit the link to read the entire thing.

The Cost of the Inauguration; more hypocrisy

This from an article by Jon Henke - The Cost of the Inauguration: A Cold Wind Blows. (HT:insty)

"Two columns by Media Matters' Eric Boehlert (latest via Steve Benen) capture this ...aaaaand switch!" dynamic quite well. In 2005, Boehlert was outraged at Bush's inauguration."

I posted on this hypocrisy before here, here, here, and here.

"Flash forward to 2009 and Eric Boehlert is feeling the Change. "

Read the contradictory lists of before and after. Hope and Change! (and yes, I capitalized 'change' on purpose in honor of Mr. Boehlert.

How did he get his job anyway?

From RWN: Terrorist Stopped At The Canadian Border. You may be thinking that Al-quaeda is trying to sneak into the U.S. from the headline. But it is even better:

"An American education professor, one of the founders of a radical 1960s group known as the Weather Underground, which was responsible for a number of bombings in the United States in the early 1970s, was turned back at the Canadian border last night.

Dr. William Ayers, a professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago and a leader in educational reform, was scheduled to speak at the Centre for Urban Schooling at University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. But that appearance has now been temporarily cancelled."

Said Mr. Ayers: "If it were me I would have let me in. I couldn't possibly be a threat to Canada." Cry me a river.

"Well no one knows that for sure, Mr. Ayers. I mean it was you who said you wish you'd done more when you were a terrorist. Who knows what's banging around your head these days? You may be unhappy with the way Canadians say "about" and want to demonstrate, in an explosive way, that such pronunciations are no longer
acceptable. You are an education professor who has been know to bomb things, after all."

How has anyone in their right mind let this guy into education? He's likely done more damage this way than when he blew things up...

A note on the inauguration

John Hawkins over at RWN has a post: The Inauguration Of Obamamandias.

"Today is a great day...to be a liberal, to be a Democrat, and to be naive. Barack Obama is one of the least accomplished men, perhaps even the least accomplished man ever to become President of the United States. He did nothing of note as a community organizer, nothing of note in the Illinois State Senate, nothing of note in the Senate, and despite that, his next stop is the White House.

Given the adulation the media has heaped upon Obama and the "I'm everything to everybody" campaign that he ran, you'd have to expect him to be popular. But, the American people have been gripped by an almost irrational exuberance about Obama's presidency. It has been so over-the-top that it's reminiscent of the post-WW1 phase of history where people actually believed the hype about having just fought the war to end all wars.

Today, instead of understanding that we have an untested President taking over the controls of a lumbering, inefficient, unreasoning beast governed by its unquenchable appetite for power and taxpayer money, you'd think that Superman had just flown own from Krypton to save us all."

Read the whole thing. But John is absolutely correct.

NYT: At M.I.T., Large Lectures Are Going the Way of the Blackboard

A NYT article I saw over at taxprof:

"The physics department has replaced the traditional large introductory lecture with smaller classes that emphasize hands-on, interactive, collaborative learning. Last fall, after years of experimentation and debate and resistance from students, who initially petitioned against it, the department made the change permanent. Already, attendance is up and the failure rate has dropped by more than 50%."

What this tells me is that those that lectured probably weren't good teachers. Collaborative learning is a good tool to sprinkle around, but if it forms the basis of what used to be the lecture, I don't see this as being good either. In most (but not all) of my classes, I add in collaborative learning times in appropriate places. Purely collaborative learning in complex concepts just won't do it for the average student.

If you see a lecture at a University that is education-centered, versus research-centered, you will see a completely different lecture atmosphere. In any case, one aspect of lectures that I noticed is that good teachers are the ones that are extremely openly enthusiastic about the subject they teach. Enthusiasm is contagious. Teachers not so good tend to be dry, boring, showing no enthusiasm, which seems to me to be equally contagious.

Name That Party!

One of my favorite games in the MSM. First Openly Gay Mayor Had Sexual Relations With a Teen (via CG).

"Democrat Sam Adams had been denying the rumors for over a year.He took over as mayor on January 1, 2009.The AP reported, via LGF Quick Links: ..."

The AP article never mentions that Adams is a democrat.

"This follows the news last week that the Racine, Wisconsin Mayor Gary Becker (Democrat) was arrested on charges of attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child, child enticement and possession of child pornography."

The MSM agrees: "nothing to see here folks. Just move along..."

Freudian slip?

Freep headline: Obama Hustlers reach the Mall. I mentioned this yesterday, but do they want to use the word "hustlers" when the antics of ACORN preceding the Nov. election is still fresh in people's minds?

A picture says a thousand words

This about sums it up (via powerline
"Wake me when it's over." I had similar sentiments yesterday.

Gettelfinger: Makeover deadline is unrealistic

I'm shocked! Shocked! A story on the freep this morning.

"Gettelfinger says there have not been any formal discussions between the union and car companies and the union has been reviewing documents."

They've got there work cut out for them. Have you see the UAW contract? They killed two large trees just to print one copy! But then again, Mr. G. knows the contract inside and out and he has shaped it into what it is today. Can somebody say "stonewall?"

Bring change yourselves, America

A promising title for an article I read on the Freep this morning by Mitch Albom. That's nothing new for Mitch. His articles many times sound promising (you know - fair, objective, no bull, no bias, etc.). Same is true with his radio talk show ("The Mitch Albom" show) that I listen to now and again if I happen to be driving between 5-7pm (it's on WJR-760AM). But his articles, as well as his many observations on his talk show veer left. And I mean VERY quickly. I always get a reminder in my head when I react to most of what Mitch sais. Remember the old SNL (back when it was good), where Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtin play adversaries in a show called "Point/Counterpoint" and argue about various topics? The classic line from Akroyd's mouth was "Jane you ignorant slut!" See here.

In any case, when I listen to Mitch on the radio, I often get a reaction that can be best exemplified by the statement "Mitch you ignorant liberal!" Mitch begins by asking "what are we so happy about?" Now I know he must be talking about his buddies at the freep, because I know he is not talking about me. Or many people that I know. Must be nice to be in an echo chamber of liberal ideology (also know as 'the cacoon'). Mitch continues:

"Our schools are in disarray. Our stock market is sick. Our environment is
taking a pounding. We face threats from Russia and a big shadow from China."

Yes, our schools are in disarray. Our government-run schools anyway (private schools and the homeschool movement are performing just fine, btw, as I wrote about just last week). Of course, the solution is to open schools up for competition, which liberals vehemently oppose. Instead, they want to throw more money at the problem, which has helped DPS tremendously (well, didn't it?). The incoming administration will not be friendly to giving control of children's education back to the parents where it should always belong. So there's that. Nothing to be happy about there!

The stock market is sick. Yes it is! Why? The housing market. The bubble that burst. How did that happen? I recently wrote a pretty extensive piece about this also. In short, the housing bubble was created by the subprime mortgage mess, which in turn was created by democrat attempts at social engineering in the banking system. Such is the case with so many failures in our past, and more yet to come. And the new administration wants to do more of this! So no happiness there either.

Our environment is taking a pounding? Really? Is this that silly global warming/CO2 thingy again? As global temperatures have decreased in the last year? The same global temperatures that haven't risen a single anything since 1998? That environment? A pounding? From what? No matter the platitudes in the face of science, the new administration was cap-and-trade installed, which is basically saying "more taxes" without using those exact words. Impact on the environment? Negligible to zero. The impact on the economy? Priceless (I mean, really - they can't come up with a number big enough yet). No happiness there.

We face threats from Russia and a big shadow from China. Yeah, but I think indirectly from Russia as they tend to give support to terrorists. It is the terrorists that pose a big continuing threat these days. Remember them, Mitch? 9/11? Thousands dead on our soil? And why a big shadow from China? Well, since we make it almost impossible for companies to do business for a profit here in the U.S. (highest corporate tax rate in the world, union domination in many sectors, etc.). The new administrations solution? Card check. Union thugs with lead pipes. More union control. Higher cost of doing business in the U.S. The China shadow grows.

"Why does it feel that inaugurating Barack Obama as our 44th president has already become a mini-Olympics of self-congratulation, parties everywhere, singing and dancing everywhere, exultations of near biblical frenzy?"

Uh, because it has. Like, since Nov. 5th? Unending gushing over Obama by the MSM to such a degree that every citizen slips in it when a tv is turned on within earshot?

"Any sane mind knows the economy moves with little regard for who sits in the White House. And Middle East wars proceed no matter who serves as America's commander in chief."

I guess we have a lot of people not 'sane' by Mitch's definition here. Where was any of this when the MSM blamed Bush for everything possible? Too many hurricanes? Bush! Too few? Bush! The housing bubble that's been growing for decades? Bush! In good economic times? Don't mention Bush (find something else to talk about and blame Bush!). Mitch's statement here is basically correct. Clinton got credit in the 90's for the economic boom, but had nothing to do with the underlying cause of that boom - computers and the internet (note that no one blamed him for the dot-com crash when that occurred at the end of his second term). The one thing that presidents can do to alter the economy is to alter taxes. Reagan came into office and slashed taxes dramatically. The economy rebounded dramatically. FDR raised taxes to launch a bunch of social programs in the 1930's and the depression continued for 8 years (until WWII). Taxes is pretty much the only thing the prez can do, for good or ill.

And the Middle East will continue to fight regardless. It's not a problem of territory. It's that one side doesn't believe the other should even exist! How do you solve that? What's a compromise? Eliminate only half the Jewish population by public execution? Not happening.

"If the Republican can see the celebration of Democrats and say, "OK, it's not my party, but it's my country, and it's good to give someone new a chance" -- then we'll have done something."

Excuse me, but where was this when Bush was first inaugurated in 2001? Where were the MSM calls to 'give him a chance?' What happened to dissent being the highest form of patriotism? The tune sure has changed quickly, eh? (is this the whole 'change' thing that Obama talks about?)

"If the rich say, "I've had it good for a long time, and if the country needs
money so that we all have opportunity, OK" -- then we'll have done something."

Silly me. I always thought that the rich already pay the lions share to the federal loot. You can find plenty of info on who pays what via Google, but here's just a snipet: "From 1986 to 2004, the share paid by the richest half increased from 93.5% to 96.7%, and the share paid by the richest 1% increased from 25.75% to 36.89%. At the same time, the amount paid by the poorer half decreased from 6.5% in 1986 to 3.3% in 2004. While the poor's contribution was cut in half, the richest Americans saw their contribution increase by nearly 50%. When you get past the propaganda, for the last two decades the rich have been paying more and more while the poor have been paying less and less." That's a heck of a "progressive" scale already, eh comrade?

"If the poor minority says, "You know, I've always blamed this country for
picking on me, but it's time to drop that complaint and take responsibility for
what I do" -- then we'll have done something."

Not. Going. To. Happen.

"In the coming hours, we will gush over Obama to incredible levels. Nobody does celebration the way America does celebration, and, let's be honest: we seem to be extremely proud of ourselves for having elected him... ...he will not always say what is popular."

In the coming hours? Sorry, Mitch, but the gushing has been at obscene levels since BHO came onto the scene. Nobody does celebrations the way America does, or the way Barack is doing it? (read here, here and here) And he will not always say what is popular? Tax the rich? Give tax cuts to those that don't pay them? Tax evil corporations? Evil oil? Card check? Shall I go on? The guy's rhetoric is purely populist, and at worst obfuscates his true intentions, and the real results that might come to pass. I don't think many will be happy about those.

Obama 'a major step' for humanity

That's what Canada governor general said. (HT: drudge) Oh good grief already. I'm going to bed. Can someone wake me up in 36 hours?

High Schools Censoring Obama Critics

Was one of the headlines on Drudgereport tonight. I kid you not. Then again, it really is not a surprise, is it? You can see the story here.

Barack Obama: redefining the male physique?

Subtext: Barack Obama works out for 45 minutes, six days a week. What can other men learn from his example? (HT: drudge)

Well, I've got an answer to that question: work on the arms, Barack. They're looking a bit thin and effeminate. Take a look at the picture near the bottom. I don't see chiseled abs. In fact, all I can make out is the outside boundary of the rectus abdominus muscle (no visible individual abdominal muscles). Barely. (granted it's better than the 'average' American, but that ain't sayin' much, is it now?) If you saw a pic of the arms by themselves, you'd be hard-pressed to know whether they belonged to a man or a woman. If this pic of Obama is the epitome of a masculine physique, I'm just going to have to say "no thanks."

Now, if I remember correctly, didn't the MSM everywhere blast W for working out so much? Why yes. Yes they did. From that LA Times article:

"Am I the only person who finds this (W's exercise program) disturbing? ...What I mean is the fact that Bush has an obsession with exercise that borders on the creepy."

Really? I'm still waiting for the LA Times to write a followup about Obama (crickets chirping. Somewhere in the distance a dog barks. Etc.). More on this here (HT: MM) . ODS (Obama Derangement Syndrome) at it's best (the guy really can do no wrong!). So I guess the moral of this story is, if you're going to be fit, make sure to be a democrat. More:

"Since the election in November, he has continued to work out with an intensity that betrays almost an addiction. "

I guess no creepiness there, eh MSM? Obsession in the Bush article (bad), addiction here (good). It should be noted that they probably shouldn't use the word 'addiction' with a guy that was using cocaine and other drugs for an extended time, but I digress.

""He's definitely well-toned and you only get that through resistance training when you work at between 65 and 75 per cent of your maximum heart rate," Ransom says"

I can't help critiquing faults in knowledge, so here is just one: note to Ransom - resistance training is done to increase muscular protein synthesis, not increase heart rate. In fact, heart rate (HR) is important mostly in cardiovascular exercise, not in lifting weights. In weights, it's load (have to increase weight you lift over time), time under tension (TUT), volume (how many sets, reps), and frequency (how often each body part is worked). That's the basics. No HR fluff. That, coupled with a diet rich in protein, does the body good.

In any case, the article goes on:

"Dr Michael Roizen, an American doctor who has assessed the medical records of presidents as far back as Theodore Roosevelt, believes one year in the White House equals two in the rest of the world when it comes to stress."

When did Obama release his medical records? I thought he just released a 1-page summary? Where's the MSM on this? Where have they been (if anyone should ever pry their heads out of Obama's behind, maybe someone can ask them)? Here's where they've been:

"No presidential candidate should get to the point that he has locked up his
party’s nomination without public vetting of his health," wrote the
NYT (questioning McCain's health)

No comparable statement on Obama. Anywhere in the MSM. Only conservative blogs and talkshows (that are under threat of censure from the FCC via the un'fairness doctine').

One final shot:

"Obama is in a different league to the tennis-playing Tony Blair, and he makes
Vladimir Putin's bare-chested fishing shots look embarrassing. "

So let's see the frontal comparison:

Honestly, Obama is looking a bit puny to me. Especially in the lanky, thin arms (leg conditioning unknown for either). Both have moobs, and an equivalent body fat percentage (about 18% I'd say, albeit it's hard to tell from only a single picture as individual vs vary in where their major fat stores reside). Putin has 10 years on Obama. So I have to give the edge to Vlad from the KGB. How is this comparison embarrassing for Putin?