February 2, 2006 Groundhog Day
Punxsutawney Groundhog Sees His Shadow
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow…there were a few boos at the groundhog's prediction of six more weeks of winter...
...Each Feb. 2, thousands of people descend on Punxsutawney for a little midwinter revelry, celebrating what had essentially been a German superstition.
The Germans believed that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow Feb. 2 - the Christian holiday of Candlemas - winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early...
http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/G/GROUNDHOG_DAY?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME
Western Union announces end of telegram services STOP
No more little yellow envelopes with good news and bad news STOP No more singing telegrams STOP No more night letters STOP No more telegrams of any kind STOP
http://www.washingtontimes.com/business/20060202-120246-7642r.htm
Toss Out the New Orleans “Toxic Soup” Myth
By Michael Fumento Feb 2, 2006- ...Google “Katrina” and “toxic soup” and you’ll get about 25,000 hits. To a lesser extent you’ll find mentions of such culinary delights as “toxic sediments,” “toxic dust,” and “toxic air...” see complete article at:http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/Michael%20Fumento/2006/02/02/184899.html
Britney, NBC plan to mock crucifixion
In 'Will & Grace' role, she does Christian cooking segment 'Cruci-fixin's'
February 1, 2006- Forced to pull its highly touted new show "The Book of Daniel" last week because of charges its portrayal of Jesus was blasphemous, NBC is pushing the envelope again with news Britney Spears will guest star on "Will & Grace" as a conservative who hosts on a Christian TV network a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin's."
The pop singing star will appear as a sidekick to the regular character Jack, who hosts his own talk show on the fictional homosexual network Out TV, which is bought by a Christian TV network. The episode will air April 13, just before Good Friday, as NBC seems determined to stir controversy about the show. "Will & Grace" is in its eighth and final season on the network... http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48612
Oprah's essay contest excludes homeschoolers
February 2, 2006- The nation's leading advocate group for homeschooling has taken Oprah Winfrey to task for excluding homeschooled high-school students from an essay contest she is sponsoring.
"Contest open to all legal residents of the U.S. who are currently enrolled full-time (and in good standing) in a public or state-accredited private or parochial school, grades 9-12," states the fine print on a page explaining the contest on Winfrey's website.
Despite the restriction, a letter from Winfrey announcing the contest, which will judge essays on the book "Night," says it is open "to high school students across America."
Michael Smith, president of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, wrote an open letter to Winfrey protesting the policy... "We asked whether or not they could make an amendment to the rules to allow homeschoolers to participate, and they were not willing to do that," Slatter said.
..."All the research shows that homeschooled students score well above the national average on standardized tests," wrote Smith in his letter. "I'm confident that you would have received many excellent 1,000-word essays from homeschooled students answering the question 'Why is the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel relevant today?'"
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48615
Big Three automakers surprise with sales gains
Feb. 1, 2006 ...the Big Three — General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group — saw their sales rise 4.6 percent, according to Autodata Corp.
The results were surprisingly strong for January, which is usually a slow month for the industry. Automakers said warm weather and heavy fleet sales pushed up the numbers. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was 17.6 million vehicles, indicating what sales would be for the full year if they remained at the same pace for all 12 months. Last year’s annual sales totaled 17 million vehicles...
“January’s bright job market outlook and the uptick in consumer confidence bode well for the industry, as do signs the economy has bounced back from the Gulf Coast hurricanes,” said Jim Press, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11130819/
This from the folks who are so worried about eavesdropping on terrorists without a warrant...
The Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram & Gazette release customer credit info
January 31, 2006- Credit and bank card numbers of as many as 240,000 subscribers of The Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram & Gazette were inadvertently distributed with bundles of T&G newspapers on Sunday, officials of the newspapers said Tuesday.
The confidential information was on the back of paper used in wrapping newspaper bundles for distribution to carriers and retailers. As many as 9,000 bundles of the T&G, wrapped in paper containing subscribers’ names and their confidential information, were distributed Sunday to 2,000 retailers and 390 carriers in the Worcester area, said Alfred S. Larkin Jr., spokesman for the Globe.
In addition, routing information for personal checks of 1,100 T&G subscribers also may have been inadvertently released.
The Globe and T&G are both owned by The New York Times… http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/01/31/globe_and_worcester_tg_customer_credit_info_mistakenly_released?mode=PF
Did anyone notice Supreme Court Justice Alito's first decision yesterday (2/1/06)?
In a case, which among other things claimed that lethal injections are "cruel and unusual punishment," Alito did not side with Justices Scalia and Thomas. And this after months of screeching by Kennedy and Schumer et al that Alito was going to be another Sclaia or Uncle Thomas....
See Alito Sides With Missouri Inmate on Death-Row http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/scotus_death_penalty;_ylt=Avrrwam9cSisRo438be687as0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--
just when they thought it couldn't get any worse...
Tornadoes Blow Through New Orleans
Feb 02 KENNER, La.-Tornadoes early Thursday tore through New Orleans neighborhoods that were hit hard by Hurricane Katrina just five months earlier, collapsing at least one previously damaged house and battering the airport, authorities said...
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/02/D8FH3PC07.html
Busting the State Tax-Revenue Boom
The nation’s strong economic growth is creating a tax-revenue boom for the states. State tax revenues jumped 8.7 percent in 2004 and about 8 percent in 2005. About three-quarters of state governments had tax-revenue growth of 6 percent or more in 2005.
What will the states do with their overflowing coffers? During the revenue boom of the 1990s, states allowed their budgets to bloat as they expanded programs such as Medicaid to unsustainable levels. When the recession hit in 2001 and revenues stagnated, state officials moaned that they were innocent victims of a fiscal crisis. They responded by hiking taxes and clamoring for more aid from Washington.
Only a few years into the current boom, some states are already making the same mistake of overspending...
...A few smart states, including Nevada and Washington, do not have corporate income taxes. Smart, because that policy maximizes state investment by local and incoming businesses. For footloose industries, why invest in California with its 8.8 percent corporate tax or New York City with its exorbitant state/city corporate tax of 17.6 percent, when you have the option of paying zero elsewhere?
...Another aspect of state tax competition is the retirement market. By one estimate, up to one-fifth of the 79 million baby boomers will move to another state when they retire. Clearly, sunshine and lifestyle are key motivators, but most retirees are on fixed incomes and likely to be cost-conscious when picking retirement locations...
http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_comment/edwards200602010908.asp
David Bennett <><
http://home.hiwaay.net/~dbennett
http://www.freewill-predestination.com
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow…there were a few boos at the groundhog's prediction of six more weeks of winter...
...Each Feb. 2, thousands of people descend on Punxsutawney for a little midwinter revelry, celebrating what had essentially been a German superstition.
The Germans believed that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow Feb. 2 - the Christian holiday of Candlemas - winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early...
http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/G/GROUNDHOG_DAY?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME
Western Union announces end of telegram services STOP
No more little yellow envelopes with good news and bad news STOP No more singing telegrams STOP No more night letters STOP No more telegrams of any kind STOP
http://www.washingtontimes.com/business/20060202-120246-7642r.htm
Toss Out the New Orleans “Toxic Soup” Myth
By Michael Fumento Feb 2, 2006- ...Google “Katrina” and “toxic soup” and you’ll get about 25,000 hits. To a lesser extent you’ll find mentions of such culinary delights as “toxic sediments,” “toxic dust,” and “toxic air...” see complete article at:http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/Michael%20Fumento/2006/02/02/184899.html
Britney, NBC plan to mock crucifixion
In 'Will & Grace' role, she does Christian cooking segment 'Cruci-fixin's'
February 1, 2006- Forced to pull its highly touted new show "The Book of Daniel" last week because of charges its portrayal of Jesus was blasphemous, NBC is pushing the envelope again with news Britney Spears will guest star on "Will & Grace" as a conservative who hosts on a Christian TV network a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin's."
The pop singing star will appear as a sidekick to the regular character Jack, who hosts his own talk show on the fictional homosexual network Out TV, which is bought by a Christian TV network. The episode will air April 13, just before Good Friday, as NBC seems determined to stir controversy about the show. "Will & Grace" is in its eighth and final season on the network... http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48612
Oprah's essay contest excludes homeschoolers
February 2, 2006- The nation's leading advocate group for homeschooling has taken Oprah Winfrey to task for excluding homeschooled high-school students from an essay contest she is sponsoring.
"Contest open to all legal residents of the U.S. who are currently enrolled full-time (and in good standing) in a public or state-accredited private or parochial school, grades 9-12," states the fine print on a page explaining the contest on Winfrey's website.
Despite the restriction, a letter from Winfrey announcing the contest, which will judge essays on the book "Night," says it is open "to high school students across America."
Michael Smith, president of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, wrote an open letter to Winfrey protesting the policy... "We asked whether or not they could make an amendment to the rules to allow homeschoolers to participate, and they were not willing to do that," Slatter said.
..."All the research shows that homeschooled students score well above the national average on standardized tests," wrote Smith in his letter. "I'm confident that you would have received many excellent 1,000-word essays from homeschooled students answering the question 'Why is the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel relevant today?'"
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48615
Big Three automakers surprise with sales gains
Feb. 1, 2006 ...the Big Three — General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group — saw their sales rise 4.6 percent, according to Autodata Corp.
The results were surprisingly strong for January, which is usually a slow month for the industry. Automakers said warm weather and heavy fleet sales pushed up the numbers. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was 17.6 million vehicles, indicating what sales would be for the full year if they remained at the same pace for all 12 months. Last year’s annual sales totaled 17 million vehicles...
“January’s bright job market outlook and the uptick in consumer confidence bode well for the industry, as do signs the economy has bounced back from the Gulf Coast hurricanes,” said Jim Press, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11130819/
This from the folks who are so worried about eavesdropping on terrorists without a warrant...
The Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram & Gazette release customer credit info
January 31, 2006- Credit and bank card numbers of as many as 240,000 subscribers of The Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram & Gazette were inadvertently distributed with bundles of T&G newspapers on Sunday, officials of the newspapers said Tuesday.
The confidential information was on the back of paper used in wrapping newspaper bundles for distribution to carriers and retailers. As many as 9,000 bundles of the T&G, wrapped in paper containing subscribers’ names and their confidential information, were distributed Sunday to 2,000 retailers and 390 carriers in the Worcester area, said Alfred S. Larkin Jr., spokesman for the Globe.
In addition, routing information for personal checks of 1,100 T&G subscribers also may have been inadvertently released.
The Globe and T&G are both owned by The New York Times… http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/01/31/globe_and_worcester_tg_customer_credit_info_mistakenly_released?mode=PF
Did anyone notice Supreme Court Justice Alito's first decision yesterday (2/1/06)?
In a case, which among other things claimed that lethal injections are "cruel and unusual punishment," Alito did not side with Justices Scalia and Thomas. And this after months of screeching by Kennedy and Schumer et al that Alito was going to be another Sclaia or Uncle Thomas....
See Alito Sides With Missouri Inmate on Death-Row http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/scotus_death_penalty;_ylt=Avrrwam9cSisRo438be687as0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--
just when they thought it couldn't get any worse...
Tornadoes Blow Through New Orleans
Feb 02 KENNER, La.-Tornadoes early Thursday tore through New Orleans neighborhoods that were hit hard by Hurricane Katrina just five months earlier, collapsing at least one previously damaged house and battering the airport, authorities said...
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/02/D8FH3PC07.html
Busting the State Tax-Revenue Boom
The nation’s strong economic growth is creating a tax-revenue boom for the states. State tax revenues jumped 8.7 percent in 2004 and about 8 percent in 2005. About three-quarters of state governments had tax-revenue growth of 6 percent or more in 2005.
What will the states do with their overflowing coffers? During the revenue boom of the 1990s, states allowed their budgets to bloat as they expanded programs such as Medicaid to unsustainable levels. When the recession hit in 2001 and revenues stagnated, state officials moaned that they were innocent victims of a fiscal crisis. They responded by hiking taxes and clamoring for more aid from Washington.
Only a few years into the current boom, some states are already making the same mistake of overspending...
...A few smart states, including Nevada and Washington, do not have corporate income taxes. Smart, because that policy maximizes state investment by local and incoming businesses. For footloose industries, why invest in California with its 8.8 percent corporate tax or New York City with its exorbitant state/city corporate tax of 17.6 percent, when you have the option of paying zero elsewhere?
...Another aspect of state tax competition is the retirement market. By one estimate, up to one-fifth of the 79 million baby boomers will move to another state when they retire. Clearly, sunshine and lifestyle are key motivators, but most retirees are on fixed incomes and likely to be cost-conscious when picking retirement locations...
http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_comment/edwards200602010908.asp
David Bennett <><
http://home.hiwaay.net/~dbennett
http://www.freewill-predestination.com
posted by David Bennett | 5:53 PM
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