Debt Ceiling Agreement

A few quick thoughts:

As far as I can tell, there is not one but two debt ceiling increases – 900 Million and 1.2 Trillion and/or 1.5 Trillion.

A  bi-cameral joint committee of twelve ( equal number democrats and republicans) will work out the proposed cuts and present them to each chamber for an up or down vote. What could go wrong with this scenario? One can only hope Senator’s Rubio Rand Paul and Pat Toomey will be Republican senators chosen.

Across the board spending cuts do not go into effect until FY 2013 (pg 7).  It will be the responsibility of a new president to enact this spending cuts due to the previous administration unwillingness to make the tough choices in order to fix our financial house.

Here is the link to Boehner’s Debt Framework pdf.  FYI: I recommend ingesting the adult beverage of your choice before opening the link to the pdf.

Seriously, Is this really the best deal to be made?

Verum Serum answers the question of tax hikes in this deal. Take time to read this post as John carefully explains the the meaning of baseline budgeting and how it relates to this budget ‘deal’.

In the cold light of mid afternoon, I have to agree with Troglopundit on this deal:

Me, I’m not even going to bother figuring out what was in the “deal.” These things always seem to turn out a lot worse than we thought a month after they happen.

Philly Bloggery Bites

Philly blogger, Aaron Proctor, abruptly shutters his blog, Philly Decline, stating he was  “Sick of this ‘left-right’ shit. People pointing the finger at different sides when a tragedy like Gabrielle Giffords or Norway happens. I started saying things I didn’t even believe in, just because I had to ‘pick a side.”

It is not all glamor and glitz as an independent blogger.  It takes effort to maintain a fresh outlook with the blog, but I’ve always been true to my opinions and haven’t gotten to the point where I’m saying things I don’t believe in. Hope I never get to that point.

Although a pugnacious blogger has left Philly arena, let me introduce a few of my favorite Philly Bloggers:

First In provides a step by step guide to create a  DIY Captain America Shield . Way too much coolness in the city of brotherly love 🙂

Blonde Sagacity asks readers to play the game ‘What is the bigger scandal?”

Wyatt Earp explains why he should have taken the negotiation reigns away from Boehner in this debt ceiling debacle

Thank You! Final Friday Night Pro Troop Rally at Walter Reed

Photo credit: TroopRally & MrsTR

This rally started on a Friday night in 2005 when Code Pink protestors held vicious signs outside of the entrance of Walter Reed. The signs were easily visible to passing cars and wounded soldiers recovering at Walter Reed.

Members of DC based Free Republic quickly organized a pro troop counter rally which eventually covered all four corners at the entrance to Walter Reed.

Photo Credit: Marooned in Marin

328 Fridays later, the final Free Republic Walter Reed Rally has come to pass. Two of my favorite bloggers were present to cover this final rally. I wish I was there…

This Aint Hell

Marooned in Marin

ATF Armed Mexican Drug Cartels?

It looks that way. This week’s edition of  Inqy’s Back Channels asks how ATF delivered assault weapons to drug cartels

The plan was to allow straw purchasers to make their deliveries, and then the ATF would trace the flow of the weapons.

But one huge detail was left unaddressed: The ATF made no provisions to actually trace the guns once they crossed the border.

The agency wasn’t attaching electronic-tracking devices to the guns, and agents were not pursuing them into Mexico. They were forced to stop and watch the weapons “walk.” Maybe Mexican authorities could have picked up the trail – but the ATF never told its counterparts across the border about the operation.

In short, the program [Operation Fast and Furious] allowed thousands of untraced guns to ‘walk’ into Mexico, many of which have been recovered at crime scenes within the United States and Mexico. Two such guns were found at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry.

I get the idea of straw buyers as small fish in this pond and the ultimate goal should be to take down the cartels.  Aside from the horror of intentionally arming mass murdering Mexican drug cartels; to allow these guns to walk without any tracking device or follow up can be considered a crime against humanity.

On May 3rd 2011, DOJ Chief Eric Holder testified at a congressional investigation of only recent knowledge of the government’s allowing  Mexican drug cartels to arm themselves with weapons purchased in the United States.  Big Government dug up remarks delivered by Eric Holder on April 2,2009 at a US/Mexico Arms Trafficking Conference where he states his knowledge of Project Gunrunner. Yet it was on March 24, 2009 when Fast and Furious was announced to the public.  Somehow, in the intervening time, Eric Holder managed to forget these two events? Along with Congressman Issa,  I strongly doubt the veracity of Holder’s answer at the inquiry.

I can see why he is dodging the question of who knew what and when – Project Fast and Furious is shaping up to be the next Watergate.

It took a while to sort out this story as there are two similar ATF programs that seem to be interchanged with one another in reports.  I strongly suggest reading Right Scoop’s blog post on Operation Fast and Furious VS Operation Gunrunner – separate fact from fiction HERE

A Photogenic Philly First

Philadelphia can add another ‘first’ to an already impressive list of ‘firsts in the nation’ with the report of the first confirmed photographic portrait of a human being.

In October 1839, Robert Cornelius set up his camera outside his father’s business on Chestnut Street and created the world’s first photographic self portrait. This fact that was not missed by the photographer, inscribed on the back of the portrait are the words “The first light Picture ever taken. 1839.”

Despite its myriad of problems, Philadelphia has a rich history of excellence. All I want to know is when did we stop being the city of ‘firsts’?

Meet Kitler

An abandoned kitten, starving and near death, rescued from a roadside demise and rehabilitated at a British animal shelter. Who could resist adopting a cute kitty? What if the kitten has markings on its cute little nose that resembles hitler’s mustache? Enter Kitler, the kitten with unfortunate markings.

GDP Anemic Growth in Q2 2011

Unexpected? 1.3% in Q2 2011.

A slowing trend cannot be discounted when you look at the results of the past quarters – Q1 2011 1.9%,  Q4 2010  3.1%.

Explosion in Oslo -UPDATED

An explosion damaged government buildings in Oslo and attacks are reported at a summer youth camp. There are reports of a gunman wearing a police uniform firing several shots in the vicinity of the youth camp.

The Guardian.co.uk is live blogging this attack.

The Norwergian news service Dagbladet.no is closely following this tragedy.

English version of Norweigan news has this update:

UPDATE: A powerful bomb explosion rocked central Oslo shortly before 3.30 on Friday afternoon, causing extensive damage to government offices, killing at least two people and injuring numerous more.

Daily Mail reports at least two deaths and 15 wounded in ‘terrorist’ attack on government office block. UPDATE: 7 deaths reported.  This is getting ugly very quickly.

Norway came under a co-ordinated double attack today in what is being described as the worst atrocity it has faced since the Second World War.

Terrorists are believed to be responsible for a massive car blast at a government office block in the capital Oslo and a man disguised as a police officer opened fire at an island summer camp.

At least seven people were killed – two in Oslo and five on Utoya Island – 500 miles north of the capital where the prime minister Jens Stoltenberg had been due to attend the youth Labour Party event.

UPDATE: At least 30 dead at the hands of terrorists at a Labour party youth meeting. UPDATE: Via BBC – Police report 9 possibly 10 victims in shooting rampage.

UPDATE: TRS posts an alleged claim of responsibility from an islamic terrorist group.

UPDATE: Vis BBC: 2056: The foreign minister has also confirmed that the man arrested following the shooting on the island is Caucasian.

UPDATE: Shooting/bombing suspect has been identified as a 32-year-old Norwegian man named Anders Behring Breivik.

UPDATE: Via TRS – at least 92 confirmed deaths.

UPDATE: Rusty Weiss calls out the hyposcrisy of the MSM – the same repugnant people who blamed Congresswoman Gifford’s assault on Sarah Palin.

The media takes careful steps to cover up information when a terror attack is perpetrated by a Muslim, but are willing to point out that a terror attack has been perpetrated by a right-wing Christian ad-nauseum.

RWN on the Death of Right Leaning Independent Blogs

It is with great delight to announce a recent report of the imminent demise of independent right leaning blogs is completely false – Tania

I realize I’m late to the party in response to John Hawkins flame throwing articles on the slow demise of right leaning blogs. I blame the crutches. However, better late than never.

I spent time reading John’s original article, his response piece and numerous blogger responses to John’s articles. In support of transparency, I want to make it clear that John and I are friends.

My initial impression of his article was that of a professional blogger, a rare individual who derives his income from blogging, attempting  to lower the number of potential competitors through intimidation. Dispersed throughout the article are kernels of truth, yet the main point of the article “Go big or Go home”  is completely wrong – especially for the right side of the blogosphere.

UPDATE: I had a discussion with John Hawkins tonight were he expressed his concern that my assessment was a mis-characterization of his original post. I would like to add further thoughts to my assessment that I hope will clear up this misunderstanding. John Hawkins is one of few individuals who was successful in quitting his day job to work full time as a blogger. His blog(s) are his successful business. To be successful in business one has to be competitive and savvy. In the classic book, The Art of War, Sun Tse pointed out, “All battles are won before they are fought.” John wrote this article to drive traffic to his blog, the resultant tempest drove even more traffic to his blog. The more hits to his blog the more competitive and successful his business Potential competitors now will think twice before taking on Hawkins because this post clearly demonstrates his edge in this market. Overall, this is a win/win for John. Although I disagree with the premise of his post, my comment recognized the competitive nature of John and was not meant to slight him.

Blog Update Sneak Peek

I’ve hired E.Webscapes to create a fresh new look for the blog. I’m very happy to work with associate designer Laurie M. Rauch to create a blog design that reflects my interests and life in Philadelphia. Pictured above is the color scheme I chose for the redesign – feminine yet professional.

Stay tuned for more progress updates!