Archive for April, 2006

Backseat in an F/A-18

Friday, April 28th, 2006

In honor of this weekend’s air show starring the Blue Angels, the AJC presents this set of in-cockpit video clips documenting staffer Steve Beatty’s joyride in one of the $24 million aircraft. Through Immelmans and 7.5g afterburner-powered turns, Big Steve only passed out three times! Big Steve got to experience one of my dreams — I can’t even imagine what an experience it was :)

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/extra/blueangels

Uneaten

Friday, April 21st, 2006

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr.Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously. (more…)

Reconquista..?

Tuesday, April 18th, 2006

Hmm. There’s been a lot of bombastic speaking at these so-called “immigration” protests, including not-a-few references to the “Reconquista” and that “Los Angeles is ours” and other such nonsense. In light of the thought-threads such statements spawns, I did some historical refreshing. (more…)

Tears to your eyes

Friday, April 14th, 2006

Neal tipped me off to this article at IndustryWeek.com: Tax Cheats Snub Spend-Crazy Feds. The article (obviously) focuses on people who cheat on their returns, but the groundwork numbers the author lays at the beginning are staggering:

  • 2005 total compensation earned: $8.2 trillion
  • 2005 federal income taxes: $932 billion ($6,650 per employee)
  • 2005 other federal taxes (mostly Social Security): $1.286 trillion
  • 2005 total state/local taxes: $1.14 trillion
  • 2005 total taxes: $3.358 trillion (~$24,000 per employee)
  • 2005 total federal defense expenditures: $495 billion
  • 2005 total federal goods/wages expenditures: $272 billion
  • 2005 total federal distributions (Social Security, Medicaid, etc): $1.69 trillion

So 40% of what we earn goes to taxes ($3.358 trillion), of which just over 50% ($1.69 trillion) is then ..given to someone else.

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Immigration reform debate?

Monday, April 10th, 2006

Contrary to what the MSM would have us believe, the so-called debate over reforms aimed at curbing illegal immigration is a fabrication: the American voters — who, it bears restating, actually have final say over this issue — do not indicate any real debate. From this Washington Times op/ed:

National polling data could not be more emphatic — and has been so for decades. Gallup Poll (March 27) finds 80 percent of the public wants the federal government to get tougher on illegal immigration. A Quinnipiac University Poll (March 3) finds 62 percent oppose making it easier for illegals to become citizens (72 percent in that poll don’t even want illegals to be permitted to have driver’s licenses). Time Magazine’s recent poll (Jan. 24-26) found 75 percent favor “major penalties” on employers of illegals, 70 percent believe illegals increase the likelihood of terrorism and 57 percent would use military force at the Mexican-American border.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll (March 10-13) found 59 percent opposing a guest-worker proposal, and 71 percent would more likely vote for a congressional candidate who would tighten immigration controls.

An IQ Research poll (March 10) found 92 percent saying that securing the U.S. border should be a top priority of the White House and Congress.

(more…)