Free kibbles

STATES RIGHTS:

Texas government nullifies incandescent light bulb ban.

TAX AND SPEND:

Government accuses Boeing of overcharging for helicopter spare parts. Really? Then why did they pay those prices? Why didn't by the less expensive parts? Since there isn't a competitive market in these parts, how does the government know what the correct price is? The market price is whatever buyer and seller agree on. This is another case where government creates a monopoly then complains about the consequences.

GLOBAL WARMING:

Former green comes out in support of nuclear energy and some attacks in his his old partners in crime:

"You mustn't believe the lies of the Green zealots. And I should know - I was one"
"Our environment and energy problems are solvable - but can be tackled only with pragmatism, rather than ideological wishful thinking"

Good for him.

Scary quote urges more government corruption of science.

"“Urgent and unprecedented environmental and social changes challenge scientists to define a new social contract… a commitment on the part of all scientists to devote their energies and talents to the most pressing problems of the day, in proportion to their importance, in exchange for public funding.” Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, 1997 AAAS presidential address [Boldface added, H/t Joe D'Aleo, ICECAP]"

No thanks.

WAR:

Obama busted for lying about US missions in Libya. US forces flying attack missions.

"However AFRICOM spokeswoman Nicole Dalrymple said: 'U.S. aircraft continue to fly support missions, as well as strike sorties under NATO tasking.
'Since 31 March, the U.S. has flown a total of 3,475 sorties...Of those, 801 were strike sorties, 132 of which actually dropped ordnance.'"

But it's not a war.

POLITICS:

French woman to sue DSK over rape allegation from 2002 incident. That's convenient for Sarkozy.

MISC:

Here's a dirty little truth either few know or want to talk about.

"Not counting local taxation, I discovered that the total burden of British imperial taxation was about 1% of national income. It may have been as high as 2.5% in the southern colonies."

The colonists were not free. Neither were Americans after the revolution. Nor are we today. But the colonists enjoyed greater privileges and a lower burden of government by far than we do today. Imagine how advanced our culture would be today if the burden of government had remained that low. We'd enjoy flying cars, moon bases and men on Mars and much we can't imagine. However, the king was increasing the burden, and the colonists had no representation. It's impossible to know if the burden of government over the centuries would have been lower without the revolution or with it, but it's hard to believe the king would continue to allow such a rich territory to go relatively unplundered.

"Price controls in 1777 produced the debacle of Valley Forge."

That's the first I've read that claim.

"With more and more paper money in circulation, consumers kept bidding up prices. Pork rose from 4¢ to 8¢ a pound. Beef soared from about 4¢ to 100 a pound. As one historian tells us, "By November, 1777, commodity prices were 480% above the prewar average."The situation became so bad in Pennsylvania that the people and legislature of this state decided to try "a period of price control, limited to domestic commodities essential for the use of the army." It was thought that this would reduce the cost of feeding and supplying our Continental Army. It was expected to reduce the burden of war.The prices of uncontrolled, imported goods then went sky high, and it was almost impossible to buy any of the domestic commodities needed for the Army. The controls were quite arbitrary. Many farmers refused to sell their goods at the prescribed prices. Few would take the paper Continentals. Some, with large families to feed and clothe, sold their farm products stealthily to the British in return for gold. For it was only with gold that they could buy the necessities of life which they could not produce for themselves."

Ouch.

I doubt that this interpretation of this picture is correct. I bet the women gave and American salute, and the picture was snapped as their arms were outstretched as they ended the salute. It cracks me up to see people who advocate skepticism abandon it so quickly when they see something that confirms their preconceived notions. Show me more evidence before I accuse them of giving a stiff-armed salute.