Framing the Dialogue

News Briefs

News Briefs – Volume XXIII

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  The Detroit branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Only Colored People (“NAACP”) is having its annual fund raiser and is planning to honor Kid Rock with thier Great Expectations Award.  There is hardly a famous performer who seems to do as much for his home town as Kid Rock so the honor is warranted, however, some NAACP supporters are planning to boycott the event because of Rock.  Rock sometimes uses the confederate battle flag during his performance because he feels like it represents southern rock.  It is funny how some are very sensitive to someone wearing a flag whose original use was for battle during the Civil War, but have no trouble seeing our American flag burned.  The race business makes a lot of people a lot of money so they cannot ever let go of race and frequently see racism where none exists.

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News Briefs – Volume XXII

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1: What are the REAL chances of meaningful tort reform in the United States when one of the men responsible for that task files a lawsuit. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is suing the company that runs the cafeteria at the Longworth House Office Building. The suit claims that his veggie sandwich “contained dangerous substances, namely an olive pit, that a consumer would not reasonably expect to find in the final product served.” So when you get something with olives it is not reasonable to possibly find a pit once in a while? Since when is an olive pit a “dangerous substance?” Kucinich is only asking for $150,000 to cover his “permanent dental and oral injuries requiring multiple surgical and dental procedures,” and he also wants compensation for his pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment. I can imagine the heartfelt testimony as Kucinich describes his crippling fear of olives and not even being able to stand the sight of Popeye’s girlfriend.  Perhaps it would have been more fitting if the dangerous substance had been a nut.

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News Briefs – Volume XXI

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  Let’s call this one “Corn For Clunkers.”  Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency(:EPA”)  is looking out for you or so they claim, but they are not as in tune with what’s good for your car.  EPA has approved the sale of an ethanol/gasoline mix containing up to 15% of the corn-based ethanol.  The only problem is that this mix would be very harmful to engines manufactured before 2007 (that’s two out of three vehicles in our household).  Will someone explain what law gives the EPA the authority to approve/push consumer products?  A group of auto manufacturers and engine makers has filed suit against EPA. 

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News Briefs – Volume XX

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  A woman in Spain has registered the ownership of the sun and plans to start charging for its use.  Angeles Duran made the move in September and described her entrepreneurial venture, “There was no snag, I backed my claim legally, I am not stupid, I know the law. I did it but anyone else could have done it, it simply occurred to me first.”  I, however, don’t think that Ms. Duran really thought this through and she may have bit off more than she can chew.  I can just see the lawyers’ commercial seeking victims of skin cancer to join their class action lawsuit.  You don’t pay unless we get money for you!

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News Briefs – Volume XIX It’s All About Healthcare Baby

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories and this edition is all about Obamacare…

Brief 1:  Many seasoned citizens were shocked at AARP’s support of the Obamacare legislation which contained a significant cuts to doctor’s fees and cuts in allowable payments to hospitals.  The fear, of course, is that many provider would simply stop accepting Medicare patienst, a majority of which are the aforementioned senior citizens.  One had to wonder who the AARP, a membership organization, was actually lobbying for?  Just recently the AARP had announced that their employees will see a rise in their health care costs in a statement from an AARP spokesperson;

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News Briefs – Volume XVIII

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  I have been somewhat angry at the folks who run the WikiLeaks website as they have repeatedly released classified military documents of the United States.  I am all for daylight, but it seems that these folks care very little for the troops that may be affected (and by affected I mean killed) because of the information contained in the data dumps.  A recent story suggests that the WikiLeaks people are contemplating a similar dump of documents from the Russian government.  The Time Magazine writer coyly suggests that the “Russian reaction will not be as reserved as America’s.”  Duh!  It will be interesting to see if the WikiLeakers have the stones to take on Russia.  They might just end up on the wrong end of a ricin-tipped umbrella. 

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News Briefs Volume XVII

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  Finally some decent news for those of us men on the higher end of the weight scale.  We cannot really wear tight Lycra bike shorts, Speedo swim briefs (no one except for competitive swimmers should anyway), or vertical stripes, but it seems that heavier men actually have heavier paychecks than their skinnier counterparts.  Of course the thinner guys get more women since they don’t care about how much a man makes.  The news is not so good for women whose paychecks are inversely proportional to their weight.

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News Briefs – Volume XVI

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  Pennsylvania’s legislature is earning their money as they consider a ground-breaking piece of legislation.  The legislation, described by Rep. Scott Perry, will allow citizens to defend themselves “anywhere you have a lawful right to be…It’s important we are allowed to avail ourselves of our constitutional right to protect ourselves.  Right now, the scales are tipped to criminals or perpetrators, and I want to see the scales tipped back to law-abiding citizens.”  If they can pass the legislation you you would be able to defend yourself without having to flee first.  If this is a “constitutional right” then why do we need a bill to allow it?  Perhaps the saddest thing is not so much that we need this legislation, but that our legislature cannot seem to pass it and that Gov. Rendell seems hesitant to sign it into law.  Maybe there is a critical vote on Pennsylvania’s state cookie.

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News Briefs Volume XV

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  “The King is gone but he’s not forgotten.   This is a story about Johnny Rotten.   It’s better to burn out, cause rust never sleeps.  The King is gone but he’s not forgotten.”  Sometimes the left is so out in left field and it is fun to watch them try to “eat” one of their own only to have it thrown back in their face.  Famed Sex Pistols front-man, Johnny Rotten apparently was criticized for planning a concert in of all places, Israel.  It is very posh to be anti-Jewish and Pro-Palestinian on the left, but Mr. Rotten would have none of it;

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News Briefs – Volume XIV – Upside Down World

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories and this volume is chock full of stories from an upside down political world…

Brief 1:  The Keystone State (Pennsylvania) has recently announced that they are making changes to their appliance rebate program.  Pennsylvania budget deficit projects are not good so you would expect that a rebate program might be on the chopping block.  Not in Pennsylvania’s upside down world.  It was announced that the rebates are actually INCREASING, some by more than 100%.  In all fairness this is “stimulus” money (federal tax dollars versus state tax dollars). 

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