Newsmax... Medicare in Fiscal Crisis from Boomers

From Newsmax.com…

Medicare in Fiscal Crisis as Boomer Retirement Wave Hits

Thursday, 30 Dec 2010

WASHINGTON — You paid your Medicare taxes all those years and think you deserve your money's worth: full benefits after you retire.

Nearly three out of five people say in a recent Associated Press-GfK poll that they paid into the system so their benefits shouldn't be cut.

The Darke Knight

The Darke Knight is coming...

January 15. Watch for it!

Opinion - The Light at the End of the Tunnel

The light at the end of the tunnel

That’s My Opinion

By Bob Robinson

Dec. 31, 2010

In a few hours another year will be wrapping up. Some may disagree with me, but I think it will go into the history books as a catastrophic year of unbridled government growth at the expense of our freedoms.

Townhall... Cultural Winners and Losers

From Townhall.com…

Cultural Winners and Losers, 2010

By Brent Bozell

2010 may have been an encouraging year for political conservatives, but it wasn't so rosy for America's culture. The most depressing result was the Second Circuit Court of Appeals granting our television networks the right to employ the nastiest curse words in front of children at any hour of the broadcast day.

Townhall... American 21st Century

From Townhall.com…

The American 21st Century

By Victor Davis Hanson

The current debt, recession, wars and political infighting have depressed Americans into thinking they soon will be supplanted by more vigorous rivals abroad. Yet this is an American fear as old as it is improbable.

Townhall... Good Governance

From Townhall.com…

Good Governance

By Linda Chavez

Every member of Congress takes an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," but the newly elected 112th Congress will be the first in the nation's history to hear the text actually read aloud when the House convenes Jan. 5.

Townhall... The Republican Congressional Agenda

From Townhall.com…

2011: The Republican Congressional Agenda

By Donald Lambro

WASHINGTON -- The new Republican-leaning Congress will get down to business in a few days to deal with the concerns of voters who were unhappy with the gang who ran the last Congress.

"Republican-leaning" may be an insufficient term for the incoming Congress. The Republicans, who crushed the Pelosi Democrats with a net gain of 63 GOP seats, now rule the entire House, its legislative machinery, oversight powers, and all tax-revenue measures, which must originate in the so-called lower chamber.

Truthout... News Briefs 12/30/10

From Truthout.org…

News Briefs

Thursday 30 December 2010  

The "Family" - Who Really Is Behind This Secret Organization?

Yana Kunichoff, Truthout: "Jesus plus nothing' is the mantra of the Fellowship, also known as the Family, a secret, fundamentalist Christian organization peopled primarily by devout policy makers and high-ranking individuals. 

Rasmussen... Obama less partisan than Congress

From Rasmussen Reports…

Partisan Politics

Voters See Obama As Less Partisan Than Those in Congress

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Following the Bush tax cut deal and the passage of the START nuclear treaty in the recently ended lame duck session of Congress, most voters continue to believe congressional Republicans and Democrats are behaving in a partisan manner, but the number who believe President Obama is governing like a partisan Democrat has fallen below 50% for the first time since May 2009.

Human Events... A truce in Culture Wars

From Human Events…

A Truce In Culture Wars

by Michael Barone

12/30/2010

Back in June, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, whom many think would be an attractive 2012 presidential candidate, was quoted by Andrew Ferguson in The Weekly Standard as saying the next president "would have to call a truce on the so-called social issues." 
    


Human Events... Slow Blizzard Response Deliberate?

From Human Events…

Was The Slow Blizzard Response Deliberate?

The story that will change America… if it’s true.

by John Hayward

12/30/2010

New Yorkers have been complaining about the slow response from city authorities to this week’s massive snowstorm, especially the poor condition of city streets.  Blocked streets have been blamed for several deaths, including a baby born in the lobby of an apartment building, who died when emergency crews could not reach the scene.

DCCA... Taste of Wine and Jazz

DCCA PRESENTS “A TASTE OF WINE AND JAZZ XX”

Darke County Center for the Arts will present “A Taste of Wine and Jazz XX” on Friday, January 21 at Montage Cafe in downtown Greenville.  The wine tasting party, a fundraiser for the local arts organization, will feature food and music in addition to a selection of fine wines.

Human Events... The Tyranny of Climate Change

From Human Events…

The Immortal Tyranny Of Climate Change

Regulation takes over when legislation is defeated.

by John Hayward

12/29/2010

Thomas Sowell wrote yesterday of the effort to secretly re-introduce the ObamaCare “death panels” through regulation as an “end run around the Constitution.”  Here’s another one, and it’s even bigger:  a year after the Climagate scandal decisively exposed the fraud of global warming, and acting in the face of a new Republican House that does not look kindly on climate change flim-flams, the Obama Administration is preparing to enforce their ideology through EPA greenhouse gas regulations.

Human Events... Please stop "helping" us

From Human Events…

Please Stop "Helping" Us

by John Stossel

12/29/2010

Last year, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act. It was supposed to really end the alleged abuses perpetrated by the credit card companies. The law forbids some penalties and interest-rate increases on existing balances.

It is one of President Obama's proudest achievements.

Salon... What we really want to know about our politicians

Just for grins…

From salon.com…

What we really want to know about our politicians

By Steve Kornacki

It's Bowl Week on ESPN, something that probably means little to you, unless you're a college football junkie or a degenerate gambler (or both!).

I happen to fall into one of those categories, which is why I spent Sunday night watching a game that is called, believe it or not, the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl. 

Darke County Sheriff... Fatal Farm Accident

FARM ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

The Darke County Coroner's Office and the Darke County Sheriff's Office are investigating the death of a sixteen year old male identified as John M. Warner of Arcanum. On Wednesday, December 29th, 2010 at approximately 2:31 PM, the Darke County Sheriff's Office received a 9-1-1 call reporting the sixteen year old male had been involved in a farming accident.

Darke County Sheriff... Burglary Warning

DARKE COUNTY SHERIFF ’S OFFICE WARNS OF POSSIBLE BURGLARIES

The Darke County Sheriff’s Office has received several reports of burglaries across the Southern half of Darke County . These burglaries began early in December and most have occurred during day time hours. There have also been numerous burglaries reported across Preble County and Wayne County in Indiana . It is unknown at this time if the burglaries are connected.

Gilbert... Alice in Wonderland: Fable or Sublime?

 

Alice in Wonderland:

Child Fable or Secretly Sublime?

By Dorothy Gilbert

Teen Scribe

Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgen published The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland in 1865. This children's book, thought notorious through the years, seems oddly sublime to some.

Many assumptions have been made about Dodgen, presuming he was high or in a drunken stupor when writing the fable. Perhaps, with it being the 1800's, he was simply blind with ignorance and innocence.

Rasmussen... The stories voters followed most

From Rasmussen Reports…

Voters Follow Unemployment, Jobs, Gulf Oil Leak Stories Closest in 2010

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

In a year loaded with news, voters in 2010 paid most attention to stories about unemployment and job creation, the disastrous oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the health care debate and the extension of the Bush tax cuts.

Redstate... On Vick and Values

From Redstate.com…

On Vick and Values

12/29/10

The Philadelphia Eagles signed convicted “dog killer” Michael Vick upon his release from prison… Obama chimed in with the “give the guy a second chance” rhetoric – reaction was strong on both sides…

Redstate... BLS survey modifications

From Redstate.com…

What the BLS survey modification will and will not do.

by Moe Lane (Profile)

Wednesday, December 29th

You may have heard that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has modified its survey of unemployment.  There is probably going to be a good deal of confusion over what’s being changed, so let me summarize the situation.

Telegraph... Political views 'hard-wired' into your brain

Editor’s Note: Sent by a reader… it’s a hoot! A couple comments are included…

From the London Telegraph…

Political views 'hard-wired' into your brain

Tories may be born not made, claims a study that suggests people with right wing views have a larger area of the brain associated with fear.

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent, 28 Dec 2010

Scientists have found that people with conservative views have brains with larger amygdalas, almond shaped areas in the centre of the brain often associated with anxiety and emotions.

On the otherhand, they have a smaller anterior cingulate, an area at the front of the brain associated with courage and looking on the bright side of life.

DBJ... Ruling: Cities can't restrict gun owner rights

From Dayton Business Journal…

Ohio Supreme Court: Cities can’t restrict gun owners’ rights

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Ohio’s Second Amendment rights advocates have a major victory in hand following a Wednesday state Supreme Court decision that upholds a 2006 law barring cities from making further restrictions on gun laws.

DBJ... Cordray: Ohioans complained more in 2010

Dayton Business Journal…

Cordray: Ohioans complained more in 2010

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Ohio consumers took to the state attorney general’s office with largely similar complaints in 2010 compared with years past, but the volume managed to hit a record high.

Attorney General Rich Cordray’s office said Tuesday that complaints have topped 31,000 this year, up from a previous high of 30,259 in 2009.

Human Events... Liberal Give 'Til it Hurts (You)

From Human Events…

Liberal Give 'Til It Hurts (You)

by Ann Coulter

12/29/2010

Liberals never tire of discussing their own generosity, particularly when demanding that the government take your money by force to fund shiftless government employees overseeing counterproductive government programs.

They seem to have replaced "God" with "Government" in scriptural phrases such as "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)

This week, we'll take a peek at the charitable giving of these champions of the poor.

Newsmax... Matthews: Obama should release Birth Certificate

From Newsmax.com...
Chris Matthews: Obama Should Release Birth Certificate
Wednesday, 29 Dec 2010
By Jim Meyers

Even MSNBC’s pro-Obama host Chris Matthews has joined the crowd calling on the president to release his long-form birth certificate to settle the controversy surrounding his birthplace once and for all, saying “if it exists, why not put it out?”

Letter regarding National Motto

Editor’s Note: This was sent as one of those forwarded emails that float around cyberspace for years. I noted it was sent to all local media. Since it isn’t likely to be published anywhere else, I did some checking and verified it to be legitimate… consequently, here it is. What’s new?

Members of the Prayer Caucus to President Obama:

Issue Correction for Inaccurate Reference of National Motto
President Obama Inaccurately States National Motto is “E Pluribus Unum”

Washington, D.C., Dec 6 –

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), along with 42 bipartisan Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, today sent a letter to President Barack Obama calling on him to issue a correction to a speech he gave in Jakarta, Indonesia, in which he inaccurately referred to our national motto as being “E Pluribus unum.” The official national motto is “In God We Trust.”

Townhall... Fox News makes you stupid?

From Townhall.com…

Fox News Makes You Stupid?

By Brent Bozell

There is nothing the left believes in more robotically than the stupidity of conservatives. Otherwise, they would not be conservatives. When liberals get routed in an election, they do not question themselves. The first -- and for most, only -- verdict is that the American people were disastrously flooded by a tsunami of stupidity and misinformation.

Truthout... News Briefs 12/29/10

From Truthout.org

News Briefs

Tuesday 28 December 2010  

Arizona Bans Ethnic Studies and, Along With it, Reason and Justice

Randall Amster J.D., Ph.D., Truthout: "While much condemnation has rightly been expressed toward Arizona's anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, a less-reported and potentially more sinister measure is set to take effect on January 1, 2011. 

Redstate... Government-Union "Partnership"

From Redstate.com…

President Meets With Union Bosses to Discuss Government-Union “Partnership”

Posted by LaborUnionReport (Profile)

Thursday, December 23rd at 4:45PM EST

In light of the NLRB’s attacks on business this week, this little piece is striking, as it is the epitome of why the economy still sucks unemployment remains high.

Human Events... Pouring Gas into a Burning Car

From Human Events…

Pouring Gas Into A Burning Car

Republicans have a moral obligation to defund ObamaCare.

by John Hayward

12/28/2010

Jim Angle at Fox News conducted a review of Republican plans to starve ObamaCare to death by defunding it, and found most of John Boehner’s Spartans lining up shoulder-to-shoulder at the Hot Gates.  Boehner himself pledged, “We can dent this, kick it, slow it down to make sure it never happens.  And trust me, I’m going to make sure this health care bill never, ever, ever is implemented.”  I believe that’s the political equivalent of a “triple dog dare” from A Christmas Story.

Washington Beat tidbits 12-29-10

Washington Beat…

December 28, 2010

KOREAN PENINSULA STANDOFF, ROUND THREE

North Korea upped the ante in its conflict with South Korea by stating its intent to hold its third nuclear test next year, following tests in 2006 and 2009. Those previous tests didn’t reveal any potent nuclear capability, but are nevertheless a major show of force on the peninsula while tensions run high.

Darke County Parks... Hike Report

Darke County Parks & Recreation…

Early Morning Discovery Hike Report

The last Early Morning Hike of 2010 has come and gone and while we were out in the cold and snow, the birds seemed to still be enjoying the holidays elsewhere!

We had plenty of tracks along the trail to keep us busy and a few birds chirping here or there, but the most exciting bit of news was the return of an American Kestrel spotted on the power lines along the north prairie.  Kestrels have been few and far between of late and seeing this individual was a treat.



Rasmussen... Voters don't want Internet regulated

From Rasmussen Reports…

Just 21% Want FCC to Regulate Internet, Most Fear Regulation Would Promote Political Agenda

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

American voters believe free market competition will protect Internet users more than government regulation and fear that regulation will be used to push a political agenda.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 21% of Likely U.S. Voters want the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the Internet as it does radio and television. Fifty-four percent (54%) are opposed to such regulation, and 25% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Rasmussen... 60 percent want health care reform repealed

From Rasmussen Reports…

Health Care Law

Support for Health Care Repeal At 60%

Monday, December 27, 2010

For the second time this month, 60% of Likely Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the national health care law, while the number who expect health care costs to increase is at its highest level since August.

Townhall... Government without bounds

From Townhall.com…

2010 Was the Year of Government Without Bounds

By Carrie Lukas

The Associated Press's poll of editors and news directors declared the British Petroleum oil spill 2010's biggest story. They're way off the mark. The oil spill's impact recedes from the Gulf of Mexico and from the American mind. What will live on from 2010 is the movement of Americans disgusted with a government that knows no bounds.

Townhall... Political End Runs

From Townhall.com…

Political End Runs

By Thomas Sowell

The Constitution of the United States begins with the words "We the people." But neither the Constitution nor "we the people" will mean anything if politicians and judges can continue to do end runs around both.

Redstate... Biden promises new taxes

From Redstate.com…

Read Biden’s Lips: new taxes in 2013!

by Moe Lane

Saturday, December 25th

Vice President Joe Biden, bless his heart, is promising that there’s going to be a tax hike (including one on small businesses) in 2013.  

DBJ... Satellite TV tax upheld

From Dayton Business Journal…

Satellite TV tax upheld in Ohio

Monday, December 27, 2010

The Ohio Supreme Court today upheld a state sales tax for satellite TV providers that cable competitors don't have to pay, the Associated Press reported. It was a 5-2 decision.

DirecTV Inc. and EchoStar Satellite Corp. brought the case to the supreme court. Those firms have challenged similar tax discrepancies in other states.

The 5-2 decision released today comes after fight from satellite providers, who raised fair competition issues. The court ruled that the 2003 tax didn't violate U.S. commerce law because the tax is based on differences between the nature of the businesses and doesn't favor in-state interests at the expense of out-of-state interests.

DBJ... Online shopping up 15 percent

From Dayton Business Journal…

Online holiday shopping jumps 15 percent in 2010

Monday, December 27, 2010

Online shopping was a bit merrier this holiday season with spending up about 15.4 percent compared to 2009.

U.S. consumers spent an estimated $36 billion from Oct. 31 to Dec. 24, according to SpendingPulse, a report from MasterCard that combines MasterCard (NYSE: MA) payment purchases with survey-based estimates of non-credit card purchases.