There’s a lot to fear from those spooky libertarians — they’re trying to take over the government . . . and then leave you alone! — Instapundit
Now for Something Completely Different – and COOL!
Tom Wright of San Diego has created something definitely very, very cool: street-legal bumper cars.
Yes, bumper cars – those things you used to ride around in at the County Fair and run into your best friends in at about 2.2 MPH.
But Tom’s are powered by 500 or 750cc motorcycle engines with six-speed sequential transmissions, and are capable of speeds up to 100 MPH. And they look BAD:
You can read more about these here.
I love America.
It’s Not Just Federal Workers
Last Friday I posted If You Want More of Something, Subsidize It about a report that stated that most federal government employees make more than their private-sector counterparts, not including the average fourfold higher benefit package that federal workers receive. Now a report has come out that state and local government employees are generally better off than private sector workers:
Govt. workers feel no economic pain
The recession and the ongoing jobless recovery devastated much of the private-sector work force last year, sending unemployment soaring, but government workers emerged essentially unscathed, according to data released Wednesday by the Labor Department.
Meanwhile, the compensation for state and local government employees continued to easily outdistance the wages and benefits for workers in private business, a separate Labor Department report showed.
Private-industry employers spent an average of $27.42 per hour worked for total employee compensation in December, while total compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $39.60 per hour.
The average government wage and salary per hour of $26.11 was 35 percent higher than the average wage and salary of $19.41 per hour in the private sector. But the percentage difference in benefits was much higher. Benefits for state and local workers averaged $13.49 per hour, nearly 70 percent higher than the $8 per hour in benefits paid by private businesses.
RTWT, particularly where the topic of retirement benefits are concerned. Many state, county, and municipal governments are in deep trouble because of the retirement benefits they’ve promised their workers, and the fact that the money to pay those benefits just doesn’t exist.
Why Would I Keep a Raygun In My Car?
From the webcomic Space Base 8:
Quote of the Day – Twofer Edition
Taken in its entirety from Vanderleun. First, a quote from IMAO, then Vanderleun’s addendum:
Conservatives tend to treat as hobbies what liberals treat as occupations. – IMAO
It deserves to be part of the catechism of losing. I’d also observe that it is the habit of conservatives to bring a calm and logical argument to an ideological gunfight.
I’m sure our resident Leftist will object. After all it’s been the Leftist’s argument all along that they’re the “reality-based” community, willing to discuss, negotiate, and reason, but from my perspective that’s just typical of their projection issues.
Consumer Warning: Toyota Lawnmower Recall
THIS’LL Teach ‘Em!
Via Instapundit:
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) intends to purchase twenty-seven (27) REMINGTON BRAND MODEL 870 POLICE 12/14P MOD GRWC XS4 KXCS SF. RAMAC #24587 GAUGE: 12 BARREL: 14″ – PARKERIZED CHOKE: MODIFIED SIGHTS: GHOST RING REAR WILSON COMBAT; FRONT – XS CONTOUR BEAD SIGHT STOCK: KNOXX REDUCE RECOIL ADJUSTABLE STOCK FORE-END: SPEEDFEED SPORT-SOLID – 14″ LOP are designated as the only shotguns authorized for ED based on compatibility with ED existing shotgun inventory, certified armor and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.
The required date of delivery is March 22, 2010.
So the Department of EDUCATION is not only buying twenty-seven shotguns, it has an existing inventory of shotguns similar if not identical to these already, and these are short-barreled (14″) shotguns with Knoxx stocks.
Excuse me, but WHAT THE FUCK DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NEED WITH RIOT GUNS?
Are they perhaps concerned about what some disgruntled teachers might do?
Quote of the Day – Pissed Off Edition
I don’t know what makes a politician get to Washington and immediately assume that every problem in the world can be fixed by more rules, another federal agency, and a few tax dollars, but a majority of them get that way. And the rest, who don’t, get into the “my esteemed colleague” mode, addressing people like Barney Frank as if her were of sterling character and his ideas of no more import than a difference in the color of the carpet.
I’m tired of the silence that signifies assent.
— Mostly Cajun, It’s getting near time . . .
Quote of the Day – Thomas Sowell Edition
From his recent Investors Business Daily interview:
IBD: What do you think of the Obama administration when viewing it through the many concepts laid out in your book?
Sowell: It’s very hard to answer that without using language that is totally inappropriate in polite society.
But he manages!
“I ripped the Obama sticker off of my truck”
Markadelphia emailed me this story with the following comment:
Well, it’s not nuking the site from orbit but . . . it is something. And, yes, I agree with President Obama … this was a good and necessary thing. I hope it happens more frequently and then, perhaps, teachers will get the message that if they continue to be lazy, they will be shown the door.
Perhaps if they do the same to the administrators we might get some actual improvement, but here’s the story:
School’s Shake-Up Is Embraced by the President
A Rhode Island school board’s decision to fire the entire faculty of a poorly performing school, and President Obama’s endorsement of the action, has stirred a storm of reaction nationwide, with teachers condemning it as an insult and conservatives hailing it as a watershed moment of school accountability.
The decision by school authorities in Central Falls to fire the 93 teachers and staff members has assumed special significance because hundreds of other school districts across the nation could face similarly hard choices in coming weeks, as a $3.5 billion federal school turnaround program kicks into gear.
While there is fierce disagreement over whether the firings were good or bad, there is widespread agreement that the decision would have lasting ripples on the nation’s education debate — especially because Mr. Obama seized on the move to show his eagerness to take bold action to improve failing schools filled with poor students.
The reaction was swift and predictable:
Mr. Obama’s endorsement of the Rhode Island board’s tough action infuriated many of the four million members of the two national teachers’ unions, thousands of whom campaigned vigorously for him in 2008.
“I ripped the Obama sticker off of my truck,” said Zeph Capo, a midlevel official at the Houston Federation of Teachers who trains classroom teachers. “We worked hard for this man, we talked to our neighbors and our fellow teachers about why we should support him, and we’re having to dig the knife out of our back.”
Officials at the two unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, were so angry in the hours after Mr. Obama first endorsed the firings that an irreconcilable break with the administration seemed possible, perhaps bruising Democrats’ electoral chances in November.
Like they needed any help with that.
No, it’s not nuking the site from orbit, but it’s not status quo ante either.