FranklySpeaking

Saturday, February 26, 2005

Myth Illogical | AARP and Social Security

The Cato Institute, by Alan Reynolds | **QUOTE** The AARP claims to represent us seniors, but more often it just lectures us relentlessly. One such sermon in the AARP Bulletin, opposing any addition of choice and ownership to Social Security, boasted "groups like AARP that oppose [privatization] will spend millions of dollars to sway opinion." Apparently, it plans to waste thousands of words, too, and without much concern about accuracy. **END QUOTE** More at Cato site....

Unbelievable! COLOR photos from WW I

The color photo was invented in 1903 by the Lumiere brothers, and the French army was the only one taking color photos during the course of the war. Well worth a look. -- BigD and Bubba

"A Point About Social Security"

The New Editor | "Will someone please explain to me how this is an effective system? The average salary in the country is around $44,000 a year; at a 12.4% tax rate, that's about $5,000 a year that goes into the program. Assuming that rate of contribution for 40 years, how is it possible that someone could think that the average recipient getting less than $1,000 a month is an acceptable return?" -- More at The New Editor Over at Econopundit they ask, "What am I missing?" and then adds: "The scandal is that these returns are based on a Ponzi scheme: people who paid in very little get a great return because "new [investors']" money is given to them." More... at Econopundit

"YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIITE UP"

The Conspiracy to Keep You Poor and Stupid | "...as Sylvain Galineau says. From a New York Times correction (you know, just one of those little "for the record" items):" | The caption on Feb. 14 for a picture by Reuters with the continuation of an article about the Iraqi elections misstated the reason Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, a Shiite cleric, was weeping. He was participating in a mourning ritual as part of Ashura, a holy Shiite festival - not reacting to results showing that his political alliance had won a slim majority of seats. -- More at The Conspiracy to Keep You Stupid

So Long to Superbanker Of CitiCorp: Walter Wriston

My condolences to the Wriston family and friends. I agree with Larry Kudlow that Walt Wriston was "a truly good and great man." I worked for Wriston (under John Reed) in the early 1970s when he had just begun the monumental task of consolidating computer and back-office methods to support re-invented money exchange systems (ATMs, etc.). His vision was remarkable but his honesty, integrity, fairness, grit and determination were most prominent and most appreciated by those around him. -- More at Kudlow's Money Politic$

NY Times: "Plame Leak May Not Have Violated Law"

JustOneMinute: | "There is nothing like the prospect of an imminent hanging to concentrate the mind; apparently, the prospect of having one of their reporters go to jail for eighteen months has concentrated the minds of the NY Times editors on the legal subtleties of the Valerie Plame leak investigation." -- More at JustOneMinute

Wichita Police: 'BTK Is Arrested'

FOXNews.com | "WICHITA, Kan. — Police said Saturday they have arrested a suspect they believe is the notorious BTK serial killer, who terrorized Wichita throughout the 1970s and then resurfaced about a year ago after 25 years of silence." -- More at FOXNews.com

Condi flips off Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, going to London instead

Guardian Unlimited | "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is deferring an expected trip to Egypt and other Mideast countries next week, confining her travels to a conference in London on assisting the Palestinian Authority." -- More at the Guardian Unlimited

Court upholds death sentence in USS Cole bombing

CNN.com | "A Yemeni appeals court on Saturday upheld a death sentence for a man convicted of being the mastermind behind the bombing of the USS Cole, but reduced a death sentence given to a second man, a government official told CNN." -- More at CNN.com

Colin Powell: 'I'm very sore'

Telegraph | News | (London) -- Colin Powell follows the Dixie Chicks and Eason Jordan to Europe to complain. "This is the first real interview I've given," says Colin Powell. "I want to let time pass." -- More at Telegraph | News

"Finger Points To Iran After Attack"

CBS News | "Palestinian sources say an operative from the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, which they say has been trying to disrupt an informal Mideast truce, financed the Tel Aviv attack and recruited the suicide bomber, reports CBS News Correspondent Robert Berger. ... Hezbollah, which is funded by Iran, has hundreds of West Bank gunmen from various Palestinian militant groups on its payroll." -- More at CBS News

"HIV Infection Rate Among Blacks Doubles"

"The HIV infection rate has doubled among blacks in the United States over a decade while holding steady among whites stark evidence of a widening racial gap in the epidemic, government scientists said Friday." -- More at ABC News

Mystery Witness Emerges in Jackson Case

On the eve of trial, a mystery witness has emerged in the Michael Jackson case and will be deposed by both the prosecution and defense in a rare weekend session at noon Saturday in Los Angeles. -- More at ABC News

Egypt's Mubarak Orders Election Reform

After the arrest of his strongest opponent: More at ABC News

Friday, February 25, 2005

CAUGHT ON TAPE ADVOCATING TERRORISM

Michelle Malkin has posted copies of audios (with transcripts) that reveal WARD CHURCHILL giving support and instructions for conducting terrorist acts. You can listen with Media Player or similar player.

Only Four Members of Congress Blog

Townhall.com 's The ConservativeLog: "But It's a Start! Representatives Mike Pence of Indiana, Katharine Harris of Florida and Mark Kirk of Illinois - GOPers all - are the only Members of the U.S. House of Representatives with official blogs for their offices. Over in the U.S. Senate, Vermont's Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, has the senior body's sole official blog." -- In a related entry, The NY Times seems to think that all congressional bloggers are Dems. More at... Townhall.com 's The ConservativeLog