Name that Place

angelmt scores a hit on this one…but it did take some prompting to get the correct name...Holy Cross Cemetery

This week I think will be a bit easy.

Name this Place:


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Gotta love ‘em

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I could have told you that!?!

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I read it…did you?

I’ve now read the speech that Barry gave while over in Germany.

Who does this guy think he is?

To be honest while the speech is okay it was highly inappropriate for a lowly freshman Senator from the State of Illinois to be making in Germany. I thought Barry was running for the Presidency of the United States…the speech sounded more like something given by someone trying to run for high school class president.

There was little in there to get excited about…intro, history, hype, hope, berate the US, praise the EU, No to Nukes, Save the Planet, bash the US (again), say that “I love America”, and close with more hype.

I would recommend that Barry fire the people that thought this was a good idea.

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Does anyone else find this funny?

I was reading a story in the Washington Post the other day and when I came to the end of the article I noted that they had, like most online articles, an area for “like” stories or in their case “people who read this also read…” but what I found interesting was that they had stories “From out Partner.”

Here is a shot from an article…tell me if you think this is funny…


…or is it just me?

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Name that Country

Last week I thought we’d have a lot more responses than we got! Still unreal has one strange imagination…I don’t see the dog at all!!

The country was Sweden!

This week we are looking at a 7 out of 10
PLEASE DO NOT POST THE ANSWER...supply info or a hint that proves you know it...there are others playing!!!

THANK YOU – gopfolk

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"The Bush plan is a hoax,"

"The Bush plan is a hoax," responded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence." This was in response to President Bush lifting the ban on off shore oil drilling (AP story here)

Do you think Nancy Pelosi is eating those words yet?

If you recall in a previous post I pointed out that since the Democrats took power in Jan of 2007 oil and gas prices have continued to rise…yet this “hoax” has yielded an immediate response from the market, in particular those “pesky” speculators! The cost of oil has dropped $19 in one week!!!



They realize that if the US just begins to tap some of the oil that is available there will be a small but noticeable easing of demand.

Lets face it $1.00 gas is probably gone forever but there is no reason why we shouldn’t be trying to minimize the upward cost of a vital staple in the world economy! If we tap the known sources of oil there will be more supply to accommodate the ever increasing demand for oil. This will not be a permanent fix but it could help relieve the pricing pressure for the next 15-30 years while viable alternatives can be sought.

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Don’t be fooled…

I love when lefties get their undies in a bundle over things that Republicans do but I get really pissed off when they try to distort and spread lies about what we do.

Jay Bullock over at folkbum’s rambles and rants posted this today: The continuing Republican war on science

What really galls me is that these supposed “intellectuals” like Jay on the left seem to think that they are science minded…you know guys that believe Algore over scientific research…people that believe consensus is somehow related to science…that think “peer-reviewed” research adds any credit to an argument (see: cold fusion).

When in reality they are just ticked that Republicans believe that true scientific advancement should not be done within the realm of government. We should not allow political discourse to enter into a field that is meant to be driven by facts not emotions. But the left can’t seem to imagine science without government…I’m not surprised!

Here are a few things to note about the “Republican War on Science”:

While the Right does not wish to have government funding of embryonic stem cell research…the Left will not allow life saving research to be conducted on animals – even if independently funded.

While the Right reviews scientific research that shows anthropogenic global warming to be nothing but “hot-air” and has encouraged more debate rather than jumping to any one conclusion…the Left is moving swiftly (and blindly) to raising taxes around the world with new “carbon credits,” completely ignoring the swift decline in global temperatures.

FYI: The RNC will be utilizing the SMM during the convention and is open to the guests at the convention during this time. Press Release: SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA TO OPEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR 2008 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION EVENTS

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Name that Place

It has been a busy morning already and I forgot to schedule this last night!

It looks like CU got it again last week but was too modest to spell it out for everyone…the location was the Ives Grove Club House!

Name this Place:

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Instinct vs. iPhone 3G

__________________What do you say?



























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Friday Funnies


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Democrats and Oil

This piece is worth reading: What Dems Can't Say About Drilling

Here is just a glimpse of what David Harsanyi has to say:

The problem is that when "green" fantasies crash onto the shores of economic reality (as they did with corn-based ethanol), we all suffer.

Don't worry, though, congressional Democrats have a bold plan. Hold on for 10 or 15 years and
they'll have a bounty of energy options. They promise. But no oil shale. No clean coal. No nuclear power. And definitely no more oil.



Ouch! What could be more damaging to a person than that? But those Democrats put their head in the sand and tell us that the sun is shining!!

Senator Mitch McConnell weighs in on the issue of drilling in today’s Wall Street Journal with this commentary: Democrats Should Let Us Drill

“the only thing now standing in the way of more domestic supply is the Democratic refusal to allow it.”


Imagine that Democrats not allowing progress…hmm…think: environmental standards….think: integration…this is just another example of the myopic vision of the “party of the people.”

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Let me be childish…

IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE!!!!!

AP: House Speaker Pelosi calls Bush 'a total failure'

I know return you to your regular blogging activities!

Thank you.

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Electoral College Question

Before I headed out on a well deserved vacation a few week ago co-worker asked me the following question:

“What happens in the event of an electoral college tie?”

I immediately answered the question as “it is decided by Congress” and then started to retract that and said I was unsure. During my trip home I began to mull this question again and realized that my initial answer was, in fact, correct!

So I looked it up this weekend and found a number of sites that explained the process but I thought that http://www.270towin.com/ did the best job.



“If neither candidate gets a majority of the Electoral Votes, the election for President is decided in the House of Representatives, with each state delegation having one vote. Senators would elect the Vice-President.”

As the site states though the chance of this actually happening is slim but as this map shows it is possible…


I should have posted this when I got home because I found this in today’s ABC News which is reporting a similar story: Tie Vote? Obama-McCain 'Doomsday Scenario'

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Unfair or un-P.C.?

I know that title seems a bit awkward but it was the best I could do.

Do you know who Oscar Pistorius is? His story is amazing and I would recommend that you read up about him.

In short the guy is a double amputee below the knees and he runs on prosthetics called ‘blades.’ He currently holds the Paralympic world records in the 100, 200, and 400 meter runs. Oscar has tried to become an Olympian in the 2008 games but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) determined that the ‘blades’ constitute “technical aids” which are not allowed in IAAF sports.

So here is the question: is it fair to allow a disabled, yet highly competent, person compete in an event where the prosthetics he uses provides him an advantage over the other competitors?

That sounds highly un-PC but the facts are there…he does not have the fatigue that other runners do…his thighs do not have to work as hard to move the prosthetics as they would to move a normal leg (pure weight differential)…the spring that is provided by the ‘blades’ allows him to be propelled forward better than any set of legs would.

This is one of those weird circumstances, where having a disability gives that person an unfair advantage over those without the disability. Oscar might still be in the Olympics though…he is looking to get on the South African team, on the relay seeing how he missed the qualifying time to make the individual team in the 400 meter.

CNN.com: 'Blade Runner' keeps Olympic hope alive

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Excellent Question!!

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Name that Country

Last week still unreal showed just how good he was…the country was Cameroon!!

This week we will take it a bit easier…4 out of 10


Good Luck!!

PLEASE DO NOT POST THE ANSWER...supply info or a hint that proves you know it...there are others playing!!!

THANK YOU – gopfolk

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Democrats and Gas Prices

Once again we are faced with the reality of “change” versus results.

Do you all remember 2006? The Democrats promised to change things for us. They said we were on the wrong track. People like Nancy Pelosi said that they would fix the problems and make America better.

Sounds a lot like what Obama is preaching...

Well here is what has happened to gas prices since they took over:


H/T silent E speaks

I think I would rather have steady prices (and lower taxes) than the “change” that is being proposed.

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Name that Place

Last week was pretty easy as I had identified and CU got it rather quickly. Last week’s place was the Racine County Court House

Name This Place


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Superhero fun…


For those of you like me that are excited about the new Batman flick “The Dark Knight” in theatres on Friday…you might enjoy the following article published in the Scientific American.

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Digital TV Vouchers…to tax or not to tax

h/t Josh Barro at the Tax Foundation

I found this blog entry by Josh very interesting.

It seems as though Best Buy has sent some “refund” checks out to people here in Wisconsin (and a few other states) with an apology for charging them tax on their purchase of a digital TV in which they used the DTV voucher offered by the federal government.

Josh points out that a large company such as Best Buy could easily make such a mistake when confronted by over 7,400 tax levying authorities in the US but was their decision correct?

Was the voucher a “coupon” or merely a “gift card”?

I think that Josh is right and the State Department of Revenue is wrong…but if I were receiving the refund I’m not so sure that I would be complaining.

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Land boom

In this post I describe how much land is needed to put in a solar plant that is the equivalent to our power plant here in Oak Creek. Well it seems that land is becoming a hot item out in the deserts of Arizona and California for this exact reason…to put in solar power plants!!

CNN: The Southwest desert's real estate boom

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Name that Country

I guess all I needed to do is poke the bear and I’d get the answers I was looking for!!

Country #1 was the Ivory Coast or Cote d'Ivoire (in case you didn’t get the hint – the Irish flag is green, white, orange while Ivory Coast’s flag is orange, white, green…if you hang the flag on a wall you could easily make a mistake!!)


Ivory Coast
Ireland


Country #2 was Uzbekistan!


This week…9 out of 10


PLEASE DO NOT POST THE ANSWER...supply info or a hint that proves you know it...there are others playing!!!
THANK YOU – gopfolk

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Cleaner air = global warming

Go figure.

It seems that all the time and energy we have spent over the last 3 decades to clean the air has actually caused global warming!!

Cleaner skies explain surprise rate of warming

While I am not entirely surprised I would like to know what those greenhouse gas nazi’s think about this study? Do you think that they may assume that this is just another conspiracy of the “Bush/Cheney Big Oil Machine” that conceived this study and all the info has been tainted by Cheney holding a gun to the head of the scientists reminding them that he “shot his friend…imagine what I could do to you!”

I mean lets be honest here…most of these people think that Hilary has sabotaged the Obama campaign…I’m quite sure they think that this is a conspiracy as well.

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Here is the fall schedule:

Racine County…

Clerk
Republican – Wendy Christensen
Democrat – Theresa Cotton-Kendrick
Democrat – Lisa Van Koningsveld

Treasurer
Republican – Elizabeth Majeski (inc.)

Register of deeds
Republican – Jim Ladwig (inc.)

District Attorney
Republican – Michael Nieskes (inc.)

State Assembly:

61st District

Democrat – Robert Turner (inc)
Libertarian – George Meyers

62nd District

Democrat – Cory Mason (inc)
Libertarian – Keith Deschler

63rd District

Republican – Robin Vos (inc)
Democrat – Linda Flashinski

66th District

Republican – Samantha Kerkman (inc)
Democrat – Mike Orr
Democrat – Larry Zamba

83rd District

Republican – Scott Gunderson (inc)
Democrat – Aaron Robertson


State Senate:

22nd District

Republican – Benjamin Bakke
Democrat – Robert Wirch (inc)

US Congress:

1st Congressional Seat:

Republican – Paul Ryan (inc)
Democrat – Paulette Garin
Democrat – Mike Hebert
Democrat – Marge Krupp
Democrat – John Mogk
Libertarian – Joseph Kexel

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What!!?? Really?!? Plants like CO2?!?

Who would have guessed this!??!

AFP: Higher CO2 levels may be good for plants: German scientists

I’m trying to figure out why it took a group of German scientists 9 years to tell us something that any 3rd grader in life science could have told us…plants love CO2!!

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Name that Place

Looks like mkfolks got the Cotton Exchange right away!!

I'm thinking this weeks will go really fast.

Name this Place:



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Does this surprise anyone?

JSOnline: Even deceased get stimulus money

The federal government just can’t seem to get things done right…how do you think they will do with your health care?

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Solar panels on you car?

Well according to reports in Japan, Toyota plans on unveiling the 2009 Prius hybrid that has solar panels on the roof!!

Toyota to sell solar panel-equipped Prius next year




Now who would have thought!

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Happy Fourth of July!!

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”




And so it began July 4, 1776…


On July 4, 1776 there were approximately 2.5 million people in the US…July 4, 2008 there are over 304 million! (Census: Facts for Features)


Are you smarter than your kids when it comes to Independence Day? Take this quiz and find out:
Kids' Quiz – See what you know about Independence Day


Remember to thank those that have or are serving in the military…they keep us free!

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Funnies...or maybe just comics...




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Did you vote? It may be based on genes!!??

You read that correctly it seems that research done at the University of California has concluded that the decision to participate in the electoral process is partially genetic in nature!!

Science Daily: Political Participation Is Partially Rooted In Genetic Inheritance

“These findings are extremely important for how we think about political behavior,” said Fowler. For example, it is widely known that parents and children exhibit similar voting behavior, but this has always been interpreted as learned behavior rather than inherited behavior.

According to Fowler, “We are not robots – the genes just seem to make it more likely that some of us will respond to our social lives by getting involved in politics.” Fowler also cautioned that there is no such thing as a ‘voter gene’: “That idea is just silly. Complex social behaviors are the result of hundreds of genes interacting with hundreds of social factors – these results are really just the tip of the iceberg.” (emphasis added by gopfolk)

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What is this?

I’ll do some calculations this weekend but based on this article it looks like our flat screen TV’s could be the cause for global warming…thanks to NF3 (nitrogen trifluoride)

What I found most intriguing is that the article says that NF3 is “estimated to be 17,000 times as powerful as carbon dioxide” but that is when it is compared to CO2 over a 100 year period…why 100 years? I’ll get back to you on that one but it seems to be based on a thing they like to call Global Warming Potential which sets CO2 as the base 1 and compares all greenhouse gases to this…with the notable exception of H2O…funny that they don’t do that calculation!

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Name that Country

Now I know last week’s was hard but no one could muster a clue?!?

Here it is again with the following hint:

If you happened to drink too much you might think you were saluting the Irish flag.

Country #1


PLEASE DO NOT POST THE ANSWER...supply info or a hint that proves you know it...there are others playing!!!

THANK YOU – gopfolk


As for this week’s country…9 out of 10

Country #2


PLEASE DO NOT POST THE ANSWER...supply info or a hint that proves you know it...there are others playing!!!

THANK YOU - gopfolk


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There is a thought!


I was surprised that I found this article on the BBC and not USA Today….but then again…

Speeders to pay for police chases

An extra $12 on a speeding ticket (or other moving violation) should be enough to piss a few people off!!

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Name that Place

Kudos to angelMt for realizing last weeks was Prairie School!!

Name this place:

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