Mood:  chatty

If you spent a Clintax dollar, would it be inappropriate to say you 'blew' the money?
Just wondering...

Dollar coin gets presidential spin

WASHINGTON - Can George Washington and Thomas Jefferson succeed where Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea failed? The U.S. Mint is hoping America's presidents will win acceptance, finally, for the maligned one-dollar coin.

The public will get the chance to decide starting in February when the first of the new coins, bearing the image of the first president, is introduced.

Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are scheduled to grace the coin in 2007, with a different president appearing every three months.

The series will honor four different presidents per year, in the order they served in office. Each president will appear on only one coin, except for Grover Cleveland, who will be on two because he was the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms. To be depicted on a coin, a president must have been dead for at least two years.

The idea of rotating designs borrows from the highly successful 50-state quarter program. Since its launch in 1999, this program has featured five state designs each year in the order the state joined the union.

The quarter program has been widely successful, introducing millions of people to coin collecting for the first time. The Mint hopes the presidential program will enjoy similar success, in part because of the bold designs on the new coins.

Those designs are being made public during a ceremony today at the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery, home of some of the famous paintings that served as models for the coins.

Copies of the designs were made available to the Associated Press in advance.

"These designs are beautiful and so eye-catching that a lot of Americans are going to do a double-take when they get them in their change the first time," Edmund C. Moy, the director of the Mint, said in an AP interview.

The coins will be the same size as the Sacagawea dollar - a little larger than a quarter - and the same golden color as the Sacagawea. The image of the president will be on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other.

The images will be slightly larger than those on a quarter because space was freed up by moving some of the traditional wording such as "In God We Trust" to the edge of the coin. Edge lettering has not been tried on an American coin since 1933.

Will all this be enough to make the presidential dollars a success where the Susan B. Anthony, introduced in 1979, and the Sacagawea, introduced in 2000, have been flops, at least in terms of gaining acceptance as circulating coins?

Moy is optimistic, saying a number of things have changed since the Sacagawea launch six years ago. Rising prices mean it takes more quarters to feed the parking meter and vending machines. People might now be more willing to carry the dollar coin to replace four quarters.

Moy said the Mint also will do a better job of coordinating with the Federal Reserve to make sure that commercial banks quickly get their orders for the new dollars filled.

"We are geared up to make hundreds of millions of these coins depending on what the demand is," Moy said.

Rep. Michael Castle, R-Del., a prime mover in Congress for both the 50-state quarter legislation and the presidential coins, said he believed the new dollars would have a good chance for success.

Buffalo News ~ Associated Press - Martin Crutsinger ** Dollar coin gets presidential spin

Posted by yaahoo_ at 7:48 PM EST

Updated: Wednesday, 22 November 2006 8:13 PM EST

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Mood:  special

The first remarkable close-up pictures of animals in the womb

• Gallery: See more amazing pictures of animals in the womb

An unborn elephant, tiny but perfect in every way. A dolphin swimming in the womb, just as it will have to swim in the ocean the moment it is born. An unborn dog panting.
Each one amazing and now, thanks to these remarkable pictures, they can be seen for the first time.

Using an array of technology, the images reveal what until now has been a secret - exactly how animals develop in the womb. They were created by the same team who in 2004 showed how human embryos "walk in the womb".

Using a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras, the team were able to show the entire process from conception to birth.

"These kind of images from inside animals have never been seen before," said Jeremy Dear of Pioneer Productions, who made the film.

"We worked with dozens of zoos and animal sanctuaries across the world. There were a lot of different challenges - recording a dolphin is very different from an elephant, for instance.

"Animals were trained to sit still near the scanners and we also inserted cameras into the womb via the elephant's rectum-But it has been worth it. It one sequence we follow an elephant developing. When it is finally born, there is not a dry eye in the house.

"The images in the film are a testament to the ingenuity and patience of the production team led by Yavar Abbas and Dr David Barlow, who worked with some of the world's leading vets to obtain these pictures."

The images were created for the programme Animals In The Womb, a two-hour show to be broadcast on the National Geographic Channel in America next month and on Channel 4 and the National Geographic Channel in the UK next year.

Researchers used scans to track elephant calves developing for almost two years in the womb - the longest gestation period of all mammals.

It shows at 16 weeks the elephant foetus starting to look more like an elephant as the trunk develops.

At almost a year, the trunk is longer than the legs, and by 14 months, the characteristic elephant ears are visible. They will eventually grow to almost two feet across to help regulate the body temperature of the fullymature-elephant. At birth, he will weigh nearly 260lb and be able to take his first steps in minutes.

Animals closer to home were also studied. A golden retriever foetus is shown exhibiting some of the same behaviour as family pets, panting with its tongue out, while still in the womb.

Programme makers also reveal the moment at eight weeks when a baby dolphin learns to swim while in the womb. During the next few weeks, it develops flippers, a tail and a blowhole before being born after a year, and must be able to quickly swim to the surface to take its first breath of air.

Experts also found that at 24 days, the dolphin embryo develops tiny leg-like buds, which then disappear over the next two weeks.

After 11 weeks, the dolphin embryo's fins display bone structures resembling human hands, which experts believe may show that dolphin ancestors were land dwellers.

The footage also shows how many animal embryos are like human ones.

"The incredible thing about the early images is how we all look very similar - it is obviously we humans share a common mammalian ancestry very early in life," said Mr Dear.

Reader comments • Gallery: See more amazing pictures of animals in the womb
UK Daily Mail  ** The first remarkable close-up pictures of animals in the womb
Related: Scientific Photographer Takes Awesome Microscopic Pictures of Inside the Human Body, Fetus Formation

Posted by yaahoo_ at 6:42 PM EST

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Mood:  cool

Antarctic Ice Sheet Mass Balance

Reference
Wingham, D.J., Shepherd, A., Muir, A. and Marshall, G.J. 2006. Mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 364: 1627-1635.

What was done
The authors "analyzed 1.2 x 108 European remote sensing satellite altimeter echoes to determine the changes in volume of the Antarctic ice sheet from 1992 to 2003." This survey, in their words, "covers 85% of the East Antarctic ice sheet and 51% of the West Antarctic ice sheet," which together comprise "72% of the grounded ice sheet.""

What was learned
Wingham et al. report that "overall, the data, corrected for isostatic rebound, show the ice sheet growing at 5 ± 1 mm year-1." To calculate the ice sheet's change in mass, however, "requires knowledge of the density at which the volume changes have occurred," and when the researchers' best estimates of regional differences in this parameter are used, they find that "72% of the Antarctic ice sheet is gaining 27 ± 29 Gt year-1, a sink of ocean mass sufficient to lower [authors' italics] global sea levels by 0.08 mm year-1." This net extraction of water from the global ocean, according to Wingham et al., occurs because "mass gains from accumulating snow, particularly on the Antarctic Peninsula and within East Antarctica, exceed the ice dynamic mass loss from West Antarctica."

What it means
Contrary to all the horror stories one hears about global warming-induced mass wastage of the Antarctic ice sheet leading to rising sea levels that gobble up coastal lowlands worldwide, the most recent decade of pertinent real-world data suggest that forces leading to just the opposite effect are apparently prevailing, even in the face of what climate alarmists typically describe as the greatest warming of the world in the past two millennia or more.

CO2 Science ~ Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change ** Antarctic Ice Sheet Mass Balance                 Related: Snow Reported In Central Florida
Arctic May Be "Fighting Back" Against Rising Warmth, new patterns of cooling ocean currents

Posted by yaahoo_ at 2:16 AM EST

Updated: Wednesday, 22 November 2006 2:30 AM EST

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Mood:  chillin'

Snow Reported In Central Florida

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Snow flurries were reported in Seminole, Orange, and Volusia Counties Tuesday night. We even saw some snow at Channel 9's Orlando studios.

The last time it snowed in Central Florida was reportedly January 24, 2003. Before that, it hadn't snowed since 1989.

A blast of cold air is moving into the state this week, state emergency officials said.

Wind chills may drop into the 20s in parts of north Florida and high temperatures may only reach the 60s
  as far south as the Keys on Wednesday, state meteorologist Ben Nelson said.

Miami wasn't expected to even hit 70 on Wednesday, and low temperatures were expected to dive into the mid-40s.

A developing storm out at sea off of Florida's east coast is driving cold air southward into the state, which resulted in freeze watches for several locations in the Panhandle earlier this week.

Nelson said wind chills could be in the 30s even in Central Florida on several nights this week and reminded Florida residents to protect themselves, their plants, their pets and their pipes.

The cold weather is expected to last through Thanksgiving, but by the end of the week warmer temperatures were forecast to return. By Sunday, the high in Miami is expected to be 81.

WFTV.com ~ AP ** Snow Reported In Central Florida
Related: Global What Now? Antarctic Ice Sheet Getting Thicker
Arctic May Be "Fighting Back" Against Rising Warmth, new patterns of cooling ocean currents

Posted by yaahoo_ at 1:53 AM EST

Updated: Wednesday, 22 November 2006 2:52 AM EST

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Mood:  sharp

Every day, we are reminded of how many fine men and women have paid the ultimate price in the war on terror. I began to wonder, what is the casualty rate for the other side in this war?

In Iraq, I’ve seen several sources cite “about 55,000” insurgents killed; they’re listed as “Iraqi insurgents,” but I have not seen any specification of what percentage are Iraqi and what percentage are foreign fighters.

As of this writing, the number of U.S. troops who have died in Iraq stands at 2,867. I’ve also seen the figure 2,493 for deaths from hostile action.

This suggests that about 22 bad guys are killed for every U.S. combat death; 19 to 1 if you use the total U.S. death figure.

I can find no clear and specific number as to how many Taliban and al-Qaeda have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of hostilities there in 2001. I would prefer a better source than Wikipedia, but they list 5,500 killed and 1,000 captured. According to Wikipedia, 187 Americans have died in hostile action, 102 died in non-hostile action.

Again, about 29 to 1 in terms of combat deaths, or 19 to 1 in terms of all U.S. deaths.

(I also note that CIA Director Michael Hayden [right] stated on the five year anniversary of 9/11 that the U.S. had killed or captured more than 5,000 since the attacks. I presume that at least some of that number represents strikes from Hellfire missiles in places like Pakistan and Yemen and perhaps other places where the reach of the U.S and its allies has eliminated al-Qaeda members and their allies.)

Are those ratios about as good as we can possibly expect against a non-uniformed foe who hides among civilians and uses IEDs, car bombs, and explosives in backpacks instead of tanks and infantry?

If you start from the assumption that the U.S. is in a war with the ideology of jihad, Islamism, Islamo-fascism, whatever you prefer to call the mentality that the murder of nonbelievers is a holy duty, and that there is no alternative to fighting and killing this foe, than by these measures both Iraq and Afghanistan are exceptionally effective offensives in this war. The bad guys who die on a battlefield in those faraway places cannot detonate a suicide belt in the middle of Times Square.

I’m sure there will be those who will contend that some of the insurgents killed in Iraq are only fighting for their homeland, and who would never ever in a million years join an international jihadist organization like al-Qaeda. I am sure there are those who will also contend that “we’re creating terrorists” with our policies, that so many of these young Arab and Muslim males would be living in perfect harmony with the West, if only we had pursued different policies in the Middle East. Yes, yes, it’s not what they’re hearing from their imam, or at their madrassa, or on the Internet or from their rabidly anti-American media and political leaders; it’s entirely our policies that motivate sensible young men to become suicide bombers.

I tend to believe that if you’re willing to blow yourself up in Sadr City, you’re probably willing to consider blowing yourself up in Seattle. If you’re willing to wire a car bomb in Kabul, it’s not unthinkable that you might try the same in an American city.

As the new Democratic Congressional majorities attempt to hammer out a new Iraq policy, they would be wise to keep an eye on the casualties on the other side of the battle.

UPDATE: Over at North Shore Journal, they recently started a project to keep track of terrorist and insurgent deaths. Unfortunately, they only began keeping records since November 1. Yet in a half a month or so, 144 enemy dead recorded in Iraq, 34 recorded in Afghanistan.

National Review ~ TKS - Jim Geraghty ** Some fascinating statistics about the war on terror

For one representative description of unrestrained warfare read this: Celtiberian War

Posted by yaahoo_ at 8:29 PM EST

Updated: Tuesday, 21 November 2006 8:34 PM EST

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Mood:  chatty

WASHINGTON -- The National Security Agency is not required to release details about its secret wiretapping program, a federal judge said Monday.

The People for the American Way Foundation, a liberal advocacy group, sued to obtain records under the Freedom of Information Act. The group sought to find out how many wiretaps were approved and who reviewed the program.

President Bush has acknowledged the existence of the program, which he calls the Terrorist Surveillance Program. The National Security Agency monitors phone calls and e-mails between people in the U.S. and people in other countries when a link to terrorism is suspected.

Civil liberties group criticize it as an expansion of presidential power, and a federal judge has said it is unconstitutional. The Justice Department says it is a necessary tool to fight terrorism.

The NSA denied the request for documents, saying the records would jeopardize national security. The advocacy group argued that the law can't be used to protect the government from disclosing details about illegal programs.

U.S. Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle disagreed, saying that even if the program is ultimately determined to be illegal, it doesn't change the fact that the materials are classified and are not covered by the Freedom of Information Act.

Fox News ~ Associated Press ** Judge: NSA Not Required to Release Wiretapping Details

Posted by yaahoo_ at 7:51 PM EST

Updated: Wednesday, 22 November 2006 6:11 AM EST

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Mood:  bright

Rebuilding in Iraq tops 4,000 projects

When and if the smoke ever clears in Iraq, Pentagon officials say the world finally will see a minor miracle.

"Most Americans don't understand something equivalent to the Marshall Plan has been accomplished in Iraq," said Dean G. Popps, principal assistant secretary of the Army for acquisitions, logistics and technology.

The Army is the program manager for $20 billion in U.S. taxpayer money that flowed to Iraq after the 2003 invasion to spur a building boom of more than 4,000 projects.

Amid constant deadly threats from bloodthirsty insurgents, and without a viable Iraqi private contracting sector, the Army Corps of Engineers has supervised the construction of electric grids, health care centers, schools, water and sewage treatment facilities, police stations, academies and border posts.

Not counting the deteriorating security situation, no facet of the Iraq war has received more negative press than the U.S.- and Iraqi-financed reconstruction. The Washington Times, along with other newspapers, has published a series of articles on setbacks and corruption. But, the Pentagon contends there is another storyline.

"It's quite a heroic story maligned often by the news media," Mr. Popps said during an interview in his E-Ring Pentagon office. A nearby multicolored map designates hundreds of projects started and completed, from Mosul to Basra.

Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, has issued a steady stream of reports revealing fraud and mismanagement. Perhaps his most damaging finding was that nearly a quarter of $37 billion in United Nations-secured oil money -- not U.S. taxpayer funds -- shipped to Iraq cannot be traced and was likely stolen.

But Mr. Bowen has said fraud involving U.S. money, while serious, is not widespread and that the huge majority of projects proceeded as required. And, a Bowen report to Congress last summer seemed to back up Mr. Popps' message of progress.

"Although the story of Iraq reconstruction has been punctuated by shortfalls and deficiencies, the infrastructure overview provided [in] this quarterly report presents a picture of significant progress achieved through a substantial U.S. investment of time, talent and tax dollars in Iraq's relief and reconstruction."

Mr. Popps said it is first important to understand what the rebuilding team inherited. U.S. intelligence knew little about the actual state of Iraq's energy infrastructure and social service network. When the Army Corps of Engineers got on the ground, there was shock:

• The three regional sewage treatments plants in greater Baghdad did not work; raw waste poured into the Tigris River and downstream through villages. Sadr City, the impoverished Shi'ite slum repressed by the ruling Sunni Ba'ath Party, lacked any sewage system. "Some slam the Americans because there is sewage in Sadr City," said an incredulous Mr. Popps. "Please."

• Few towns had a central supply of clean water.

• The electrical grid suffered under 1950s technology and disrepair. Saddam Hussein starved the rest of the country of power to give the capital of 6 million about 20 hours a day.

• The country lacked any primary health care facilities; hospitals and schools were run down and lacked supplies. New hospitals had not been built in 20 years. More than half the public health centers remained closed. Of 13,000 schools, more than 10,000 needed significant renovations.

The Pentagon in 2003 summoned American firms to get reconstruction started in the absence of Iraqi ministries that could supervise and a private sector that was in shambles under Saddam's totalitarian rule.

"The ministries were jammed with people who did nothing," Mr. Popps said. "They sat around and smoked and drank tea and held 'worry beads.' It was an economy based on incompetence and corruption."

Today, the Pentagon is handing out a score sheet:

• Six new primary care facilities, with 66 more under construction; 11 hospitals renovated; more than 800 schools fixed up; more than 300 police stations and facilities and 248 border control forts.

• Added 407,000 cubic meters per day of water treatment; a new sewage-treatment system for Basra; work on Baghdad's three plants continues; oil production exceeds the 2002 level of 2 million barrels a day by 500,000.

• The Ministry of Electricity now sends power to Baghdad for four to eight hours a day, and 10 to 12 for the rest of the country. Iraqis are now free to buy consumer items such as generators, which provide some homes with power around-the-clock.

Mr. Popps said all this was accomplished despite a concerted effort by terrorists to bomb construction sites and kill workers. Thursday's kidnapping of private contractors south of Baghdad illustrates the problem. The State Department was forced to increase spending on security, up to $5 billion of the $20 billion, or risk losing more projects to saboteurs.

The Army Corps has ferried reporters to what it considers successful sites in an effort to get a few positive stories on reconstruction. But rarely do any materialize, Mr. Popps said.

"What has hurt the public perception of reconstruction is incomplete leaks to the media that there is a problem with a particular project," he said. "What is sexy to reporters is a police station that has urine in the ceiling. That's what the press prefers to talk about rather than the great successes we have made."

The "urine" reference was contained in the latest bad news story about reconstruction in Iraq. Mr. Bowen reported in September he was reviewing all projects done by the California-based Parsons Corp. in the aftermath of finding serious plumbing problems at the $75 million Baghdad Police College. Mr. Bowen has criticized Parsons, which uses local Iraqi contractors, on other projects, including primary health care buildings.

The company has cited the violent environment as part of the problem. A Pentagon spokesman said the company made all repairs by an Oct. 6 target at no government cost.

There are two key money amounts devoted to reconstruction: One is $37 billion in cash the U.N. turned over to Iraq in 2003. The second is $36 billion appropriated by Congress, $20 billion of which was the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The remaining $16 billion is evenly divided for building the Iraqi security forces and for various military projects, some controlled by U.S. commanders.

In late September, Iraq rebuilders received some praise from Mr. Bowen. He made one of his periodic appearances before the House Government Reform Committee, where Chairman Thomas M. Davis III, Virginia Republican, said there was some good news out of the war-wrecked country.

"You said accurately in your opening statement that not everything is wrong in Iraq, and that's true," Mr. Bowen responded. "A fair reading of our full report demonstrably underscores that fact. Indeed, 70 percent of the projects we've visited and 80 percent of the money allocated to them indicate that those projects, from a construction perspective, have met what the contract anticipated."

Washington Times ~ Rowan Scarborough ** Rebuilding in Iraq tops 4,000 projects
Related:
Violence in Iraq Drops in Weeks After Ramadan, Iraqi casualties at lowest levels since gov't formed

Posted by yaahoo_ at 5:24 PM EST

Updated: Tuesday, 21 November 2006 6:42 PM EST

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Mood:  a-ok

Violence in Iraq Drops in Weeks After U.S. Elections Ramadan

WASHINGTON -- As expected, violence in Iraq has dropped following the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a coalition spokesman said in Baghdad today.

Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said civilian and Iraqi security force casualties were at the lowest levels since the government was formed in May.

So far this month, the civilian casualty count is well below the casualty count in October and below the six-month average. The security force casualties reduced 21 percent over the past four weeks, and are at the lowest level in 25 weeks, he said.

“In Baghdad, there was a 22 percentage drop in casualties related to sectarian violence and executions,” Caldwell said during a televised news conference. “Coalition forces will continue to work closely with the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces to control the sectarian violence and terrorist attacks.”

But attacks do continue. The more the Iraqi government led by Nouri al-Maliki asserts its authority, the greater the threat from foreign and extremist elements seeking to undermine both stability and reconciliation in Iraq, Caldwell said. “Last week we did see a spike in coalition and civilian casualties,” he said. “Murders remain the gravest threat to civilians.”

A new wrinkle is mortar attacks on markets and mosques, and coalition and Iraqi security forces are watching the situation and taking steps to prevent those, the general said.

He said Operation Together Forward -- planned to provide security for the neighborhoods in Baghdad -- will continue. Patrolling continues in some neighborhoods, he said, with roughly 95,000 buildings searched, 282 persons detained and 1,900 weapons seized.

In other neighborhoods, the Iraqis have moved into a protect-and-build strategy. “Stability means more than just freedom from fear; it means being able to count on essential services,” Caldwell said. “Consequently, more than $7.5 million have been committed to these projects and essential services.”

Iraqi public servants brave attacks to continue working on power generation, water treatment, trash collection to sewage disposal. He said over the past 11 months local civic leaders and soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, which just transferred back to Fort Hood, Texas, worked hard in Baghdad to make progress in local improvement projects. “During that time, 146 water and sewage projects came on line, (along with) 140 educational projects, 57 medical and public health projects and 37 agricultural projects,” Caldwell said.

The water and sewage projects undertaken through this partnership include the completion of 19 water treatment plants, six compact water delivery systems, 13 sewage pumping stations and the replacement of more than 25 kilometers of pipe. The 140 education projects included upgrading 111 school facilities that serve more than 310,000 elementary students. The 57 Baghdad medical projects include the renovation of 21 hospitals and clinics and building and opening six new clinics for the citizens of Baghdad.

“There is a committed effort to hire local Iraqi firms and workers,” the general said. “These projects alone have provided over 23,000 jobs at the peak employment period.”

Caldwell said there will be more transfers of authority to the Iraqis as the security forces become more capable. He used an operation in Diyala province as an example of the progress the Iraqi army is making. On Nov. 13, the Iraqis launched a joint operation to seize five major weapons caches. The Iraqi forces faced improvised explosive devices and numerous small-arms exchanges with enemy forces. The soldiers killed somewhere between 25 and 40 enemy fighters and detained another 23.

The raid resulted in taking hundreds of explosive rounds capable of being used in car and roadside bombs, and 300,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition. “This is potentially hundreds of car bombs that will never be built or detonated in Iraqi markets,” Caldwell said. “This is 12,000 sniper rounds that will not be aimed at security forces.”

Caldwell said it is impossible to estimate the number of attacks these raids prevented, “but it was significant.”

“Iraq must have a security force that is competent, but also enjoys the confidence of its people,” he said. The forces will continue to enforce the rule of law and free the country from the threat of militias. He said Iraqi confidence in the police is slowly rising, but will require continued reform.

The forces continue to combat sectarian violence, most of which, occurs within a 30-mile radius around Baghdad. Forces launched 58 missions against death squads that netted 184 cell members and eight cell leaders.

The coalition and Iraqis continue to attack al Qaeda in Iraq. The forces launched 92 focused operations that killed 48 terrorists and detained 286, Caldwell said.

The general also told reporters that U.S. forces remain committed to finding Army Spc. Ahmed Kusay Altaie, a soldier kidnapped Oct. 23. More than 3,000 coalition and Iraqi security forces are looking for him. “We will never stop looking for our servicemembers,” Caldwell said. “Everyone must know that we will continue our intensive efforts to locate Specialist Altaie.”

Caldwell said that all people want to see a unified, secure and prosperous Iraq, “but it will take time.”

“The people in Iraq are showing tremendous perseverance in fighting these foreign influences that seek to destroy their goal of a unified Iraq,” he said.

Related Sites: Multinational Force Iraq

US Department of Defense ~ American Forces Press Service - Jim Garamone ** Violence in Iraq Drops in Weeks After Ramadan
Related:
Rebuilding in Iraq tops 4,000 projects, Marshall Plan equivalent accomplished in Iraq

Posted by yaahoo_ at 5:04 PM EST

Updated: Tuesday, 21 November 2006 6:16 PM EST

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Mood:  loud

What Happened?

The awful truth...
Be sure to read all the way to the end.

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries, then
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words
upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me
to my doom..."

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest expense
Inventory tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road usage taxes
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Telephone state and local tax
Telephone usage charge tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?

Posted by yaahoo_ at 6:17 AM EST

Updated: Tuesday, 21 November 2006 6:25 AM EST

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Mood:  special

FNC to Air Experimental Non-liberal 'Daily Show' Variant

By Matthew Sheffield

The success of the left-wing Jon Stewart at capturing the young news viewer hasn't gone unnoticed in the television business. Fox News Channel is prepping a show with a similar format, and with a non-liberal perspective, according to the Hollywood Reporter:

Fox News Channel might air two episodes of a "Daily Show"-like program with a decidedly nonliberal bent on Saturday nights in late January, with the possibility that it could become a weekly show for the channel.

The half-hour show is executive produced by "24's" Joel Surnow and Manny Cota and creator Ned Rice, who previously wrote for "Politically Incorrect" and "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" through This Just In Prods. It would take aim at what Surnow calls "the sacred cows of the left" that don't get made as much fun of by other comedy shows.

"It's a satirical news format that would play more to the Fox News audience than the Michael Moore channel," Surnow said. "It would tip more right as 'The Daily Show' tips left."

The show was pitched as "This Just In" when it first got life as a 20-minute pilot presentation for Fox Broadcasting Co.'s late-night division. But when that network passed, Surnow said it attracted the attention of Fox News Channel chief Roger Ailes.

"I showed it to Roger, and he really liked it and thought it could work on Fox News if we could make it conform to some of the restraints" of a cable news channel. Fox News Channel confirmed that talks were going on.

"Fox News is always looking for new cutting-edge programming ideas," said Bill Shine, senior vp programming at Fox News. "We look forward to working with Joel Surnow on this opportunity."

Taped before a studio audience in Los Angeles, the show will feature two co-anchors, actors Kurt Long ("Cuts," "Games Across America") and Susan Yeagley ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Reno 911!"). It also will feature person-on-the-street interviews and correspondent reports like other shows. But Surnow said that it's not going to be strictly conservative but more in the spirit of the old and rebellious "Saturday Night Live."

News Busters ~ Matthew Sheffield ** FNC to Air Experimental Non-liberal 'Daily Show' Variant
Matthew Sheffield's blog | login or register to post comments
Categories: Celebrities | Daily Show | FNC | Jon Stewart

Posted by yaahoo_ at 12:46 AM EST

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