Been reading some stuff on the last 15 seconds of the SB.  Most observations from the NFL are that the competition committee will look at the situation but don't expect anything to happen.

Situation:  4th down, Ravens ball inside their own 5.  They lead 34-29.  Ravens opt to take an intentional safety and instruct the punter to run around and milk the clock.  To facilitate this maneuver the BLT OL held the SF D.  Some of the holding was in the end zone which would have resulted in a safety.  NFL head of officials Mike Periera has noted it was anunfortunate loophole.  It enables a team to "run out the clock" illegally while suffereing no penalty.

Heres the fix - New Rule:  Any play resulting in a Safety which ALSO has a penalty called against the team yielding the Safety shall result in the time being restored to the clock as well as any other penalty which may apply (including the scoring of MULTIPLE safeties (?))

So SF gets the two points and the ball with about 12 seconds left.  OR BLT could've executed the punt w/o the blatant "allowed" holding.  Small, but an easily do-able fix.  Isn't it?

In particular, there are at least seven misleading or inaccurate statements in the analysis:

First, the headline itself is inaccurate. Spending is still far higher than what it was when President Obama took office, and is expected to continue to grow.

Newsbusters has more

2.  Contrary to popular belief, no study in history has proven that a raise in the minimum wage reduces poverty among families. In fact, the majority of people making the minimum wage aren’t supporting a family. Less than 1 in 5 people making the minimum wage are the head of a family, while half of minimum wage earners are young Americans.

Brietbart has more

3.  AP Withdraws Bogus Article Claiming Rand Paul Said Voters Want To Round Up Immigrants.  Did they think we wouldn't notice???! 

NB has more

Remember when socking money away in the Cayman Islands was "the largest tax scam in the world"?

During last week's confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Obama Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew pled ignorance to a $56,000 investment he held in a Cayman Islands fund registered to Ugland House.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) drilled Lew about whether it was “morally acceptable” for him to take a nearly $950,000 bonus just days after Citigroup received billions in taxpayer-funded bailout money when Lew left his role as Citigroup chief operating officer. 

"I was compensated for my work," said Lew. "I do believe it was comparable for people in positions like mine in the industry. I don't think there's anything that hasn't been fully transparent both in what I did and what I earned."

Previously, Obama blasted Wall Street bonuses as “obscene,” calling them examples of “fat cats who are getting awarded for their failure.” 

not gonna cut/paste.  Go read it.

And  I'm starting to get REAL miffed about the media compliance with maintaining the low information voter.  Actually, it's not about LOW information voter, it's about WRONG information voter.  AIAS:  It ain't what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that ain't so.

except to the Donks.  The Peoples Republic of California is redefining what a 'Doctor" is.  You see, there's a shortage of them due to Obamacare's regs and state tas policy. 

And here's the happyfeelgood quote: As State Senator Ed Hernandez (D) says, “What good is it if they are going to have a health insurance card but no access to doctors?”

The solution, to those who support ObamaCare, is to permit more people to do what “doctors” have done in the past.

THIS HAS BEEN MY ARGUEMENT FOR YEARS!  Do you have a "right" to something  that doesn't exist?  And if The State wants you to have it, it'll just change what "it" is.  Four legs good, two legs better.

more fact checking?  fish/barrel?

President Barack Obama's Tuesday State of the Union address demagogued guns and gun accessories by describing civilian "assault rifles" as "weapons of war" and labeling the magazines they use as "massive."

"Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive magazines off the streets," Obama lamented, "because they are tired of being outgunned."

These descriptions are problematic, considering that the "massive magazines" are simply those that hold more than 10 rounds. Obama suggested multiple times that 10 rounds ought to be the legal cutoff. 

So now 11- and 12-round magazines are "massive," and "assault rifles" are "weapons of war." 

And as I've written in other posts, deaths involving "assault rifles" constituted less than .012 percent of all deaths in America in 2011. Obama's war-mongering hyperbole simply doesn't fit. 

But there's one more point to be made; police and federal law enforcement agencies are not "outgunned" by civilian AR-15s. 

Police agencies have AR-15s and train their officers in the tactical uses of them. And in many agencies, the AR variant they use is not the civilian variant but a select-fire MP4, which can be fired in semi-automatic or fully-automatic mode. The officer or agent chooses his desired mode with the flip of a switch.

One of my favorites: a gallon of gasoline now costs $4, more than double the price when Obama took office.   Obama didn’t mention that pump shock, but tried to minimize it by claiming, “We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas.”  Sorry Barry, but ordering it doesn't make it so.

But that is expected to happen only gradually over the next dozen years. “Under a deal the Obama administration reached with automakers in 2011, vehicles will have a corporate average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, twice the 27 miles per gallon, on average, that cars and trucks get today. Automobile manufacturers won’t start making changes to achieve the new fuel economy standards until model year 2017. Not all cars will double their gas mileage, since the standard is based on an average of a manufacturers’ fleet.” And, of course, that higher fuel mileage comes at a price because studies have consistently shown (including one by former Obama economic adviser Larry Summers) that lighter cars mean more deaths on the road.

a nit:  President Obama brought up liberals’ favorite topic tonight: voting rights. He claimed that we are not doing enough to “make sure our God-given rights are protected here at home.” That includes “the most fundamental right as citizens: the right to vote.”

Voting is NOT a human right.  It's a civil right.  It's not "God-given."  God given implies such rights as life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.  And self defense.  Wouldn't wanna bring THAT up now, would we?  Civil rights include voting, equal access to the gov't nursing breast, etc.

Another fact check, but a bigger one.  “Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour.  This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families.”

There is ONE minimum wage.  It's $0.00.  It's called being unemployed.  Everythig else is window dressing.

In his speech, Obama said: “A full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we’ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong.” 

The president’s reference to a “family with two kids” earning minimum wage that still lives below the poverty line is, presumably, a reference to single parents. After all, two-wage earners each earning the $14,500 salary he mentioned ($29,000 combined), plus the earned income tax credit, would place a family with two children above the federal poverty line--and that is not including the additional welfare benefits available to many low-income families with children, such as housing subsidies, cell phones, Medicaid, and food stamps. 

Still, experts say Obama’s claim that a higher minimum wage would drive down poverty is without merit. “There is no research supporting the claim that minimum wages reduce the proportion of families living in poverty,” says University of California economics professor David Neumark.

And finally, there's Obamacare, driving employers to cut workers completely or drop them to 29 hours per week due to POTUS declaration that 30 hpw is now "full time."  So his new employee working 29 hours a week at $9 makes  $261.  Under the prior set up they'd work 40 hpw at $7.25 for $290 per week.  And that's more than Obama's programs.

first in a series ... observations from the SOTU.  We'll start with a False Choice"

“Most Americans — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — understand that we can’t just cut our way to prosperity.” Who, exactly said we could? And does he realize the same “folks” (on of his favorite terms) realize you can’t just spend your way there either?

Then a little fact checking:

“Corporate profits have rocketed to all-time highs – but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged.” Wages and incomes may not always be the best measurement, because they leave out benefits, which have increased overall compensation over several decades. Regardless, Obama chose his timeframe carefully, because over the past four years, middle class income actually declined. In addition, 

“In 2011, Congress passed a law saying that if both parties couldn’t agree on a plan to reach our deficit goal, about a trillion dollars’ worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year.” Obama is referring to the sequester. He omits the fact that he (or his White House) proposed the sequester, and he personally signed it, with the hope of using it to push Republicans into passing higher tax rates on high earners.

“Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion.” Both Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Read have used this claim, but it’s not true. As FactCheck.org noted recently, the figure includes over $1 trillion in spending cuts that “have yet to materialize.” It also includes $500 billion in projected reduced interest--not spending cuts or tax increases--and deficits remain high.

“Already, the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs.” The cost of health care has continued to grow, albeit less slowly--but the recession is a big part of the story. People are spending less because they can afford less. Obamacare has already made health insurance premiums more expensive, and Obamacare does not change the fundamental incentive problems that drive costs in U.S. health care.

“Let me repeat--nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime.” This is a repeated promise (as well as a repeated metaphor: Obama also used the “single dime” phrase to in describing tax cuts in his stimulus). Obama broke that promise most spectacularly in Obamacare, which only “balances” due to accounting tricks and is almost certain to cost more than originally expected--net as well as gross.

“We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas, and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar – with tens of thousands of good, American jobs to show for it.” As I demonstrated in my recap of Obama’s 2009 address, the supply of renewable energy sources in the U.S. rose only about 10% in Obama’s first three years in office--very far from doubling. 

“Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods--all are now more frequent and intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.” Or we can call it “weather,” which is far closer to the truth than this scary story.

“That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits.” In order to “keep” doing something, you have to have been doing it already. As Mitt Romney argued very ably in the presidential debates, the Obama administration has tried to slow oil and gas permitting on public lands, while taking credit for (or obstructing) much of the energy boom that has taken place on private lands.

“But taxpayers cannot continue to subsidize the soaring cost of higher education.” The fact that taxpayers continue subsidizing the cost of higher education is part of the reason that the cost of education keeps rising. Obama did not mention the crisis in student loan delinquency, which increased support from the government for tuition costs   has not been enough to prevent. The fundamental problem is youth unemployment.

“[M]ore boots on the southern border than at any time in our history, and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years.” Many of the “boots” Obama deployed to border states did not actually go to the border, less than half of which is actually secure. Illegal border crossings have decreased--but it is almost universally agreed that the cause is our poor economy, not enforcement--which Obama’s has effectively gutted.

“And I ask this Congress to declare that women should earn a living equal to their efforts, and finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act this year.” This is a rather amusing promise, since Obama’s support for the Lily Ledbetter Act in 2009, which was meant to have guaranteed “equal pay,” was a major boast in his re-election campaign. Did he fail to make pay equal when he said he had? No--he just needs the issue to boost support.

“Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour.” That means, of course, that fewer people will be working full-time, or even part-time. Hiking the minimum wage is at odds with increasing jobs, and hurts minorities and young people worst, damaging their future employment prospects significantly.

“We’ll give new tax credits to businesses that hire and invest.” A rather vague promise that sounds like a good idea. It’s not a factual mistake by itself--except that it likely contradicts his earlier promise on tax reform: “The American people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time filling out complicated forms, and more time expanding and hiring.” That means fewer special rules, deductions and tricks.

“Today, the organization [Al Qaeda] that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self.” It takes a special kind of chutzpah to say that, five months after a terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that claimed the lives of four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. Obama acknowledges that the threat continues--it is “evolving,” ihe says, in a curious use of the word--but to declare victory, without mentioning Benghazi?

“The regime in North Korea must know that they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations.” Since when has the North Korean regime ever cared about prosperity? This marks the third State of the Union address in which Obama has mentioned North Korea (he did so in 2010 and 2011 as well)--and each time Obama has congratulated himself for his administration’s policy on the issue.

“As long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will do whatever we must to protect those who serve their country abroad, and we will maintain the best military in the world. We will invest in new capabilities, even as we reduce waste and wartime spending.” Even before the sequester, the Obama administration has slashed defense, reducing our military capabilities to the point where we can no longer plan to fight a two-front war.

“That’s why, tonight, I’m announcing a non-partisan commission to improve the voting experience in America.” Not the accuracy or fairness or transparency of the process, but the experience. The chances that Obama’s commission will recommend photo ID for voters, or that such a recommendation would be adopted, are zero. In fact, the Obama administration has stridently opposed states’ own efforts to improve voting in America.

“Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, because they are tired of being outgunned.” These terms suit Obama’s gun control agenda, but they are grossly misleading. So-called “weapons of war”--i.e. assault rifles, machine guns and the like--are already banned, and proposals on the table to reduce magazine size target relatively small clips, not “massive” ones.

(fwiw the fact checking was from here)

Running in them can be fun.  Until you hit that wall.

My Real Estate Law class this week was invaded by an Intro to Law class who needed acces to the computers in my lecture hall.  I agreed to share the room.  During the course of the lecture I got a few questions from the intruders which were on point so I didn't mind.  Then the previously unrevealed idiot made themselves known by claiming that the housing collapse was cause by "greedy bankers stealing from the public."  It wasn't phrased in the form of a question.  It was a statement.  Some of my students rolled thier eyes, other shuddered, dreading what they knew was in store for the neophyte.

ME: So who did they steal from?

PUI:  The poor people who they took advantage of.

ME:  And what do you mean by "poor people"?

PUI:  You know, poor lower income folks who dodn't have anything and are trying to make it.

ME:  If they "don't have anything", what was it the greedy bankers took?

PUI:  Well, you know what I mean!

ME:  No I don't.  And obviously neither do you.

PUI:  Well they made them buy houses they couldn't pay for.

ME:  So greedy banker loaned poor people money the poor people couldn't pay back, and when the poor people didn't pay it back this meant the greedy banker had stolen it from them?

Giggles, gasps and groans began to circulate and I allowed the PUI off the hook, advising her I was looking forward to having her in class next quarter.

from Lileks, of course

 

Some do, and that’s the problem. Some don’t, and that’s the problem.

When you’re young - twenties, let’s say - you have a story. Your story. The more drama you have, the more likely you are to curate your tales, edit your narrative, refine it. You will seek to replay the Highs, and find meaningful tragic resonance in the Lows. You will assign significance to repeating elements, but often the wrong significance - instead of revealing something about your own actions or personality, they signal external truths over which you have no control, and hence have no need to question. You confuse your own story with the way the rest of the world operates. In this mindset, the highs are anomalous and glorious, hopeful signs that things will be different; the lows are grim reassertions of your own personal curse, or something.

If you’re like that, recollection is everything, and it excretes a poisonous glaze over the past. Better to live in a constant state of happy anticipation, pleasant experience punctuated by surprise, and mild happy indulgence towards the things recollected. That’s why I love Mondays: the things to anticipate have been refilled after the weekend’s depletion.

My favorite moment on a trip, I’ll admit, is when we’re back on the ship, and I’m sitting on the balcony with a small cigar thinking about the day and the pictures I took but haven’t seen yet.

Anticipation of experiencing recollection, in other words.