Friday, April 20, 2007
321energy :: PETRODOLLAR & IRAN & IRAQ :: Jim Willie CB
321energy :: PETRODOLLAR & IRAN & IRAQ :: Jim Willie CB
Wonderful explanation of things not heard or seen!!!!!!!!!
Wonderful explanation of things not heard or seen!!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com
Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost
Excellent story of one of worlds musicians playing at the subway for a lark. No one paid much attention.
Excellent story of one of worlds musicians playing at the subway for a lark. No one paid much attention.
Monday, April 02, 2007
BRING BACK DDT!!!!!!
Michael Fumento.com - Weblog - Future weapons against malaria - and the one we have now
Future weapons against malaria - and the one we have now
By Michael Fumento
O death, where is thy sting? Far too often it comes at the end of a mosquito’s proboscis. The worst mosquito-borne disease, malaria, infects about 400 million people worldwide each year (90 percent in sub-Saharan Africa) and kills about 1.3 million of them. Compare that to the histrionics we've suffered over avian flu, which as of 2 April had infected 25 people and killed 12 this year. Or SARS, which killed 774 people worldwide before petering out.
As I write in TCS Daily, biotechnology may eventually come to the rescue. Scientists have announced they've built a better mosquito, one that doesn't become infected with the parasite that causes malaria. Ultimately, it's hoped, these mosquitoes will outbreed natural ones. A biotech malaria vaccine is also in the works. Aye, but there's the rub. A malaria vaccine has been in the works for decades. For now what we need is something that's tried and true and readily available. Yes, that means insecticides and yes that means DDT. Fortunately, pro-DDT activists are finally starting to gain the upper hand over spoiled brat environmentalists who think the deaths of black- and brown-skinned people don't count and know nothing more about DDT than that Rachel Carson made all sorts of horrible claims about it of which none have proved true.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
OpinionJournal - Federation
OpinionJournal - Federation
"Act quickly," Gen. Petraeus wrote in January 2006, "because every army of liberation has a half-life." This is true not only in the field but at home. James Thurber once said that the saddest two words in the English language are "too late." Terrible as it is to think that our surge may have come too late, it is much more terrible to think that feckless politicians, out of whatever calculation, may pull the plug before the new approach is fully tested.
And terrible not only for Iraqis. For the French, the price of failure in Algeria was the collapse of one Republic and a permanent stain on the next--along with the deep alienation of the French military from the political establishment that it believed (with considerable justification) had betrayed it. Here at home, it took the American military almost a decade and a half to recover its confidence and resiliency after the failure and humiliation of Vietnam. How we would weather another and even more consequential humiliation is anybody's guess; but the stakes are enormous, and the clock is ticking."
How t6o Win in Iraq!! Excellent
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Talisman Gate: Absolutely Worth It
Talisman Gate: Absolutely Worth It
Pretty good summation:
"Was it worth it?" is a question that I hear at every anniversary of the Iraq war, and it gets more pointed and pained — and asked more accusingly by some — with every passing year and especially this week as we mark the fourth anniversary after a particularly rough year.
And I can never understand the bewildered and disappointed look upon the questioner's face — whether they be well-meaning or sanctimonious — when I answer, matter-of-factly, "Yes, of course."
I am expected to atone for all that's gone wrong, and when I don't, it seems that I am violating some social norm. I am expected to repent the sins of war and recant the folly of wanting to fix things by war, as some of the earlier war-supporters have done.
But I don't feel guilty over wanting Saddam Hussein gone, and I am certainly not guilty of what his loyalists and what the jihadists and death squads have done to Iraq since his ouster.
I don't answer for other Iraqis, or for the Americans who too have sacrificed so much. I answer for myself as a war supporter, a war enabler, and a continuing believer: Yes, it was worth it.
I've spent the better portion of my life working toward Saddam's overthrow. I was fully aware of the very real sacrifices made by those before me who had confronted Saddam and his Baath Party, and the consequences of their actions. The tyrant would not vanish by wishing him away — he had to be fought.
Pretty good summation:
"Was it worth it?" is a question that I hear at every anniversary of the Iraq war, and it gets more pointed and pained — and asked more accusingly by some — with every passing year and especially this week as we mark the fourth anniversary after a particularly rough year.
And I can never understand the bewildered and disappointed look upon the questioner's face — whether they be well-meaning or sanctimonious — when I answer, matter-of-factly, "Yes, of course."
I am expected to atone for all that's gone wrong, and when I don't, it seems that I am violating some social norm. I am expected to repent the sins of war and recant the folly of wanting to fix things by war, as some of the earlier war-supporters have done.
But I don't feel guilty over wanting Saddam Hussein gone, and I am certainly not guilty of what his loyalists and what the jihadists and death squads have done to Iraq since his ouster.
I don't answer for other Iraqis, or for the Americans who too have sacrificed so much. I answer for myself as a war supporter, a war enabler, and a continuing believer: Yes, it was worth it.
I've spent the better portion of my life working toward Saddam's overthrow. I was fully aware of the very real sacrifices made by those before me who had confronted Saddam and his Baath Party, and the consequences of their actions. The tyrant would not vanish by wishing him away — he had to be fought.
Iraqi Mojo: What Went Wrong?
Iraqi Mojo: What Went Wrong?
Those were simpler days indeed, before the endless waves of car bombings, before the thousands of Iraqi and American deaths, before the descent into chaos and sectarian violence that has driven liberal idealists like Makiya into bouts of hand-wringing over a single inescapable question: What went wrong?
Which brings us to his next book.
"I want to look into myself, look at myself, delve into the assumptions I had going into the war," he said. "Now it seems necessary to reflect on the society that has gotten itself into this mess. A question that looms more and more for me is: Just what did 30 years of dictatorship do to 25 million people?"
Those were simpler days indeed, before the endless waves of car bombings, before the thousands of Iraqi and American deaths, before the descent into chaos and sectarian violence that has driven liberal idealists like Makiya into bouts of hand-wringing over a single inescapable question: What went wrong?
Which brings us to his next book.
"I want to look into myself, look at myself, delve into the assumptions I had going into the war," he said. "Now it seems necessary to reflect on the society that has gotten itself into this mess. A question that looms more and more for me is: Just what did 30 years of dictatorship do to 25 million people?"
Monday, March 26, 2007
Econbrowser: Some Implications of "Staying the Course"
Econbrowser: Some Implications of "Staying the Course"
Interesting info on trroop strength and casualties.
Interesting info on trroop strength and casualties.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Wishing Wealth: GMI: 6; GMI-L: 100; Markets in Stage 2 up-trend
Wishing Wealth: GMI: 6; GMI-L: 100; Markets in Stage 2 up-trend
Good info:
Good info:
Monday, March 26, 2007
GMI: 6; GMI-L: 100; Markets in Stage 2 up-trend
The GMI remains at 6 and the GMI-L is back to 100. Thus, all of my short and long term indicators are positive. 
My long term trend indicator is based on Stan Weinstein's stage analysis (see book to right). Stan used the 30 week moving average as the best indicator of a stock's or the market's trend. The recent steep decline in the major indexes caused my short term daily indicators to flash negative. However, Weinstein's indicators stayed positive throughout the decline. In fact, the major indexes all found support at their rising 30 week averages. Thus, as this chart of the Nasdaq 100 index shows, the markets remain in a Weinstein Stage 2 up-trend. I never own stocks when they or the market are below their 30 week averages. 
The recent support found at the 30 week average in all of the major stock indexes suggests to me that that the up-trend remains intact. In my trading account I get in or out of stocks based on my daily indicators. In my long term mutual funds, however, I only get out of the market when the 30 week averages flash trouble. This rule got me out of the market in 2000 and back in in 2003.
See my disclaimers at the bottom of my prior post.
Simple Tip Lowers Heart Disease Risk, but Your Doctor Frequently Ignores It
Simple Tip Lowers Heart Disease Risk, but Your Doctor Frequently Ignores It
"Hey, give these 'poor' doctors a break. They slaved through medical school, stacking supermarket shelves and washed greasy 'common' people's dishes, whilst continually having to remember their high-falutin' edyoocation mantra: 'depression, Prozac. Male pattern baldness, Propecia. High cholesterol, statins. Toenail fungus, Sporanox. Hypertension, AT2 antagonists. Heart failure, beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, diuretics, BNP inhibitors?..and all the while having to keep up with the 'new diseases' and new, increasingly expensive drugs that are flooding the market.
"They couldn't justify 5-6 years of medical school to simply learn that eating well and moderate exercise can maintain good health. 'Your renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system has run amok and will require some highly complicated polypharmacy to get control.' sounds much more important than 'All you need to do Mrs. Smith is to eat a healthy, unprocessed food diet and get some moderate exercise.'"
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Michael Fumento.com - Weblog - John Edwards vs. Babies and Moms
Michael Fumento.com - Weblog - John Edwards vs. Babies and Moms
John Edwards vs. Babies and Moms
By Michael Fumento
John Edwards, being neither a woman nor a racial minority, isn't doing especially well in his campaign to become his party's candidate for president. Alas for him, if he were half as successful in campaigning for America's top job as he was as a trial lawyer, he might be sworn in tomorrow. As I report in The American Spectator Online, Edwards won at least 94 cases, according to Lawyers Weekly, of which 54 netted more than $1 million each. Normally attorneys take a 40 percent cut of cases that go to trial. In his last year as a practicing attorney, 1997, he reported an adjusted gross income of $11.4 million.
Of course, perhaps he deserved it - but he didn't. He specialized in a particularly scummy area of malpractice, blaming Ob/gyn doctors for cerebral palsy. In fact, a 2003 study evaluated almost 1,000 life births to see if cerebral palsy or other problems could by affected by type of birth. Conclusion: "Delivery mode (whether vaginal or cesarean delivery) was not associated with any of the outcomes that were evaluated."
Yet malpractice suits against doctors with the misfortune to deliver CP babies has caused their insurance rates to rocket and to engage in "defensive medicine," by resorting to cesarean deliveries when they're actually not needed. Other research has shown that cesareans increase the risk of death and other problems for both mother and child; yet such procedures are skyrocketing. Many cesareans are the mother's preference because of convenience of timing or wanting to avoid the pain of labor; but no mother should be given one because trial lawyers roam the land telling all parents that if you didn't get a perfect baby the doctor must have screwed up.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
The Other Side of Kim du Toit - TheOtherSideofKim Front Page
The Other Side of Kim du Toit - TheOtherSideofKim Front Page
1. Jarlsberg (Norway)—Unquestionably one of the finest cheeses ever made. It’s smooth, with a slight “nutty” flavor and lovely aftertaste, and if I was told I could only ever eat one cheese for the rest of my life, this would be the hands-down winner. Even the “Lite” variant (made not in Norway, but under license in Ohio) is better than most other cheeses.
2. Emmentaler AO (Switzerland)—Almost as good as Jarlsberg, Emmentaler is smoother yet more nutty-flavored, is a superb after-dinner snack, and it’s my cheese of choice if the store has inexplicably run out of Jarlsberg. It’s also kinda spendy, because [duh] it’s made in Switzerland.
3. Wisconsin String Cheese (U.S.A.)—Specifically, I’m referring to the stuff sold at The Brat Stop (at the intersection of I-94 and Hwy 50 in Kenosha, WI). It’s the jerky of dairy foods: dry, chewy and super-salty, comes apart in long threads, and whenever we’re within fifty miles of the place, it’s a mandatory stop. Annoyingly, it’s not branded at all, so finding it is a chore (it’s not even listed on their website). Just go to the Brat Stop and buy a few bags, if that kind of cheese is to your taste. Don’t be surprised if one of the bags doesn’t survive the trip home, because it’s perfect road food.
4. Old Amsterdam Gouda (Holland)—My favorite aromatic cheese in the world, Old Amsterdam has a wonderful flavor reminiscent of port wine. Dry, it crumbles to the touch, and you can’t eat a big piece of it. Just a few crumbs melted in the mouth will suffice. And then again, a few minutes later. And again, and again… (Old Amsterdam also makes a 5-year-old variant, but that’s too strong, even for me.)
5. Cheddar (England)—Forget those impostors made all over the world, all called “cheddar” but none deserving of the name. The real thing (made in Cheddar, Somerset) is one of those rare cheeses which not only makes a fine snack, but also cooks up well, for example in a grilled ("toasted") cheese sandwich. If I lived in England, there’d be a 5lb block of the stuff in my fridge, and it would never have a chance to go off. Tech Support and I once ended up in a pub in Fulham somewhere, and ordered a cheese sandwich. It was just bread, butter and cheddar, with a side order of chips—a simplicity which would have delighted old G.K.—and it was one of the best light meals we’d ever had.
Now for the “ingredient” cheeses.
1. Burrini (Italy)—I’ve never been able to find this anywhere except Treasure Island in Chicago. Made in the south of Italy, it’s a hard, aromatic Provolone-style pear-shaped cheese, which in turn encases a small ball of sweet, creamy butter. It’s too rich to snack on by itself (although I have), and is best eaten grated over a salad. If you use it thus, you won’t need any salad dressing. If you really want to indulge yourself, a thin slice melted on toast will make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven. The Italians cut it open, spread the butter on their bread, and then add the cheese, so Burrini is like a self-contained sandwich-builder.
2. Beyaz Peynir (Turkey)—A variant of Greek feta cheese. Combine this wonderful stuff with spicy Turkish sausage (made of very finely-ground beef and lamb), throw in some sun-dried tomatoes or roasted sweet red peppers, and you have perhaps the perfect savory appetizer. It’s a combination of sheep- and goat’s milk.
3. Mozzarella (Italy)—Thickly-sliced, with roasted sweet red peppers (again) and an aromatic olive oil sprinkled over it. My second-favorite appetizer after Beyaz Peynir. If anyone’s curious where the term “buffalo mozzarella” comes from, it’s because all mozzarella was once made exclusively from the milk of water buffaloes—but nowadays the Mozzarella di bufala available in the U.S. is made from a mixure of buffalo- and cow’s milk. (Incidentally, Monzeta is a mozzarella-based equivalent of Burrini, but has a blander flavor.)
4. Kasseri (Greece)—Yeah, it’s the basis of saganaki, that flaming dish brought to your table with cries of ”Oppa!” and doused with squeezed lemon. Never mind the ceremony, Stavros, just gimme the damn cheese, which is fabulous. (It’s made purely from goat’s milk, by the way.)
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Other Side of Kim du Toit - TheOtherSideofKim Front Page
The Other Side of Kim du Toit - TheOtherSideofKim Front Page
Great Letter!!!
Great Letter!!!
Here’s a letter which made my day, and made me feel quite humble:
Hello Kim. My name is Nick A___. I recently discovered your site and I must say I was shocked.
In the best possible way.
I found a link to your article about the pussification of America from someone’s comment on another blog. The article (and your others which I have read so far) really invigorated me and reminded me of what I am.
I am 18 years old and will very soon (less than a week) be enlisting in the United States Marine Corps Reserve as infantry (LAV Crewman). Undoubtedly I will soon after be activated and deployed to a combat zone on the other side of the world. Needless to say, I have met a LOT of opposition to my decision to join the Corps. Even though everyone is so gung-ho about “supporting the troops”, the second you say you want to join them, everyone looks at you like you should be wearing a straitjacket. Sometimes it is hard to stay true to what I believe and remember what I stand for when it seems everyone else thinks I’m crazy for doing so, even the people who I hold closest, including many of my friends and my entire family. What I call bravery, they call recklessness, lack of foresight, stupidity, or brainwashed. You reminded me that these people are cowards who believe that their own lives are more important than the freedom of their nation.
Finding someone out there who shares my views in such a clear and frank manner was, as I said, a shocking thing to find in today’s world of appeasers.
Thank you very much for your site, and thank you for showing me that I am not alone. Stay strong and stay healthy.
I responded to him thus:
Nick,
Never mind me. YOU take care of yourself.
Just oblige me with with this one favor: tell everyone you meet in the USMC that we support them, utterly and without reservation. Ignore the Murthas and Pelosis of this world: they are less than the mud you’re going to get on your boots.
And never mind all the whiners and cowards: you’re going on to bigger and better things, and you’re going to be associating with a better class of person.
Don’t bother trying to convert those who think otherwise, because it’s a waste of your time. Instead, think of us—me, and the many thousands of Readers of this website, who not only appreciate what you’re doing, but applaud your decision, loudly and enthusiastically.
I just wish I could go in your place.
Thank you for realizing that honor, duty and courage are important: so important, in fact, that they are worth more than your own life.
You hold the future of this wonderful country in your hands, and as long as you do, the rest of us can sleep soundly at night. Always remember that.
And keep in touch. Please.
Kim
Those of you who are God-fearing folks, you know what to do for young Nick.
We are not worthy.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
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