Archive for November, 2007
Left as part of a comment:
There are still two major parties? Why wasn’t I made aware of this?
UPDATE: At least I’m not bitter or anything.
Real-world Bad:
Home prices tumbled in 3rd quarter
U.S. home prices fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the sharpest drop since Standard & Poor’s began its nationwide housing index in 1987 and another sign that the housing slump is far from over, the research group said Tuesday.
So, then, this hypothetical situation would also be Bad, correct?
Gasoline prices tumbled in 3rd quarter
U.S. gasoline prices fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the sharpest drop since Standard & Poor’s began its nationwide fuel index in 1987 and another sign that the fuel slump is far from over, the research group said Tuesday.
Wouldn’t that be just terrible?
High gasoline prices are bad but low house prices are also bad. We’ve all heard about how bad they both are.
So, um, are high milk prices good or bad?
Doesn’t it depend on whether or not you’re a milk buyer or a milk seller?
I’m also wondering about the mimeograph machine slump. That’s been going on for decades and is just going to get worse, at least as far as I can tell. What are we going to do about that?
This housing slump must be absolutely killing the first-time home buyers. How can a young couple with a baby on the way possibly afford to purchase a home with prices down 4.5% and looking to fall even more?
Will someone please decide once and for all if high prices are good or if they’re bad?
Stupid market economy.
Over at Danger Room, David Axe notes some homemade Katyusha-style rockets uncovered in Somalia and that suicide bombers and IEDs are showing up. But he blames terrorist and insurgent presence in the country on US aid during Ethiopia’s attack on the Islamic Courts Union last year:
There weren’t extremists in Somalia before we helped the Ethiopians last year? What?
You can easily argue that there was virtually no Al Qaeda presence in Iraq before the US-led invasion, and that the appearance of the Al Qaeda groups was a result of US action. At that point, of course, you have an argument over whether that’s worth it or not and whether it’s the right strategy or not. Still, it’s clear that foreign terrorists were not a major factor within Iraq before 2003.
But that is not the case in Somalia. At all. In any way, shape, or form. To suggest that Somalia’s problem with extremists, Muslim or otherwise, is all of a sudden the US’s fault is ignoring history. To lay the blame squarely at the feet of the US is just plain cracked.
USA Ordering Trophy Active Protection Systems
DID notes an interesting FBO Solicitation:
The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, intends to purchase an Active Protection System from Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd., Haifa, Israel.
This makes it sound more like one unit for testing purposes, but who knows? See DID for more info.
77 Police Officers Injured in Paris- Rioters Using Shotguns!
Pictures and more at Gateway Pundit. Follow the link.
This whole “youth” thing is basically out of hand. Let’s see how Sarkozy handles it.
I always thought Taylor looked better wearing #36, but he switched to #21 after Fred Smoot left the team. Now Smoot’s back, but Taylor kept the number. So here’s an earlier shot of Taylor in #36.
He was an obviously gifted player, the sort that could change a game all by himself. His off-field troubles seemed to be mostly behind him, and he had stopped it with the stupid late hit penalties (and spitting) on the field. He was poised to become one of best safeties in the history of the Redskins, but it apparently was not meant to be.
It will be some time before we get the whole story about exactly what happened, but in the meantime just keep his daughter, his family, and his teammates in your thoughts.
U.S. military officials said Nov. 24 that the overall number of American troops in Iraq will be reduced by some 5,000 with the withdrawal of a combat brigade from Diyala province. But the number of Soldiers in the volatile province will actually increase.
The U.S. command in Baghdad announced earlier this month that the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division had begun heading home to Fort Hood, Texas, and that its area would be taken over by another brigade already operating in Iraq.
Col. David Sutherland, commander of the 3rd Brigade, acknowledged concerns that the withdrawal of U.S. troops could lead to a reversal of a decline in violence but said the transfer of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, will actually result in more troops in the province northeast of Baghdad.
Diyala, you may recall, was the scene of much of the fighting during the “surge” after many insurgents in the Baghdad area fled to the province when additional US troops began heading into the capital.
Islamic terrorists target Army base — in Arizona
Washington Times reports on a plot to attack Fort Huachuca, home of the US Army’s Intelligence Center and School:
Fort officials changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were to be smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high-powered weapons to attack the Arizona Army base, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times.
The DEA warned that the plot may not be what it appears but rather an attempt by one drug cartel to get the US military involved fighting a rival cartel. Either way, shouldn’t border security be taken seriously?
An F-16C Fighting Falcon from the Texas Air National Guard’s 111th Fighter Squadron flies with a special paint job in honor of the squadron’s 90th anniversary. All the colors and markings have specific meanings, reflecting the unit’s nine-decade history. (Photo courtesy of John Dibbs)
Story at AF.mil which explains the meanings.
Here’s hoping all MO readers have a great Thanksgiving.
Please keep our deployed military personnel and their families in your thoughts today.
No more posting. I’m going to be visiting friends and family, eating well, and generally being thankful for all the things my family has been blessed with. I encourage you to do the same.
