Posts Made By: James C Chandler Jr

Mike I appreciate you monitoring MSNBC for us.

I try to occasionally monitor it, but keep getting seduced away by more interesting programming, such as the Waiting For Paint To Dry Channel or the Watching Cars Rust Channel.

Mike Strieber said:

I haven't posted any gems from MSNBC in a while but when I came across this one I couldn't resist. This again, from the organization who prides themselves on trashing Fox as an illegitimate news organization while suggesting they themselves epitomize what real journalism is all about. And as we've heard many times, Fox distinguishes its news from its commentary, MSNBC does not. Even if they did, this tidbit is from one of their so-called "anchors", not a commentator.

"MSNBC Host To Tancredo: Do You Want Obama Killed?"
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/05/10/msnbc_host_to_tancredo_do_you_want_obama_killed.html

I'm not fan of Tancredo but it is fun to watch him destroy this anchor (Martin Bashir). Oops, did I say destroy?

Mike

Bonus coverage: And even better than the Tancredo thrashing of Bashir... This one is top shelf, don't miss it.
"The greatest interview ever: Condi Rice spanks Lawrence O’Donnell like a little boy"
http://www.ihatethemedia.com/condi-rice-spanks-lawrence-odonnell-like-a-little-boy-greatest-interview-ever

I don't know that I've ever seen a more severe spanking in news history.

This one is classic journalism.

Jim McSheehy said:

Wages are increasing rapidly in China and its currency continues to appreciate against the dollar. A new study predicts Chinese workers will reach wage parity with their U.S. counterparts in only five years:

http://www.bcg.com/media/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?id=tcm:12-75973

They go on to predict a renaissance of American manufacturing as our traditionally higher productivity attracts companies to repatriate their overseas operations.

In addition, if energy prices significantly raise shipping costs, it might make some items look more cost-effective to manufacture in USA?

Big heavy stuff (or just big bulky stuff) might more quickly become cost-effective with rising shipping costs, compared to tiny-but-valuable stuff like microprocessors?

Perhaps if energy costs would drive shipping high enough, it would even encourage regional manufacturing and regional agriculture? If it starts costing too much to ship fruit from California or Mexico, then it may be cheaper to pay a greenhouse close to the point of sale? And of course at one time every little burg had its own soft drink bottling plants. Presumably because it was cheaper to manufacture closer to the point of sale?

====

There is the other advantage that if you manufacture locally, you are not teaching ferriners how to compete with you, and even showing them what kind of product niches are marketable.

I was in a small biz that designed and sold off-shored small electronic devices. The ferriners eventually cut us out of the loop.

There is a good chance the ferriners would have never noticed our tiny market niche if we hadn't dropped it in their laps by paying them to tool up for that niche. Even if they had noticed our niche, at least they would have had to draw their own circuit board layouts.

It is baffling that more USA companies have not avoided off-shoring simply to avoid training new competition.

Lee Spain said:

These recently declassified pictures are super graphic. View at your own risk!

Rarely have I seen such an expert squeaker-ectomy!

Rex Cox said:

Has anyone bought or had a chance to play with a Grundig Buzz Aldrin shortwave radio? I'd like to have a small, portable shortwave radio with good sensitivity, low frequency bleed-through, and decent sound quality through its speaker, as well as being able to listen to through ear buds. Is there anything better with comparable features and price?

I have three Grundig YB400PE shortwave/am/fm radios. Got the first one when they first came out and used heck out of it for years. Then when it started getting old enough maybe it would fail some day, went googling for reviews of something as good or better. I couldn't find anything better-reviewed. Found a few about equally-reviewed. So there were a few remaining YB400's available and I got a couple of spares. Keep one in the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. If I go work in the shop or outside will tote one with me.

Ain't sayin the old YB400 would be better than that newer Buzz Aldrin shortwave. A couple of years ago the topic came up and Jon Isaacs said some of the newer model Grundigs are even more gooder than the YB400. It is just from web-searching when I was looking for spares, I could not find a consensus that the newer models were any better and I had been happy with the YB400.

The newer models use fewer batteries and seem to work about as well from what I read. My old ones last a long time on a set of batteries, but they require 6 AA's.

If I needed another portable, any Grundig would seem a good bet from my experience.

TN has lots of mountains, foothills, ridges, etc. Shortwave and AM DX just sucks around here. Possibly it would suck even with a huge antenna.

I remember being in flatter parts of the country where DX reception routinely worked great. Just sayin, I don't get good shortwave around here, but it is probably not the radio's fault.

Eric Margolies said:

Does this actually surprise anyone? Was this ever anything more than a circus sideshow, ego trip, TV ratings grab, all of the above?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110516/ts_yblog_theticket/trump-announces-he-will-not-run-for-president

Rick (edited to add news link)

To Donald-- "Don't let the screen door hit you on your way out."

Mike Strieber said:

Romney raised over $10 million in one day in Vegas. I think it was a clear message to the other Republicans thinking about running or who have already declared. Those are Obama-like numbers of 2008. Interesting.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/16/politics/main20063398.shtml

If that is a lot of fat cats betting good money that Romney can win the general election-- Maybe they know. Did any of these geniuses bankroll McCain?

The conventional wisdom is to back the most conservative candidate who can win. Well, I'm not a conservative except fiscal conservative, but it isn't clear that Romney is the most fiscally conservative and seems doubtful that he can win. Maybe he has the best chance, dunno.

If it is Romney vs Obama, maybe I could hold my nose and vote Romney. It would be easier to follow long habit and throw away my protest vote on an unknown Libertarian.

Some folk think Obama is likable, though BHO never struck me as likable. I'm not real sociable, but it would be painful to even have to chit chat with that guy for even a few minutes.

Romney is even less likable than Obama. I'd go to great lengths to avoid having to chit-chat with that dude. Not that either would ever ask. Just sayin...

Rod Kaufman said:

There's no democracy evolving over there. The Muslim Brotherhood is taking over:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-05-22/egypt-disintegrating-as-economy-struggles-elbaradei-tells-cnn.html
And Israel is supposed to recognize '67 borders with all of that unfolding? :S

Rod, I'm not a Glenn Beck cheerleader. Sometimes he is right and other times not.

But you ought to listen to the feller every once in awhile. I suspect you and Beck have very similar views of what is unfolding, and Beck actually did predict this a few months ago.

Beck has "conspiratorial" explanations for the screw-ups. He names names and assigns motivations. On the other hand it may simply be extreme incompetent naivete in the White House. Either explanation fits the results.

Lee Spain said:

The Colt 1911 is old fashioned and expensive compared to striker fired polymer pistols. Shouldn't it be put out to pasture? When you shoot them, they are even liable to bite your hand.

Now you are just trolling!

That is even kewler than the Glock Revolver!





http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/2011/04/06/glock-revolver/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GunBlog+%28Everyday%2C+No+Days+Off+-+Gun+Blog%29

Rod Kaufman said:

I came across this while perusing the "specials" section of binos and scopes in the big apple camera store:
http://www.adorama.com/ATATOS3OA2.html
Would you want the Taliban ordering one of these?

Hi Rod

I can't find out whether it is made in usa. If not made in usa then it would be a moot point.

It is listed as non-exportable under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation, so the Taliban couldn't just order one (except of course the Taliban who have just walked across the southern border and live and work among us).