Congressman pens confessions

Fox News: The 84-page book “The Confessions of Congressman X,” is being shopped around as a game changer that gives readers a look into the lascivious lifestyles of politicians and provides a glimpse “at the dark side of Congress as revealed by one of its own.”

Mill City Press, the book’s Minneapolis-based publisher, says the name of the author is being kept private because Congressman X “wants to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.”

A website set up to sell the scandal-heavy tome offers up a few early gems:

-          “Most of my colleagues are dishonest career politicians who revel in the power and special-interest money that’s lavished upon them.”

-          "My main job is to keep my job, to get reelected. It takes precedence over everything."

-          "Fundraising is so time consuming I seldom read any bills I vote on. Like many of my colleagues, I don't know how the legislation will be implemented, or what it'll cost."

-          "We spend money we don't have and blithely mortgage the future with a wink and a nod. Screw the next generation. It’s about getting credit now, lookin’ good for the upcoming election.”

The book, which its publisher describes as "deeply disturbing," goes on sale May 24 for $9.95.

"Twitter shuts down 30 sites..."

"... dedicated to saving politicians' deleted tweets"

"Imagine how nerve-racking — terrifying, even — tweeting would be if it was immutable and irrevocable?" Twitter reportedly told the OSF. "No one user is more deserving of that ability than another. Indeed, deleting a tweet is an expression of the user’s voice."

The US arm of Politwoops was shut down in June this year, but this new decision affects countries all over the world including Canada, Egypt, India, Ireland, South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, Norway, and the UK. The Diplotwoops site, dedicated to archiving deleted tweets from diplomats, was also shut down, with the OSF noting that all the accounts had been "extensively used and cited by journalists around the world." The organization's director, Arjan El Fassed, commented: "What politicians say in public should be available to anyone. This is not about typos, but it is a unique insight on how messages from elected politicians can change without notice."

The cozy relationship between governments and big communication businesses is stronger than ever.

NYT: Filing Misstep May Fell House Veteran Conyers

"For nearly 50 years, John Conyers Jr. has represented Detroit in the House of Representatives. He is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and the second-longest-serving member of Congress still holding office. But now he may be felled by a political mistake fit for an amateur: His petitions for re-election lack enough valid signatures."

"The misstep has left politicians and constituents amazed. After all, at this point in his career, Mr. Conyers should be a shoo-in, his campaign machine well-honed. He first took office in 1965 during the auto industry’s boom years, long before towering debt and municipal bankruptcy took hold. Many here cannot recall when they were last represented by someone else." (read more)

 

“We have to ask the obvious question of whether the congressman was set up.”

New Rule: Recruits must buy U.S. made athletic shoes

Defense Department issued a new rule that could require recruits in boot camp to use their one-time allowance for shoes to be purchased through New Balance.

Military Times.

The rule is worded otherwise but the effect will be all recruits buy from the one single American company that supplies them. The new rule is pushed by Democrat representative from Maine, Mike Michaud.

Yeah. 

No. I would not buy a car from this guy. 

Apparently taking a cue from his executive that it is okay to coerce broad swaths of captive audiences to purchase things they otherwise would not purchase from places they otherwise would not purchase from when profit is channeled and benefit devolve to Party. 

New Balance is the only company in compliance with Berry Amendment (1941) or will be compliant if their prototype passes. New Balance is located in Mike Michaud's district. Boo.

The Berry Amendment is intended to direct government purchases to American companies wherever possible. 

DPAP Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy FAQ

Army, Navy, Air Force, but not Marines. Marines have a separate allowance that does not specify shoes. So all recruits in bootcamp for three services. 

What a coupe. What a haul. What blatant favoritism. Mike Michaud and his like really do not appreciate market forces or individual preferences, both essential to our economic system, and the malignancy toward both is so obvious I honestly do not see why he is not shouted down by the rest of the House all at once, traduced on the spot, and why would military brass acquiesce. They don't care. Apparently.

Let's get in the shoe business and offer competition. I know people who wear New Balance and would never buy anything else. They really are good shoes I am told. But so what. Being recruits the young guys probably won't mind, they might even think, "wow, our leaders really do find for us the best stuff available and direct us wisely" but they have more faith in political leadership than I do. 

This is wrong. So unAmerican to distort market forces like this, to use enlistees like this to drive business to friends. There ought to be a law! Wait, there is. And he wrote it. Boo. Boo on insidious corruption. Boo, giving all those recruits money as part of their pay to be spent at only one place, as if direct payment to New Balance. For all those shoes.  

It'll be an extension of uniform. I'm not clear if this is for off duty, if so, there will be two ways to spot those guys out on leave, by their  hair and by the same style shoes. 

Quit complaining. New Balance are great shoes. But look whose having a sale.

Guest Post: AllenS

How to tell if your dog is involved in a sex scandal!

 

Self Destruction: A Feature or a Defect?

Humans are a lonely species, convinced that there must be others like us in the universe; looking but never finding proof.

 Radio telescopes look further and further into the universe and beyond, hoping to find planets like ours.  Planets on which beings like us could live.  Radio waves are sent from Earth to everywhere in hopes of a reply. There is no reply; the silence of space is maddening.

Astronomers and astrophysicists find more and more planets where life can exist, but there is no evidence that intelligent life does exist.  It’s the Fermi Paradox, which briefly stated is: Where is everybody?

They must be there.  The Drake Equation tries to quantify the number of advanced civilizations just in our own galaxy.  To simplify, it's the number of stars in the galaxy....

• multiplied by the fraction that form planets...
• multiplied by the average number of planets in the habitable zone...
• multiplied by the fraction of these that give birth to life in some form......
• multiplied by these that develop intelligence......
• multiplied by the fraction of these that produce interstellar communications...
• multiplied by the fraction of the planet's lifetime during which such civilizations survive.

Modern data applied to the Drake Equation says the number should be very high.  But where are they?