links for 2010-11-09

The middle class has begun to leave California. It is, of course, impossible for most members of such a large group to leave a state; few people leave their family, their friends, their job, and their home except under the most dramatic circumstances. But this fact makes all the more noteworthy the exodus from California that has been taking place.

You have to wonder how many businesses and individuals would leave California if their friends and family could also leave, if they could find a comparable job elsewhere, and if they could sell their homes without losing money.
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With redistricting and an open primary system looming in 2012, it may only get worse…

After NPR fired Juan Williams in late October for comments he made about Muslims on Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor,” NPR saw supporters come out of the woodwork to decry right-leaning calls for the radio company to be stripped of government financial support. Interestingly, many of those who voiced their opinion that NPR should keep its government provided cash happen to receive funds from the same source: liberal financier George Soros and his Open Society Institute.
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Not really shocking but fairly standard for the Left

Read it all

Political journalism, it has been said, is showing up after the battle is over and shooting the wounded – and one of them who deserves verbal execution is Mike Murphy, who ran Meg Whitman's very expensive, very unsuccessful campaign for governor.

Murphy – much like President Barack Obama, as a matter of fact – takes nominal responsibility for losing the election but then offers up excuses implying that he shouldn't really be held accountable.
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A poorly run campaign with lots of money. Murphy is good at running those into the ground as he did with Arnold's special election

On paper, the numbers tell you the Democrats held on to a majority in the Senate last week.

In reality, things won't be quite that neat. In fact, on some issues the Republicans actually may have a functional majority, given the sentiments likely to prevail among certain Democrats who face the voters in two years.
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Nope, neither the GOP nor Democrats will be able to exert total control because of the filibuster. But, there will have to be compromise which never happened the past two years.

[Edit – This post was originally from Jan 19th, 2010. I've updated it with information about the "Mystery Missile" contrail of Nov 8, 2010, at the bottom of this post. Clearly it's the same thing]

[Edit again – I've mirrored this here as apparently my contrailscience.com server is crashing, sorry]

An interesting contrail cropped up off the coast of San Clemente, Orange County, California on December 31st 2009. The curious shape led some people to think it’s a missile launch, which it does kind of look like (all taken from San Clemente)
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Pretty much explains the mystery missile launch off the California coast last night

Someone semingly launched a mysterious missile 35 miles off of the California coast last night — just west of Los Angeles and north of Catalina Island. But anyone in the military knows who did it, or what the hell the thing was, they haven’t told me yet.

“We’ve checked and confirmed — this is not associated with any Navy operations,” says sea service spokesman Lt. Myers Vasquez. Who knows, the thing might only look like a missile – but turn out to be something else.

“Several different offices are looking into it,” says Anthony Roake, a spokesman for Air Force Space Command. “I’m reaching blanks with the folks I’ve talked to.” U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Global Strike Command, the and Missile Defense Agency sources are similarly stumped.
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Not a missile but probably an airplanc