Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

These are my links for August 2nd through August 4th:

• Sarah Palin Hacker Moves to Halfway House – The man convicted of hacking Sarah Palin's e-mail account was released from federal prison and is now spending time in a halfway house.

  David Kernell left a fenceless minimum-security federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky, where inmates are put to work on landscaping and building maintenance for between $0.12 and $0.40 per hour for the halfway house, according to a Tennessee television station.

  Kernell was convicted last year of breaking into to Palin's Yahoo e-mail account during the 2008 presidential election. He outsmarted Yahoo's password reset system by correctly answering questions using information about Palin that was easily available on the Internet — a technique that criminals continue to use to break into those accounts. Apparently it took Kernell minutes to look up her birth date, Zip code and where she met her husband Todd (Wasilla High School).

  When they don't make any money from the crime, it's unusual for first-time hackers with no criminal records to get a prison sentence, but Kernell's case wasn't exactly typical. Palin and her eldest daughter Bristol testified during the trial, and prosecutors argued that a stiff sentence would deter further hacking during presidential elections.

  Kernell is now in the custody of the Nashville Community Corrections Office, and is set to finish his sentence on Nov. 23, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

• Don’t Hollow Out the Military – The fiscal profligacy of President Obama and his allies on Capitol Hill may tempt Republicans in Congress to agree to deep — and, in General Dempsey’s words, “high risk” — defense cuts today in exchange for long-term reductions in entitlements down the road. This would be a mirage.

  America’s defense is too important to become a political football in the budget battles. Rather, any cuts in defense spending should be the result of a careful, dispassionate assessment of the risks we and our allies face. A global risk assessment should inform a defense strategy that adequately manages those risks, and such a strategy should lead to a budget that can keep America safe.

  Making portentous decisions on any other basis risks gravely weakening our defenses and demonstrating to foes and friends alike a lack of resolve that ensures we will face more of the former with fewer of the latter. As history has repeatedly shown, such weakness only serves to invite aggression. The mortal threats that result would certainly prove far costlier than the defenses that would have prevented them.

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• Lemonade Crackdown – By Iain Murray – In the past couple of months, police have put children’s lemonade stands out of business in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. (There’s a great map, with links to the news stories, here.)

  The kids have been taught a lesson, but it’s one we should learn, too: You can’t be an entrepreneur in modern-day America without bureaucrats giving you permission in the first place.

  The costs of regulation today amount to $10,000 per employee per year for small businesses in the U.S. That’s why the advert where a little girl borrows her father’s phone to help run her lemonade stand and ends up running a multinational just can’t happen. The bureaucrats just wouldn’t let her do it without jumping through the costly bureaucratic hoops first.

  That’s why businesses aren’t hiring. That’s why unemployment is still at 10 percent (except around the bureaucrats’ nirvana of Washington, D.C., where it’s 4 percent). That’s why the president’s revenues have dried up.

  If we want to get America back to work, we need to lighten up on the lemonade stands, lighten up on small businesses, and stop the bureaucrats destroying free enterprise.

• The Government War On Kid-Run Concession Stands – August 1, 2011 – Police officers in Coralville, Iowa, ordered at least three different sets of children to quit selling lemonade during the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa unless they first got a vendor’s permit and a health inspection. This is the first known example of a coordinated set of shutdowns at a single time.
  July 19, 2011 – McAllen, Texas shuts down girls’ lemonade stand for failure to obtain food permit, may assess grandmother $50 fine.
  July 17, 2011 – Police in Appleton, Wisconsin inform children that despite legally selling lemonade and cookies in their front yard during an annual city festival for the past six or seven years, a new city ordinance bans these sales in order to protect licensed vendors from competition.
  July 15, 2011 – Cops in Midway, Georgia shut down a lemonade stand some kids were running in their own front yard, saying the kids had to obtain a peddler’s license, a food license, and pay $50 per day for a temporary business permit.
  June 16, 2011 – County Inspector in Maryland closes kids’ lemonade stand, fines parents $500.

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• Northern California mother faces murder charge over Meth breast milk – Prosecutors in Northern California have upgraded charges against a woman accused of feeding her son methamphetamine-laced breast milk to murder, rather than manslaughter.
  Six-week-old Michael Acosta III was taken to the hospital after he stopped breathing last November and was pronounced dead. Investigators determined his mother, Maggie Jean Wortman, had breastfed the child while she had drugs in her system.
  After a preliminary hearing last month, a judge ordered Wortman to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.
  Humboldt County prosecutors say evidence introduced during that hearing led to the upgraded charges this week. Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin told the Times-Standard of Eureka (http://bit.ly/r746ea ) that Wortman's recklessness warranted the murder charge.
  Defense attorney M.C. Bruce says the facts don't support that. He plans to seek to have the charge reduced.
• President 2012: Does Jon Huntsman Have No Choice But to Dump John Weaver? | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Does Jon Huntsman Have No Choice But to Dump John Weaver? #tcot #catcot
• President 2012 Florida Poll Watch: Obama 44% Vs. Romney 44% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012 Florida Poll Watch: Obama 44% Vs. Romney 44% #tcot #catcot
• President 2012: Mitt Romney Signs National Organization of Marriage Pledge | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Mitt Romney Signs National Organization of Marriage Pledge #tcot #catcot
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: August 4, 2011 – The Morning Drill: August 4, 2011
• Study: Healthy eating means spending more at store – Yahoo! News – Study: Healthy eating means spending more at store – Yahoo! News:

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• President 2012 Poll Watch: GOP Insiders Like Romney and Perry | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012 Poll Watch: GOP Insiders Like Romney and Perry #tcot #catcot
• Poll Watch: U.S. Unemployment Rate Unchanged in July – 8.8% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Poll Watch: U.S. Unemployment Rate Unchanged in July – 8.8% #tcot #catcot
• President 2012: Turmoil in the Jon Huntsman Campaign Focuses on John Weaver | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Turmoil in the Jon Huntsman Campaign Focuses on John Weaver #tcot #catcot
• Day By Day August 4, 2011 – On the House | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day August 4, 2011 – On the House #tcot #catcot
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-08-04 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-08-04 #tcot #catcot
• Obama: Still the Alinskyite – By Stanley Kurtz – The Corner – National Review Online – Obama: Still the Alinskyite – By Stanley Kurtz – The Corner – National Review Online
• Obama: Still the Alinskyite – By Stanley Kurtz – The Corner – National Review Online – Obama: Still the Alinskyite – By Stanley Kurtz – The Corner – National Review Online
• California Redistricting Via an Interactive Map: See Your New Legislative and Congressional Districts | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – California Redistricting Via an Interactive Map: See Your New Legislative and Congressional Districts #tcot #catcot
• Obama: Still the Alinskyite – By Stanley Kurtz – The Corner – National Review Online – Obama: Still the Alinskyite
• Six GOP senators want deficit committee to meet in public – Six Republican senators on Wednesday called on Senate leaders to ensure that a new congressional deficit-reduction committee meets in public and before television cameras.

  The 12-member super committee, comprised of an equal number of Democratic and Republican lawmakers, was created by the debt-limit legislation signed into law Tuesday, and is responsible for identifying $1.2 trillion in spending cuts by Thanksgiving. But the law doesn’t require the committee’s meetings to be open to the public.

  In their letter, Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), John Boozman (Ark.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Ron Johnson (Wisc.), Mike Lee (Utah), and David Vitter (La.) urged Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to make sure members of the public receive advanced notice of meetings, are able to attend them and can watch live broadcasts.

  Reid, McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will each appoint three members to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction.

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• Obama: Still the Alinskyite – Obama is a bad negotiator because Alinskyite’s don’t negotiate, they intentionally polarize. As for their own groups, here they try to placate all factions and hide their own goals. That about describes Obama’s performance on the debt deal, which included a dollop of both of these stances.

  I’ve laid it all out in Radical-in-Chief, from standard Alinskyite operating procedure, to Obama’s own use of it in Chicago, to the contradictions inherent in the attempt to apply these lessons to the presidency. As far as I can tell, Obama is still moving according to this Alinskyite template. In his own words, it was his true political education. It’s still the key to what he’s up to.

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• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: U.S. Department of Agriculture Recalls 36 Million Pounds of Cargill Ground Turkey Due to Salmonella Outbreak Link – U.S. Department of Agriculture Recalls 36 Million Pounds of Cargill Ground Turkey Due to Salmonella Outbreak Link
• Dilbert August 3, 2011 – Grandpa Box | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Dilbert August 3, 2011 – Grandpa Box #tcot #catcot
• Democrats Turn to Federal Internet Sales Tax Legislation for New Revenues After Debt Limit Battle | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Democrats Turn to Federal Internet Sales Tax Legislation for New Revenues After Debt Limit Battle #tcot #catcot
• Shocker: California Group Warning About Identity Theft and Signing Initiative or Referendum Petitions Files as a Campaign Committee | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Shocker: California Group Warning About Identity Theft and Signing Initiative or Referendum Petiti… #tcot #catcot
• President 2012: Will Rick Perry Flop Against Obama in the General Election? | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Will Rick Perry Flop Against Obama in the General Election? #tcot #catcot
• Unemployment rose in nearly all US cities – FoxNews.com – Unemployment rose in more than 90 percent of U.S. cities in June #tcot
• President 2012 Nevada Poll Watch: Obama 47% Vs. Romney 46% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012 Nevada Poll Watch: Obama 47% Vs. Romney 46% #tcot #catcot
• Day By Day August 3, 2011 – Boner Up | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day August 3, 2011 – Boner Up #tcot #catcot
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Patient Claims Dentist Burned Her while Watching Soap Opera on Treatment Room Television – Patient Claims Dentist Burned Her while Watching Soap Opera on Treatment Room Television
• President 2012: Obama Heads Off to Chicago Birthday-Themed Fundraiser While Approaching Jimmy Carter Territory | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Obama Heads Off to Chicago Birthday-Themed Fundraiser While Approaching Jimmy Cart… #tcot #catcot
• Senate Democrats Continue the Federal Aviation Administration Shutdown | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Senate Democrats Continue the Federal Aviation Administration Shutdown #tcot #catcot
• Flap’s California Morning Collection: August 3, 2011 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s California Morning Collection: August 3, 2011 #tcot #catcot
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: August 3, 2011 – The Morning Drill: August 3, 2011
• Video: MoveOn.Org and Ventura County Democrats Protest Rep Elton Gallegly Over Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Deal | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Video MoveOn.Org and Ventura County Democrats Protest Rep Elton Gallegly Over Bipartisan Debt Ceil… #tcot #catcot
• President 2012 Video: Sarah Palin Rips Mitt Romney Over Finger in the Wind Position on Debt Limit Deal | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012 Video: Sarah Palin Rips Mitt Romney Over Finger in the Wind Position on Debt Limit Deal #tcot #catcot
• Dilbert August 2, 2011 – Standards? | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Dilbert August 2, 2011 – Standards? #tcot #catcot
• Day By Day August 2, 2011 – Remember | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day August 2, 2011 – Remember #tcot #catcot
• Flap’s Links and Comments for August 1st through August 2nd | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links and Comments for August 1st through August 2nd #tcot #catcot
• To Hell with You People – By Jonah Goldberg – The Corner – National Review Online – To Hell with You People – By Jonah Goldberg – The Corner – National Review Online
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Daily Extraction: August 2, 2011 – The Daily Extraction: August 2, 2011
• Former California Dentist Tony Protopappas Who Killed Three Patients Is Paroled | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Former California Dentist Tony Protopappas Who Killed Three Patients Is Paroled
• To Hell with You People – By Jonah Goldberg – The Corner – National Review Online – Jonah Goldberg : To Hell with You People Re: Giffords and "Civility"

The House and Senate passed a 20th short-term extension of FAA funding in May when the chambers both passed versions of the longer-term bills that were drastically different. The House version included provisions that would undo changes to labor rules that were adopted by the National Mediation Board to make it easier for railroad and airline workers to unionize.

The chambers passed an extension through July 22 when President Obama issued a veto threat of the larger bill.

But as July 22 approached, House leaders added a provision to what would have been a 21st extension that cut subsidies for rural flight service to airports in Nevada, West Virginia and Montana. Noting the airports were in the districts of the Senate Majority Leader Reid, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Democrats accused Republicans of retaliating politically for the Senate’s objection to the labor provision.

The partial shutdown of the FAA, which last thirteen days, was estimated to have cost the federal government $30 million per day because the agency was not authorized to collect taxes that would normally be paid on airline ticket sales.

Transportation observers estimate the shutdown has also placed about 70,000 construction workers out of work because about 200 airport construction projects have been placed on hold.

How about ever?

“It’s been a long, tough journey. But we have made some incredible strides together. Yes, we have. But the thing that we all ought to remember is that as much as good as we have done, precisely because the challenges were so daunting, precisely because we we were inheriting so many challenges, that we’re not even halfway there yet. When I said ‘change we can believe in’ I didn’t say ‘change we can believe in tomorrow.’ Not change we can believe in next week. We knew this was going to take time because we’ve got this big, messy, tough democracy,”

Unbelievable and Obama continues to blame President Bush.

Good luck with that re-election effort and is there any wonder why he is way down in the polls?

Electoral College vote map of Larry Sabato

According to the latest Quinnipiac Poll.

 President Barack Obama is losing support among Florida voters, especially among independents, a poll released Thursday shows.

Fifty percent of voters surveyed randomly by landline telephone between July 27-Aug. 2 by Quinnipiac (Conn.) University said Obama would not deserve a second term in the election were held today. However, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was the only announced Republican candidate with enough support in the poll to give the president a strong challenge. Both men were favored by 44 percent of those questioned.

In a matchup against Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is expected to get into the race for the GOP presidential nomination, Obama was favored 44 percent to 39 percent.

Florida with 29 Electoral College votes is one of the key battleground states that the GOP must win in order to deny President Obama re-election. So far, so good for Republicans Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. The President against both men is below the magic 50 per cent mark.

Remember Obama beat John McCain in Florida by three points in the 2008 Presidential race and without Florida’s EC votes, Obama has a reduced path to re-election. 270 votes are needed to win.

The president’s popularity dipped slightly in Quinnipiac’s survey of 743 voters after the long, acrimonious battle on the debt ceiling. His negative rating increased from 50 percent to 51 percent despite most respondents, 36 percent, saying he acted in their best interests during the lengthy debate compared to 32 percent for Republican House Speaker John Boehner and 12 percent for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Overall, 42 percent said the president deserves re-election.

Obama’s job approval rating in Florida was 44 percent compared to 51 percent who disapproved, a drop from a 51-43 favorable rating he enjoyed in a May survey by Quinnipiac shortly after U.S. Navy SEALs killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.