Chicago Saturday AM, September 21, 2008
New York Times letters 349 words
Gentlepeople:
The Saturday, September 20 New York Times article "Meanwhile, the Other No. 2 Keeps On Punching" is a well written, interesting take on an interesting guy. Describing Joe Biden as "a distinctive blend of pit bull and odd duck" and "part of the national political furniture for decades" is delicious.
But what seems strange is all but non-existent mention of why Joe Biden got this position. Buried deep in the article is the statement that Biden lends "foreign policy heft to Senator Barack Obama" and a guy whose foreign policy experience is limited to four crucial pre-teen years slogging through the mud of Indonesia sure needs that.
But a careful read of Biden's official biography at Congress.gov might explain the dearth. It mentions only six things Biden has actually done in his government career:
--- represented the state of DE in the US Senate since 1972
... wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act
... authored the Rail Security Act of 2007
... authored a Senate resolution endorsing air war in Kosovo
... Authored and passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
and the 2007 Biden Crime Bill
Beyond those six measurable accomplishments, every thing else is qualified with words like "His leadership", "is recognized as", "is one of the nation's most influential voices on", “is credited with” or "has earned a rep for".
This is pretty thin stuff. Wouldn't you think that if he actually had made some real marks in foreign relations, they would be mentioned in an official on-line biography?
To Senator Biden’s credit, of the 900 words in that official biography, 214 are about foreign policy, but not too far behind are 176 words about his state, and then 168 on his personal life (and to keep readers‘ minds from wandering, 27 of those 900 words are ‘Biden‘, 22 of those immediately preceeded by ‘Senator‘.)
To the biographer's credit, it ends up on some high notes: Biden "serves as a good example for everyone in Congress", "is a good listener" and "has a very broad, comprehensive view of the world."
Arnold H Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Letter to, and response from, WSJ
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:22 DT
Subject: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
A paragraph titled 'Thailand' in your fine Thursday, August 21 article "When [Olympic] Gold Turns Green" refers to a Thai weight lifter: "The 24-year-old is the countries lone gold of these Games."
"Countries"? Say it ain't so, WSJ. Since it's the possessive of "country" not a number of "countries", it should be "country's", not "countries".
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:57 From: "Martin-Sr, Paul" To: ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Mr. Nelson:
Thank you for your note about the misuse of “countries” for “country’s” in the Journal article.
We appreciate readers like you who hold us to high standards -- especially when their notes are as gracious as yours.
Sincerely, Paul Martin WSJ stylebook editor
Subject: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
A paragraph titled 'Thailand' in your fine Thursday, August 21 article "When [Olympic] Gold Turns Green" refers to a Thai weight lifter: "The 24-year-old is the countries lone gold of these Games."
"Countries"? Say it ain't so, WSJ. Since it's the possessive of "country" not a number of "countries", it should be "country's", not "countries".
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:57 From: "Martin-Sr, Paul" To: ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Mr. Nelson:
Thank you for your note about the misuse of “countries” for “country’s” in the Journal article.
We appreciate readers like you who hold us to high standards -- especially when their notes are as gracious as yours.
Sincerely, Paul Martin WSJ stylebook editor
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Letter to WSJ on "unsubstantiated charges and smears"
Chicago, Wednesday PM, August 20, 2008
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
In the Wednesday, August 20 Notable and Quotable, Peter Wehner, writing about Jerome Corsi's Obama biography, says "it's wrong to throw out unsubstantiated charges and smears against Senator Obama."
This WSJ feature is limited in length. This one is 160 words, but a recent one is 280 words. Wouldn't 120 additional words be plenty for Mr. Wehner to give just one example of an actual "unsubstantiated charge" or "smear". I haven't read Mr. Corsi's book, but I understand it is heavily sourced. It should be easy for Mr. Wehner to demonstrate such a sweeping statement, for the sake of his own credibility.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
In the Wednesday, August 20 Notable and Quotable, Peter Wehner, writing about Jerome Corsi's Obama biography, says "it's wrong to throw out unsubstantiated charges and smears against Senator Obama."
This WSJ feature is limited in length. This one is 160 words, but a recent one is 280 words. Wouldn't 120 additional words be plenty for Mr. Wehner to give just one example of an actual "unsubstantiated charge" or "smear". I haven't read Mr. Corsi's book, but I understand it is heavily sourced. It should be easy for Mr. Wehner to demonstrate such a sweeping statement, for the sake of his own credibility.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
Why & how to eliminate income tax withholding 528 words
Chicago Saturday evening 20 September 2008
Wall Street Journal letters
Gentlepeople:
A letter in the Thursday, September 18 WSJ "'We the People' in Paying and spending taxes" makes an excellent point on how the decrease in the number of people actually paying federal income taxes has a significant downside. But that downside is even more dangerous than even the writer says.
Ninety per cent of voters are wage earners, but thanks to the Current Tax Payment Act of 1943, 90% of wage earners don't pay any income taxes. They get statements that say they did, but the actual check that goes to DC is written on an employer bank account.
Employers are certainly not happy with this situation, but don't have the votes to fix it. But they really don't need to since they can pass on this expense to consumers, effectively sucking the largest single contribution to federal income from the soft underbelly of a continuously expanding national economy. In 230 years, we have gone from rebelling against 'taxation without representation' to meekly accepting 'representation w/o taxation.'
So voters could care less about the government bailing out any number of careless lending institutions and underfunded real estate borrowers, as long as they continue get their entitlements (and how they line up for those entitlements!)
This problem could be fixed with a simple change to paragraph 3402 of United States Code Title 26 — 'Internal Revenue Code' Subtitle C 'Employment taxes' Chapter 24 'Collection Of Income Tax At Source On Wages (a) Requirement of withholding (1) In general...'
From: "Except as otherwise provided in this section, every employer making payment of wages shall deduct and withhold upon such wages a tax...."
To: "Regardless of what is provided in this section or anywhere else in US law, every employer making payment of wages shall pay all of those wages to the employee...."
The rest of the paragraph stays the same: employers calculate the tax, and inform both the wage earner and the feds.
Would this be inefficient? Sure, for an insatiable federal government, but educational for wage earner/voters, especially once they start writing checks on their own bank accounts to the feds every month for 20% of their last paycheck. This would result in direct responsibility for 80% of federal income being given back to those who are supposed to have it in the first place: US voters.
Like the 'Fair Tax', this could not be done overnite (neither could the FT, but don't tell its supporters that.)
So have a monthly drawing of a single letter from the 26: Every wage earner who's last name begins w/ that letter gets converted that month from having income taxes withheld to sending in their own check ( a real pay-as-you-go collection system.)
This would be a good application of the frog in the slowly heating water: After 26 months, every wage earner would actually be paying his/her really fair share. And they would be very unhappy with that.
The 26-month conversion period would conveniently include reelection of all 435 house members, and 1/3 of Senators. I think the results of that election would reflect the wage earners' unhappiness with finally feeling what it's like to actually pay income taxes.
Arnold H Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive B-8 Chicago IL 60640
Wall Street Journal letters
Gentlepeople:
A letter in the Thursday, September 18 WSJ "'We the People' in Paying and spending taxes" makes an excellent point on how the decrease in the number of people actually paying federal income taxes has a significant downside. But that downside is even more dangerous than even the writer says.
Ninety per cent of voters are wage earners, but thanks to the Current Tax Payment Act of 1943, 90% of wage earners don't pay any income taxes. They get statements that say they did, but the actual check that goes to DC is written on an employer bank account.
Employers are certainly not happy with this situation, but don't have the votes to fix it. But they really don't need to since they can pass on this expense to consumers, effectively sucking the largest single contribution to federal income from the soft underbelly of a continuously expanding national economy. In 230 years, we have gone from rebelling against 'taxation without representation' to meekly accepting 'representation w/o taxation.'
So voters could care less about the government bailing out any number of careless lending institutions and underfunded real estate borrowers, as long as they continue get their entitlements (and how they line up for those entitlements!)
This problem could be fixed with a simple change to paragraph 3402 of United States Code Title 26 — 'Internal Revenue Code' Subtitle C 'Employment taxes' Chapter 24 'Collection Of Income Tax At Source On Wages (a) Requirement of withholding (1) In general...'
From: "Except as otherwise provided in this section, every employer making payment of wages shall deduct and withhold upon such wages a tax...."
To: "Regardless of what is provided in this section or anywhere else in US law, every employer making payment of wages shall pay all of those wages to the employee...."
The rest of the paragraph stays the same: employers calculate the tax, and inform both the wage earner and the feds.
Would this be inefficient? Sure, for an insatiable federal government, but educational for wage earner/voters, especially once they start writing checks on their own bank accounts to the feds every month for 20% of their last paycheck. This would result in direct responsibility for 80% of federal income being given back to those who are supposed to have it in the first place: US voters.
Like the 'Fair Tax', this could not be done overnite (neither could the FT, but don't tell its supporters that.)
So have a monthly drawing of a single letter from the 26: Every wage earner who's last name begins w/ that letter gets converted that month from having income taxes withheld to sending in their own check ( a real pay-as-you-go collection system.)
This would be a good application of the frog in the slowly heating water: After 26 months, every wage earner would actually be paying his/her really fair share. And they would be very unhappy with that.
The 26-month conversion period would conveniently include reelection of all 435 house members, and 1/3 of Senators. I think the results of that election would reflect the wage earners' unhappiness with finally feeling what it's like to actually pay income taxes.
Arnold H Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive B-8 Chicago IL 60640
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Chicago Trib scare note on 'global warming'...
...debunked my me
chicagotribune.com Washington, D.C.
Arctic ice melt nears recordWednesday, September 17, 2008
"Arctic sea ice this summer shrank to its second lowest level on record, scientists said Tuesday.
"The ice covered 1.74 million square miles Friday, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. Last summer, the ice covered 1.59 million square miles, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1979.
"Arctic sea ice, which floats on the ocean, expands in winter and retreats in summer."
My explanation [never printed]:
A Wednesday, September 17 Chicago Tribune news clip starts "Arctic sea ice this summer shrank to its second lowest level on record..," then 38 words later adds "...record-keeping began in 1979."
Folks, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and you are concerned with the possibility of a record... for the last 29 years?
Simple arithmetic shows the last 29 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 8 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. So maybe there wasn't any Arctic sea at all when the earth started? Then move it up by a factor of 1,000 to where the earth was 4.5 million years old, 29 years is equivalent to the last 2 hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds of a 40 year life time. Either way, pretty skimpy numbers to start talking about a "record."
chicagotribune.com Washington, D.C.
Arctic ice melt nears recordWednesday, September 17, 2008
"Arctic sea ice this summer shrank to its second lowest level on record, scientists said Tuesday.
"The ice covered 1.74 million square miles Friday, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. Last summer, the ice covered 1.59 million square miles, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1979.
"Arctic sea ice, which floats on the ocean, expands in winter and retreats in summer."
My explanation [never printed]:
A Wednesday, September 17 Chicago Tribune news clip starts "Arctic sea ice this summer shrank to its second lowest level on record..," then 38 words later adds "...record-keeping began in 1979."
Folks, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and you are concerned with the possibility of a record... for the last 29 years?
Simple arithmetic shows the last 29 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 8 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. So maybe there wasn't any Arctic sea at all when the earth started? Then move it up by a factor of 1,000 to where the earth was 4.5 million years old, 29 years is equivalent to the last 2 hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds of a 40 year life time. Either way, pretty skimpy numbers to start talking about a "record."
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Letter to Chicago Sun-Times on Roger Simon Obama oped
Chicago Sun-Times Tuesday, Sept 16, 2008 5:58 AM
Roger Simon 'change' column
Gentlepeople:
Roger Simon, in the 3rd paragraph of his Monday September 15, 2008 column "They all speak of 'change'..." says "More than 80 percent of Americans tell pollsters the country is on the wrong track...."
Rather than the catchall "pollsters", Simon could add to his credibility by quoting a single, well known, respected pollster, so that figure could be independently verified by readers. They see "pollsters" quoted everyday, most working for the mainstream media, so obviously, most hate the President, for the irredeemable sin of being George W. Bush and president simultaneously. What would you expect them to report?
Simon continues: "Change is the byword... of both the Democratic and Republican campaigns for president.... Barack Obama made it the cornerstone of his campaign in the primaries...."
Wow! Did he ever. And no one says 'change' better and more meaningfully, than Obama... when he's reading it off a teleprompter. Any other time it's all but completely lost in a sea of "ums", "unhs", "ya' knows", and the general confusion of his extemporaneous speech.
More Simon: "Sarah Palin used 'change'... but she did a neat little riff on it... to bash Obama.... 'In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers,' she said, 'and then there are those... who use their careers to promote change.'"
Yes, Sarah Palin, 21 month governor of that little state way out there, the one Obama all of a sudden thinks he's running against. Has anyone heard her stutter, or say "um" or "unh"? Teleprompter? She was reading from one when she responded to McCain's naming her his VP pick, but it got unhinged - did anyone notice a change in her delivery? Had the same thing happened to Obama, he would have melted to a puddle of water on the spot.
Simon: "Obama is now a little miffed at how the Republicans are using what he considers his theme: 'They had been running on experience.... We've been talking about ... change ... for 19 months.... now John McCain is saying, 'I'm for change, too.'"
Maybe McCain was embarrassed comparing his 22 years in Congress and 5 years in a brutal enemy prison camp to four crucial pre-teen years slogging through the mud of Indonesia and 8 years in the Illinois state senate, a job offering no more experience than that of a Chicago Bears 3rd string jock strap attendant, with none of the responsibility?
But Roger Simon knows a good thing when he sees it, closing the column with: "But maybe it will be different this time. For a change."
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago 773-677-3010
Roger Simon 'change' column
Gentlepeople:
Roger Simon, in the 3rd paragraph of his Monday September 15, 2008 column "They all speak of 'change'..." says "More than 80 percent of Americans tell pollsters the country is on the wrong track...."
Rather than the catchall "pollsters", Simon could add to his credibility by quoting a single, well known, respected pollster, so that figure could be independently verified by readers. They see "pollsters" quoted everyday, most working for the mainstream media, so obviously, most hate the President, for the irredeemable sin of being George W. Bush and president simultaneously. What would you expect them to report?
Simon continues: "Change is the byword... of both the Democratic and Republican campaigns for president.... Barack Obama made it the cornerstone of his campaign in the primaries...."
Wow! Did he ever. And no one says 'change' better and more meaningfully, than Obama... when he's reading it off a teleprompter. Any other time it's all but completely lost in a sea of "ums", "unhs", "ya' knows", and the general confusion of his extemporaneous speech.
More Simon: "Sarah Palin used 'change'... but she did a neat little riff on it... to bash Obama.... 'In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers,' she said, 'and then there are those... who use their careers to promote change.'"
Yes, Sarah Palin, 21 month governor of that little state way out there, the one Obama all of a sudden thinks he's running against. Has anyone heard her stutter, or say "um" or "unh"? Teleprompter? She was reading from one when she responded to McCain's naming her his VP pick, but it got unhinged - did anyone notice a change in her delivery? Had the same thing happened to Obama, he would have melted to a puddle of water on the spot.
Simon: "Obama is now a little miffed at how the Republicans are using what he considers his theme: 'They had been running on experience.... We've been talking about ... change ... for 19 months.... now John McCain is saying, 'I'm for change, too.'"
Maybe McCain was embarrassed comparing his 22 years in Congress and 5 years in a brutal enemy prison camp to four crucial pre-teen years slogging through the mud of Indonesia and 8 years in the Illinois state senate, a job offering no more experience than that of a Chicago Bears 3rd string jock strap attendant, with none of the responsibility?
But Roger Simon knows a good thing when he sees it, closing the column with: "But maybe it will be different this time. For a change."
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago 773-677-3010
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Letter to Chicago Tribune on Sarah Palin
Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:36 PM
Chicago Tribune Voice of the People
Gentlepeople
In her Monday, September 8, 2008 OpEd Katha Pollitt says John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a "blatant pander for the women's vote."
What a wonder someone still uses the cliched phrase "pander for the women's vote" after eight years of non-stop women's vote pandering by an up-to-now prominent Democrat woman.
Then Pollitt says "After a stint as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of fewer than 8,500, and barely two years as governor of a state with more grizzly bears than people.... She makes Barack Obama's résumé look as thick as Winston Churchill's.
Ms. Pollitt, how long is a stint? Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla for six years, and worked up to that job with four years on the City Council. And why do you use the fuzzy guess of Wasilla having "fewer" that 8,500 population. You're too busy to take two minutes to look on page 605 of the 2008 World Almanac and see the town's 2006 population as 9,236?
You ignore Palin's two years between mayor and governor as chairman of somthing called the "Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission" which must be important in the state that supplies 15% of our oil.
You say Palin is "governor of a state with more grizzly bears than people." The world Almanac comes thru again showing an Alaska population of 670,000 humans, but an easy computer search finds that there are about 60,000 wild grizzly bears in all of North America, with 35,000-45,000 in Alaska. Why would you make such and outlandish, easily checked claim?
And that resume that looks as thick as Winston Churchill's? Well, there is all that international experience from four crucial pre-teen years slogging through the mud of Indonesia. And then there's two pages thick of 8 years in the Illinois state senate, a job requiring less skill than a third string Chicago Bears jock strap attendant, but without the responsibility. And then of course, the years spent as a junior precinct captain, I mean Community activist. And Obama's vast writing output: two autobiographys, that piker Churchill wrote only one.
With all this attention on the Republican VP pick, how about that Democrat pick, what's his name, the one with all that "in-depth international knowledge" from 30 years in the US Senate, and all he has to show for it is a lousy t-shirt covered with plagiarized statements of a British Socialist?
The US newspaper industry is having a hard time what with the internet and all, but the Chicago Tribune seems to be more than holding its own, in spite of printing drivel like Katha Pollett.
Arnold H Nelson
5056 North Marine DriveChicago 60640
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Chicago Tribune Voice of the People
Gentlepeople
In her Monday, September 8, 2008 OpEd Katha Pollitt says John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a "blatant pander for the women's vote."
What a wonder someone still uses the cliched phrase "pander for the women's vote" after eight years of non-stop women's vote pandering by an up-to-now prominent Democrat woman.
Then Pollitt says "After a stint as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of fewer than 8,500, and barely two years as governor of a state with more grizzly bears than people.... She makes Barack Obama's résumé look as thick as Winston Churchill's.
Ms. Pollitt, how long is a stint? Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla for six years, and worked up to that job with four years on the City Council. And why do you use the fuzzy guess of Wasilla having "fewer" that 8,500 population. You're too busy to take two minutes to look on page 605 of the 2008 World Almanac and see the town's 2006 population as 9,236?
You ignore Palin's two years between mayor and governor as chairman of somthing called the "Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission" which must be important in the state that supplies 15% of our oil.
You say Palin is "governor of a state with more grizzly bears than people." The world Almanac comes thru again showing an Alaska population of 670,000 humans, but an easy computer search finds that there are about 60,000 wild grizzly bears in all of North America, with 35,000-45,000 in Alaska. Why would you make such and outlandish, easily checked claim?
And that resume that looks as thick as Winston Churchill's? Well, there is all that international experience from four crucial pre-teen years slogging through the mud of Indonesia. And then there's two pages thick of 8 years in the Illinois state senate, a job requiring less skill than a third string Chicago Bears jock strap attendant, but without the responsibility. And then of course, the years spent as a junior precinct captain, I mean Community activist. And Obama's vast writing output: two autobiographys, that piker Churchill wrote only one.
With all this attention on the Republican VP pick, how about that Democrat pick, what's his name, the one with all that "in-depth international knowledge" from 30 years in the US Senate, and all he has to show for it is a lousy t-shirt covered with plagiarized statements of a British Socialist?
The US newspaper industry is having a hard time what with the internet and all, but the Chicago Tribune seems to be more than holding its own, in spite of printing drivel like Katha Pollett.
Arnold H Nelson
5056 North Marine DriveChicago 60640
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Letter to Financial Times on Sarah Palin
Chicago, Illinois USA
Wednesday PM, September 10, 2008
Editors, UK Financial Times
Gentlepeople:
In his Wednesday, September 10 FT OpEd James Carville says Sarah Palin's "experience includes a mixed mayoral record in Wasilla, a town with a population of 7,000, and a half-term gubernatorial record in a state with the population of Memphis." The 2008 World Almanac says Wasilla had 9,236 people in 2006. The same reference does indeed show Memphis, at the 2006 estimated population of 670,902 leading Alaska, 670,053, by a whopping 849 people. Could Carville have deliberately chosen Memphis as the landmark because it is the smallest of the nation's 100 largest cities to still be larger than Alaska?
If so, had he studied these two entities a little more, he would have found: Using 1990, 2000 and estimated 2006 census figures, Alaska population increased 20 people per day, Memphis increased for the same period 10 people per day. Extrapolating from the 2000/2006 Almanac figures, Alaska would have caught up with Memphis on August 27, 2006, and by the time by Palin was nominated on August 29, 2008, would have led Memphis by 7200 people. With that half hour of additional study, Carville would not appear quite so foolish.
Carville mentions 5 actual or theoretical Democrat candidates ("Insert name of Democrat", "Democratic candidates", "a reform-oriented state senator from a Midwestern state" and "Tim Kaine, Virginia governor",) but strangely, not a single mention of either of the Democrat candidates. Not a mention of The Dem VP candidate’s 30 years of Senate presence on the foreign relations committee, the high point of which was his plagiarizing of a British left wing politician. And how about The Dem presidential candidate's experience "outside of North America": Four crucial pre-teen years of slogging thru the mud of Indonesia. Beyond that the high point is eight years in the Illinois State Senate, equal in experience to that of a third string Chicago Bears jock strap attendant, but none of the responsibility.
This guy is the most inexperienced, unprepared, candidate for either President or Vice president in history. He cannot say a coherent complete sentence not presented to him on a teleprompter. Since her nomination 10 days ago, Sarah Palin has been speaking publicly non-stop. Has anyone heard her say "um" or "unh" - she didn't even stutter when the teleprompter operator goofed. After ten days of being accused of everything short of running a male prostitution ring out of her governor's office or molesting a House page (with nothing proved), she keeps getting stronger. On the other hand, Biden is a disaster waiting to happen. The way things are going they will replace him before the election, as a drowning man would grasp at a razor blade.
Carville closes: "If the Republicans wanted a vice-president who favours teaching creationism in public schools, who denies the science of global warming...." James, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, the thermometer was invented 500 years ago. A little simple arithmetic shows that the last 500 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 100 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. Yet the 'science' of global warming is making all sorts of predictions based on the earth 'warming'? Global warming has no more business being taught in schools than creationism.
Arnold H. Nelson
5056 North Marine DriveChicago, IL USA
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Wednesday PM, September 10, 2008
Editors, UK Financial Times
Gentlepeople:
In his Wednesday, September 10 FT OpEd James Carville says Sarah Palin's "experience includes a mixed mayoral record in Wasilla, a town with a population of 7,000, and a half-term gubernatorial record in a state with the population of Memphis." The 2008 World Almanac says Wasilla had 9,236 people in 2006. The same reference does indeed show Memphis, at the 2006 estimated population of 670,902 leading Alaska, 670,053, by a whopping 849 people. Could Carville have deliberately chosen Memphis as the landmark because it is the smallest of the nation's 100 largest cities to still be larger than Alaska?
If so, had he studied these two entities a little more, he would have found: Using 1990, 2000 and estimated 2006 census figures, Alaska population increased 20 people per day, Memphis increased for the same period 10 people per day. Extrapolating from the 2000/2006 Almanac figures, Alaska would have caught up with Memphis on August 27, 2006, and by the time by Palin was nominated on August 29, 2008, would have led Memphis by 7200 people. With that half hour of additional study, Carville would not appear quite so foolish.
Carville mentions 5 actual or theoretical Democrat candidates ("Insert name of Democrat", "Democratic candidates", "a reform-oriented state senator from a Midwestern state" and "Tim Kaine, Virginia governor",) but strangely, not a single mention of either of the Democrat candidates. Not a mention of The Dem VP candidate’s 30 years of Senate presence on the foreign relations committee, the high point of which was his plagiarizing of a British left wing politician. And how about The Dem presidential candidate's experience "outside of North America": Four crucial pre-teen years of slogging thru the mud of Indonesia. Beyond that the high point is eight years in the Illinois State Senate, equal in experience to that of a third string Chicago Bears jock strap attendant, but none of the responsibility.
This guy is the most inexperienced, unprepared, candidate for either President or Vice president in history. He cannot say a coherent complete sentence not presented to him on a teleprompter. Since her nomination 10 days ago, Sarah Palin has been speaking publicly non-stop. Has anyone heard her say "um" or "unh" - she didn't even stutter when the teleprompter operator goofed. After ten days of being accused of everything short of running a male prostitution ring out of her governor's office or molesting a House page (with nothing proved), she keeps getting stronger. On the other hand, Biden is a disaster waiting to happen. The way things are going they will replace him before the election, as a drowning man would grasp at a razor blade.
Carville closes: "If the Republicans wanted a vice-president who favours teaching creationism in public schools, who denies the science of global warming...." James, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, the thermometer was invented 500 years ago. A little simple arithmetic shows that the last 500 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 100 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. Yet the 'science' of global warming is making all sorts of predictions based on the earth 'warming'? Global warming has no more business being taught in schools than creationism.
Arnold H. Nelson
5056 North Marine DriveChicago, IL USA
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Letter to UK Financial Times on Sarah Palin, Obama
Chicago, Illinois USA Wednesday PM, September 10, 2008
Editors, UK Financial Times
Gentlepeople:
In his Wednesday, September 10 FT OpEd James Carville says Sarah Palin's "experience includes a mixed mayoral record in Wasilla, a town with a population of 7,000, and a half-term gubernatorial record in a state with the population of Memphis."
The 2008 World Almanac says Wasilla had 9,236 people in 2006. The same reference does indeed show Memphis, at the 2006 estimated population of 670,902 leading Alaska, 670,053, by a whopping 849 people.
Could Carville have deliberately chosen Memphis as the landmark because it is the smallest of the nation's 100 largest cities to still be larger than Alaska? If so, had he studied these two entities a little more, he would have found:
Using 1990 and 2000 census figures, Alaska population increased 21 people per day, Memphis increased for the same period 11 people per day. Using the same 2000 figure, and 2006 estimates in the 2008 almanac, they both increased at slightly lower rates: Alaska, 20 people per day, and Memphis, 9 people per day, showing Alaska has been increasing its population about twice as fast Memphis since 1990.
Extrapolating from the 2000/2006 Almanac figures, Alaska would have caught up with Memphis on August 27, 2006, and by the time Palin was nominated on August 29, 2008, would have led Memphis by 7200 people. With that half hour of additional study, Carville would not appear quite as foolish.
Carville mentions 5 actual or theoretical Democrat candidates ("Insert name of Democrat", "Democratic candidates", "a reform-oriented state senator from a Midwestern state" and "Tim Kaine, Virginia governor",) but strangely, not a single mention of either of the Democrat candidates. Not a mention of The Dem VP candidate’s 30 years of Senate presence on the forign relations committee, the high point of which was his plagiarizing of a British left wing politician.
And how about The Dem presidential candidate's experience "outisde of North America": Four crucial pre-teen years of slogging thru the mud of Indonesia. Beyond that the high point is eight years in the Illinois State Senate, equal in experience to that of a third string Chicago Bears jock strap attendant, but none of the responsibility.
This guy is the most inexperienced, unprepared, candidate for either President or Vice president in history. He cannot say a coherant complete sentence not presented to him on a teleprompter. Since her nomination 10 days ago, Sarah Palin has been speaking publicly non-stop. Has anyone heard her say "um" or "unh" - she didn't even stutter when the teleprompter operator goofed.
After ten days of being accused of everything short of running a male prostitution ring out of her governor's office or molesting a House page (with nothing proved), she keeps getting stronger. On the other hand, Biden is a disaster waiting to happen. The way things are going they will replace him before the election, as a drowning man would grasp at a razor blade.
Carville closes: "If the Republicans wanted a vice-president who favours teaching creationism in public schools, who denies the science of global warming...."
James, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, the theremometer was invented 500 years ago. A little simple arithmetic shows that the last 500 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 100 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. Yet the 'science' of global warming is making all sorts of predictions based on the earth 'warming'? Global warming has no more business being taught in schools than crationism.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago, IL USA
Editors, UK Financial Times
Gentlepeople:
In his Wednesday, September 10 FT OpEd James Carville says Sarah Palin's "experience includes a mixed mayoral record in Wasilla, a town with a population of 7,000, and a half-term gubernatorial record in a state with the population of Memphis."
The 2008 World Almanac says Wasilla had 9,236 people in 2006. The same reference does indeed show Memphis, at the 2006 estimated population of 670,902 leading Alaska, 670,053, by a whopping 849 people.
Could Carville have deliberately chosen Memphis as the landmark because it is the smallest of the nation's 100 largest cities to still be larger than Alaska? If so, had he studied these two entities a little more, he would have found:
Using 1990 and 2000 census figures, Alaska population increased 21 people per day, Memphis increased for the same period 11 people per day. Using the same 2000 figure, and 2006 estimates in the 2008 almanac, they both increased at slightly lower rates: Alaska, 20 people per day, and Memphis, 9 people per day, showing Alaska has been increasing its population about twice as fast Memphis since 1990.
Extrapolating from the 2000/2006 Almanac figures, Alaska would have caught up with Memphis on August 27, 2006, and by the time Palin was nominated on August 29, 2008, would have led Memphis by 7200 people. With that half hour of additional study, Carville would not appear quite as foolish.
Carville mentions 5 actual or theoretical Democrat candidates ("Insert name of Democrat", "Democratic candidates", "a reform-oriented state senator from a Midwestern state" and "Tim Kaine, Virginia governor",) but strangely, not a single mention of either of the Democrat candidates. Not a mention of The Dem VP candidate’s 30 years of Senate presence on the forign relations committee, the high point of which was his plagiarizing of a British left wing politician.
And how about The Dem presidential candidate's experience "outisde of North America": Four crucial pre-teen years of slogging thru the mud of Indonesia. Beyond that the high point is eight years in the Illinois State Senate, equal in experience to that of a third string Chicago Bears jock strap attendant, but none of the responsibility.
This guy is the most inexperienced, unprepared, candidate for either President or Vice president in history. He cannot say a coherant complete sentence not presented to him on a teleprompter. Since her nomination 10 days ago, Sarah Palin has been speaking publicly non-stop. Has anyone heard her say "um" or "unh" - she didn't even stutter when the teleprompter operator goofed.
After ten days of being accused of everything short of running a male prostitution ring out of her governor's office or molesting a House page (with nothing proved), she keeps getting stronger. On the other hand, Biden is a disaster waiting to happen. The way things are going they will replace him before the election, as a drowning man would grasp at a razor blade.
Carville closes: "If the Republicans wanted a vice-president who favours teaching creationism in public schools, who denies the science of global warming...."
James, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, the theremometer was invented 500 years ago. A little simple arithmetic shows that the last 500 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 100 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. Yet the 'science' of global warming is making all sorts of predictions based on the earth 'warming'? Global warming has no more business being taught in schools than crationism.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago, IL USA
Sunday, September 7, 2008
John McCain and partisan rancor
[Besides the Detroit News, within an hour this letter was also sent to the Boston Globe, New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel]
Sunday, September 7, 2008 11:35 PM
Detroit News Letters
A Thursday, September 4, 2008 Detroit News article "McCain tells cheering GOP he'll change Washington" says John McCain "vowed Thursday night to vanquish the 'constant partisan rancor' that grips Washington...."
Partisan rancor, constant or not, will only be 'vanquished' when Republicans and Democrats are both equally up to their armpits in the federal trough.
As long as one party tends to reflect the ideals of the Declaration of Independence a little more than the other, believes in following the the Constitution a little more than the other, believes we should proudly take our rightful place as the greatest country in world history a little more than the other, there will be partisan rancor.
Arnold H Nelson
5056 North Marine Drive
Chicago IL 60640
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Sunday, September 7, 2008 11:35 PM
Detroit News Letters
A Thursday, September 4, 2008 Detroit News article "McCain tells cheering GOP he'll change Washington" says John McCain "vowed Thursday night to vanquish the 'constant partisan rancor' that grips Washington...."
Partisan rancor, constant or not, will only be 'vanquished' when Republicans and Democrats are both equally up to their armpits in the federal trough.
As long as one party tends to reflect the ideals of the Declaration of Independence a little more than the other, believes in following the the Constitution a little more than the other, believes we should proudly take our rightful place as the greatest country in world history a little more than the other, there will be partisan rancor.
Arnold H Nelson
5056 North Marine Drive
Chicago IL 60640
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Truman, LBJ, and arah Palin
Chicago, Wednesday PM, September 3, 2008
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
A letter in the Wednesday, September 3, WSJ about the Palin nomination says: "Is she like a Harry Truman or even a Lyndon Johnson? I don't think so." Let me see, what city/town was Harry Truman Mayor of, what state did he govern? Same for LBJ... but they were senators.
Arnold H. Nelson
5056 North Marine Drive
Chicago IL 60640
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
A letter in the Wednesday, September 3, WSJ about the Palin nomination says: "Is she like a Harry Truman or even a Lyndon Johnson? I don't think so." Let me see, what city/town was Harry Truman Mayor of, what state did he govern? Same for LBJ... but they were senators.
Arnold H. Nelson
5056 North Marine Drive
Chicago IL 60640
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
