More Headlines You've Got To Check Out

November sees huge consumer spending
Another problem for those predicting economic crisis is the recent report of consumer spending in November - it increased by 1.1%, the largest amount in almost four years!  The 'experts' were surprised.  Just like usual, when the news is good.  Don't buy the hype...

Teaching how to break the law
Michelle Malkin posts about one of the worst abuses I've seen in the already-shabby education system (keep in mind that by slamming education, I'm referring to the NEA and administrations, not the teachers...).  Apparently, a Spanish high school teacher in Ohio assigned his students a 3-week project where they took a Hispanic identity, planned how to illegally enter the United States, how to illegally obtain work and documentation, and how to illegally gain citizenship.  The Internet and blogosphere broke open the story, but the school administration has closed ranks in support of the teacher.  Unbelievable.  Simply unbelievable.

McCain scandal erupts
The New York Times is apparently getting ready to break a story that McCain has violated campaign rules, giving favors to a female lobbyist in return for favored legislation.  He's fighting back, and both he and the lobbyist strongly denying any wrongdoing.  Rick Moran suggests that the New York Times is simply trying to slam McCain, who is now polling most favorably of all the Republicans in general election polls against either Clinton or Obama.  I'm sure we'll learn the truth eventually, but this does sound fishy.  Something to keep an eye on.

What is torture?
Ethel Fenig writes about the difference between 'torture' and real, actual torture.  She quotes a liberal Illinois state Senator (a former associate of Obama's) describing his attendence of a Hannah Montana concert with his daughter as being 'torture'.  Then she goes on to describe the discovery of a torture center and mass grave in a village that was recently uncovered by U.S. troops.  There was blood everywhere, weapons strewn all over, electric cables attached to metal bed frames, and chains all over the place.  The villagers knew about it but were too afraid of the Al Qaeda butchers running the place to come forward until now.  This is the perfect example of how liberals view the world: torture is a kids' concert, not a real danger where our troops are fighting for our freedoms.

It's all about control
The liberal philosophy seeks to control people above all else.  Two examples illustrate this:
1. A Utah mom was threatened with jail time if she did not enroll her three home-schooled kids in public school.
2. Dallas, Georgia is being sued for putting up a nativity scene for Christmas.
Liberals run the educational system, so they naturally want every child to be sucked into their brainwashing system.  And, of course, liberals don't want any mention of Christianity anywhere in government (never mind that the 'separation of church and state' was intended to keep the state from implementing a state-sponsored religion, not keeping all religion out of government).  Our basic foundations are being attacked in this country, and the root cause is...liberalism.

The effects of Kyoto
How successful has the Kyoto treaty been since it was signed in 1997?  Well, let's compare it to the U.S., which refused to sign it:

Between 1997 and 2004, based on US Department of Energy data cited earlier, the US CO2 output rose by about 6.6%, less than one percent annually and about one fourth the rate of US economic growth in that period.

In contrast the "core" EU countries, those that were members before the fall of Communism showed an increase in CO2 output of 11.3%, about 1.5% per year, and almost three quarters of their rates of economic growth.

There is no reason to join Kyoto, or any other 'green' treaty with rest of the world - it is innovation and technology that provide the best results when it comes to keeping our environment clean.

There's my two cents.