Sports / Politics / News

The Braves swept 2 from the Mets yesterday (4-2 and 4-0) to climb to 6-8 (ouch).

The NBA playoffs started finally (regular season is way to damn long) and Rose showed why he's MVP material in leading a 10 point comeback for the Bulls (104-99) over Indiana. The Hawks took down Dwight Howard and the Magic 103-93 behind Joe Johnson's 25 and Jamal Crawford's 23. The old guys (Nowitzki and Kidd) for Dallas showed they still got some hops as they took out Portland in game 1 (89-81) and finally the 76'ers are still not quite there, but getting closer as they started strong against the Miami Heat, but faded as James, Wade and company turned up the defense and put it away (97-89).


Sarah Palin spoke at a tax day Tea Party rally in Madison, WI (home of the fleabaggers) as she tried to explain to the unions that without Walker as Gov, quite a few of them would be home without a job. Breitbart had some special things to say to quite a few of them himself [heh].


And the search can finally begin for survivors from the mega-storms that swept through the southeast yesterday and Friday. Here in North Alabama, it was brutal with the rain and wind, but at least we didn't get the tornadoes that other parts of the area got. Prayers and thoughts go out to the loved ones of the dead and missing.

Lupin: Likely to benefit from Japan’s crisis

GUYS I GOT THIS ARTICLE THROUGH MY MAIL REGARDING JAPAN AND LUPIN THOUGHT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU

Lupin: Likely to benefit from Japan’s crisis
Japanese subsidiary Kyowa Pharma to see increased sales of anti-
infective and CNS drugs

In 2007, Lupin acquired Japanese pharma company Kyowa Pharma, which
came with a portfolio of over 200 brands. The company ranks seventh in
the generic segment in Japan and enjoys a leadership position in
neurology, with over 95 products covering 1,297 hospitals in Japan.
Pharma analysts believe the recent crises in Japan could well benefit
Lupin, which has introduced 10 new generics about two years ago in the
world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market (Japan).Consequently,
almost 11 percent of the company’s total revenue comes from its
Japanese subsidiary. Kyowa plans to launch at least four to five
products every year. According to analysts, Lupin believes Japan is
going to witness a rise in health problems related to gastro-
intestinal, post-traumatic care and infections.
Kyowa, which is a market leader in the central nervous system (CNS)
segment, would benefit in case there is a rise in the demand for such
drugs. Apart from the CNS segment, the company also has a variety of
products in the anti-in-fective and gastro-intestinal categories, too.
In view of the crisis, the company would have to lower the cost of
drugs, but with active pharmaceutical ingredient supply coming from
India, the overall margin would be healthy from the region. Kyowa has
grown nearly 21 per cent in 2009-10 and has a portfolio of over 200
brands marketed through its strong sales team. With Kyowa based in
Sanda, southern Japan, the facility as well as the 355 personnel staff
has not been unaffected by the natural calamity. But the opportunity
in Japan is not limited to the crisis alone
According to a research report by Sharekhan, Japan is the second
largest market for pharmaceutical products after the USA and the
generic market is expected to grow at about 9-13 per cent to $8-11
billion. “Given their established presence, Ranbaxy Laboratories and
Lupin are expected to be the major winners who can tap the Japanese
opportunity,” the report adds.



Sources:
http://epaper.business-standard.com/bsepaper/svww_zoomart.php?Artname=20110317b_001101008&ileft=11&itop=160&zoomRatio=130&AN=20110317b_001101008

https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/12eccbd4355493d4

Lies

Supporters of the public employee unions have recently been circulating state-by-state information on collective bargaining, and then comparing it to statistics on ACT and SAT performance in the respective states. This "data" started to be passed around via Twitter and Facebook; for example, "5 states forbid collective bargaining for educators: SC, NC, GA, TX, & VA. Their national rank in ACT scores: 50th, 49th, 48th, 47th, 44th."(link)

Sounds like unions are good for kids eh?

As it turns out, these ratings are bogus.  For each state it adds the ranking for SAT scores to the ranking for ACT scores (and it's not even clear what year the data comes from), but it doesn't take into consideration the percentage of the population who take either test.

Heh, didn't think so. Go over and read the rest of a throrough debunking of an emergent 'net myth.

Small Gov't vs Big Gov't

Texas is easily weathering the economic storms, while state services and infrastructure in California are on the verge of collapse. The contrast between the two state economies serves as a warning to the whole country.

So ends a great piece by Mark Hemingway at the Washington Examiner (link) on the differences between two very similar (composition) states headed in vastly different directions.

This article states very clearly what the outcomes of liberal (ie. big gov't) and conservative (small) choices make on a state (or any government).  It should be a must-read for any liberal thinker.

Letter to Palm Beach Post

When are you (editors) going to take down this trash? Sorry for the link

I'd expect a major correction and apology for allowing something this slanderous to be posted on your website.

Heh - show

Proof?

Me Politically

You are a Social Moderate (50% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (80% permissive) You are best described as a: Capitalist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Politico-rrectness

As regular readers will remember, I vowed to boycott Politico almost a year ago, after they issued a cease-and-desist letter to Stephen Gutowski, aka The College Politico. Politico lawyers claimed that Gutowski was infringing their trademark by using the word “politico” — a commonly used term defined in the dictionary as “politician.”(link)

So starts the latest post on Patterico.com ... make sure to read it.  Politico (no link) started bullying thecollegepolitico.com awhile back about the name; claiming that he was infringing upon their name (yea, makes no sense to me either).

Later Gutkowski (tcp) told Patterico that he assumed they had backed off and that was that... alas, it was not to be.  Now they want him to transfer the domain to them (isn't that theft?) or action will commence!

Don’t worry I’m going to keep fighting the good fight and won’t be backing down. I’ll try to keep everybody updated on whats going on. Thanks for all the support though it really helps keep me strong.(link)

Points of View

The USAToday story on the shrinking of income from wages and growth of government help [link] I clicked through from Insty is pretty much a standard report.

What was 'neat' about it is that the USAToday actually used the word liberal in from of a left-leaning economist (instead only putting conservative in front of the right-leaning ones and leaving off the dreaded 'liberal' moniker).  It also showed the distinct points of view of a left, (somewhat) center and right :

The shift in income shows that the federal government's stimulus efforts have been effective, says Paul Van de Water, an economist at the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

"It's the system working as it should," Van de Water says. Government is stimulating growth and helping people in need, he says. As the economy recovers, private wages will rebound, he says.

Economist Veronique de Rugy of the free-market Mercatus Center at George Mason University says the riots in Greece over cutting benefits to close a huge budget deficit are a warning about unsustainable income programs.

Economist David Henderson of the conservative Hoover Institution says a shift from private wages to government benefits saps the economy of dynamism. "People are paid for being rather than for producing," he says.

Liberal: Government is the saviour
Center: Government should watch out for the people
Right: Government should get out of the way

Lose and Win?

By STEPHEN SINGER, Associated Press Writer Stephen Singer, Associated Press Writer – Tue May 18, 4:57 pm ET

HARTFORD, Conn. – Connecticut's secretary of state has lost an election lawsuit she filed against her own office in her quest to run for state attorney general.

The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that Democrat Susan Bysiewicz (BYE'-suh-witts) isn't legally qualified to hold office as Connecticut's top prosecutor.

Connecticut requires that its attorney general practices law in the state for at least 10 years.

Republicans maintain that Bysiewicz's 11 years as secretary of the state should not count. A lower court had ruled that Bysiewicz had met the requirement. The state GOP then appealed to the state's highest court.

The high court's decision comes just days before state Democrats meet Saturday to endorse a candidate for attorney general and other statewide offices.

Politics

New Jersey elected Christie and Virginia elected McDonnell.


Hoffman lost in NY23 to Owens (with absentee ballots yet to be counted) and hopefully will run when the regular election comes up.

Tags: Virginia, New Jersey, Christie, McDonnell, Hoffman, politics, elections

Climate Porn

How can you tell it's the biggest lie in government?

...far below the 25-40 percent cuts by then that the U.N. climate panel and developing countries say rich nations should support to avoid dangerous climate change.[emp added LN]

Simply read that sentence and remember that China (the #1 'bad' producer would be exempt.

If any of these people were serious about climate change (heh) then they would be attacking all countries, regardless of wealth in an effort to stymie the flow of 'global warming emissions'.

Our Congress

Tags: Congress, Senator Tom Carpenter, bill

Dan

The state court of appeals in New York has dismissed a lawsuit from Dan Rather against CBS for wrongful termination and $70 million in damages.(link)

Dan Ra^ther may finally go away...

Tags: Dan Rather, court, lawsuit, HotAir

ObamaCare

Alternate title: Democrats tell the truth

The Democrats, trying to stiffen their party's spines on the contentious issue, say it's unfair to bar illegal immigrants from paying their own way in a government-sponsored exchange. Legal immigrants, they say, regardless of how long they've been in the United States, should be able to get government-subsidized health care if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

"Legal permanent residents should be able to purchase their plans, and they should also be eligible for subsidies if they need it. Undocumented, if they can afford it, should be able to buy their own private plans. It keeps them out of the emergency room," said Rep. Michael M. Honda, California Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. (link)

At least now they aren't trying to cover up the fact that they believe that the illegal immigrants should get health insurance (yes they still call it 'healthcare') although they stop short of saying the illegal immigrants should receive subsidies for it (that will be next or the amnesty first).

Now if we could get the Obamabots to start being truthful on a couple of other points: 1) it's health insurance you're talking about, not healthcare; everyone in this country has healthcare already; 2) costs; tell the people the real costs and let them decide then (of course this is a big non-starter for the overhaul, but at least you'd be honest) and 3) get a grip on the number of people that actually NEED insurance (not the number of people that do not have it) before you rail against the hundreds of millions of people that are doing just fine the way it is.

The Republican party has been called the party of 'no' by the media and the Democrats (redundancy alert) but in this case a 'no' is much better than the clusterfuck that the Obama administration is attempting to push through.

Obamacare

Not only do the demos want you to HAVE to buy insurance whether you want it or not, they are prepared to put you in jail if you don't pay the tax for being un-insured.

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) received a handwritten note Thursday from Joint Committee on Taxation Chief of Staff Tom Barthold confirming the penalty for failing to pay the up to $1,900 fee for not buying health insurance.

Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and could face up to a year in jail or a $25,000 penalty, Barthold wrote on JCT letterhead. He signed it "Sincerely, Thomas A. Barthold."(link)

So not only will Obamacare kill our economy, it will quite possibly help to fill the jails with the uninsured.

Cap and Tax

Clyde Middleton and I just concluded a blogger conference call with the House Whip Team. On the call were Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Erik Paulsen (R-MN).

The major news from the call was that Cap and Trade is, according to Rep. Jordan, “all but dead in the House.”...(link)

More good news from the party once called conservative. Cap and Tax err Trade is one of the biggest (not the biggest since ObamaCare is still in the works) thefts of American wealth ever put forth by any legislature.

For the purpose of 'protecting the climate' (which the bill wouldn't even do) the citizens would have to pay higher prices for energy... and of course since every product you buy has energy being used to make it, guess what would happen to the prices of all those 'luxury' goods (you know: food, water, shelter, etc.)? Of course they'd skyrocket also. Since the manufacturers would have to pay more to produce, they would charge more (not the full amount, some would be taken back by cutting pay and a very small amount eaten from profit) for their products to consumers.

So not only do you have the 'direct tax' of higher electric bills (around $1761 per year [link]) you would also bite the indirect price raise by each business that had their electric bills raised. The cost to each person would be much higher than any estimate because of the 'pass-down' method of pricing by business.

Killing this behemoth bill is a very high priority (just behind the ObamaCare fiasco) and you should let your congresscritters know how you feel on this. (easy way here)

Ed talks about this among other non-tax taxes in his latest AIP column here

Bailouts

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus on Wednesday sought a promise from the Obama administration that the government will stop rescuing huge financial institutions on the brink of failure. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner declined.

“You can’t fix the system, make it more stable in the future, by hoping and promising that you’re going to ... abolish the fire station or block the doors of the fire station when the crisis breaks out,” Geithner told Bachus during a Wednesday morning hearing on Capitol Hill. “It’s not a strategy that works.”(link)

Finally the R's are acting more and more like conservatives... now that they can't reasonably expect to accomplish anything.

If they had acted like this when they controlled Washington, we might not be in the 'dire straits' we're in now. When confronted with Democrats and Democrat-lites, the voters will usually pick the authentic ones.

Presidential Approval

RIP

Thoughts and prayers to the family of Sen. Kennedy

(story)