Items by Eric

• Al Gore sticks his fingers in his ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Al Gore sticks his fingers in his ears, yells "Lalala!" - Watts Up With That notes that Al Gore can't tell time. What I think is more telling is that Prince Albert doesn't deign to "read all the emails" which is code for reading any of them. This is part [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 09, 2009, 12:48pm EST
  by Eric

• No respect - Gallup: Members of Congress ...

  —Viking Pundit

  No respect - Gallup: Members of Congress are seen as less ethical than used car salesmen. Engineers (ahem) are rated as highly ethical. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 09, 2009, 12:28pm EST
  by Eric

• Good ole W – While Obama keeps ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Good ole W – While Obama keeps blaming Bush, a lot of Americans have decided: "Ah, he wasn't so bad."' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 09, 2009, 12:13pm EST
  by Eric

• It's magic!The Senate Democrats have hammered out ...

  —Viking Pundit

  It's magic!The Senate Democrats have hammered out a health care compromise without a government-run public option but with an expansion of government-run Medicare:Senior Senate Democrats reached tentative agreement Tuesday night to abandon the government-run insurance plan in their health-overhaul bill and to expand Medicare coverage to some people ages 55 [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 09, 2009, 11:59am EST
  by Eric

• Forcing you to buy something - The ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Forcing you to buy something - The Heritage Foundation has a forum today titled: "Is the personal mandate to buy health insurance unconstitutional?" I can't believe it is. Washington certainly has the power to tax and spend money (which it does all-too well) but I'm baffled by the argument that [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 09, 2009, 7:37am EST
  by Eric

• Clever, but it had to come down ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Clever, but it had to come down - Maggie's Farm has a picture of one man's Christmas decorations, which the police told him he had to take down because it was distracting passersby. Funny stuff, though. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 08, 2009, 8:55pm EST
  by Eric

• All you need to know about the ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  All you need to know about the Copenhagen nonsensePresident Obama had originally planned to combine his trip to Copenhagen and Oslo to minimize the considerable carbon footprint of Air Force One. However, he decided to push back his presence until later in the conference, and so:The move means the president [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 07, 2009, 10:44pm EST
  by Eric

• Whatever, Ezra KleinI'm thinking of starting a ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Whatever, Ezra KleinI'm thinking of starting a new series here on my blog called "Whatever, Ezra Klein." The WashPost journalist commentator tireless cheerleader has never seen a health care reform development that isn't just totally awesome:Sources who have been briefed on the negotiations say that Medicare buy-in is attracting the [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 07, 2009, 9:07pm EST
  by Eric

• America says "no thank you" to Obamacare ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  America says "no thank you" to Obamacare - Jay Cost has a great analysis over at Real Clear Politics about the health care bill winding through Congress: "Why does the public oppose Obamacare?" In a nutshell, he details how we don't really understand the 2000+ page legislation but we're all [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 07, 2009, 8:17pm EST
  by Eric

• Can't get it out of my head ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Can't get it out of my head - The Boston Globe has an article titled: "Let us now praise jingles." Cos-tan-za!' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 06, 2009, 7:37pm EST
  by Eric

• Fear of a Daily PlanetAn old trivia ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Fear of a Daily PlanetAn old trivia buddy sent this one along, from the WashPost:A Nov. 26 article in the District edition of Local Living incorrectly said a Public Enemy song declared 9/11 a joke. The song refers to 911, the emergency phone number.That would be "911 (is a joke)" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 05, 2009, 2:12pm EST
  by Eric

• Congressional innumeracy – Weekly Standard "Obamacare's ugly ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Congressional innumeracy – Weekly Standard "Obamacare's ugly math." At least there's this glimmer of sanity in tonight's news: "Senate's progress over health care bill grinds to a halt" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 04, 2009, 10:20pm EST
  by Eric

• Fact: working women comprise 86% of cosmetic ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Fact: working women comprise 86% of cosmetic surgery patients. Get ready for 'Botax' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 04, 2009, 6:13pm EST
  by Eric

• Congress stands for Medicare cuts it will ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Congress stands for Medicare cuts it will never enactAP: "Senate votes to keep Medicare cuts in health bill" Of course they had to because otherwise there would be no funding for this "anything goes" health care bill. Just like Kirstie Alley during the holidays: she swears she'll go on a' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 03, 2009, 10:21pm EST
  by Eric

• The Massachusetts model, yet again - Boston ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  The Massachusetts model, yet again - Boston Globe "Six hospitals to sue state over payment shortfalls": "The suit charges that Massachusetts violated a law requiring adequate reimbursement to hospitals for patients insured by the government. The hospitals contend the state set repayment rates so low they do not cover the" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 01, 2009, 7:32pm EST
  by Eric

• An adage about absolute power comes to ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  An adage about absolute power comes to mind - Noted Constitutional scholar Nancy Pelosi has decided that Congress can do whatever the heck it wants when it comes to health care reform. On the treadmill, tubby, or it's jail for you! [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 01, 2009, 7:28pm EST
  by Eric

• A respectful distance - I'm a big ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 2
  A respectful distance - I'm a big fan of former presidents and vice-presidents keeping their yaps shut once a new administration takes office. Except for the quadrennial political conventions, I would prefer if they just played some golf and worked on their memoirs. So I'm with James Fallows with "In" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 01, 2009, 7:21pm EST
  by Eric

• The industry of green - Via Don ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 10
  The industry of green - Via Don Surber: "Climategate prof raked in $22.6 million in grants" Powerful incentive to find the "right" conclusions, I'd say. (H/T Maggie's Farm).Extra - Opinion Journal: "Climategate - follow the money"' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 30, 2009, 9:55pm EST
  by Eric

• Debt forever with government-run healthcareGallup: "Americans still ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Debt forever with government-run healthcareGallup: "Americans still leaning against healthcare legislation"Americans currently tilt against Congress' passing healthcare legislation, with 49% saying they would advise their member to vote against a bill (or they lean that way) and 44% saying they would advocate a vote in favor of the bill (or' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 30, 2009, 8:49pm EST
  by Eric

• Officers gunned down in Washington State - ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 8
  Officers gunned down in Washington State - Four officers ambushed and murdered in cold blood. What can you say about a senseless tragedy like this? Police are combing the area for a suspect and they have not ruled out a possible accomplice.Update - Person of interest: Maurice ClemmonsMore - Unbelievable: [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 29, 2009, 5:09pm EST
  by Eric

• I shall not apologize for the following ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  I shall not apologize for the following YouTube embedThe one-hit wonder "Pilot of the Airwaves" by Charlie Dore has always been a favorite of mine. Deal with it. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 29, 2009, 12:57am EST
  by Eric

• The write stuff - Opinion Journal: "Five ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  The write stuff - Opinion Journal: "Five best books: historical fiction"The first book that came to mind (before seeing the list) was Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff" about the Mercury astronauts although Wolfe's style is considered "new journalism" instead of historical fiction. Maybe a more apt choice would be Neal [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 28, 2009, 10:47pm EST
  by Eric

• Something to be thankful for - CNN: ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Something to be thankful for - CNN: "Godfather of spam going to prison" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 28, 2009, 7:46pm EST
  by Eric

• Who's closest to the actual retail price ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Who's closest to the actual retail price without going over? - If you believe Obama, then health care reform will be deficit-neutral. But Michael Cannon at Cato estimates that once you strip away all the budget gimmicks, Obamacare will cost $6 trillion. Somebody is closer to the truth. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 28, 2009, 3:34pm EST
  by Eric

• When we get around to it, maybeI ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  When we get around to it, maybeI just found this gem of unintentional humor from the White House blog responding to Krauthammer’s article, insisting that tort reform is on the table when it comes to health care reform:President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of HHS to move [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 27, 2009, 9:24pm EST
  by Eric

• Worst legislation ever - Charles Krauthammer (Harvard ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 7
  Worst legislation ever - Charles Krauthammer (Harvard Medical School 1975) declares the health care legislation working through Congress “irredeemable” and urges “Kill the bills and do health reform right.” [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 27, 2009, 9:08pm EST
  by Eric

• Nancy Pelosi, laugh riotWho’s writing her material ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 3
  Nancy Pelosi, laugh riotWho’s writing her material nowadays?Despite the $787 billion stimulus package passed in February, unemployment climbed to 10.2 percent in October. While critics cite the jobless rate as a sign that the stimulus has failed, Pelosi argues that the federal government is just not trying hard enough."We have" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 27, 2009, 8:54pm EST
  by Eric

• Happy Thanksgiving, ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 25, 2009, 10:49pm EST
  by Eric

• Stream of consciousness on a slow news ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 2
  Stream of consciousness on a slow news dayThere doesn't seem to be much going on today as everybody winds down for Thanksgiving. The top story on Fox News right now is "Are Vampires real?" I hear there's a vampire movie out, so there may be a tie-in.My weekend started out' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 25, 2009, 8:49pm EST
  by Eric

• Kentucky. Fox News. You know what I'm ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Kentucky. Fox News. You know what I'm getting' at.Two months ago, Andrew Sullivan knew there was a lynching in Kentucky and engaged in a little casual stereotyping, possibly while listening to "YMCA"But the most worrying possibility - that this is Southern populist terrorism, whipped up by the GOP and its [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 24, 2009, 8:49pm EST
  by Eric

• If only we had some warning!Stuff like ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  If only we had some warning!Stuff like this drives me nuts. From the NY Times: "Wave of debt payments facing U.S. government"The problem, many analysts say, is that record government deficits have arrived just as the long-feared explosion begins in spending on benefits under Medicare and Social Security. The nation’s [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 23, 2009, 9:09pm EST
  by Eric

• Some "funny" stuff I found in my ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Some "funny" stuff I found in my latest issue of Wired - The "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 21, 2009, 10:54pm EST
  by Eric

• You can't fool all the people - ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  You can't fool all the people - David Broder discusses health care reform in "A budget-buster in the making." He notes that less than one-fifth of Americans believe Obama's promise that the plan will not add to the federal deficit. That's change you can't believe in. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 21, 2009, 4:10pm EST
  by Eric

• Deep in the red - Here's former ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Deep in the red - Here's former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eikin with "The coming deficit disaster." [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 20, 2009, 11:27pm EST
  by Eric

• Bah, humbug on taxes - Business Week: ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Bah, humbug on taxes - Business Week: "Best e-commerce sites for the holidays." Take a guess how much spending I'll be doing in Massachusetts and the state's new 6.25% sales tax.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:48pm EST
  by Eric

• Bold new blog. Hooray. Now I can ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 4
  Bold new blog. Hooray. Now I can bore u from my phone. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:45pm EST
  by Eric

• Testing 123. Mobile blog post.Update - Wow, ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Testing 123. Mobile blog post.Update - Wow, that's cool. Now I have to figure out formatting. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:39pm EST
  by Eric

• Like a boring straw, there is no ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Like a boring straw, there is no bend - Megan McArdle has a detailed review of the likely funding (and underfunding) scenarios for the health care bill in "Preliminary thoughts on the CBO report." "I think it's pretty clear at this point that no bill from our Congress is going" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:22pm EST
  by Eric

• Smoke and mirrors on steroidsThe Senate's health ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 2
  Smoke and mirrors on steroidsThe Senate's health care reform bill is deficit neutral only if you believe Congress will cut payments to doctors for reimbursements, raise taxes to unprecedented levels, and slash a half-trillion dollars from Medicare. James Capretta details the "$4.9 trillion spending increase"For starters, the Reid plan assumes [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 19, 2009, 10:44pm EST
  by Eric

• Government intervention: is there anything it can't ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Government intervention: is there anything it can't fix make worse?If you liked the stimulus bill that brought us double-digit unemployment, "Cash for Clunkers" that cost $24,000 a vehicle and the AIG bailout, then you'll love Kiribati's plan to save the fish. NPR: "Reef Conservation Strategy Backfires"Kiribati (pronounced KIR-a-bahs) has a [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:06pm EST
  by Eric

• And now, your moment of ZenA parable ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 2
  And now, your moment of ZenA parable for your consideration:Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling. Coming around the bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection."Come on girl," said Tanzan [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 18, 2009, 8:12pm EST
  by Eric

• Gettin' right to the pointWasting no time, ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Gettin' right to the pointWasting no time, here's Jeffrey Flier in his opening sentences:As the dean of Harvard Medical School I am frequently asked to comment on the health-care reform debate. I'd give it a failing grade.Just like the Massachusetts plan, Dr. Flier writes that the health care bill moving [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 18, 2009, 7:54pm EST
  by Eric

• Like I've been saying - Opinion Journal: ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Like I've been saying - Opinion Journal: "Where are the doctors to implement Obamacare? - A University of California chancellor warns that America could soon look like Massachusetts." Aaaahh!' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 16, 2009, 10:25pm EST
  by Eric

• Anybody laughing yet? - General Motors is ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Anybody laughing yet? - General Motors is bankrupt, just posted another loss, but they swear they're going to pay back the American taxpayers. This is a joke right? The Truth About Cars writes: "GM's first post-bankruptcy financial data has arrived, underscoring in red ink the folly of the government 'investment''" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 16, 2009, 9:15pm EST
  by Eric

• Ken Ober checks out - NY Times: ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Ken Ober checks out - NY Times: "Ken Ober, "Remote Control" host, is dead." Geez, he was only 52; cause of death "not immediately known.""Remote Control" was MTV's first foray away from videos and into TV shows. It was a super-cheap game show where Ober would ask trivia questions, sometimes [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 16, 2009, 8:37pm EST
  by Eric

• Not cutting costs, part 2 - Robert ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Not cutting costs, part 2 - Robert Samuelson looks at health care reform and declares that costs will skyrocket: "Their sweeping overhaul of the health care system - which Congress is halfway towards enacting - would almost certainly make matters worse." He echoes one of my points in that the [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:46pm EST
  by Eric

• MassCare eats away at the economy in ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  MassCare eats away at the economy in the Bay StateThere were two articles in the Boston Globe of special interest for those who want to see how the Massachusetts health care reform will play out when extended nationwide. First, small businesses are getting socked with double-digit increases in insurance rates: [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 15, 2009, 9:48pm EST
  by Eric

• Not cutting costs - The Hill: "House ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Not cutting costs - The Hill: "House health bill will hike costs $289B" That's what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says.Plus, there's this from the WashPost: "Nonpartisan agency says House bill will reduce senior care." No wonder Nancy Pelosi pushed through that quick Saturday vote. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 14, 2009, 9:50pm EST
  by Eric

• The amateur-in-chiefForgetting that he's the President of ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 11
  The amateur-in-chiefForgetting that he's the President of the United States of America, Obama committed a breach of protocol and bowed deeply to Japan's emperor Akihito. The LA Times asked "How low will he go?" and Powerline queried "Why is this man bowing?" I think the answer can be found in [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 14, 2009, 2:34pm EST
  by Eric

• Americans aren't buyin' it - Megan McArdle ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Americans aren't buyin' it - Megan McArdle reveals that "the more we talk about health care reform, the less popular it gets." [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:35pm EST
  by Eric

• Everything's bigger in Texas - Including the ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Everything's bigger in Texas - Including the job market. According to Business Week, Texas is home to four out the the top five cities in America for job creation. The fifth is in Utah. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:30pm EST
  by Eric

• Wanna get into Princeton? Move out of ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Wanna get into Princeton? Move out of New Jersey - As you know, this move came too late for me, but colleges across the nation are giving special consideration to out-of-state students because they normally need to pay a higher tuition, which then subsidizes the in-state students. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:27pm EST
  by Eric

• Freestyle - Just got back from my ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Freestyle - Just got back from my son's swim meet where he shaved three seconds off his 50m freestyle time, and a first place finish to boot. Nice. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:14pm EST
  by Eric

• Constitution schmonstitution - Congress plans to mandate ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Constitution schmonstitution - Congress plans to mandate that Americans purchase health insurance and jail 'em if they don't. Any basis in law? Well there's that "general welfare" part of the Constitution which implies that the government can force you to eat spinach too. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:41pm EST
  by Eric

• Holi-day wi-fi - PC World: "Thanks Google, ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Holi-day wi-fi - PC World: "Thanks Google, but airport wi-fi should always be free." It should, since it's so critical to business, but airports can't resist sources of revenue.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:27pm EST
  by Eric

• Veterans DayI miss my dog. When I ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Veterans DayI miss my dog. When I picked her up from the kennel, she would cry and slobber all over my car on the ride home. And that was after only a week or so. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 10:31pm EST
  by Eric

• Obama chooses not to decide - Fox ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 3
  Obama chooses not to decide - Fox News "Obama won't take any current war options": "President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility'" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 9:37pm EST
  by Eric

• Millions for Botox, but not one cent ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Millions for Botox, but not one cent for flu shots - Real Clear Markets: "Health reform's moral hazard" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 8:54pm EST
  by Eric

• Best news today - CNN: "Police officer ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Best news today - CNN: "Police officer who shot Fort Hood suspect says she's 'doing well'" I had heard Officer Munley had lost a lot of blood after the shootout but now it looks like she's on the mend. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 8:24pm EST
  by Eric

• Just makin' stuff up, Boston-style - Remember ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Just makin' stuff up, Boston-style - Remember that stimulus package that was supposed to "create or save" jobs? Not so much. Boston Globe "Stimulus job boost in state exaggerated, review finds": "While Massachusetts recipients of federal stimulus money collectively report 12,374 jobs saved or created, a Globe review shows that'" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 9:23am EST
  by Eric

• The conspiracy to keep you poor and ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 4
  The conspiracy to keep you poor and dependent - Government-run health care is an opportunity to make Americans more dependent on the government...and that helps the statist Democrats. At least one guy let the cat out of the bag: "Confessions of an ObamaCare backer."More - From Q&O. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 10, 2009, 10:51pm EST
  by Eric

• Twenty years ago - BBC News asks: ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Twenty years ago - BBC News asks: "Where were you when the Berlin Wall came down?" Golly, since I was just starting my senior year at Rutgers, I was probably at the Ale & Wich with my roommates, sharing a $4 pitcher of Budweiser. If my usual jukebox selections were [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 09, 2009, 7:33pm EST
  by Eric

• Once the foot is in the door, ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Once the foot is in the door, expansion foreverI’m back kinda late from New York, so I'll just borrow this thought from Mark Steyn on the passage of the health care bill:If "health care" were about health care, the devil would be in the details. But it's not about health' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 08, 2009, 10:37pm EST
  by Eric

• See you soon - Goin' to see ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  See you soon - Goin' to see Ma this weekend.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 07, 2009, 12:04am EST
  by Eric

• Stuff you didn't know - Slate has ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 2
  Stuff you didn't know - Slate has some background in a Fort Hood FAQ.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 06, 2009, 11:14pm EST
  by Eric

• $3.8 billion in sales, $5 at a ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  $3.8 billion in sales, $5 at a time - Business Week has a great article about the genius of Subway's Five-dollar Footlong, both from a product and a marketing viewpoint. C'mon, admit it, you love that jingle.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 06, 2009, 11:07pm EST
  by Eric

• Fort Hood tragedy - Fox News: "Suspected ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Fort Hood tragedy - Fox News: "Suspected gunman in custody after deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood." The news conference from Texas was delayed almost three hours before the shocking news, contradicting previous reports, that the shooter was alive and in custody. The female police officer who cut him down [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 05, 2009, 10:07pm EST
  by Eric

• Yeah...we know - Real Clear Markets: "Why ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Yeah...we know - Real Clear Markets: "Why middle class tax hikes are coming" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 04, 2009, 8:00pm EST
  by Eric

• I'm saved!Don Surber: "Obama saved 935 jobs ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  I'm saved!Don Surber: "Obama saved 935 jobs at a place that employs 508 people"Take it away, Elvis:' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 04, 2009, 7:56pm EST
  by Eric

• Welcome back, old chap - I was ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Welcome back, old chap - I was going to write about last night's results but by the time I get home from work it's old news. So let's just welcome Atlantic Crossings to the blogroll, the rejuvenated site that used to be called Expat Yank. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 04, 2009, 7:41pm EST
  by Eric

• Chris Christie gets the checkmark - New ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 13
  Chris Christie gets the checkmark - New Jersey's largest newspaper, the Star-Ledger, declares a Republican win in the Garden State. Wow, and it wasn't even close: with 81% of the vote in, Christie still holds onto a 5% lead. Everybody thought this was going until morning.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 03, 2009, 10:22pm EST
  by Eric

• Watching New Jersey - With almost half ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Watching New Jersey - With almost half the vote counted (48% at 9:30pm EST) Christie is up 49-44% over Corzine.Update - 53% of the vote in, Christie up by 4%. Tight, tight, tight.More - Here's a good NJ map from the NY Times. With 58% in, it's a 6% lead [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 03, 2009, 9:19pm EST
  by Eric

• Beware this guyBoston Globe: "Don't get fooled ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Beware this guyBoston Globe: "Don't get fooled again - freecreditreport.com aims to make you spend money."' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:11pm EST
  by Eric

• It's expensive - Even before the inevitable ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  It's expensive - Even before the inevitable cost overruns, the health care bill moving through the House has climbed to a $1.2 trillion price tag. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:51pm EST
  by Eric

• New Jersey predictionTomorrow there are some off-year ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 4
  New Jersey predictionTomorrow there are some off-year elections and it looks like the Virginia governor's race and NY-23 are in the bag. The only contest left is New Jersey and the fight between incumbent governor Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie. This campaign has been deadlocked for weeks. However, [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 02, 2009, 10:31pm EST
  by Eric

• Worst bill ever - That's how the ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 10
  Worst bill ever - That's how the Wall Street Journal describes the Pelosicare bill in the House. This is a masterpiece of unminced words: "The healthcare bill that [Pelosi] unwrapped last Thursday, which President Obama hailed as a "critical milestone," may well be the worst piece of post-New Deal legislation" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 01, 2009, 9:59pm EST
  by Eric

• Perspective on profits - In today's Boston ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Perspective on profits - In today's Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby compares the "immoral" profits of the health insurance companies versus, say, Tupperware: "Hyperbole in the health debate." [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 01, 2009, 9:35pm EST
  by Eric

• The 2% solution - From the AP: ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  The 2% solution - From the AP: "After all the fuss, public health plan covers few." It turns out that the CBO has determined that the House health care plan will attract only 2% of Americans. If the government-run plan is designed to be a low-cost counterweight to the private [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 31, 2009, 11:32pm EDT
  by Eric

• Hey, it's Halloween, not April Fools DayNY ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Hey, it's Halloween, not April Fools DayNY Times: "Democrats push for plan to cut deficit" Clearly this brilliant plan involves passing one trillion-dollar expenditure after another. Have they seen this graph?Boo! [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 31, 2009, 8:14pm EDT
  by Eric

• Ford is punished for staying solventWell, moral ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Ford is punished for staying solventWell, moral hazard has raised its ugly head again. The UAW workers at Ford Motor have rejected contract changes to cut labor costs.Ford sought the deal to bring its labor costs in line with Detroit rivals Chrysler Group and General Motors, both of which won [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 31, 2009, 2:27pm EDT
  by Eric

• NY-23 shocker - Four days before the ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  NY-23 shocker - Four days before the special election, Scozzafava drops out. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 31, 2009, 11:18am EDT
  by Eric

• Clinton tells it like it is - ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Clinton tells it like it is - I have to say it: I was pleased to see Hillary Clinton tell Pakistan that we'd like some help rooting out Al Qaeda. "That's a nice multi-billion dollar foreign aid package you got there - shame if anything happened to it."' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 30, 2009, 11:17pm EDT
  by Eric

• The Pelosicare bill Here's a roundup from ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 2
  The Pelosicare bill Here's a roundup from the AP. And here's all you need to know:It costs a trillion dollars.It's paid for by taxes that won't be collected and cuts to Medicare that will never happen.Extra – From Critical Condition: "The insanity of the House bill"The bill unveiled today by [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 29, 2009, 8:24pm EDT
  by Eric

• Not the Delorean! - Business Week: "Fifty ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Not the Delorean! - Business Week: "Fifty ugliest cars of the past 50 years." [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 28, 2009, 8:19pm EDT
  by Eric

• Schwarzenegger's note - According to this professor ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Schwarzenegger's note - According to this professor on NPR, it's really unlikely that the letter placement came together by coincidence. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 28, 2009, 7:52pm EDT
  by Eric

• Just say "neigh"Some have called the public ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Just say "neigh"Some have called the public option in health care reform a "Trojan horse" while others have called it a "stalking horse" but the meaning is the same: sneak up on the enemy in a non-threatening manner and then spring the trap.Over at National Journal, former HHS secretary Mike [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 27, 2009, 9:34pm EDT
  by Eric

• Three booksI'm a sucker for these kinds ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Three booksI'm a sucker for these kinds of lists but Megan links to a post asking what three books you would recommend to somebody who disagreed with you. We agreed on #1:"Parliament of Whores" - P.J. O'Rourke"America Alone" - Mark Steyn"Heaven on Earth: The rise and fall of socialism" - [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 26, 2009, 10:23pm EDT
  by Eric

• Krugman comes to praise Massachusetts health careAnd ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 5
  Krugman comes to praise Massachusetts health careAnd once you get past his dismissal of inconvenient polls, you'll find this admission:And the Massachusetts plan hasn’t yet done anything significant to contain costs.Say what now? I thought the whole point of health care reform was that "the cost of doing nothing is'" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 26, 2009, 9:02pm EDT
  by Eric

• Strike that, reverse it - Robert Samuelson ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Strike that, reverse it - Robert Samuelson on Newsweek blog: "Now, in the first comprehensive evaluation by a government agency of one of the major congressional health-reform bills, analysts find that it does bend the cost curve - in the wrong direction." As in three-quarters of a trillion dollars over [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 25, 2009, 9:18pm EDT
  by Eric

• Sales tax sends Mass. shoppers to New ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Sales tax sends Mass. shoppers to New Hampshire and the InternetToday I saw an ad on TV urging consumers in Western Massachusetts to avoid the Internet and shop locally to support the local community. Well, that would have been a noble thought except the sales tax in the Bay State [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 25, 2009, 7:06pm EDT
  by Eric

• Obama plays to a half-empty room - ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  Obama plays to a half-empty room - That's the scene at a fundraiser for Massachusetts' terrible governor Deval Patrick. The lower-priced $500-a-plate dinner room was "two-thirds full." Of course, it's tough to swing that price for rubber chicken when taxes are so high. Right, Deval? Buh-bye.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 24, 2009, 12:32am EDT
  by Eric

• iLawsuit - What's going on with Scandinavia ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  iLawsuit - What's going on with Scandinavia lately? First the Norwegians give the Nobel Prize to Obama and now the Finns at Nokia are suing Apple for patent infringement. Soon we'll see something rotten in Denmark (yuk yuk).' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 23, 2009, 11:05pm EDT
  by Eric

• Roll over BeethovenFox Business: "Country music is ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Roll over BeethovenFox Business: "Country music is the new rock n' roll"Here's Taylor Swift, because she's cute:' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 23, 2009, 5:53pm EDT
  by Eric

• That sounds like Fox News talk to ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  That sounds like Fox News talk to me - Ruth Marcus of the WashPost thinks the Obama White House is "childish," "petty," and "Nixonesque" in its war with Fox News. You've made the list, Ruth.Extra - Smash 'em up, the Chicago way. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 22, 2009, 10:17pm EDT
  by Eric

• Spending is forever - This is an ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Spending is forever - This is an unsettling analysis: the tax credits and direct aid from the super-successful $800 billion stimulus bill are unlikely to go away completely, so we're actually looking at another $3 trillion in spending over the next ten years. Which we don't have. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 22, 2009, 9:59pm EDT
  by Eric

• SAMCRO forever - On Tuesday, the FX ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  SAMCRO forever - On Tuesday, the FX network's "Sons of Anarchy" beat Jay Leno's show in the ratings. What was NBC thinking? As charming as Leno may be, nobody can watch one guy for five hours a week. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 22, 2009, 9:40pm EDT
  by Eric

• The Born ultimatum - Last night, Frontline ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  The Born ultimatum - Last night, Frontline (PBS) had a report about the financial meltdown and how one lone woman named Brooksley Born raised the alarm back in the nineties about unregulated over-the-counter derivatives. But the stock market was flying high so everybody, most notably Alan Greenspan, dismissed her. Well, [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 21, 2009, 6:16am EDT
  by Eric

• Fire up the Voight-Kampff machine - Is ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Fire up the Voight-Kampff machine - Is our President a replicant? From Vimeo: "Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile." (H/T Scrivener) [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 20, 2009, 8:46pm EDT
  by Eric

• Whichever way the wind blows Slate speculates ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 0
  Whichever way the wind blows Slate speculates on "Why the Washington Post is hyping the public option." They cite three reasons for the above-the-fold story about a small uptick in support for government-run healthcare: to remind Congress of majority support, reporters are "momentum junkies" and to suggest there's been a [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 20, 2009, 7:56pm EDT
  by Eric

• That was longer than I expected* - ...

  —Viking Pundit

  Number of comments: 1
  That was longer than I expected* - I recently signed up for Netflix and tonight we saw "The Dark Knight." But I think it was longer than "Ben Hur." Ah, there wasn't much news today anyway.* "That's what she said!" - Michael Scott' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 19, 2009, 11:06pm EDT
  by Eric