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In years to come, it must be wonderful to look back and recognize all your school mates.
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Sweet Tammy's has begun to expand their Giant Eagle locations and now are starting a roll out in the Pittsburgh market district stores under their own brand and selling off their own personalized rack.
2014 hopefully could be their break out year. It has been a long slog but they have persevered and Tamara has been a great trooper.
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Obama seems to have lost Millennials according to 'Hahvahd' Poll. (See 1 below.)
But also the rest of the nation might be wising up as well. But what took so long is what bothers me because it suggests we are becoming less and less discriminating in our ability to reason.(See 1a below.)
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Which way OPEC, according to Stratfor. (See 2 below.)
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Excerpt of Netanyahu's conversation with Perry. (See 3 below.)\
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I often rail against government pointing out how it generally fails to meet its espoused goals in a cost effective manner. The more this happens the more citizens lose faith in government and become unwilling to obey laws etc. Let me cite two specific examples:
A) Certainly the failure and cost of the Obamacare roll out is a prime example. Though I have no way of proving this, I have heard alternative approaches could have resulted in a system capable of handling enrollment and securing the safety of those enrolling for less than 15 million rather than what I am sure will eventually exceed a billion dollar cost.
B) Our immigration laws are in need of modification because they have not changed with the times. Thus, it became evident illegal immigration could occur with little negative results. Consequently, our borders became a magnet for those seeking work and because they were willing to do labor other Americans were not the number of illegals exploded over time.
All proposals to correct this problem, to date, have proven either unworkable or politically unacceptable and the cost of resolving the matter through construction has proven enormous yet the problem remains -America's immigration laws do not serve the needs of our nation and, in fact, work against our attracting future citizens that would be beneficial.
Furthermore, in the hands of corrupt politicians, whose intent is questionable if not down right evil, government can become a powerful and destructive force. I see this happening with the passing of each Obama day. Obama has turned the Justice Department into a personal instrument of vindictiveness rather than doing what is best for the nation. The same with the IRS, the nation's health department, the energy department, the EPA and he has turned on the military in his effort to diminish America's ability to protect and defend our global interests.
Now, Obama, in order to turn attention from his many fiascoes both foreign and domestic, is back on his fairness kick believing that raising minimum wages will narrow the spread between rich and poor, when, in fact, there is empirical evidence it causes businesses to seek ways of replacing employees with more cost effective equipment and technology etc. Furthermore, minimum wage legislation was intended for entry level positions and was never assumed it would provide a livable individual and/or family wage.
The key to solving our social and economic problems is basically through subjecting the current generation to more rigorous education. Not everyone needs to go to college but everyone should be exposed to a course curriculum that includes emphasis on elevating reading, spelling and writing skills, includes a basic understanding of our nation's history and laws resulting in a personal ability to reason and driven by high goal achievement programs that build feelings of self worth and accomplishments..
Another solution would be to close about five or more government agencies and departments. I would start with The Department of Energy, Health and Human Services, The Indian Affairs Department ,Osha and The EPA for a start.
If over time we find they actually did something important we could re-open one of their magnificent buildings and name it The Department of Worthiness!
Meanwhile, I am moderately involved in such a school - The Savannah Classical Academy (SCA), which was the brain child of Roger Moss. The headmaster is Benjamin Payne, and in very short order they have put together a Charter School that is proving to be just what is needed. Their dream is being accomplished through private funding. SCA is the first urban centered charter school of its kind in the southeast
I have no doubt SCA will eventually stand as a beacon to what can be accomplished and my hope is that The Chatham County School System will embrace their techniques because we are cheating ourselves and future generations of a solid education and thus, putting at risk the survival of our Republic which must rest upon a cohesive family unit, an informed and participating citizen electorate.
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Political Correctness Gone Berserk !!!
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1)
Change: Obama Craters in New Harvard Poll of Young Americans
By Guy Benson
In mid-November, a series of national surveys included tantalizing nuggets suggesting that Millennials -- America's youngest voters -- were turning against the man they'd overwhelmingly supported for president twice. Young people were especially unforgiving on questions about Barack Obama's honesty and trustworthiness, a dramatic turn of events. But that data was derived from relatively small sub-samples of broader polls. Would a coast-to-coast survey of exclusively 18-to-29 year olds confirm or belie those apparent trends? We have our answer, courtesy of a new poll commissioned by Harvard University's Institute of Politics:
Before we delve into the results, it's worth examining whether the poll's results are reasonably reflective of young people's opinions, based on established data. Within this survey, young people were asked whom they supported in the 2012 presidential election. Obama beat Romney on this question by 22 points. In CNN's comprehensive post-election exit poll, Obama defeated Romney within this age cohort by 23 points. So that checks out. Also, the ethnic breakdown of the Harvard study was 59 percent white, 20 percent Hispanic and 13 percent black -- which appears to reflect the shifting racial demographics of the American electorate, particularly among the young. Finally, the sample pool for this scientific survey is relatively large at just under 2,100 respondents. So with that context in place, let's review some topline findings:
Journalist Ron Fournier mines a few more details from the raft of facts and figures. Especially interesting is the closing gap between Democrats and Republicans, especially within the younger half of this age group:
Between this question and the Obama recall numbers, it seems clear that the younger subset of Millennial voters are more conservative than their 25-to-29 year old peers. Perhaps they're less taken by Hopenchange nostalgia. I'll leave you withone last point of comparison:
1a)WE'VE FIGURED HIM OUT!
By Ben Stein
Why was President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed? Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:
The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. (Pig in a poke means: an offering or deal that is foolishly accepted without being examined first. A poke means sack.)
They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.
They ignored his anti-white writings in his books.
They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.
They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student.
They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student.
They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.
The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.
Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable, super leftist, and not a fan of this country.
The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way helped ALL Americans.
The American people already know that Mr. Obama's plan to lower health costs while expanding coverage and bureaucracy is a myth, a promise of something that never was and never can be -- "a bureaucracy lowering costs in a free society." Either the costs go up or the free society goes away... an historical truth.
Now, we face a devastating loss of freedom at home in health care. It will be joined by controls on our lives to "protect us" from global warming, itself largely a fraud, if believed to be caused by man.
Hillary has also signed on to a Small Firearms Treaty at the U.N. This is a back door gun control move. If this is approved by the Senate and a 2nd Amendment majority doesn't exist in the Senate now. It will supersede all U.S. Law and the 2nd Amendment. All citizen possession will be eliminated through confiscation. Just Like Great Britain andAustralia .
Mr. Obama knows Americans are getting wise and will stop him if he delays at all in taking away our freedoms. There is his urgency and our opportunity. Once freedom is lost, America is lost. Wake up, beloved America .
Ben Stein is a writer, economist, and lawyer. He writes "Ben Stein's Diary," for every issue of The American Spectator.
Ben Stein is a writer, economist, and lawyer. He writes "Ben Stein's Diary," for every issue of The American Spectator.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2)The Future of OPEC
Summary
The prospect of revitalized oil production in Iraq and Iran may add to tensions between those two countries and Saudi Arabia over export quotas. On Dec. 4, representatives of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will meet in Vienna to discuss a number of topics. OPEC is facing two challenges. First, OPEC's historically biggest consumer -- the United States -- is rapidly increasing its own domestic production. At the same time, OPEC must deal with plans to expand oil production envisioned both by Iraq and Iran, which could lead to lower prices than the cartel desires. Ultimately, however, emerging markets in Asia will set global demand, and their energy thirst will determine the scale of the problem OPEC faces.
Analysis
OPEC was organized in the early 1960s by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Venezuela with the primary goal of unifying the five countries' oil export policies -- and hopefully dictating a high price for their oil. The five countries certainly possessed that power when the cartel was initially formed, and while the cartel still produces about 40 percent of the world's oil, OPEC's dominance has declined over the years. Today, only Saudi Arabia and to a certain extent the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait retain the ability to voluntarily adjust production levels. OPEC's other members -- Indonesia, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Gabon and Angola -- must maintain production to finance their national budgets. Effectively, this means that OPEC wields nowhere near the power it once did. Even a producer of Saudi Arabia's size is barely able to change the price of oil through boosting or cutting production.
A new wave of oil production outside the cartel has already hit. Production in the United States has increased to an estimated 8 million barrels per day -- the highest level since the 1980s. Elsewhere, production is set to take off in Canada and potentially Brazil. At the same time, increased production outside OPEC is dwarfed by the ambitious expansion plans put forward by OPEC members Iraq and Iran. While production outside the cartel is manageable, together with Iraq and Iran's plans it could represent a significant threat to oil prices in the latter half of the decade.
Iraq and Iran's Ambitions
Iraq's energy sector has been revitalized after the past five years and is now producing nearly 3.5 million barrels per day. Its oil ministry has set several ambitious goals, including production hitting 9 million to 10 million barrels per day by 2020. Iran, too, sees prospects for boosted production on the horizon. Complementing the negotiations with the United States on a possible long-term rapprochement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has started a significant reform campaign hoping to bring oil production back to the pre-sanction level of 4.2 million barrels per day within six months and increase it to the pre-revolution level of 6 million barrels per day within 18 months. To be clear, both goals are not attainable within their respective time frames, but significant increases are possible.
The amount of production that comes online in Iraq will largely depend on two factors. First, the political system and violence will shape the pace of investment and regulatory procedures, such as issuing contracts and permits. Second and more important, there are logistical limitations to bringing online that level of production in such a short period of time. Some of these limitations can be overcome with proper coordination between international oil companies, oil services providers, the Shia surrounding the Basra region and the various political interest groups in Baghdad. Adroit cooperation between all of these parties is unlikely, meaning Iraq will fall short of Baghdad's lofty goals, but Iraq can reach about 5 million to 6 million barrels per day by 2020, and closer to 6 million to 6.5 million barrels per day within a decade.
For Iran, the challenge is somewhat simpler, since its limitations are largely caused by external sanctions. As seen in other countries, typically when oil production has been interrupted following regime change, sanctions and other causes, production levels rarely reach the level achieved prior to the disruption. However, should sanctions be removed, Iran could quickly revive about half of its offline production within 12 to 18 months -- about 500,000 to 750,000 barrels per day. In the longer term, there are some reasons to believe that Iran could buck the trend and increase its production back to previously achieved levels, and perhaps even increase it, but the time frame would be measured in years, not months. All of this, of course, is subject to geopolitical events that could slow the process down or stop it entirely -- such as internal backlash in Iran and a slow timetable for negotiating with Washington. After bringing shut-in production back online, Iran (like Iraq) is more likely to slowly increase its daily oil production by about 250,000 to 300,000 barrels per year, pushing Rouhani's goals to after 2020.
OPEC Going Forward
OPEC is facing short-term and long-term challenges. In the near term, rising production in the United States and Canada has been unexpectedly quick -- increasing by 1 million barrels per day in each of the past two years. Although most of the U.S. increase has been offset by production taken offline due to instability in Libya, added U.S. exports have already forced Saudi Arabia to reduce production levels at times to maintain prices. U.S. production is set to grow by another 1 million barrels in 2014, potentially straining OPEC's preferential price points.
In the longer term, Iran and Iraq's production is the key issue. Should Iran and Iraq together boost production to a reasonably achievable level of 11 million barrels per day by 2020, that would represent an increase of 5 million-6 million barrels per day above present levels. OPEC's export quotas have already been a source of tension among its members, but producers have always found ways to skirt around them. That may no longer be possible. While Iran's domestic consumption will increase significantly, the potential export increases are still too high for Saudi Arabia to offset. This will cause stress within the organization among regional rivals Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia may ask Iran and Iraq to voluntarily limit export growth, but without other incentives there is no reason to believe they would do so when it is in their short-term economic interest to boost exports as much as possible.
Increased exports by Iran and Iraq also play into the broader rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran over issues such as the Syrian civil war and Iranian influence in Saudi Arabia's border regions as well as its oil-producing Shiite-dominated Eastern Province. Historically, Saudi Arabia has argued for increased production from the cartel to preserve OPEC's market share, since high prices have helped encourage alternative energy development elsewhere, whereas Iran and Iraq have argued for moderate production levels and strong prices. Additionally, while Saudi Arabia can afford to sell oil at $85 per barrel, many of the governments surrounding it need prices at or above $100 per barrel, and Riyadh does not want to see its neighbors engulfed in even more turmoil than they already are due to lower oil revenue. Iran and Iraq are pursuing this boost for their long-term production and believe they can do so without reducing prices by relying on increased demand from developing Asian markets.
Asia is now the world's biggest net importing region -- bigger than Europe and North America combined. Naturally, this has led to increased codependence between OPEC and developing Asian countries, principally India and China. Indeed, China has massive projects with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. China's footprint has expanded dramatically in Venezuela and it imports about 15 percent of its oil from OPEC member Angola. India has also deepened its connections to OPEC countries and has emerged as Nigeria's biggest customer.
As OPEC's biggest customer, Asia will continue its strong demand in the near future, and so stress on OPEC will not necessarily mean lower oil prices. The impact on long-term prices is less certain, however; the price will be determined not only by the size of Asian growth in the future, but by global oil supplies in non-OPEC countries as well. While OPEC historically has been used as a political tool to increase oil prices or place an embargo on exports, as can be seen from the 2008 price spike, OPEC's modern challenge is more concerned with keeping oil prices reasonably low, not artificially raising them or embargoing oil. In order to preserve its long-term health, OPEC will need to preserve relatively low oil prices, both to ensure that developing markets in Asia can afford to keep buying the oil and to prevent alternatives such as shale oil, electric cars or natural gas-to-liquids technology from becoming more economically feasible. Furthermore, tempered oil prices for consumers in Asia will only reinforce the region's economic growth, contributing to increased demand for OPEC's oil.
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3)(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Following is an excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks
today (Thursday, 5 December 2013), after his meeting with US Secretary of
State John Kerry in Jerusalem:
today (Thursday, 5 December 2013), after his meeting with US Secretary of
State John Kerry in Jerusalem:
"Our discussion this morning focused on two central issues. First and
foremost, we discussed the danger to the world posed by Iran's pursuit of a
nuclear weapons capability. We believe that, in a final deal, unlike the
interim deal, it is crucial to bring about a final agreement about the
termination of Iran's military nuclear capability. I have expressed my
concern since Geneva that the sanctions would begin to unravel, and I think
steps must be taken to prevent further erosions of sanctions.
foremost, we discussed the danger to the world posed by Iran's pursuit of a
nuclear weapons capability. We believe that, in a final deal, unlike the
interim deal, it is crucial to bring about a final agreement about the
termination of Iran's military nuclear capability. I have expressed my
concern since Geneva that the sanctions would begin to unravel, and I think
steps must be taken to prevent further erosions of sanctions.
Now, on the Palestinian issue, I want to say that Israel is ready for a
historic peace, and it's a peace based on two states for two peoples. It's a
peace that Israel can and must be able to defend by itself with our own
forces against any foreseeable threat. We don't need artificial crises. What
we need is not grandstanding, but understanding and agreements and that
requires hard and serious hard work. I'm fully committed and Israel is fully
committed to such an effort and I hope the Palestinians are committed to
this goal as well."historic peace, and it's a peace based on two states for two peoples. It's a
peace that Israel can and must be able to defend by itself with our own
forces against any foreseeable threat. We don't need artificial crises. What
we need is not grandstanding, but understanding and agreements and that
requires hard and serious hard work. I'm fully committed and Israel is fully
committed to such an effort and I hope the Palestinians are committed to
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