Land Of The Flea

Television set injuries on the rise in the U.S.

"Television sets injure one child every 30 minutes in America, and the rate of emergency room visits is increasing with the popularity of flat-screen TVs, according to a new study. Just over half (52 percent) of all TV injuries for those under 18 from 1990 to 2011 were due to the equipment falling and hitting the patient, said the study in the journal Pediatrics. The number of falling TV injuries was 5,455 in 1990, but that more than doubled to 12,300 in 2011, the study said. The number of US households with multiple TVs has more than doubled since 1990. Previous research has found that 215 children died from a falling TV injury from 2000 to 2011." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTelevision set injuries on the rise in the U.S.

Liberty Slipping: 10 Things You Could Do in 1975 That You Can’t Do Now

"1. You could buy an airline ticket and fly without ever showing an ID. 2. You could buy cough syrup without showing an ID. 3. You could buy and sell gold coins without showing an ID 4. You could buy a gun without showing an ID 5. You could pull as much cash out of your bank account without the bank filing a report with the government. 6. You could get a job without having to prove you were an American. 7. You could buy cigarettes without showing an ID 8. You could have a phone conversation without the government knowing who you called and who called you. 9. You could open a stock brokerage account without having to explain where the money came from." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLiberty Slipping: 10 Things You Could Do in 1975 That You Can’t Do Now

California Democratic Party tells Obama to halt medical marijuana raids

"The California Democratic Party approved a resolution over the weekend that called on President Barack Obama to halt federal raids on marijuana dispensaries. The resolution, sponsored by the Brownie Marie Democratic Club of Riverside County, noted that 18 states and the District of Columbia had legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, while Colorado and Washington state had legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Citing the disproportionate number of ethnic minorities jailed over marijuana, the resolution urged Obama to order the federal government to abide by state laws regarding the drug." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia Democratic Party tells Obama to halt medical marijuana raids

Will Globalism Invade the US via its Cities? The Daily Beast Thinks So

"In New York, an urban area as blighted and tenuous as any, infrastructure is crumbling and the only growth industry, from what we can tell, is expanding regulation. This is one of the major cities in the world but you can't buy a large-sized soft drink or enjoy an indoor cigarette, or request eggs dabbed with trans-fat. Detroit? The city is getting ready to pay bondholders pennies on the dollar. Chicago? Drudge just posted a report on the alarming rise in shootings and murders in the 'Windy City.' All major US cities are surely in disarray to some extent. How could they not be? The same recessionary trends afflicting Fedgov are active at a local, urban level as well." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill Globalism Invade the US via its Cities? The Daily Beast Thinks So

FEMA caught using old flood map data that cost homeowners untold extra insurance premiums

"From Maine to Oregon, local floodplain managers say FEMA’s recent flood maps - which dictate the premiums that 5.5 million Americans pay for flood insurance - have often been built using outdated, inaccurate data. Homeowners, in turn, have to bear the cost of fixing FEMA’s mistakes. It’s unclear exactly how many new maps FEMA has issued in recent years are at least partly based on older data. While FEMA’s website allows anybody to look-up flood maps for their areas, the agency’s maps don’t show the age of the underlying data. Congress has actually cut map funding by more than half since 2010, from $221 million down to $100 million this year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFEMA caught using old flood map data that cost homeowners untold extra insurance premiums

Solving the Detroit Crisis

"Conservatives will, of course, be proven correct that Detroit will be only the first major city to seek a bail-out, but their objections will be fruitless. In fact, it is not only possible, but likely, that, once the concept of 'No City Left Behind' transforms public perception of a Detroit from municipal redundancy to humanitarian necessity, the door may be further opened, not only to other major cities, but to entire states. As Rahm Emanuel famously stated, 'Never let a good crisis go to waste.' Detroit may be used by the Federal government to establish the necessity to nationalise any crisis." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSolving the Detroit Crisis

Public Sector Pensions Are a National Issue

"Paul Krugman and Dean Baker took the Washington Post editorial page to task yesterday for stating that unfunded state and local pension liabilities amounted to $3.8 trillion. They accuse the page of misquoting a study in which the total was cited as only $1 trillion. Currently, standard practice measures the funding status of public pensions in the US under the laughable assumption that every dollar in the pension funds will earn compound returns of 7.75% or 8% per year. That’s the basis for the $1 trillion in unfunded liabilities. If unfunded liabilities are $1.0 trillion under an 8% rate, then they are $3.4 trillion unfunded under a 4% rate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPublic Sector Pensions Are a National Issue

Public Sector Pensions Are a National Issue

"Paul Krugman and Dean Baker took the Washington Post editorial page to task yesterday for stating that unfunded state and local pension liabilities amounted to $3.8 trillion. They accuse the page of misquoting a study in which the total was cited as only $1 trillion. Currently, standard practice measures the funding status of public pensions in the US under the laughable assumption that every dollar in the pension funds will earn compound returns of 7.75% or 8% per year. That’s the basis for the $1 trillion in unfunded liabilities. If unfunded liabilities are $1.0 trillion under an 8% rate, then they are $3.4 trillion unfunded under a 4% rate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPublic Sector Pensions Are a National Issue