http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/johnlott/ en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:13:40 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418486/posts Last week, the FBI issued its preliminary 2009 crime report, showing that the number of murders in the first half of 2009 decreased 10 percent compared to the first half of 2008. If the trend holds for the remainder of 2009, it will be the single greatest one-year decrease in the number of murders since at least 1960, the earliest year for which national data are available through the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Also, the per capita murder rate for 2009 will be 51 percent lower than the all-time high recorded in 1991, and it will be the lowest rate... NRA-ILA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418486/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:13:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407929/posts For days now, the health care legislation in the Senate has been stalled. Democrats are divided over a proposed amendment that would let consumers buy pharmaceuticals from abroad. During the presidential campaign, Obama promised to allow such purchases. But earlier this year he announced his opposition in return for pharmaceutical companies promising to spend at least $150 million, and possibly as much as $200 million, to push his health care legislation. President Obama obviously faces a dilemma: either he keeps the campaign promise he made to voters or he keep his later promise to drug companies. Passing the proposed drug... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407929/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:19:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407443/posts For days now, the health care legislation in the Senate has been stalled. Democrats are divided over a proposed amendment that would let consumers buy pharmaceuticals from abroad. During the presidential campaign, Obama promised to allow such purchases. But earlier this year he announced his opposition in return for pharmaceutical companies promising to spend at least $150 million, and possibly as much as $200 million, to push his health care legislation. President Obama obviously faces a dilemma: either he keeps the campaign promise he made to voters or he keep his later promise to drug companies. Passing the proposed drug... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407443/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:05:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403458/posts As the Climate-gate controversy continues to grow, amid charges of hiding and manipulating data, and suppressing research by academics who challenge global warming, there is one oft-repeated defense: other independent data-sets all reach the same conclusions. "I think everybody is clear on the science. I think scientists are clear on the science ... I think that this notion that there's some debate . . . on the science is kind of silly," said President Obama's Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, when asked about the president's response to the controversy on Monday. Despite the scandal, Britain's Met, the UK’s National Weather Service,... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403458/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 04:06:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400775/posts Why are global warming advocates so secretive about their data? So far, the spotlight has been on the University of East Anglia and its refusal to release their surface temperature data, by far the most comprehensive long-term worldwide surface data available, but global warming advocates reassure us that this shouldn’t really concern us because some other data sources reportedly show the same thing. Unfortunately, the problem of secretiveness is hardly limited to the University of East Anglia. . . . Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400775/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 05:02:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399423/posts The original $787 billion Stimulus was sold as a jobs bill. Today President Obama will host a "Jobs Summit" and Congress is moving towards passing a second stimulus package. But the first stimulus bill did not work, and there is little reason to believe that a second round will be any more successful. During his weekly radio address on January 10, 2009, Obama promised that the economic stimulus' No. 1 goal was to create 3 to 4 million new jobs over the next two years: "Our first job is to put people back to work . . . ." He... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399423/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 16:44:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398470/posts President Obama's climate czar, Carol M. Browner, and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs might think that Climate-gate is a nonevent, but on Monday Pennsylvania State University announced that it was launching an investigation into the academic conduct of Michael Mann, the school's Director of the Earth System Science Center. And Tuesday, Phil Jones, the director of the Climatic Research Unit at Britain's University of East Anglia, announced that he would stand aside as director while his university conducted an investigation. Dozens of researchers at other institutions could soon face similar investigations. . . . Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398470/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 15:59:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397954/posts President Obama's climate czar, Carol M. Browner, and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs might think that Climate-gate is a nonevent, but on Monday Pennsylvania State University announced that it was launching an investigation into the academic conduct of Michael Mann, the school's Director of the Earth System Science Center. And Tuesday, Phil Jones, the director of the Climatic Research Unit at Britain's University of East Anglia, announced that he would stand aside as director while his university conducted an investigation. Dozens of researchers at other institutions could soon face similar investigations. . . . Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397954/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 22:40:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397309/posts With the Copenhagen climate talks starting next week, climate-gate keeps getting worse. There is no precedent for so many academics engaging in coordinated efforts to distort research for political ends. The problems go well beyond deleting e-mails to prevent their disclosure from a Freedom of Information Act request. The UN claims that “there is ‘virtually no possibility’ of a few scientists” biasing their reports. But it doesn’t just involve a few minor figures: implicated are the most powerful and well placed people in academia -- heads of departments and centers. The Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397309/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 01:46:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394186/posts Computer hackers have obtained 160 megabytes of e-mails from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in England. These e-mails, which have now been confirmed as real, involved many researchers across the globe with ideologically similar advocates around the world. They were brazenly discussing the destruction and hiding of data that did not support global warming claims. The academics here also worked closely with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Professor Phil Jones, the head of the Climate Research Unit, and Professor Michael Mann at Pennsylvania State University, who has been an important scientist in the... FoxNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394186/posts#comment Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:13:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394198/posts Science depends on good quality data. It also relies on replication and sharing data. But the last couple of days have uncovered some shocking revelations. Computer hackers have obtained 160 megabytes of e-mails from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in England. These e-mails, which have now been confirmed as real, involved many researchers across the globe with ideologically similar advocates around the world. They were brazenly discussing the destruction and hiding of data that did not support global warming claims. The academics here also worked closely with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Professor... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394198/posts#comment Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:26:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2393775/posts Science depends on good quality of data. It also relies on replication and sharing data. But the last couple of days have uncovered some shocking revelations. Computer hackers have obtained 160 megabytes of e-mails from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in England. These e-mails, which have now been confirmed as real, involved many researchers across the globe with ideologically similar advocates around the world. They were brazenly discussing the destruction and hiding of data that did not support global warming claims. The academics here also worked closely with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2393775/posts#comment Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:10:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392394/posts Most of the media hate Sarah Palin. Given the hyperfocused offensive targeted at her, the simple conclusion is that the left-wing establishment views the former Alaska governor as the greatest threat to the current Democratic monopoly on power in Washington. Certainly Mrs. Palin's book tour is generating a lot of enthusiasm across the country, with thousands of admirers flocking to each stop. The book itself, "Going Rogue," was locked in at No. 1 on best-seller lists for weeks before it was officially available for sale. Mrs. Palin's appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" attracted the largest audience the program has... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392394/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:01:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390777/posts Merchant ships need guns to fight pirates. Seven months ago, Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama and held its captain hostage. Pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama again this week but were repulsed because the Maersk Shipping Line put armed guards on its ships. Pirates successfully attacked another unarmed ship on Monday, leaving 28 members of its crew dead. On Tuesday, 36 crew members of a Spanish ship were released only after pirates were paid a $3.3 million ransom. But when the pirates got within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama, the ship tried evasive maneuvers and its security team successfully... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390777/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:20:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390794/posts President Obama and his flacks constantly have claimed that the government's $787 billion stimulus package has created or saved hundreds of thousands of jobs. The numbers don't back up the claim. In fact, the numbers don't clarify anything. For example, on Oct. 30, Mr. Obama claimed the massive government spending program had already created or saved 640,239 jobs. California supposedly saved the most jobs, with 110,185 rescued workers. But this job "creation" involves some very creative accounting. The 110,185 number does not reflect new jobs or even jobs that likely would have been lost, according to the Sacramento Bee. About... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390794/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384590/posts It is hard to believe that we don't trust soldiers with guns on an army base when we trust these very same men in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shouldn't an army base be the last place where a terrorist should be able to shoot at people uninterrupted for 10 minutes? After all, an army base is filled with soldiers who carry guns, right? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Beginning in March 1993, under the Clinton administration, the army forbids military personnel from carrying their own personal firearms and mandates that "a credible and specific threat against [Department of the Army]... foxnews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384590/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:48:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383845/posts Time after time, public murder sprees occur in "gun-free zones" - public places where citizens are not legally able to carry guns. The list is long, including massacres at Virginia Tech and Columbine High School along with many less deadly attacks. Last week's slaughter at Fort Hood Army base in Texas was no different - except that one man bears responsibility for the ugly reality that the men and women charged with defending America were deliberately left defenseless when a terrorist opened fire. The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383845/posts#comment Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:19:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383570/posts Shouldn't an army base be the last place where a terrorist should be able to shoot at people uninterrupted for 10 minutes? After all, an army base is filled with soldiers who carry guns, right? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Beginning in March 1993, under the Clinton administration, the army forbids military personnel from carrying their own personal firearms and mandates that "a credible and specific threat against [Department of the Army] personnel [exist] in that region" before military personnel "may be authorized to carry firearms for personal protection." Indeed, most military bases have relatively few military police as... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383570/posts#comment Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:44:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383569/posts This wasn't supposed to happen. At the end of February, after the $787 billion stimulus was approved, the Obama administration predicted that unemployment would average only 8.1 percent this year. Indeed, in February the unemployment rate stood at 8.1 percent. Yet, unemployment now stands at 10.2 percent and keeps rising. There is also another, wider unemployment measure seldom mentioned. When you count the unemployed who have become so discouraged that they have given up looking for work or have only accepted a part-time job, our country now has an unemployment rate that stands at a staggering 17.5 percent. Confirming these... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383569/posts#comment Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:42:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2368643/posts The Obama administration claims that it was their passage of massive government spending that saved the United States from another Great Depression. Last week, Larry Summers, Obama's top economic adviser, claimed that because of the stimulus: "We have walked a substantial distance back from the economic abyss and are on the path toward economic recovery. Most importantly, we have seen a substantial change in the trend of job loss." And Vice President Biden declared at the end of September: "In my wildest dreams, I never thought it [the stimulus] would work this well." As President Obama and other Democrats have... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2368643/posts#comment Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:20:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362921/posts With the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching 10,000, Americans are feeling wealthier. Unfortunately, roughly a third of the increase simply reflects the falling dollar, that American goods and assets are becoming cheaper to the rest of the world. Just as a lower dollar makes it more attractive for foreigners to buy American goods, it also makes it a better deal for foreigners to buy stock in American companies. Over the course of this year, as the value of the dollar rose until the beginning of March, the stock market fell. As the dollar fell during the rest of the year,... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362921/posts#comment Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:46:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2360794/posts What if you, and every member of your family, had the chance to save $4,000 each?. Would you be interested? Under the terms of what's being called "the Baucus bill" -- Washington-speak for the bill the Senate Finance Committee will vote on tomorrow -- that is how much you could save by dropping your health insurance. People might have thought that health care reform would lead to an increase in the number of people getting health insurance coverage. Indeed, the Congressional Budget Office claims the Senate Finance Committee's health care bill will reduce the number of uninsured in 2019 by... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2360794/posts#comment Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:03:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358107/posts We spend one-and-a-half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren't any healthier for it. -- President Obama in his address to a joint session of Congress on health care on September 9, 2009. If you were seriously ill, what country would you want to be in? That seems like the simple question for comparing health care in different countries. But the numbers being offered by the administration aren't any more useful in answering that question than they were about comparing the cost of health care across countries. . . . Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358107/posts#comment Fri, 9 Oct 2009 03:36:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346943/posts A number frequently tossed around is that a 1/6th of our nation's income is spent on health care. That number comes from $2.2 trillion in reported health care spending out of an almost $14 trillion economy. The President cites those statistics as evidence that the government needs to step in and keep health care spending under control. Yet, there are problems with both claims: The health care costs used in the debate have been inflated by double counting and further distorted by price controls, and the recent growth in US health care expenditures has actually been less than in countries... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346943/posts#comment Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:25:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346838/posts "Then there's the problem of rising costs. We spend one-and-a-half times more per person on health care than any other country . . . . health care represents one-sixth of our economy . . . Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it most. And more will die as a result." -- President Obama in his address to a joint session of Congress on health care on September 9, 2009.... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346838/posts#comment Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:18:33 GMT