Well, the inevitable has taken place. This morning GM filed for bankruptcy. What was once General Moters is now Government Moters. This was the third largest bankruptcy ever in the U.S. and the largest ever U.S. manufacturing bankruptcy¹. The once mighty GM, a once solid blue-chip stock, now doesn’t even have a ticker on the NYSE and is owned by the American government. In a move very similar to the one that ensured the destruction of British auto manufacturing ², GM is now a nationalized company and will receive an additional $30 billion in taxpayers money, bringing the total “buyout” somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 billion. It has now cost the American taxpayers $50 billion to buy a company that is bankrupt and planning to shed at least another 21,000 jobs and sell off all of it’s profitable assets. What a great deal for the taxpayer! A bankrupt company that was bought for far more than it can reasonably ever expect to recoup.

Out of all the ridiculous headlines that I have seen today, this one gets me the most upset because it is a direct assault on my rights. As an American citizen and a defender of the constitution, it appals me to think that any level of government -local, state or federal- would oppose the peaceful gathering of citizens for any peaceful reason without a permit.

Couple Ordered to Stop Holding Bible Study at Home Without Permit ¹

Pastor David Jones and his wife Mary have been told that they cannot invite friends to their San Diego, Calif. home for a Bible study — unless they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego County.

“On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county.”

Whether a person is religious or not, the freedom to assemble is guaranteed on a federal level by the Constitution of the United States and guaranteed in this case by the California State Constitution.

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ²

ARTICLE I.

Declaration of Rights.
SECTION 1. All people are by nature free and independent and have
inalienable rights. Among these are enjoying and defending life and
liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing
and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy.

…

Sec. 4. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed in this State…

[emphasis added]

Surely “free exercise” includes the privacy of one’s own home. What if the group rotated houses each week, would they still be required to get a permit? What if they were watching a baseball game each week instead of praying, would that be okay? Or how about if they were getting together to plan a community foodbank? I’ve never heard of a permit for that. I hope the Jones’ do fight this rediculous ruling as far as necessary. I also hope that people realise that thei freedom’s are being attacked relentlessly. This case will set a precedence for what’s to come.

Surprise, Surprise. It is the inevitable! It was inevitable at the beginning of last year when GM was looking for a taxpayer handout. The company has lost over $70 billion in the past three years, the government’s handout of nearly $20 billion in taxpayer money was simply a ploy to prolong the inevitable and provide a flimsy excuse to take a portion of the company. The media wants to lay the blame for bankruptcy at the feet of the bondholders who rejected GM’s weak offer of 10% of the company while carrying nearly 50% of the debt. That stake is less than the government’s stake and less than the UAW’s stake. It’s like doing most of the work and getting the least pay. I don’t blame them for saying “no way, not even close”.

So where does this put taxpayers and their $20 billion contribution? Out cold.

1. GM bankruptcy would be risky, but looks likely

2. GM bondholders balk at plan; bankruptcy now likely

As we continue the never ending effort to “save the world from global warming”, we are now supposed to paint our roofs white. This will of course greatly reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the amount of energy our homes need for heating and cooling.

US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday the Obama administration wanted to paint roofs an energy-reflecting white, as he took part in a climate change symposium in London.

Fortunately, scientists have also developed other energy reflecting colors for those who may not like white.

For people who found white hard on the eye, scientists had also developed “cool colours” which looked to the human eye like normal ones, but reflect heat like pale colours even if they are darker shades.

Wow, they thought of everything.

1. US wants to paint the world white to save energy

There’s something wrong with the world when a man can hide under a Bud Light box and hold up a convenience store for a few packs of smokes.

Police in Nebraska are looking a man who stole cigarettes while disguising himself with a beer carton on his head.

Lincoln police Capt. Bob Kawamoto says the man walked into a Kwik Shop convenience store before dawn Monday wearing an empty Bud Light box on his head as a mask.

…

Police said the bandit left with nine packs of smokes valued at nearly $50.

Police spokeswoman Katie Flood said Tuesday morning that the robbery was captured on video. She said the man also dropped the empty 12-pack box as he fled, and it will be checked for fingerprints.

1. Cigarette bandit wore a beer carton as disguise

The U.N. Security Council swiftly condemned North Korea’s nuclear test on Monday as “a clear violation” of a 2006 resolution and said it will start work immediately on another one that could result in new sanctions against the reclusive nation.

In clear defiance of  U.N. sanctions, North Korea has continued to test its nuclear weapons program. Russian defense experts have estimated that the explosion was between 10 and 20 kilotons which was much more powerful than the 1 kiloton bomb tested by the North in 2006. The resulting blast was as large as the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima to end World War II. The resulting earthquake measured 4.5 on the Richter scale and was followed by a launch of several short range ballistic missiles.

The United Nations security council has again demanded that Pyongyang end his nuclear program and return to six-party talks with China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the United States. According to the Russian U.N. Ambasador and Security Council president, this initial response is only the beginning, but it is too early to give any specific information on what will be done. “The members of the Security Council have decided to start work immediately on a Security Council resolution on this matter,” he said, and U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the 15-member council agreed that work on the new resolution will begin Tuesday. “What we heard today was swift, clear, unequivocal condemnation and opposition to what occurred,” she said.

The problem is, this is almost identical to what happened in earlier this year when North Korea tested it’s long range ballistic missiles. Rice and others called for the U.N. Security Council to make a “strong and unified” action to “denuclearize” the Korean peninsula and make it clear “that we will not stand for violations of international law… [and] that there will be consequences.”

The fact is, a North Korea that has nuclear weapons is a hugely destabilizing factor for the region and a potential world wide disaster as Pyongyang will undoubtedly market the devastating technology that he now clearly posesses. Though China and Russia have condemned today’s actions, are they really serious enough about it to enforce any sanctions that the U.N. imposes? So far they haven’t been, why would they start now?

1. UN Security Council condemns NKorea nuke test

2. George’s Bottom Line

Well here we are again. We’re going to give this one more shot.