Well, That Would Explain The Absence Of Pictures...

From the WSJ:

Professor Hired for Outreach to Muslims Delivers a Jolt

Islamic Theologian's Theory: It's Likely the Prophet Muhammad Never Existed

Yike!  

MÜNSTER, Germany -- Muhammad Sven Kalisch, a Muslim convert and Germany's first professor of Islamic theology, fasts during the Muslim holy month, doesn't like to shake hands with Muslim women and has spent years studying Islamic scripture. Islam, he says, guides his life.

So it came as something of a surprise when Prof. Kalisch announced the fruit of his theological research. His conclusion: The Prophet Muhammad probably never existed.

..."We had no idea he would have ideas like this," says Thomas Bauer, a fellow academic at Münster University who sat on a committee that appointed Prof. Kalisch. "I'm a more orthodox Muslim than he is, and I'm not a Muslim."

Fortunately the professors of Munster have yet to engage in Mormon outreach, so they haven't grappled with Joseph Smith and the golden plates.

When Prof. Kalisch took up his theology chair four years ago, he was seen as proof that modern Western scholarship and Islamic ways can mingle -- and counter the influence of radical preachers in Germany. He was put in charge of a new program at Münster, one of Germany's oldest and most respected universities, to train teachers in state schools to teach Muslim pupils about their faith.

Muslim leaders cheered and joined an advisory board at his Center for Religious Studies. Politicians hailed the appointment as a sign of Germany's readiness to absorb some three million Muslims into mainstream society. But, says Andreas Pinkwart, a minister responsible for higher education in this north German region, "the results are disappointing."

Disappointing for whom?  I'm sure Al Qaeda recruiters are delighted at this latest example of Western perfidy.  Which, on the one hand, is no reason to limit the professor's free and expansive academic inquiry.  On the other hand, one might wonder whether his academic freedom ought to be compromised guided by his funding and mission; my guess is that his university is relying on government funds with the intention of positive Muslim outreach, so it might be hard to explain to an angry Muslim just why this professor's view does not represent the view of the German government.  By way of comparison, let's flash back to the disputes in the States about government-funded art such as "Piss Christ".

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

Funniest thread title of the year.

Minus 17 at Raz today.

[Jane]

I cannot get JOM to load properly. Does anyone else have that problem today?

[Danube of Thought]

Andreas Pinkwart? Is this from the Onion?

[Ranger]

You know, when people said Obama was going to be a re-run of the Carter Administration, I don't think they realized how close to the truth they were:

Supporters of Syrian President Assad attack US embassy

[I R A Darth Aggie]

Has no one called for his head?

No, litteraly, severed and served up on a silver platter.

[Soylent Red]

I hereby issue a fatwa on all of you for giggling at that headline, and denounce my infidel self for snorting at it as well. Down with imperialist infidel Soylent!

Supporters of Syrian President Assad attack US embassy

Clearly the Embassy acted stupidly.

I wonder what Buraq O'pussy will do about it. He's due for a presser in an hour, and I'll bet it never comes up. Much more important work to be done destroying the U.S. economy and putting people out of work.

Hey, I know what we should do about it -let's cut the Defense budget!

[anduril]

Here's a book I read recently that goes into Islamic failure at a philosophical level--the level that's crucial to an understanding of what ails Islam as well as of the ideas that still trouble the West at a fundamental level: The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis. Unfortunately, the author doesn't make that connection--the connection that B16 made at Regensburg (albeit in a cursory manner) and which Etienne Gilson made many decades ago in his classic The Unity of Philosophical Experience. Still, it's inexpensive and offers more of the relevant detail than most books on the subject.

[Ranger]

Via RCP this morning:

No big budget deal? Blame Obama, not Boehner

Lots of very good info. And this I think sums it up:

In short, Obama sees a need for a permanently bigger government and a lot more tax revenue to fund it.

[PD]

No big budget deal? Blame Obama, not Boehner

And I see headlines elsewhere that Obama is challenging Republicans to put for specific details of a plan.

When has *he* come up with details in this whole process? Maybe the jet tax? Even that is just handwaving.

[PD]

put *forth*

[Soylent Red]

And I see headlines elsewhere that Obama is challenging Republicans to put for specific details of a plan.

Republicans should challenge Barry to put forth specific details of a budget.

[anduril]

Fine, since this has become the budget thread, I'll feel free to offer this.

John Tamney, a Libertarian (small "t", Large "T"?) has a review of the much discussed new book Reckless Endangerment, which pins blame for the financial meltdown on Fannie/Freddie, Wall Street and Government. However he finds the explanation simplistic and poorly focused.

The review itself is somewhat disjointed and makes several unjustified logical jumps/misses, but is still a worthwhile read, especially for conservatives. The closing paragraphs are essential:

Of course the biggest problem with Reckless, a book that purports to explain how we got here, is that the greatest driver of the rush to housing wasn’t even mentioned. This won’t trouble the hard right or hard left who will buy the book in droves for it “proving” their suspicions about Democrats and Wall Street, but for those wanting to really understand what happened, they may want to rethink any planned $30 outlays.

The authors would of course have us believe that an unholy alliance of government and Wall Street was the driver of the boom, but the problem with this facile assertion is that skyrocketing home prices in the decade just passed were hardly unique to the United States. Housing boomed in Australia, Spain, and Ireland to name but three non-U.S. countries, plus it roared upward in Canada and England despite the fact that England abolished its mortgage deduction in the ‘80s (on page 3 the authors explained our deduction as a major driver of the boom), and in Canada it’s incredibly difficult to secure a loan to purchase a home.

What’s interesting is that while the authors at the book’s beginning laid out the ”cast of characters” that allegedly brought us to the brink, they oddly left out the man and his Treasury Department that played a bigger role than any of the admittedly worthless people that comprised their cast. Specifically, the authors left out President George W. Bush, and his Treasury Department that reversed the Reagan/Clinton strong-dollar policies in favor of extreme dollar weakness.

As history has regularly shown, from post-WWI Germany, to England and the U.S. in the ‘70s (despite skyrocketing rates of interest), to the decade just completed, when money loses value commodity-like assets including housing tend to rise, particularly in nominal terms. Housing is not gold-like in the sense that gold priced in all currencies tends to rise when currencies decline in value, but the historical correlation between commodity spikes and nominal housing health is very real, and was there during the Bush years for all to see.

Much as housing exploded during the devaluationist presidencies of Nixon and Carter, so did it boom during the Bush years when the dollar declined in value. And the reason the housing boom was global in nature has to do with the sad reality that when we devalue in the United States, it’s always and everywhere a worldwide event. Though the Euro, Aussie and Canadian dollars and the British Pound all rose against the greenback during Bush’s presidency, those increases masked the fact that the aforementioned currencies were in rapid decline against the most credible measure of value we have in the world: gold.

Morgenson and Rosner would have a point if the housing mania had been endemic to the United States, but with housing in nominal terms having skyrocketed around the world, we must look to currency policy for the answer. The dollar’s decline began not long after Bush reached office, and the dollar’s fall led to a decline in the value of nearly every other foreign currency, thus exporting our housing mania to the world. History merely repeated itself, though Reckless completely glossed over a global decline in the value of money that has always led to recessionary housing booms.

The strange thing is that not only was President Bush left out of the authors’ cast, but the book was mostly laudatory of a Bush administration that began casting a skeptical light on Fannie and Freddie early on. That the Bush administration did in fact look more askance at the GSEs that animate Reckless doesn’t erase the greater truth that absent a falling dollar that helped boost nominal home prices for a time (and which still props up their nominal value today), there’s no rush to housing during the Bush years, no subsequent market moderation for Washington to turn into a crisis, and there’s arguably no President Obama.

So while Reckless has some good facts, and some very damning quotes uttered by some extraordinarily objectionable people, it ultimately misses the mark and will only succeed insofar as it inflames the partisan extremes even more. In short, readers must continue to wait for the book that offers the true explanation of how we got here; an explanation that isn’t credibly found in Morgenson and Rosner’s Reckless.

[Clarice]

Perhaps we could fix professor Kalisch up with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

When the history of this era is written up it will be as comedy.

[Captain Hate]

There's nothing wrong in Syria that sending a Predator suppository for the chinless opthalmologist wouldn't cure.

[Thomas Collins]

I guess bunkerbuster was justified after all when he or she chided us for referring to adherents of Islam as Mohammedans. :-))

[Captain Hate]

Laura Ingraham is playing clips of tax genius Chollie Rangel sounding like Bugs Bunny or Susan Estrich in pontificating on the need for tax increases.

[Ignatz]

Looks like summoning via Beelzebub is being statistically confirmed.
Sorry, all.

[PD]

This darn unintended consequences.

Climate impact threatens biodiesel future in EU

Europe's biodiesel industry could be wiped out by EU plans to tackle the unwanted side effects of biofuel production, after studies showed few climate benefits, four papers obtained by Reuters show.

[BB Key]

Obama is rude. Late again to the presser.

[Captain Hate]

So Muhammad Sven is claiming his child abusing false profit prophet namesake never existed? That should go over well.

[Clarice]

Steyn gives the best short form description of fast and furious and notes it was using stimulus funds to stimulate the Mexican coffin industry:

"Stimulus dollars went to fund one federal agency to buy guns for the paid informants of another federal agency to funnel to foreign criminals in order that the first federal agency might identify the paid informants of the second federal agency."

[Jane]

So I take it no one else is having a problem getting JOM to load.

[Mohammudar Rasullallah.]

Of course the Koran wasn't written by Mohammed, nor did he even exist. It was written by some other fella by the name of Mohammed.
===============

[Captain Hate]

Correct, Jane.

[BB Key]

two minute warning for the President ...... Is the the NFL ?

[Chubby]

Jane, I was reading some posts on a conservative Delphi forum earlty this morning, and two posters were complaining they could not get the forum to load yesterday. I wonder if it might be a browser issue.

[Chubby]

Jane, I was reading some posts on a conservative Delphi forum earlty this morning, and two posters were complaining they could not get the forum to load yesterday. I wonder if it might be a browser issue.

[Extraneus]

Hey, TK.

Report: Children of Foreign Diplomats Enjoy U.S. 'Super Citizen' Status

EXCLUSIVE: The Founding Fathers and drafters of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution may just turn over in their graves if they read a new report by the Center on Immigration Studies that says foreign diplomats are obtaining U.S. birth certificates and Social Security numbers for their newborn children – effectively becoming U.S. citizens. On top of their new status in the world, these children carry an additional perk that most Americans do not have – diplomatic immunity.

[centralcal]

Jane - no problems at home nor at work accessing the site.

Sorry you are having problems.

[Ignatz]

Didn't Wong Kim Ark interpret the 14th Amendment to specifically exclude the children of foreign diplomats as eligible for birthright citizenship?

[Porchlight]

Is Obama ever on time?

[Danube of Thought]

Iggy, they may well have mentioned that exclusion in the course of the opinion (I decline to go read it again), but since Ark himself wasn't the child of foreign diplomats it couldn't be construed as a holding of the case. But I should think the "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" would mean just that.

[DebinNC]

I miss Jane liveblogging King Putt's presser. Another blog claims he said he's extending the Bush tax cuts through 2012. Which is odd, since I thought at the post-Nov. shellacking presser, Obama promised we'd see some fightin' to the death from him next time the issue came up.

[Jim Ryan]

Gaurdian and USA Today headlines: GOP trying to "ban" or "block" energy-efficient light bulbs. No evidence of this in the articles.

[BB Key]

Press Conference ? It is an Army of Strawmen

[Ranger]

Heh... They just ran through a question and answer at the Obamapresser on the radio:

Question (paraphrase): 69% of the American people don't want the debt cealing raised. Is there something you can say to convince them otherwise?

Obama: (paraphrase): Well, people don't know how things work. We professinoals up here know what needs to be done. But if you ask the right question, you'll get the answer that agrees with my goals.

[Danube of Thought]

I think (and certainly hope) the GOP position is that everybody should be free to buy whatever kind of light bulb he chooses, and that manufacturers should be free to meet the demands of the marketplace.

[DebinNC]

"I will not sign a short term debt ceiling deal"

[PD]

Perhaps Muhammad was an imaginary Marine in Iraq?

[Threadkiller]

--"Is Obama ever on time?"--

My wife grew up in Germany. She told me that her older relatives remarked on how Hitler would always show up late to his own speeches. The purpose was to build suspense in the crowd and get them worked into a frenzy.

The campaigner-in-chief seems to still be using that tactic.

[Ignatz]

--GOP trying to "ban" or "block" energy-efficient light bulbs. No evidence of this in the articles.--

Well, practically speaking they are, since no one other than some prius-driving, moonbat, smelly-hippy-type would buy the stupid things voluntarily and that niche of the market is so small and smelly it's an open question whether they would continue to be made at all.

[BB Key]

Presser over. He was about to lose his audience to Rush.......

[Clarice]

Jane, no problem loading JOM.

[Porchlight]

I think that is the GOP position, DoT. As it should be.

[Porchlight]

The campaigner-in-chief seems to still be using that tactic.

You may be right, but I'm not sure it's having the same effect.

[Dave (in MA)]

GOP trying to "ban" or "block" energy-efficient light bulbs

The same mentality that always characterizes reduced spending increases as "cuts".

[Threadkiller]

From Ext's link:

Some may be quick to characterize what is happening as a type of loophole, but Feere says, “it’s a matter of law, and despite Congress’ clear intent to not create a completely universal and automatic birthright citizenship policy, the current application of the Citizenship Clause is so lax that the United States has a de facto universal birthright citizenship policy that denies U.S. citizenship by birth to no one, including children born to foreign diplomats.”

The 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”

As the report points out, there is heated debate over who is entitled to claim citizenship, in particular illegal aliens or temporary visitors, but Feere adds, “there is one thing that everyone engaged in the debate agrees on: children born to foreign diplomats are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and are not to be granted U.S. citizenship.”

I thought "subject to the jurisdiction" was a geographical term. How confusing. Jurisdiction seems to be allegiance based.

Have they been reading congressional record from the drafting of the 14th?

Sen. Lyman Trumbull: The provision is, that "all persons born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens." That means "subject to the complete jurisdiction thereof." What do we mean by "complete jurisdiction thereof?" Not owing allegiance to anybody else. That is what it means.

Sen. Jacob Howard: [I] concur entirely with the honorable Senator from Illinois [Trumbull], in holding that the word "jurisdiction," as here employed, ought to be construed so as to imply a full and complete jurisdiction on the part of the United States, coextensive in all respects with the constitutional power of the United States, whether exercised by Congress, by the executive, or by the judicial department; that is to say, the same jurisdiction in extent and quality as applies to every citizen of the United States now.

Dicta of sorts.

[Want vs Need]

"Renewed concerns that Europe's debt crisis would spread, an increase in Chinese inflation and an impasse in budget talks in Washington converged to jolt investors after Friday's shockingly weak jobs report. The S&P lost its gains for the month, though the Dow and Nasdaq remained modestly in the plus column."

http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=102290906&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281

"Certainty" in the markets is the goal , ostensibly, as Congress
plays Russian Roulette with not only our own markets teetering, but those of other nations.

Is the debt-ceiling debate a proper subject to discuss at JOM?

Just asking...

[Clarice]

threadkiller, I read subject too the jurisdiction in this situation as treating diplomats and foreign civil servants stationed here under special visas as not entitled to citizenship by birth.As far as I know this was always the meaning of that phrase.

[Clarice]

threadkiller, I read subject to the jurisdiction in this situation as treating diplomats and foreign civil servants stationed here under special visas as not entitled to citizenship by birth.As far as I know this was always the meaning of that phrase.

[jimmyk]

I think (and certainly hope) the GOP position is that everybody should be free to buy whatever kind of light bulb he chooses, and that manufacturers should be free to meet the demands of the marketplace.

Can we expand that principle beyond light bulbs? Shower heads, toilets, automobiles (referring to CAFE), the list is endless.

[DrJ]

automobiles (referring to CAFE)

This one is a special pet peeve of mine. Practically it means that the US can have no manufacturer that chooses to limit its product line to consumer trucks. That might be very appropriate for Chrysler, for example.

[rse]

TK @11:54-

I always find it interesting when a book with impeccable research and a recent copyright has been pulled from library shelves.

You start to wonder what useful info does this book contain that someone wants to obscure. An example was Michael Burleigh's fine Sacred Causes from 2007.

In reading about totalitarian regimes, Burleigh's descriptions of the Nazi rallies is striking. It is hard to read about the types of staging and desired effects and not visualize those 2008 rallies. Especially the Denver rally. Some BO choreographer knew his or history and manipulation tactics well. Almost like it was the template.

[cathyf]

Well, practically speaking they are, since no one other than some prius-driving, moonbat, smelly-hippy-type would buy the stupid things voluntarily...

Hey!!! I like them! I have a 100-yr-old house, and the funky look of the CFs is more authentic in my light fixtures than the old boring kind...

They do last longer, too -- in our house in SC we put one in the fixture two stories above the staircase. Replacing it was a terrifying experience on a ladder, and we moved before it had to be replaced again!

[Want vs Need]

Brad DeLong shares your contempt for Me-dia;

Each time I think to myself "Brad, aren't you being too harsh on the national newspapers like the Washington Post?" something happens to make me answer: "No! You are not harsh enough!"

This time it is Lori Montgomery of the Washington Post. Jonathan Bernstein watches the trainwreck:

A plain blog about politics: You Keep Using That Word...: Via Jonathan Cohn... WaPo's Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane say....

Democrats were demanding more than $800 billion in new tax revenue, causing heartburn among the hard-line fiscal conservatives who dominate the House Republican caucus.

Wrong. Fiscal conservatives are deficit hawks. They don't want the federal budget to run a deficit. That's what fiscal conservative has pretty much always meant. Fiscal conservatives do not dominate the House Republican caucus. Fiscal conservatives appear to have virtually no influence with House Republicans. To the contrary: as far as I can tell from their actions, mainstream conservatives just don't believe in the concept of budgets at all these days. If you don't believe in budgets, then you really can't (effectively) care about deficits, no matter how much lip service you give to it. All of which is well within their rights (although at least a bit goofy, given both their anti-deficit rhetoric and the mathematical facts of individual spending and tax decisions).

But it's wrong for objective observers to describe Republicans as fiscal conservatives, when in fact it's Democrats, for better or worse, who appear through their actions to actually care about reducing budget deficits. It's bad reporting by Montgomery and Kane."

So, is the Republican Leadership and Friends best described as 'deficit hawks' lower case, upper case, not at all?

[Jane]

Deb,

I listened but the man is nearly incomprehensible. He slammed the tea party: paraphrasing - "Boehner has constraints due to the last election - those ideas are clearly a joke and he needs to move away from them."

The rest was gooblydegook.

[MarkO]

I simply cannot listen to the man. Worse even than LBJ.

[Threadkiller]

rse, it is troubling. My wife noted this perpetual lateness a long time ago and came to the conclusion that it was part of his rallying tactic.

[MarkO]

Lateness is simply another trait of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. There is nothing remotely unique about this faker.

[Melinda Romanoff]

rse-

Axelrod's a big fan of Goebbels.

[PD]

He's just showin' everyone who's boss.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Want, the thing is that raising taxes isn't actually a solution to the deficit, because the rate of increase in spending is greater than the rate of growth of the economy. So long as that's true, then no tax increase can be a long term solution to the deficit. It's not sufficient, and it's not necessary.

The only solution to the deficit is for the rate of growth in spending to be less than the rate of growth in the economy. That is both necessary and sufficient.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

My son just came in and asked me if I watched "Babblebutt's" press conference.

[Rob Crawford]

He's just showin' everyone who's boss.

Tony Danza?

[Danube of Thought]

TK, those who argue that we should look to congressional "intent," as evidenced by the record of the debates, run smack up against the first rule of statutory construction, namely that where the language is clear and unambiguous, "judicial inquiry is at an end."

If you write plain language that is in conflict with your intent, you live with the consequences. Sens. Trumbull and Howard should have done a more careful job of drafting.

[pagar]

"part of his rallying tactic. "

His lateness is simply another sign that he considers his fellow Americans inferior, IMO. He is the King and no one else (in America) is important.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

So any Tea Party voter is a joke? Not the best way to endear yourself to citizens who vote. Someone needs to tell him the joke's on him.

[Jane]

WEll he's banking that the tea party was a one election deal.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!

[Ignatz]

--Hey!!! I like them!--

Sorry, cathy.
After I wrote that it occurred to me some non birkenstock wearing, granola crunching, person might like them for legitimate reasons.
If you can keep a curly-Q factory running, then more power to ya. Or maybe less, heh.

[Chubby]

I think his chronic lateness is anarchy lite.

[Threadkiller]

--"If you write plain language that is in conflict with your intent,..."--

The 14th:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.

In your anchor baby scenario, does the "plain language" exclude the children of foreign diplomats? Or would you prefer “subject to the jurisdiction” to have two definitions to suit your particular needs?

From Donofrio:

Marbury v. Madison (1803). In that opinion, Chief Justice Marshall stated:

It cannot be presumed that any clause in the constitution is intended to be without effect; and therefore such construction is inadmissible, unless the words require it. (Marbury v. Madison, 1803)

All persons are subject to U.S. legal and territorial jurisdiction while they are in the United States. If the word "jurisdiction", in the 14th Amendment, is interpreted to mean territorial and legal jurisdiction only, then all persons born or naturalized in the United States are automatically under U.S. jurisdiction at the time of their birth or naturalization. This would mean that the phrase, "subject to the jurisdiction thereof," is redundant and without any unique effect.

I bet WKA had something to do with the confusion.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

You know I've had my slip on Birkenstocks for years and they are still the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn. However, I never wear them outside my own backyard anymore, now that I have learned from here that they are some kind of tell on who I am (NOT!), rather than that at some point in my life I was a really sensible shoe shopper, even though they are very expensive.

[rse]

dot-

One thing I run into is state legislators who are unfamiliar with terms of art they believe are just generic terms. I read the statute and immediately recognize what they have done.

I explain and the response is always: "That was not our intent" like that matters now. Happens in both education and health care. Frequently it created a controversy when tried at the federal level so they simply turn to the states.

Legislators also seem to not understand that the Chamber of Commerce wanting something does not make it synonymous with "good for business".

"We worked up this economic plan with the advice of our large established corporate donors" is simply not the path to prosperity for a country or a state. Few politicians know why not.

[MarkO]

More of this stuff: Hold the presses. Catholic at NYT loves book that bashes Popes. Is nothing sacred?

Next? The historicity of Jesus? Good luck.

Faster Pussycat. Kill. Kill.

[Mark Folkestad]

Cathy, the CFLs pose a toxic mercury hazard to everyone if they are not properly disposed of and recycled. You may like them, but unless everyone who uses them follows the rules (hah!) they are a risk to the public. In a year I will be in a place where my neighbors will be at a great enough distance that I wouldn't normally worry about such issues, but if they just dump and break their curly bulbs, the mercury will end up in the sea and I will have a hazard from eating the abundant shellfish, and that resource is a major reason for my settling in SE Alaska.

[Frau Fotogräfin]

Der Spiegel has what seems like a recurrent issue dedicated to the question of whether Jesus actually lived. This seems like the same subject with a few changes. Rev. Pinkwart is a worrywort.

[Frau Fotogräfin]

TK, there's too much confusion; your work will never end. While doing research last week on German immigrants in Iowa during the 1880s, sons born in the U.S. were listed as "natural born" on the WWI draft registrations. For one bureaucrat, at least, you were either foreign born or natural born. Other records across the country might just record citizen, naturalize or alien.
I bet WAK did muddy the waters.

Bent Willie was the master of late arrivals and appearances.

[cathyf]

Yeah, Mark, while I find the whole mercury thing to be a delightful torment for the green luddites, the little secret is that elemental mercury isn't that big a deal, especially in the tiny amounts found in a single bulb. Mercury IS found in the environment, you know. When we were kids and the chemistry teacher brought in the whole beaker of mercury for us to play with, this was relatively safe fun -- as long as you kept it away from the kids who might eat it! As for eating the mercury out of a broken bulb -- you really ought to worry more about the broken glass...

[Frau Steueramt]

ChaCo, didn't Rubio say it with "We need more *taxpayers* and not more taxes"? Obama's 'shared responsibility' is carp.

[Danube of Thought]

In your anchor baby scenario, does the "plain language" exclude the children of foreign diplomats?

For the purpose of deciding the birthright citizenship of all persons born on US soil who are not children of foreign diplomats, the language is as plain and unambiguous as it is possible to be.

For the purpose of deciding the birthright citizenship of the children of foreign diplomats, one has to look to the common law of England. But that is an unusual case, and it does not help your argument against anchor babies at all.

[Melinda Romanoff]

cathyf-

Red Mercury Oxide, a known carcinogen, is one of the nastier off shoots of a CFL break and it's a nightmare to clean up.

I'll post a study, in a sec, about the outgassing the bulbs produce when turned on, such as napthalene.

I hate the damn hypocrisy with these nefarious things.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Here's the Telegraph story on the outgassing.

Still looking for the study.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Here is an excerpt from a Pal2Pal blog post in April 2008 re: twisty bulbs:

More on Twisty Light Bulb Hazards [David Freddoso]

Scientific American explains, in detail, what to do if one of your new congressionally mandated light compact fluorescent bulbs happens to break:

Jim Berlow, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division, recommends starting by opening the windows and stepping outside. “Any problems at all frequently are handled for the most part by quickly ventilating the room,” he says. “Get all the people and pets out of the room for 15 minutes and let the room air out. If you have a central heating system or an HVAC [heating, ventilating and air-conditioning] system, you don’t want it sucking the fumes around, so shut that down.”

The important thing is not to touch the heavy metal (mercury). After airing out the room, the larger pieces of the bulb should be scooped off hard surfaces with stiff paper or cardboard or picked up off carpeted surfaces with gloves to avoid contact. Use sticky tape or duct tape to pick up smaller fragments; then, on hard surfaces, wipe down the area with a damp paper towel or a wet wipe. All materials should be placed in a sealable plastic bag or, even better, in a glass jar with a metal lid.

“If it gets in the jar, that’s pretty good containment,” Berlow states. “We’ve found that the plastic bags actually don’t contain any mercury fumes, so absolutely, if you’ve got the plastic bag, get it outside when you’re done.” Vacuums or brooms should generally be avoided, as they can spread mercury to other parts of the house.

And what if a small child accidentally breaks one and doesn’t know not to touch it or to run around turning off the heat or air conditioner and throwing open the windows? This is nuts. And Congress has mandated these bulbs. 

[MarkO]

Hang on. Everything should be different. It's 7/11/11. It should be our lucky day.

[just another progressive]

Pig-tail fear mongering;

Would someone explain to me why no progressive ideas have any validity without slouching down to regressive ideals and the false
fear of being pushed to reduce our dependance on foreign oil.

Is there any rational justification for insisting on the independence of incandescent light bulbs with 1/4 of the power efficiency?

[PD]

Is there any rational justification for insisting on the independence of incandescent light bulbs with 1/4 of the power efficiency?

Because to hold otherwise is to implicitly agree to the premise that the government be able to dictate to you what you do in the privacy of your own home?

Would you agree to that if we substitute "home" for, say, "bedroom"?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Is there any rational justification for putting people out of work here with plant closings and sending light bulb manufacturing to China?

[PD]

If you want to use CFLs, fine and dandy.

Why do you want other people forced *not* to use them?

[Chubby]

((Why do you want other people forced *not* to use them?))

maybe he enjoys the quality of light that makes people look dead? just an idea

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Or for that matter, any rational justification for forcing people to spend between $3 & $5 for a light bulb when you can buy one for 60 cents that works better and is safer?

[Danube of Thought]

"Is there any rational justification for insisting on the independence of incandescent light bulbs with 1/4 of the power efficiency?"

The use of the word "independence" makes that sentence almost inscrutable to me.

I think each person should be free to purchase and use whatever light bulb he prefers, according to how he values their performance and his money.

[Threadkiller]

I think you skipped a step. In the plain language, how are children of diplomats excluded?

[Jim Ryan]

Each home ought to have a urinal, in addition to a toilet. It would save uncountable gallons of precious water every year. Mandate this NOW.

The fact that Americans won't submit to this idea being imposed upon them by me shows that they are benighted, infantile, conservative Fox News watchers who make their decisions based on fear and do what they are told by their fear mongers. I'm going to turn on Bill Maher tonight and watch the hell out of that show because I'm so disgusted with these people!

[Extraneus]

Hang on. Everything should be different. It's 7/11/11. It should be our lucky day.

Damn, I have to go put on my Slurpee T-shirt! Last time I wore it was election day.

[Extraneus]

Is there any rational justification for not tapping domestic oil or shale reserves, or building 500 more nuclear power plants?

Hint: The answer is "No."

[jimmyk]

Or for that matter, any rational justification for forcing people to spend between $3 & $5 for a light bulb when you can buy one for 60 cents that works better and is safer?

I don't see why not. We willingly went along with being forced to buy certain kinds of toilets, certain kinds of shower heads, certain kinds of cars, all of which don't work as well as the ones we'd prefer. No wonder our rulers got the idea that we are docile sheep. There's your rationale. Ba-a-a-a!

[progressivism not a slur]

"Or for that matter, any rational justification for forcing people to spend between $3 & $5 for a light bulb'

Where do you shop, France?

[PD]

Where do you shop, France?

Why does it matter? Why do you want her forced to buy a particular kind of light bulb?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Walmart: Avg. $4.22 per bulb when not on sale.

An 8-pak of Sylvania incandescent 60w is $2.48 at Lowe's.

Lowe's actually has better prices than Walmart on the CFL bulbs, which surprised me. On sale they are available for between 2.50 and 3.50 per bulb. There is an off brand I've never heard of that works out to about $2 per when bought in a large multi-pak. Even at $2 per, it is a far cry from an 8-pak at $2.48. Pennies count in my world.

Of course, the California sales tax rate is 9.25% as of 2011 and 9.25% of 60c doesn't bring in nearly as much as 9.25% on $2.50. It adds up.

Besides, I hate them. They give a really weird light that is hard to read by and they make everyone look like they died yesterday.

[Threadkiller]

Have you figured out how "subject to the jurisdiction" translates to a penalty for the innocent children of foreign diplomats?