Jennifer Rubin’s Questions for Obama

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/obama-debate-questions/2012/09/27/cf08656e-0890-11e2-a10c-fa5a255a9258_blog.html

 

If Iran is much closer to getting a bomb than when you took office, isn’t your Iran policy a failure?

After insisting on a settlement freeze and showing more daylight between the United States and Israel, there are no bilateral talks ongoing, and the Palestinian Authority has gone to the United Nations for a unilateral declaration. So isn’t your approach to the peace process a failure? And why is it you haven’t cut off U.S. aid to the Fatah-Hamas government?

China is more aggressive in Asia and more repressive internally than four years ago, so isn’t your China policy a failure?

You told Elie Wiesel and others at the Holocaust remembrance ceremony that you would do everything possible to help the Syrians, but 20,000 are dead and Assad is still in power, so isn’t your Syria policy a failure?

After Sept. 11, 2001, there were no terrorist attacks on the United States, but during your administration there have been the jihad-inspired Fort Hood massacre and the killing of four Americans in Libya, so isn’t your anti-terror record worse than Bush’s?

A new book documents “the Obama administration’s failed effort to negotiate terms for the long-planned-for stay-behind military force” and accuses you of failing to “engage in effective personal diplomacy at crunch time” and your administration of engaging in “wild over-confidence” and “paralyzed by infighting and poisonous civil-military relations.” Wasn’t the inability to negotiate a new status of forces agreement another significant failure on your part?

Then there is domestic policy. Here, aides should be preparing Obama for these sorts of queries:

Why is the recovery under your presidency worse than any other recovery since WWII?

You had big majorities in the Congress for the first two years, yet you did not pursue immigration reform, entitlement reform or tax reform. Why?

The public, by significant majorities, doesn’t like your health-care reform, Congressional Budget Office updates show it does not adhere to your promise not to add “one dime” to the deficit, and the CBO also reports that some 6 million Americans, including those making well below $200,000, will be hit by the statute’s tax, so why shouldn’t the statute be changed or repealed?

If you can decide not to enforce all of our immigration laws or amend the welfare work laws without Congress, why couldn’t a President Romney decide not to enforce Obamacare or parts of the IRS code?

The Associated Press reports: “A survey of U.S. chief executives shows a sharp drop in the number of large companies that plan to add jobs or hire more workers. . . . CEOs are worried about the impact of budget cuts and tax increases that are set to take effect at the start of next year.” Was it a mistake not to take up Congress’s offer to deal with the fiscal cliff earlier in the year?

In 2010 you agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts when the economy was growing more than it is now. If tax hikes are anti-stimulative, why not extend the cuts again?

'"The 5-minute ENEGY Blog: OIL PRICE 'MYSTERY'"

 

Read this if you want to understand how oil is priced …

http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/g/aca17109-d957-4ea5-94d4-3c061b3cf723 

“Today, private sector major oil companies no longer control very much of the world’s oil production.    Many majors like Mobil and Texaco no longer even exist.  Aramco is controlled by the Saudi government.  An estimated 85% of the world’s reserves are now controlled by governments.  And, more directly applicable to oil pricing, oil prices are now determined by an open market exchange, the NYMEX.

So next time you hear about Congressional hearings, or a pin-headed commentator railing against Big Oil raising prices think “85% of the world’s reserves are controlled by governments and the price is set by the market via NYMEX” and you will know all that’s needed.  Using a major oil company as a whipping boy for price increases is about thirty years out of date. “

In Charlotte, Dems raise a prayer to Big Government

From a blog  - Washington Examiner

Democrats, Republicans and God …

 

Sometimes," Paul Ryan said last Wednesday night in Tampa, Fla., "even presidents need reminding that our rights come from nature and God, not from government."

President Obama sure could have used some of that reminding before he first signed off on the Democratic Party's 2012 platform. The Democrats eliminated any reference to God in the initial version of their official policy document. The Almighty was only restored late Wednesday after unfavorable media coverage. It came in a chaotic, controversial, and clearly undemocratic floor vote that was a last-minute effort to control public relations damage. (The vote also restored language confirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.) Both the dissension and the original omission are unsurprising, given how much the Democratic Party has changed in the last ten years.

In 2000, Gallup asked respondents from each party how often they went to church. Thirty-three percent of Republicans and Democrats said they attended church services weekly. Only 33 percent of Republicans and 35 percent of Democrats said they seldom or never attended.

Fast-forward to the same Gallup poll in 2011. Republican church attendance is actually up, with 40 percent attending services weekly. Democratic weekly attendance is slightly down, to 27 percent. But the percentage of Democrats who never attend church has skyrocketed. The majority of Democrats, 52 percent, told Gallup they never go to church.

Even so, the spiritual needs of non-churchgoing Democrats did not disappear into the ether. Like all humans, they still have an innate need to belong to a larger group, to submit to a higher purpose.

Hence the video that kicked off the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, which included the line "government is the only thing we all belong to." After Mitt Romney immediately tweeted out a response, "We don't belong to government, the government belongs to us," the Obama campaign tried to disavow all knowledge of the video, claiming it was created and produced by the Charlotte host committee, not the Obama campaign or the Democratic National Committee.

But the damage was already done. The video was clearly produced by Democrats, for Democrats, and it is a perfect representation of the party's increasingly secular worldview.

If our rights come from government, not God, then government can always redefine them. As Cass Sunstein wrote in his book "The Second Bill of Rights," "Even the people who most loudly denounce government interference depend on it every day. Their own rights do not come from minimizing government, but are a product of government."

Or, as Obama put it more pithily, when lamenting small-business owners' reluctance to pay higher taxes, "You didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

Bath, England

Back in April, I had a business trip to London. Lauri came with me as her “bucket list” included High Tea at Kennsington Palace. In spite of the rain and being ringing wet, she enjoyed the Tea. One evening we went to see Phantom of the Opera and thoroughly enjoyed it. We tacked on a couple of days to visit the Cotswolds. We took the train from London Paddington to Bath. What a delightful trip – Bath, Stonehenge, Bourton-on-the-Water! The pictures below are of Bath.

The city was first established as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans sometime in the AD 60s about 20 years after they had arrived in Britain (AD43), although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before then.[3] They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs.[4] Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973.[5] Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.

At one time, the city collected taxes based on the number of fireplaces. When home owners refused to allow tax collectors to count, the city changed to windows – the windows tax. Of course, there was splitting of hairs … What constitutes a window – are two glass panes separated by 12 inches of stone one window or two. The answer is one. Therefore, you will see some windows “stoned up” and others moved closer together. Look for the “Window Tax” photo.

Great place to visit! (future pictures to include Stonehenge and Bourton-on-the-Water)

How the US Election Will Be Framed

http://keithhennessey.com/2012/08/11/campaign-ryan-budget/

Micro vs. macro framing – The Obama campaign and its allies will focus on micro-issues, telling horror stories of cuts to specific popular government programs. This dovetails with their constituency-based messaging so far.  The Romney-Ryan campaign should try to zoom out and highlight (1) the macro effects of the unsustainable current/Obama spending path and (2) the irresponsibility of President Obama’s refusal to propose a long-term fiscal solution and his legislative party’s refusal to pass a budget. Team Obama will highlight the pain the Ryan budget would cause to targeted constituencies. Team Romney-Ryan needs to explain that the Obama budget and a failure to govern would lead to economic disaster for everyone.

Bogus spending cut numbers – Every “cut program X by Y%” quote about the Ryan budget will be relative to an unsustainable spending path. The irresponsible part isn’t the proposed spending cut, it’s the promise to keep spending growth going without specifying how you’ll pay for it. If President Obama were proposing tax increases to match his future spending growth, then this would be a fair attack.  But he is not.

Don’t forget the facts.  In March I compared the deficit and debt effects of President Obama’s budget proposal with Chairman Ryan’s in both the short and long run. Here are the conclusions from those posts.

Short run comparison (10 years)

• In the short run the Ryan budget proposes lower deficits and less debt than President Obama’s budget.
• Under the Ryan budget debt would peak at 77.6% of the economy in 2014. Under the President’s budget, debt would peak at 80.4% of the economy in that same year.
• The Ryan budget would cause debt to steadily decline to 62.3% of GDP by the end of the decade.  Under the Obama budget debt would flatten out by 2018 and end the decade at 76.3% of GDP, 14 percentage points higher than under the Ryan budget.
• At the end of 10 years, debt would be declining relative to the economy under the Ryan budget, while it would be flat under the President’s budget.
• For comparison the pre-crisis (1960-2007) average debt/GDP was 36.3%.

Long run comparison

• Chairman Ryan proposes stable deficits of a bit over 1% of GDP, below the historic average deficit, followed by a gradual path to balance and eventually to surplus.
• President Obama’s budget would result in deficits that are always greater than the historic average, and that would cause debt/GDP to increase again beginning about 10 years from now.
• President Obama’s proposed deficit path is unsustainable. Our economy can tolerate high and even very high deficits for a short time. High and steadily rising deficits like those in the President’s budget cannot be sustained. Something in the economy will break.
• Chairman Ryan’s plan would result in debt/GDP steadily declining over time. It would take decades to return to a pre-crisis average.
• President Obama’s plan would result in debt/GDP stabilizing by the end of this decade, then growing steadily and forever thereafter. At some point, and no one knows when, that growing debt becomes unsustainable.  If we’re lucky the resulting economic decline is gradual. If not, we have a financial crisis.

http://keithhennessey.com/2012/08/11/campaign-ryan-budget/

Jobs–The Best Social Program

from Mort Zuckerman

 

What we have been living through is a breakdown of the great American jobs machine. Jobs have long been the best social program, the best economic program, and the best family program in America. No longer. The jobs are not there. Unemployment today is the worst since the Great Depression….

 

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2012/07/30/mort-zuckerman-under-obama-the-new-american-dream-is-a-job

Last Stop - Sevilla

Our last stop on our Spanish tour was Sevilla, Spain. We packed up early Thursday morning and took the fast train down to Sevilla – about a 3 hour ride. Weather was ok … on Friday evening, we took the train back to Madrid to fly back to the States. Me to work and Lauri to play with the granddaughter – Camryn.

Seville is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, Spain. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman name of the city, Hispalis.

Seville is the fourth largest city of Spain with a municipal population of about 703,000 as of 2011, and a metropolitan population (including satellite towns) of about 1.2 million, making it the 31st most populous municipality in the European Union. Its Old Town is one of the three largest in Europe along with Venice and Genoa (covering almost four square kilometers), which includes three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies). The Seville harbor, located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain.
The Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold) next to the Guadalquivir

Seville was founded as the Roman city of Hispalis. In al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) the city was first the seat of a cora, or territory, of the Caliphate of Córdoba, then made capital of the Taifa, which was incorporated into the Christian Kingdom of Castile under Ferdinand III. After the discovery of the Americas, Seville became one of the economic centres of the Spanish Empire as its port monopolised the trans-oceanic trade and the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) wielded its power, opening a Golden Age of arts and letters. It was the place of departure of the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Coinciding with the Baroque period of European history, the 17th century in Seville represented the most brilliant flowering of the city's culture; then began a gradual economic and demographic decline as navigation of the Guadalquivir River became increasingly difficult until finally the trade monopoly and its institutions were transferred to Cádiz.

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (Spanish: Catedral de Santa María de la Sede), better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville (Andalusia, Spain). It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world. After its completion in the early 16th century, Seville Cathedral supplanted Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral in the world, a title the Byzantine church had held for nearly a thousand years. The cathedral also serves as the burial site of Christopher Columbus.[2] The Archbishop's Palace is located on the northeastern side of the cathedral. The cathedral was built to demonstrate Seville's wealth, as it had become a major trading center in the years after the Reconquista in 1248. In July 1401 it was decided to build a new temple, as the ancient Muslim mosque was in bad shape after a 1356 earthquake. According to the oral tradition of Seville, the decision of members of the chapter was: "Let a church so beautiful and so great that those who see it built will think we were mad". According to the minutes of that day, the new church should be: "a work such as good, which like no other." Construction began in 1402; it continued until 1506. Church workers gave half their salaries to pay for architects, builders and other expenses. Five years after construction ended, in 1511, the dome collapsed and work on the cathedral re-commenced. The dome again collapsed in 1888, and work was still being performed on the dome until at least 1903.[3] The 1888 collapse occurred due to an earthquake and resulted in the destruction of "every precious object below" the dome at that time. The interior has the longest nave in Spain. Its central nave rises to a height of 42 metres and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. In the main body of the cathedral, only the great boxlike structure of the choir stands out, filling the central portion of the nave. It is also dominated by a vast Gothic retablo of carved scenes from the life of Christ. The altarpiece was the lifetime work of a single craftsman, Pierre Dancart.

Next stop, Toledo

Continuing our Spain trip, we took a day trip to Toledo.

Toledo (pronounced: [toˈleðo];) is a municipality located in central Spain, 70 km (40miles) south of Madrid. It is the capital of the province of Toledo. It is also the capital of autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage as one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire and place of coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures, as well as the place where harsh religious persecutions were held against the Jews by the Visigoths.

Many famous people and artists were born or lived in Toledo, including Al-Zarqali, Garcilaso de la Vega, Eleanor of Toledo, Alfonso X and El Greco. It was also the place of important historic events such as the Visigothic Councils of Toledo. As of 2010, the city has a population of 82,489 and an area of 232.1 km2 (89.6 sq mi).

The old city is located on a mountaintop with a 150 degree view, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the Tagus River, and contains many historical sites, including the Alcázar, the cathedral (the primate church of Spain), and the Zocodover, a central market place.

From the 4th century to the 16th century about thirty synods were held at Toledo. The earliest, directed against Priscillian, assembled in 400. At the synod of 589 the Visigothic King Reccared declared his conversion from Arianism; the synod of 633 decreed uniformity of liturgy throughout the Visigothic kingdom and took stringent measures against baptized Jews who had relapsed into their former faith. Other councils forbade circumcision, Jewish rites and observance of the Sabbath and festivals. Throughout the seventh century, Jews were flogged, executed, had their property confiscated, were subjected to ruinous taxes, forbidden to trade and, at times, dragged to the baptismal font.[7] The council of 681 assured to the archbishop of Toledo the primacy of Spain. At Guadamur, very close to Toledo, was dug in 1858 the Treasure of Guarrazar, the best example of Visigothic art in Spain.

As nearly one hundred early canons of Toledo found a place in the Decretum Gratiani, they exerted an important influence on the development of ecclesiastical law. The synod of 1565–1566 concerned itself with the execution of the decrees of the Council of Trent; and the last council held at Toledo, 1582–1583, was guided in detail by Philip II.

Toledo was famed for religious tolerance and had large communities of Muslims and Jews until they were expelled from Spain in 1492 (Jews) and 1502 (Muslims). Today's city contains the religious monuments the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, the Synagogue of El Transito, Mosque of Cristo de la Luz and the church of San Sebastián dating from before the expulsion, still maintained in good condition. Among Ladino-speaking Sephardi Jews, in their various diasporas, the family name Toledano is still prevalent—indicating an ancestry traced back to this city (the name is also attested among non-Jews in various Spanish-speaking countries).

In the 13th century, Toledo was a major cultural center under the guidance of Alfonso X, called "El Sabio" ("the Wise") for his love of learning. The Toledo School of Translators, that had commenced under Archbishop Raymond of Toledo, continued to bring vast stores of knowledge to Europe by rendering great academic and philosophical works in Arabic into Latin. The Palacio de Galiana, built in the Mudéjar style, is one of the monuments that remain from that period.

The Cathedral of Toledo (Catedral de Toledo) was built between 1226–1493 and modeled after the Bourges Cathedral, though it also combines some characteristics of the Mudéjar style. It is remarkable for its incorporation of light and features the Baroque altar called El Transparente, several stories high, with fantastic figures of stucco, paintings, bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble, a masterpiece of medieval mixed media by Narciso Tomé topped by the daily effect for just a few minutes of a shaft of light from which this feature of the cathedral derives its name. Two notable bridges secured access to Toledo across the Tajo, the Alcántara bridge and the later built San Martín bridge.

The Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes is a Franciscan monastery, built 1477-1504, in a remarkable combination of Gothic-Spanish-Flemish style with Mudéjar ornamentation.

Toledo was home to El Greco for the latter part of his life, and is the subject of some of his most famous paintings, including The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, exhibited in the Church of Santo Tomé.

When Philip II moved the royal court from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the old city went into a slow decline from which it never recovered.

THE UK (USA) TAX SYSTEM EXPLAINED IN BEER

(from a US standpoint, remember that only half the population pays income taxes …)

Suppose that once a week, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to £100.  If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay £1.
The sixth would pay £3.
The seventh would pay £7.
The eighth would pay £12.
The ninth would pay £18.
And the tenth man (the richest) would pay £59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every week and seemed quite happy with the arrangement until,  one day, the owner caused them a little problem.

"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your weekly beer  by £20.”

Drinks for the ten men would now cost just £80
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected.  They would still drink for free but what about the other six men?
The paying customers?  How could they divide the £20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
They realised that £20 divided by six is £3.33  but if they subtracted that from everybody's share  then not only would the first four men still be drinking for free but the fifth and sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fairer to reduce each man's bill by a higher percentage.

They decided to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
And so, the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (a 100% saving).
The sixth man now paid £2 instead of £3 (a 33% saving).
The seventh man now paid £5 instead of £7 (a 28% saving).
The eighth man now paid £9 instead of £12 (a 25% saving).
The ninth man now paid £14 instead of £18 (a 22% saving).
And the tenth man now paid £49 instead of £59 (a 16% saving).
Each of the last six was better off than before with the first four continuing to drink for free.
But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got £1 out of the £20 saving," declared the sixth man.
He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got £10"

"Yes, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man
.
"I only saved £1 too. It's unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me.
"That's true" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get £10 back, when I only got £2? The wealthy get all the breaks".
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get anything at all.  This new tax system exploits the poor"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next week the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had their beers without him.
But when it came time to pay the bill,  they discovered something important -  they didn't have enough money between all of them to pay for even half of the bill.
And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works.

The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction.

Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy  and they just might not show up anymore.
In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of Economics.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible

More Madrid

Continuing our exploration of Madrid …

The Palacio Real de Madrid (The Royal Palace of Madrid) is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family in the city of Madrid, but it is only used for state ceremonies. King Juan Carlos and the Royal Family do not reside in the palace, choosing instead the more modest Palacio de la Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid. The palace is owned by the Spanish State and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional, a public agency of the Ministry of the Presidency. The palace is located on Calle de Bailén (Bailén Street), in the Western part of downtown Madrid, East of the Manzanares River, and is accessible from the Ópera metro station. The palace is partially open to public, except when it is being used for official business.

In Spanish it is sometimes incorrectly called "Palacio de Oriente" by confusion with the "Plaza de Oriente", the square which is on the East (Oriental) side of the palace.

The palace is on the site of a 9th-century fortress, called mayrit, constructed as an outpost by Muhammad I of Córdoba and inherited after 1036 by the independent Moorish Taifa of Toledo. After Madrid fell to Alfonso VI of Castile in 1085, the edifice was only rarely used by the kings of Castile. In 1329, King Alfonso XI of Castile convoked the cortes of Madrid for the first time. Philip II moved his court to Madrid in 1561.

The old Alcázar ("Castle") was built on the location in the 16th century. It burned down on December 24, 1734; King Philip V ordered a new palace built on the same location. Construction spanned the years 1738 to 1755^[2] and followed a Berniniesque design by Filippo Juvarra and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in cooperation with Ventura Rodríguez, Francesco Sabatini, and Martín Sarmiento. The new palace was occupied by Charles III in 1764.

The last monarch who lived continuously in the palace was Alfonso XIII, although Manuel Azaña, president of the Second Republic, also inhabited on it, making him the last head of state to do so. During that period the palace was known as "Palacio Nacional". There is still a room next to the Real Capilla, which is known by the name "Office of Azaña".

The palace has 135,000 square metres (1,450,000 sq ft) of floorspace and contains 2800 rooms.^{[3] [4]}It is the largest palace in Europe by floor area. The interior of the palace is notable for its wealth of art, in regards to the use of all kinds of fine materials in its construction and the decoration of its rooms with artwork of all kinds, including paintings by artists such as Caravaggio, Velázquez and Francisco de Goya and frescoes by Corrado Giaquinto, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Anton Raphael Mengs. Other collections of great historical and artistic importance that are preserved in the building are the Royal Armoury, Porcelain, Watches, Furniture and Silverware.

The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of Spanish art. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture, it also contains important collections of other types of works. A new, recently opened wing enlarged the display area by about 400 paintings, and it is currently used mainly for temporary expositions. El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world, and it is considered to be among the greatest museums of art. The large numbers of works by Velázquez and Francisco de Goya (the artist more extensively represented in the collection), Titian, Rubens and Bosch are among the highlights of the collection.

The collection currently comprises around 7,600 paintings, 1,000 sculptures, 4,800 prints and 8,200 drawings, in addition to a large number of other works of art and historic documents. By 2012 the Museum will be displaying about 1300 works in the main buildings, while around 3,100 works are on temporary loan to various museums and official institutions. The remainder are in storage.^[3]

The best-known work on display at the museum is Las Meninas by Velázquez. Velázquez not only provided the Prado with his own works, but his keen eye and sensibility was also responsible for bringing much of the museum's fine collection of Italian masters to Spain.

The Buen Retiro Park (Jardines del Buen Retiro or Parque del Buen Retiro, literally "Gardens" or "Park of the Pleasant Retreat," or simply El Retiro) is the one of the largest parks of the city of Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, when it became a public park.

The Buen Retiro Park is a large and popular 1.4 km² (350 acres) park at the edge of the city center, very close to the Puerta de Alcalá and not far from the Prado Museum. A magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events, it is one of Madrid's premier attractions. The park is entirely surrounded by the present-day city.

Center of gravity in oil world shifts to Americas

My how times have changed … http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/center-of-gravity-in-oil-world-shifts-to-americas/2012/05/25/gJQAjeuVqU_story.html?tid=pm_pop

Destination - Madrid

Our first R&R of 2012 – Madrid! We flew Becka, Cody, and Meg to join us in the Spanish capital at the end of March. We spent the first 4 days in Madrid, followed by taking the train to Toledo, and then the last day in Seville. Weather was cool with blue skies until Friday in Seville with rain showers. Food was excellent and the fellowship was even better.

Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third largest in the European Union after London and Paris.The city spans a total of 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi).

The city is located on the Manzanares river in the centre of the country As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political centre of Spain.

Madrid urban agglomeration has the 3rd largest GDP in the European Union and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, Iberia or Repsol. Madrid is the most touristic city of Spain, the fourth-most touristic of the continent.] and is the 10th most livable city in the world according to Monocle magazine, in its 2010 index. Madrid also ranks among the 12 greenest European cities in 2010.Madrid is currently a Candidate City for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[21]

While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro park, founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; a large number of National museums,and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which completes the shortcomings of the other two museums.

Puerta del Sol

The Puerta del Sol (Spanish for "Gate of the Sun") is one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid. This is the centre (Km 0) of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year. The New Year's celebration has been broadcast live on Television Espanola since December 31, 1962. The Puerta del Sol originated as one of the gates in the city wall that surrounded Madrid in the 15th century. Outside the wall, medieval suburbs began to grow around the Christian Wall of the 12th century. The name of the gate came from the rising sun which decorated the entry, since the gate was oriented to the east. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the area was an important meeting place: as the goal for the couriers coming from abroad and other parts of Spain to the Post Office, it was visited by those eager for the latest news. The stairs to the Saint Philip church at the square were known as the Gradas de San Felipe, and were among the most prolific mentideros de la Corte (this Spanish idiom sounds as "lie-spreaders of the Court", but it is related with the verb mentar, "to say about someone", not mentir, "to lie", so it is more appropriately translated as "places of the City where people buzz about other people").

Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor was built during the Habsburg period and is a central plaza in the city of Madrid, Spain. It is located only a few Spanish blocks away from another famous plaza, the Puerta del Sol. The Plaza Mayor is rectangular in shape, measuring 129 by 94 metres, and is surrounded by three-story residential buildings having 237 breathtaking balconies facing the Plaza. It has a total of nine entranceways. The Casa de la Panadería, serving municipal and cultural functions, dominates the Plaza Mayor. The origins of the Plaza go back to 1576 when Philip I asked Juan de Herrera, a renowned Classical architect, to discuss a plan to remodel the busy and chaotic area of the old o';o0['Plaza del Arrabal. Juan de Herrera was the artist who designed the first project in 1560 to remodel the old Plaza del Arrabal but construction did not start until 1617, during Philip III's reign. The king asked Juan Gómez de Mora to continue with the project, and he finished the porticoes in 1619. Nevertheless, the Plaza Mayor as we know it today is the work of the architect Juan de Villanueva who was given the glorious, albeit difficult task of its reconstruction in 1790 after a series of enormous fires. Giambologna's equestrian statue of Philip III dates to 1616, but it was not placed in the centre of the square until 1848.

Santa María la Real de La Almudena is a Catholic cathedral in Madrid.

When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo; so the new capital – unusually for a Catholic country – had no cathedral. Plans were discussed as early as the 16th century to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena, but construction did not begin until 1879.

The cathedral seems to have been built on the site of a medieval mosque that was destroyed in 1083 when Alfonso VI reconquered Madrid.^[1]

Francisco de Cubas, the Marquis of Cubas, designed and directed the construction in a Gothic revival style. Construction ceased completely during the Spanish Civil War, and the project was abandoned until 1950, when Fernando Chueca Goitia adapted the plans of de Cubas to a baroque exterior to match the grey and white façade of the Palacio Real, which stands directly opposite. The cathedral was not completed until 1993, when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.

Five reasons Congress should act now to stop Taxmageddon

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/18/five-reasons-congress-should-act-now-to-stop-taxmageddon/

posted at 4:45 pm on May 18, 2012 by Rob Bluey

Americans are facing an unprecedented $494 billion tax hike on Jan. 1, 2013. It’s been dubbed “Taxmageddon” given the economic devastation it would cause.

Conventional wisdom suggests lawmakers in Washington will wait until the 11th hour to come up with a solution. Fortunately, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) announced this week he won’t wait for a lame-duck session of Congress. From his speech to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s 2012 Fiscal Summit:

Tax hikes destroy jobs – especially an increase on the magnitude set for January 1st. Small businesses need to plan. We shouldn’t wait until New Year’s Eve to give American job creators the confidence that they aren’t going to get hit with a tax hike on New Year’s Day. Any sudden tax hike would hurt our economy, so this fall – before the election – the House of Representatives will vote to stop the largest tax increase in American history.

The bulk of Taxmageddon comes from expiration of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, but also means the child tax credit will be cut in half, the Alternative Minimum Tax patches end, the Death Tax returns to its 2001 level, and a handful of new Obamacare tax hikes take effect.

Here’s the outlook under different policy scenarios:

If this isn’t enough to scare you, then the prospect of waiting until after the November election should be. Here are five good reasons from Heritage’s J.D. Foster why Congress should act now:

1. Families and small businesses should not be threatened by their own government with a devastating tax hike.
2. A massive tax hike would obviously devastate the economy in 2013 and beyond, but the uncertainty about how, when, and even whether Congress will prevent Taxmageddon is already adding to the large cloud of uncertainties hanging over the economy, threatening to slow job growth even further.
3. Congress has no excuse for threatening families and the economy with this tax hike with the entire summer legislative schedule wide open for business.
4. Many Members of Congress of both parties agree with President Obama on the need for fundamental tax reform. Allowing Taxmageddon to go into effect would raise tax rates while increasing the tax on saving and investment—the opposite of tax reform’s results. Even though positive reforms are extremely unlikely in 2012, Congress can prevent a severe case of sound policy backsliding and create more opportunities for exploring positive options for tax reform in the balance of the year by preventing Taxmageddon quickly.
5. Elections are referendums on past decisions and on the future direction of the country. Voters should be able to judge performance of their Members on more than just vague assurances. Those favoring raising taxes should have the opportunity to vote their beliefs while challengers announce their fidelity to higher taxes, and likewise for those favoring low taxes and limited government. Citizens can vote their beliefs based on solid information.

Conservatives should applaud Boehner for seeking a solution sooner rather than later. But without action from the do-nothing Senate, there’s little hope of stopping this enormous and unprecedented tax increase before November.

Spengler » Why Invent Mohammed?

Spengler » Why Invent Mohammed?

.... We have extensive archaeological evidence in the form of coins and inscriptions from the 7th century, and there is no mention of a new religion in any of them until 70 years after Mohammed’s supposed death, as Nevo and Koren showed in their 2003 book Crossroads to Islam. Two centuries go by before an account of Mohammed’s life is circulated. The Koran itself is evidently a compilation that draws on contemporary Jewish and Christian sources, in a language that often does not resemble Arabic.
If Islam is an invention of the 8th and 9th century, the question is: Why? The simple answer is that the Arabs were founding a new empire and wished to legitimize their power. But that does not explain the devotion that Islam continues to inspire. Among the unsung heroes of Islamic scholarship, perhaps the most informative is Prof. Sven Kalisch of the University of Muenster in Germany. I translated some of his work in my 2011 book How Civilizations Die (and Why Islam is Dying, Too). Prof. Kalisch, a convert to Islam who since repudiated his adopted religion, still offers the most cogent explanation I have seen.
Here is a relevant excerpt from my book:
In 2008 a Muslim theologian at Germany’s Universityof Münsters candalized his co-religionists by asserting that the Prophet Mohammed was a figment of myth rather than an historical personality. Sven Muhammed Kalisch was a convert to Islam who held one of the most important positions in Islamic studies—the first German university chair for teaching Muslim religious instructors in German public schools. His paper, “Islamic Theology Without the Historical Mohammed,” was the first work by a Muslim academic to dispute the Prophet’s existence. Prof. Kalisch since has apostatized and repudiated the Muslim faith, but the damage was done. As he told a German newspaper, “It might be that the Koran was truly inspired by God, a great narration from God, but it was not dictated word for word from Allah to the Prophet.” ......

And so it begins …

The KZ government passed a number of new regulations last fall all in the name of controlling extremist, fundamentalist organizations (yet still makes claims of religious freedom).  Among them …

• every religious organization must re-register by October 2012
• a “city” organization must have 50 KZ citizens as its members
• a “region” organization must have 1000 KZ citizens as its members
• a “national” organization must have 5000 …
• all teaching material must be submitted for approval
• all meeting sites must be approved by the government
• meetings must be lead by KZ citizens

In March, the hotel which we were meeting cancelled our lease and we were forced to move to another building.  Fortunately, the leadership of that building was kind enough to let us meet on Saturday evenings.  About the same time, our p*st*r was told that his religious visa would not be renewed and so he and his wife left for another country.  Our associate p*st*r has been unable to obtain a year visa and is forced out of country each month to receive another one month visa.  He and his wife will now return to their home country as a result of that and on-going stress.  Our ch*rch does not have the 50  required.  We have over a hundred expats as members, but not near enough KZ citizens. Based on legal advice, we voted to dissolve our ch*rch and dispose of the assets.  The lawyer said that Almaty has 1500 such organizations – there is NO way the local government will be able to review all the applications in time to meet the October deadline.  So, what now?  G*d is gracious and provides alternatives.  He reminds us that the ch*rch is not the building or the legal entity.  It is the people who believe in a risen Savior, who are banded together to worship and serve Him.  Our group will continue thanks to the kindness of our buildings current owner!

The Permanent Campaign: Failed President Has Held More Fundraisers Than Previous Five Presidents Combined | Jammie Wearing Fools

The Permanent Campaign: Failed President Has Held More Fundraisers Than Previous Five Presidents Combined | Jammie Wearing Fools

Funny, I didn't realize he was re-elected to be in full time campaign, generate the cash kind of a job ...

Historical Austin

Lauri hosted a bridal luncheon at the Tea Embassy in Austin, early in January. I played the role of BOB (beast of burden). Once the festivities started, I was “excused” until further notice (2 hrs). So I walked-about downtown Austin taking pictures. See how the Texas elites once lived …

Amalfi Coast Boat Ride - Day 6

We took a small boat with 4 other couples along the coast towards Amalfi Town. Tremendous views, gorgeous expensive homes, swimming in a cave ... highly recommended.

Pompeii

Still cold in Almaty, not just as cold. We warmed up to 16F today! Only a couple of inches of snow on the ground here. We drove to Pompei on Day Six. It is quite magnificent and fairly large. Only 2/3 is uncovered. ...

See this website for excellent information on Pompeii ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii


Day Six -Pompei
Day Seven - Amalfi Coast Cruise
Day Eight - Ravello

Capri - Day 5

We froze yesterday at -23F/-25C ... thinking WARM THOUGHTS is not working! Continuing our Amalfi Photo Tour ...

Day Five - Capri
Day Six -Pompei
Day Seven - Amalfi Coast Cruise
Day Eight - Ravello

We took the boat to Capri (no other way) ... The island has a long history - most interesting is that Tiberius ruled the Roman Empire from there. You'll notice in the pictures the shopping area - locals call it their version of "Rodeo Drive." We took a single chair chair lift to the highest peak, then walked down (45 minutes). This was the least interesting day of our visit to me ...

Amalfi Town - Day 4

Its now -11 F/-24C ... trying to think WARM THOUGHTS! Continuing our Amalfi Photo Tour ...

Day Four - Amalfi Town
Day Five - Capri
Day Six -Pompei
Day Seven - Amalfi Coast Cruise
Day Eight - Ravello

We took the boat to Amalfi Town ... very crowed with all the tour buses. Our main object was a hike. A friend recommended one that follows a stream up into the hills, through olive groves and lemon orchards. Along the way, we saw several paper mill ruins.