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The White House finally has some good news to report regarding the oil spill, and despite their previous “do nothing” approach (which was infuriating to say the least) it looks like the gulf of Mexico may return back to normal within my lifetime.

Today, a panel of government scientists released a report which said that the vast majority of the oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has either evaporated or been burned, skimmed, recovered from the wellhead or dispersed much of which is in the process of being degraded. A significant amount of this is the direct result of the federal government’s aggressive response to the spill. [...]

These interagency findings were generated using a scientific tool called the Oil Budget Calculator, which employs a combination of direct measurements and the best scientific estimates available. The calculator is based on 4.9 million barrels of oil released into the Gulf, the government’s latest estimates of the flow rate from Monday. More than 25 of the best government and independent scientists contributed to or reviewed the calculator and its calculation methods. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), as well as academic scientists are continuing to work to refine these calculations. (Official White House Blog)

Although there still is a large amount of oil in the gulf (as you “lying eyes” will inform you), the fact that nature is dissolving the oil in spite of our pathetic attempts (or rather lack their of) gives me hope for friends and families in the gulf.

I probably still won’t eat any shrimp, fish, lobster (which I acquired a taste of) or seafood from the gulf for a few years/decades (depending on how fast BP and Obama clean up the gulf), although I do appreciate the fact that this whole fiasco is coming to an end.

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For the first time in my life I now fully understand lemmings, and why these fur balls run off the cliff.

Because that is what America is about to do by passing this healthcare bill.

(Politico) The Democratic Party’s decades-long push to remake the U.S. health care system cleared a major hurdle early Monday morning, with the Senate voting to advance a massive $871 billion bill to extend coverage to nearly all Americans and tighten regulations on private insurers.

Less than two days after releasing a bill with 383 pages of changes, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) corralled his politically diverse caucus and delivered the 60 votes necessary for the most crucial test vote in the legislative process so far–effectively assuring the reform package will clear the Senate later this week.

Whether or not universal healthcare (government style) is a glorious endeavor for the masses I’ll leave for the pundits to decide (even though I’m strongly against government healthcare given their long track of failure with everything save the mail & military).

But enacting this now in the middle of a recession is fiscal suicide.

One that makes me want to dust off the passport again, as living through an eternal recession is not my idea of what a glorious future looks like.

– Posted from my iPhone

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This will probably come across as depressing news, which I hate to post on a Friday.

However it is a good reminder that no matter who is in power (Democrat, Republican, etc.) you should always take government propaganda news with a grain of salt, unless it comes from NASA (at least when they’re not talking about the weather).

(Hat Tip: TechCrunch, Source: Mint.com Blog)

Just in case the video went too fast for you, this image below may help explain things a bit easier. (click to enlarge)

17.2% folks! But is that what I’m hearing online/on TV? Unfortunately no (Hat Tip: Hot Air)

(Bureau of Labor Statistics) The unemployment rate edged down to 10.0 percent in November, and nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged (-11,000), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In the prior 3 months, payroll job losses had averaged 135,000 a month. In November, employment fell in construction, manufacturing, and information, while temporary help services and health care added jobs.

Household Survey Data

In November, both the number of unemployed persons, at 15.4 million, and the unemployment rate, at 10.0 percent, edged down. At the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.5 million, and the jobless rate was 4.9 percent. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, unemployment rates for adult men (10.5 per-cent), adult women (7.9 percent), teenagers (26.7 percent), whites (9.3 per-cent), blacks (15.6 percent), and Hispanics (12.7 percent) showed little change in November. The unemployment rate for Asians was 7.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

Now some people may argue that part-time doesn’t count, or that those who give up shouldn’t be included because they are losers (or something of that twisted logic).

But seriously whether it was 5% or 25%, the only thing I ask is the government be honest about it. Will a higher figure scare the masses? Probably. After all the higher figure is very scary (at least to me).

But at least it would be truthful, which might motivate our spend thrift politicians  and private businesses to do something about it! Aside for more bailouts (which may include newspapers in the future! Ghetto!).

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You just can’t make this stuff up!

(EU Observer) France’s newly set up ministry of immigration and national identity has made itself heard for the first time, with its chief, Brice Hortefeux, floating an idea to financially reward those immigrants who voluntarily return to their native country.

“We must increase this measure to help voluntary returns. I am very clearly committed to doing that,” French minister Brice Hortefeux was cited as saying by the BBC.

According to the long-time friend and ally of president Nicolas Sarkozy, a family with two children would be paid €6,000 to leave French territory.

I am not too sure how “solid” this plan is, especially if people decide to re-enter France for “second helpings.”

In America, my only primary concern is that our government secure the border via 20 foot walls or 20,000 troops (yeah, you heard me). After all, we are not exactly popular in the world (at least with various terrorist networks).

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