Florida Death Penalty Procedure Invalidated

According to the U.S. Supreme Court (which would be the only opinion that counts in such matters), Florida's death penalty sentencing scheme is illegal. In Florida, the jury makes a recommendation but the judge makes the final decision. Whoops.

Miami Herald article on the decision

Starting back up

I'm starting a new job, it's a new year and the election cycle for our new president is heating up. Seems like a good time to crank up the old blog.

You cannot succeed on your own!

The Prez doesn't think that someone can be successful in business without government intervention. In fact, he thinks it isn't at all due to hard work, but rather to government intervention. I quote, "If you've got a business--you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." Oh really! There are a lot of people that big to differ. I know this might come as a shock to the Prez, but people can and do succeed without government handouts.


I guess when you have only worked as a community organizer, law school professor and politician, the business world is a very strange and abstract place. Source below:


http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2012/jul/15/picketvideo-obama-if-youve-got-business-you-didnt-/

The .gov is using your money to push food stamps on non-citizens

http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/12/usda-uses-spanish-soap-operas-to-push-food-stamp-participation-among-non-citizens-citizens/

Despite the fact that our country continues to face obscene budget deficits, the .gov thinks it is important to spend your money advertising food stamps to non-citizens. I find it completely absurd that this doesn't have more people outraged. Am I missing something?

BTW: This is more corporate welfare on behalf of agricultural corporations in part.

50 Shades of Grey

So, apparently, a lot of women have deep-rooted emotional/psychological problems. I mean, why else would a novel about sexualized physical abuse be so popular. I think that a desire to be violently objectified by men stems from a dysfunctional childhood relationship with one's father. Think: a little too much use of the old leather belt. In the alternative, it could be an absentee (physically or emotionally) dad. Sexual abuse will do it too. Well, that's enough playing Freud for me today. Discuss amongst yourselves.

BTW: Dr. Drew agrees with me that this is an unhealthy fascination.

New blog name

I've changed the title of my blog to reflect an expanded repertoire. Enjoy.

Stock Markets Scream Along

It is an awesome time to be in equities. The S&P 500 just closed above 1400 and the Dow is solidly above 13,000. Interest rates on bonds are finally starting to tick upward and almost all the economic news has been good.

If I had a significant stake in precious metals or long term bond funds, I would be really nervous about right now. BTW, there is still plenty of room to buy in on some really solid companies at great prices. It looks like the U.S. economy is finally starting to improve.

Of course, major macroeconomic hiccups could cause a setback (Spanish default, major Chinese slowdown, etc.)

Come out with your hands up, it's the World Police!

What's that creeping noise, you ask? The U.S. creeping into the Syrian conflict! I wonder how long it will be before we are sending the CIA into Syria? At least it's reassuring to know that with our dire lack of budgetary funds, we can still afford to get involved anytime there is a flare up in the Middle East (but NEVER EVER in sub-Saharan Africa, apparently we don't have world police jurisdiction there).

 http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/06/obama_administration_moves_to_aid_syrian_opposition

PETA Kills Pets

Anyone who has actually looked into what PETA(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) stands for knows that the organization is much more radical than most are aware of. Even many supporters aren't acquainted with some of PETA's more radical views. PETA, at its core, doesn't believe animals have any role in human lives, even as pets.

Apparently, PETA would rather see animals dead than placed into a loving home. I have attached an article below that gives the details, but the gist is that PETA kills more than 95% of the animals in its care. Further, they kill 84% within 24 hours of recieving the animals. If you give money to this organization, please be aware that you are financing the slaughter of potentially adoptable animals. Money given to PETA funds a radical agenda; it doesn't help abused cats and dogs. Please consider giving to a local shelter instead.

If you want more info, the link to the Daily Caller article is below.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/24/documents-peta-kills-more-than-95-percent-of-pets-in-its-care/#ixzz1nP1mXYuv

Delusions of Grandeur- Why Nuclear Disarmament is a Bad Idea

The Obama administration has made it clear that they wish to achieve a world completely devoid of nuclear weapons. Now, this may seem like a great idea at first; no nuclear weapons, no chance of a nuclear holocaust. Unfortunately, reality beats great ideas every time.

First off, there will never be any way to be absolutely certain that there are zero nuclear weapons in the world. This means, you guessed it, we would be removing our best defense to a nuclear attack (mutual assured destruction) when we couldn't really be certain we would not be attacked.

Second, have any of these anti-nuclear crusaders studied world history? The world fought two immensely bloody conflicts in which millions of people died in the four decades before the first atom bomb. In all likelihood, the West would have waged an even bloodier World War III with the Communist East had nuclear weapons not intervened (in the form of the Cold War).

Nuclear weapons have actually saved countless lives. If we attempt to return to a pre-nuclear Earth, we risk immense bloodshed and the possibility of a rogue state attaining incredible power.

Our Adoring Afghan Public

Another act of violence has been perpetrated by "ally" Afghan National Army troop(s) against U.S. soldiers. It sounds like these people really don't want our help and would rather see their country deteriorate into chaos. Kinda makes you wonder if we should waste our time. The link below has the full story.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/02/23/Afghan-soldier-kills-2-US-soldiers/UPI-66781330001572/

Empirical Evidence That the Gun Control Lobby is Full of Crap

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2012/02/21/disarming-the-myths-promoted-by-the-gun-control-lobby/2/

This is a wonderful article by Forbes that uses (gasp!) real-world facts to show that the gun control lobby is completely wrong in all its core assumptions about private firearm ownership. Of course, these people have never let the facts get in the way of a good misinformation campaign. I just hope that the American public is getting tired of being lied to by these people.

More fun with Rick Santorum

http://mrctv.org/audio/santorum-2008-satan-systematically-destroying-america

Apparently, Satan has systematically infiltrated academia and the mainline Protestant movement in America. This kind of garbage is exactly what turns people away from Christianity. It's always fun to attack those whom you disagree with by, you guessed it, saying they are acting under the influence of the devil. Seriously, if the GOP nominates this guy, we all deserve another four years of Obama.

May the Lord be with you (regardless of whether you are part of a "real" Christian denomination or not)

Rick Santorum: The Worst of Both Worlds

Well, amazingly, it looks like Rick Santorum may end up being the GOP nominee. I will be absolutely beside myself if this guy wins. Santorum represents everything I don't like about the Republican party. He holds radical social views, without the trade-off of fiscal conservatism. For example (from Wikipedia):

Santorum has stated that he does not believe a "right to privacy" is part of the Constitution; he has been critical of the Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which held that the Constitution guaranteed that right and overturned a law prohibiting the sale and use of contraceptives to married couples.^[138]

Another gem:
“One of the things that I will talk about that no president has talked about before is I think the dangers of contraception in this country, the sexual liberty idea and many in the Christian faith have said, you know contraception is OK. It’s not OK because it’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.” http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/10/24/gop-2012-candidates/

I really wish I was making this stuff up.

I will leave you with this (from Wikipedia, but I fact checked the second quote just to be sure):

In June 2011, Santorum said he would continue to "fight very strongly against libertarian influence within the Republican party and the conservative movement."^[144] In an NPR interview in the summer of 2005, Santorum discussed what he called the "libertarianish right," saying "they have this idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do. Government should keep our taxes down and keep our regulation low and that we shouldn't get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn't get involved in cultural issues, you know, people should do whatever they want. Well, that is not how traditional conservatives view the world, and I think most conservatives understand that individuals can't go it alone..."^[145]

Sorry Rick, but I and many others do believe that the government should: stay out of our bedrooms, keep taxes down and regulations low. I think that the federal government has gotten plenty big enough and the last thing I want is someone like you playing Big Brother and trying to run my life for me.

As much as I hate Obama's nanny state, the proposed Santorum nanny state sounds even scarier to me (high taxes and regulation PLUS government involvement in the bedroom!)

The Gold Bubble

I think that people who are buying gold right now are out of their minds. Evidence that gold is in a bubble:
1) Ads selling it everywhere
2) Meteoric rise uncorrelated with inflation
3) Huge markup from producer to consumer

Gold really has no significant use besides jewelry and as a store of wealth. It doesn't earn a return like stocks or bonds. One day (probably after our economic troubles subside), gold owners are going to realize that their gold doesn't do much except look pretty and the wailing and gnashing of teeth will be tremendous. (As in, "the $20000 worth of gold I bought is now worth $7000).

As seen on a bumper sticker: "Fearful people do stupid things."

Full disclosure: I don't own any gold bullion, securities or derivatives nor do I intend to within 72 hrs.

Being a Public Defender

I have come to the realization that a public defender's job is often comparable to being a vet . You try to do what's best for your clients and yet they get angry and fight you (and sometimes physically attack). But like that vet trying to set that liger's (if you know your magical beasts) broken leg, you have to push through the yelling and complete lack of cooperation to serve their best interests. Also, it is apparently WAY too much to ask that my clients not be totally high/drunk when they come to court.

Ben Bernanke is a Man of True Insight

Says the Chairman of the Fed, "Having a large and increasing level of government debt relative to national income runs the risk of serious economic consequences," Bernanke told the House Budget Committee. "Over the longer term, the current trajectory of federal debt threatens to crowd out private capital formation and thus reduce productivity growth."

Holy crap, do you need a degree from Wharton to be able to figure out such esoteric principles?

The Fallacy of Gun Control

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=14031

The link is to a good article from CATO about armed citizens stopping crime. Have you ever noticed where massacres occur? Schools, colleges, daycare centers: places where people can't or don't carry. Now, tell me how many massacres have occurred at: gun ranges, gun shows, hunting clubs, NRA conventions; I think you get the point.

Follow me on Twitter

Educated, intelligent and well-manicured readers of my blog: you can follow me on Twitter @JamesVModicaIV.
The fourth people! Who says sequels are never as good as the original?

Don't Count Out the Moon-Man Yet

While the chances of the moon becoming the 51st state took a definite hit last night, don't count Newt out until after the rest of the South votes.