Government Doubts Elected Officials’ Honesty

Jake Tapper, ABC’s Senior White House Correspondent, dug into the government’s reports and statistics about the validity of the effectiveness of the $159 billion distributed as of Sept 30.

Faulty numbers dominate, Tapper concluded, with each job saved or created with economic recovery funds costing the tax payer $160,000 each.

Tapper said that Ed DeSeve, senior advisor to the president for Recovery Act implementation, has been “scrubbing” the numbers so much that his “fingers are worn to a nub.”

"What we have to do is expect that our public officials are honest," DeSeve said. "I know that's a high bar." His current estimate is that each saved or created job costs the taxpayers $92,000 instead while accusing Tapper of “calculator abuse.”

Either way, you can bet that the people working in a “saved” or Recovery Act “created” job aren’t making anywhere near $92,000 per year. So, where is all that money really going? That’s what I want to know.

Inbox: Cold vs H1N1 Symptoms

H1N1 flu is upon us and we need to be on top of information regarding it. Here is a comparison of normal cold symptoms vs H1N1 flue that someone forwarded to me.

The Difference between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 Flu
Fever	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.
Coughing	A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Aches	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.
Chills	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have the flu experience chills.
Tiredness	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.
Sneezing	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the flu.
Sudden Symptoms	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.
Chest Discomfort	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

No Tight Pants Per Sharia Law

I have often mused about women’s fashion, not being a clothes horse myself, and it’s purpose. Well duh, it’s all about attracting men more than it is about practical comfort suited to the tasks at hand. Even a 1950’s apron tended to emphasize a woman’s shapely curves, right? I mean, only a heavy parka or a mumu functions to hide the shape of the body underneath.

But now, a province in Indonesia called Aceh that is under full Sharia law not only allows adulterers to be stoned to death, but is now going to force women to wear Muslim dress by outlawing pants.

A woman can wear pants if she chooses, but the pants must be covered with an ankle-length skirt. If a shirt is tucked into her pants, why that’s just wrong, even if a headscarf is worn. The point is to completely hide the shape of her body.

Offenders will see their non-sharia-compliant attire cut up, starting in December. I wonder, while the illegal clothing is shredded, just what will the woman be wearing then?

I propose an alternative: If Islamic men can’t control their libido, why not punish them by forcing them to wear a scarf tied over their eyes instead? Why punish women for men’s shortcomings?