Althouse: "Freedom From Religion Foundation sues IRS for not...

Money quote:

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, says, "Everybody knows what he was talking about: Obama endorsing same-sex marriage."

I, personally, thought he was talking about the co-president of FFRF's padded bra.

Missing Russian Gold Ship Found at Bottom of the Sea, Crew Still Unaccounted For | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Lux aeterna dona, Domine.

Missing Russian Gold Ship Found at Bottom of the Sea, Crew Still Unaccounted For | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Tired of Talking Green: Masters at Center of Commercial Pressures | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Money quote:

“It is easy to suggest that crews are becoming less competent and that this is a significant contributor to greater safety risks, says Allan Schwartz, General Manager of Maritime Operations at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). “While this could be a contributor, it is equally likely that the intense commercial pressures placed on masters are contributing"

And the maritime bureaucratic world has one hell of an incentive to lay the blame on commercial pressures, because if the reason isn't commercial pressures then there's a chance that crews are becoming less competent and what does that say about STCW? 

It says, STCW stands for "Stupid things the CoastGuard Wants."

Reid says he can't work with Romney - Washington Times

Very pleased to see the Senate majority leader found time to get off his knees, wipe his chin, and speak coherently.

Now try and keep a straight face...

There's a retired Coastie Captain by the name of Dennis Bryant. He has -- surprise -- a consulting business. AND he writes a newsletter which occasionally has assertions that would embarrass a White House Intern. Vide:

USCG - policy re STCW Convention The US Coast Guard posted a notice stating that it is making available three policy letters providing guidance to vessels and mariners subject to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW Convention). CG-CVC Policy Letter 12-05 provides guidance on hours or rest requirements. It includes for possible use the IMO/ILO model format for record of hours of work or hours of rest of seafarers. CG-CVC Policy Letter 12-06 provides guidance on issuance of endorsements for Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties (VPDSD) and vessel personnel requiring security awareness training. CG-CVC Policy Letter 12-07 provides guidance on issuance of endorsements and approval of training to meet the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention. 77 Fed. Reg. 62434 (October 15, 2012). Note: As usual, the Coast Guard is working to minimize the inconvenience to the maritime community caused by the disparity between international deadlines and the cumbersome domestic regulatory process.

The emphasis, need I say, is added. For the record, the presidents of the largest maritime unions and the Presidents/Superintendents of the seven maritime academies & colleges have written to "Big Sis", the Secretary of Homeland Security urging her to get the light-blue-suiters off the pot. Those who think this qualifies as working to minimize the inconvenience are hereby and herewith encouraged to stand up and wipe their chins!

POTUS Comes acropper with WAPO's fact-checkers

The story's here.

The libertarian roots of the Tea Party -- CATO

whole buncha people were much more comfortable with those fundamentalist, bitter, clinging, woman-hating, gay-bashing pictures. Now, here comes Cato destroying all their fun

Libertarians led the way for the tea party. Starting in early 2008 through early 2009, we find that libertarians were more than twice as “angry” with the Republican Party, more pessimistic about the economy and deficit since 2001, and more frustrated that people like them cannot affect government than were conservatives.

Angry with the 'phants? Yep, that's a good description.

They're not reporters....

They're White House Interns with a byline!
Mickey Kause says, "Bring back beats" Money quote:

Kay Hymowitz of Manhattan Institute argued fact-checkers typically just don’t know enough about the subjects they’re required to instantly check on. They’ve given the old “beat” system renewed appeal. Yes, “beat” reporters are reluctant to piss of their sources. But at least they tend to know the history and context of any dispute

A once and -- I hope -- future guest speaker on buying medical coverage with a pre-existing condition

Megan McArdle has an autoimmune condition which knocks her out of the most common medical plans. Like a lot of people, she assumed that she couldn't get insurance. Fortunately for her, she has a good friend who's a financial planner... Read the rest here.

Instapundit uses the wrong title!

Quoth the maven:

"Too bad the legitimate press Democratic Party operatives with bylines didn’t report this stuff four years ago."

I bet to differ. They're not Democratic Party operatives with bylines, they're White House Interns with bylines!"

Chait: Looters & Moochers.

via Anne Althouse: quoting Jonathan Chait:

"It seems unavoidable now to conclude that Romney’s embrace of Paul Ryanism is born of actual contempt for the looters and moochers, a class war on behalf of his own class."

Yikes.  Do you really want the Romney/Ryan are attacking looters and moochers meme to settle in?  Them what're frothing at the mouth over this video are -- pretty much universally -- going to vote to reelect POTUS44.  If, with your aid, the Phants can convince independents that Obama voters are looters & moochers the swing states become a lot more problematic.
Althouse: The secret video reveals Romney as "the sneering p...: "... fully in thrall to a series of pernicious myths that are at the heart of the mania that has seized his party," says Jonathan Chait . [...

The problem with the union reinvention—at least as captured by the Weingarten quote—is that it probably strikes many people as hollow. Why? Because they know that unions are run by normal people and represent normal people, and what they want first and foremost is not what’s best for kids or “fairness,” but getting as good a deal for themselves as possible.

USCG PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO INLAND RULES

From the IMO. Snark alert: now there'sa recommendation.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend the inland navigation rules and their annexes in order to align the regulations with amendments made by the International Maritime Organization to the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, to which the United States is a signatory, and to incorporate recommendations made by the Navigation Safety Advisory Council (NAVSAC). These changes would harmonize domestic and international law by reducing and alleviating equipment requirements on vessels, addressing technological advancements, such as wing-in-ground craft, and increasing public awareness of the inland navigation rules. The changes would also make references to applicable requirements easier to locate by using the same format in domestic regulations as is used in the international convention. Comments and related material must be submitted on or before October 29, 2012. For more details on the proposed amendment and to submit comments view the federal register entry at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-28/pdf/2012-18364.pdf.

Son of Satan?

The Weekly Standard is complaining about the front page picture the Noo Yawk Times ran after Congresscritter Ryan gave his speech. I have to admit, it's a trifle eerie! But, Weekly Standard, why the hell are you surprised? When the media stalwarts are a-talkin' about POTUS44, they could give Monica Lewinsky lessons.

If a Donk's lost Huffington....

From the Huffington Post. Moneyquote:

The Democratic brand has thus suffered more (down 39%) under Obama than the Republican brand suffered under either of George W. Bush's two terms (-16%, then -31%). Though George W. Bush did major harm to the Republican brand, Barack Obama is out-doing him, hurting even steeper the Democratic brand, which historically (until now) has always been higher-valued than the Republican brand, not just in these pre-convention polls, but for decades in Party-allegiance.

Kulaks raising their banners high

Yikes!  I approve of the concept; however, Dr Jacobsen, "The banners high" rings a really horrible 20th century bell!  N.B., "Die fahne hoch!" has been translated as both "The flag on high" and "The banner high."
Kulaks raising their banners high

“Criminalization” of Mariners Is Worrying Trend

from the August MM&P magazine. Wisdom from a very experience Maritime Lawyer: don't talk to the Coast Guard until you've talked to an attorney. Note how the Coast Guard has effectively squandered their reputation as waterfront professionals. “

Criminalization” of Mariners Is Worrying Trend Twenty-four percent of ship masters have faced criminal charges for incidents involving their work, according to a survey conducted by Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), a legal research group. The results were reported in the most recent edition of Nautilus Telegraph, the magazine of the UK-Dutch officers’ union. “That’s almost one in four, and it’s probably one of the highest rates of criminalization in any profession,” Nautilus says. SRI based its findings on a survey of almost 3,500 seafarers of 68 nationalities. “Criminalization of the maritime profession is not just an incidental issue, as evidenced by these survey results,” Nautilus points out. “It is a problem on an immense scale throughout the world, and it is on the rise.” Among unlicensed seafarers, almost 10 percent said they had faced criminal charges related to their jobs. Of that number, 90 percent reported that they had not been provided with legal representation by the authorities. Ninety-one percent said they had not been given needed interpretation services. What’s more, 89 percent of the original 10 percent said that no one had explained their rights to them, which might explain why 46 percent said they would be reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement officials in the future for fear of self-incrimination. Eighty percent of seafarers who faced criminal charges said they had been intimidated or threatened. Overall, more than four out of five seafarers who faced criminal charges said they felt that they had not been treated fairly. SRI conducted additional research to put the results into perspective, reviewing the reports of all criminal charges against professional mariners as published in Lloyd’s List, TradeWinds and Fairplay for the 12-year period from 2000 to 2011. The analysis showed that the criminalization trend is on the rise. There were 415 reports of “crimes” involving 1,580 seafarers during this period. The number of incidents deemed by authorities to be “crimes,” as well as the number of seafarers detained, increased every year during the period surveyed. Nautilus is calling on world governments to take action. “We hope that the results of this survey will provide momentum for increased efforts to ensure fair treatment of seafarers, whether innocent or guilty of a criminal charge,” said SRI Executive Director Deirdre Fitzpatrick, “and that from this survey, the faces and voices of the seafarers will be seen clearly and heard loudly.” – Article by Ashley Morrow, MM&P Communications Department

American Flagship Project Challenges Obama Administration | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Title 11, for them what're fortunate enough not to know, provides U.S.-taxpayer backing for maritime-related construction, usually ships.   If the ship makes money, the money is never expended.  If the ship (or company) goes bankrupt, the U.S. taxpayer loses money. It is the same concept as a VA mortgage guarantee. In both cases, the projects are those which private lenders deem too risky.
Query: why should the taxpayer, making something like $50k/year, be underwriting a loan which the finance professionals won't touch?
American Flagship Project Challenges Obama Administration | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

And I'd be enthusiastically cheering this decision if this was an indication that POTUS44 was trying to lead the US out of these dunderheaded concepts.  Unfortunately, this just means the administration doesn't like this particular concept; not the whole idea.

Interesting side-note: these jobs would almost certainly be unionized, so you'd think the administration would be anxious to play to an important part of its base.  But nah...

Leadership to change at Masters, Mates & Pilots

Courtesy of the SUP newsletter. I can remember the "Tim Brown Newsletter" circulating around the MMP-contracted fleet back in the late 70s. Fair winds, Captain Brown!

Captain Tim Brown, President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) since 1991, announced in July that he had decided not to run for a seventh term. Prior to being elected to lead MM&P, Brown was a skipper with SeaLand Service Inc. Brown brought stability to a badly fractured Union and was a leader of maritime labor. Nominated and unopposed to succeed Brown is Don Marcus, the current MM&P Secretary-Treasurer. Other MM&P candidates are Steve Werse, Secretary-Treasurer; Don Josberger, Atlantic Ports Vice President; Wayne Farthing and Michael Welch, Gulf Ports Vice President; Dave Boatner, Pacific Ports, Vice President; George Quick, Pilots Group, Vice President; Mike Murray, Vice President United Inland Group; and Randall Rockwood, Federal Employees Vice President. The Masters, Mates & Pilots 90-day balloting will be mailed to members on September 14, and counted on December 13. The new administration will take office January 1, 2013.

New York Maritime College's Inaugural STEM Academy - with Baltimore & NYC Maritime Focused High Schools | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

BZ, Admiral Carpenter, Dr Hoffman, and Captain Fink!
SUNY Maritime College's Inaugural STEM Academy - with Baltimore & NYC Maritime Focused High Schools | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine