Sleepless in Midland

Well well well, a sign of the times

Drought plagued Midland, Texas, is really struggling to quench the thirsty plant life. As others have been telling us for years, large grassy lawns don't have a place in the desert except in the most fluid of times.

With citizens across the town aware of the new move toward conservation, many are adjusting their water usage. This self conscious homeowner wants to deflect any criticism for watering his/her lawn.  Or maybe it's just bragging.

But it's a sign of the times.

Meanwhile, the Midland Reporter-Telegram editorialized early this month against the proposal to fine citizens for watering lawns on the wrong day. And in short order, that punishment threat was dropped. That's getting it done.

And the homeowners who have conserved water for years are finally seeing a small social benefit -- a respite from parched lawn complainers.

Happy Memorial Day

Americans have been sacrificing their lives in wars for a very long time, but it wasn't until 1868 that Memorial Day was first honored. In the Spring of that year Mary Logan visited a battle field in Virginia and had occasion to walk past a grave yard. She was struck by the flowers and flags that decorated the graves of fallen Southern soldiers and thought something like that should be done to honor Union soldiers, too.

She recounted her experience to her husband, General John A. Logan who was Commander in Chief of the Union army veterans organization. And according to Mrs. Logan's retelling in 1903, he was so impressed with the idea that he wanted to implement it right away. He and his aids selected May 30 as an appropriate day, and on May 5 he issued the order.

The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit. ...

While one source says that the day wasn't celebrated in the South until after WWI. In 1903 Mary Logan said otherwise:

Nearby the graves of the men who wore the blue are hundreds of mounds that cover all that was mortal of those who wore the gray, and it is one of the most beautiful traits of forgiving humanity that none of them are overlooked on the most sacred day in the American calendar. In Dixie they garland with one hand the mounds above the ashes of the northern soldiers while with the other they strew beautiful blosoms on the graves of their own heroes. We of the north do the same, for they were all heroes, each dying for the cause he thought was right. They gave their all to prove their sincerity, and they all died true Americans whatever their political affiliations may have been. ...

Since 1971 Memorial Day is celebrated on the last day of May. But regardless of the day of the month, we owe so much to those who gave their lives so that others may be free.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

Egg on his face -- fighting back in Sweden

They don't want you to fight back in Sweden. Well, OK. Maybe that guy was a little bit too aggressive.

American style Halloween Trick-or-Treat antics are fairly new to Swedes, but they seem to have caught on and are popular with the tricksters -- not so much with the trickees.

So when some homeowner got fed up with kids pelting his house with eggs he took off after them. He caught one, grabbed his eggs and smeared them on the egg tossers face. Hooray, said some.

But the local prosecutor disagreed, and "The man, who has admitted to the deed, now stands charged with harassment, and will be forced to pay a fine of 11,400 kronor ($1,800)."

Poor guy. Some days ya just can't win. See story at Man fined after returning fire at egg-throwing pranksters.

When Harry Met Sally part 2

When Harry Met Sally was on the TV the other day, so maybe this is the right time for this spoof. It won't fit everyone's taste, but it's a funny little skit.

Watch it here.

Via NYmag.com.

That's not a gun that's smoking

An Oregon court ruled that a medical marijuana license doesn't preclude someone from obtaining a concealed handgun permit. See Ore. court rules medical pot users can have guns. Via WSJ.

Makes sense so long as she doesn't smoke dope while packing heat.

In Texas medical marijuana laws haven't yet been passed. And a chemical dependence could prevent a person from obtaining a concealed handgun license.

Recycled jokes from Andrew Malcolm

Here are three from the late night shows:

Good:
Leno: You heard about that whole world-coming-to-an-end thing, right? Look, I love Oprah too. But it was just a TV show.

Better:
Leno: A new study says six cups of coffee a day can cut men's risk of prostate cancer by 60%. They think. After six cups, they can't get a guy to sit still for an exam.

Best:
Leno: President Obama's approval rating went up after the SEALs got Osama Bin Laden. But now it's back down. That's bad news, not for Obama, for Kadafi.

See the rest at Andrew Malcolm's.

Importance of Gun Safety Rules -- as seen on TV

Last night Lifetime channel showed a rerun of "The First 48" episode titled "Backyard Murder," and the outcome of the case really did ring the bell on the importance of gun safety rules.

"The First 48" is a very entertaining show if the viewer enjoys the mysteries of true detective stories. We don't know if or how much of the stories were recreated and how much actually developed while the cameras were running. But they are presented as true cases, and they look awfully real.

So in "Backyard Murder" a body was found in a backyard. The detectives identified him as 25 year old Christopher Robinson. And a friend named Leroy Kelly contacted the police to tell what he knew about it.

There's a transcript of Backyard Murder online, but keep in mind that the transcript covers the entire show which includes two murder mysteries with commercials.

Here's a condensed version. Leroy drove his friend Christopher to a Detroit neighborhood where they thought someone wanted to buy a gun from Christopher. According to Leroy, the prospective buyer, Brian "Little B" Posey pulled his own gun and attempted to rob Christopher of his gun. Leroy and Christopher took off running, a shot rang out, and as Leroy ran he drew his gun and shot in the direction of Little B without looking.

Two bullets were recovered from the scene. A .380 caliber bullet was dug out of a wall, and a .25 caliber bullet was removed from Christopher's chest. Leroy's gun was .25 caliber, and everyone agreed that it was Leroy's shot that killed his friend Christopher.

The case ended when Little B was charged with felony murder after he admitted that he intended to rob Christopher, and Leroy was set free as he acted in self defense. But he had to live with the fact that his careless shooting ended his friend's life. Leroy could have prevented that death by following the general rules of gun safety.

It's doubtful that anyone reading this blog needs a review of the gun safety rules, but let's look at Richard Fairburn's Causes and cures for the negligent discharge for Leroy's sake:

1. All guns are always loaded. (Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.)

2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist “this particular gun is unloaded,” see Rule 1.)

3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. (This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.)

4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. (Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.)

If Leroy had followed these rules his friend might have lived to see another day.

Kyle Busch -- It's just a toy

News reports tell us that NASCAR racer Kyle Busch was taking a car for a test drive got a speeding ticket for driving 128 mph in a 45 mph zone in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Plenty fast, but that's nowhere near the 202 mph top speed he should expect from a factory fresh Lexus LFA sports car.

We first heard about the LFA in '06. See Lexus 500 hp sports car. And in the Spring of 2010 they began advertising for 2011 delivery. See The new Lexus LFA sports car.

So now perhaps a new unofficial advertising campaign has begun with LFAs on the road and heavy footed race car drivers behind the wheel. And Busch was first off the line. Charlotte Observer has a PDF of the ticket. Best part:

  Officer Comments
"Clocked the defendant traveling south on Perth Rd. at Honeysuckle Creek LP. Defendant stated 'It's just a toy.' "

Advice to Mr. Busch: Move to West Texas where you can find Interstate Highways with 80 mph speed limits, a 35 mph head start over where you got the ticket. And buy the darn car before you open it up on the highway.

This is why the terrorists hate us -- the Slurpee

Two! Count 'em. Two flavors in one Slurpee!

Coming in June, 7-Eleven will begin to offer Slurpees in these cups with dual chambers, a special valve and two straws that will let you drink two Slurpee flavors at the same time.

Never underestimate convenience store genius.

Via Gizmodo.com.

Concealed Handgun License Renewal

So I took the renewal class yesterday and got a refresher course on Texas concealed handgun law. A license is good for five years, at which time the holder has the opportunity to renew it by taking a refresher course and passing a written and shooting test. However, fairly new law says that after the second renewal the license holder isn't required to take the course and shooting test but once every ten years.

Every shooter knows that accurate shooting is a depreciating skill and that it's important to practice in the interim. All those bad habits come roaring back without practice, such as in my case, recoil anticipation. That's when the body reacts to the recoil just a little bit too soon, and the bullet hits the target way low. (I've found that a dummy round mixed in with live ammo in a magazine during practice helps me focus on correcting it.)

Plus, the Lege likes to tinker with the law every two years. So with the need for practice and the need to keep up with the law it wouldn't hurt to attend a class more frequently than is required.

All the info a license holder or prospective license holder needs is available at the Texas DPS website.

Pop quiz: You pull up to your house which is currently unoccupied, and you see a guy wearing a ski mask pouring gasoline on your house. He takes out a cigarette lighter and looks like he's ready to light it. You reach for your gun.

True or false: Whether you would be justified in shooting him depends on the position of the sun in the sky.

Answer: True. See Texas Penal Code Sec 9.42 -- A person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property . . . to prevent the other's imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime...

Day, night, makes a difference.

Can't leave this post without a shout-out to Gaylene Stansbery and who did a fantastic job conducting the class with her husband Jim. I first met Gaylene a few years ago when I was participating in handgun shooting competition. She came along never having participated in that type shooting, and within a couple of months, she was better than I was. "Gimme a bullet," I told her. "I wanna shoot myself."

Post Script. The DPS may start offering a renewal class online, and I wonder how popular that would be. The classes with live instructors teach for the test. But the DPS might just provide a link to the handbook with instructions to read it then take the test. We'll see how that works out.

Post, Post Script.
Eric pointed out in a comment the other way of reading Section 9.42, and that reading would hold that the word "nighttime" pertains only to theft and criminal mischief and not the other things listed, i.e., arson, burglary, robbery, and aggravated robbery. (Actually, that was my first interpretation prior to taking the class.)

The legislative intent was not easily discernible for the 63rd Legislative Session regarding the new Penal Code of 1973. However, Eric's interpretation could very well be right as an aggravated robber could be wielding a firearm which would trigger the self defense application of the statute. In that event the statutes regarding protection of self and protection of property would overlap and not contradict.  Thanks Eric.

Disclaimer:  No one is reading Sleeples in Midland for advice on whether to shoot someone.  Make your own interpretation of the law and above all, use common sense.

Roni Deutch -- scammer or victim?

It was hard to miss her TV commercial. "Hi, I'm Roni Deutch. Millions of people have prepared their tax returns over the phone. ..." She called herself "the Tax Lady" and offered to help beleaguered taxpayers battle the IRS.

However, the Star Telegram reports that California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued her for cheating clients out of $34 million. She has since closed her business and relinquished her California law license. The Star Telegram goes on to say, "The Sacramento Bee reports her firm is about $10 million in debt and she's personally $5 million in the hole. "

But were the charges valid? Or was she railroaded? In this video she gives her employees a tearful apology and blames the state bar for waiting so long to complain. Anyway, she'll have the opportunity to try to persuade a judge on July 22.

And TV viewers have the impossible hope that the spots her commercials occupied will be filled with something less annoying.

Neal Boortz has a great bumper sticker

Remember when comedians were too timid to ridicule President Obama? Times they are a changin'. But just barely.

It's up to conservatives to do the heavy lifting. And Neal Boortz came up with a slogan that will put a smile on anyone who sees a clunker bumper sporting this sticker.

Change you can step in. Hilarious. 

Is it too soon to be thinking about Osama bin Laden Halloween masks?

Probably. But what the heck.

Never let a good idea go to waste.

Nemo me impune lecessit

Nemo me impune lecessit.

That slogan was taped across badges of police officers yesterday outside the courthouse in Midland, Texas, during a 45 minute memorial service honoring slain peace officers. It translates to No one attacks me with impunity. A modern English translation might be, "They gonna get back at you, sucka," and it's got to be one of those priceless perks of a police officer's work.

I like to take pictures of people taking pictures. But the next one was a first for me.

The photo above was taken within a minute of the MRT photographer snapping a picture of the same scene which appeared on the front page of the morning paper. The MRT photographer is the bald guy in the white shirt on the far right, and his front page photo can be seen here.

Here are some thumbnails of more photos from the event.

As you can see, it was heavy with honor and ceremony.

Representative Conaway was guarded well.

The shoulder patch on the green uniform says "US Customs and Border Protection."

Zombie warning

This is almost too clever -- a CDC preparedness guide for a zombie apocalypse. Here's the link.

But the tag line -- If you are ready for a zombie apocalypse then you are ready for any emergency -- brings it home.

This being the government, though, the one thing missing is an admonition to pay your taxes in advance.

Meanwhile, for an over-the-top zombie movie, check out Grindhouse Presents Planet Terror, which, if you are a Texas taxpayer, you may have helped pay for.

Pit bulls make more work for medical staff

There's an interesting report in the San Antonio Express News about bit bull attacks, and it says a study put together by some staff members at a hospital shows that attacks by pit bulls were more likely to kill people, and the injuries were more severe than those inflicted by other breeds.

The study is titled "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs" in the April, 2011, issue of "Annals of Surgery." Here's a link to the abstract with the following conclusion:

Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduce the US mortality rates related to dog bites.

Scary stuff. Pit bulls have a big fan base, though, and for every report about how dangerous they are there's someone ready to explain it away and say it's not the breed, it's a bad owner. But one has to wonder why the pit bull always seems to be the breed that's involved in illegal dog fights. Those bad owners use pit bulls for a reason.

How to neutralize Pakistan's nuclear bomb facilities

Pakistan is very proud of its nuclear capability. And why not? It has certainly given them an edge in negotiating with the West. And the situation isn't made any better with China cheering them on.

As Americans celebrated the termination with extreme prejudice of former terror chief Osama bin Laden, Pakistani militants rallied to demonstrate against the U.S. So John Kerry's diplomatic skills were put to the test when he went to Pakistan the other day to try scold them for hiding bin Laden and to negotiate the release of the Navy chopper's tail fins.

Some details about the bin Laden raid have been made public, but something we don't yet know is whether Pakistan's radar was compromised prior to the raid. Richard Clark explained how the Israelis used a cyber attack to neutralize Syria's radar system prior to sending in F-15s to blow up a suspected nuclear facility a while back. So we know it's been done before.

But back to the point. Pakistan's nuclear facilities need to be neutralized.

The Stuxnet virus is supposed to have put a crimp in Iran's nuclear program. At this point we don't know how Stuxnet got into Iran's computers. But there's always the possibility that virus laden USB drives were placed in strategic spots to appear as if they were lost. And curiosity infected the cat.

Whether or not it happened that way, the technique probably wouldn't work again.

So here's how to get a virus into Pakistani computers: Internet porn.

Yes, pornography. Bin Laden collected porn on his hard drive, and with the crazy way the radical Islamists think women should be covered from head to toe, it certainly seems logical that the men would seek some sort of surreptitious sexual thrill.

So here's what the CIA needs to do: Create porn sites that might appeal to these guys. "Hot blond gets freaky under the hajib." "Lovely lady hot for Arabs." You get picture. Then those software wizards who built Stuxnet can sneak viruses into the porn videos, and before you can say "allah ackbar" those little worms go to work and eat out the insides of those nuclear warheads.

Hey, don't thank me, thank the people who have to create the virus.  And the porn.

Sunday diversion -- bungling thieves

Fortuna's wheel is constantly turning, and sometimes the results can be very satisfying. Some examples:

First. Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, you can't run away with your pants on the ground.

During a beer run -- the act of grabbing a case of beer and running out of the store without paying -- this thief sprints away from the store with a case of beer in his arms. He doesn't have a free hand to hold up his britches, and down he goes. Watch the surveillance video from pump #4 HERE. Not a very clean getaway.

Second. This dude grabs a tip jar at a restaurant in Seattle and makes a run for it -- smack dab into a bus. Read about it HERE. (Sadly, no video.)

Third. Contrast those with this one. A skater goes so fast on his roller blades he triggers the speed ticket camera. Watch the video HERE. No one gets hurt, it's just a imaginative demonstration of civil disobedience somewhere in the UK. Speed ticket cameras must trigger a universal distaste.

Snakes in the chair

Here's a good joke to play on a friend.

Dude said he was sitting in a chair a friend gave him. He got up to go to the can, got back and discovered a boa constrictor. Happened in Richmond, Virginia. UPI.

Apparently the snake was coiled in the chair springs. The cops took the snake back to the owner, and they probably gave each other a big hug.

So did the owner even know the shake was missing?

It's easy to take for granted -- free speech is a wonderful thing to have

Free speech certainly isn't a given. When we hear about a crackdown on someone for what he/she said we first assume it was in a third world dictatorship, certainly not a western democracy. Not necessarily so.

Two recent examples. First, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a remark that most Americans and other targets of al Qaeda should approve of: "It is good news. I am happy that they have succeeded in killing bin Laden."

So along comes judge Heinz Uthmann who filed charges against Merkel for the crime of rewarding and approving of a crime for her words. Good grief. It's one thing for politicians to disagree, but criminal charges?

Moving along, here's another "free" country without free speech. A couple of years ago we talked about Guy Earle, the Canadian comedian who took the time honored tactic of talking back to a heckler. Well, the heckler was gay, and Earle joked about her sexual orientation. Look out.

He got charged with a human rights violation by the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. On April 20, 2011, the Tribunal issued its ruling (pdf), and the joke is on free speech lovers, because Earle was ordered to pay Ms. Pardy C$15,000, "plus post-judgment interest, for injury to her dignity, feelings, and self respect." The owner of the night club -- the scene of the crime -- was ordered to pay her C$7,500.

More power to Ms. Merkel and Mr. Earle for speaking their minds. But it sure is great to be an American. Makes me want to shout, "USA! USA! USA!"

Handguns on campus

The Lege, as one writer used to call the Texas Legislature, is grappling with the concept of licensed concealed handguns on college campuses. A bill passed the Senate and is headed to the House. Odds are the House members will ultimately take the course of action they think will result in the least political damage to their careers.

Both sides in this debate have stretched a little bit to move their side ahead. The pro-gun side claims that the guns will prevent massacres like the one at Virginia Tech a few years back. They are right. But those shooting sprees are quite rare, and it's statistically more likely for the student to die in a vehicle collision than from a gun shot.

But the anti-gun hysteria simply doesn't hold up. Statistics show that the prevalence of guns actually reduces gun violence. And the fear that guns in the hands of concealed handgun license holders on campuses is going to cause the streets to run red with blood is reminiscent of the fear the anti-gun people expressed when the original Texas concealed handgun law was under consideration years ago.

Those predictions of increased gun violence didn't materialize. But the anti-gun groups just keep redrawing the line. "OK, OK, if they cross THIS line, then we'll see that gun violence."

I'm not going to bore you with statistics but will merely remark that holders of Texas concealed handgun licenses don't commit very many crimes. See the stats for yourself. And if the age of the college student is supposed to be a factor, another set of statistics shows the age groups in which licenses were suspended or revoked which might serve as a very rough correlation with commissions of crimes. College aged license holders, say age 21-25, don't account for a very high percentage.

In the movie "the Brave One" the character played by Jody Foster was brutalized by some bad guys. Afterward she lived in fear, until she bought a gun. The gun converted her from a scared victim to a confident murderer exacting punishment on anyone she deemed appropriate for capitol punishment. In the minds of many in the anti-gun camp, a gun is a transformative thing that changes an ordinary, sane person into a lunatic on the verge of becoming a crazed killer. That mind set is slow to change.

Finally, a remark about two national institutions through which many of our young people pass. One is held in very high regard by just about everyone. And the other is an expensive enterprise of questionable value.

First, the military. Our military services are well run organizations to which most Americans give the utmost respect. Any 18 year old who opts to join the military is instilled with a sense of duty to country, flag, fellow man, etc. And he/she is entrusted with a gun.

Second, the university system. An 18 year old who opts to go to college is presumed by the university system to be incapable of making competent judgments about life or death matters, and even at the age of 21 presently will not be trusted to carry a handgun on the campus even if he/she holds a CHL and can carry a gun everywhere else the law allows.

Perhaps the problem isn't with the college students themselves but with the way the system treats them. Treat people like children, and they will respond like children.

Buckley vs Alinsky - 1967

William F. Buckley, Jr., had a TV show called "Firing Line" in which he inteviewed various news makers. And one of those interviewees was Saul Alinsky, famous for fomenting demonstrations and sit-ins, and otherwise disrupting the smooth flow of business for the alleged purpose of helping the downtrodden back in the '60s.

On December 11, 1967, Buckley interviewed Alinsky, and five minutes of that interview can be seen in this Youtube video to give you a flavor of the show.

Better yet, click Hoover Institute Archives for program notes and a link for downloading the transcript of the whole interview. The transcript doesn't lend itself to short excerpts, but it's a fascinating document, and it is a fine display of Buckley's brilliance.

Previously: Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" for dummies.

Human powered car

Al Gore would approve of this.

Nice ride, but the powerhouse is a little weak.  One human power is what?  About 1/4 horsepower?

Found at Failblog.

Ten years

A decade. That's a long time out of a human's life. But the reason that time span comes to mind is because of two recent news items.

First -- CBS7 tells us in Teen Mom Pleads Guilty in Child Abuse Case that the said teen mom " in one of the worst cases of child abuse Midland County said they had ever seen, has been sentenced ... to the maximum of ten years for injury to a child."

Second -- The Midland Reporter-Telegram tells us in Charge added to 22-year-old DWI manslaughter suspect: "If convicted of the second-degree felony, Booth could serve up to 20 years in prison. He also could receive up to 10 years for smoking in prison."

Measured by the yardstick of prison sentencing, injury to a child is oddly equated with smoking in jail.

Exclusive interview with Osama's Wife Number Three (satire alert)

Sleepless in Midland has obtained an exclusive interview with Osama bin Laden's wife number 3, Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah. Check it out.

Sleepless: You got married when you were 18 years old. What did you see in Osama bin Laden?

Wife 3: Well, he's tall, and that's hot. But there's just something sexy about an old guy with a long gray beard wearing a robe -- it's an Arab thing. Plus, some girls have a thing for bad boys, you know? Oh yeah, I should probably mention I didn't have a choice. It was either "I do" or "I die."

Sleepless: What was it like sharing a husband three times your age with two other wives?

Wife 3: Well, just between you and me, that old Arab had trouble pitching a tent. He had these little blue pills, but the world's most wanted man couldn't keep the jihad going under the robe, if you get my drift. So I had plenty of time for meditation. And MTV.

Sleepless: You took a bullet for him?

Wife 3: Part of the job -- walking first in line through a mine field, that sort of thing. It's in the wedding vow: "Do you promise to honor, obey, be a human shield?"

Sleepless: When Seal Team 6 burst through the door what did you think?

Wife 3: I thought they were selling magazines, but they were all "Where's bin Laden? Where's bin Laden?" I was like, "WTF! Don't you people knock?" Then all hell broke loose.

Sleepless: What will you do now?

Wife 3: I plan to hit the club scene and put the "bad" in Abbottabad, if you know what I mean. Then I hope to get a spot on "The View" or "Oprah" and plug my reality show idea: "The Real Housewives of Islamic Jihad."

Sleepless: Thank you.

Questions for Obama

Mona Charen points to another problem with Obama's attorney general -- the investigations into the CIA. And she has some questions for President Obama:

Imagine that your successor is an even more left-wing Democrat than you are. Or imagine that he/she is a libertarian. Either might assert that the operation violated the law in some way. Would you approve of a Justice Department investigation into the actions of the SEALs? ... If not, will you instruct Eric Holder to call off the dogs who are currrently investigating the CIA for interrogating the terrorists who led you to Osama bin Laden?

Via The Corner.

If President Obama gave any credit to the accomplishments and tactics of the previous administration his political opponents would throw it back in his face at election time. He wants to have it both ways. But everyone except his most ardent fans can see through it.

Bargain basement

This has got to be the best bargain of the day, or maybe the market place established a fair price.

It's Morgan Spurlock's book, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden, currently priced at $0.21 for the hard copy or $0.01 for the paperback.

Kindle edition $12.99!

Oil Companies don't get subsidies

With everyone feeling the pressure of high gasoline prices, many want to lash out at a villain. And oil companies make the most convenient target. There's a lot of talk now eliminating "subsidies" to oil companies. If Democrats want to increase government revenue by cutting subsidies, cut farm subsidies. Oil companies don't get subsidies. What they do get are tax credits and deductions.

American Petroleum Institute has a paper summarizing them. Link. A short summary of that summary follows:

1. Intangible Drilling costs -- this is merely a deduction for 100% of the exploration costs in the year they are spent. It's only 70% for big oil companies in the first year.

2. Foreign tax credit -- allows companies to offset taxes paid to other countries.

3. Domestic Manufacturer's Deduction -- allows a deduction of 9% of income earned from anyone manufacturing, producing, growing or extracting in the United States except for oil companies. They only get a 6% deduction.

4. Depletion allowance -- available to oil and mining companies and is a deduction of a percentage of the gross income from a well or mine to take into consideration that the well or mine will eventually run dry. Not available to companies that refine and market it, i.e., the big oil companies.

5. LIFO -- last in first out is an accounting practice that provides that companies sell the most recently acquired inventory items first. Profits are reduced by the cost of the goods sold, and the higher the cost the lower the taxable profit. Companies in industries experiencing rising prices generally prefer LIFO accounting.

6. Expensing tertiary recovery injectants -- companies are currently allowed to treat as an expense the cost of the stuff they pump into the ground to break loose trapped oil and gas.

7. Geological and Geophysical costs -- small companies can expense exploration costs over two years, big oil companies can do it over seven years.

8. EOR and Marginal well credits -- apply only when oil prices are much lower than they are now, $42 for EOR credit and $27 for marginal well credit, and were implemented to encourage production when oil prices are low.

See the paper here. Via Carpe Diem.

Of course there's another side of the argument. Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren at Forbes.com say eliminate these tax breaks not just for oil companies but for all businesses. To wit:

Whether you call them "subsidies" or "purple roses," what's going on here is the elimination of a favor not provided to other tax-paying businesses.

Conservative? Liberal? Don't know?

If you don't know, take this political typology Pew quiz to find out.

Via.

Forget the photo -- let's see the video

What's the big deal about the photo of a dead Osama bin Laden?

Forget the Osama photo. I'd like to see the video those people were watching.