Submitted For Your Viewing Pleasure....An All American Fourth Of July Fat Boy Chopper

North Korea Celebrates American 4th Of July With Missile Launches

As expected, North Korea attempted to steal a little attention for their impoverished nation by firing seven ballistic missiles. However, even the news coverage from China wasn't very supportive of this action at all. The Chinese News agency Xinhua noted that these missile launches only raised "international concerns over regional security". Even a South Korean military official noted that these missile tests seemed to intended to send a message to the United States on their Independence Day celebration. So far, on the official North Korean government news service, KOREAN NEWS, there was no news about the launches and simply the usual nonsense claiming that the Communist founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung somehow brought "prosperity" to the impoverished and famine ridden nation, and other outright political propaganda nonsense.

KOREAN NEWS is actually a pretty sad national news website. It makes outrageous charges and claims, yet does not post any photos to prove any of the claims. It is propaganda journalism of the very worst variety.

North Korea's best hope is to use these latest total of 11 missile tests, which only included short range Scud class type missiles of about a 400-500km range or about 310 miles, to hope to wring some new concessions from the United States such as fuel oil or food. However, the Obama Administration has decided to part from the previous Bush administration's policy of rewarding North Korean missile launches with more fuel or food aid, by instead is digging in it's heels and denouncing North Korea. The ongoing trial of two American journalists continue to be a sore point for the United States and North Korea as well, where it is likely that this trial is being used as another blackmail bargaining chip by the Communist state .

The corrupt government of Kim Jong Il hopes to stay in power and to avoid calls for reforms by using missile threats to get concessions from the United States and other regional nations such as South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. However, this time around, this group of nations all seem to be heeding the call from the Obama Administration to not reward North Korea's arrogance and missile launch blackmail schemes. Likely Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton might have much to do with this new tough line against North Korea compared to the Bush Administration. Mr. Bush might have been concerned about famine in the nation, leading to the softer stand on the missile tests.

There had been fears that North Korea may launch a longer range missile such as an intercontinental type missile that might be able to fly as far as Hawaii. However, so far today such a launch has not taken place. And further, North Korea longer range missiles have proven themselves to be unsuccessful, unreliable and largely near complete technology failures. However, these missile tests tend to be attractive to nations like Iran who hope to purchase North Korean missiles and work to extend their range or improve their reliability and guidance systems. Missile exports to rogue nations such as Iran present one of the biggest dangers of the North Korean missile program. It is feared that Iran could improve such missiles and develop a functional nuclear warhead at some point. However, both Iran and North Korea seem to be having some difficulties and slow progress towards developing weapons, with North Korean having particular problems developing a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on missile, as well as missile reliability. Iran, on the other hand, seems to be better at developing longer range missiles that are reliable, which makes their nuclear program a great concern for regional security issues.

North Korea's claimed past underground nuclear tests have sent messages to international observers suggesting that their nuclear devices are large in size, but function poorly. One test, even suggested at first that it might have been faked by using a conventional TNT blast. However, international observers tend to believe that North Korea actually has nuclear weapons technology, however it is way too primitive and large to fit compactly on a missile as of yet.

Yet it is these small steps towards both North Korea and Iran that create fear in the international community. Certainly it would not be good for either North Korea or Iran to be able to have real functioning nuclear weapons. Both nations lack the political judgment to own such dangerous weapons.

Veteran Republican Political Strategists Split On Sarah Palin's High Risk Gamble

Two veteran political strategists, Ed Rollins and Mary Matalin are split on their assessment of the high risk political gamble of Sarah Palin to quit her office of governor before even completing a single full term. Ed Rollins' view was expressed on the CBS EARLY SHOW, in which he seems to think that Palin never really established herself as a genuine national figure on her own, but it was John McCain placing her on his ill-fated ticket that gave her national exposure. In Rollins' view, a more genuine political leader needs to really establish themselves on their own with their own platform, policies and issues.

Rollins also believes that Palin will now get tagged with the label of a "quitter" which will sink her in states such as Texas in which Rollins referred to many still having a fighting "Alamo" never give up, never quit spirit.

On the other hand, Mary Matalin takes the opposite view, that Palin's move was somehow "brilliant". Matalin believes that since Mitt Romney is no longer the governor of Massachusetts, he has the luxury to spend all of his time building an organization for a very serious 2012 run. Palin can now compete. Yet, Matalin didn't address how Palin can possiby avoid being labeled a "quitter" which may hurt her among many voters.

However, neither Rollins or Matalin offered opinions on some questions that a number of ongoing ethics issues, her continued publicity antics, family problems, and her major book deal were all creating enough friction in her own home state, forcing Palin to quit her office before an issue could possiby blow up. The fact of the matter is that Palin might have been on the political decline in Alaska ever since losing her bid to become vice president. Much the same thing happened to the once popular South Dakota Senator George McGovern or even New York Congressman woman Geraldine Ferraro. Both of their of their political lives only began to spiral downward after their election losses. The presidential campaigns of both failed candidates only opened up too many personal shortcoming for their voters in both states.

Palin is also very prone to gross exaggerations when she speaks. During the 2008 campaign, Palin started the absurd claim that presidential candidate Barack Obama "pals around with terrorists" which was a far cry from the truth that Obama merely served on a school board with a number of persons, including a former 1960's political radical , William Ayers, who mellowed out and now works within the system as an educator. Palin also recently exaggerated that late night comic David Letterman somehow told a "rape" joke about their 14 daughter, when a writer for the program simply mistook the younger daughter for the older one when the Palins attended a NY Yankees baseball game. The fact of the matter is that both Palin girls, the 18 and the 14 year old both have long dark hair, look a little similar, and the younger one wore dark sunglasses that day, only adding to the identity confusion. However, because Palin is a constant publicity seeker, she exaggerated the botched joke into a major incident and a political stunt, and likely part of the reason that Palin quit her job, and not Letterman, was partially because of some problems at home in Alaska only stirred up by this and other silly Sarah Palin antics.

Maybe with so many swirling ethics questions and public fatigue with Palin only growing at home, Palin decided to quit her Alaska job before she might be formally challenged with some ethics charge, or even face possible political defeat at home in 2010. Either way, Sarah Palin is likely a rapidly declining force in GOP politics. I think veteran Republican strategist Ed Rollins best states that view as well. Probably, Sarah Palin fatigue is starting to set in with too many voters for her to ever have a decent chance at any office, nationally or in Alaska. Palin is likely a declining political entity.

Erratic Sarah Palin Quits Her Job

If anything, Sarah Palin is full of strange surprises if anything. And her latest bombshell that she's quitting her job as governor of Alaska before even completing one full term should just about completely write her off as one of the most non-serious politicians of all time. Her silly rambling public address in which she announced her resignation from office, was so confused that it would even be hard for an Egyptian hieroglyphics expert to decipher why exactly she was really quiting her job. It was a nearly incomprehensible mess. Part a shopping list of her claimed achievements, part a silly claim that she really achieved all that she really wanted serving only a portion of her single term in office. Her claims that can achieve more working outside of the role of a governor of a state are highly suspect to say the least.

Sarah Palin may have more time to raise money for a presidential run in 2012. But who wants to put money behind someone as erratic as Ross Perot, who was also known for quitting himself, and then changed his mind and ran again.

Sarah Palin's own personal ambitions apparently have left the people of her native Alaska high and dry for now, where the Lt. governor will now have to step in. It is only the latest chapter in this goofy Sarah Palin saga, where only a few days ago Palin attempted to gain political mileage out of a silly stunt by deliberately pretending to misunderstand a joke told by late night comic David Letterman, and beat this foolish issue around for days, milking it for every bit of publicity that she could. For his part, Letterman was wrong to even acknowledge Palin or offer an apology for a stupid joke that really amounted to nothing at all. It only played into her warped publicity seeking ways.

Well, publicity hound Sarah Palin will get plenty of publicity out of job quitting stunt today. But once again, neither her nor her small cult of true believers will really understand that this publicity isn't good publicity at all. Palin probably closed shut any doors to any future office opportunities today, whether it's a senate run in 2010 or the presidency in 2012. Few serious people will vote for someone who will quit their office when the whim just hits them to do so.

Maybe the shocking Michael Jackson news was getting too many headlines, and Sarah Palin just needed to do something erratic enough to compete with that news. But regardless, good riddance.

The 2010 AMC Ambassador?

HOT ROD's website recently offered up some wild futuristic artist renderings of what the 2010 AMC Ambassador might have looked like if little carmaker AMC had survived and not been acquired by Chrysler in 1987. The Ambassador became the top of the line full size car for little AMC, something like their own Cadillac, but for the price of a full size Chevrolet. In fact, my first car nearly became a beautiful 1969 white Ambassador, but the guys selling the car were too drunk to complete the sale, so I left in disgust.

The Ambassador cars were always a terrific deal, because they were a top quality full size car for a very reasonable price tag with a great array of luxury car options, yet they just were never considered by many to be in the same league with Cadillacs, Lincolns and Imperials, despite their overall quality by many car buyers.

Ambassadors came standard with a V8 engine, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, and many other great items that were options on comparable full size cars in the same price range. Compared to the cost of many full size cars like the Chevrolet Impala, Ambassadors seemed like a lot of car for the money. Strangely, the full size AMC cars like the Ambassador and the lower priced Rebel were actually light in weight for their size, while AMCs small cars such as the Gremlin Hornet and especially Pacer were very heavy in weight for their size.

Well, AMC is long gone as a company. However this artist's concept is a pretty decent image of what these underrated full size Ambassador cars might have been like if the company survived. Ambassadors were a great American full size car of very high quality and durability that too few Americans considered back in the 60's to mid 70's when buying a car. 1974 was the last year for the big Ambassador, and the last year that AMC was a full line carmaker as well. Both the Ambassador and Javelin bowed out after the 1974 car year, leaving the controversial styled 1975 Matador as AMC's last remaining large car. Strangely, the 1975 two door coupe Matador and the 1975 four door sedan appeared to be entirely different cars, which is another very strange quirk.

President Obama's Approval Numbers Rise To 62%

In the latest Gallup tracking poll on the public approval of President Obama's job performance, his approval numbers have ticked up slightly to 62% approval vs. 31% disapproval. These are improved public approval numbers than the low of 57% he had some days ago in the wake of news about the GM auto bailout which was controversial with many Americans.

Despite some serious new national unemployment news, such as the bad news that sent stocks down more than 200 points, yesterday, President Obama is proving himself to be a very popular president who inspires confidence and trust.

While it appears that the economy is struggling, and bad news abounds, despite serious actions by the Obama Administration to stabilize things that seem to be having only a minimal effect so far, the public seems to still have deep trust in the president and feel that he cares about them. Scenes such as the one where he comforts a woman who has a recently discovered tumor and other acts of kindness, prove he is far more than just a stiff intellectual, but a very decent man filled with much compassion for others. All of this translates into broad public appeal and support, despite the fact that many of his policies remain controversial or that the economy remains stalled with very serious problems.

Some areas where the Obama Administration has seen great early success is in military efforts in both Pakistan and Afghanistan where the Taliban and Al Qaeda have suffered serious military losses in past few weeks, and a huge new offensive by 4,000 Marines in Afghanistan is having great success. At home, while the bailout plans to rescue both GM and Chrysler remain very controversial, both companies seem to have survived the recession thanks to the bailout plans, and remain in business, providing many jobs. Stimulus Bill spending is starting a large number of construction and highway projects around the nation.

In the long run, it will certainly be results that dictate whether the Democrats do well in the 2010 midterm elections or whether President Obama is re-elected. And performance on the stubborn economy remains a very difficult issue for the Obama White House to deal with. And likely, performance on the economy may remain as the number issue deciding on the ultimate success or failure of the Democrats and President Obama.

Judge Rules Blogger Does Not Have Same Equal Protection Free Speech Rights As Journalists

In what might become an important ruling limiting the legal free speech rights of bloggers, a Freehold, NJ Superior Court Judge J.S.C. Loucuascio has ruled that a Washington state blogger, Shellee Hale, who writes for Oprano.com, does not have the same equal free speech protections as a normal journalist to shield sources when writing. The case revolves around claims by blogger Hale, who has also contributed articles to THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and BUSINESS WEEK, that claimed a security breach in some Internet business software developed by a New Jersey based software development company, Too Much Media.

Too Much Media claimed in court that no such security breach issues had ever developed, whereby hackers might steal important customer information. Further, Hale even claimed that the company somehow threatened her life, which is another claim that the NJ software developer company also denies. The judge also noted some discrepancies in the testimony of Hale. Hale also claims to hold a private investigator's license in Washington state. However, both Hale and Too Much Media are both somehow actively associated with Internet free speech rights. Hale posts the Electronic Freedom Foundation free speech Blue Ribbon Logo on some of her blogs, while some of the clients of Too Much Media are businesses actively involved in free speech rights or causes.

While this whole case might actually just pit the credibility of a single blogger against the reputation of some software company that prides itself in the quality of the software products they develop, as well as dueling serious claims by both parties, it also brings in fresh new legal issues such as are blogs entitled to the same equal protection free speech rights as other journalists. So far, the judge in this particular case views blogs as merely a message board, and not a true news forum, which offers far less legal protections to bloggers. However, important issues that define the legal limits of what bloggers are allowed to publish in the way of consumer protection or investigative journalism stories might hinge on part of the new legal ground set by this case.