As much as I disagree with most of what our new president has done so far, you know, socializing our economy, nationalizing health care, rewarding thieves and losers with government bail-outs and attempting to stifle the rights of free speech for those who oppose him, I have to admit, NoQuama finally got one right!
In this article, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_waste , the president states that he has ordered a make-over for government contract procedure, doing away with "no-bid" contracts and "cost-plus" contracts where the "plus" isn't decided until after the work is performed! It's about time!
The return of the so-called "fairness doctrine" is another matter altogether. I have two questions; first, why is it wrong to deny the rights of suspected terrorists at Gitmo and perfectly alright to deny freedom of speech rights to freedom-loving Americans here? Second, what gives ANYONE the right to dictate to a private corporation what it may or may not do when their actions are perfectly legal and do no infringe upon the rights of any other person or entity?
Hey, Libs! There's a couple of buttons on the radio that you may want to familiarize yourselves with! First, there's this button typically labeled "power" or "on-off." If you manipulate this button, you can make whatever offends you go away! MAGIC!!! Second, there's another one called a "channel selector." With it, you can change the frequency of programming you receive! You don't have to listen to stuff that you find offensive! MAGIC TIMES 2!!!!
Now, to the two-faced Libs who would like to have their cake and eat it as well: You can't scream "human rights violations!" and then do everything in your power to deny those same rights to other Americans who simply do not share your myopic Utopian views! It begs a third question; What are you so afraid of? Ours has always been and, God willing, will always be a system of checks and balances with voices of dissent being given ear as well as those you agree with! Like I said before, if the cacophony of dissent bothers you, you have two choices; you can listen and find out where our objections lie, or you can TURN THEM OFF!!!
Thanks for listening and THANK GOD that I still have the right to write these words and publish them in this public forum!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Rick Santelli's rant
Well, FINALLY someone else said what I've been saying! The emporer is naked! Santelli was exercised about the bogus mortgage bail-out plan in particular, but I have a feeling he's not too proud of the whole "economic stimulus" package that our current regime forced down our throats, either!
Can anyone say "root cause analysis?" That's good; I knew that you could!
Now, does anyone in Washington know how to do one? Obviously not! If they did, they'd have come to the inescapable conclusion that their stupid community development legislation is almost wholly to blame for the so-called mortgage "crisis" and the cure, sad as it is, is to tighten credit makets and lend money to people who have demonstrated a propensity for paying their bills!
Is that what we did? NOOOOOOO!!!!!! We ran the banks into the ground by forcing them to make bad loans and then we stole money from the taxpayers to prop the whole house of cards up! NOW, if the Obama regime gets it's way (which is a foregone conclusion since the keys to the piggybank have been left with the largest legalized theft ring in the country (the Democrat-controlled US Congress!), we're going to have our money taken again to prop up the losers who borrowed the money to buy houses they never should have bought in the first place!
I say LET them lose their homes! LET the banks who loaned them money go bankrupt! LET the market right itself as it surely will if left alone long enough! There are investors out there who would LOVE to buy up those foreclosures and sell them for a profit! Meanwhile, the losers who are losing them should find apartments (which is where they probably should have been in the first place), SAVE for a home in the future, and buy another when WHEN THEY CAN AFFORD IT!!!!!!!
"Property is the fruit of labor...property is desirable...is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built." -- March 21, 1864 - Reply to New York Workingmen's Democratic Republican Association". - Abraham Lincoln
Can anyone say "root cause analysis?" That's good; I knew that you could!
Now, does anyone in Washington know how to do one? Obviously not! If they did, they'd have come to the inescapable conclusion that their stupid community development legislation is almost wholly to blame for the so-called mortgage "crisis" and the cure, sad as it is, is to tighten credit makets and lend money to people who have demonstrated a propensity for paying their bills!
Is that what we did? NOOOOOOO!!!!!! We ran the banks into the ground by forcing them to make bad loans and then we stole money from the taxpayers to prop the whole house of cards up! NOW, if the Obama regime gets it's way (which is a foregone conclusion since the keys to the piggybank have been left with the largest legalized theft ring in the country (the Democrat-controlled US Congress!), we're going to have our money taken again to prop up the losers who borrowed the money to buy houses they never should have bought in the first place!
I say LET them lose their homes! LET the banks who loaned them money go bankrupt! LET the market right itself as it surely will if left alone long enough! There are investors out there who would LOVE to buy up those foreclosures and sell them for a profit! Meanwhile, the losers who are losing them should find apartments (which is where they probably should have been in the first place), SAVE for a home in the future, and buy another when WHEN THEY CAN AFFORD IT!!!!!!!
"Property is the fruit of labor...property is desirable...is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built." -- March 21, 1864 - Reply to New York Workingmen's Democratic Republican Association". - Abraham Lincoln
Friday, February 20, 2009
Where's the fairness?
I don't want a nickel of my money back; my tax money, that is. You see, my family and millions more just like mine are now in the business of financing irresponsibility. Families who could not afford to buy a home did so anyway, getting money for the transaction from banks who were forced to lend it to them.
I'm bailing out both sides of the rotten equation at this point, and frankly, it makes me sick!
I'd like to scream out, "Where's MINE!!! I pay my taxes, make good decisions, try to save money, and PAY MY BILLS!!! When is someone going to reward MY good behavior?"
We're not in the business of rewarding the people who do things right anymore. We're in the business of rewarding poor decisions and irresponsible behavior. What else would I expect in the "everyone gets a trophy" generation?
As I said, the whole thing makes me ill. I think I'll stop paying on my mortgage. I'd be rewarded for it, wouldn't I? I think I'll stop paying my bills. Uncle Sam will come to my rescue, won't he?
Not for me! I didn't make poor decisions and allow myself to be victimized by an adjustable rate mortgage. I didn't demand a lot more money than I was worth, so I don't have a Federal bail-out with my name on it. Where's the bail-out for my retirement fund? I'll have to work until I'm 80 to make up the losses; losses that were essentially generated by the whole banking mess that the government produced with its Community Development Act, which forces banks to lend money to people who are not qualified under normal circumstances for a $20 loan, let alone a $200,000 loan!
Our government, part in parcel, is out of control and WE sat back and allowed one liberal idea that sounded good but was rotten to the core after another steal any semblance of logic from our collective thought, all the while KNOWING that Uncle Sam would provide the safety net if it failed.
It HAS failed, Sam! Can we please go back to capitalism before we're nothing more than Red China with a red, white, and blue flag?
I'm bailing out both sides of the rotten equation at this point, and frankly, it makes me sick!
I'd like to scream out, "Where's MINE!!! I pay my taxes, make good decisions, try to save money, and PAY MY BILLS!!! When is someone going to reward MY good behavior?"
We're not in the business of rewarding the people who do things right anymore. We're in the business of rewarding poor decisions and irresponsible behavior. What else would I expect in the "everyone gets a trophy" generation?
As I said, the whole thing makes me ill. I think I'll stop paying on my mortgage. I'd be rewarded for it, wouldn't I? I think I'll stop paying my bills. Uncle Sam will come to my rescue, won't he?
Not for me! I didn't make poor decisions and allow myself to be victimized by an adjustable rate mortgage. I didn't demand a lot more money than I was worth, so I don't have a Federal bail-out with my name on it. Where's the bail-out for my retirement fund? I'll have to work until I'm 80 to make up the losses; losses that were essentially generated by the whole banking mess that the government produced with its Community Development Act, which forces banks to lend money to people who are not qualified under normal circumstances for a $20 loan, let alone a $200,000 loan!
Our government, part in parcel, is out of control and WE sat back and allowed one liberal idea that sounded good but was rotten to the core after another steal any semblance of logic from our collective thought, all the while KNOWING that Uncle Sam would provide the safety net if it failed.
It HAS failed, Sam! Can we please go back to capitalism before we're nothing more than Red China with a red, white, and blue flag?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Nice job, Chicken Little!
Well, Chicken Little, you did it! You managed to scare the bejeebers out of everyone and get the largest socialist legislation package since the New Deal passed through our new Chicken Little controlled Congress.
I've heard all the arguments; "We're in crisis! We've GOT to do something!" "Only the government can get us out of this!" and "Our problems have gone beyond the ability of 'normal' mechanisms to cope!"
That's a bunch of garbage!
First, our problems could and should be fixed by realizing that the market forces that got us into this situation can be used to get us out of them. American labor costs have priced our goods and services out of the world market. We've got to realize this fact and adjust those costs to reflect what the market will bear. A tough thing to do, no doubt, but absolutely necessary.
Second, the government cannot and should not "get us out of this." The government has a strictly stated constitutional place in all of this, i.e., "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes (Section 8)." In case English is a second language to some who read here, "regulate" means "oversee and facilitate", it does NOT mean "control and dictate," which is how it is being practiced in this most recent legislation.
Finally, "normal" mechanisms, i.e., the law of supply and demand, will, despite attempts to the contrary, "get us out of this" just as it always has done in the past.
Unless Chicken Little manages to convert our economy into a pure socialist monstrosity, that is!
You know, there's a reason for declining turntable sales, just as there's a reason that covered wagons have gone away and 8-track tape players can only be found in antique stores these days. The market dictated their demise and the companies that produced those goods either changed to produce what the market demanded or they went bankrupt.
Where was their bailout?
If IBM was still just a typewriter company, do you think they'd still be around?
Here's the deal, Chicken Little; get out of the way and let the miraculous mechanism that is free enterprise take over! Will some suffer? I'm sure! But hasn't there always been suffering as change occurs? Adjust or perish, that's how things work!
Sadly, we're now in the "everyone gets a trophy" days, where there ARE no losers. Hate to pass this tid-bit along there, Chicken Little, but everytime someone wins, there's a loser in the other locker room! The losers either fix what cost them the game or they continue to lose! What happened to the Washington Senators? Anyone remember the St. Louis Browns? Teams that did not do what it took to adjust and become winners disappeared just as companies that do not do what's necessary to become profitable disappear.
It's called "Capitalism," Chicken Little. It's the economic system that has brought this country the wealth and prosperity that we all enjoy today and would continue to do so if you'd leave it alone and stop trying to kill it every chance you get!
The sky is NOT falling, Chicken Little, but if you don't stop pulling on it, it may very well if you absolutely demand it!
I've heard all the arguments; "We're in crisis! We've GOT to do something!" "Only the government can get us out of this!" and "Our problems have gone beyond the ability of 'normal' mechanisms to cope!"
That's a bunch of garbage!
First, our problems could and should be fixed by realizing that the market forces that got us into this situation can be used to get us out of them. American labor costs have priced our goods and services out of the world market. We've got to realize this fact and adjust those costs to reflect what the market will bear. A tough thing to do, no doubt, but absolutely necessary.
Second, the government cannot and should not "get us out of this." The government has a strictly stated constitutional place in all of this, i.e., "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes (Section 8)." In case English is a second language to some who read here, "regulate" means "oversee and facilitate", it does NOT mean "control and dictate," which is how it is being practiced in this most recent legislation.
Finally, "normal" mechanisms, i.e., the law of supply and demand, will, despite attempts to the contrary, "get us out of this" just as it always has done in the past.
Unless Chicken Little manages to convert our economy into a pure socialist monstrosity, that is!
You know, there's a reason for declining turntable sales, just as there's a reason that covered wagons have gone away and 8-track tape players can only be found in antique stores these days. The market dictated their demise and the companies that produced those goods either changed to produce what the market demanded or they went bankrupt.
Where was their bailout?
If IBM was still just a typewriter company, do you think they'd still be around?
Here's the deal, Chicken Little; get out of the way and let the miraculous mechanism that is free enterprise take over! Will some suffer? I'm sure! But hasn't there always been suffering as change occurs? Adjust or perish, that's how things work!
Sadly, we're now in the "everyone gets a trophy" days, where there ARE no losers. Hate to pass this tid-bit along there, Chicken Little, but everytime someone wins, there's a loser in the other locker room! The losers either fix what cost them the game or they continue to lose! What happened to the Washington Senators? Anyone remember the St. Louis Browns? Teams that did not do what it took to adjust and become winners disappeared just as companies that do not do what's necessary to become profitable disappear.
It's called "Capitalism," Chicken Little. It's the economic system that has brought this country the wealth and prosperity that we all enjoy today and would continue to do so if you'd leave it alone and stop trying to kill it every chance you get!
The sky is NOT falling, Chicken Little, but if you don't stop pulling on it, it may very well if you absolutely demand it!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Well, there's a first time for everything!
Hello again, blogfans!
Those who read here fairly consistently know that I absolutely love Jason Whitlock, who contributes regularly to the foxsports.com website. Almost without exception, I agree with what he says and applaud his stances on various topics. Recently, I had to take exception to an article he wrote about Michael Phelps; not to disagree with his stance on Phelps, mind you, but to disagree with his arguments in favor of legalizing marijuana. Actually that's the first time I can recall that I had to disagree with Whitlock.
This time makes #2!
In his most recent entry, Whitlock attempts to argue that the reason white fans have such distaste for Barry Bonds is because he broke the record of white icon Babe Ruth and white fans need the Babe to bolster their opinion of the athletic prowess of their race.
I hate to disagree, I really do, but that's preposterous!
Barry's disliked because he is and always has been a boorish, moody, unlikable guy! Barry's disliked not such much because of whose record he broke, but by how it was broken! Did anyone other than a bunch of pointy-headed backwoodsmen dislike Henry Aaron when HE broke the Babe's career mark? No, no one with a real live functioning brain said anything at all except to laud his accomplishment and acknowledge that his hard work, stamina, and perseverance paid off handsomely. Hank did it the right way and he was accepted by ALL fans because of it.
Barry cheated and now, with the exception of the few "blacks can do no wrong" apologetics out there, he's universally vilified because of THAT, NOT because of the color of his skin!
In case Mr. Whitlock hasn't noticed, one Mark McGuire is getting pretty much the same treatment because he, too, is seen as someone who didn't do it the right way, choosing instead to cheat his way into the record books.
It's cheaters we don't like, Mr. Whitlock, REGARDLESS of what color they are!
Those who read here fairly consistently know that I absolutely love Jason Whitlock, who contributes regularly to the foxsports.com website. Almost without exception, I agree with what he says and applaud his stances on various topics. Recently, I had to take exception to an article he wrote about Michael Phelps; not to disagree with his stance on Phelps, mind you, but to disagree with his arguments in favor of legalizing marijuana. Actually that's the first time I can recall that I had to disagree with Whitlock.
This time makes #2!
In his most recent entry, Whitlock attempts to argue that the reason white fans have such distaste for Barry Bonds is because he broke the record of white icon Babe Ruth and white fans need the Babe to bolster their opinion of the athletic prowess of their race.
I hate to disagree, I really do, but that's preposterous!
Barry's disliked because he is and always has been a boorish, moody, unlikable guy! Barry's disliked not such much because of whose record he broke, but by how it was broken! Did anyone other than a bunch of pointy-headed backwoodsmen dislike Henry Aaron when HE broke the Babe's career mark? No, no one with a real live functioning brain said anything at all except to laud his accomplishment and acknowledge that his hard work, stamina, and perseverance paid off handsomely. Hank did it the right way and he was accepted by ALL fans because of it.
Barry cheated and now, with the exception of the few "blacks can do no wrong" apologetics out there, he's universally vilified because of THAT, NOT because of the color of his skin!
In case Mr. Whitlock hasn't noticed, one Mark McGuire is getting pretty much the same treatment because he, too, is seen as someone who didn't do it the right way, choosing instead to cheat his way into the record books.
It's cheaters we don't like, Mr. Whitlock, REGARDLESS of what color they are!
Monday, February 09, 2009
Quantrell Strikes Again!!!
Hello again, blogfans!
As you know, I'm vehemently opposed to "finding racism under every rock" and those who seem to do just that. Here in Houston, our community activist of that stripe is one Quantrell X, the Nation of Islam mouthpiece who shows up for every little thing that involves someone of color (well, as long as a video camera is anywhere near, that is!) and assumes the role of "family spokesperson."
This time, Quantrell bit off a little more than he could chew.
In the case of NFL receiver Donald Driver's father, Quantrell showed up as usual, and ranted about the (alleged) brutality of the Houston police and how they supposedly forced him to ingest cocaine in an effort to introduce him to Jesus (Quantrell's words, not mine).
You can read about Quantrell's rant here.
Well, imagine this! The police officers were exonerated! There is no evidence that any of the allegations against the officers have any merit, so charges are being dismissed and the officers involved are suing Quantrell and the elder Driver for defamation of character!
Hmmmm.....not too bright, eh Quantrell? Perhaps it would be wise to see that camera as a two-way mirror from now on! What you say may jump up and bite you on the other side!
Look; no one is more against police brutality than yours truly, and no one detests racism more than I do. Here's the key; rail against REAL racism when it shows it's ugly head and leave the "alleged" variety to the people who investigate that sort of thing for a living! If it proves to be racism as well, THEN you can call the limelight to yourself if the family wants you to do so and shine the light of truth on it! In this day and age, racism is totally without a home and you may find yourself on the RIGHT side of a public argument for a change!
Just a friendly piece of advise from a casual observer who's sick and tired of hearing your wolf cries, Quantrell!
As you know, I'm vehemently opposed to "finding racism under every rock" and those who seem to do just that. Here in Houston, our community activist of that stripe is one Quantrell X, the Nation of Islam mouthpiece who shows up for every little thing that involves someone of color (well, as long as a video camera is anywhere near, that is!) and assumes the role of "family spokesperson."
This time, Quantrell bit off a little more than he could chew.
In the case of NFL receiver Donald Driver's father, Quantrell showed up as usual, and ranted about the (alleged) brutality of the Houston police and how they supposedly forced him to ingest cocaine in an effort to introduce him to Jesus (Quantrell's words, not mine).
You can read about Quantrell's rant here.
Well, imagine this! The police officers were exonerated! There is no evidence that any of the allegations against the officers have any merit, so charges are being dismissed and the officers involved are suing Quantrell and the elder Driver for defamation of character!
Hmmmm.....not too bright, eh Quantrell? Perhaps it would be wise to see that camera as a two-way mirror from now on! What you say may jump up and bite you on the other side!
Look; no one is more against police brutality than yours truly, and no one detests racism more than I do. Here's the key; rail against REAL racism when it shows it's ugly head and leave the "alleged" variety to the people who investigate that sort of thing for a living! If it proves to be racism as well, THEN you can call the limelight to yourself if the family wants you to do so and shine the light of truth on it! In this day and age, racism is totally without a home and you may find yourself on the RIGHT side of a public argument for a change!
Just a friendly piece of advise from a casual observer who's sick and tired of hearing your wolf cries, Quantrell!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Phelps, MJ, and Obama
As usual, Jason Whitlock hit the nail on the head in this recent article about Michael Phelps and "Bong-gate." The common denominator of why Phelps gets a pass and an AA athlete doing the same thing is not the weed; it’s the surrounding behavior of the perpetrator. Now, I’m not sure if I agree that drugs in general ought to be legalized. Let’s be honest; it’s not so much the drug use as it is the surrounding behavior; thieving stuff that doesn’t belong to you in order to purchase said drugs or killing people to keep your corner. Who’s to say that such behaviors would change if the object of the stoner’s affections were suddenly legalized? People always want to compare alcohol to the chronic as well, but oranges are orange and apples are red, aren’t they? Drinking under every circumstance isn’t allowable, either, so why would burning blunts be any different or any less a headache for law enforcement? I don’t think that it would. I guess you could agree that the dollars that are being wasted to prevent the importation of said hemp could be better spent, but I certainly don’t think they amount to a drop in the bucket compared to the dollars that would be wasted picking up the pieces after the full impact of legalization is known. Who’s to say? I’m sure Obama will fix that, too. After all, he’s going to fix everything, right?
In an article about the recent Democrat party lovefest, we find that ALL of our nations woes are due to the last 8 years. Who are these idiots trying to convince; themselves? We’re in the mess we’re in BECAUSE we have TOO MUCH government, not because there’s too little! If it hadn’t been for the government telling lending institutions who they MUST lend money to, we wouldn’t have a foreclosure crisis and we wouldn’t have banks going under or a NEED for government money to help those poor newly homeless from their own stupidity! We need LESS government interference, not more! Furthermore, the only way out right now is to reduce the tax burden (read, “operating expenses”) on corporate America so they CAN hire people instead of laying them off! Economics 101, Mr. President; a company operating in a capitalist economy MUST make a profit or it becomes another government-subsidized bankruptcy statistic! If you want this economy to thrive, go back to Washington and get out of the boardroom! Let these companies do what they do best; pad their bottom lines! Then and only then will this economy turn itself around! (See “Great Depression” and “Economic Recovery after WWII”)
In an article about the recent Democrat party lovefest, we find that ALL of our nations woes are due to the last 8 years. Who are these idiots trying to convince; themselves? We’re in the mess we’re in BECAUSE we have TOO MUCH government, not because there’s too little! If it hadn’t been for the government telling lending institutions who they MUST lend money to, we wouldn’t have a foreclosure crisis and we wouldn’t have banks going under or a NEED for government money to help those poor newly homeless from their own stupidity! We need LESS government interference, not more! Furthermore, the only way out right now is to reduce the tax burden (read, “operating expenses”) on corporate America so they CAN hire people instead of laying them off! Economics 101, Mr. President; a company operating in a capitalist economy MUST make a profit or it becomes another government-subsidized bankruptcy statistic! If you want this economy to thrive, go back to Washington and get out of the boardroom! Let these companies do what they do best; pad their bottom lines! Then and only then will this economy turn itself around! (See “Great Depression” and “Economic Recovery after WWII”)
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Uhhh...who ARE these guys?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bailout_executive_pay
Has this guy no shame? On one hand, he approves of top executives of the US government not paying income taxes and then caps executive pay in the private sector. Can anyone say "contract?" That's good; I knew that you could!
How about this? Tell companies who wish to receive economic aid from Uncle Sam that they may not exceed a payroll of x% of reported income. Why not tell them that if they have executives making in excess of x% of their total company payroll, they're not ELEGIBLE for government bail-out funds? How can you or anyone else, Mr. Obama, tell a guy who's been making 1.5 or 2 million dollars per annum that his salary was just reduced to merely $500k? How's HE supposed to pay for those things he's obligated to pay for, like his mortgage, car notes, college education for kids, electricty, water, etc.?
I know you guys like to scoff at "trickle-down" theories, but you cannot deny that that is exactly how it works, can you?
The naivete' and sheer ARROGANCE of this bunch simply amazes me!
Has this guy no shame? On one hand, he approves of top executives of the US government not paying income taxes and then caps executive pay in the private sector. Can anyone say "contract?" That's good; I knew that you could!
How about this? Tell companies who wish to receive economic aid from Uncle Sam that they may not exceed a payroll of x% of reported income. Why not tell them that if they have executives making in excess of x% of their total company payroll, they're not ELEGIBLE for government bail-out funds? How can you or anyone else, Mr. Obama, tell a guy who's been making 1.5 or 2 million dollars per annum that his salary was just reduced to merely $500k? How's HE supposed to pay for those things he's obligated to pay for, like his mortgage, car notes, college education for kids, electricty, water, etc.?
I know you guys like to scoff at "trickle-down" theories, but you cannot deny that that is exactly how it works, can you?
The naivete' and sheer ARROGANCE of this bunch simply amazes me!
Daschle Bows Out
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_pr_wh/daschle_taxes
Today, the ultra liberal Tom Daschle, formerly of the United States House of Representatives and the US Senate, removed his name from consideration as Barack Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.
It’s about time someone down there got one right!
I guess it’s okay to nominate one crook after another, starting with the governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson (who was asked to be the Secretary of Commerce) and including the current Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, the Secretary of State (whom I’m STILL not convinced is free of interest conflict when it comes to purchased favoritism via her husband’s fund-raising efforts overseas), and Nancy Killefer (Secretary of hurry let’s make something up!). Was Michael Millikin not available? Of course, these are the same folks running the Executive branch, which is responsible for ENFORCEMENT of the very laws they apparently hold in disdain!
What a shock! The guy who sat and listened to Jeremiah Wright for twenty years and never heard a word, the guy who sought the advice of Bill Ayers, and the guy who had a shady Chicago businessman (and I use that term loosely) running point on his fundraising efforts, has nominated a bunch of shady characters to run the government! Is the AED charged up? Does anyone know CPR? I’m having a heart attack over here from my total shock and surprise!
Uhh…..no I’m not!
What did you expect, America? You elect a guy with shockingly poor judgment and he exercises it with aplomb! Way to go, dunderheads! God, please see this country through the next four years! We’ll need all the favor You can muster!
Today, the ultra liberal Tom Daschle, formerly of the United States House of Representatives and the US Senate, removed his name from consideration as Barack Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.
It’s about time someone down there got one right!
I guess it’s okay to nominate one crook after another, starting with the governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson (who was asked to be the Secretary of Commerce) and including the current Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, the Secretary of State (whom I’m STILL not convinced is free of interest conflict when it comes to purchased favoritism via her husband’s fund-raising efforts overseas), and Nancy Killefer (Secretary of hurry let’s make something up!). Was Michael Millikin not available? Of course, these are the same folks running the Executive branch, which is responsible for ENFORCEMENT of the very laws they apparently hold in disdain!
What a shock! The guy who sat and listened to Jeremiah Wright for twenty years and never heard a word, the guy who sought the advice of Bill Ayers, and the guy who had a shady Chicago businessman (and I use that term loosely) running point on his fundraising efforts, has nominated a bunch of shady characters to run the government! Is the AED charged up? Does anyone know CPR? I’m having a heart attack over here from my total shock and surprise!
Uhh…..no I’m not!
What did you expect, America? You elect a guy with shockingly poor judgment and he exercises it with aplomb! Way to go, dunderheads! God, please see this country through the next four years! We’ll need all the favor You can muster!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Not a time for profit?
In a comment he made following a meeting with Secretary of the Treasury Geithner, Barack Obama said:
“There will be time for them to make profits, and there will be time for them to get bonuses — now is not that time. And that’s a message that I intend to send directly to them.”
Now, in fairness, I must report the context of the comment. Obama was referring to a report that Wall Street executives were still being paid bonuses even as they accept bail-out money from Uncle Sam.
There. Fair and balanced.
However, Obama's comment did not directly speak to that situation alone; he spoke of profit, the reason any business exists and the sole engine of the economic system in America! Without profit, no business has any reason to continue! Does Mr. Obama not understand this? Is he really such a neophyte? Has he been stuck in one public sector job after another so long that he does not understand where the money for such jobs come from? Let me set him straight. Without private industries and private citizens working for profit and then paying a portion of that profit in taxes, THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT, Mr. Obama!
That is, unless you plan on nationalizing everything and following the Red Chinese model!
Uhhh...let me think; Red China, the home of government control and direction of every aspect of life. Red China; the progenitor of stifling repression and forced labor. Red China, the society that must impose stifling censorship on its populace lest they find out what freedom brings. Red China, the bastion of zero pollution control, lead-based children's toys, forced abortions, rigid population control, and zero personal liberty. THAT Red China, Mr. Obama? That's what we aspire to?
You voted for it eyes wide shut, America!
All I can say is this; someone.....ANYONE...please set Obama straight and educate him on how American capitalism works before he completely undermines the whole deal and his little speeches on how "now is not the time for profit" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy!
“There will be time for them to make profits, and there will be time for them to get bonuses — now is not that time. And that’s a message that I intend to send directly to them.”
Now, in fairness, I must report the context of the comment. Obama was referring to a report that Wall Street executives were still being paid bonuses even as they accept bail-out money from Uncle Sam.
There. Fair and balanced.
However, Obama's comment did not directly speak to that situation alone; he spoke of profit, the reason any business exists and the sole engine of the economic system in America! Without profit, no business has any reason to continue! Does Mr. Obama not understand this? Is he really such a neophyte? Has he been stuck in one public sector job after another so long that he does not understand where the money for such jobs come from? Let me set him straight. Without private industries and private citizens working for profit and then paying a portion of that profit in taxes, THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT, Mr. Obama!
That is, unless you plan on nationalizing everything and following the Red Chinese model!
Uhhh...let me think; Red China, the home of government control and direction of every aspect of life. Red China; the progenitor of stifling repression and forced labor. Red China, the society that must impose stifling censorship on its populace lest they find out what freedom brings. Red China, the bastion of zero pollution control, lead-based children's toys, forced abortions, rigid population control, and zero personal liberty. THAT Red China, Mr. Obama? That's what we aspire to?
You voted for it eyes wide shut, America!
All I can say is this; someone.....ANYONE...please set Obama straight and educate him on how American capitalism works before he completely undermines the whole deal and his little speeches on how "now is not the time for profit" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sorry, Pittsburgh!
Well, I guess it’s time to weigh in on the Super Bowl. As usual, there’s plenty of stuff to talk about.
I could talk about former bag-boy Kurt Warner and his Horatio Alger story of rags to riches to rags and then back to riches again, all the while being one of the true nice-guy role models in the sometimes nasty business of the NFL. I could talk about Pittsburgh’s tenacious defense and their seemingly magical ability to disguise blitzes and stifle any semblance of offense by the opposition. I guess I could make a prediction (Pittsburgh 24, Arizona 17) on Monday and then tell everyone that Nostradamus predicted it 400 years ago in a quatrain where Pittsburgh was called “smelly mountain” and Arizona was called “habitual loser.” I could even discuss the relative success of the Pittsburgh model and how they’ve adapted to the age of free agency and the new CBA and still maintained a high level of performance.
I don’t think I’ll talk about any of that. I’m a Browns fan; Pittsburgh sucks!
Seriously, you’ve got to give the devil his due. Pittsburgh is good and they’ve earned what they’ve achieved, but they still suck! Their fans are arrogant in the Dallas mold, and they wave those silly little yellow towels, reminding me more of a mid-major college game than a real, live NFL contest. Pittsburgh’s stadium, Heinz Field (aptly named since playing there can only be described as slogging through a bottle of ketchup), is the worst surface ever. Sitting on the banks of the famous “three rivers,” it’s more akin to playing in a swamp than on a proper playing surface. Kickers can’t kick there with any proficiency, so it’s either touchdowns or punts and not much in between.
Pittsburgh sucks!
Where you’ve got to give them credit is that they KNOW Pittsburgh sucks, so they’ve worked very hard over the years to develop and maintain an effective running game. They know that no one is going to throw for long gains in that muck, so they get receivers who specialize in short routes; pudgy little guys with wide feet and big hands who can cut in that slop and then catch short, efficient little passes to keep the ball moving up the field. They got a quarterback who’s tall, so even if he sinks down 6 or 8 inches, he can still see over rushing linemen. What’s amazing to me is that the NFL allows games to be played at Heinz. It hasn’t been that long ago that the NFL canceled a game in Houston because the playing surface was deemed “dangerous.” Where’s the NFL when it comes to Pittsburgh?
They’re up the distal end of the Rooney family’s alimentary canal, that’s where!
Let’s face it; the NFL wants powerful, stable ownership like they had in the old days; you know, the Wellington Moras of the world. What they’ve got now is a bunch of “profit-first” guys who’re liable to move their franchise at a whim just for an extra nickel or two, fan loyalty be damned! Pittsburgh has such ownership in the Rooneys and it’s just what the NFL wants, so who cares if they play in an oft-times dangerous quagmire?
I do!
The NFL ought to insist that Pittsburgh repair its home field and keep the number of games played there to a minimum so the field is playable on Sundays. Of course, that doesn’t include re-sodding every other day and pretending that new grass that is simply laid on underlying dirt is an acceptable playing surface; it’s not! Loose grass is worse than worn grass, which is only slightly better than the painted dirt that Cleveland used to play on routinely.
So, even if Pittsburgh is good and is going to win it’s sixth Super Bowl on Sunday, they suck!
I could talk about former bag-boy Kurt Warner and his Horatio Alger story of rags to riches to rags and then back to riches again, all the while being one of the true nice-guy role models in the sometimes nasty business of the NFL. I could talk about Pittsburgh’s tenacious defense and their seemingly magical ability to disguise blitzes and stifle any semblance of offense by the opposition. I guess I could make a prediction (Pittsburgh 24, Arizona 17) on Monday and then tell everyone that Nostradamus predicted it 400 years ago in a quatrain where Pittsburgh was called “smelly mountain” and Arizona was called “habitual loser.” I could even discuss the relative success of the Pittsburgh model and how they’ve adapted to the age of free agency and the new CBA and still maintained a high level of performance.
I don’t think I’ll talk about any of that. I’m a Browns fan; Pittsburgh sucks!
Seriously, you’ve got to give the devil his due. Pittsburgh is good and they’ve earned what they’ve achieved, but they still suck! Their fans are arrogant in the Dallas mold, and they wave those silly little yellow towels, reminding me more of a mid-major college game than a real, live NFL contest. Pittsburgh’s stadium, Heinz Field (aptly named since playing there can only be described as slogging through a bottle of ketchup), is the worst surface ever. Sitting on the banks of the famous “three rivers,” it’s more akin to playing in a swamp than on a proper playing surface. Kickers can’t kick there with any proficiency, so it’s either touchdowns or punts and not much in between.
Pittsburgh sucks!
Where you’ve got to give them credit is that they KNOW Pittsburgh sucks, so they’ve worked very hard over the years to develop and maintain an effective running game. They know that no one is going to throw for long gains in that muck, so they get receivers who specialize in short routes; pudgy little guys with wide feet and big hands who can cut in that slop and then catch short, efficient little passes to keep the ball moving up the field. They got a quarterback who’s tall, so even if he sinks down 6 or 8 inches, he can still see over rushing linemen. What’s amazing to me is that the NFL allows games to be played at Heinz. It hasn’t been that long ago that the NFL canceled a game in Houston because the playing surface was deemed “dangerous.” Where’s the NFL when it comes to Pittsburgh?
They’re up the distal end of the Rooney family’s alimentary canal, that’s where!
Let’s face it; the NFL wants powerful, stable ownership like they had in the old days; you know, the Wellington Moras of the world. What they’ve got now is a bunch of “profit-first” guys who’re liable to move their franchise at a whim just for an extra nickel or two, fan loyalty be damned! Pittsburgh has such ownership in the Rooneys and it’s just what the NFL wants, so who cares if they play in an oft-times dangerous quagmire?
I do!
The NFL ought to insist that Pittsburgh repair its home field and keep the number of games played there to a minimum so the field is playable on Sundays. Of course, that doesn’t include re-sodding every other day and pretending that new grass that is simply laid on underlying dirt is an acceptable playing surface; it’s not! Loose grass is worse than worn grass, which is only slightly better than the painted dirt that Cleveland used to play on routinely.
So, even if Pittsburgh is good and is going to win it’s sixth Super Bowl on Sunday, they suck!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Rush listens!
Recently, our new President, one Barack Hussein Obama, mentioned that people who wish to do business with his administration would be better served to spend no time listening to radio personality Rush Limbaugh. Well, actually what he said was “You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," which I take to mean what I said at the beginning.
There are more than a few problems with that.
First, it is perhaps the least Presidential thing I’ve heard for awhile. How is Obama concerning himself with the people’s business if he’s overly concerned about what a fully-marginalized radio talk show host has to say? I’d say that if he’s that concerned with Limbaugh, it may very well be that what Mr. Limbaugh has to say has merit, Obama knows that what he says has merit, and he’s scared to death of losing his grip on the tender coalition that he helped to create during this most recent election cycle, a la 1994. Perhaps Limbaugh and conservatism isn’t quite as marginalized as he would lead us to believe!
Second, does Mr. Obama have any background in American economics? Surely he recognizes that our economy is based in capitalism. Maybe he’ll read here, who knows? Just in case, here’s a brief lesson. Capitalism involves producing goods or services and then selling them at a rate that is over and above the cost of production (i.e., a “profit”). When businesses make a profit and thrive, they often need additional assistance (i.e., “labor”), so they hire people to assist them in their effort to advance the business and increase the profits of the enterprise. Some very successful businesses manage to hire thousands of people as the demand for their goods or services increase. This brings us to economic forces that determine how much a business can charge for their products; it’s called the Law of Supply and Demand. This principle is called a “Law” because, much like always-true forces of nature like gravity or motion, it’s principles never fail. Basically, it says that when supplies increase beyond normal demand, prices will fall in response and when supplies decrease below normal demand, prices will fall. Conversely, higher prices will cause demand to decrease and lower prices will cause an increase in demand. We saw a really good example recently in the petroleum markets. When gasoline prices rose to nearly $4/gallon, consumers reacted by either driving less or by purchasing more fuel-efficient transportation, the result of which was a marked decrease in demand for gasoline. The market responded by reducing prices and gasoline reached points that were around $1.50/gallon before the recent uptick in prices that were caused by a reduction in supply by oil producing nations. Contrary to what you may believe, Mr. Obama, the only role the government plays in this equation is determining the cost of production. If tax and tariff rates are high, businesses pass that cost of operation on to the consumers which drives prices up. Let’s review, shall we? Higher prices cause a decrease in demand, which means that businesses don’t need as much labor to produce their products. This means lay-offs to those of us who work for a living and a decreased tax base for the government. So, what should government do when a negative business cycle is experienced? Reduce taxes! The last time we saw this principle in action was the Reagan years, when Reagan pushed the largest tax decrease in history through Congress. Naturally, it led to economic prosperity that this country hadn’t seen in the previous twenty years! Kennedy did the same thing in the 60’s, leading to boom times during that period as well. Take a lesson from history, Mr. Obama; lower taxes before it’s too late!
Lastly, if Obama is concerned with the validity of his “big-government” principles or conversely, worried that the principles discussed by Rush Limbaugh have greater validity than those he espouses, why does he champion them in the first place? That answer is somewhat sinister and hard to imagine, quite frankly. Democrats know that their principles go against every accepted economic Law, but they push them anyway because they are masters of the nature of humans. Dems know that people are basically like electricity; they will travel the path of least resistance to their lowest state of potential energy whenever the opportunity arises! In other words, people are apt to take the easy way out if that is indeed a viable option. Dems have figured this out, so they tell people not to worry, let the government take care of it and danged if they don’t! Of course, no one really prospers on the largess of government, but you can get by if you know how to work the system. Pretty soon, of course, people forget how to fend for themselves and actually DEPEND on the government for their very existence. In America, where production and resourcefulness are rewarded and sloth is discouraged, this tenet goes against the very grain of American culture and economy! The solution, of course, is not MORE government, but LESS!!!
The sad part is that the poverty pimps LIKE it when people are absolutely dependent on the government for their very survival; it ensures their re-election.
LISTEN to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, et al! They seem to be the only ones who have the best interests of the country at heart these days!
There are more than a few problems with that.
First, it is perhaps the least Presidential thing I’ve heard for awhile. How is Obama concerning himself with the people’s business if he’s overly concerned about what a fully-marginalized radio talk show host has to say? I’d say that if he’s that concerned with Limbaugh, it may very well be that what Mr. Limbaugh has to say has merit, Obama knows that what he says has merit, and he’s scared to death of losing his grip on the tender coalition that he helped to create during this most recent election cycle, a la 1994. Perhaps Limbaugh and conservatism isn’t quite as marginalized as he would lead us to believe!
Second, does Mr. Obama have any background in American economics? Surely he recognizes that our economy is based in capitalism. Maybe he’ll read here, who knows? Just in case, here’s a brief lesson. Capitalism involves producing goods or services and then selling them at a rate that is over and above the cost of production (i.e., a “profit”). When businesses make a profit and thrive, they often need additional assistance (i.e., “labor”), so they hire people to assist them in their effort to advance the business and increase the profits of the enterprise. Some very successful businesses manage to hire thousands of people as the demand for their goods or services increase. This brings us to economic forces that determine how much a business can charge for their products; it’s called the Law of Supply and Demand. This principle is called a “Law” because, much like always-true forces of nature like gravity or motion, it’s principles never fail. Basically, it says that when supplies increase beyond normal demand, prices will fall in response and when supplies decrease below normal demand, prices will fall. Conversely, higher prices will cause demand to decrease and lower prices will cause an increase in demand. We saw a really good example recently in the petroleum markets. When gasoline prices rose to nearly $4/gallon, consumers reacted by either driving less or by purchasing more fuel-efficient transportation, the result of which was a marked decrease in demand for gasoline. The market responded by reducing prices and gasoline reached points that were around $1.50/gallon before the recent uptick in prices that were caused by a reduction in supply by oil producing nations. Contrary to what you may believe, Mr. Obama, the only role the government plays in this equation is determining the cost of production. If tax and tariff rates are high, businesses pass that cost of operation on to the consumers which drives prices up. Let’s review, shall we? Higher prices cause a decrease in demand, which means that businesses don’t need as much labor to produce their products. This means lay-offs to those of us who work for a living and a decreased tax base for the government. So, what should government do when a negative business cycle is experienced? Reduce taxes! The last time we saw this principle in action was the Reagan years, when Reagan pushed the largest tax decrease in history through Congress. Naturally, it led to economic prosperity that this country hadn’t seen in the previous twenty years! Kennedy did the same thing in the 60’s, leading to boom times during that period as well. Take a lesson from history, Mr. Obama; lower taxes before it’s too late!
Lastly, if Obama is concerned with the validity of his “big-government” principles or conversely, worried that the principles discussed by Rush Limbaugh have greater validity than those he espouses, why does he champion them in the first place? That answer is somewhat sinister and hard to imagine, quite frankly. Democrats know that their principles go against every accepted economic Law, but they push them anyway because they are masters of the nature of humans. Dems know that people are basically like electricity; they will travel the path of least resistance to their lowest state of potential energy whenever the opportunity arises! In other words, people are apt to take the easy way out if that is indeed a viable option. Dems have figured this out, so they tell people not to worry, let the government take care of it and danged if they don’t! Of course, no one really prospers on the largess of government, but you can get by if you know how to work the system. Pretty soon, of course, people forget how to fend for themselves and actually DEPEND on the government for their very existence. In America, where production and resourcefulness are rewarded and sloth is discouraged, this tenet goes against the very grain of American culture and economy! The solution, of course, is not MORE government, but LESS!!!
The sad part is that the poverty pimps LIKE it when people are absolutely dependent on the government for their very survival; it ensures their re-election.
LISTEN to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, et al! They seem to be the only ones who have the best interests of the country at heart these days!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
6 cars that probably OUGHT to go away!
According to this article, 6 "beloved" automobiles are about to disappear altogether.
The list includes some that don't really make much sense and a few that make perfect sense and make you wonder why other, similar makes don't disappear as well!
The curious "disappearances" include a two-seater from Honda (the S2000), the PTCruiser from Chrysler, and a Saturn (but then, the whole Saturn line is going away). These are headscratchers because they're not gas hogs or inordinately expensive vehicles, unlike the others on the list. The other three, a rich man's Lexus, the always ridiculous Hummer H-3 (well, the whole Hummer line is going dinosaur as well, but it's about time, isn't it?), and the equally ostentatious Dodge Viper, make more sense in this day and time.
Much like the current troubles of Toyota and their departure from what they know (small, fuel-efficient cars and trucks), these last three make perfect sense. Corporate CEOs make a lot of money to foresee market trends and respond before their markets dry up, don't they? Well, I'm not Kreskin and I don't make enough money to be a CEO, but I think anyone who buys gas on a regular basis could have predicted that gas hogs would lose favor in the market and done SOMETHING to ease themselves from the production of SUVs and full-sized trucks to smaller vehicles that meet current market demand!
I guess the "head in the sand" and "stick out the hand" plan was more their style.
Uhhhh......it's not mine!
The list includes some that don't really make much sense and a few that make perfect sense and make you wonder why other, similar makes don't disappear as well!
The curious "disappearances" include a two-seater from Honda (the S2000), the PTCruiser from Chrysler, and a Saturn (but then, the whole Saturn line is going away). These are headscratchers because they're not gas hogs or inordinately expensive vehicles, unlike the others on the list. The other three, a rich man's Lexus, the always ridiculous Hummer H-3 (well, the whole Hummer line is going dinosaur as well, but it's about time, isn't it?), and the equally ostentatious Dodge Viper, make more sense in this day and time.
Much like the current troubles of Toyota and their departure from what they know (small, fuel-efficient cars and trucks), these last three make perfect sense. Corporate CEOs make a lot of money to foresee market trends and respond before their markets dry up, don't they? Well, I'm not Kreskin and I don't make enough money to be a CEO, but I think anyone who buys gas on a regular basis could have predicted that gas hogs would lose favor in the market and done SOMETHING to ease themselves from the production of SUVs and full-sized trucks to smaller vehicles that meet current market demand!
I guess the "head in the sand" and "stick out the hand" plan was more their style.
Uhhhh......it's not mine!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Nice Coronation!
Well, wasn't THAT a nice coronation?
I'd call it an inauguration, but that's clearly NOT what it was. Inaugurations don't cost nearly as much as this one did and they're not nearly as full of pomp and circumstance as this one was!
If Obama cared as much about our troubles as he claims he does, wouldn't it have made more sense for him to downplay this event and do what he could to minimize it to save taxpayer money?
That's what I thought!
I'd call it an inauguration, but that's clearly NOT what it was. Inaugurations don't cost nearly as much as this one did and they're not nearly as full of pomp and circumstance as this one was!
If Obama cared as much about our troubles as he claims he does, wouldn't it have made more sense for him to downplay this event and do what he could to minimize it to save taxpayer money?
That's what I thought!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Old Liberals
Did you ever notice that the only old liberals you ever see are politicians or Hollywood elitists? I sure have, and I have a couple of ideas about why that is.
1) Almost EVERYBODY is liberal when they're young. They are full of idealism and hope and genuinely believe that there's plenty to go around for everyone if we'd all just pitch in and share with one another in love. Pretty lofty goal, but it leaves reality in the dust! No one, not conservatives, not liberals, not moderates, no NOBODY, does something for nothing! Everyone does what they do for what they'll get in return, which, in most cases, is monetary gain of some sort. Businesses call it profit; they don't operate so that they can be helpful, they do it for the health of their bottom line. When the young idealistic liberal comes to realize that this is how things work in these United States, they get more and more conservative and eventually wind up voting for those who best allow them to pursue their most profitable pursuits. The BEST proponents of liberal virtue are some of the most conservative people around; Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc., who earn billions in the free market and then give it away via charitable foundation or whatever.
2) Even though most young ideologues figure out #1 and are real, live conservatives by their 35th birthday or so, a lot of politicians of a liberal stripe are still ostensibly liberal at a very old age. Why is that? See #1!!!! They've figured out that their way to greater personal gain is via parasitism; they suck the life blood out of those who depend upon them for their very existence and then move on to a new batch of young liberals when the older ones figure it out! These so-called "poverty pimps" depend upon a large underclass of welfare honks who have nothing if it's not for the handouts of big daddy government. Very sad, but very real!
3) The third "class" of liberal in this country is the "Hollywood elite" crowd. They're the ones who make big dollars for acting, singing, writing, or whatever, and then cry long and loud about how insensitive it is for conservatives to insist that the underclass referred to in #2 get off of their lazy butts and go to work when the government should be doing more to help! Uhhh.....look, Mr. Hollywood; I know you pay taxes of some sort from the gross you earn, but you still bring home a lot more that I do. Instead of being so generous with my money, why don't you donate all of the proceeds from all of your films and live on my salary? You know....put your money where your mouth is! That's what I thought; as long as we're talking about someone else's money, it's okay to insist upon higher tax rates and bigger giveaways. When we start talking about YOUR money, it's a different story! Naturally, there's exceptions to this, but they're few and far in between! Paul Newman and Oprah Winfrey come to mind, but, like I said, they're the exception, not the rule! What REALLY riles me about this class of idiots is the sorts of things they say about CEOs or other corporate movers and shakers who earn a lot of money. "Uhhh....Hello, Mr. Pot? This is Mr. Kettle! YOU'RE BLACK!!!" At least when a CEO makes a lot of money, he's doing so in the practice of free market economics and he succeeds or fails at his own peril. If he does a poor job, the stockholders fire him! Frankly, much like his cohorts in Hollywood, who only have the earning power they generate in their own popularity, or the professional athlete, who's merely as good as his last season's statistics, the high-dollar CEO is only as good as the corporate profit he generates or does NOT generate and, frankly, I don't begrudge any of them a nickel of it as long as they shut up and stop telling ME that I'M immoral for not giving up MY whole check every other week!
So, there you have it. Now you know why there are no old liberals other than the ones I've mentioned.
1) Almost EVERYBODY is liberal when they're young. They are full of idealism and hope and genuinely believe that there's plenty to go around for everyone if we'd all just pitch in and share with one another in love. Pretty lofty goal, but it leaves reality in the dust! No one, not conservatives, not liberals, not moderates, no NOBODY, does something for nothing! Everyone does what they do for what they'll get in return, which, in most cases, is monetary gain of some sort. Businesses call it profit; they don't operate so that they can be helpful, they do it for the health of their bottom line. When the young idealistic liberal comes to realize that this is how things work in these United States, they get more and more conservative and eventually wind up voting for those who best allow them to pursue their most profitable pursuits. The BEST proponents of liberal virtue are some of the most conservative people around; Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc., who earn billions in the free market and then give it away via charitable foundation or whatever.
2) Even though most young ideologues figure out #1 and are real, live conservatives by their 35th birthday or so, a lot of politicians of a liberal stripe are still ostensibly liberal at a very old age. Why is that? See #1!!!! They've figured out that their way to greater personal gain is via parasitism; they suck the life blood out of those who depend upon them for their very existence and then move on to a new batch of young liberals when the older ones figure it out! These so-called "poverty pimps" depend upon a large underclass of welfare honks who have nothing if it's not for the handouts of big daddy government. Very sad, but very real!
3) The third "class" of liberal in this country is the "Hollywood elite" crowd. They're the ones who make big dollars for acting, singing, writing, or whatever, and then cry long and loud about how insensitive it is for conservatives to insist that the underclass referred to in #2 get off of their lazy butts and go to work when the government should be doing more to help! Uhhh.....look, Mr. Hollywood; I know you pay taxes of some sort from the gross you earn, but you still bring home a lot more that I do. Instead of being so generous with my money, why don't you donate all of the proceeds from all of your films and live on my salary? You know....put your money where your mouth is! That's what I thought; as long as we're talking about someone else's money, it's okay to insist upon higher tax rates and bigger giveaways. When we start talking about YOUR money, it's a different story! Naturally, there's exceptions to this, but they're few and far in between! Paul Newman and Oprah Winfrey come to mind, but, like I said, they're the exception, not the rule! What REALLY riles me about this class of idiots is the sorts of things they say about CEOs or other corporate movers and shakers who earn a lot of money. "Uhhh....Hello, Mr. Pot? This is Mr. Kettle! YOU'RE BLACK!!!" At least when a CEO makes a lot of money, he's doing so in the practice of free market economics and he succeeds or fails at his own peril. If he does a poor job, the stockholders fire him! Frankly, much like his cohorts in Hollywood, who only have the earning power they generate in their own popularity, or the professional athlete, who's merely as good as his last season's statistics, the high-dollar CEO is only as good as the corporate profit he generates or does NOT generate and, frankly, I don't begrudge any of them a nickel of it as long as they shut up and stop telling ME that I'M immoral for not giving up MY whole check every other week!
So, there you have it. Now you know why there are no old liberals other than the ones I've mentioned.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Division
From time to time, I read on several political chat boards and, after having done so for the last several weeks, I've come to one inescapable conclusion; this country is more divided after this past election than at any time I can recall, bar none!
So, what's causing this division?
First, liberals don't know how to win with dignity. When THEY win an election, they spend as much time and effort in gloating and posturing as they do in governing, which is NOT a good thing! Naturally, all that nose-rubbing causes animosity on the right and steels their resolve to NOT cooperate on anything at any time! THAT, of course, is counterproductive and leads to that old foe, gridlock.
You remember gridlock, don't you?
I think that the 'pubs would do what they can to cooperate is it weren't for all that gloating from the left, but, for some reason, they just can't help it. Maybe it's the same psychology that goes on in the sports world. You know; team 'A' which never beats team 'B' finally gets over and then the rhetoric gets ramped up to proportions epic, which merely steels the resolve to team 'B' to kick the crap out of team 'A' for another twenty years. I have a feeling that the current political climate is similar. The dems win the White House so seldom, they don't know what to do or how to act when they finally DO win one, so they engage in counterproductive behavior which sinks their own ship for another eight or twelve years.
Not very smart, is it?
Well, what would you expect from those who espouse a theoretical construct that is devoid of any semblance of common sense or reality?
In America, we have a capitalist economy. It requires several items to be in place to operate efficiently and/or properly. First, private enterprise must have incentive to operate. If some outside entity (i.e., the government) takes away all of that incentive with confiscatory tax policies, then entrepreneurs will take their marbles and go home. If enough of them do it, the government has nothing left to confiscate! Sadly, we're approaching the critical mass of just that scenario and what are we doing about it? Confiscating MORE money from entrepreneurs! NOT smart! Second, you must have an inexpensive source of labor upon which to base your manufacturing and agricultural base. Our inexpensive source of labor has dried up and has been replaced by VERY expensive union labor which, quite predictably, has sent our manufacturing base to a place where cheap labor IS available. Has anyone seen this happening?
That's what I thought!
What needs to happen to bring our economy back? We have to create incentives for business to flourish with lower taxes and a source of cheaper labor. THAT means that unions are going to have to swallow their pride and take wage cuts or face their new careers in the fast-food industry.
You want fries with that?
What it does NOT mean is that the government really has no place in any of it EXCEPT lowering taxes so the economy can get going again.
When are they going to learn?
So, what's causing this division?
First, liberals don't know how to win with dignity. When THEY win an election, they spend as much time and effort in gloating and posturing as they do in governing, which is NOT a good thing! Naturally, all that nose-rubbing causes animosity on the right and steels their resolve to NOT cooperate on anything at any time! THAT, of course, is counterproductive and leads to that old foe, gridlock.
You remember gridlock, don't you?
I think that the 'pubs would do what they can to cooperate is it weren't for all that gloating from the left, but, for some reason, they just can't help it. Maybe it's the same psychology that goes on in the sports world. You know; team 'A' which never beats team 'B' finally gets over and then the rhetoric gets ramped up to proportions epic, which merely steels the resolve to team 'B' to kick the crap out of team 'A' for another twenty years. I have a feeling that the current political climate is similar. The dems win the White House so seldom, they don't know what to do or how to act when they finally DO win one, so they engage in counterproductive behavior which sinks their own ship for another eight or twelve years.
Not very smart, is it?
Well, what would you expect from those who espouse a theoretical construct that is devoid of any semblance of common sense or reality?
In America, we have a capitalist economy. It requires several items to be in place to operate efficiently and/or properly. First, private enterprise must have incentive to operate. If some outside entity (i.e., the government) takes away all of that incentive with confiscatory tax policies, then entrepreneurs will take their marbles and go home. If enough of them do it, the government has nothing left to confiscate! Sadly, we're approaching the critical mass of just that scenario and what are we doing about it? Confiscating MORE money from entrepreneurs! NOT smart! Second, you must have an inexpensive source of labor upon which to base your manufacturing and agricultural base. Our inexpensive source of labor has dried up and has been replaced by VERY expensive union labor which, quite predictably, has sent our manufacturing base to a place where cheap labor IS available. Has anyone seen this happening?
That's what I thought!
What needs to happen to bring our economy back? We have to create incentives for business to flourish with lower taxes and a source of cheaper labor. THAT means that unions are going to have to swallow their pride and take wage cuts or face their new careers in the fast-food industry.
You want fries with that?
What it does NOT mean is that the government really has no place in any of it EXCEPT lowering taxes so the economy can get going again.
When are they going to learn?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Now THIS is the kind of representation we should ALL have!
Our local Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumb in Houston are Quantrell X, of whom I've spoken before, and the Congresswoman from the most gerrymandered district in the country, Sheila Jackson-Lee, who never misses an opportunity to find racism under every rock and who NEVER met a camera she didn't like.
At a recent news conference designed to lobby for government cash for Houston, Shirley and her crack staff (or staff on crack, whichever rings most true) displayed the signs pictured.
No child left behind?
How about no Congresswoman left behind? Did the spell check on the computer go down? Did anyone on the Congresswoman's staff not realize that one sign or the other MUST be incorrect?
You get what you vote for, I guess! 
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Well, THAT was a short eternity!
I got a pretty good chuckle earlier. It seems that, in Bullhead City, Arizona, eternity isn't nearly as long as it is elsewhere. In November, city officials dedicated a park honoring war veterans and lit an "eternal flame" to honor our war dead.
Mission accomplished!
When they got the gas bill in December, they promptly shut the flame down to save on expenses. It seems a one month supply was nearly $1000!
A really wise man once said that only a fool begins a project without considering the cost.
I think it was Jesus, actually! (Luke 14:28-30)
I pray that my eternity lasts longer than that!
Mission accomplished!
When they got the gas bill in December, they promptly shut the flame down to save on expenses. It seems a one month supply was nearly $1000!
A really wise man once said that only a fool begins a project without considering the cost.
I think it was Jesus, actually! (Luke 14:28-30)
I pray that my eternity lasts longer than that!
Bits and Pieces
Hello, dear blogfans!
Lots of stuff going on! School started back up this week after a two-week vacation with MDB, which was truly wonderful! Two weeks off is nice, but it's nice to get back to work as well. I know....I know.....
W-W-W-W-A-A-A-A-A-A-H-H-H-H-H-H!!!!!
Only two weeks? Why not a month?
It's my cross to bear!
Anyway, part of why it's nice to get back is the resumption of basketball. My A team is underachieving, but my B team got their second win of the year this past Wednesday and they're looking pretty good for the most part. The best part is that we got both wins with our starting center on suspension and we go into our district tournament this week at full strength. If we win on Monday, one more win puts us into the championship game on Thursday; it's the best tournament seeding we've had since I started coaching here!
I sure hope we can put a two-game winning streak together!
Meanwhile, I can't believe how blessed I am to be married to the most wonderful woman on the planet! She's so supportive, sweet, and understanding! She came to our game on Wednesday and then met me for dinner afterward. It was awesome and, even though I was bummed about the most one-sided call I've experienced in a very long time, being with her calmed me down and soothed my angst like nothing else can. God, I love this woman!
We had my kids over for Christmas during the holidays and my boys told me to start up a Facebook account to help us stay in touch, so I did. I've got all of 6 friends, I think, including my two boys. Meanwhile, MDB started one up, too, and now she's got about 40 friends or so.
It's SO not fair!
Just goes to show, though; EVERYBODY loves MDB! I'm just blessed that nobody loves her as much as I do and she loves no one else as much as she loves me!
She's at the Boat Show working for the second weekend in a row, so I'm holding down the home front, doing laundry and such and watching football. Pretty good game so far....7 to 7 with 12:05 to go in the half.
I wonder how many people are actually buying the "only government can fix it" line that Obama dropped the other day? Have we really sunk that low? Have we become so helpless and so completely dependent on the largess of our government that we simply cannot see any other way out? You know, back in WWII, we really dug ourselves out. The government got more involved that it ever had been before, starting all sorts of public works projects and handing out money on the dole at an unprecedented level and yet, we really didn't get out of it until the industrial might and resourcefulness of the American people kicked in and we started producing war material for WWII.
Anyone see a common denominator here?
We need to swallow our collective pride, take pay cuts where necessary, take jobs we would normally consider "beneath" us, and start producing goods, especially manufactured goods, again. Only when we manufacture do we prosper! We have gone from a manufacturing economy to a service economy. The dirty little secret is that, when our manufacturing base suffers, people can't afford to pay for the services that employ others and don't buy them!
You listening, Obama?
We need tax breaks for almost every aspect of the manufacturing sector, not a bunch of make-work projects that simply take money from one sector and redistribute it to another! We need to PRODUCE wealth, not steal it from one faction and give it to another!
It's going to be a long four years!
Lots of stuff going on! School started back up this week after a two-week vacation with MDB, which was truly wonderful! Two weeks off is nice, but it's nice to get back to work as well. I know....I know.....
W-W-W-W-A-A-A-A-A-A-H-H-H-H-H-H!!!!!
Only two weeks? Why not a month?
It's my cross to bear!
Anyway, part of why it's nice to get back is the resumption of basketball. My A team is underachieving, but my B team got their second win of the year this past Wednesday and they're looking pretty good for the most part. The best part is that we got both wins with our starting center on suspension and we go into our district tournament this week at full strength. If we win on Monday, one more win puts us into the championship game on Thursday; it's the best tournament seeding we've had since I started coaching here!
I sure hope we can put a two-game winning streak together!
Meanwhile, I can't believe how blessed I am to be married to the most wonderful woman on the planet! She's so supportive, sweet, and understanding! She came to our game on Wednesday and then met me for dinner afterward. It was awesome and, even though I was bummed about the most one-sided call I've experienced in a very long time, being with her calmed me down and soothed my angst like nothing else can. God, I love this woman!
We had my kids over for Christmas during the holidays and my boys told me to start up a Facebook account to help us stay in touch, so I did. I've got all of 6 friends, I think, including my two boys. Meanwhile, MDB started one up, too, and now she's got about 40 friends or so.
It's SO not fair!
Just goes to show, though; EVERYBODY loves MDB! I'm just blessed that nobody loves her as much as I do and she loves no one else as much as she loves me!
She's at the Boat Show working for the second weekend in a row, so I'm holding down the home front, doing laundry and such and watching football. Pretty good game so far....7 to 7 with 12:05 to go in the half.
I wonder how many people are actually buying the "only government can fix it" line that Obama dropped the other day? Have we really sunk that low? Have we become so helpless and so completely dependent on the largess of our government that we simply cannot see any other way out? You know, back in WWII, we really dug ourselves out. The government got more involved that it ever had been before, starting all sorts of public works projects and handing out money on the dole at an unprecedented level and yet, we really didn't get out of it until the industrial might and resourcefulness of the American people kicked in and we started producing war material for WWII.
Anyone see a common denominator here?
We need to swallow our collective pride, take pay cuts where necessary, take jobs we would normally consider "beneath" us, and start producing goods, especially manufactured goods, again. Only when we manufacture do we prosper! We have gone from a manufacturing economy to a service economy. The dirty little secret is that, when our manufacturing base suffers, people can't afford to pay for the services that employ others and don't buy them!
You listening, Obama?
We need tax breaks for almost every aspect of the manufacturing sector, not a bunch of make-work projects that simply take money from one sector and redistribute it to another! We need to PRODUCE wealth, not steal it from one faction and give it to another!
It's going to be a long four years!
Friday, January 02, 2009
In Obama we trust
The day before yesterday, I saw the above image on the back of a car in front of me from a distance. Frankly, I thought it was some sort of Catholic saint image or something until I got close enough to see that it was in fact an image of our President-elect, Barack Obama.
Look, I understand the euphoria that goes with the "Finally! Our guy won!" sentiment. I even understand the hope that change brings, especially if you're one of the unfortunate people who've lost large amounts of your personal wealth in the stock market. I can even understand the hopeful anticipation that goes with the "I made a dumb choice and lost my house; I hope Obama's able to bail me out!" sentiment (even if it turns my stomach to think that MY tax dollars are going to save some irresponsible moron's house!).
What I CAN'T understand, and what I will never understand, is the out and out WORSHIP of this guy! Uhhh.....he's just a MAN, people! I haven't seen a red "S" on his chest! I haven't seen the nail-scarred hands! I didn't see a halo last time I looked! He's not a saint; he's not a god; he's not even an accomplished politician at this point! Well....he's obviously a SUCCESSFUL politician....but what has he ever DONE to deserve all of this praise?
Only time will tell. He may well accomplish some good, at which point I'll say, "You know what? Obama actually DID some good things! I sure am glad I was wrong about him!"
Until he does....I'll reserve my judgement and continue to wonder what on earth people see in this guy that's worthy of worship!
By the way, I worship the one true God who manifests Himself to us in three persons, the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit!
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