Friday, August 31, 2012

A Quick Observation on Romney

Governor Romney may be a phony (conservative). He might be a bad President (if elected). But after listening to those speeches by his fellow pastor and parishioners last night, I don't think that anybody can call him a "rich asshole who doesn't give a damn about poor people" any longer. The guy worked 15-20 hours a week as an unpaid pastor and spend countless of those hours comforting the sick and unfortunate (and most of it with nobody watching, mind you). The way that I see it, anybody who can listen, REALLY LISTEN, to that story about how Romney helped a 14 year-old kid draw up his will and then give the eulogy at that same kid's funeral and STILL say that the dude is a fundamentally bad or greedy person probably needs a little love themselves.

On the Difference Between TR, Wilson, and Hoover and FDR

The former three were constitutional (mainly). The latter one clearly was not.

On This Fall's Election

If it's a "choice", Obama's got a decent chance. If it's referendum, Romney's got a decent chance. If it's something in-between, prepare yourself for another 2000.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

To wd

You're done. I don't want you to comment here anymore. Do you understand? You're the most intellectually dishonest person that I've ever had to deal with (and you're talking to a 30 year human services guy who has had to deal with some of the most manipulative individuals on the planet) and I do not have the time or the patience for it any longer. If you happen to disregard this, I will simply delete (without reading) whatever you write and mosey on to something that's far more interesting. Have a good life and here's to hoping that you eventually find something that you deem worthwhile in your life.

Percentage of Political Contributions by Brookings Institution Members Going to Democrats?

Try 97.6%.............http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/03/03/think-tank-employees-tend-to-support-democrats............And in terms of overall contributions, they were easily number one amongst U.S. think-tanks. Centrist, my ass.

Debating wd - A Microcosm

a) The American Enterprise Institute, Wall Street Journal, and Manhattan Institute have all asserted that the Tax Policy Center's study on the Mitt Romney budget makes certain critical assumptions; namely that Mr. Romney would never do away with tax-exempt status for municipal bonds and life insurance savings (something that Mr. Romney himself has never once stated).............b) wd refuses to believe that the Tax Policy Center has done this and he proceeds to ask for evidence from the study itself.............c) I proceed to show him the evidence; a chart from the study in which the authors make a list all of the things that THEY believe would in fact be "off the table" in a Mitt Romney administration (none of which Mr. Romney himself has EVER said WOULD be off the table).............d) wd responds to this evidence by asking ME to admit that these assumptions (which, up to now, he had never once admitted existed, mind you) are "reasonable assumptions".............e) I proceed to bash my head repeatedly against a brick-wall and question the wisdom of even engaging the fellow.

A Challenge

Find me ONE four-year period in which revenues to the U.S. federal government rose in excess of 45%.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

On David Brooks

Liberals think that he's a conservative. Conservatives think that he's a liberal. Yeah, you better believe that I can identify with him.

My Major Beef With Bill O'Reilly?

Oh, that's an easy one. It's the fact that he's constantly putting himself not just above his guests but above the story, too. It's one of the cardinal sins of good journalism and the man commits it nightly.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

On Actress Turned Activist, Janine Turner's, Speech at the Republican National Convention

Not hackneyed ENOUGH.

An Unstatesmanlike Dearth


I used to be a big "Crossfire" fan back in the '80s and '90s (I especially liked it when Pat Buchanan and Michael Kinsley were on - great but respectful debate). I especially remember this one episode, in particular. They had on Shimon Peres and some moderate Palestinian fellow who (I think) used to be the mayor of Bethlehem. And the two guys were actually agreeing A LOT (and, even when they disagreed, they were being civil about it)! It was astonishing and I kept on thinking and thinking, "Man, if it were ever simply these two fellows over there, we would probably have peace in about a week."...........................................................................................Well, I kind of get that same feeling when I listen to Senators Tom Coburn and Kent Conrad. I.E., if you ever put these two fellows in a room alone together, you could probably come up with a budget (with some real cuts and some real revenues) that a) would significantly reduce the deficit and b) be palatable to a good 60% of the American electorate. Unfortunately, it isn't simply these two individuals but a bunch of hard-core and gerrymandered ideologues. That, me-buckos, is current American politics.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Again

If you want to criticize Mr. Romney for his lack of specificity and/or for his 4% growth rate scenario, THAT WOULD BE FINE. But to try and predict, via Ouija and alchemy, precisely what a politician will ultimately do several years down the road is utter foolishness.........................................................................................And it's flat-out ridiculous on its face. We're led to believe that Mr. Romney is going to go before the American people and say, "Sorry, folks, but I'm going to have to raise taxes on 98% of you and the two percent that I won't be raising them on are people making over $250,000 a year." I mean, come on, Tax Policy Center people.

Please

Show me where in the Tax Policy Center's study on Romney's budget in which they DO include interest on tax exempt bonds and interest on life insurance savings as a part of their analysis. If somebody can provide me evidence which shows that the authors also crunched the numbers utilizing this scenario and it still shows that the Romney budget "doesn't add up", I will happily stand down. And I thank you for your time.

My All-Time Favorite Tennis Hottie

2004 French Open champion, Anastasia Myskina. The woman was injury-plagued and a total head-case (and, thus, she never quite reached her vast potential) but, MAN.......Let's just say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching her sweat.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Miscellaneous 139

1) Duquesne economist, Antony Davies, has crunched the numbers, and, even when you control for inflation and population growth, revenues to the federal government have essentially TRIPLED since the 1950s. He's also shown that, while the average price level has gone up 700% since the 1950s, the average per person cost of government has gone up 3,000%. I mean, I don't know about you but I find that pretty staggering, and for people to try and somehow advocate that this country has a revenue problem and not a spending problem - that seems more than a little off to me (though, yes, I am in favor of revenues being on the table as part of an overall deficit reducing package).............2) It really frustrates me that this country of ours isn't able to adequately support multiple political parties. Great Britain has 11 different parties represented in the House of Commons and Israel has 14 of them represented in the Knesset. The fact that we are STILL solely represented by the disgustingly "connected" and highly corrupted Ds and Rs is utterly dispiriting, I think.............3) Rest in peace, Neil Armstrong....So, I wonder if Chris Hayes feels "comfortable" using the term, hero, to describe Mr. Armstrong. Hopefully, yes, huh?

The Dumbsfeld Doctrine 2

And General Franks sounds like a real piece of work, too; his cockiness, his lack of a workable strategy, etc..

Saturday, August 25, 2012

a) Sell it, b) Buy a Honda Nighthawk, c) Pocket the Remainder

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what would you do if somebody gave you a free Chevy Volt?"

A Quick Thought on Affirmative Action

I would MUCH prefer to save a spot at Penn State for a hard-working inner-city Black/Hispanic kid who's had to overcome a number of barriers than I would a spot at Carnegie Mellon for an upper-middle class black kid from the suburbs who's had to face essentially zero adversity.............P.S. And, yes, I would consider the inner-city kid for Carnegie Mellon, too. It would just have to be a situation in which I could envision success as opposed to failure/one in which I was just being politically correct.

And on Why Mr. Romney isn't Any Better

1) His lack of denunciation for the neocons (and a fear that he will adopt their philosophy).............2) An extreme paucity of specifics regarding his budget (which loopholes will he eliminate, for instance).............3) A suspicion that he will be just as much of a crony capitalist as Obama and Bush.............4) The fact that he's flip-flopped more than John McCain, John Kerry, and the President combined.............5) The fact that he will seemingly and literally say anything (Clinton was kind of like that, too).............6) The fact that he went to great lengths to avoid military service.............7) An impression that he's secretive (which is a shame in that I doubt that there's anything illegal).............8) Tends to come across as a shallow thinker at times.............9) He says a lot of things that simply don't pass the smell-test (that he voted for Paul Tsongas in the 1992 Democratic primary strictly to stick it to Bill Clinton, a person who was modestly known at best back then).............10) He doesn't drink beer - EVER!!!

On Why I've Soured on Obama

1) An impression that he's talking down to me and the American people.............2) His penchant (like his predecessor) for crony capitalism.............3) His penchant (like his predecessor) for blowing shit up.............4) His pitting of various groups against one another ("their fair share", etc.).............5) His failure to live up regarding transparency (those off-site meetings with lobbyists, etc.).............6) An impression that he's becoming increasingly small and petty (his bringing up of that stupid-assed dog on the roof incident, for example).............7) His penchant to constantly blame others (yes, some of it is legitimate but all of it?).............8) The fact that he's an absolute and utter Keynesian.............9) The manner that inserts himself when he probably shouldn't (Professor Gates, Trayvon Martin, etc.).............10) His ears are WAY too frigging large.

How 'Bout This for Tax Simplification?

a) Three rates; 10-15% (I'm providing ranges here - the exact amounts to be determined through negotiations) on the first $30,000, 20-25% on the next $470,000, and 30-35% on everything over $500,000.......b) Capital gains and interest are treated as regular income but they will be indexed for inflation (capital gains are often caused by inflation and inflation is often caused by government - too much spending and printing of money).......c) The corporate income tax will be reduced to a top rate of 20% and NO loopholes will be allowed (that way a company like UPS will pay the same rate as a more politically "connected" company like GE does).......d) Everybody gets the standard deduction, an exemption for themselves and for each of their dependents, and a second exemption if you're over 65-67.......e) The only other deduction that will be allowed will be for state and local taxes (you shouldn't have to pay taxes on something that you've already paid taxes on). Everything else will be eliminated.............There. It's simple (1-2 pages, tops), progressive, and not inordinately burdensome. I personally think that it would work.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

The Dumbsfeld Doctrine

General Powell told Rumsfeld that he needed more troops. General Shinseki told Rumsfeld that he needed more troops. General Zinni told Rumsfeld that he needed more troops. General McCaffrey told Rumsfeld that he needed more troops. General Rhame told Rumsfeld that he needed more troops. General Nash told Rumsfeld that he needed more troops. Hell, folks, even Gomer Pyle, Sargent Carter, and the fellows from F Troop told the dude that he needed more troops. To call Mr. Rumsfeld the worst Secretary of Defense since Robert McNamara sounds just about right to me.

Wanna Get Mad?

Read this - http://www.laweekly.com/2012-02-16/news/mark-berndt-miramonte-40000-payoff/.............And it gets even worse. Anderson Cooper covered this story tonight and it seems as if the California State Senate recently voted on a law to make it easier to get rid of these abusive teachers (it can currently cost up to $500,000 and two years to get rid of one of these perverts) and four of its members actually abstained from voting (all four of whom have gotten thousands of dollars from the teachers unions). I mean, talk about an absolute lack of courage (none of them consented to be interviewed by CNN) and decency here....Politicians, I hate 'em.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

On the Romney Will Raise Your Taxes Line

This assertion (that a President Romney would raise taxes on the middle-class), made by President Obama and now by wd, is based on one single highly flawed and biased study by the Tax Policy Center (a joint venture of the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute). THAT'S IT! And get a load of this, folks, the people who did this "study" freely admit that they didn't even score Governor Romney's plan directly. HELLO!..............................................................................................So, what exactly IS Governor Romney's tax plan? It's actually quite similar to the Bowles-Simpson plan in which ALL tax rates are reduced and in which loopholes are either eliminated or reduced (a burden that will disproportionately fall on the wealthy). Now, it's true, Mr. Romney hasn't specified what exactly these loopholes will be (politicians generally DON'T tip their hands before an election) and that is a legitimate criticism (as is his assumption of a 4% growth rate - though Mr. Obama assumes this rate, too). But to assume that any short-fall in the revenue projection will de facto cause Mr. Romney to raise taxes on the middle-class is nothing but conjecture and the President should in fact know better....Yeah, yeah, I know, the ends justifies the means.

On the Progressives' Preoccupation with the Minimum Wage and Their Always Wanting to Increase it 2

A small businessman who could stand to use some help in his stockroom, who can't afford to pay the minimum-wage but who could afford to pay a local 18 year-old high-school senior $5-6 an hour and can't BECAUSE OF THE MINIMUM WAGE - to say that that probably honest and hard-working individual is a "poor businessman" using a "bad business model" is absolutely disgusting. And the fact that we're hearing it from individuals who know absolutely NOTHING about business, too. That to me makes it even more nauseating.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

On the Progressives' Preoccupation with the Minimum Wage and Their Always Wanting to Increase it

Being that 97% of American workers already make in excess of the minimum wage (and a large chunk of them are young people, retirees, and second wage earners), it seems to me that the progressives just might me wasting a lot of political capital for nothing here....But, hey, who am I to complain?

On Wealthy Seniors

OF COURSE THEY SHOULD BE PAYING MORE FOR THEIR MEDICARE. I mean, my God, this is such an obvious no-brainer that even former President Carter agrees with it (and he even said so on the Rachel Maddow Show once). Come on, people!

wd's Solution to the Impending Doctor Shortage

Call doctors greedy and pay them less....Yeah, that'll work.

Some Nonpartisan Thoughts on the Paul Ryan Budget 2

6) One of the real downfalls of the Ryan budget is the fact that the man has promised to eliminate loopholes (this, ostensibly to offset the lowering of rates) but he hasn't told us exactly what those loopholes are. AND HE HAS TO. a) The American people need this information to make an informed decision and b) if he doesn't do it, the Democrats will just continue to beat him like a drum over it (and, really, what in the hell is worse than a whiny-assed progressive?). I guess that we'll just have to wait and see on this one.............7) Yes, Mr. Ryan apparently does reduce social spending. But we also have to realize that spending in these areas has skyrocketed under both Obama and Bush. It doesn't seem unreasonable to think that maybe we could cut back a trifle on it (though, yes, I'm willing to entertain that maybe he's gone a bit far). I mean, it's not like there's a limitless supply of money out there.

Monday, August 20, 2012

On the Piers Morgan Interview of Robert Blake

I'll take "uncomfortable viewing ( a train-wreck doesn't even begin to describe it) to the nth" for a thousand, Alex.

Some Nonpartisan Thoughts on the Paul Ryan Budget 1

1) Mr. Ryan's budget starts off at 3.5 trillion in 2013 and ends at 4.9 trillion in 2022. That's a 40% INCREASE over ten years and I would hardly call that draconian.............2) The Ryan budget apparently DOES treat the defense department as a sacred cow and, yes, folks, that part I DO disagree with. You cannot tell me that a 20-30 billion dollar reduction in the Pentagon budget (accomplished by closing exotic foreign military bases and/or eliminating unnecessary weapons systems) would in any way jeopardize our national security (we would STILL be spending more that the rest of the planet combined). It thoroughly defies common sense.............3) To characterize Mr. Ryan's Medicare proposal as a "voucher plan" is at the very least misleading. A much more accurate way to describe this now Ryan-WYDEN (Ron Wyden, Democratic Senator from Oregon) plan would be to call it a premium support plan; a bipartisan concept that hasn't just been endorsed by Wyden but also by former Democratic Senators, Bob Kerry and John Breaux (two eloquent statesmen, I think).............4) Now, is the Ryan-Wyden plan some sort of medical panacea? No, of course not. But a) it isn't radical, b) it does institute at least some competition, and c) it shouldn't be summarily rejected.............5) Another criticism of the Ryan budget/Medicare proposal is that it causes seniors to pay an extra $6,000 a year for their coverage. Assuming that these numbers are accurate (and I'm willing to entertain that they may be inflated), I would simply caution the naysayers here that a lot of seniors could quite readily absorb this. I mean, just look at the damned demographics of millionaires in this country. BY FAR, the greatest concentration of them lies in people over 60. I see no reason why these people wouldn't be able to contribute more to their health-care....Now, other seniors who couldn't as easily absorb such a burden, yes, if the Ryan-Wyden plan allows for these individuals to fall through the cracks, that totally WOULD be a problem. I just haven't seen any hard-core evidence for it. Care to enlighten me?

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Politics 2012


Why don't these maniacs just put the clown makeup on and be done with it? Enough already! Sanity, please!

Barbarians Inside the Gate

Water-boarding is morally wrong and, no, Americans should have never participated in it. But I am significantly more bothered by the fact that some 100 or so other detainees apparently died while in U.S. custody. I think that there needs to be a thorough investigation and if it can be proven that any of these individuals died as a result of enhanced interrogation techniques by CIA officers, then those individuals need to be punished and severely (I'm thinking at least ten years in prison). It's bad enough that we have to fight these frigging barbarians. We sure as hell shouldn't have to morph into them ourselves.

The U.S. is Happy to Serve You

One of the most under-reported stories these days is the rapidly burgeoning trade SURPLUS that the U.S. is currently racking up in services. Yep, that's right, the U.S. presently (2010) has a 144 billion dollar trade surplus with the rest of the world and, man, is it ever growing rapidly (up 92% from the 75 billion dollar figure of 2000).............................................................................................So, what exactly are these services that we're presently exporting? The major ones are legal services, medical services (doctors, nurses, and therapists can actually do procedures now using a joystick on people thousands of miles away), management services, architecture, financial services, entertainment (movies and television), patenting, and educational services..............................................................................................And, yes, to his credit, the President has opened up a lot of these opportunities through his free-trade agenda. Coupling this policy initiative with an ever expanding technology that allows for such off-site work opportunities, the benefit to the U.S. could in fact be inordinate................................................................................................The key, of course, is getting American workers the proper training to fulfill these positions of doctors, lawyers, nurses, therapists, paralegals, accountants, film-making personnel (camera people, cinematographers, hair and make-up people, lighting specialists, sound people, special effects people, animators, set designers, screen-writers, production assistants, stunt coordinators, costume designers, film editors, digital imaging technicians, etc.), teachers, architects, MBAs, etc.. Here's to hoping that Mr. Obama has a trick or two up his sleeve on this one, too.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2011/03/09/the-next-physician-access-problem-medicare/

This is chilling. According to Medicare actuary, Richard Foster, under the President's health-care proposal, Medicare reimbursements will actually fall BELOW those of Medicaid and it'll happen within a decade. This could (as has already been the case with Medicaid) lead to a problem of seniors having a difficult time finding primary care physicians and competent specialists (it could also lead, most unfortunately, to a sharp decline in terms of clinical outcomes - again, as has already been the case with Medicaid)....Talk about Mr. Obama sugar-coating the mother, huh?...........................................................................................................P.S. The bottom-line. No, Mr. Obama's Medicare cuts (716 billion) will not come directly out of  seniors' pockets. But they will in fact damage the program in the not too distant future and the Romney camp has every right to point that fact out. Just sayin'.

Judge Judy's Cash

Judge Judy made 45 million dollars last year. Under the taxation system of Robert Reich and wd, the woman would have to pay to the federal government 77.65% (a 70% top rate and a total removal of the cap on Social Security ) of everything over the 15 million mark. So, on that final 30 million, she would have to fork over a total of $23,295,000. AND, since the woman also lives in California, she would have to kick in another $900,000 (10% minus the 70% of that amount that she could ostensibly deduct) on top of that sum. So, prior to any of the other deductions that Mr.s Reich and wd would still allow, the government would secure just over 80% of Judge Judy's earnings in excess of 15 million. That to me would be totally outrageous.......................................................................................First of all, it's morally wrong to confiscate that much private property from any one individual (if, I'm saying, they've earned it fairly and squarely). And, secondly, you would be penalizing risk-taking and success to such an obscene level that it will thoroughly eliminate incentive (no, people aren't motivated strictly by money but it is A factor) - especially, I'm saying, if these same people close a lot of the loopholes, too..........................................................................................Look, I'm not saying that we shouldn't be tweaking the top tax rates upward (I've said on numerous occasions that the Chuck Schumer compromise  is a good one). But this whole we can tax and redistribute our way to prosperity jag is absurd. I mean, even now we're frigging chugging along at a 71% consumption rate (as a percentage of GDP) and a 20% (and growing) government spending rate (the rest of the economy consists of investment - 12% and exports - -3%)  and, really, how in the hell is that working out for us?

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

On the Actress, Edie Falco, Being Half-Italian and Half-Swedish

Now THAT must have been an interesting upbringing.

Top Ten Most Unsavory Fox Folks (Bill O'Reilly Spared)

10) Mike Huckabee (his affability helps him).......9) Steve Doosy.......8) Tracy Byrnes.......7) Kimberly Guilfoyle.......6) Brian Kilmeade.......5) Eric Bolling.......4) Karl Rove.......3) Gretchen Carlson.......2) John Bolton.......1) Sean Hannity

Art Laffer on President Clinton

"Bill Clinton was a GREAT President."............Youza, huh (personally, I would probably go more with, near great)?

Your Chances of Being Audited By Income Level (Per CNN MONEY)

Wow, it looks as if Mr. Romney's chances of being audited were pretty good after all.

Take Heed, Folks, All is Not Lost

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/24/uk-usa-manufacturing-onshoring-idUKLNE86N01F20120724.............And all of this is happening WITHOUT protectionism and WITHOUT high intensity unionization.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Actually, Mr. Obama 2

All of the unsuccessful entrepreneurs used those roads, bridges, and schools as well. Didn't seem to help them all that much, now did it?

Monday, August 13, 2012

But Ema

Obama's a worse war criminal than George W. Bush. Mr. Chomsky says so.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

On the Democrats and Mitt Romney

All I can say is that the Democrats must really and truly hate this man (a person who even George Soros posits won't be all that different from President Obama), to not just support a crony capitalist (i.e., the President) and someone who no less a progressive icon as Noam Chomsky has referred to as a war criminal who, in many ways, is WORSE than George W. Bush but to spin for him as well. Methinks that there just might be a little bit too much hatred here...................................................................................And, no, I'm not in any way stumping for Mr. Romney. I don't have way more use for him that I do for Obama. IN FACT, I think that they're ALL a bunch of megalomaniacs who haven't garnered the absolute reality that this country essentially survives Presidents. It survived Buchanan. It survived McKinley. It survived Wilson. It survived Hoover. It survived FDR. It survived LBJ. It survived Nixon. It survived Carter. It survived George W. Bush. And, yes, it'll hopefully survive Obama and/or Romney, too....But, hey, who in the hell am I to get in the middle of a good old fashioned bitch-slapping.

A Status Update on Me and Sarah Palin

I used to be able to watch her with the sound turned off....I can't even do that anymore.

On Romney and His Taxes

I suspect that Mr. Romney MAY have taken a loss on some investments and that he MAY have paid a relatively low percentage for a couple of years because of it. So frigging what. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and if I were him, I would release the ten years worth of returns and tell the Obama minions to a) go suck on it and b) scurry/there, now you guys go release Obama's transcripts from Occidental and Columbia (we already know that Obama's cum there was under 3.3 because he didn't graduate with honors). Put those folks on the defensive (maybe throw in an unsubstantiated innuendo or two), in other words.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

I Would Probably Go With these Two Guys


What would be my answer to the question, "So, who do you consider the smartest Presidents of your lifetime?"

On the Presidential Campaign So Far

With guys like Rove and Burton influencing the narrative, I might just never come out of the shower.

Miscellaneous 138

1) Uncle Tupelo was sooooooooo ahead of its time. The fact that anyone could put together such disparate elements as punk rock, grunge, twang, and Woody Guthrieesque folk is something that, while I suppose that somebody else would have eventually come up with it, supremely caught everybody off-guard (including the critics, many of who were very lukewarm at first). But the fact that those four albums (now some 20 years old) still sound fresher than 90-95% of present day music is a testament to just how truly banging it was (and is).............2) Georgia Tech will probably never be as good as the University of Georgia in football anymore. a) Their facilities aren't as good (though, yes, legendary Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium still has its charming elements - the fact that the place literally shakes when the home-crowd rumbles). b) Their academic standards are vastly superior. And c) they play in the ACC while Georgia plays in the SEC.......But with the recruiting class that Coach Johnson is presently assembling for 2013, the Jackets should at least be competitive for the next four years. Amongst the major studs that Tech has gotten verbals from include East Point Georgia's Shamire Devine, a 360 pound offensive tackle who can squat close to 500 pounds, Forestville Maryland's Darius Commissong, a 285 pound defensive tackle who can run a 4.8 forty, Egg Harbor City New Jersey's Damon Mitchell, a quarterback who can run and pass with equal efficiency, and Fort Walton Beach Florida's John Marvin, a ball-hawking cornerback with size, speed, and a 36" vertical leap.......These are all players that could have easily gone elsewhere but were persuaded to come to Tech. Here's to hoping that Coach Johnson can somehow do something with them.............3) I guess that you can add Jonah Goldberg to the long list of people who don't like moderates (Ann Coulter, wd, Anna Quindlen, amongst the others). I saw him on C-Span being interviewed by Nia Malika Henderson and he said that he had more respect for folks like Markos Moulitsis and Rachel Maddow than he did for folks like David Gergen and David Brooks. He apparently likes the ideological purity of the former and the fact that they're ever so willing to fight for something. Yeah, huh?............4) Of course what Mr. Goldberg doesn't seem to realize is that moderates are also willing to fight for things. We just happen to be a little more judicious in picking our battles (and, no, we aren't moderate on EVERYTHING, hello!) and we certainly don't think that "compromise" is a dirty word. I mean, I know that some folks need to have that blue-plate special and all but, really, 24/7/365/ad infinitum/burp? Come on!............5) And there isn't any "might" about it. Rachel Maddow got it completely wrong when it came to Governor Walker and the Wisconsin deficit. The woman either didn't read the entire memo (in which case she committed journalistic malpractice) or she did and tried to pull a fast one on her ever-lovingly gullible audience (in which case she committed a bald-faced lie)....And the fact that she didn't even get the right year here (Mr. Walker's tax cuts weren't to take effect until the following calender year), for Christ! Absolutely disgraceful/Hannityesque.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Mr. Obama, HIRE THIS MAN!


Yeah, that's right, Mr. President, Jim Webb. He is an American war hero and respected by both sides of the divide. Unfortunately, he's decided not to run for another term in the Senate and, while, yes, that does constitute a loss for the American people, it also make him available to serve YOU. Please, give him a call, right after the one in which you fire Mr. Holder.

Comedian Jeff Ross on Charlie Sheen's Ill-Conceived and Ill-Fated Attempt at Stand-Up Comedy

"Charlie Sheen is to stand-up comedy what Larry Flint is to standing up."

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Miscellaneous 137

1) In New York City, teachers can earn tenure after just three years and less than 4% are refused. That sure as hell doesn't sound difficult to me.............2) If the top 1% is so damned powerful, then how is it that more than half of them are out of it in less than a decade? The system can't be rigged all that much.............3) A 67 year-old woman sells her house for $600,000 and moves into a condo. That would put her in the top 1% for that year. Is that woman also a plutocrat?............4) Close to 70% of all new jobs are created by small businesses. And, yes, some of those entrepreneurs pull down $200-300,000 a year. But to say these people are somehow not contributing greatly to society (by hiring folks and paying taxes) is an absolute insult, I think (and probably a fair degree of sour grapes, too)....And they're certainly not "plutocrats", either.............5) This, from Wikipedia - "Some argue that modern tenure systems actually DIMINISH ACADEMIC FREEDOM, forcing those seeking tenured positions to profess conformance to the same views (political and academic) as those awarding a tenured professorship. According to physicist Lee Smolin, '...it is practically career suicide for a young theoretical physicist not to join the field [of string theory].'[2] This may be even more so now that many universities require several years in non-tenure track positions (e.g. Visiting Assistant Professorships or Post-Doctoral Fellowships) before beginning the 5-6 year process preceding tenure." Academic freedom, academic shmeedom.............6) Doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, occupation therapy assistants, social workers, psychologists and counselors, speech therapists, respiratory therapists, therapeutic recreation directors, certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, residential staff, VIRTUALLY EVERY SINGLE DISCIPLINE IN THE HUMAN SERVICES ARENA has to keep up with their training, certification, etc.. But none of these particular professions gets not just an 11 week vacation in the dead of summer but 3-4 more weeks off during the rest of the school year. I'm telling you, folks, it is absolutely absurd what these teachers unions have been able to secure for their workers. Absolutely absurd.

Score Thus Far - Pinocchios 2 Geppettos 0


Seriously, though, disgusted yet?

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

On these Two Effin' Clowns


Individually, it's like watching paint dry....My suggestion? Put 'em on the screen together....Better yet, put 'em in a cage...and don't even feed 'em. Get 'em totally lathered up. THAT might be interesting....MAYBE.

Chris Hayes on Ben Bernanke

He hasn't done ENOUGH!!............It's like, what, he wants negative interest rates/the banks to give away money and then some/the printing of even MORE monopoly money? Of course, the most ridiculous part of all is the fact that he's accusing Mr. Bernanke of this "inaction" strictly in an effort to get Mitt Romney elected. I mean, talk about some paranoid, huh?

Nonfiction Books that Have Most Inspired and Influenced Me (In No Particular Order) 2

1) "Parkinson's Law" - C. Northcote Parkinson.......2) "The Prince" - Niccolo Machiavelli.......3) "Hitler's Willing Executioners" - Daniel Jonah Goldhagen.......4) "The Peter Principle" - Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull.......5) "Problems of Art" - Suzanne K. Langer.......6) "Arafat's War" - Efraim Karsh.......7) "Diet for a Small Planet" - Frances Moore Lappe.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Miscellaneous 136

1) So, what "academic freedom" does a second grade reading teacher require? I mean, seriously.............2) Tenure is an untenable concept for a number of reasons. a) It insulates/protects lousy teachers, b) it often prevents good teachers from being hired long-term (this, in that a lot of colleges let people go just prior to them earning tenure), and c) any organization or business has to have the right to fire bad people OR THEY WILL PERISH.............3) Conventional wisdom is that Eleanor Powell is the greatest female tap-dancer ever. My (obviously much more unconventional) wisdom counters this by specifying, not so fast, my friend! I mean, yeah, maybe Powell was the most precise and all but Ann Miller in the late '40s and early '50s had a caliber of athleticism that few dancers of either gender has ever given us. And if you don't believe me, just check out her numbers in "Kiss Me Kate" (the "Too Darn Hot Number" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CYjE9Gv3A4) and "Deep in My Heart" (that phenomenal Charleston number - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC1UbWf_vbg&feature=fvwrel). Those just might convince you.............4) School summer vacations are an anachronism. In fact, the only reason that they existed in the first place was because families needed the children at home to help with the planting and the harvesting. There is no academic reason for them and, if anything, they're actually harmful (students forgetting a lot of what they learned the year before) to the students. BUT because the teacher unions want to retain them as a benefit to their employees, they continue....just like the damn bells.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Miscellaneous 135

1) I don't doubt for a second that other administrations have met with lobbyists "off site", at coffee shops, and other destinations. But this Obama fellow was supposed to be a different type of politician and, yes, he was supposed to have a transparent administration as well....I mean, am I the only one who's a little bit disappointed in him here (of those who voted for him, I'm saying)?............2) Government bureaucracy is inherently inefficient and self-serving. To think that we can somehow sprinkle some pixie dust on it (yet another law, yet another layer of regulation) and magically make it not so is utterly ridiculous. And, yet, that is exactly what certain people think.............3) I have a question pertaining to Harry Reid. Is Mr. Reid saying that Romney LEGALLY didn't pay any taxes for ten years, or is he saying that the dude ILLEGALLY didn't pay any taxes for ten years? 'Cause if in fact it's the latter, then the Senate Majority Leader has a moral (and possibly legal, too?) obligation to go to the I.R.S. and/or the Justice Department and provide them with this important information. He does want to do the moral thing, no?

Nonfiction Books that Have Most Inspired and Influenced Me (In No Particular Order)

1) "The True Believer" - Eric Hoffer.......2) "Escape From Freedom" - Erich Fromm.......3) "Man's Search for Meaning" - Viktor Frankl.......3) "The Book" - Alan Watts.......4) "The Nature of Prejudice" - Gordon Allport.......5) "Twilight of the Idols" - Friedrich Nietzsche.......6) "An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding" - David Hume.......7) "Montgomery Clift, A Biography" - Patricia Bosworth.......8) "On Liberty" - John Stuart Mill.......9) "The Sickness Unto Death" - Soren Kierkegaard.......10) "Being Nobody, Going Nowhere" - Ayya Khema.......11) "The Time Before History" - Colin Tudge.......12) "The Division of Labor in Society" - Emile Durkheim.......13) "Why I am Not a Christian" - Bertrand Russell.......14) "The Social Contract" - Jean Jacques Rousseau.......15) "The Forgotten Man" - Amity Shlaes.......16) "To Jerusalem and Back" - Saul Bellow.......17) "The Leviathan" - Thomas Hobbes.......18) "The Tao of Pooh" - Benjamin Hoff.......19) "Night" - Elie Wiesel.......20) "The Long Death, The Last Days of the Plains Indians" - Ralph K. Andrist.......21) "Irrational Man" - William Barrett.......22) "The Myth of Sisyphus" - Albert Camus.......23) "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" - Erving Goffman.......24) "Religions, Values, and Peak-Experiences" - Abraham Maslow.......25) "The Crucial Decade" - Eric F. Goldman.......26) "Eating Animals" - Jonathan Safran Foer.......27) "The Two Faces of Islam" - Stephen Schwartz.......28) "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" - Max Weber.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

A Partial Rundown of My Many "Conservative" Positions

1) Am in favor of raising revenues as part of an overall deficit reduction package.......2) Am in favor of a progressive taxation system.......3) Spoke out in favor of extending unemployment benefits.......4) Spoke out in favor of a negative income tax.......5) Am strongly in favor of campaign finance reform (even to the point of publicly financing elections).......6) Am pro-choice.......7) Am pro- gays in the military.......8) Am pro-gay-marriage.......9) Was against both of the Iraq Wars.......10) Strongly opposed nation-building in Afghanistan.......11) Strongly opposed President Obama's surge in Afghanistan.......12) Am in favor of universal health-care coverage (through health savings accounts, subsidies, health boards, and catastrophic coverage).......13) Supported both of the President's (Obama) appointments to the Supreme Court.......14) Am strongly opposed to corporate welfare and crony capitalism.......15) Am in favor of lowering the limit on mortgage interest deductions.......16) Am in favor of doing away with the special consideration for capital gains (a possible caveat being that I would index it for inflation).......17) Am willing to consider breaking up some of the bigger banks in order to spread out the risk.......18) Am in favor of raising the cap on Social Security payroll deductions (no, not eliminating it like the progressives want to do but raising it $5-10,000).......19) Am in favor of funding for Planned Parenthood.......20) Am in favor of the assault weapons ban and doing away with the gun-show loophole and cop-killer bullets.......21) Am in favor of reducing military spending and closing unnecessary foreign military bases.......22) Am in favor of Medicare negotiating directly with the pharmaceutical companies.......23) Was against the impeachment of Bill Clinton (a censure I could have lived with).......24) Am against wire-tapping, water-boarding, and rendition (as opposed to Mr. Obama who still utilizes 1 and 3).......25) Was initially against the drone attacks in Northern Pakistan.......26) Consider Alan Greenspan to be the worst FED chairman in U.S. history.......27) My two favorite Presidents are Kennedy and Truman - both Democrats.......28) Could in fact live with the individual mandate as long as it applied to EVERYBODY (zero waivers - either everybody's in or nobody's in).......29) Haven't voted Republican for President since 1988 (identical to Jon Stewart).......30) Was in favor of the mosque being built near ground zero.............................................................................................Now, do I also have some ACTUAL conservative views? Of course I frigging do!! Everybody does (save, of course, for the idiots, psychotics, and true believers of the world). But to say that I'm a hard-core conservative of some sort is totally absurd.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Medicine isn't Supposed to Taste Good

We don't have a shortage of jobs in this country. We have a shortage of skilled workers. There are literally THOUSANDS of employers out there who are looking to fill positions AND THEY CANNOT FIND THE PEOPLE. And, while, yes, some of theses jobs in fact do require a four-year college degree (physical therapy, biochemical engineering, robotics, various IT positions including cyber security, etc.), it certainly isn't exclusively the case. I cite specifically here such areas as welding, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and chemical technology, practical nursing, medical assisting, truck-driving (yes, truck-driving) advanced manufacturing, etc.. Somehow, someway, we have to be able to educate our electorate to fill these jobs or we are effed - big time.

Miscellaneous 134

1) To all of those folks who say that the Bush administration failed to connect the dots and prevent 9/11 (and I'm not necessarily saying that I disagree with them, mind you), I really have to ask them. Is it also not possible that the Obama administration failed to connect the dots and prevent the Fort Hood massacre at the hands of that Major Hassan (the fact that there were a fair number of tea leaves there as well, begging to be read, etc.)?............2) Here's a fact that just totally blew me away. The British invasion act with the most appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show" wasn't the Beatles, or the Stones, or the Animals, or Herman's Hermits. The British invasion act with the most appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show" was the Dave Clark Five. Yeah, that's right, folks. Those sons of bitches made a grand total of 18 appearances and pretty much blew the roof off the joint every time (the loudest and rowdiest of the British bands at that time save for possibly The Who). It's kind of too bad that we don't seem to remember them all that much (they eventually did make the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 2008).............3) My opinion of George W. Bush and the second Iraq War is EXACTLY THE SAME as that of President Obama and John Kerry. a) It was a mistake for the dude to invade Iraq. b) The Iraq War was hugely mismanaged. And c) the whole thing falls considerably short of a war crime. If I'm an apologist for George W. Bush, it seems that I'm in pretty damned distinguished company.

On Harry Reid

The only reason that this Reid fellow even has a job is because the Republicans foolishly nominated Sharron Angle and she was even dumber than him. Period, end of discussion.

Friday, August 3, 2012

A Bunch of Covers that Work for Me (Originals in Parentheses)

"Tracks of My Tears" - Johnny Rivers (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)......."Passionate Kisses" - Mary Chapin Carpenter (Lucinda Williams)......."I'm Looking Through You" - Steve Earle (The Beatles)......."Two More Bottles of Wine" - Emmylou Harris (Delbert McClinton)......."Wild Horses" - The Flying Burrito Brothers (The Rolling Stones)......."Being with You" - Sarah Borges (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)......."Poor Poor Pitiful Me" - Linda Ronstadt (Warren Zevon)......."One More Night" - Kelly Willis (Marshall Crenshaw)......."The Night's too Long" - Patty Loveless (Lucinda Williams)......."San Diego Serenade" - Nanci Griffith (Tom Waits)......."Guilty" - Bonnie Raitt (Randy Newman)......."All My Tears" - Emmylou Harris (Julie Miller)......."Stand by Your Man" - Lyle Lovett (Tammy Wynette)......."Icy Blue Heart" - Emmylou Harris (John Hiatt)......."Angel from Montgomery" - Bonnie Raitt (John Prine)......."The Way We Make a Broken Heart" - Rosanne Cash (John Hiatt)......."My Lonely Sad Eyes" - Maria McKee (Them Featuring Van Morrison)......."Ain't No Cure for Love" - Jennifer Warnes (Leonard Cohen)......."Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Dwight Yoakam (Queen)......."The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" - Joan Baez (The Band)......."Tupelo Honey" - Cassandra Wilson (Van Morrison)......."I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" - Jimmie Dale Gilmore (Hank Williams)......."Tenderness on the Block" - Shawn Colvin (Jackson Browne)......."People get Ready" - Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart (The Impressions)......."Love the One You're With" - The Isley Brothers (Stephen Stills)......."The Return of the Grievous Angel" - Lucinda Williams (Gram Parsons)......."I Lost It" - Lucinda Williams, 1998 (Lucinda Williams, 1980)......."All Along the Watchtower" - Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan)......."Ill Fly Away" - Carolyn Hester (Traditional)......."Jolene" - The White Stripes (Dolly Parton)......."Stop Breaking Down" - Lucinda Williams (Robert Johnson)......."Bang a Gong" - Power Station (T Rex)......."My Back Pages" - The Byrds (Bob Dylan)......."I Shot the Sheriff" - Eric Clapton (Bob Marley)......."Stolen Car" - Patty Griffin (Bruce Springsteen)......."Das Kapital" - wd (Karl Marx)......."Someday" - Shawn Colvin (Steve Earle).

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Note to Harry Reid

An "unnamed source" has told me that you like to have sex with 5-year-olds, and that it was actually you who was behind 9/11 and not Mr. bin Laden....There, now prove me wrong.

Miscellaneous 133

1) Here it is again, folks - "I understand that the frequency with which some individuals under investigation by our office have been purchasing firearms from your business has caused concerns for you." INDIVIDUALS UNDER INVESTIGATION, PURCHASING FIREARMS, HAS CAUSED CONCERN FOR YOU. Mr. Voth is acknowledging not just the illegal sales but the fact that these honest gun dealers were concerned about these purchases. To say that this asshole is in any way a credible source for an investigative piece is absurd (the gun dealers didn't want to sell to these straw dealers and this idiot, Voth, told them not to worry). Period.............2) Hey, I heard that wd is currently petitioning the Olympic Committee. He's trying to get them to approve spinning for liberal Democrats as a sanctioned event.............3) Best spice combination yet; cumin, fenugreek, onion, cardamom, ginger, star anise, and black pepper.............4) I was watching some House hearings on the GSA scandal recently and was informed that, despite the fact that they only have 1% of the federal workforce, they received 10% of the total bonuses that the government gave out last year (a $50,000 bonus to the idiot who concocted that $800,000 conference in Vegas). Yeah, I think that there might be some actual issues in that department.............5) We were clearly fighting barbarians in WW2. The question is, did we ourselves become barbarians, too?............6) One of the reasons that gas is going up again probably has to do with the ethanol mandate. Ethanol is made out of corn and the price of corn is skyrocketing. Thank you, central planners.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

What, According to Timothy Carney, McCain SHOULD Have Said in 2008

"Our economic crisis is real and requires action. But what the President and Senator Obama have proposed - borrowing nearly $1 trillion from our children and grandchildren and handing that money to the very financial institutions that created this mess - is unconscionable, unconstitutional, and un-American.....................................................................................Treasury Secretary Paulson, a former executive at Goldman Sachs, came to the U.S. Senate and told us that we had no time to lose, we have to ACT NOW and give the administration the power to create - out of thin air - hundreds of billions of dollars to give to Goldman Sachs and any other corporation that the administration thinks needs it. And now, Warren Buffett, the richest man in America and Brack Obama's economic advisor, has invested $5 billion in Goldman on the expectation of a tax-payer-funded bailout...................................................................................................I say that Secretary Paulson's friends at Goldman have had their chance. I say that the "Masters of the Universe" on Wall Street have shown their true colors. I say that Warren Buffet's investments are doing well enough. These millionaires don't need your money. These millionaires don't deserve your money. Barack Obama and George W. Bush think that they do. I say, OVER MY DEAD BODY."............Who knows. It might have worked.

The Case For Gary Johnson

Less crony capitalism. Less internationalism. Less interventionism. Less bureaucracy. Less divisive rhetoric. Less power to the military industrial complex. Less intrusion into our personal lives. Less concentrated power in Washington. Less power in the hands of lobbyists. Less power in the hands of the FED. Less political pandering. Less of a regulatory burden on small businesses. Less wasteful spending and pork. Less needless civilian casualties.......Sometimes less is more.......This is a man of high integrity, I think.

Some Thoughts on the Second Iraq War

I was against the second Iraq War (I was actually against the first one, too, but that's another story). I feared that it would destabilize the region and possibly pull us into another quagmire. I also didn't think that it was necessary (I thought that we had Hussein pretty boxed up and he would have never given his WMD to terrorists anyway). And, while I still don't think that it was a good idea (or that it was properly executed), time in fact does heal/allows for some perspective; a) Saddam Hussein was one of the top 5-10 worst mass murderers of the 20th Century. He brutalized his people and actually attempted genocide on the Iraqi Kurds.............b) A strong case could have been made for deposing this asshole on humanitarian grounds alone. That was the rationale for taking out Gadaffi and Hussein was infinitely worse.............c) Perhaps a better course would have been to simply take out Hussein and his two despicable offspring and then try a negotiated settlement with some of the saner elements of the Ba'athist party.............d) There was going to be a civil war in Iraq eventually anyway (Hussein being toppled and the Shia looking for revenge). Is it not at least possible that the American presence there made it less of a bloodbath?............e) There was at least SOME ambiguity regarding WMD; Scott Ritter prior to his "epiphany", George Tenet calling it a slam-dunk, most of the European countries assuming that Saddam possessed them, etc.. And, besides, Saddam Hussein was a bald-faced liar. It isn't beyond the realm of possibility that the son of a bitch could have had something squirreled away and after 9/11 Bush probably figured, why risk it (his malfunction being that he evidently thought that it would all be a cakewalk)?............Look, like I said, I was against it and continue to think that it was boneheaded. But if we're going to give FDR and Churchill slack for purposefully incinerating infants and the elderly, maybe we can give some slack to W, too.