Saturday, November 21, 2009

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

It's been a while since I've written, and to tell the truth, it's hard to know where to even start.

My head is spinning.

Let's have a brief recap, shall we?

  • House passes H.R. 3962: 'To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. ' For a recap of this monstrocity, and (if you have an ivy league education) a link to the actual text, click here.
  • Senate is preparing to pass their own version of the same nonsense, H.R. 3590: 'Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act' (a devious and misleading name for a bill if I've ever heard one). You can read all 2,074 pages here.
  • Fourteen of our brave soldiers were murdered in cold blood, and thirty one others were injured on the largest military base in the United States by a radical Islamic jihadist (for those of you wondering, the fourteenth victim was the unborn child of a female soldier killed that day). No, the terrorist did not bypass security in the conventional sense of the word, he was a Major and a psychiatrist. Yep, Major Nadal Malik Hasan was in charge of treating our soldiers with post traumatic stress disorder upon their return from active combat duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  • Our Attorney General, Eric Holder has displayed his brilliance in announcing a criminal trial in New York, of all places, for Khaleid Sheik Mohamad and for other co-conspiritors in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon (of course a fourth plane was brought down by brave Americans in an empty field in Pennsylvania). KSM has already pleaded guilty and requested to be put to death.
  • President Obama has cancelled the promised missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic: He has jaunted off to Copenhagen on a failed bid for the 2016 Olympics to be held in Chicago, Illinois (on our dime, by the way): He refused to attend the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall: And he has recently traveled to Asia, another apology tour in which he broke protocall again, bowing to Japanese Emperor Akihito.
  • Unemployment escalates to 10.2 percent (actual figure hovers around 17 percent), in spite of the Generational Theft Act ™ ($787 billion "Stimulus Package"), that was supposed to keep unemployment below 8 percent.
  • While lecturing the United States about fiscal restraint and the dangers of escalating budget deficits, the Obama Administration has set a new record: The budget deficit has topped 2 trillion dollars for the fiscal year of 2009. Let me write that out: $2,000,000,000,000.00. I repeat, that's the deficit for this year alone. I don't even own a calculator that can handle that many zeros.
I can't bear to list any more of the current events at the moment. It's overwhelming. As I said, making my head spin.

There is no way to address the above-mentioned issues in one post. Please check back throughout the upcoming days for detailed analysis on these topics and more.

This is getting ridiculous. Our national security, financial stability, health care choices and individual freedom are teetering on the brink.

I feel like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole.

Or maybe Neo, having just ingested the red pill.

Whatever it is, I want off this ride. This is a bad trip if I've ever had one, and I want off.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

David Lee Pruim

In honor of those who lost, risked and sacrificed their lives on September 11th, 2001, I am foregoing the usual political commentary to pay tribute to Mr. David Lee Pruim.


David Lee Pruim: March 24, 1948 - September 11, 2001

David Le Pruim. If you do a Google or Bing search, you will find his name many times. He was one of the innocent victims of the senseless terrorist attacks perpetrated by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Clicking on one of the results, you would find that David's name is located between "Carrie Beth Progen" and "Richard Prunty" (or Sarah Prothero Redheffer and Richard Prunty, depending on the site). I am here to tell you he was so much more than that to his family and friends.

David was born on March 24, 1948. He served as Senior Vice President of Risk Services for a rather large company called Aon Corp.

David married his soulmate Kate in 1973. After 18 years (a period of time she refers to as "an 18 year honeymoon"), David and Kate gave birth to Carrington. She was 10 years old on 9/11/01.

"We had an 18- year honeymoon and then our daughter was born and then more joy came into our lives," she said. "We just thought it would go on for another 28 years."

My note: It's almost impossible to pay proper tribute to a man I didn't even know, but have learned so much about in the last month. I will not even try. I am going to let his family and friends speak.

"He was the kindest, nicest, most gentle 6-foot-4 person there ever was.", Mrs. Pruim said. "He made everyone he came into contact with feel good about himself, from children to adults."

The two were from Michigan, and were introduced by friends, Mrs. Pruim recalled. "I just liked his personality, and he was gorgeous," she said, with a full-throated laugh. They enjoyed being together, even just sitting next to each other, reading.

(New York Times: Sunday, October 7, 2001)


My note: Sounds like my wife and I.

Here are some kind words by people that were blessed to know David and Kate:

September 12, 2007
I thought of your family yesterday as the nation paused to remember the tradgedy of 9/11. I went to Hope College with Dave and Kate and they were wonderful people. Your family is thought of often and I pray for you daily. May God continue to bless your family.
~
Harold Hilliard,
Allen, Texas

September 11, 2006
To David's Family,
I worked alongside the Gentle Giant in A&A in the late 80's and remember well his kindness and enthusiasm. I also recall him receiving an overseas assignment and it amazed me that he didn't have a pssport ! But he was obviously not too interested in putting any distance between himself and his family...
My thoughts are with you today.
~
Mark Doyle,
Dublin, Ireland

September 10, 2006
Big Dave, remembering that i could hear u coming down the hall to csu @ A&A. u will always remind me of a big teddy bear. enjoyed working with u.
~
jacki galloway,
onset, ma

August 28, 2002
Attending David and Kate's wedding was my introduction to the Pruim men. I have never met four more handsome, tall, blonde guys in tails than on August 18, 1973. My life changed forever on that day and I never imagined that it could change as much again in Sept. of last year. The loss of David and all those loving men and women like him will be a heartache forever. God bless you David. I pray that you are at peace with your Mom and Dad. And may God bless all the Pruims and families like them that suffer in silence.

~
Debby Pruim,
Greenwood, Indiana

December 19, 2001
Big Dave entered my life many years ago when one night at an affair in the city he gave me and my wife a ride home to Cedar Grove in his limo. From then on we spoke every day while awaiting our train into the city and more often then not sat together. Thousands of thoughts enter my mind, but the best one is that he never seemed down. Sadly I never let him know how much seeing him perked me up no matter how down I felt.
~
Richard Vialard,
Now @ Stratton, Vermont

December 04, 2001
we worked together when the company was alexander of alexander of ny. will always remember your gentleness. my heartfelt sympathy to those who cherished & knew you.
~
jacki galloway,
boston, Massachusetts

And finally...

March 09, 2006
i know this had been a 5 years since my dad past.... i just found out about this guest book and i thank the people for writing in it! i loved my dad and i still do even though i forgot what he sounds like, and laughs like but every night i look at my pictures to look at him and i togeather. i miss him sooo much and i wish he was still here with us right now. even if you didnt know him he was a great mature man and i mostly cry everynight and wish that day never happend but for those who loved him.....dont worry, we will see him again......somday
~
carrington pruim,
montclar, New Jersey

David Lee Pruim is a man to be remembered on this day, and emmulated every day.

*************************************************************************************


September 11, 2001.

We all woke up that morning, like we had done every day prior.

We took a shower.

We fed the kids and got them ready for school, made lunches, hollered "Hurry up, or you'll miss the bus!".

We made the same boring, frustrating trek to our "nine to fiver", or showed up on the job site, ready to work for another day.

Unfortunately, there were ruthless criminals plotting to do us harm.

Harm to regular folks.

Folks just like you and me.

Now that I've told you the story of one fantastic man, Mr. David Lee Pruim, I would like to take you back to that day.

I would like to take you back in an attempt to assure that none of us ever forget what happened.

None of us ever forget how we felt, watching the cold blooded murder of 2,996 innocent Americans, family members and friends.

None of us ever forget that there are radical factions around the world that would do it again, given the chance.

None of us ever forget that we can be united as a Nation, if we put our minds to it.

Warning: The following video is difficult to watch, but I felt it was appropriate.


We will never forget.


God bless you, David.

God bless your family.

God bless the United States of America.


Click here for other tributes to David Lee Pruim.

Click here for more tributes to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

And the March to Tyranny Goes On.....

The week of June 22nd was a busy one, especially in the halls of Congress. "Busier than a one-armed paper-hanger in a wind storm."

I was saddened by the deaths of Ed Macman and Farah Faucet.

Ed lived a full life, was a decorated soldier, and was down-right funny when on the set with Johnny Carson.

I had the hots for Farah Faucet when I was younger. I rarely missed an episode of Charlies Angel's. She however, had been battling a nasty case of cancer, and is in a much better place.

Truth be told, I could care less about the "loss" of Micheal Jackson. The media (including Fox) seems to think differently. The gross over coverage of his death has been disgusting, to say the least. Micheal Jackson had become a freak, not the talented role model as the media is painting him. More than one bout with molestation lawsuits, dangling his baby over a balcony, and more plastic surgery than you could shake a stick at, his eccentricities disqualified him from role-model status long ago in my book.

As I said, it was a busy week for Congress. Not one, not two, but three major bills were submitted:

1) Health Care Reform
2) Immigration Reform
3) The American Clean Energy and Security Act

I would like to focus on #3 - A.K.A "The Cap and Trade Bill". When this bill was submitted (by Rep's Waxman and Markey), it was 900+ pages long. Not a really good chance that any member of the House could actually read and understand it, given the limited amount of time they had. Aparently, this just wasn't enough for 'ole Waxman, so he submitted a 309 page amendment at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning. You guessed it, the vote was to take place on Friday. How convenient. Here is an awesome video of Representative John Boehner's smack down on Waxman. That is what leadership looks like. Unfortunately for the American people, it was too little, too late.

This monstrosity passed: 219 - 212. In all, there were 44 Democrats who felt that they would not get re-elected if they voted "aye". There were 8 Republicans who said "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn". The final roll call for this Cap-and-Tax bill can be found here. If you find your representative in the "aye" column, I recommend calling him and giving notice that he is fired.

What is in this "harmless little bill" passed by the House of Representatives? If you read the name, you would think "clean energy" and "security". It contains nothing of the sort. This bill, if passed by the Senate, will be the largest single tax increase on consumers in American history. Here is an excerpt from the Heritage Foundation:

"Most problematic is the CBO's complete omission of the economic damage resulting from restricted energy use. As footnote 3 on page 4 of the CBO analysis reads, "The resource cost does not indicate the potential decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) that could result from the cap. The reduction in GDP would also include indirect general equilibrium effects, such as changes in the labor supply resulting from reductions in real wages and potential reductions in the productivity of capital and labor." In The Heritage Foundation's analysis of the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation, the GDP hit in 2020 was $161 billion (2009 dollars). For a family of four, that translates into $1,870--a pretty big chunk of change that the CBO is ignoring.

It is also worth noting that, of the 24 years analyzed by The Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis (CDA), 2020 had the second lowest GDP loss. Furthermore, the CDA found that for all years the average GDP loss was $393 billion, or over double the 2020 hit. In 2035 (the last year analyzed by Heritage) the inflation adjusted GDP loss works out to $6,790 per family of four--and that is before they pay their $4,600 share of the carbon taxes. The negative economic impacts accumulate, and the national debt is no exception. The increase in family-of-four debt, solely because of Waxman-Markey, hits an astounding $114,915 by 2035."

You can read The Heritage Foundation's report here.

The most troubling thing of all is the fact that Congress has grown punch-drunk on power. Did you try to call Capitol Hill on Friday? I did. The lines were busy. Entire email accounts were shut down, and I dare say it wasn't in support of the cap and tax bill. It has become painfully obvious that our representatives are just not listening to us.

Psst: Hey Congress. I hate to break it to you, but you work for US!

Not to mention the fact that the entire premise of this legislation is based on a hoax perpetrated by Algore and his global warming entrepreneurs (I mean experts). "The sky is falling, but before it does, we can make a whole bunch of money!"

Here is what our Apologizer-in-Chief had to say regarding cap and trade: "Electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket".

You know, I am getting pretty sick and tired of being ignored by the very people who work for me. If I had an employee that continually disregarded my orders, I would fire them. How is it different when Congress does it?

Some say that Cap-and-Tax has no chance of passing the Senate. I hope that is the case. My question is this: why is it even a thought? How did it get this far, when so many Americans opposed it? Why leave the heavy lifting to the Senate? These are questions not very likely to get answered.

Congress is now on their 4th of July recess (they sure take a lot of those, don't they?). The coming weeks would be a great time to call and put them on notice. YOU are paying their payroll. Is this what you wanted in an employee? If you were cutting a weekly payroll check, would you continue to do so with this kind of insubordination? Not me, no way, no how.

I leave you with a link to an awesome video. Watch it. Think about it. The longer we put up with this crap, the worse it is going to get. The American people have been asleep for far too long.

Time to wake up.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Swine Flu Diversion

It dawned on me last night that there was something very fishy about this whole swine flu panic. I woke up thinking about it this morning, so I took about 5 minutes on the CDC website and did a little research on the subject. What I found out was very enlightening.

Got about 5 minutes? The website is here: CDC Flu Cases

Basically, from December 30, 2007 through May 17, 2008 there were almost 40,000 cases of influenza confirmed (over 225,000 were tested) worldwide. Of that number, 407 were confirmed to be H1N1. I don't recall hearing anything about it at the time, do you?

Did you know that almost 4,000 people died from influenza during that time frame? The most vulnerable were the very young and the very old.

My question is this: Why all the panic now?

It slipped under the radar a bit, but true to form, Obama procured $1.5 billion in funding to track (yes, track) the swine flu. Why is that? Judging by the CDC website, they seem very well funded already. All kinds of graphs, statistics, more graphs and charts. They seem to have a lot of extra time on their hands.

Another curious event coinciding with this mass panic (perpetrated by our Fear-monger in Chief) was the confirmation of Kathleeen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary. Formerly the Governor of Kansas, Sebelius has one of the most radical pro-abortion voting records (second only to Obama, of course) ever. Of course, it would not be an Obama nomination without a little tax trouble, and there was an issue of conflict regarding campaign donations she received from George "Tiller the Killer". Nice. Apparently, she "forgot" about $38,000 her campaign received from this monster. In the midst of a "pandemic", Sebelius was confirmed.

It is reminiscent of Geithner's confirmation (you know, the guy that failed to pay $58,000 in back taxes, but was the only one that understood TARP) as Treasury Secretary. Now, the very same man, Turbo Tax Tim is vowing to close tax loopholes for companies that operate overseas. Just so everyone pays their fair share, don't ya know.

Maybe Sebillius is the only one that understands swine flu.

I would pay very close attention to what's going on behind the scenes. Obama's budget has passed (adding $3.5 trillion) to our national debt, not counting interest. Cap and (tax) trade is next, along with (sociallized) universal healthcare, and the "Employee Free Choice Act".

Can I fill you in on the healthcare issue? The Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid has vowed to move forward in a "bipartisan manner" (read: Republicans, agree with us or we'll call you obstructionists). He did say, however that "reconcilliation" may be used if they could not pass the bill. Reconcilliation is a provision that allows legislation to pass with a simple majority, rather than the usual required 60 votes. Historically, the provision was used to reduce budget spending. My how things change.

I am starting to regret casting my vote for Obama.....

/sarc off

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Taxed Enough Already

April 15th, 2009 was a historical day. The numbers are not in yet, but I suspect that the Tea Party protests drew the largest conservative-based crowd in history. Conservative estimates put attendance at 250,000 people at over 800 rallies nationwide. Not quite the "million man march" (that really wasn't a million men) put on by Luis Farakhan a few years ago, but WOW!

I attended the protest at Jones Plaza in downtown Houston. Early estimates say there were about 4,000 freedom-loving, hard working Americans there. There were also "satellite protests" in the suburbs. All in all, I would guess that 6-7,000 people are fed up enough to take time out of their busy day to protest, in the Houston area alone. What were we protesting? Don't expect to get a clear answer from the main-stream media. Still hopelessly in love with Obama and the purveyors of his radical adgenda, they got it all wrong. Sad, but not surprising. Keith Olberman had some choice words (as usual-the man is a joke) on what he called "teabagging". I won't define it here, but feel free to look it up. The term is pretty disgusting in itself, but that wasn't enough for 'ole Keith. About 15 minutes into his ridiculous rant, I turned him off. He was waaaaay too turned on about the prospect of "teabagging", and made over 15 comments filled with innuendo and sexual connotations. I concluded (not for the first time) that this man is a total putz! Not surprising, PMS-NBC allowed this lunatic rant. Whatever. I pay no attention to complete idiots that refuse to face reallity.

Here's my take on the deal. I have never been to a protest of any kind, but I have seen several on TV. The one I attended yesterday didn't look like a protest to me. Nobody was burning flags. I didn't see one flag of any nationality other than the American flag. Nobody shouted "Obama is the devil" or "Kill Obama". I have never seen ANY protest started with the Pledge of Allegiance (led by 4th-graders) and a prayer. The protesters were polite, respectful and peaceful. There were several messages that were easy to understand. Try to get that from your typical "save the earth" or "civil rights" protest.

The message was: Stop spending us into oblivion. Lower taxes. No more bailouts. Term limits. Read and follow the Constitution. Stop trashing America. The message was simple, concise and non-violent.

A lot of you may be asking, "What's the use?": "What good does all of this do?": Congress and The President don't care.", etc. That's just not true. Try as they may, they cannot ignore us. As a Japanese commander said after the bombing of Pearl Harbor: "I fear we have awaken a sleeping giant." Fits the situation perfectly. Besides, this general lack of interest in policy is exactly what got us into the mess we are in. Our government is supposed to be "by the people, for the people". If you are not telling your government how to represent you, what do you expect? Squeeky wheels get greased.

I don't mean to complain, but bear with me a bit. I have a hard time believing that only 6,000 citizens out of over 4 million are fed up right now. I heard "I don't think I can make it" or "I've got something else going": sometimes I just heard crickets chirping. No problem, I understand. Wednesday, April 15th in downtown Houston can be pretty difficult to make. Parking is a bugger-bear, and most people fed up right now are actually working to pay their bills rather than waiting around for a hand-out. No harm, no foul. The next one is Saturday, July 4th. Start planning to attend now. This is important.

I would like to talk about taxes a little if I could. Try this exercise: Take a look at your paycheck next week. Not your take-home, but look closely. Tabulate the amount of money located in the "FICA", "Social Security" and "Medicare" columns. Then, multiply this by 52. Depending on your income, this could be a pretty hefty amount. Now, I want you to imagine a beautiful spring day in April. After hours of calculations, and / or possibly hundreds of dollars in accounting fees, imagine breaking out the old check book and writing a check made payable to the IRS for the ENTIRE AMOUNT. We are not done yet. I want you to imagine the final destination of that money. Picture if you will, the "green jobs" that this will fund. Think of all the wellfare recipients that will be so grateful for your hard-earned money. Think AIG: Think of all the members of the UAW that can continue to work at a company under whose leadership would not normally survive the free market that our system is based on. Worse yet, think about the raise that Pelosi, Reid and 533 other members of your Congress just gave themselves. Then I want you to remember all those years of hard work. Think about your Social Security contributions (yes, go ahead and read that stupid "account balance" they send you every year). I know it's a stretch, but imagine turning 73 (or whatever the retirement age will be when we get there) and finally becoming elligible to start getting your own money back. Oops! It's not there. What do "they" do then? Sorry Mr. Smith, but you are only elligible for $250 per month for the next 40 years. I don't know about you, but this gets my blood boiling.

What's the solution? I SAY THE FAIR TAX! Please do some research on it. Let your voice be heard. In a nutshell:

1. 23% national sales tax to replace FICA, Social Security and Medicare (after 2 to 3 years this would probably be reduced to about 17%).
2. No more withholding - NONE. Go back to my suggestion above. Can you imagine not
having to write that check to the IRS? What would you do if you had 25-35% of
your income IN YOUR HANDS?
3. People below the "poverty level" still won't pay taxes.
4. No more 60,000 page tax code.
5. Tax imposed on new goods only. No "re-sales" tax when re-selling cars, houses,
etc.
6. Taxed on what you spend, not what you make. This includes drug-dealers, cash-
businesses, illegal immigrants. Everyone.
7. No more IRS. It is none of their business what we make, anyway.

Those are just a few benefits of a national sales tax, or "Fair Tax". There are many more benefits: check them out at http://www.fairtax.org/

Some people suggest a flat tax, where there are no deductions, just a simple flat rate for different levels of income. This is still progressive, punishes success, promotes class warfare and lets a government entity snoop into your personal affairs way more than should be allowed.


Here's the bottom line: Hard-working, freedom-loving Americans are sick and tired of footing the bill for corruption, special interest groups and total losers that have become dependant on government support. The Tea Parties told a little bit of the story, but not the whole story. If you haven't already, get involved. Tell your elected officials that they will be out of work if they do not represent you the way you want to be represented. If they fail, vote them out. Eventually, we will have a congressional cleansing, and this great country can go back to, well, being great.


I'm TEA'd off. How about you?

UPDATE: Over 8,500 people signed in at the Houston Tea Party. Many, many more weren't allowed to enter, or refused to sign up. New estimate - over 10,000 in attendance, not counting the satellite protests. PHENOMENAL!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Wake Me When It's Over

Let's see if I've got this right:

1. The President fires the CEO of GM (referred to from here on out as "Government Motors"), but promises the government will honor all warranties.

2. The President, 2 teleprompters, and an entourage of 500 go overseas to the G-20 summit.

3. Meeting with the QUEEN OF ENGLAND, Michelle-My-Belle Obama not only refuses to curtsy, but actually puts her arm around the queen???

4. This (see number 2 above) occurs shortly before giving the queen an extra-special gift (an I-Pod).

5. Meanwhile, The Big O almost bumps his head on the floor bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia (not reciprocated, I might add).

6. Obama spends most of his time blaming the economic woes of the world on United States greed, much in the same manner Secretary Clinton blames the U.S. for Mexico's civil war (if only we would quit sending them guns and buying their drugs).

7. Obama commits to $250 billion in funds (out of $1.1 trillion) to the IMF (International Monetary Fund).

8. Meanwhile, back at the ranch (the cesspool known as Washington D.C.), both the House and the Senate pass different versions of a $3.6 trillion budget.

9. Oh, I forgot to mention, the "moderate Taliban" has made it clear that they want no part of peaceful talks with the U.S. (there's a shocker). "Get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, you infidels."

10. Last, but not least, North Korea is about to test-launch a potential ICBM, thumbing their nose at the international community and all of the "dire warnings" from our current administration (another shocker).

Please don't tell me what I am missing. This is all my heart and mind can take at the moment. Two images come to mind:

1. Remember in The Wizard of Oz when Toto pulled the curtain back and revealed the little guy pulling levers and pushing buttons? This bears an uncanny resemblance to the Obama administration.

2. I love the part at the end where Dorothy learns that all she has to do is click her heels 3 times and keep repeating "there's no place like home, there's no place like home".

O.K., I've seen the man behind the curtain, and he is no wizard (wizard of lies, maybe). I've also tried the heel-clicking (I say "there's no place like America, there's no place like America". Apparently I bought my slippers from the same snake-oil salesman the Jack purchased the magic beans from, because it's not working!

I see the leaders of the world walking behind Obama snickering because someone slapped a sign on his back (maybe the King of Saudi Arabia) the reads "kick me, I am gay". The problem is, even Obama's buddies won't tell him the sign is there - it's just too damn funny. And there is North Korea, getting ready to kick (along with Iran, Russia and others).

Up until just a couple of months ago, I would have said "call your elected officials, they work for us: they have to listen", but now I'm not so sure. Rome is burning, and they are dancing around, fiddling away. In fact, I believe they are dousing the fire with gas. At least they are going on a two week vacation (at our expense), limiting the damage they can do. Every cloud has a silver lining.

I have come to the conclusion that I must be dreaming. I am watching the Office of The Teleprompter of The United States and his radical, left-wing counterparts in Congress run the Constitution through the paper shredder, presumably to make room for all of the new money printing that needs to be done. "I've still got checks left, I can't be out of money". Scary. "Constitution, we don't need no stinking Constitution!" That's just an old, outdated document written for a different time and place. Heck, Al Gore hadn't even invented the Internet when that old rag was written.

What to do? You got me on that one. I am going to a tea party on April 15Th, but not really sure how much good it will do. I am not sure how much good anything will do at this point. Writing these posts helps a little. I can laugh to keep from crying.

Mostly, I feel sorry for our troops. They are putting their lives on the line everyday, for what? So Dick Durbin and John Kerry can accuse them of killing innocent civilians in cold blood? These and other politicians like them are the lowest form of human life in the political world.

Meanwhile, I will try not to snore too loud, so as not to wake the rest of you. I will continue the heel-clicking exersise, and yes, I will continue to contact these goof-balls in Congress.

There's no place like America, there's no place like America.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

I'm No Harvard Graduate But.....

The new administration must think we are total IDIOTS! As I sit here watching complete MALARKEY coming out of the presidents mouth, the stock market continues to tank. "Thanks to the recovery and reinvestment act, we were able so save your jobs" (speaking to an Ohio group of graduating cadets). Are you kidding me? "Create or save 3 1/2 million jobs". Sounds like "heads I win, tails you loose". I fell for that one once (I think I was 6).

This is the biggest bait and switch scheme I have ever seen. Are we to really believe that you are going to cut the deficit in half while quadrupling spending? Preposterous! "If we don't act boldly and swiftly, the current economic crisis could turn into a catastrophe." Really? "Government is the only entity strong enough to pull us out of this economic disaster" (inherited from George Bush, of course). Well, that is just an outright lie! I challenge you to come up with just one instance where the government actually ran something successfully.

It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry.

Where is all this money going to come from? Let me see if I can wrap my pea brain around this (I'm really not that good at math, but here goes):

$850,000,000,000 for TARP (we keep hearing $700 billion, but it really is $850 billion)
$787,000,000,000 for Community Reinvestment Act
$410,000,000,000 for (last year's unfinished business) FY 2009 budget (including 8,500 earmarks)
$685,000,000,000 for a new "Health Care Fund"
$275,000,000,000 for mortgage assistance

I had to drop all of the zeros for addition purposes, my calculator shows "error", but this comes to a whopping grand total of (drum roll, please): $3,000,700,000,000 (for you Obama voters, that's 3.007 trillion with a T)! This doesn't take into account interest incurred. Not bad for only having been in office for less than 2 months!

If you confiscated every dollar from the top 1% of income earners for the next 4 years (EVERY DOLLAR), it would still not cover the budget for FY 2009, let alone the other expenses listed above. This is the biggest power grab and expansion of government in the history of this country. The New Deal and Great Society programs added together wouldn't even hold a candle to 1 of the spending items listed above.

Don't even get me started on our new Treasury Secretary. Someone must have slipped something into my drink, but I thought I saw him talking about closing some tax loopholes and extreme enforcement measure for income tax evaders.

WHAT???

I know I am not the only one, but I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!! I sent a really nice love letter to the White House the other day (I think it was Wednesday, when they host their weekly cocktail party on our dime). You would be amazed at how much better you feel after something like that. It is very short-lived, however.

"The stock market is no more than a tracking poll." Oh really? I thought it was 75% of all Americans' retirement. I thought it was price to income ratio for corporations (no, that can't be - Obama says it is profit to income ratio). No worries, folks, The One has spoken: "Now is probably a good time to invest".

Indeed.

If there is one thing this administration knows about, it is investment (as long as it's our money).

Surely I must have fallen down a rabbit hole. Someone call Morpheous, I want to unplug. Who is John Galt, anyway?

I often wonder what would happen if all of the producers of the world got fed up and just disappeared.

We may be on the brink of finding out.