Well another State of the Union has come and gone...whoopdy crap. SOTU speeches are about as useful as lips on a chicken - especially when they're coming from the Kenyan Katastrophe. Even a news junkie like me prefers to watch the next day's post-mortem on a SOTU speech than watch it. I know that if I was president I would be annoyed with the break after every phrase for my party to give a round of applause while the other party looks on with contempt. Just let me talk for a few minutes so that everyone can get back to whatever incarnation of CSI they watch.
Perhaps the low point of the SOTU last night though is the childish scolding of the Supreme Court delivered by the biggest child in the Beltway. He dared to call the Court's ruling a victory for special interests but lets consider the facts. Corporate donations are roughly split between Democrats and Republicans. In the last few years it slightly favored Democrats. At that level corporations can ill afford to alienate one party thanks to state interference in the marketplace anyway. Looking at what has been allowed we find that Unions (which apparently AREN'T a special interest) split their contributions 92% for Democrats and 8% for the GOP. Liberal special interests also made better use of the 527 corporations allowed under that monument of incoherence and incompetence - McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform - than their conservative counterparts. Justice Sam Alito could be seen mouthing the words 'that's a lie' as the Big-HO chided the third branch of government last night. Perhaps we needed Rep. Joe Wilson to give a shout out at that moment! Not since FDR has a president chided the High Court in such a manner. Fortunately, Obama has a lot less clout than New York's worst political contribution to the world and the Court is not likely to bend to his will in the near future. The Court has essentially gutted McCain-Feingold which is great. That was nothing more than a protection act for incumbents and from the moment it was passed was considered an unconstitutional intrusion on free speech.
Did you see the picture of Obama in the elementary school class room with a presidential podium and two teleprompters? How can anyone take this man seriously? One has to wonder if this man has the ability to speak to anyone without a teleprompter. And what other president has set up a podium in a classroom for a photo-op with kids? For all the abuse heaped out on George Bush, when he and Laura walked into a school classroom, they were engaged with the children bending or kneeling down to interact with the kids at their level. You can almost imagine Obama reacting with Monty Burns-like terror and confusion when a child races up and clings to his leg.
I am currently researching something that - to me - seems huge and vastly ignored by both the MSM and politicians alike and am having an internal debate about how or whether I should post my thoughts on it. Hopefully I'll make that decision before Monday - otherwise hope for a busy news cycle this weekend...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Barry of 365 Days
Today is the first anniversary of the official beginning of the Obama administration. I say official because in spite of the left's worries about George Bush being a dictator in training, Bush pretty much abdicated his power to the Democrats in the spring of 2008. So one quarter of the way through, I think it is time to give him a report card. I will give a real world grade followed by a "Progressive" grade in parentheses
In holding the Progressives together Obama scores an F minus in the real world - which is good for us (Progressive grade: D plus). The Tea Parties and late summer march on Washington that every news outlet except Fox News ignored signalled American discontent was on the boil. Every side election has splintered the alleged hegemony of the Democrats expected permanent majority. Republicans Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell won gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia over Obama backed candidates. On the 364th day of his presidency, Obama lost a HUGE election when Scott Brown (R) won the Senate seat held for 47 years by Tedward Kennedy. Pushing his hard left agenda has blasted holes in the Progressive agenda and Americans have rejected it at every turn. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are both in trouble in their home districts. So why only a D plus for the Progressive grade? In spite of all this, Obama, Reid, and Pelosi have managed to strangle internal opposition and bribe potential dissidents into line.
In spending control he gets an F minus minus minus (Progressive grade: A). Do I need to go into this in detail? Using repaid TARP money as a slush fund rather than returning it to the Treasury as detailed in the law; cash for clunkers; the Stimulus.
Homeland Defense is a D minus (Progressive grade: A). Even if we give him a pass on the underpants bomber which was an external problem, we can judge him on the aftermath. In the wake of the failed bombing the administration used it to further inconvenience the rest of us when we take to the air (a typical Progressive response). From day one he has attempted to undo everything regarding the War on Terror. He still plans to close Gitmo. He hired former AZ governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Defense in spite (or in his case because of) her poor record on dealing with illegal immigrants in Arizona; which IS a homeland defense issue. His Progressive grade reflects the fact that modern Progressives hate America as constituted and are actively undermining it internally and externally.
Foreign Relations equals a big old F minus (Progressive grade: B plus). Obama's first act as president was to insult our British allies. He has given our European allies embarrassing gifts. His speeches at state occasions are lackluster and insulting to the guests. Wherever he goes he misses no opportunity to belittle this nation and apologize for a past that needs no apology.
On maintaining Constitutional intent: is there a grade below F minus? How about Z minus? (Progressive grade: A plus) Obama and Progressives have hated the US Constitution and attempt to subvert it at every turn. He tried to silence dissent by getting into a war with Fox News. His willing accomplices in the media ignore or attack dissenting voices. His ally Jeffrey Immelt CEO of GE (General Evil) and therefore CEO of NBC has driven that network to the brink of bankruptcy by being in the tank for the B-HO. Obama assaulted and insulted Christians during his campaign and attempts to marginalize us. He spent 20 years in a 'church' that preaches real hate but attacks the rest of us as being hateful. His thugs in the SEIU attempt to stop freedoms of assembly and redress of grievances at Townhalls. He is quietly pushing an anti-gun agenda. His Progressive allies literally destroyed the right to be secure in your property getting a supposedly Conservative Supreme Court to vote for an unimaginable expansion of Imminent Domain before Obama was even close to becoming president. Health care is not just an assault on our freedom to spend money where we please but will add further unfunded mandates to burden states. Everything this man does is aimed at gutting our Constitution and drawing us into the soft socialism that has dragged Europe into terminal mediocrity (which the Progressives love).
Overall, Obama's first year in office garners a solid FAIL for real Americans and about a B plus for Progressives (and yes, I DO believe that no one who holds to the Progressive line can be a real American). He is keeping his promise to an audience when he said "...we are five days away from FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING this country..." (emphasis added) to a group of his kool-aid drinking constituents. The only fundamental change most people want is a return to the intent of the Founders. This nation was created for the sole purpose of maximizing individual liberty. The "Progressive" idea that government is the answer and not the problem has a virtual lock on the rest of the world but they aren't satisfied since America's prosperity shines a beacon on their mediocrity. Therefore America as it is has to go and they are closer than ever to bringing us down to their level. Obama and his cronies will fight harder than ever for their agenda now that they are getting an idea of the overwhelming opposition brewing out in "flyover country". The first year is over and like the end of 1942 in World War II, the hardest fighting is yet to come. Scott Brown's win is a beginning and a source of hope but it is only one battle. We must keep fighting. Stand up for liberty and capitalism whenever you hear a Progressive attacking it. Remember always that extremism in defense of liberty is not a vice!
In holding the Progressives together Obama scores an F minus in the real world - which is good for us (Progressive grade: D plus). The Tea Parties and late summer march on Washington that every news outlet except Fox News ignored signalled American discontent was on the boil. Every side election has splintered the alleged hegemony of the Democrats expected permanent majority. Republicans Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell won gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia over Obama backed candidates. On the 364th day of his presidency, Obama lost a HUGE election when Scott Brown (R) won the Senate seat held for 47 years by Tedward Kennedy. Pushing his hard left agenda has blasted holes in the Progressive agenda and Americans have rejected it at every turn. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are both in trouble in their home districts. So why only a D plus for the Progressive grade? In spite of all this, Obama, Reid, and Pelosi have managed to strangle internal opposition and bribe potential dissidents into line.
In spending control he gets an F minus minus minus (Progressive grade: A). Do I need to go into this in detail? Using repaid TARP money as a slush fund rather than returning it to the Treasury as detailed in the law; cash for clunkers; the Stimulus.
Homeland Defense is a D minus (Progressive grade: A). Even if we give him a pass on the underpants bomber which was an external problem, we can judge him on the aftermath. In the wake of the failed bombing the administration used it to further inconvenience the rest of us when we take to the air (a typical Progressive response). From day one he has attempted to undo everything regarding the War on Terror. He still plans to close Gitmo. He hired former AZ governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Defense in spite (or in his case because of) her poor record on dealing with illegal immigrants in Arizona; which IS a homeland defense issue. His Progressive grade reflects the fact that modern Progressives hate America as constituted and are actively undermining it internally and externally.
Foreign Relations equals a big old F minus (Progressive grade: B plus). Obama's first act as president was to insult our British allies. He has given our European allies embarrassing gifts. His speeches at state occasions are lackluster and insulting to the guests. Wherever he goes he misses no opportunity to belittle this nation and apologize for a past that needs no apology.
On maintaining Constitutional intent: is there a grade below F minus? How about Z minus? (Progressive grade: A plus) Obama and Progressives have hated the US Constitution and attempt to subvert it at every turn. He tried to silence dissent by getting into a war with Fox News. His willing accomplices in the media ignore or attack dissenting voices. His ally Jeffrey Immelt CEO of GE (General Evil) and therefore CEO of NBC has driven that network to the brink of bankruptcy by being in the tank for the B-HO. Obama assaulted and insulted Christians during his campaign and attempts to marginalize us. He spent 20 years in a 'church' that preaches real hate but attacks the rest of us as being hateful. His thugs in the SEIU attempt to stop freedoms of assembly and redress of grievances at Townhalls. He is quietly pushing an anti-gun agenda. His Progressive allies literally destroyed the right to be secure in your property getting a supposedly Conservative Supreme Court to vote for an unimaginable expansion of Imminent Domain before Obama was even close to becoming president. Health care is not just an assault on our freedom to spend money where we please but will add further unfunded mandates to burden states. Everything this man does is aimed at gutting our Constitution and drawing us into the soft socialism that has dragged Europe into terminal mediocrity (which the Progressives love).
Overall, Obama's first year in office garners a solid FAIL for real Americans and about a B plus for Progressives (and yes, I DO believe that no one who holds to the Progressive line can be a real American). He is keeping his promise to an audience when he said "...we are five days away from FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING this country..." (emphasis added) to a group of his kool-aid drinking constituents. The only fundamental change most people want is a return to the intent of the Founders. This nation was created for the sole purpose of maximizing individual liberty. The "Progressive" idea that government is the answer and not the problem has a virtual lock on the rest of the world but they aren't satisfied since America's prosperity shines a beacon on their mediocrity. Therefore America as it is has to go and they are closer than ever to bringing us down to their level. Obama and his cronies will fight harder than ever for their agenda now that they are getting an idea of the overwhelming opposition brewing out in "flyover country". The first year is over and like the end of 1942 in World War II, the hardest fighting is yet to come. Scott Brown's win is a beginning and a source of hope but it is only one battle. We must keep fighting. Stand up for liberty and capitalism whenever you hear a Progressive attacking it. Remember always that extremism in defense of liberty is not a vice!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Quick Quips
A correction for yesterday's post: I said that Kennedy had held the seat for 30+ years but meant to type 40+ years (both are technically correct since he held the seat for 47 years).
If Scott Brown loses the Senate race today in Massachusetts, you can 100% guarantee that it will have been through fraud.
While most white people are being sent to the back of the Obama bus, its still better than what they are doing to their own candidate in MA; Martha Coakley. There can be no doubt that the DNC talking points faxes for today are all about throwing her under that bus. Expect to feel the bump about 7-8 pm Pacific time tonight.
The coming win in MA, barring foul play, is big but don't let it relieve you too much. In spite of their denials that this is a repudiation of the Obama agenda, Democrats are in an all out panic as their "1000 year majority" is coming unravelled faster than Dolphy's 1000 year Reich. Look for them, especially Ho-bama, Reid, and Pelosi to go on the offensive worse than ever; attempting to ram as much of their Marxist agenda down our throats as they can before the 2010 election.
Chris Matthews says that one of his heroes is Saul Alinsky. If Saul Alinsky is one of your heroes, you should either be forcibly exiled from the US for the rest of your life or simply shot for treason.
If Scott Brown loses the Senate race today in Massachusetts, you can 100% guarantee that it will have been through fraud.
While most white people are being sent to the back of the Obama bus, its still better than what they are doing to their own candidate in MA; Martha Coakley. There can be no doubt that the DNC talking points faxes for today are all about throwing her under that bus. Expect to feel the bump about 7-8 pm Pacific time tonight.
The coming win in MA, barring foul play, is big but don't let it relieve you too much. In spite of their denials that this is a repudiation of the Obama agenda, Democrats are in an all out panic as their "1000 year majority" is coming unravelled faster than Dolphy's 1000 year Reich. Look for them, especially Ho-bama, Reid, and Pelosi to go on the offensive worse than ever; attempting to ram as much of their Marxist agenda down our throats as they can before the 2010 election.
Chris Matthews says that one of his heroes is Saul Alinsky. If Saul Alinsky is one of your heroes, you should either be forcibly exiled from the US for the rest of your life or simply shot for treason.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Glances at the News
After a lengthy hiatus the Crusader is back in the saddle. I have resigned myself to the fact that I cannot come up with unique commentary three times a week (and sometimes even once a week) so I will allow the news to partially dictate what I write about.
Massachusetts' Senate race is broiling hot. It now looks like a Republican...yes, a REPUBLICAN!!!!...is set to win the seat held hostage for thirty plus years by the last and least of the Kennedy brothers. Granted he has had some help by the inept and utterly stupid appointee, Martha Coakley - against whom he is running. Even 11th hour campaign stops from Bill Clinton and the B-HO himself aren't likely to get her over the top as the latest poll shows her GOP challenger, Scott Brown, up 51-46%. This turn of events would break the coveted super majority of the Democrats in the Senate and force them to show even more of their true colors when they use tricks of procedure and underhanded tactics to get the health care bill through. If Brown wins on Tuesday look for Reid and his cronies to hold up installing him in his seat until after a vote on whatever the joint committee produces.
Will Israel attack Iran? They probably better. Israel is coming to a crucial moment of decision that threatens their very existence. The Ho-bama administration, from the beginning, has distanced itself from and repudiated Israel. The Islamic lobby in Europe, the US, and much of the rest of the non-Muslim world has managed to spread anti-Israel lies into the populations and raise anti-Semitism to a level comparable to those just prior to World War II. The Turks are abandoning their successful secular state for an Islamic one and divesting themselves of their mutual defense treaty with Israel. All of this leaves Israel virtually alone in the world. Sensing this, the Israeli voters dumped their leftist/pacifist party and restored the hawkish Likhud party headed by the Israeli equivalent of John Wayne, Benjamin Netanyahu, to power. Netanyahu is old school and won't be afraid to ignore world opinion if he believes Israel is in imminent danger. Once upon a time a US occupied Iraq would have meant a slam dunk for Israel as far as ability to fly over it but one wonders if the B-HO would turn US fighters against them right now. It shouldn't have to come to that. We need to take a page from Ronald Reagan and 'outlaw' Iran. "The bombing begins in five minutes!"
Hell in Haiti. Nothing shines a light on our hubris and hypocrisy like a disaster. Nine days ago no one was concerned about Haiti - one of the poorest nations on earth. Most people couldn't find it on a map (and most probably still can't). Its history is one of rebellion, occupation, petty dictators, and coup's. It has been run for over 5 years by the UN which means it is worse off than under the dictators. In those five years, there has been no movement on creating a stable government, a viable economy, or building an infrastructure. The world - except for those mean old Christian missionaries - has been content to allow Haiti to wallow in its poverty as long as they don't create trouble for the tourist trade in the Caribbean.
The massive amount of aid coming in now will dry up once it looks like the situation has stabilized and everyone from Hollywood to the Beltway will, once again, forget that Haiti exists. Her surviving people will pick up the nothing they had to begin with, use the rubble to rebuild their homes, and go back to their not quite subsistence lives. The UN 'mission' will rebuild their comfortable headquarters and return to doing nothing at a high cost to member nations and a higher cost to the people of Haiti.
Massachusetts' Senate race is broiling hot. It now looks like a Republican...yes, a REPUBLICAN!!!!...is set to win the seat held hostage for thirty plus years by the last and least of the Kennedy brothers. Granted he has had some help by the inept and utterly stupid appointee, Martha Coakley - against whom he is running. Even 11th hour campaign stops from Bill Clinton and the B-HO himself aren't likely to get her over the top as the latest poll shows her GOP challenger, Scott Brown, up 51-46%. This turn of events would break the coveted super majority of the Democrats in the Senate and force them to show even more of their true colors when they use tricks of procedure and underhanded tactics to get the health care bill through. If Brown wins on Tuesday look for Reid and his cronies to hold up installing him in his seat until after a vote on whatever the joint committee produces.
Will Israel attack Iran? They probably better. Israel is coming to a crucial moment of decision that threatens their very existence. The Ho-bama administration, from the beginning, has distanced itself from and repudiated Israel. The Islamic lobby in Europe, the US, and much of the rest of the non-Muslim world has managed to spread anti-Israel lies into the populations and raise anti-Semitism to a level comparable to those just prior to World War II. The Turks are abandoning their successful secular state for an Islamic one and divesting themselves of their mutual defense treaty with Israel. All of this leaves Israel virtually alone in the world. Sensing this, the Israeli voters dumped their leftist/pacifist party and restored the hawkish Likhud party headed by the Israeli equivalent of John Wayne, Benjamin Netanyahu, to power. Netanyahu is old school and won't be afraid to ignore world opinion if he believes Israel is in imminent danger. Once upon a time a US occupied Iraq would have meant a slam dunk for Israel as far as ability to fly over it but one wonders if the B-HO would turn US fighters against them right now. It shouldn't have to come to that. We need to take a page from Ronald Reagan and 'outlaw' Iran. "The bombing begins in five minutes!"
Hell in Haiti. Nothing shines a light on our hubris and hypocrisy like a disaster. Nine days ago no one was concerned about Haiti - one of the poorest nations on earth. Most people couldn't find it on a map (and most probably still can't). Its history is one of rebellion, occupation, petty dictators, and coup's. It has been run for over 5 years by the UN which means it is worse off than under the dictators. In those five years, there has been no movement on creating a stable government, a viable economy, or building an infrastructure. The world - except for those mean old Christian missionaries - has been content to allow Haiti to wallow in its poverty as long as they don't create trouble for the tourist trade in the Caribbean.
The massive amount of aid coming in now will dry up once it looks like the situation has stabilized and everyone from Hollywood to the Beltway will, once again, forget that Haiti exists. Her surviving people will pick up the nothing they had to begin with, use the rubble to rebuild their homes, and go back to their not quite subsistence lives. The UN 'mission' will rebuild their comfortable headquarters and return to doing nothing at a high cost to member nations and a higher cost to the people of Haiti.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wednesday Quick Shots
Two quick items today:
If George Bush understood the nature of our enemy after 9/11, he did not demonstrate it. Former Gitmo detainees, released by the Bush Administration, are leading the jihad going on in Yemen right now and have returned to Al Qaeda. Barrack Obama openly does not understand the nature of our enemy and visibly does not care about this fight. That makes him worse than George Bush with respect to the War on Terror (which we can't call it anymore). Closing Gitmo will create many more Al Qaeda leaders with the Muslim Terrorist equivalent of 'street cred'. Yemen may be the first of many more Middle Eastern nations facing insurgency. The UAE, Kuwait, possibly Egypt and Turkey; all considered moderate/secular nations, will be on the priority list for the bad guys. The potential for Obama's foreign policy incompetence to hurt America is far worse and happening much faster than Jimmy Carters.
Botox Pelosi says that the HC Bill has been the most open and transparent piece of legislation ever in America. This isn't a misrepresentation or half-truth. She stands up in front of the American people and outright lies to us every time she opens her mouth. I seriously hope that she suffer unlike any person in history when her time comes.
The Democrats are in complete disarray and unless you get your news from CNN and (P)MSNBC you're probably aware of it. A number of prominent Democrats have announced their retirement. Latest to fall is Chris Dodd (the other end of Kennedy's 'human sandwich': and yes, it is as repulsive as you might be imagining right now) who should be facing charges of treason rather than a comfortable retirement. An Alabama Democrat switched to the GOP recently. Expect more of that. If the nation can hold out and hold up HC just one more year, we may barely overcome the worst attempt at Marxist intrusion in the US economy since Hilarycare.
The Fiesta Bowl does not exist and if it did, it was the product of New Jersey 'waste management' personnel.
Today is the Baseball Hall of Fame election announcement. I am rooting for Andre 'the Hawk' Dawson, pitcher Bert Blyleven, and relief pitcher Lee Smith. All three have reasons to deserve a shrine at Cooperstown even though their numbers are considered on the line. Dawson played for horrible Expos and Cubs teams while posting great numbers and an NL MVP. Blyleven also played for some terrible teams and posted HOF strikeout numbers but missed the magic 300 wins by 13 because of his time on those bad teams. Lee Smith deserves to be in the Hall as one of the first truly great closers but has been overlooked in the past because of the institutional bias against relief pitching that existed during his career and is finally dying out.
If George Bush understood the nature of our enemy after 9/11, he did not demonstrate it. Former Gitmo detainees, released by the Bush Administration, are leading the jihad going on in Yemen right now and have returned to Al Qaeda. Barrack Obama openly does not understand the nature of our enemy and visibly does not care about this fight. That makes him worse than George Bush with respect to the War on Terror (which we can't call it anymore). Closing Gitmo will create many more Al Qaeda leaders with the Muslim Terrorist equivalent of 'street cred'. Yemen may be the first of many more Middle Eastern nations facing insurgency. The UAE, Kuwait, possibly Egypt and Turkey; all considered moderate/secular nations, will be on the priority list for the bad guys. The potential for Obama's foreign policy incompetence to hurt America is far worse and happening much faster than Jimmy Carters.
Botox Pelosi says that the HC Bill has been the most open and transparent piece of legislation ever in America. This isn't a misrepresentation or half-truth. She stands up in front of the American people and outright lies to us every time she opens her mouth. I seriously hope that she suffer unlike any person in history when her time comes.
The Democrats are in complete disarray and unless you get your news from CNN and (P)MSNBC you're probably aware of it. A number of prominent Democrats have announced their retirement. Latest to fall is Chris Dodd (the other end of Kennedy's 'human sandwich': and yes, it is as repulsive as you might be imagining right now) who should be facing charges of treason rather than a comfortable retirement. An Alabama Democrat switched to the GOP recently. Expect more of that. If the nation can hold out and hold up HC just one more year, we may barely overcome the worst attempt at Marxist intrusion in the US economy since Hilarycare.
The Fiesta Bowl does not exist and if it did, it was the product of New Jersey 'waste management' personnel.
Today is the Baseball Hall of Fame election announcement. I am rooting for Andre 'the Hawk' Dawson, pitcher Bert Blyleven, and relief pitcher Lee Smith. All three have reasons to deserve a shrine at Cooperstown even though their numbers are considered on the line. Dawson played for horrible Expos and Cubs teams while posting great numbers and an NL MVP. Blyleven also played for some terrible teams and posted HOF strikeout numbers but missed the magic 300 wins by 13 because of his time on those bad teams. Lee Smith deserves to be in the Hall as one of the first truly great closers but has been overlooked in the past because of the institutional bias against relief pitching that existed during his career and is finally dying out.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Last Chance News for 2009
The world seems to slow down a little in the blissful week from Christmas to New Year's. Mercifully Congress will not be in session until the 3rd week of January again so the American people can breathe a sigh of relief for the moment. Even though the House and Senate have passed Death care bills, they are a reasonable distance from reconciling those and, if the GOP can find a backbone to share before MLK Day, maybe they will use all the procedural tricks they can to slow it down further. I doubt it will matter in the end but if they can make this a bitter fight that lasts into the summer, many Americans will still remember that the Democrat party forced it on us in spite of the fact that over 60% of us don't want it and we can destroy their majority in November.
Well there was another almost terrorist attack on an airplane on Christmas Day (but don't worry, Islam isn't at war with Western Civilization or Christianity). How embarrassing must it be to be a failed suicide/homicide terrorist in the first place but to go down in history as the "Underpants Bomber"? It would be hilarious if it weren't deadly serious. The press won't mention it but this year has seen an increase in attempted and successful terrorist acts over the Bush years following 9/11 which means that Al Qaida and others see Obama as being militarily weak. Well, duh! Naturally the American government won't blame itself for the lapse in security but it WILL make new regulations to further inconvenience the millions of innocent Americans that fly every day rather than do something LOGICAL like profiling.
Knowing Hobama and crew this could be part of their plan to ultimately drive the average person from the skies making air travel the playground of the rich again. I don't think they care if all but one or two air carriers survive to ferry them between their various playgrounds and they have willing accomplices in the enivro-whacko crowd who will see the lower CO2 output from fewer planes as a good thing.
Speaking of CO2, remember that it has been 'de-listed' as a greenhouse gas. Four square feet of grass will exchange all the CO2 you or I exhale this year. The earth cleans out 50% of all CO2 produced in the world every year NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE PRODUCE (that means Earth's capacity to clean CO2 has not yet been reached). Do you know what the biggest greenhouse gas is? No, it isn't methane. It's water vapor. Anyone with any sense knows this. Here in Washington even a publicly educated teenager knows that 70 degrees F feels cooler in Spokane than Seattle because of Seattle's humidity. A visit to the US South East in July will also convince you of the power of water vapor.
Speaking of the rich, as I've always said, the dirty secret of graduated or 'progressive' taxation is that it penalizes people who are attempting to become rich, not people who are already rich. The Kennedy and Soros fortunes are secure even if the upper tax rate is raised to 100% because it won't affect money they already have but it would affect you or I if we were coming from middle class wages into the upper income brackets with high taxation. So, if we're going to go for that, I suggest that we attach a rider to make sure that these people are equally penalized by their confiscatory taxation. If they want to redistribute OUR wealth, let's make sure they have to redistribute THEIR wealth as well. Since we're in the Hobama age of favoritism, I'll only redistribute the wealth of people I don't like (I'll let them keep $250,000 each except for Soros who can't keep so much as a penny). So, for example, we'll take the Kennedy family's estimated $3 Billion (I'm going for the high mark just in case), George Soros' $13 Billion, Teresa Heinz-Kerry's $1 Billion and John's own $225 Million, Democrat Representative Jane Harman's $225 Million, Jay Rockefeller's $81 Million, Warren Buffet's $40 Billion, Michael Bloomberg's $17.5 Billion, and Algore's $300 Million. If my math is correct, that totals just a shade over $ 75 Billion. If we divide that among the 300 million LEGAL Americans, it works out to a whopping $250 per American! Of course we've destroyed the Heinz ketchup company and all of the people they employ are now out of work as are the people Warren Buffett employs and all the people at Bloomberg television (although Charlie Rose should spend the rest of his days as a janitor somewhere just for being so boring). Taking the fortunes of the others won't help us much but since politicians don't actually create wealth, who cares. As for Soros, he should be shot for treason anyway and his money isn't enough to rebuild the wealth that he robbed from the people of England and Eastern Europe or the American public but it would be some sweet justice if he and his family were on the side of a road begging for handouts from passing motorists.
Well, that's my last rant for this year - at least the last one I'm posting! Other than changing the digits on the calendar, I don't put much stock in the whole New Year celebration thing so I prefer to use it as a time for reflection rather than partying. 2009 was a pretty rotten year and we need to pray that 2010 is better. If nothing else we are living that old Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times". Even if 2010 turns out to be worse, it promises to be interesting. See you next week!
Well there was another almost terrorist attack on an airplane on Christmas Day (but don't worry, Islam isn't at war with Western Civilization or Christianity). How embarrassing must it be to be a failed suicide/homicide terrorist in the first place but to go down in history as the "Underpants Bomber"? It would be hilarious if it weren't deadly serious. The press won't mention it but this year has seen an increase in attempted and successful terrorist acts over the Bush years following 9/11 which means that Al Qaida and others see Obama as being militarily weak. Well, duh! Naturally the American government won't blame itself for the lapse in security but it WILL make new regulations to further inconvenience the millions of innocent Americans that fly every day rather than do something LOGICAL like profiling.
Knowing Hobama and crew this could be part of their plan to ultimately drive the average person from the skies making air travel the playground of the rich again. I don't think they care if all but one or two air carriers survive to ferry them between their various playgrounds and they have willing accomplices in the enivro-whacko crowd who will see the lower CO2 output from fewer planes as a good thing.
Speaking of CO2, remember that it has been 'de-listed' as a greenhouse gas. Four square feet of grass will exchange all the CO2 you or I exhale this year. The earth cleans out 50% of all CO2 produced in the world every year NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE PRODUCE (that means Earth's capacity to clean CO2 has not yet been reached). Do you know what the biggest greenhouse gas is? No, it isn't methane. It's water vapor. Anyone with any sense knows this. Here in Washington even a publicly educated teenager knows that 70 degrees F feels cooler in Spokane than Seattle because of Seattle's humidity. A visit to the US South East in July will also convince you of the power of water vapor.
Speaking of the rich, as I've always said, the dirty secret of graduated or 'progressive' taxation is that it penalizes people who are attempting to become rich, not people who are already rich. The Kennedy and Soros fortunes are secure even if the upper tax rate is raised to 100% because it won't affect money they already have but it would affect you or I if we were coming from middle class wages into the upper income brackets with high taxation. So, if we're going to go for that, I suggest that we attach a rider to make sure that these people are equally penalized by their confiscatory taxation. If they want to redistribute OUR wealth, let's make sure they have to redistribute THEIR wealth as well. Since we're in the Hobama age of favoritism, I'll only redistribute the wealth of people I don't like (I'll let them keep $250,000 each except for Soros who can't keep so much as a penny). So, for example, we'll take the Kennedy family's estimated $3 Billion (I'm going for the high mark just in case), George Soros' $13 Billion, Teresa Heinz-Kerry's $1 Billion and John's own $225 Million, Democrat Representative Jane Harman's $225 Million, Jay Rockefeller's $81 Million, Warren Buffet's $40 Billion, Michael Bloomberg's $17.5 Billion, and Algore's $300 Million. If my math is correct, that totals just a shade over $ 75 Billion. If we divide that among the 300 million LEGAL Americans, it works out to a whopping $250 per American! Of course we've destroyed the Heinz ketchup company and all of the people they employ are now out of work as are the people Warren Buffett employs and all the people at Bloomberg television (although Charlie Rose should spend the rest of his days as a janitor somewhere just for being so boring). Taking the fortunes of the others won't help us much but since politicians don't actually create wealth, who cares. As for Soros, he should be shot for treason anyway and his money isn't enough to rebuild the wealth that he robbed from the people of England and Eastern Europe or the American public but it would be some sweet justice if he and his family were on the side of a road begging for handouts from passing motorists.
Well, that's my last rant for this year - at least the last one I'm posting! Other than changing the digits on the calendar, I don't put much stock in the whole New Year celebration thing so I prefer to use it as a time for reflection rather than partying. 2009 was a pretty rotten year and we need to pray that 2010 is better. If nothing else we are living that old Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times". Even if 2010 turns out to be worse, it promises to be interesting. See you next week!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Blockbuster Cliches
Well unfortunately it looks like James Cameron's Avatar is a big hit. I say unfortunately because from what I have seen in trailers and heard in scuttlebutt (which has been confirmed) Avatar employs two of the Hollywood left's favorite cliches, the 'evil' military and the 'evil' corporation. I would like to see Avatar for the ground breaking special effects - isn't it kind of scary that we can almost seamlessly blend CGI and real people now? How long before we won't be able to trust what we see on the evening news because someone has scripted CGI events for us to believe? But that's off topic a bit. James Cameron is famous for his hatred of the 'evil' corporations. The entire Terminator series is based on the actions of a sinister corporation that built an all-powerful computer network which turned on humanity. I suppose that we should pity the idiots on the left who can't figure out that the corporation is values neutral and it is the people at the top that determine whether it is nefarious or not. Interestingly enough, men like James Cameron work for some of the most insidious corporations in our society; movie studios. The movie studios work to maximize profits at the expense of the consumer. They backed the Blue Ray disc over the HD-DVD only because it was not backwards compatible with normal DVDs meaning that consumers would have to repurchase their entire collection if they wanted to upgrade to Blue Ray. They enforce Draconian copyright laws against even the most unintentional violations. But worst of all, they slip left-wing propaganda, anti-American values, and every form of immorality they can think of into those movies in spite of the fact that pro middle class virtues and family movies make bigger profits on average.
Recently I also had the misfortune (self imposed) to watch the Spielberg version of HG Wells War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise. This show employed one of the other most overused Hollywood cliches; the dysfunctional family ('hi-lighted' by the nearly continuous shrill screams of Dakota Fanning). Of course the family survives the horror of the alien menace (even though they made EVERY wrong decision possible and would have all died in the first half hour of the movie were it reality) to work out their issues with each other. The dysfunctional family theme does work upon occasion but its overuse demonstrates that the Hollywood writers are inherently lazy and lacking in creativity. With a little more effort they could write equally satisfying drama for a fully functional family where the menace they face as a team is more than a backdrop for the battle between an unlikable jerk (wonder if Tommy was actually acting), a bitter teenage son, and disaffected tween daughter. At least Spielberg has some redeeming qualities as a director. The military in War of the Worlds was portrayed as caring about the civilians safety and resolutely committed to defending the nation in the face of a seemingly invincible foe.
One Hollywood cliche that makes me snicker instead of develop a facial tic is making another appearance in the upcoming The Book of Eli. This is a post-Apocalypse thriller and like virtually every movie in this genre, it appears that the first thing people will forget after the Apocalypse is basic hygiene - as if the entire world becomes a collection of soap-adverse Frenchmen the moment society collapses. As an aficionado of this genre, I saw it develop in the movies of the mid 70s but it really hit its stride thanks to the Mad Max series. The exception to this rule though is when there is a dystopian group or society that has risen in the wake of the Apocalypse. These people are usually exceptionally clean and this usually signals that they are evil (I guess Hollywood doesn't believe that cleanliness is next to Godliness - or maybe they do and just hate God). While I don't expect people in that situation to be as fastidious about personal hygiene as most Americans are right now, survivors would likely congregate around a ready source of water and reserve a portion of it for bathing in order to keep disease at bay.
Oh well, what do you expect from drug addled, sex crazed Marxists?
I'd like to keep away from politics this week but how can I with Harry Reid and the Keystone Kops robbing the American people at gunpoint? These people are crazed by their own power and need to be stopped. The Health Care bill is nothing but a hodge-podge of special interest deals and back room negotiations all designed to impoverish the American people. It demonstrates the inherent problem with modern liberalism: liberalism is the belief that since you cannot make the people equally happy you must make them equally miserable. The only way to do that is to attack and destroy the American Middle Class which fits into their plans anyway since the Middle Class stands as a roadblock to their quests for absolute power and a monopoly on knowledge.
Recently I also had the misfortune (self imposed) to watch the Spielberg version of HG Wells War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise. This show employed one of the other most overused Hollywood cliches; the dysfunctional family ('hi-lighted' by the nearly continuous shrill screams of Dakota Fanning). Of course the family survives the horror of the alien menace (even though they made EVERY wrong decision possible and would have all died in the first half hour of the movie were it reality) to work out their issues with each other. The dysfunctional family theme does work upon occasion but its overuse demonstrates that the Hollywood writers are inherently lazy and lacking in creativity. With a little more effort they could write equally satisfying drama for a fully functional family where the menace they face as a team is more than a backdrop for the battle between an unlikable jerk (wonder if Tommy was actually acting), a bitter teenage son, and disaffected tween daughter. At least Spielberg has some redeeming qualities as a director. The military in War of the Worlds was portrayed as caring about the civilians safety and resolutely committed to defending the nation in the face of a seemingly invincible foe.
One Hollywood cliche that makes me snicker instead of develop a facial tic is making another appearance in the upcoming The Book of Eli. This is a post-Apocalypse thriller and like virtually every movie in this genre, it appears that the first thing people will forget after the Apocalypse is basic hygiene - as if the entire world becomes a collection of soap-adverse Frenchmen the moment society collapses. As an aficionado of this genre, I saw it develop in the movies of the mid 70s but it really hit its stride thanks to the Mad Max series. The exception to this rule though is when there is a dystopian group or society that has risen in the wake of the Apocalypse. These people are usually exceptionally clean and this usually signals that they are evil (I guess Hollywood doesn't believe that cleanliness is next to Godliness - or maybe they do and just hate God). While I don't expect people in that situation to be as fastidious about personal hygiene as most Americans are right now, survivors would likely congregate around a ready source of water and reserve a portion of it for bathing in order to keep disease at bay.
Oh well, what do you expect from drug addled, sex crazed Marxists?
I'd like to keep away from politics this week but how can I with Harry Reid and the Keystone Kops robbing the American people at gunpoint? These people are crazed by their own power and need to be stopped. The Health Care bill is nothing but a hodge-podge of special interest deals and back room negotiations all designed to impoverish the American people. It demonstrates the inherent problem with modern liberalism: liberalism is the belief that since you cannot make the people equally happy you must make them equally miserable. The only way to do that is to attack and destroy the American Middle Class which fits into their plans anyway since the Middle Class stands as a roadblock to their quests for absolute power and a monopoly on knowledge.
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