Day: February 18, 2009

2009 Anal-Ocity

I do a lot of reading and I run across a lot of quotes from people but only a few that I feel are completely anal….and I guess what?  Found another PETA quote.

This one is on diet and sex…..recently there was a study in New Zealand on those who eat veggies and sex…but the best thing was what a spokesman for PETA had to say….

“Sex is a very effective form of outreach and activism,” said Dan Shannon, a PETA spokesman, and 10-year veteran vegan, who thought meat eaters could be converted by their partners.

To me this person is saying to use SEX as a tool to convert the meat eater.

I agree with Ron White……I did not claw my way up the food chain to eat carrots.

How Will The Stim Plan Effect You?

It is done!  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is signed–let the spending begin!  But the question will be, how will it benefit you?  Right?

Now there is a great question!  You asked for it….you got it!

The recovery package has tax breaks for families that send a child to college, purchase a new car, buy a first home or make the ones they own more energy efficient.

Millions of workers can expect to see about $13 extra in their weekly paychecks, starting around June, from a new $400 tax credit to be doled out through the rest of the year. Couples would get up to $800. In 2010, the credit would be about $7.70 a week, if it is spread over the entire year.  That should start a stampede to Cancun (sarcasm intended).

The $1,000 child tax credit would be extended to more low-income families that don’t make enough money to pay income taxes, and poor families with three or more children will get an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit.

Middle-income and wealthy taxpayers will be spared from paying the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was designed 40 years ago to make sure wealthy taxpayers pay at least some tax, but was never indexed for inflation. Congress fixes it each year, usually in the fall.

There is a plethora of other stims in the package, but they are indirectly effecting the people so those will be left out…..for now.

The Poor have a section in the plan also.

More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of them are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline.

People who get food stamps — 30 million and growing — will get more. People drawing unemployment checks — nearly 5 million and growing — would get an extra $25, and keep those checks coming longer. People who get Supplemental Security Income — 7 million poor Americans who are elderly, blind or disabled — would get one-time extra payments of $250.

Many low-income Americans also are likely to benefit from a trifecta of tax credits: expansions to the existing Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and a new refundable tax credit for workers. Taken together, the three credits are expected to keep more than 2 million Americans from falling into poverty, including more than 800,000 children, according to the private Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The package also includes a $3 billion emergency fund to provide temporary assistance to needy families. In addition, cash-strapped states will get an infusion of $87 billion for Medicaid, the government health program for poor people, and that should help them avoid cutting off benefits to the needy.

All in all a pretty good plan, but does not go far enough in my opinion.  Does not create the massive demand that the country needs to get the economy rolling again…just my thought on the plan.

Bank Nationalization—Again

Holy moly!  You know we are in trouble when a Repub like Graham is taking about it seriously!  Go figure!

A year ago, it would have been unthinkable: Sen. Lindsey Graham advocating a government takeover of private banks — but that is exactly what he suggested today.

“I would not take off the idea of nationalizing the banks” from the table, Graham, R-S.C., told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” program

“This idea of nationalizing banks is not comfortable, but I think we have gotten so many toxic assets spread throughout the banking and financial community throughout the world that we’re going to have to do something that no one ever envisioned a year ago, no one likes,” Graham said. “But, to me, banking and housing are the root cause of this problem. And I’m very much afraid that any program to salvage the bank is going to require the government..”

But some prominent economists, including Nobel prize winner Paul Krugman, say nationalization is the only way out of the out of the current financial crisis, given that the nation’s largest banks are now carrying a crushing half a trillion dollars in bad debt.

But they may have to find another name for it.

My favorite one is “pre-privatization”.  Not as ideological as “nationalization”.  That would make the Repubs happy.  Let’s watch and see how they spin this idea…..time is waning…something must be done…I mean besides helping the banks capitalize or buy other banks.

What A Difference A Name Makes

Let us hope not!  These pricks are still the same pack of mercenaries no matter what they call themselves…..and it amazes me that NO ONE screams about a private army that has been raised in the country….I believe Aaron Burr was tried for treason for a similar act.

The controversial security firm Blackwater, involved in the shooting of Iraqi civilians, is changing its name.

Company President Gary Jackson says “effective immediately” the name for the firm’s parent company has been changed to Xe, pronounced “zee”.

Subsidiaries of the U.S.-based firm are also being changed, with Blackwater Lodge and Training Center, best-known for preparing workers for overseas operations, now to be called the U.S. Training Center.

In a memo to employees Thursday, Jackson said the reorganization will help “create unique brand identities for its products and services.”

A PR coup?  Nah!  Just trying to divert attention for now.


Will This Help?

Pakistan agreed Monday to suspend military offensives and impose Islamic law in part of the restive northwest, making a gesture it hopes will help calm the Taliban insurgency while rejecting Washington’s call for tougher measures against militants.

A U.S. defense official called the deal “a negative development,” and some Pakistani experts expressed skepticism the truce would decrease violence. One human rights activist said the accord was “a great surrender” to militants.

Monday’s peace agreement applies to the Malakand region, which includes the former tourist destination of the Swat Valley, where extremists have gained sway by beheading people, burning girls schools and attacking security forces since a similar agreement broke down in August.

U.S. officials complained the earlier accord allowed militants to regroup and rearm and urged Pakistan’s government to concentrate on military solutions to the insurgency in the rugged frontier region, where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding.

Amir Haider Khan Hoti, chief minister in North West Frontier Province, said troops in Swat would remain there but stop offensive operations and go on “reactive mode,” retaliating only if attacked. He stressed they would not leave the valley until the militant threat was over.

Sounds like any troops in Afghanistan may have their problems compounded by this accord.