Month: July 2009

Random Thoughts

More thoughts than time….that is the problem…I make so many notes that I cannot possibly turn them into posts or I would have no life what so ever….wait!….I have no life….DAMN!

1–You have heard all the arguments against the Dem plan to save the economy…like 10 years down the road this will bankrupt the country trying to pay for these programs or that the country should be run like a person’s home and life…to live within their means….

To begin with all this is so much crap.  It is being used to gain political advantage.  These same “well intended” public servants did not raise the same questions or arguments when they voted to fight two wars at the same time.

Beyond that, ask an average person if they are worried about 10 years down the road and the answer will be not now…they are more worried about getting through 2009 with a job and ahome than what could happen in 10 years.

2–Americans are lazy!  They want instant credit; they want instant 6 pack abs, they want a diet that they do not have to work at; they want immediate return on their investment; in short, they are lazy.  They want everything NOW.  They do not want to have to wait for anything, all returns must be immediate.

3–seems to me that the more famous you are the bigger your sunglasses are.

4–Final farewells were said for MJ…..he was an exceptional entertainer and song writer…..now can the world and the media let the man rest in peace?  PLease let him die!  Speaking of death…in case anyone is interested the worst day in Afghanistan for American troops…7 Americans died in action in Afghanistan.

The GOP: What To Do….What To Do?

That has got to be what the GOP is asking, at least privately, all their prospective candidates for 2012 are slowly going down the toilet.

I know to some it may appear that I am always bad mouthing the GOP…I guess that may be true….it is difficult to say good things when there is no leader or vision.

The GOP brand is quickly becoming worthless.  They can no longer claim to be the party of small government or the party of fiscal responsibility or the party of family values.  They are trying to say that they learned from their mistakes, but few seem to buy that stand for their approval rating is about 25%, lower than during the Watergate fiasco.

They have few promising candidates on the horizon.  Jindal is ify at best, Palin is better but still ify, Pawlenty is another ify one, Ensign is out as well as Sanford, both because of extra-marital affairs.  Their best future candidates, for now are:  Newt but that would be a stretch, Huckabee is looking more stable but still on the fringe of conservatism, then the name Barbour has been injected into this discussion, a Mississippian as president, a very long shot and finally the best possible candidate as of now is Mitt Romney.  Why?  His personal life is most likely squeeky clean, he is a true conservative and he is plugging along paying his dues.

Thge biggest problem that is face the GOP. after who could possibly run against Obama in 2012, is their voice.  They are doing nothing to offer solutions to problems.  Their only tactic is to say “NO” to everything that is proposed by the Dems.  Their only appeal now is to the hard core base, they have lost the center and the independents.  The only question they need to ask is:  how do we find a path to voter?

Unfortunately, they have nothing to offer in opposition to the Dems. They seem to be afraid to offer up “real” solutions to problem, because the Dems would pick it apart and then pass the issues anyway.  So they stay with “NO” and people are looking elsewhere for leadership.

What Causes Obesity?

Gee…now there is a loaded question…..some say it is a gland problem…..most of the time it is….the mouth gland….others blame a variety of causes from fast food to laziness.  But what does really cause Americans to be obese?

There has been study after study on why people are fat.  State after state has tried to find a solution…..tried and failed…why is there no good way to reverse the trend toward a fatter America?  One answer is that most state legislatures and governors are looking for a quick fix.  That way they look good and it helps their re-election resume.

A recent study has found that Mississippi was the fattest state with 32.5% obese adults. Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina rounded the top five. Colorado was least fat and the only state with fewer than 20% obese adults.  Of the top ten fattest states, 8 are in the South.  Is that a trend?

If one is looking for a connection in these stats try poverty.  If one checks the stats on poverty they will find that the most of the same states listed in the top ten obesity study are the same that are listed in the poorest states.  Ya think there is a connection?

How about education?  Does that play a part in the obesity debate?  Well, 5 of the fattest states are in the lowest 10 of the education scale.  So 50% of the fattest states are also the dumbest.  I would say that is a good indication.

What to do?…..what to do?

Poverty causes people to eat in an unhealthy way to stretch the family food budget.  Why?  Unhealthy foods are the cheaper.  My idea is that states should make healthier food more appealing to the poor.  If the food budget goes further with healthier food then the people will eat healthier.

For instance, food stamps…..make healthier foods more appealing by making them 50% less than say the fatty of foods.  Or if say, apples are 3 for a $1, then if bought with food stamps then 6 could be bought for that same $1.

The people must be educated on the effects of an unhealthy diet…at best now, in the South there is little taught they seem to be worried more about who is having sex and not what they are eating.  Improving the people’s knowledge and eating habits will NOT be a quick fix, it will take time and education, something most poor Southern states do not want to tackle, because it will take money and they have little thanks to the massive corporate give aways they offer business.  They do NOT have the money to help the citizens of the state.

Obesity is curable–but there is no will to do so.  The best my state has done is offer a bill to help people pay for stomach stapling–The problem with this idea is that it would fall under the state Medicaid program….unfortunately that program is damn near bankrupt, so why would nayone want to add more problems to a failing program?  An educational program and food stamp reform would be cheaper in the long run–but the politicians want a quick fix and unfortunately there is NO quick fix.

Misinformation Abounds

While reading and researching for some future posts I found this article written by Benjamin H. Friedman on The CATO @ Liberty website.

The Heritage Foundation has a chart up on its blog, showing defense spending as a percentage of gross domestic product and declaring that “Obama plan cuts defense spending to pre-9/11 levels.”This is a standard rhetorical device for defense hawks (see the Wall Street Journal editorial page, Mitt Romney and lots of others) so it’s worth pointing out that it’s misleading. The unfortunate truth is that Obama is increasing non-war defense spending this year and seems likely to increase it at least by inflation in the near future.

It’s true that defense spending will probably decline as a percentage of GDP, assuming the economy recovers. But that’s because GDP grows. Ours is more than six times bigger than it was in 1950.  Meanwhile, we spend more on defense in real, inflation adjusted terms, than we did then, at the height of the Cold War. The denoninator has grown faster than the numerator.

tor.By saying that defense spending needs to grow with GDP to be “level,” you are arguing for an annual increase in defense spending without saying so directly. That’s the point, of course.

To be straight with readers, charts that show defense spending as a percentage of GDP should either show GDP growth over time or include a line that shows defense spending in real terms. Otherwise they fail to demonstrate that the decline in defense spending as a percentage of GDP is a consequence of growing GDP, not lower spending.

The assumption in analysis like Heritage’s is that defense spending should be a function of economic growth, not enemies and strategies for defending against them.  It’s easy to point out that this is strategically and fiscally foolish. And it’s worth noting, as I have on many occasions, that we face a benign threat environment and can cut defense spending massively as a result.

But there is something weirder going on here that warrants mention.  Arguing that wealth creation should drive defense spending is to attempt to divorce the military from its strategic rationale. That’s an implicit acknowledgment that defense spending is not for safety.  High military spending in this worldview is either an end in itself or a partisan or cultural tool.

I have been trying to point out that to gain political advantage, both sides of the political aisle will use misinformation…lies is a better word, but not preferred.  This is not something new, but a continuing saga of ruthless BS to gain political advantage.

DO NOT trust politicians to tell the truth….find the truth and then make your decision.

2009 Anal-Ocity

There are some statements that have a ring of truth in them and then there are those statements made by nut cases that have been elected by a well informed electorate (sarcasm).  The newest anal statement comes from an Oklahoma state representative, Sally Kerns,  who has presented an ” Oklahoma Citizen’s Proclamation of Morality” which states:

we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; and WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery;

If you think about it I guess you could make a case for the economic woes being related to religion in a way.  But her assumption is just ridiculous.  Now if she would have used words like GREED or AVARICE, or ENVY,  then I might have agreed with her, but sorry my sexual decisions have NOTHING to do with the economic crisis we are facing.

SHE IS A MORON!

Why Do States Go Bankrupt?

All states are having monetary problems these days…especially California and then the rest of the country……but why are they in such sad shape?

Revenue!  There is your answer.

The recession has taken a devastating toll on tax revenues and state finances. States had a cumulative $121 billion budget gap in crafting this year’s budgets — and the gap would be even bigger without federal stimulus money, said Todd Haggerty, a research analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

States, these days, have little income.  Why?  They have given away everything to corporations on the promise of economic growth.  These promises are empty, at best.  In my state the governor has given massive tax breaks to corporations to get them to come to the state….employment has not gotten better….living standards have not gotten better…..little has improved…the only thing that these corporations have done is make the resume of politicians look a little better…the worker in the state is still the lowest paid, less benefits and so on…..

The solution to this problem is take back the revenue that the politicians are throwing away.  It is that simple.  The only answer most governors and reps have is to put more burden on the working class, the middle class….while letting others get a free ride.  Also the programs benefit the free riders and the people who are actually paying the bills get screwed.

The best argument that the politicians have is that it is economic growth in the long run that is the target, but it has been a VERY long run and still little is gotten better.

Unfortunately, the voters in these states buy into the BS.  And of course, it is the fault of those people who are helped by the system and never the worthless lame ass politicians they elect…..this is “rational ignorance”.

What Is Your Soul Worth?

Times are tough for the “little ” guy to get a loan……companies are NOT going to loan money to just anyone anymore.  But there is a new twist to the old money loaning game.

This from Reuters:

Ready to give your soul for a loan in these difficult economic times? In Latvia, where the crisis has raged more than in the rest of the European Union, you can.

Clients have to sign a contract, with the words “Agreement” in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, “that is, my immortal soul.”

Mirosiichenko said his company would not employ debt collectors to get its money back if people refused to repay, and promised no physical violence. Signatories only have to give their first name and do not show any documents.

Latvia has been the EU nation worst hit by economic crisis.

Unemployment is soaring and banks have sharply reduced their lending, meaning that small companies offering easy loans in small amounts have become more popular.

Mirosiichenko said his company was basically trusting people to repay the small amounts they borrowed, which has so far been up to 250 lats ($500) for between 1 and 90 days at a hefty interest rate.

All I can say is please do not give these parasites any ideas….we already have the “reversed mortgage” thing…..is that not enough?  Maybe we could offer our children as collateral.  (sarcasm, in case there was nay doubt).  Or maybe churches could go into the loan shark business, they seem to have a concern for people’s souls.

Newsflash! Governor Resigns!

Gotcha!  Bet you thought this was all about South Carilina’s Sanford, huh?  Wrong!  It is little “Miss Golly”, Alaska’s Sarah Palin….that is right you heard me….Sarah Palin.  What could she have done that would warrant a resignation?

But why would the “fair haired” gal of the GOP resign her office?  Time may have the inside info in an article written by Jay Newton-Small:

Palin’s had a rough 2009 thus far, drawing headlines often more suitable for Britney Spears than for a serious politician and gracing the covers of more tabloids than news magazines. She’s picked heated public battles with Levi Johnston, the father of her teenage daughter’s baby, and with late night comedian David Letterman for crossing the line in mocking her daughter’s sex life. In the last week, she’s been eviscerated in a Vanity Fair article that has reduced the Republican Party into two camps, Palin supporters and detractors, who slug it out on the cable shows. She’s also rankled Republican insiders by accepting two high profile speaking engagements and then bailing out. And then she twice bolted a congressional dinner before finally agreeing to appear, but declining to speak. Such fickle behavior has not endeared her to many party stalwarts, and her name is consistently left off the list when reporters ask the likes of John McCain and former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush for ideas on who could be the next leader of the party.

Perhaps because of these missteps, many GOP advisers have urged Palin to keep a low profile, to follow the Ronald Reagan trajectory by studying up on the issues, maybe do a listening tour and spend time building relationships behind the scenes.

“This is classic Sarah Palin, the mixture of the personal and political,” says Michael Carey, an Anchorage talk show host. “It’s all done ad hoc. There’s no strategic plan. It’s, ‘This is what I’m going to do, baby. Here we go,’ ” Carey said in a phone interview. A Washington friend with whom Palin spoke Friday morning said the soon-to-be ex-Governor of Alaska doesn’t have a concrete plan going forward but she plans on working on her book – bought by HarperCollin’s in May – and helping Republican candidates. The friend also said that Palin, who will step down July 25, had become increasingly unhappy with the media scrutiny, her battles with the state legislature, the 15 ethics complaints filed against her by outside progressive groups and politics as a whole.

Palin’s announcement caps a miserable few weeks for the Republican Party. Senator John Ensign, often mentioned as a potential 2012 candidate, resigned his leadership position after admitting to an affair, followed the next week by Governor Sanford’s admission of several indiscretions. “The way we are going, if you are the Junior Jaycees president in Memphis you could be in line for the nomination,” quipped Weaver. Indeed, many in the GOP must now be wondering whether being on the party’s 2012 shortlist is a blessing or a curse.

The FOX News had this report:

“And I’ll work hard for others who still believe in free enterprise and smaller government; strong national security for our country and support for our troops; energy independence; and for those who will protect freedom and equality and life,” she said in a news conference at her home in Wasilla. “I’ll work for and campaign for those proud to be American, and those who are inspired by our ideals and won’t deride them.”

Palin, 45, didn’t elaborate on how she’d achieve those goals, but she will have a variety of potential platforms, from writing books to hitting the public speaking circuit to working directly with the Republican Party to get candidates elected.

In the process, she’ll also have the ability to make a lot of money — far more than the $125,000 or so a year she has earned as governor. She already had a deal with publisher HarperCollins to produce her memoirs, with publication planned for next spring. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but six-figure book deals are common for high-profile political figures.

So is it about the money and not about the service to the people of Alaska?  Go figure!  With the Repubs it seems to be always about the money

Sanford gone…Ensign gone……Pawlenty iffy…….the GOP has few candidates right now….Huckabee, Crist and Mitt…what will they do…..God only knows…but the worst thing they could do was to turn to the Newt…his brand of hate and vile will do them no good.

Tea Parties: Round 2

A Daily Agitation

Today is the 4th of July, the day our country was founded and this day will be round two of the Obama bashing crowd known as the New Tea Party.

The first batch was suppose to be about the raise in taxes with the Obama plan, but it seems that there would be little raise in taxes for us normal people just those thieves that are making over $250,000, but that did not stop the protests but it made it into nothing but people bashing thew prez on everything—gun rights, nationality, etc.  It was also billed as a non-partisan protest but most of the hour by hour coverage was from conservative media outlets and most of the speakers were conservatives trying to advance the agenda of “anti big government” that Onbama is standing for.

Round two is being billed as the same thing as round one–non partisan.  As far as I have seen there will be “massive”, whgatever that means, protests in Texas and New Jersey.  I am sure that there will be others, wherever people want to gather and bash a sitting president.

More than a dozen New Jersey communities have planned rallies.   America’s Tea Party, to take place from 3pm to midnight on Independence Day, will feature a full lineup including nationally-known speakers and entertainment, plus games, vendors, prizes, food and drinks for purchase, a 21-minute fireworks program, and more. Speakers at the event will focus on the opportunity for every citizen to make a difference by standing up for liberty and working against further government expansion, bailouts and irresponsible elected officials.

The tea party groups are expected to protest the Cap and Trade bill containing a new federal policy that residential, commercial, and government buildings be retrofitted to increase energy efficiency.  People will protest the economic stimulus bill Obama signed into law in February, so says the organizers.

Basically, this is a feeler for fundraising for the GOP.  And nothing more than an opportunity to bash the current administration and its policies.  I am sure that round two will be like round one–full of misinformation and out right lies.

Low Morals Caused Economic Crisis

I have been reading and writing about the economy and the problems and the solutions for a long time….recently I saw one of the dumbest things I have ever seen……Oklahoma state representative, Sally Kerns,  has found a new way to make the GOP look more stupid and less in touch than anyone before her.

The state representative has taken it upon herself to create an “Oklahoma Citizen’s Proclamation for Morality,” which essentially blames the nation’s sinners (you know, like the gays and divorcees) on the economic recession. Here’s a snippet of the document, which can be read in its entirety here:

WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; andWHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and

WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and

WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and

WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior;

This woman has given a NEW meaning to the word religious zealot…..she has NOT done a service to her supporters.  We do not need representatives that have this type of thinking….this will NOT solve our problem with the economy.  This is a stupid person, by that I mean she is culivating ignorance.