Politics Bourd

Adios

2010-08-15T18:26:00.001-07:00

My work here is done. Moving forward at

Bourd Politics

Gun control?

2010-08-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

After reading the following historical facts, read the part about Switzerland, twice.

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20,000,000 dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1..5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

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China established gun control in 1935. >From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated

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Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated

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Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

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Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56,000,000!!!

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It has now been 16 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own Government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first

year statistics are now in:

Australia-wide: Homicides are up 3.2 percent.

Australia-wide: Assaults are up 8.6 percent.

Australia-wide: Armed robberies are up 44 percent..

Victoria-wide: Homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, so criminals still possess their guns!)
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey are unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.

You won't see this data on the U.S. evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens..

Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

With guns, we are 'citizens.' Without them, we are 'subjects'.

During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

An oldie but goodie

2010-08-12T09:44:00.001-07:00

Medals

2010-08-10T10:10:00.001-07:00

OK, we can stop offshore drilling

2010-07-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

It is accepted that Democrats make decisions and policy based on emotion. They are fully committed to stopping offshore drilling:

http://www.democrats.com/stop-new-offshore-drilling?cid=ZGVtczc5Njk2ZGVtcw%3D%3D

To do this rationally one would assume that when removing a third of the country's energy, you would have a viable alternative. I'm not seeing one here, so I'm going to help you out Dems. I will fully support a ban on offshore drilling if all Democrats will stop using their car or any other oil powered enegy. I'm thinking that the Democrats are around a third of the population. I assume that they will walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

Respectfully submitted,
Bourd

You cut

2010-07-25T09:18:00.001-07:00

State mandate: Clearwater's lifeguard station needs to be handicapped-accessible - St. Petersburg Times

2010-07-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

State mandate: Clearwater's lifeguard station needs to be handicapped-accessible - St. Petersburg Times

"No, we can't think of anything to do that would save the city money."

It's only civilized

2010-07-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.

People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation... and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

Attributed to a Maj. L. Caudill USMC(Ret)

DIVORCE AGREEMENT

2010-07-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.

Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and bio-diesel. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.

We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and over-sized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone health-care if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe health-care is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem." I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.

Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall

Law Student and an American

P. S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Barbra Streisand, & Jane Fonda with you.

P. S. S. And you won't have to press 1 for English when you call our country.

Obama = Joseph, Fed. Govt. = Pharoh?

2010-07-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

A tale for our time? For your consideration, Genesis Ch. 47 :

13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up."

16 "Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate."
20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children."
25 "You have saved our lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh."

D E

2010-07-11T07:18:00.001-07:00

WHEN World War III Started - 1979

2010-07-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is not very long, but very informative You have to read the catalog of events in this brief piece. Then, ask yourself how anyone can take the position that all we have to do is bring our troops home from Iraq , reset the snooze alarm, go back to sleep, and no one will ever bother us again. In case you missed it, World War III began in November 1979...

US Navy Captain Ouimette is the Executive Officer at Naval Air Station, Pensacola , Florida . Here is a copy of the speech he gave last month. It is an accurate account of why we are in so much trouble today and why action is so necessary.

AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP!

That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 (When more than 3,000 Americans were killed) and maybe it was, but I think it should have been 'Get Out of Bed!' In fact, the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.

It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran . This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign U. S. Embassy set the stage for events to follow for the next 25 years.

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter, had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America 's inability to deal with terrorism.

America 's military had been decimated and down sized since the end of the Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.

Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East . America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued.

In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.

Then just six short months later in 1983 a large truck heavily laden down with over 25 00 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.

Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait , and America continues her slumber.

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.

Then in August 1985 a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rheine-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.

Fifty-nine days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed.

The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie , Scotland in 1988, killing 259.

The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder.

The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America . In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley , Virginia

The following month, February 1993 , a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of theWorld Trade Center in New York City . Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.

Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women.

A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran , Saudi Arabia . It destroys the Khobar Towers , a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500. The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively.

They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania . These attacks were planned with precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 October 2000 , when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.

And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America . How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep.

In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979.

I think we have been in a war for the past 25 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough. America needs to 'Get out of Bed' and act decisively now. America has been changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button again and again and roll over and go back to sleep.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor , Admiral Yamamoto said '... it seems all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant.' This is the message we need to disseminate to terrorists around the world.

This is not a political thing to be hashed over in an election year, this is an AMERICAN thing. This is about our Freedom and the Freedom of our children in years to come.

What's wrong with this picture?

2010-06-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

How do I get the NEA to lobby for me?

Click image to enlarge.

Ground zero mosque

2010-06-15T07:07:00.001-07:00

Greatest threat to America. Well said.

2010-06-07T15:30:00.001-07:00

Global warming

2010-05-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

BBQ stuff

2010-05-28T07:08:00.001-07:00

This is the first time ever that we're running this one day special on our spice's and dry rubs. We're putting together a gift pack of all 5 of our products all for a low price plus shipping and handling.

Please order your today to get this special offer.

Offer 1............Small Gift Box $8.55 plus S+H
Includes: CannonBall Smapler, Warning Hot
B & B Orginal Dry Rub Sampler
B & B Regular Dry Rub Sampler
Our Famous Chicken Dust Sampler
Big And Bold Dry Rub Sampler
You get all 5 of these samplers for a low price of $8.55 plus S&H

Offer 2---------Large Gift Box $22.75 plus S&H
Includes: Cannonball Large Warning Hot
B & B Orginal Dry Rub Large
B & B Regular Dry Rub Large
Our Famous Chicken Dust Large
Big And Bold Dry Rub Larger
You'll get all 5 of these large bottles for a low price of $22.75 plus S&H

To place your order please contact me either by way of email at bigandboldbbq@gmail.com or call me at (727) 698-1218

Payment can be made through PayPal or check, money order.

You'll enjoy thses spices and rubs and be sure to fill out the free gift drawing form when you receive your shipment.

Happy Q'ing

Brian Metzgar
B & B Bar- B- Q Inc.
St, Petersburg, FL
(727) 698-1218
"You'll Love our Bones"

Reading is important

2010-05-25T08:25:00.001-07:00

Just so you don't miss the boat.

2010-05-19T20:13:00.001-07:00

She wonders why there isn't socialism in America.

2010-05-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

Elena Kagan Thesis 1981

Supreme Court diversity

2010-05-17T13:18:00.003-07:00

Golf Redistribution

2010-05-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Obama has recently appointed a Golf Czar and major rule changes in the game of golf will become effective 01 June 2010.

This is only a preview as the complete rule book is being rewritten as we speak.

Here are a few of the changes:

Golfers with handicaps:

- below 10 will have their green fees increased by 35%.

- between 11 and 18 will see no increase in green fees.

- above 18 will get a $25 check each time they play.

The dollar amount placed in bets will be as follows:

-for handicaps below 10, an additional $10.

-between 11 and 18, no additional amount.

-above 18, you will receive the total amount in the pot Even if you do not play.

The term "gimme" will be changed to "entitlement" and will be used a follows:

-handicaps below 10, no entitlements.

-handicaps from 11 to 17, entitlements for putter length putts.

-handicaps above 18, if your ball is on green, no need to putt,just pick it up.

These entitlements are intended to bring about fairness and, most importantly, equality in scoring.
In addition, a Player will be limited to a maximum of one birdie or six pars in any given 18-hole round. Any excess must be given to those fellow players who have not yet scored a birdie or par. Only after all players have received a birdie or par from the player actually making the birdie or par, can that player begin to count his pars and birdies again.

The current USGA handicap system will be used for the above purposes, but the term 'net score' will be available only for scoring those players with handicaps of 18 and above.

This is intended to 'redistribute' the success of winning by making sure that in every competition, the above 18 handicap players will post only 'net score' against every other player's gross score.

These new Rules are intended to CHANGE the game of golf. Golf must be about Fairness. It should have nothing to do with Ability.

New video game sensation

2010-05-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day

2010-05-03T09:36:00.001-07:00

"Surely something must be terribly wrong with a man who seems to be far more concerned with a Jew building a house in Israel than with a Muslim building a nuclear bomb in Iran ."

Columnist
Burt Prelutsky

Private sector - the bad guys right?

2010-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

I can't verify this, but it seems right.

George Carlin - Saving the Planet

2010-04-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

Some Tea

2010-04-22T14:08:00.001-07:00

Me too

2010-04-19T19:52:00.001-07:00

Naples Daily News letter to the editor 4/7/10

2010-04-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/apr/16/letters-editor-april-17-2010/

Aha

Editor, Daily News:

Some Democrats have now admitted the purpose behind “Obamacare” was not so much health care but wealth redistribution.

Surprise, surprise! Wealth redistribution has long been an objective of the left. Now we learn from a recent Associated Press article that “tax day is a dreaded deadline for millions, but for nearly half of U.S. households, it’s simply somebody else’s problem. ... About 47 percent will pay no federal income taxes at all for 2009.”

Years ago, former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm frequently talked about how it’s easier to ride in the wagon than it is to pull it. His point was that there are two kinds of citizens: the unproductive who ride in the wagon and the productive who pull it. Now, nearly half of all Americans are receiving a free ride on the backs of those who work hard and pay the taxes. At some point some of those struggling to pull the wagon will look back at those riding in it and decide to join them. Eventually the wagon stops.

Unfortunately, the Democratic Party is working hard to get as many people dependent on big government as possible. As the party of big government, Democrats prosper politically as they buy the votes of the growing dependent class by redistributing money extracted from the shrinking productive class.

Alexis de Tocqueville summed up this problem 150 years ago: “The American republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”

— Steve Kissell
Naples

George Washington addressing today's Congress

2010-04-17T09:29:00.001-07:00

Letter to the editor

2010-04-11T09:24:00.001-07:00

2010-04-05T15:54:00.001-07:00

Click image to enlarge.

What's wrong with this picture?

2010-04-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Click image to enlarge.

Yay and nay votes together

Thanks to Political Math blog.

A Mount Dora doctor posted a sign telling Obama health care supporters to go elsewhere.

2010-04-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Click image to enlarge.

Drill, baby, drill?

2010-04-01T10:58:00.001-07:00

Happy April Fool's Day

2010-04-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Monday's Gregalogue from the Daily Gut

2010-03-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

So in a recent AP column, Michael Blood says it's up to Andrew Breitbart to prove that Tea Partiers didn't yell the N-word in Washington last Sunday.

He writes:

"Conservative columnist Andrew Breitbart disputed accounts that tea party activists in Washington shouted racial epithets at black members of Congress amid the health care debate, although he didn't provide any evidence."

Although he didn't provide any evidence."

Okay, this would be funny if it wasn't so slimy.

I mean, first of all - The burden of proof is on the person making the accusation. And get this: Breitbart put up 100 grand, to be donated to the United Negro College Fund - if anyone provided evidence. So far, nothing - which is why the AP writer, is left grasping for brain cells.

Look, this debate is basic: it's small government vs. big government. So how cowardly do folks like Blood and Frank Rich have to be that they can't man up and defend their love for collectivism? The only reason they scream race, is because that debate scares them. They know a racial accusation prevents dialogue, because such a harmful charge far outweighs any benefits of winning an argument.

But next time someone says it's about race, Simply say, "Is that all you got?" and then ask them these five questions:

1. How could adding 32 million people to the health rolls SAVE us money?

2. How is hiring 14,000 new IRS Agents to enforce this NOT an expansion of government?

3. How can you be considered a "child" for the sake of health care until you are 26 years old?

4. How is forcing everyone to buy something constitutional?

5. How could there be no tort reform in this?
If they respond "you're just asking that because he's black," then respond with, "you're just saying it because I'm hot."

Then take their wallet.

Say you're "spreading the wealth around."

Sen. Harry Reid Buys a Car

2010-03-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Sen. Reid goes to a local GM dealer in Washington , D.C. with the intention of buying a brand new vehicle. Harry looks around and finds one he likes.

After going back and forth with the salesman, Harry settles on a price of $45,000.

Harry and the salesman go back to the office to complete the paperwork. Harry works out a 4-year payment plan, and signs on the bottom line.

The salesman shakes Harry's hand and says, "Thanks Senator Reid, the car will be ready for pickup in 4 years."

Harry says, "What are you talking about? Where are the keys to my new car?"

The salesman replies, "No, you don't understand Senator. You make payments for 4 years... THEN we give you the car. You know, just like your health care plan".

Who said the health care reform bill was complicated

2010-03-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Economics, Greece and John Galt

2010-03-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

From Herb Daniels, Politics Bourd chief editorial writer.

United States President Jed Bartlett in the television program West Wing was an economist. We can't say the same thing about our current political leaders. Greece, creators of noble Deities from bygone era's, has had a bad run lately with Zeus-lite, chief economic Diety of Drachma. The mythical turns to reality this week as the world turns to Greece.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said there was "zero possibility" of Greece leaving the euro zone. "One thing is for sure," he said. "We will not go to the market again with these barbaric interest rates because this is a recipe for bankruptcy.

"Increasing pressure on the European Union, Greece may seek financial help from the International Monetary Fund over the April 2-4 Easter weekend if no detailed rescue plans are forthcoming from the EU, a senior Greek official said Thursday.

"We still want a solution within the European Union, but it doesn't look good," the official said. "If there is no clear support at the EU summit on March 25, we will have to decide where to go next," he said. "There are a number of scenarios on the table, but the most prominent one is the IMF."

Prime Minister George Papandreou is "in steady contact with" IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the official added. The IMF, which has been giving Greece technical assistance on the debt crisis, has said it stands ready to help.

Mr. Papandreou said Thursday he has talked to the IMF as high interest rates are wiping out the steps Greece is taking to reduce its debt levels. The steps Greece is taking are those that would have been mandated by the IMF, he told the European Parliament. "They would ask nothing more," he said. "We have the worst of the IMF" without the benefits of an IMF loan, he said. Louka Katseli, told local media Wednesday the chance of going to the IMF was 70%.

Greece's debt crisis—the government last year admitted to a budget deficit of 12.7% of gross domestic product, triple the EU limit—has spooked global markets in recent months, battering the euro on worries that Athens might default and that contagion could spread to other indebted euro-zone economies like Spain and Italy.

Despite Greece's series of painful budget-cutting tax increases and spending cuts that have caused mass protests, investors demand a yield of some 3 percentage points higher for Greek 10-year bonds than for German bonds. Greece, which has sold €18 billion ($24.73 billion) worth of bonds out of this year's total borrowing needs of €54 billion, must redeem some €22 billion of bonds in April and May.

"Germany would be open to an intervention" by the IMF if euro-zone countries deemed it "a one-time necessity.""The rift with Germany is widening instead of narrowing," the senior official said. "There is an increasing belief in the government that the IMF will be the only solution."

Now, this writer recognize there is a lot of data and information in this editorial opinion and a short attention span and a real job to return too is not helpful in earning our learning time. But let's read a few hundred more words before we go to our power point slide shows. What does this data and information mean to me?

The US$ is falling and has fallen against the European Union euro. The EU monetary position is that Greece isn't keeping its end of the agreement by failing to meet agreed upon financial conditions. EU countries, especially the Germans, don't want to prop us Greece.

The IMF meanwhile is partially funded by the US Government by over $35 billion dollars annually, according to the information from the IMF website shown at the end of this opinion.

The US Government has over 20% of its debt held by China and another 20% plus of its debt held by Japan. The US Government now has a 1.2 trillion dollar shortfall or deficit of incoming US$ to outgoing US$. In addition, the underlying States in United States of America has a trillion dollar shortfall in meeting their commitments to former government workers in pensions and health care benefits.
Now, knowing the US$ is falling, Americans are deep in long-term debt, Americans owe more in short-term debt than what we make, and the US makes less than what we spend, then what is our action?

We tax our citizens at higher rates, we borrow more from a less-than-human-rights friendly communist government, former foe's, and we still contribute $35 billion dollars a year to the International Monetary Fund. The IMF can then bail out a heavily socialistic government with a dependent citizenry with a government who has knowingly falsified their records and reneged on their commitments to their neighbors in the EU.

Where is the imaginary economist President Jed Bartlett? I believe he's having a great time in discussion with another imaginary economist named John Galt. Perhaps the less than imaginary politicians Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Mr. President, Charlie Crist, David Patterson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeannie Granthem and others could schedule to attend the imaginary Webinar of this meeting.

Until an imaginative American leader comes to the light with an answer to why we do this, I am flummoxed (that's right, flummoxed). Knowing we have a falling US$ to the Euro and we're deep in debt, how can we still justify contributing to the IMF $35 billion dollars a year and more to "throw around" to prop up countries centuries old?

May that Greece has learned something from Zeus-lite that there is a future in "beg thy neighbor" to continue to strengthen my friends. Then my neighbor will be weak and my friends will be strong, When the European Community is not willing to finance its own member and another US$35 billion dollars is gone this year alone from our diminishing "lock-box" then what happens?

Our lenders, Japan and China, will they be stronger? Yes. Where is their incentive to "make nice" with a bankrupt America whose defense spending will likely decline to EU levels? Where then will the US$ go to "beg thy neighbor" for our people when the cookie jar of our largest societal segment of baby boomer American taxpayers goes empty?

It is time we reexamine our commitment to the IMF and allow Japan or China to step forward to fund the rescue of Greece from itself.

Based on the history of punishment for borrower defaults to the IMF it is no big deal to default on IMF debt. It's time to test whether a default to China is a big deal or not. This writer would rather Greece be the recipient of aid from the Chinese government. The Greeks would then experience the wrath, or not, of the Chinese if they default. America will then know our fate and our consequences when or if the US$ ever decides to default or devalue our currency reducing the value of our debt to the Chinese.

This writer imagined that if he attended the imaginary Webinar between John Galt and President Jed Bartlett that the opinions of John Galt would please the mighty Zeus-lite.

-30-
Parts of this opinion and information was excerpted from an article in the Wall Street Journal on 3/17/2010— Patrick McGroartyin Berlin and Carolyn Henson in Brussels contributed to this article.

Below: IMF Home Page, courtesy of Bing.

United States: Financial Position in the International Monetary Fund as of February 28, 2010

Summary of IMF members’ quota, reserve position, SDR holdings, outstanding credit, recent lending arrangements, projected payments due to the IMF, and monthly historical transactions with the Fund.

I. Membership Status: Joined: December 27, 1945; Article VIII
II. General Resources Account: SDR Million %Quota
Quota 37,149.30 100.00
Fund holdings of currency 29,620.06 79.73
Reserve Tranche Position 7,530.50 20.27
Lending to the Fund
Notes Issuance
Holdings Exchange Rate
III. SDR Department: SDR Million %Allocation
Net cumulative allocation 35,315.68 100.00
Holdings 36,882.24 104.44
IV. Outstanding Purchases and Loans: None
V. Latest Financial Arrangements: None
VI. Projected Payments to Fund 1/

(SDR Million; based on existing use of resources and present holdings of SDRs):

Forthcoming
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Principal
Charges/Interest
2.64 2.64 2.64 2.64 2.64
Total
2.64 2.64 2.64 2.64 2.64

1/ When a member has overdue financial obligations outstanding for more than three months, the amount of such arrears will be shown in this section.

The way it is

2010-03-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

From a friend of mine:

The gap between what U.S. States have saved and what they have promised to retired public workers for pension and health care benefits. States have saved $2.35 trillion of the 3.35 trillion owed to workers.

Source: The Pew Center on the States

Editorial Comment: Last time I read the City of Clearwater newspaper it was deeper than it's elbows in shortfall of savings for promises and commitments. Why would anyone expect their property tax burden to be reduced in an older city when this hard cost will comes due at the expense of people who never received the services?

See Oldsmars 93 per cent defeat of its proposed acquisition of the East Lake Corridor (unincorporated Pinellas County). The Oldsmar fight to annex our 3600-3800 residential homes (Lansbrook) was to make up for Oldsmars shortfall in meeting its substantial fixed obligations of which a substantial portion is for former public worker retiree benefits for Oldsmar workers, one of our older communities.

It's also my understanding from my read of a Wall Street Journal article yesterday that America is tapping our Social Security bonds for the first time to pay for recipients, which translates to less money coming in to social security than going out in benefits.

Hi, I'm Charlie Crist, Republican Governor in Florida. I'm from the government, I'm here to help.

How about a $90 million dollar high school in Venice, Florida?

How about a multi-billion dollar transient railroad system run by Union workers?

How about a multi-million dollar baseball stadium? ...or football stadium?

The Florida House Republican proposal to create bathroom monitors in all of Florida's public schools to make sure kids aren't bullied there will create jobs?

Let's create artificial prices for sugar about twice that of the free market price for our campaign contributors, it's a hidden cost that's certainly regressive but who really understands regressive tax structure anyway?

How about me shutting up and getting back to work because somebody has to pay these charges.

I haven't heard any answers to his questions

2010-03-15T06:46:00.001-07:00

PC CNN host gets pwned

2010-03-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

Rep. Paul Ryan crystallizes my feelings on health care reform.

2010-03-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

I could have guessed

2010-03-03T14:43:00.001-08:00

For years, commentators have been saying that the New Orleans Saints were so bad at playing football that hell would freeze over before they would ever win the Super Bowl. Well on Sunday, February 7, 2010 the Saints won the Super Bowl.
On that same Sunday, Washington D.C. was paralyzed under several feet of snow and the Federal Government was shut down.
Well, at least we now know where hell is located.

Progress Energy nuke reactor built in China? WTF?

2010-02-25T19:08:00.000-08:00

I didn't know it before, but apparently Westinghouse is a subsidiary of Toshiba, Japan. I can't tell from this article if the actual fabrication of the reactors will take place in the USA with USA labor, or the new Westinghouse building will just be there to receive the finished product from Japan.

We can build this stuff from stem to stern. Why do we have to purchase anything from Japan? What's the deal here? Japan is the world's largest holder of USA debt now. Do they buy our T-bills and in return we give them access to our markets? Is a deal of this size ($7.65B) approved by congressional committee? If so, who signed off on it? POTUS is in charge of trade issues - does it go through his office too?

Check out a copy of the Pittsburg Business Times article below.

Ted Page

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, January 5, 2009

Progress Energy taps Westinghouse, Shaw for nuclear plant work

Pittsburgh Business Times

Westinghouse Electric Co. has signed a $7.65 billion contract to build two nuclear plants in Florida, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under terms of the contract, Westinghouse and Stone & Webster Inc., a subsidiary of Westinghouse partner The Shaw Group Inc., will provide design, engineering, procurement, and construction services for two nuclear electric-generating units for Progress Energy Florida, according to the SEC filing.

The contract price for the two units is about $7.65 billion, the SEC filing said, but the total price estimate that Progress Energy filed with the Florida Public Service Commission, including costs such as inflation, site preparation, financing and associated transmission facilities, is about $14 billion.

If regulatory approvals stay on schedule, current plans would be for the units to be substantially complete in the 2016 to 2018 time frame, the filing said.

Most of the project costs will be invested by the company and its shareholders and will not be recovered from customers through rates until the plant goes into service, according to a release from Progress Energy Florida However, starting this month, customers will begin paying for a portion of the costs of the project as approved by the PSC, the release said.

Progress Energy Florida also said in the SEC filing that it expects to have substantial joint ownership in the project and will make an announcement on additional owners when those negotiations are completed.

Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse has several multi-billion dollar deals to build nuclear reactors in the southern U.S. and in China. Currently housed in the eastern Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville, Westinghouse is building a new headquarters facility north of Pittsburgh, in Cranberry Township. It is a subsidiary of Japan-based Toshiba Corp.

Progress Energy Florida, headquartered in St. Petersburg, provides electricity and related services to about 1.7 million customers in Florida. It’s a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), headquartered in Raleigh, N.C.

All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.

Dumbass of the year

2010-02-20T11:47:00.000-08:00

And the winner is...............................................

Janet Incompetano!

Tough to pick a winner in the current administration, but it’s hard to argue with this!

Yes, Janet Napolitano, DEMOCRAT from Arizona.

For listing Tea Party protester, Southern Christians and returning members of the military as potential domestic terrorist and right-wing extremists… you are a dumbass.

For renaming the ongoing “War on Terror” as an “Overseas Contingency”… you are a dumbass.

For dropping the word “terrorism” from the government lexicon… you are a dumbass.

For saying that the terrorist attack on 9/11/01 was really a “man-caused disaster”… you are a dumbass.

For claiming that ILLEGAL immigration is not a crime…you are a dumbass.

For declaring that the Canadian border was more dangerous than the Mexican border… you are a dumbass.

For stating that the Muslim Terrorist attacks on 9/11 came from Canada … you are a dumbass.

For allowing the spread of Swine Flu by not testing travelers from Swine Flu ground zero in Mexico … you are a dumbass.

For comparing a fence along the US southern border to the Berlin Wall… you are a dumbass.

For claiming that Homeland Security’s “system worked” when all could see it failed… you are a dumbass.

For walking back your “system worked” comment with “system failed”… you are a dumbass.

Janet for you just being you… you are a dumbass.

So congratulations Janet Incompetano!!

Deserving of awards and accolades to have failed so much in one short year you are the winning loser!

''Life's tough...it's even tougher if you're stupid.''
-- John Wayne"

Great quote - author unknown

2010-02-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to an electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails us. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.

Recognition of George W. Bush by the Obama Administration

2010-02-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

It has just been announced that the Obama Administration will be honoring the 43rd President of the United States by naming the gap between the tectonic plates beneath Haiti after him.

The area will now officially be referred to as "Bush's Fault".

7 lies in under 2 minutes

2010-02-05T12:01:00.001-08:00

State of the Union Address

2010-02-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

It's all Bush's fault!

Jack Cafferty of CNN!

2010-01-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Stewart on Olberman

2010-01-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

Special Comment - Keith Olbermann's Name-Calling

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

Sorry, I had to gloat

2010-01-20T19:26:00.001-08:00

The solution to global warming

2010-01-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

That's one impressive attorney general

2010-01-15T12:33:00.001-08:00

PDS

2010-01-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

Click image to enlarge.

Deer hunting after the Obama gun ban

2010-01-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

An insult to our democracy

2010-01-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

Realization

2009-12-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day. She has her food prepared for her. She can eat whenever she wants, 24/7/365. Her meals are provided at no cost to her. She visits the Dr. once a year for her checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise. For this she pays nothing, and nothing is required of her. She lives in a nice neighborhood in a house that is much larger than she needs, but she is not required to do any upkeep. If she makes a mess, someone else cleans it up. She has her choice of luxurious places to sleep. She receives these accommodations absolutely free. She is living like a queen, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever. All of her costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day. I was just thinking about all this, and suddenly it hit me like a brick in the head...

Holy crap, my dog is a democrat!

More change

2009-12-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

An Obama policy laboratory

2009-12-26T09:58:00.001-08:00

Ray Stevens on Obamacare

2009-12-22T07:10:00.001-08:00

Holiday greeting

2009-12-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

To all my Democrat friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wish.

To all my Republican friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A real expert

2009-12-19T13:47:00.001-08:00

Isn't that the truth

2009-12-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

Click image to enlarge.

Is this the problem?

2009-12-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Johnny Carson nailed lawyers with one of his "how cold was it?" jokes! "It was so cold that lawyers were running around with their hands in their own pockets!!"
This is very interesting! I never thought about it this way. Perhaps this is why so many physicians are conservatives or republicans.
The Democratic Party has become the Lawyers' Party. Barack Obama is a lawyer. Michelle Obama is a lawyer. Hillary Clinton is a lawyer. Bill Clinton is a lawyer. John Edwards is a lawyer. Elizabeth Edwards is a lawyer.
Every Democrat nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate).
Every Democrat vice presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Bentsen, went to law school.
Look at leaders of the Democrat Party in Congress:
Harry Reid is a lawyer. Nancy Pelosi is a lawyer.

The Republican Party is different. President Bush is a businessman. Vice President Cheney is a businessman. The leaders of the Republican Revolution: Newt Gingrich was a history professor. Tom Delay was an exterminator. Dick Armey was an economist. House Minority Leader Boehner was a plastic manufacturer. The former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is a heart surgeon.
Who was the last Republican president who was a lawyer? Gerald Ford, who left office 31 years ago and who barely won the Republican nomination as a sitting president, running against Ronald Reagan in 1976. The Republican Party is made up of real people doing real work, who are often the targets of lawyers.
The Democrat Party is made up of lawyers. Democrats mock and scorn men who create wealth, like Bush and Cheney, or who heal the sick, like Frist, or who immerse themselves in history, like Gingrich.
The Lawyers' Party sees these sorts of people, who provide goods and services that people want, as the enemies of America. And, so we have seen the procession of official enemies, in the eyes of the Lawyers' Party, grow.
Against whom do Hillary and Obama rail? Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, hospitals, manufacturers, fast food restaurant chains, large retail businesses, bankers, and anyone producing anything of value in our nation.
This is the natural consequence of viewing everything through the eyes of lawyers. Lawyers solve problems by successfully representing their clients, in this case the American people. Lawyers seek to have new laws passed, they seek to win lawsuits, they press appellate courts to overturn precedent, and lawyers always parse language to favor their side.
Confined to the narrow practice of law, that is fine. But it is an awful way to govern a great nation. When politicians as lawyers begin to view some Americans as clients and other Americans as opposing parties, then the role of the leg al system in our life becomes all-consuming. Some Americans become "adverse parties" of our very government. We are not all litigants in some vast social class-action suit. We are citizens of a republic that promises us a great deal of freedom from laws, from courts, and from lawyers.
Today, we are drowning in laws; we are contorted by judicial decisions; we are driven to distraction by omnipresent lawyers in all parts of our once private lives. America has a place for laws and lawyers, but that place is modest and reasonable, not vast and unchecked. When the most important decision for our next president is whom he will appoint to the Supreme Court, the role of lawyers and the law in America is too big. When lawyers use criminal prosecution as a continuation of politics by other means, as happened in the lynching of Scooter Libby and Tom Delay, then the power of lawyers in America is too great. When House Democrats sue America in order to hamstring our efforts to learn what our enemies are planning to do to us, then the role of litigation in America has become crushing.
We cannot expect the Lawyers' Party to provide real change, real reform or real hope in America Most Americans know that a republic in which every major government action must be blessed by nine unelected judges is not what Washington intended in 1789. Most Americans grasp that we cannot fight a war when ACLU lawsuits snap at the heels of our defenders. Most Americans intuit that more lawyers and judges will not restore declining moral values or spark the spirit of enterprise in our economy..
Perhaps Americans will understand that change cannot be brought to our nation by those lawyers who already largely dictate American society and business. Perhaps Americans will see that hope does not come from the mouths of lawyers but from personal dreams nourished by hard work. Perhaps Americans will embrace the truth that more lawyers with more power will only make our problems worse.
The United States has 5% of the world's population and 66% of the world's lawyers! Tort (Legal) reform legislation has been introduced in congress several times in the last several years to limit punitive damages in ridiculous lawsuits such as "spilling hot coffee on yourself and suing the establishment that sold it to you" and also to limit punitive damages in huge medical malpractice lawsuits. This legislation has continually been blocked from even being voted on by the Democrat Party. When you see that 97% of the political contributions from the American Trial Lawyers Association goes to the Democrat Party, then you realize who is responsible for our medical and product costs being so high!

Consistency

2009-11-24T14:05:00.000-08:00

Click image to enlarge.

2009-11-20T21:02:00.001-08:00

Click image to enlarge.

Another take on Sarah Palin

2009-11-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

Another take on Sarah Palin that you don't see on NBC, CBS. ABC or MSNBC.

What comes after a trillion?

2009-11-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

What are they thinking?

2009-11-04T05:53:00.000-08:00

To the Congress:

The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you have had 234 years to get it right; it is broke.
Social Security was established in 1935 - you have had 74 years to get it right; it is broke.
Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you have had 71 years to get it right; it is broke.
The "War on Poverty" started in 1964 - you have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor"; it hasn't worked and our entire country is broke.
Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you've had 44 years to get it right; they are broke.
Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you have had 39 years to get it right; it is broke.
Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the "Stimulus", the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009... none show any signs of working, although ACORN appears to have found a new source: the American taxpayer.
And finally, to set a new record:
"Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with high-priced and less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers take the hit for Congress' generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments.
So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that "services" you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system?
20% of our entire economy?
With all due respect,
Are you crazy?

Respect liberal's opinions

2009-10-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Click picture to enlarge.

How government works

2009-10-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of adesert. Congress said, "Someone may steal from it at night." So theycreated a night watchman position and hired a person for the job.
Then Congress said, "How does the watchman do his job withoutinstruction?" So they created a planning department and hired two people,one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.
Then Congress said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing the taskscorrectly?" So they created a Quality Control department and hired twopeople. One to do the studies and one to write the reports.
Then Congress said, "How are these people going to get paid?" So Theycreated the following positions, a time keeper, and a payroll officer, Thenhired two people.
Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable for all of these people?"So they created an administrative section and hired three people, anAdministrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a LegalSecretary.
Then Congress said, "We have had this command in operation for one Year andwe are $18,000 over budget, we must cutback overall cost."
So they laid off the night watchman.
NOW slowly, let it sink in.
Quietly, we go like sheep to slaughter.
Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of theDEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.... during the Carter Administration?
Anybody?
Anything?
No?
Didn't think so!
Bottom line. We've spent several hundred billion dollars in support of anagency...the reason for which not one person who reads this can remember!
Ready??It was very simple...and at the time, everybody thought it veryappropriate.
The Department of Energy was instituted on 8-04-1977.TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.
Hey, pretty efficient, huh???
AND NOW IT'S 2009 -- 32 YEARS LATER -- AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS "NECESSARY"DEPARTMENT IS AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR. THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEESAND APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES; AND LOOK AT THE JOB THEY HAVEDONE! THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY, "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"
Ah, yes -- good ole bureaucracy.
AND, NOW, WE ARE GOING TO TURN THE BANKING SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE, AND THEAUTO INDUSTRY OVER TO THE SAME GOVERNMENT?HELLOOO! Anybody Home?

From greenhellblog.com

2009-10-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

…an open letter to U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Tom Donohue about the recent defections of companies from the Chamber…

October 7, 2009

Mr. Tom Donohue
President
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1615 H St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20062-2000

Dear Mr. Donohue:

We urge you to continue your strong opposition to the cap-and-tax bills passed by the House and now introduced in the Senate.

Much has been made in the pro-cap-and-tax mainstream press and trade media about the relatively few companies who have quit the Chamber over “cap and tax.” We say good riddance to rent-seekers and hypocrites:

» Exelon Corp. is one of the very few utilities that are actually planning to make money off of “cap and tax” – up to $750 million annually per $10 increase in the price of CO2 – for doing nothing other than selling the free credits it gets from Congress, according to CEO John Rowe. Consumers and taxpayers are the ones who will be looted for this booty.
» Apple Corp. said it was leaving the Chamber because of its supposed concerns for the environment. If Apple was really concerned about the environment, it would stop exploiting lax-to-non-existent Chinese environmental laws in the manufacture of its products. If Apple really cared about the environment, it would pressure China to adopt the Clean Air Act for starters. For all its green posturing, Apple should quit China not the Chamber.
» Nike manufactures its shoes and clothes in sweatshops in Indonesia, paying its workers approximately $1.25 a day, while competitor New Balance manufactures its products in the U.S. So Nike wants new federal laws that place New Balance at a competitive disadvantage. Perhaps we are being too harsh. Maybe Nike is truly concerned about “global warming” increasing the temperature in its sweatshops and, thereby, decreasing the productivity of its near-slave-labor.
These are three companies out of the thousands that you represent. The Chamber has a long and proud history of being the nation’s strongest voice for American business. We are all depending on your leadership against “cap and tax,” which will do nothing but harm American businesses, families, workers, consumers and, ultimately, America itself.

Sincerely,

Steve Milloy
Publisher, JunkScience.com

Gorillas

2009-10-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

A new definition of capitalism

2009-10-08T07:07:00.001-07:00

In the U.S., both Republican and Democratic politicians define capitalism as a system with economic activity sufficient to produce campaign contributions.

Joe Friday gets it

2009-10-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately yes.

2009-09-23T19:35:00.001-07:00

Corollary to "His lips are moving" joke.

2009-09-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

Juxtaposed quotes

2009-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Click below to enlarge.

Cash for clunkers summary

2009-09-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

A vehicle at 15 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 800 gallons a year ofgasoline. A vehicle at 25 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 480 gallons a year.

So, the average clunker transaction will reduce US gasoline consumptionby 320 gallons per year. They claim 700,000 clunkers were traded in – so that’s 224 million gallons / year.

That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day’s US consumption.

And, 5 million barrels of oil at $75 per barrel costs about $375 million dollars.

So, $3 billion Tax dollars were spent to save $350 million so people with clunkers could buy a new car?

Don't say you weren't warned

2009-08-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

Lunch reform

2009-08-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge.

Home security

2009-08-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Congressman Rogers from Michigan

2009-08-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Stossel's take on health care change

2009-08-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

Who's in your wallet?

2009-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

A doctor speaks

2009-08-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Single payer

2009-07-27T08:31:00.001-07:00

Why there are no Italian Muslims

2009-07-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

Who thinks that's a good idea?

2009-07-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Helping small business?

2009-07-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

A big driver of employment is small business. The stimulus plan was supposed to stimulate new jobs but did nothing for small business. Now comes cap and trade, yet another weight on the back of small business. It is almost like the party currently in power is against them and for expanding the government. Uh oh.

Part I:

Part II:

They told me and they were right

2009-07-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

Much as it pains me to say this, I have to admit it - my Democrat friends were right. They told me if I voted for McCain, the nation's hope would deteriorate, and sure enough there has been a 20 point drop in the Consumer Confidence Index since the election, reaching a lower point than any time during the Bush administration.

They told me if I voted for McCain, the US would become more deeply embroiled in the Middle East, and now, tens of thousands of additional troops are scheduled to be deployed into Afghanistan.

My Democrat Party friends told me if I voted for McCain, that the economy would get worse and sure enough unemployment is approaching 10 % and the new stimulus packages implemented recently have sent the stock market lower than at any time since the Islamic Terrorists attacks of 9-11.

They told me if I voted for McCain, we would see more "crooks" in high ranking positions in Federal government and sure enough, several recent cabinet nominees and Senate appointments revealed resumes of scandal, bribery and tax fraud.

They told me if I voted for McCain, we would see more "Pork at the trough" in Federal government and sure enough, 17,500 "Pork Bills" showed up in Congress since January 2009..... I was also told by my Democrat friends that if I voted for McCain, we would see more deficit spending in Washington D..C. , and sure enough, Obama has spent more in just 180 days than all other Presidents together - in the entire history of the good ole USA .... Well I voted for McCain in November and my Democrat friends were right... all of their predictions have come true!

A Parable

2009-07-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner. The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen."Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp."And his brother Eric is very thirsty," said the President. I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind.

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite."Eric's children are also quite hungry."With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room." And their grandmother can't stand for long." I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game.

I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President."Their grandfather doesn't like the cold." I wanted to shout - that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in.

The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him."Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a sub-prime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do." My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor.

The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops." By the way," He added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars." I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his Creme Brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands."You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.

National debt road trip

2009-07-03T07:02:00.001-07:00

Don't know if this is true, but...

2009-06-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

The whole world is afraid of China-made"black hearted goods".

Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China ?

If the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690,691 or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA.
471 isMade in Taiwan.

This is our right to know, but the government and related departments nevereducate the public,
therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.

Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know thatconsumers do not prefer products "MADE IN CHINA",
so they don't show from which country it is made.

However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits are:

690-692 … then it is MADE IN CHINA .
00 - 09 … USA & CANADA
30 - 37 … FRANCE
40 - 44 … GERMANY
47 ... Taiwan
49 … JAPAN
50 … UK

BUY USA by watching for "0" at the beginning of the number. Weneed every boost we can get!

Socialism 101

2009-06-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.
After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.
The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.
Could not be any simpler than that.

This could be our Congress

2009-06-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Click on image to enlarge.

How bad is it?

2009-06-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

THE ECONOMY IS SO BAD . . .

CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

Jewish women are marrying for love.

HotWheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.

McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.

A truckload of Americans got caught sneaking into Mexico .

The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.

Motel Six won't leave the light on.

The Mafia is laying off judges.

And finally, Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Hey, great idea . . . the guy who made $50 billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $750 billion disappear.