Passing Time

Not really a post but...

2009-10-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am going to start trying to post more on Bub Politique as he away on a special assignment... So you'll have to check there if you want to hear all my ingenious commentary on whatever I feel inclined to talk about that day. The excitement is unbearable. I know.

Be still my heart...

2009-09-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama is on my side. Yes, folks. For once I can agree with the man.

As you all know, Kanye West is about as big a racist as one can imagine. Nothing he does surprises me anymore though the latest BS he pulled at the VMAs with Taylor Swift was somehow more disgustingly maddening than usual. If you don't know what he did then I suggest you crawl out from beneath the rock you've been hiding under and take a look at some entertainment news sites. Any news site actually.

Earlier today the President was asked what he thought of what happened. He replied:

"I thought that was really inappropriate," Obama says. "What are you butting in (for)? ... The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She's getting her award. What's he doing up there?"
A questioner chimes in, "Why would he do it?"
"He's a jackass," Obama replie[d]

Yes. He is. Bravo Mr. Obama. Bravo.

On another note. Mr. Carter. GTFO of the news. Good grief, you senile prick.

It also occurred to me that it would be nice if we could get Kanye on an episode of celebrity Man vs Wild and Bear Grylls could take him out into the middle of the desert and just leave him there. I would accept that apology if I were Taylor Swift.

Three cheers for latter day...er...revelation?

2009-09-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Not to make fun of other religions but this just struck me as being beyond absurd. Maybe it's my LDS background rooted in the KJV bible. Maybe it's the knowledge of how much the meaning of a sentence or phrase can change with just, ONE, misplaced (or added), comma. Maybe it's just that I believe people are actually capable of understanding all that TOUGH biblical language if they just applied themselves a little (heaven forbid they LEARN about the time period they are studying. The bible is, after all, many pieces of literature from different points in history). Maybe it's just that if people would open their hearts they might learn that there is actually one person (along with 14 others) on the earth today ordained to guide all us lost souls back to our heavenly father.

"Wha wha whaaaat? You sayin ders a prophet on da earf nowadays too?!?! Jus like in da olden days?!?! Well dat makes sense!"- Lakas Gornichec, NIV. (you see what I did there? I adapted it so EVERYONE would understand. Maybe there's something to this NIV thing...At least ACORN members would understand it at least. ZING!)

Jus kiddin yo. Kiddin about the "there might be something to this NIV thing" of course. Now that's just DUMB!

The Ron Burgundy vid doesn't have much to do with the topic except for his attitude towards ESPN. I feel the same way about the NIV. Is that too harsh to say?

DO OVER!

2009-08-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

"Well how did we know it was a really BAD recession?!?! Bush did it! Oh how he ruined us!!"- Obama administration official.

-link-

Funny how they say the "economic downturn was worse than expected" but then go on to say that "less money than once anticipated has been needed to stabilize the system."

RIIIIIIIGHT. So the recession was worse than they thought but not as bad as they'd planned on. Yup. That sounds just like the Obama administration. Complete BS from head to toe.

If men weren't douche bags...

2009-07-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

From The New Yorker:

A BEER WITH OBAMA

Sergeant Crowley suggested that he and Professor Gates come to the White House to share a beer with the president. Mr. Obama then conveyed that idea in his phone call with Professor Gates.

—The Times

The Oval Office. Late. President Obama sits across from Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Officer James Crowley, who share a couch. They sit amidst several empty beer bottles. No one’s wearing shoes.

CROWLEY: Can I say something? And I mean this. Ya know what’s awesome is pizza.

GATES: Pizza is awesome. Why is it so awesome?

OBAMA: We could go get pizza right now. I have a plane.

GATES: That’s awesome.

OBAMA: I could pick up the phone right now, get the plane, we could go to Italy for pizza.

CROWLEY: You’re amazing. And really good-looking.

GATES: You are good looking. You’re a very good-looking man.

OBAMA: I like giving speeches. I like press conferences.

CROWLEY: You give a lot of press conferences. Maybe, like, too many?

GATES: I think he’s right. Maybe don’t give so many.

OBAMA: But you should see the speeches I have lined up. They’re all so…emotional. I’ve got a new one on infrastructure that quotes Rosa Parks for no reason. But it makes you cry.

GATES: My ex-wife is white.

OBAMA: My mother was white.

CROWLEY: There are times I wish I was Jewish.

GATES: I know exactly what you mean.

CROWLEY: It just dawned on me. I’m the minority in this room.

All laugh.

GATES: (laughing, leaning over to hug Crowley) You’re insane…

Crowley laughs and loses his balance, falling with Gates off the couch onto the floor. They’re still laughing as Secret Service officers enter the room through three different doors. The President waves them off. With some trouble the three men get to their feet and back onto the couch.

OBAMA: We should get more beer.

CROWLEY: We should definitely get beer.

GATES: I really like beer. Are we going to Italy?

OBAMA: So hey. Hey. Seriously. What happened?

CROWLEY: What? You mean with the thing?

OBAMA: Yeah.

CROWLEY: Oh. I thought he was a burglar because he was black.

GATES: And I was a jackass because I assumed he was a racist Irish cop.

CROWLEY: He was so angry. He said mean things about my mother. I thought he was a racist.

GATES: And I thought he was a racist. So I said mean things about his mother. Then he arrested me because I annoyed him.

CROWLEY: I arrested him because he annoyed me, which was stupid. But it didn’t help that you called me stupid.

OBAMA: That was stupid of me.

CROWLEY: Turns out we both love ballroom dancing and bridge.

GATES: We should play bridge now. We need a fourth.

CROWLEY: No. What we should do is watch “Tommy Boy.”

GATES: Did you just say “boy?”

All laugh.

GATES: If Chris Farley had been black do you think he still would have been overweight?

CROWLEY: No. I think he would have been thin but not funny.

OBAMA: I think he would have been funny, thin and Swiss.

GATES: The Swiss aren’t funny.

CROWLEY: That’s so true. Why is that?

GATES: Have you ever been stopped by the police just because of your color?

CROWLEY: I was on Cape Cod one summer and really really tanned, and I was stopped by the police. They thought I was Brazilian but we ended up just laughing about it and I remember thanking my lucky stars I wasn’t Brazilian or black.

OBAMA: That’s tragic.

GATES: This is what I’m talking about.

CROWLEY: I guess I’m lucky I’m white. Except, you’re both rich and famous.

GATES: You think we’d be famous rich guys in Switzerland? The Swiss are afraid of black people.

CROWLEY: Some people are afraid of cops.

GATES: Are people afraid of black cops?

OBAMA: No.

CROWLEY: No. They love them. There are times when I wish I was black.

OBAMA: Ya know what was a good show was “The West Wing.”

CROWLEY: That show was so good.

GATES: I own it. On DVD. I own it. We could go to my house and watch it.

CROWLEY: We could break into your house and watch it!

Crowley and Gates laugh and fall onto the floor again. The door opens and a waiter brings in a tray of beer. Obama slumps into his chair, legs out. Gates and Crowley lay next to each other on the floor, staring at the ceiling. All are quiet for a time.

CROWLEY: (crying) Ya know what I think is just wrong?

GATES: What?

CROWLEY: That this is called the White House.

GATES: (to Obama): This is a good man. This is a lovely man.

CROWLEY: I mean…why? Why do we have to judge and hate based on race? Why can’t we love?

GATES: We should get tattoos.

They struggle to sit up, lean against the couch.

CROWLEY: I’m sorry I arrested you because you were obnoxious. There’s no law that says that a Harvard professor can’t be obnoxious in his own home.

GATES: And I’m sorry I called your mother a Bangkok whore. I have no idea where your mother is from. I was exhausted from the flight from China and was annoyed that you were a white man.

OBAMA: What have we learned?

GATES: That we like beer.

OBAMA: What else?

GATES: If you’re going to break into your own house go in through the back door?

CROWLEY: If you’re going to arrest someone on false charges plant something on them to make the charges stick?

OBAMA: Good. We’ve made progress here today.

GATES: Well, I think we all know—all of us here—that people are the same wherever you go.

CROWLEY: There is good and bad in everyone.

GATES: We learn to live …

GATES: …we learn to give each other …

CROWLEY: …what we need to survive together alive.

OBAMA: Favreau needs to hear this. This is good stuff.

Gates and Crowley stand and move to the center of the room.

GATES: (to Obama) Watch this.

They begin ballroom dancing.

More beer arrives.

POSTED BY JOHN KENNEY

It just doesn't end.

2009-07-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Gates is "moving on" from his horrific run in with the law. He only hopes that:

"If my experience leads to the lessening of the occurrence of racial profiling, then I would find that enormously gratifying," Gates said on The Root. "Because, in the end, this is not about me at all; it is about the creation of a society in which 'equal justice before law' is a lived reality."

Yes Mr. Gates. I truly hope that when my next door neighbor sees a man apparently forcing his way into a house he will decide not to call the police to investigate merely because he wants to avoid racial profiling because the man happens to be black. That makes so much sense. I truly hope I never live near someone like you. Idiot.

At least this made me smile.

More on the "Racist Cop"

2009-07-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

Racist indeed. I don't mean to beat this to death but the initial response from the MSM was such that it was already a foregone conclusion that Crowley was an admitted racist and the professor had been treated like a black man in the 50s. Of course I understand that its not THEIR JOB to get the entire story (journalists) but to just sensationalize bits and pieces.

UPDATE

2009-07-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

After reading the actual police report of the incident I've decided to 'adapt' my previous thoughts inasmuch as I want to clarify that the Police officers who arrested the uber douche bag did NOTHING wrong. That moron of a professor should be fired.

I know I don't post much anymore but

2009-07-22T21:16:00.001-07:00

Obama says that the cops who arrested the black Harvard professor acted stupidly but fails to mention that maybe yelling and screaming at the cops as they try to figure out a situation isn't the best course of action either. It doesn't take a Harvard professor to figure that out now does it? Oh wait. If you're a pompous idiot of a professor who believes he's somehow entitled to having the police wipe his ass for him as he treats them like shit then you're in the clear. Is race still a factor in this country? OF COURSE IT IS! Just ask all the evil caucasian kids who got passed over for all the statistically "enlightened" minorities for scholarships and slots in higher education. I would say "competitive programs" but really we all know the competition often starts and ends with the color of your skin.

So yes, the cops acted stupidly. But guess what??? They deal with douche bags and people who are out to KILL them EVERY DAY. They don't know when the situation will suddenly become the one their wives, husbands, mothers, fathers and children worry about.

The day they don't come home.

We are so fortunate to have a president who understands that situation so well as he has had such a "tough" life and has such intimate knowledge of making the right call in tense situations. What those situations are I haven't the faintest. But for some reason people believe the man should be allowed to talk. Why do they think that? Oh, I know...Entitlement.

The real difference is not that a "white" man would never be treated in such a way. Its that they wouldn't act so entitled as to spout off to the officers (save for general stupidity). If you feel they are doing you wrong then make a note of their badge numbers and approach it in the right way. I'm pretty sure, as a high and mighty Harvard professor, you could get them fired or at the very least reprimanded. The last time I checked, the US wasn't lacking in attorneys willing to jump headfirst into a lawsuit. I mean am I wrong in thinking that? Do I think it only because I'm an entitled middle class white male?

Sorry for the pent up rage. That's what you get when you don't blog enough! I'm out before I get started on Bush's "fearmongering" of his medical reform...Oh wait. That's Obama...but democrats don't do that do they?

This will lighten the mood a little. Peace out...

Just what the conservative party needs. Another hack governor.

2009-07-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have forgotten, 1/2 of the McCain-Palin presidential ticket from '08 that was demolished by the vastly superior Obamination election machine has decided to call it quits as Governor of Alaska in order to lay the ground work for a "higher calling." I for one hope that she is planning on serving a couples' mission somewhere deep in the Australian outback away from any and all cameras, microphones, and twitterers because I cannot fathom for one second the idea that after being widely ridiculed for her various gaffs both along the campaign trail and beyond as well as her lack of experience in the international arena she would intentionally leave the job that would most likely give her the necessary experience in order to step onto the national stage better armed. "Yeah, I really need to lay the groundwork in order to do something on a national level... I think I'll quit the job I have as Governor of a state and instead think about campaign ideas and getting enough powerful republicans to back me for a presidential bid in '12." That to me sounds like flawless reasoning. Unless of course you think about how bad she sucked in '08 and '09 and how embarrassing she was for the party in general.

As you can probably tell, I don't like her. It's not that I don't support most of her general philosophies, it's just that I don't believe she's much of a leader. You can only smile and look pretty for the camera for so long. At some point you actually have to show that you have the right stuff. (Note: Obama is exempt from this and doesn't have to prove to anyone that he has any stuff unless officially approved by his speech writer and 2012 election team). I look back at other presidents and while a lot of them were uber douche bags you wouldn't want to have a conversation with on a bus (Clinton...ahem), others just knew how to lead and do it with, oh I don't know what you'd call it, leadership skills!? (Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy, Reagan...etc.) Where are the great Americans? If Sarah Palin is really the best bet for the Republican and Conservative party in 2012 then I want to have no part in it. Yes the party is in shambles. Yes they have no idea what exactly were the conservative values which brought the party back to life in the Reagan years. And yes, we're going to see another 4 years of the current moron in the White House after the next election. The republican party is really that lost. "Hey I know we got waxed last election but I was thinkin that with a new coat of paint and some bodywork we could make that Palin broad look pretty nice for 2012. Break out the Bondo and get to work on all those dents!" WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

Note:This entire post is contingent on the idea that Sarah Palin is actually planning on running for office in 2012. She may for all intesive purposes be planning on becoming a nun and promoting abstinence to her children while teaching classes on how to properly field strip an AR-15. Just as long as she doesn't become a geography teacher.

Steven Crowder in the house

2009-06-06T06:15:00.001-07:00

nothing to do with politics

2009-05-30T04:54:00.001-07:00

Since I haven't really been doing much with following politics and basically have no idea whats going in the world (my blood pressure probably reflects that), I've decided to share something that is dear to the heart. Brazilian pizza.

Pizza com Carne do Sol. A type of marinated and shredded beef. Uma beleza...

Revelation comes at Walgreens...

2009-05-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

So I walk into Walgreens this morning to purchase a nice cold Blue Monster (yes honey I'm trying to quit but today IS a special day after all) and I'm hit with a MOST genius idea.

President Bush should come out with his own beer.

Not that I drink beer. It would just have a stronger impact than if he came up with a soda. Most of the good flavors of soda are taken anyway.

But what better way to promote the lasting effects of the Bush Administration as well as take the spotlight away from that fool now occupying the White House (whats his name?) and make a little money at the same time?

More than anything it would just create some memorable commercials. He could promote it like he was running for office by ending it with "I'm President Bush, and I approve of this beer."

Other lines could include:

"A beer from those who believe in democracy, freedom and the American Way, not socialism."

"Need a break from being taxed? Have a seat and reminisce about the good ol' days with Bush Beer."

"A beer brewed for those of you who cling to your guns and religion."

"Bush Beer. Brewed by the man who kept America safe for 7 years. Suck it Obama."

Kind of a random idea but if the readers (yes, all 3 of you) have any other suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section.

This is why I need to stay away from the news...

2009-04-28T10:24:00.001-07:00

The democrats have pretty much been given the keys to the country and there is no longer anyone left to at least try to tell them to obey traffic laws. Apparently the already lost-in-the-wilderness Republicans have really begun to fold. I mean admittedly it's extremely hard to stand up to the lefties when you have no spine but even more difficult when you have your teammates stabbing you in the back.

Arlen Specter, the moderate Republican of Pennsylvania has made a statement that he is going to switch sides and become a democrat. This means that once the comedian Al Franken finally gets through with haggling in the courts for his senate seat, the democrats will be in complete, filibuster-proof power of the senate. And, not to sound over dramatic, I think the end is most assuredly nigh.

In a short email to Senator Specter I wrote:

"Just wanted to say "Wow." His holiness Obama must be pretty good at strokin you underneath the table. But I guess at 79 years old you'll take what you can get. Unbelievable."

Unfortunately while I don't think my snide comments at Senator Specter's bedroom relationship with President Obama and Vice President Biden will make a difference, it will at least make me feel better. Never in my life have I wanted to move out of the country more than I do now. I always felt that those who said that during the Bush years were kind of stoopid but right now I feel the urge to leave as strong as the urge you feel in your bowels when you have explosive diarrhea. It's comin no matter what and you can either sweat it out in doubled-over pain or you can just bite down on a piece of wood and let it flow. Both are unpleasant and usually leave you unsatisfied. Unfortunately there isn't much chance of getting out of the country any time soon. We are in for some serious sh** in the next 4 years and I will tell you right now (all 3 of you readers). This is truly the beginning of the end.

I couldn't resist.

2009-04-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

H/T: The Jawa Report

Bizzy.

2009-04-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time/inclination to blog this past week so that explains the lack of posts lately. I did however come across a post on Engadget.com that I would like to link to here. It just struck me as funny I guess.

FYI

2009-04-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

I suggest you read Bub Politique's post about Marcus Luttrell. It will both enrage you because of the trash that walks the streets of our neighborhoods as well as fill you with pride for the people who understand what's right and what's wrong and actually do something about it.

Introducing, The Obama PC

2009-04-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

I got this from Engadget. All by itself its enough to make you laugh and think "how stupid!" but I thought I'd include some of the better comments from the Engadget forum below.

inteller @ Apr 6th 2009 1:08PM

yeah wow, so obviously it will have to run Windows Me so that everytime it crashes you can push the bailout button on the front.

Look_Around_You @ Apr 6th 2009 1:19PM

How many trillions does it cost?

And does it come with Adobe Teleprompter 09 preinstalled?

Stephen @ Apr 6th 2009 1:22PM

In about a year or two you'll realize your just paid a very high price for a crappy computer.

Jesse James @ Apr 6th 2009 1:49PM

If you want me to take a dump in a box and call it Obama I will, I got spare time.

initialxy @ Apr 6th 2009 1:21PM

It should be half black half white.

And my personal favorite

Alex @ Apr 6th 2009 1:17PM

OBAMA PC Features:
- Borrows CPU cycles from other computers, without regard for future CPU cycle debt, to add to its own wasteful processing
- Intervenes whenever the user is about to make a mistake, thus temporarily preventing failure, but also coddling the user into a state of stupidity, and adding further to future CPU debt
- Actively seeks to ban antivirus software
- Free optimization for every registry entry! Thus creating sub-par service and long queues.

Find the metaphors. Muahahha

Back to the BCS.

2009-04-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Onion makes a good point when comparing the BCS and NCAA Tournament systems. All in good fun but the point is still true.

The eloquence astounds me.

2009-04-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

It wasn't exactly a hard question. Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

H/T to Townhall.com

North Korea readies a Two Stage Rocket...

2009-04-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Defense Secretary Robert Gates responded to the question of how America would respond to North Korea launching a missile towards Hawaii saying:

"I think if we had an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it (shooting it down)," Gates said. "But I don't think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point."

We "might" consider shooting it down. Wow. Good luck Hawaii.

Our Clueless Leaders strike again.

2009-04-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know most of you (all 3 readers) have already heard this but I couldn't help but point and laugh a little bit. Obama met with the Queen of England today for a photo op and to exchange a few gifts. Now let us remember that when Gordon Brown the British Prime Minister came to town he presented Obama with three gifts: a first edition of Sir Martin Gilbert's authorized biography of Winston Churchill (it should also be remembered that Obama sent back a bronze bust of Churchill that had been on loan from the Brits since 9/11. Real smooth Barack...), a framed commissioning paper of the HMS Resolute, and finally "a pen holder fashioned from the timber of HMS Gannet, a sister ship of the Resolute that also served for a time on anti-slavery missions off Africa." Obama's gift in return? A set of 25 "American Classics" on DVD. But then none of them could be watched since they were encoded for North America and not International as used by the DVD players in Britain. Where did they find the group of monkeys currently working in the White House?? This is basic high school knowledge kind of stuff. ANYWAY!

This time around you'd think that the White House would be a little more prepared....You would think...Right? Right!?!

Gift from the Queen?: A silver-framed photo of the Queen and her husband (this is standard for visiting dignitaries to the Palace.)

Gift from the Obamas?: An ipod with footage of the Queen's visit to the US back in 2007.

Who picks this stuff? I mean doesn't anyone think about this? Or do they just hand it to the closest intern in the room? "Hey you. Pick up something nice for the Queen." Or maybe Obama is getting this stuff with points off his credit card. I remember my brother once got me a shovel (the folding camp shovels) with points on his card. I wonder what lucky world leader is getting that gift. Fingers crossed for Ahmedinejad. "This is to shovel all your bull****." :)

Our Supreme Leader...as seen by his beloved followers.

2009-03-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

Found this on the telegraph.co.uk website. A special thanks to our friends across the pond.

This is my favorite.
A Mexican flag on the White House with Obama wearing a taco and holding a pair of underwear. WTF?

I effectively tore out all my hair this morning. My wife will be angry with me.

2009-03-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

This is from Michelle Malkin's site and I caution you to find something to squeeze, hit, or pound on while you read it so you might save your hair. Please read it and then return for my own reaction.

My reaction is really one of sheer disbelief. My knee-jerk reaction is that we should take people like this out and shoot em. Clean. Simple. My verbal reaction concerning those who push for such legislation is this (earmuffs children):

Hmmm. What was it I said about China doing as they please?

2009-03-26T21:46:00.001-07:00

Oh thats right! That everything we do will be empty rhetoric. Has it begun already?

China has voiced its concern over the Pentagon's annual report on Chinese military capabilities as if they have a friggin say in the matter. Now, the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense says his "government's anger over the report could have real implications for plans to improve military contacts." Wouldn't that be horrible? Judging from the sweet ships used in the little US-Chinese run-in a few weeks ago they probably don't have much they can teach us. So unless they start teaching us the secret art of Wushu or how to mass produce the Green Destiny (see previous link), we shouldn't start losing sleep at night.

Anyway, China talks a lot and we listen very little. But we have begun to listen. We now have to because we have no choice. The spokesman for the Ministry of Defense pontificated his point by saying, "now that we have the Americans in our pocket we can do and say whatever we want and they can't do anything about it! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Ok, I made that quote up. But mark my words. It's only going to get worse and if you're not scared yet, you will be. You...will...be. (read the last part with the ominous voice of Yoda)

A change of pace

2009-03-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get away from all things political for a bit and focus on what's truly important: Finding the perfect road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUF-N8BsBmU

If your erection lasts longer than 3 hours, please consult a physician.

More Daniel Hannan

2009-03-25T21:43:00.001-07:00

This guy is quickly becoming my political hero

Where are the guys like this in America?

2009-03-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Daniel Hannan. Maybe we could ask him to come over and deliver this same speech to Mr. Obama. Twould be nice.

Our government working for us

2009-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I heard this yesterday on the Bob Lonsberry show as I walked home. Bob was talking about how the US is now pouring money back into international groups to fund abortions as well as provide contraceptives, namely condoms, to third world countries on the American taxpayers' dime. While I have a hard time agreeing with the funding of abortion on any level, I am really OK with sending rubbers out to the folks who just don't have the option to go down to the local convenience store to get a jimmy before havin hisself a good ol' time. If by so doing we reduce the number of pregnancies (abortions) or STDs in a given country then thats ok with me. People are going to get it on whether you think its wrong or perfectly acceptable. Thats just life. Whats not "just life" or perfectly acceptable but IS wrong is when the US decides that instead of purchasing "American Made" condoms, it is going to save $.03 a condom and buy them from China even if it means buying a lower quality love glove. Many of you may think that this isn't such a bad deal. Certainly we'd be able to buy more and more is better right?

Well the problem is this: because of the switch to a Chinese manufacturer, 300 Americans will lose their jobs. 300. At a time when the government is supposedly seeking to create and save jobs, this doesn't make a lick of sense to me. But then again, hardly anything this government does lately makes any sense.

Obama's deficit...

2009-03-25T10:31:00.001-07:00

~~Bush's~~ Obama's continuing deficit. I understand that a lot of this is coming from spending plans created by the Bush administration (TARP) but I also think that instead of trying to pull the country back from the cliff of a complete and utter spending free-for-all, Obama has decided to push us over the brink and down into the black pit where Balrogs run rampant. Save us Gandalf!

Obama bowls like a retard...his words, not mine.

2009-03-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

"It's like — it was like Special Olympics, or something."

-President Obama referring to his bowling score of 129 at the White House bowling alley.

What? Whats this? Obama, our merciful prophet and bringer of all good things under the sun, has made a disparaging remark regarding the mentally handicapped in our community? Where is the eloquent master speaker? Where is the "Great Orator"? Where are his teleprompters? Er...wha?

"Could someone please get the President a teleprompter? The blustering fool is starting to speak whats really on his mind. He might actually mention how he's planning join the USA with the EU."

Now I just want to mention that I have bowled many times like I was in the Special Olympics. I royally suck at it. I may have even called myself a retard for doing so but guess what? I'm not this uber-venerated President of the United States who is supposedly the champion of all causes including those of the handicapped people. I honestly wouldn't care that much about this if I didn't know that if it had been President Bush, the media and entire world would be ready to start the capital on fire for the comment. Instead, in the case of Obama, they merely shrug their shoulders and say "he just misspoke. We love you Obama!"Insane. Just Insane.

What's really funny though is the immediate White House response to their Fuhrer being insensitive to the handicapped. White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said "He thinks that the Special Olympics are a wonderful program that gives an opportunity to shine to people with disabilities from around the world." Do you really believe he thinks that? Obama called the Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver to let him know that he really loves the handicapped and would love to have them over to bowl. I mean isn't it kind of sickening? "Here let me make it up to you by using a White House visit and imaginary persona of being a 'regular guy' to trump the fact that really I'm a douche with an enormous private agenda." Phew! Disaster avoided!

When are the Press and Media going to stop letting this guy have a pass at everything he says or does? Bush was blasted for every tiny, little, insignificant thing no matter if it was talking about international relations or the weather. "Bush said there was going to be rain today and there wasn't! Liar! Impeach him! He's so stupid!" etc. etc. etc.

Just sick of his bullshit. Sorry for my french.

UPDATE: I was just thinking about this and I thought that if someone actually did call Obama on it (someone with real media authority), Obama could just press his "Peregruzka" button.

The Truth.

2009-03-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Word homie.

Democrats with brains

2009-03-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

In light of comments made by Attorney General Eric "Nation of Cowards" Holder, more than 60 democrats, yes Democrats, wrote a letter to the AG asking that he and the president focus on any one of the more pressing issues other than gun control. Especially gun control that had little or no effect while being enforced. I mean I like to spend time, money and resources on meaningless issues as much as the next person but the thought just occurred to me that maybe they could try to fix actual problems instead of the sensationalized, made up ones. Just sayin.

Letter to Eric Holder

The 9-12 Project

2009-03-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Check out the link on the right to the 9-12 Project. We can take back America.

The reason why debt is a bad thing.

2009-03-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of us have had that feeling of "I'm never going to pay my credit cards down" at one point or another. Like the church leadership says, "debt is always in the back of your mind." Maybe this only applies to private citizens and not governments but I have to tell you, I kinda wonder about how its going to be paid off. Actually I think about it a lot.

So how much worse is it that our creditor is China? They aren't exactly our friends you know. Putting ourselves into such an obviously weak position with an emerging superpower just seems to me to be, well, dumb.

"We have lent a huge amount of money to the U.S., so of course we are concerned about the safety of our assets. Frankly speaking, I do have some worries," Mr. Wen said in response to a question. He did not offer specific suggestions on economic policy to the U.S. government, but called on it to "maintain its credibility, honor its commitments and guarantee the security of Chinese assets."

Oh yes sir! We promise to pay! Don't get mad at us! Please keep the money coming! We'll be good! We promise not to ever challenge China on anything again.

Puhlease! Obama's goals of ending the Chinese occupation of Tibet, creating world peace, and bringing about the type of life seen on those creepy Jehovah's Witnesses pamphlets have almost zero chance of success (did they ever have a chance? not really...) since he's put us into this creditor/debtor situation with China. Everything we do to stand up to China as well as their silent allies, namely Russia and Iran, is going to be watered-down empty rhetoric.

Not that that's going to be anything different from what we hear every day from this administration....OH! BURN!

I'm ripping this off of Brianne

2009-03-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

But it's too good to pass up

Whoopi, say it aint so!

2009-03-12T16:52:00.001-07:00

Let me just get this out in the open, plain and simple. I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE The View! But I forced myself to watch this clip. hmmmmmm...

Serves ya right homie...

2009-03-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

I know I shouldn't be laughing but I can't help it sometimes. Our good friend the shoe-thrower got sentenced to 3 years in prison for assaulting a foreign leader. Makes sense. Tough cookies. But reading through the article I couldn't help but wonder what might have happened to all the different actors in this little play if Bush were replaced by Saddam Hussein. I think the article would read something more like this:

BAGHDAD – The Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at Saddam Hussein was convicted Thursday of assaulting a foreign leader and sentenced to death by firing squad, provoking silent outrage among some Iraqis who consider him a hero.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi's bold act in December electrified many across the Middle East who hailed his defiant act against a president who was widely reviled for his policies in the region, including the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the killing of Marsh Arabs, and the persecution of Kurds during the Anfal campaign.

The 30-year-old journalist pleaded not guilty to the assault charge, telling the three-judge panel that "what I did was a natural response to the atrocities committed by the dictator."

Reporters and family members were then ordered out of the courtroom for the verdict, which was relayed to them by defense attorneys and a court official. Defense lawyers said al-Zeidi shouted "long live Iraq" when the sentence was imposed though al-Zeidi was quickly beaten into submission by the courtroom guards.

Some of al-Zeidi's relatives collapsed after the ruling was issued and had to be helped out of the courthouse. Others were forcibly removed by guards after thinking"down with Hussein" and "long live Iraq."

"This judiciary is not just," al-Zeidi's brother, Dargham, said tearfully after the verdict was announced. He was later found in a garbage dump with a bullet hole in his forehead.

Court spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar said al-Zeidi received the minimum sentence for the assault charge but could appeal the conviction. He could have received up to 15 years of hard time including torture by electrocution, whipping, and the most heinous, having a guard sit on his chest and use his pointer finger to incessantly tap on his chest for minutes at a time for hurling his shoes at Hussein during a Dec. 14 news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Defense lawyers said the judge showed leniency because of al-Zeidi's age and clean record. But they had hoped for an even lighter sentence, arguing the journalist's actions constituted an insult rather than an assault.

"The sentence was unexpectedly harsh," said Yehya al-Eitabi, one of some two dozen defense lawyers who attended Thursday's hearing. He said they would appeal the verdict but this most likely wont happen as they were found alongside al-Zeidi's brother in the garbage dump, each with a hole in their heads.

Many Iraqis interviewed in Baghdad agreed.

"Al-Zeidi should have been honored and not sent to prison," said Salam Omar, who owns a mobile phone shop in eastern Baghdad. Omar's body was later found along with the bodies of his immediate family among the rubble of his burnt-out home with a bullet hole in his forehead. Authorities are investigating the fire though it is believed to have been started by a faulty hookah.

Nassir al-Saadi, a Shiite lawmaker loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the verdict was too harsh.

"Al-Zeidi was expressing his point of view about Hussein in a democratic way. The court should have adopted a more humane approach and released him," he said. Al-Saadi was later found dead outside his apartment building. Authorities say it was an obvious suicide for his comments against the regime.

But Serwan Gharaib, a 37-year-old journalist in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, said al-Zeidi had violated journalistic ethics by exploiting his access to Hussein.

"I may understand the suffering of the Iraqi people due to the occupation, but I do not understand the bizarre method of protest conducted by al-Zeidi. It's a good way to get your ass shot," he said.

The journalist has been in Iraqi custody since the shoe incident. Hussein quickly ducked to avoid being hit and was not injured. Al-Zeidi was quickly wrestled to the ground by guards and dragged away.

During Thursday's proceedings, al-Zeidi, wearing a beige suit over a brown shirt and brown leather shoes, walked swiftly to the wooden dock where defendants are kept and greeted the panel of three judges with a nod and a wave.

Presiding Judge Abdul-Amir al-Rubaie asked al-Zeidi to enter a plea.

"I am innocent," he replied. At that point al-Zeidi was beaten with rubber hoses to the point he couldn't speak blasphemies anymore.

The proceedings took place under heavy guard with scores of armed policemen inside the courtroom and the Iraqi soldiers who escorted al-Zeidi waiting outside.

The trial began on Feb. 19 but was adjourned until Thursday as the judges weighed a defense argument that the current charge is not applicable because Hussein was not in Baghdad on an official visit, having arrived unannounced and without an invitation. The defense attorneys subsequently disappeared and have not been heard from for some time.

Al-Rubaie read a response from the prime minister's office insisting it was an official visit.

The new Chief defense attorney then demanded that the charge be dismissed, saying his client's action "was an expression of freedom and does not constitute a crime."

He echoed al-Zeidi's testimony at the previous hearing, saying his client had been provoked by anger over Hussein's claims of success in a war that has devastated his country.

"It was an act of throwing a shoe and not a rocket. It was meant as an insult to the occupation," the lawyer said. The judge responded by producing an American made Colt .45 and shooting the lawyer in the head. The defense rested its case.

The judge then turned to the defendant and asked whether he had anything to add.

"I have great faith in the Iraqi judiciary. It is a judiciary that is both just and has integrity," al-Zeidi responded while urinating himself.

Many people in the region — angry over the Hussein Regime's policies in Iraq — have embraced al-Zeidi. They have staged large street rallies calling for his release, and one Iraqi man erected a sofa-sized sculpture of a shoe in his honor that the Iraqi government later ordered removed. The street rallies lasted only a short period of time before Iraqi soldiers gassed the masses, killing over 300 protesters. The creator of the shoe sculpture was later found encased in concrete and it took over 6 hours to extract him from the stone. Only his shoe had been visible.

When al-Zeidi threw his shoes at Hussein, he shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."

Al-Maliki was deeply embarrassed by the action against the beloved Iraqi president who had stood by him when some Arab leaders were quietly urging the dictator to oust him.

Fighting for the Republic

2009-03-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

There should be a law that says if your country wiped the floor with its former motherland in the past, the motherland that got whooped on should not be allowed to ever offer an opinion on matters concerning the victorious offspring. Case in point: Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of the UK, has spoken out against the injustices being measured upon the heads of the homosexual population in California. Of course by this he refers to the whole of the US, backwards and barbaric as we have become. I mean after breaking from the crown in 1783 we no longer had the omniscient guiding hand of royalty to effectively and safely guide our own thoughts and progress so where else but "lost" could we find ourselves? Treating those poor, defenseless homosexuals as if they aren't the protected class of citizens the world has made them out to be. How tragic.

I look at the situation here in the US and specifically California with a great deal of despair. Perhaps it is because my wife is pregnant and I have begun to think of what it's going to be like to try and raise a son/daughter in a world where it is no longer the "american way" to profess your religious beliefs and convictions. Where you are labeled a "homophobe" simply because you believe that marriage is defined by a joining of a man and a woman and is a place where they can responsibly procreate and grow. Again, because you have BELIEFS in something other than what has suddenly become popular, you are labeled with derogatory names. How dare they? The rule of being respectful towards those with whom you have personal or ideological differences extends only so far as you agree with everything they say. Allowing us to keep our idea of "religious values," "family" and "responsibility" is akin to allowing the Salem witch hunts to continue unabated. "We just have to set those simpleton Christians straight."

But now it's not just the homosexual/liberal crowd. It's world leaders. Granted they don't do much leading. It's more of a version of following like a dog with his tail between his legs cowering at the magnificence of Obama.

Where once our forefathers came to this continent to escape religious persecution, we now find ourselves being persecuted just as the pilgrims of old. Only now where do we run? I don't think any modern-day variation of the Mayflower will be able to take us far enough away to escape the effects of the inevitable path of "progress" we are now following. I suppose if I had more faith in the American people I wouldn't be so ostensibly negative but we have seen that Americans don't seek the good of a nation as a whole. They will fold. They will be convinced of the folly of their ways by those who just "know better" and we will give up our freedom a little more. There is such a thing as giving up too much. I fear we're getting closer to that than we realize.

All together now! Awwwwwwww....

2009-03-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes our military rocks the house more than usual. This is one of those times.

Oh!...Whats this?! Someone actually caught on?!?!

2009-03-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

WARNING: EXTREMELY NONSENSICAL RANT AHEAD

It seems that everyone has gotten on board the "Obama is the Great Orator" train. It's just like, SO HIP! If you don't believe me just do a search for "Obama the Great Orator" and I promise you wont be disappointed. I don't really see where people who believe this are coming from since he basically reads whatever is in front of his face. And I do mean RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS FACE. You see, as many have noted, while on the campaign trail the then presidential nominee Barack Obama consistently used a teleprompter on every speech he gave, large or small. Now that he has won the election and been endowed with the sacred mantle of President of the United States, he still uses a teleprompter for every speech he gives, large or small. As one writer notes, "Obama’s reliance on the teleprompter is unusual — not only because he is famous for his oratory, but because no other president has used one so consistently and at so many events, large and small." No. Other. President. Awwww. Isn't he just so amazing? Seriously just brings a special tingle to my heart to know that he is trying so hard to connect with the American people. One television crew member who has worked with many White House administrations noted "It’s almost like he’s not making eye contact with the American people.” Ashamed are we? Well I would be too if I were planning, instituting, and getting away with the most criminal bastardization of the Constitution ever known in the history of the United States. But at least he's better than Bush right? How I love that argument. Never anything to back it up but if "everyone is saying it," then why not you too??

If you're interested in reading the rest of the article then I would definitely suggest it. It is most excellent. My most favoritist part is how the White House responds to the questions about why he depends on his beloved teleprompters: "Whether one uses note cards or a teleprompter, the American people are a lot more concerned about the plans relayed than the method of delivery." NO! I want to know that this guy isn't planning the end to the US as we know it! I want to know that he isn't planning on simply whiting out the portions of the constitution that he just doesn't think are fair! I want to know if his "change" and "hope" have anything more to them than just a smokescreen to cover all his backroom deals with his handlers in Congress! I want to hear it from his own mouth (not the mouth of his speech writer) what he is planning on doing and how he is going to do it. If he wants to throw all white people out into the street because we've obviously been independently working towards the demise of all minorities then that's fine but at least I know what to expect. But I'm rambling more than usual.

Doesn't it just make you wonder? Even a little bit about what this guy is really thinking? Anyone?!? Is this thing on?? No. I guess not. Lets not question Wonder Boy. That would be constitutional and DEFINITELY something not to be allowed in the Age of Obama. Way to take back the country from the evil Bushonites America. GOOD JOB!

Kinda old but...

2009-03-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inaugural Speech

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Thanks to Jakers for the tip. Good Stuff

Stimulating the economy...

2009-03-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

What was it economists said about raising taxes to stimulate the economy? Oh yeah! That it doesn't work. Hey everyone! Lets shrink our production!

Living in a Dream World

2009-03-02T09:07:00.001-08:00

I've talked about this before. Those of you who know me have most likely heard my rant about how Obama is/was/has planned on taking credit for our military pullout from Iraq even though he would have no chance of doing so peacefully if it hadn't been for the foresight and good judgment of our previous president...whats his name?...oh yeah BUSH. Now I know Bush made COUNTLESS mistakes and while I don't believe he was the architect of the current economic fiasco we currently find ourselves, I don't think he did a whole lot to prevent it. Whether or not he COULD have actually done something is up for debate and I'll leave that to others.

Returning to the success of the surge and Obama's and his followers' penchant for taking credit where no credit is due, it is common knowledge that Obama voted against the troop surge and even went so far as to say "Most Americans believe that escalation will not bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end." O rly? It seems to me that it has done exactly that and now you, Mr. Obama, plan on acting as if the entire situation as it now stands is a product of your descent from the heavens and alightment upon the White House. Fear not for Obama has come to deliver the Iraqis out of the hands of their oppressors.

You would think that at some point in this presidency people will start to come to their senses. But then I think about how fickle the average American is and how little effort they actually apply towards understanding the issues and their causes/evolution/ and the efforts (or lack thereof) to change or fix the problems. "If the issue of Iraq has seemingly disappeared then why not congratulate Obama for getting us out of it" is probably going to be the most common response. Many wont have too much of an issue of accepting that as the answer rather than actually looking for the truth behind the success. It just irks the living crap out of me that Obama takes an issue, wraps it in his own little story, and sells it as his own. What an amazing president!

An interesting experience...

2009-03-01T00:43:00.001-08:00

While waiting in line at Target today a black couple was standing in line behind us looking over the magazine rack. Of course there was the slew of Obama-related nonsense on the covers of some of the magazines and I feared I was going to have to endure a conversation about how great he was, yadda, yadda, yadda. But to my supreme surprise I heard something else. "'Life in the White House'?? He hasn't even been in there 100 days yet! Frankly I'm sick and tired of seeing his face all over TV."... Aww, it was like they knew it was my birthday soon and somehow knew exactly what I wanted: a black person who wanted to trash talk his holiness. I know it's not that amazing but it is nice to know that there are some people (contrary to popular belief) who don't think the guy walks on water.

War Porn

2009-02-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Brought to you by our friend from Bub Politique

Vega's on the loose!

2009-02-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

I have to give a shout out to the Step brother-in-law (yes we're very close though I'm not that supportive of his shoe/t-shirt combo). He's playing Vega in the upcoming movie Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Check it out yo...

Obama Obama! He's our man!

2009-02-25T14:53:00.001-08:00

Oh Obama! How we love you! You are so amazing!! Just look at all the change you've brought about since you took office!! I mean you made such a huge leap forward by calling all the Clinton Administration cronies and putting them in your cabinet, making Hillary Clinton the Secretary of State, spending $787 Billion on a "stimulus" package, $410 billion on domestic programs, $634 Billion dollars on health care and the end is most surely not in sight. Phew! What it must feel like to go on a shopping spree of this magnitude. Hopefully the Chinese we are borrowing from will gift wrap everything and validate our parking for free.

Iceberg! Right ahead! (read with a cockney accent)

2009-02-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, Changed my mind (it's all the rage these days)

2009-02-18T08:58:00.001-08:00

After learning that the government's stimulus bill has provisions for more funding of the LA-Las Vegas high speed rail line, $8,000,000,000 worth of funding, I have to admit that I am all for it. Never mind that stimulus bills are known for not working both in theory and in practice because when it comes down to getting a Maglev train that travels at over 300 mph I can't find fault with it aside from the consequences of dumping money into a giant hole like they did in the much smaller Las Vegas inter-hotel monorail system....ahem. What did I say? Monorail!!...

WHAT DID I TELL YOU PEOPLE?!?!?!

2009-02-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

All you had to do was take a look at his blog to save the life of a poor innocent kitten. Now look whats become of him... Don't be fooled by the claim that there are Blackberries in there. It's 100% kitty kat. A moment of silence please.

A new Blog to read

2009-02-09T22:13:00.001-08:00

Not to direct the light away from my own amazing blog but I do admit that sometimes (ok, very infrequently) I either go a few days without a post or my post is lame (yes, even I can see that). So in an effort to continue the enlightenment of all mankind, I'd like mention that my good friend Brianne has also begun to blog on the political condition of the country/citizens/world-at-large and reading his blog would benefit all humanity. Seriously. Plus if you don't read his blog every time he posts, he will kill a kitten. This kitten.

Thats how important it is. Believe it.

Giving credit where credit is due

2009-01-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would give a short shout out to my alma mater. 13-0. No offense to all the whiny SEC, Big 10, and other BCS school babies. But your argument is falling flat. Again. And in the words of Rick Reilly: "FIND ME ANYBODY ELSE THAT WENT UNDEFEATED. THIRTEEN-AND-ZERO. BEAT FOUR RANKED TEAMS. WENT TO THE DEEP SOUTH AND SEAL-CLUBBED ALABAMA IN THE SUGAR BOWL." Those poor, poor seals. Someone needs to call PETA.

From Marshall Manley

2009-01-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

A congratulatory word...

2008-12-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

Snooping around the net as I often do I came across a blurb on the always enjoyable "Jawa Report" that mentioned how Nancy Pelosi (may she burn slowly in hell) is laying out ground rules for the incoming Obama Administration. So first, at what point does this constitute any type of "change" or "hope for change" or any variation thereof if not an even worse situation than the current administration finds itself, and second, at least the Bush Administration acted very much as it's own entity. Apparently we can't even expect the Presidency to be, at the very least, independent to work towards its own ideals but instead be coerced and maneuvered by congress. A congress, it should be pointed out since none of the major news networks really report on this, that has a 9% approval rating. 9. Percent. Odd seeing that the media never has a problem reporting over and over and over again Bush's "low" approval rating of 35%. Last time I checked, while still dismal, 35% is quite a bit more than 9%. Just sayin.

It's about friggin time

2008-12-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081221/pl_politico/16787
The media just can't resist trying to lay every problem we now face at the feet of the Bush Administration. But wait, here comes the all powerful and illustrious Obama, He will save us! I agree with many that Bush made countless mistakes in Iraq as well as in domestic policies but I stop short from allowing the media free-reign of saying whatever comes into their tiny little brains. I sincerely hope that President Obama is able to help the US as a whole. Really, I do. It's just absurd that so many believe that his "change" is going to be anything but flat rhetoric. Washington is not going to change. It will always be the Washington everyone has come to loathe and love, depending on which side of the aisle you are on. It will just be interesting when the Dems can no longer blame every problem they run into on the Republicans. What will the media do then? Oh thats right, they'll just continue to make shit up.

Who throws a shoe....HONESTLY!?!?!

2008-12-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

dillweed...
Always funny to think what would have happened to this guy had it been Saddam Hussein. Yup, bullet in the back of his head....

Would someone please shut Palin up?!?!?! For the love!

2008-11-11T09:43:00.001-08:00

Honestly. Some people just don't know when to keep their mouths shut. If she really wants any chance of getting back onto the national politcal scene then she needs to let things settle down.
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
(Editor's note: I wasn't all that impressed with Palin and I kinda/sorta hope to not see her on the ballot again. I think Republicans need a fresh start and she just isn't it.)

Time to let the Iraqis deal with Iraq themselves

2008-11-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

Ok. I think I've finally come to the point where I'm ready to cross the line and say "thats it." The Iraqis are again coming to the US and telling them that they must offer more if the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) is to be passed. What more can we possibly offer? We've already allowed that members of the US military can be prosecuted under Iraqi law for crimes committed while "off-duty." We've agreed to leave their towns by mid-2009. We've agreed to leave Iraq by 2012. And they want more.

Well if you'll pardon my language, To hell with that shit! It is an obvious truth that Iraqis have bled more, and given more life during the past few years than any other group currently in the country. The death and bloodshed has been tremendous. But there is one thing they haven't done. They haven't poured countless manhours and hundreds of billions of dollars into rebuilding a country that isn't their own. Americans are now facing a financial crisis that apparently rivals anything seen in the past century and are staring at a budget deficit that is only going to grow no matter what President Obama does with his first years in office. We paid for their freedom to now act with their own personal judgement rather than by the motivation of a pistol pointed at their heads and what do we get from it? A disgusting display of greed and an inability see how much the rest of the world, especially the US, has done for them. Yes, it's fantastic that the Iraqi government is showing some semblance of autonomy and they are making great strides in trying to show their independance from the US. But they still need us there. Their air force is a joke and their security forces are just now beginning to get a real grasp of the situation on the ground. Apparently for them this means they can just lean on us even more and squeeze more money out of the American people while they bitch and moan about how they haven't been able to get some idiotic amendment or another passed.

It's time to tell them that it's our way or the highway. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for leaving a stable Iraq but I'm sick of hearing the Iraqis complain about how we just don't give them enough (odd since during the Saddam period dissent such as this would have earned the dissenter a permanent hole is his head. What a difference a war makes). The one good thing I see is that maybe Obama really will just decide it's time to get the hell out of there and let em deal with the problems themselves. Leave them a few helicopters and jets along with the owners' manuals and wish them luck. Will Iraq become a hotbed of terrorist activity? Most likely. But it's going to become one no matter what. Some of our closest allies in the region are full of terrorists. Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and of course Iran, Syria, Lebanon all have these cells. There will be insurgents, terrorists and just all-around douche bags roaming all over the country. Not because we didn't do enough but because the ideology cannot be killed. Our best bet would be to give the Iraqis some band aids, get on the bus out of town, and then create closer ties with the rest of the countries in the region, all the while preparing for the shit to hit the fan. Because it will again. There is no doubt in my mind. If al-Qa'ida had had an ounce of brain power they would have simply gone underground and waited for the US to leave.

Who knows? Maybe they have.

hmmm really

2008-11-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace
What must our enemies be thinking?
By JEFFREY SCOTT SHAPIRO

Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.

According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.

This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."

Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.
The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.

It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.

Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.
Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."

To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.

Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.

Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.

Mr. Shapiro is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John F. Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004.

Election coverage is for dillweeds

2008-11-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

So basically I couldn't think of anything good or bad to say (or at least put into words that other people will read) about the elections today so I thought this would suffice.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5f3_1225807802

"Tower, this is Ghost rider requesting a flyby."
"That's a negative Ghost rider, the pattern is full."

Al-Qa'ida is voting for Obama...You should too!

2008-10-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE49T76620081030?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

A look into Obama's head. What he's really thinking...

2008-10-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Onion

Ok, I couldn't wait any longer...

2008-10-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Obama's friends react to Primetime Infomercial

That's not a Flat Screen... THIS is a flat screen!

2008-10-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

So I think I'm going to forgo the ridiculing of Obama's little TV spot (for now) and focus on something infinitely more important and even beautiful. May I present the 40-inch OLED panel TV from Samsung. And now for a moment of silence....

Some of you may be wondering what's so special about this TV. Well I'll tell you. Basically the best part is that it's both brighter and sharper than "regular" panel TVs and measures just 8.9 millimeters thick. 8.9...Millimeters. I think I need another moment.

A look past the fluff and what's really at stake in this election

2008-10-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

No matter what side you're on, you've quite possibly become embroiled in the discussion of what exactly is going to happen if or when Obama gets elected. I have come to believe that Obama will win based on the fact that Americans really believe his rockstar status is going to change the outcome of the war in Iraq or the effect the economic downturn has on our households. We just like to believe that the fictitious "change" is going to make everything "fair and equal" again. That the right will be pushed from their places of leadership in Washington and a "return" to normalcy will ensue. What people fail to recognize is that the direction of the country, the lasting direction, comes from those men and women dressed in black robes and who oversee the various courts in this country. It's their decisions that will ultimately define the effect that Obama has on this nation, and the outlook is even worse than many have imagined.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122515067227674187.html
The end is near, and that is the one bit of comfort in these times of Americans increasingly turning away from the Constitution, a document crafted by men infinitely more worthy than those in office now.

Obama's Final Checklist

2008-10-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

-Gain the trust of millions of Americans including many who would normally be voting for a Republican candidate: CHECK

-Create an image of accomplishment even in the face of an extremely limited historical account of personal achievement and leadership: CHECK

-Create a platform based on a hazy idea of "change" from Bush administration policies which will ring true to Americans who were so short-sighted to believe the Iraq war was going to last a mere year or two: CHECK

-Garner international support including the vast majority of Europe by distancing himself from all things Republican and therefore evil: CHECK

-Adapt and apply Bush's policies concerning Afghanistan, Iraq, and European involvement in those arenas: HUH?

For those of you who are confused about which dispensation we are currently living.

2008-10-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7681914.stm

Hmmm. Last dispensation indeed.

Alma 30:40-And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.

Huh?

2008-10-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a little snippit of a conversation on Facebook with some uberliberals. I was responding to another post but I wont include those here for purposes of conserving space. If anyone can explain to me what Mr. Ford's posts mean at the end then I would greatly appreciate it as I am somewhat puzzled by their meaning.

Lucas Gornichec wroteat 12:36pm yesterday
I think it's funny when people lump McCain with Bush as being some ultraconservative politician. Obviously McCain realigned himself more with the right as his hopes for becoming the Republican presidential nominee became apparent in the past few years but McCain is not the right-wing conservative the left makes him out to be. As far as Obama providing hope for our children, I'm trying to understand what exactly that hope is. Is it hope for social security? I don't see that being in my own future. Is it hope for economic prosperity? The democrats may have paid off national debt during the Clinton Admin but at what cost? Bush started his presidency in the recession created by those Clinton economic ideas. Is it hope for the type of housing lending practices instituted by the Carter administration and then pushed along by the Clinton administration (and which Obama aided in enforcing...) to the point where they have completely collapsed again? What hope are you looking for?
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Jamie Gornichec Levin (Salt Lake City, UT) wroteat 12:44pm yesterday
See, this is how I feel. Much of our situation was created because of policies put in place by democrats. And no one seems to realize that.
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Lucas Gornichec wroteat 12:51pm yesterday
It's because people actually believe everything they hear on TV from a media who pursue their own agendas rather than do their jobs: report the news. Plus it's much more fun to be involved with the faux energy of the Obama campaign. It's mobocracy at its finest. "Everyone else is blaming the Republicans, I should too!"
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Jon Hussein Ford (Indianapolis, IN) wroteat 3:44pm yesterday
Ronald Reagan started this economic mess (unregulated free market fundamentalist capitalism). George Sr. was down because he's in the upper 2% of ultra rich. Slick Willy silently endorsed it, but at least invested and made attempts to protect the American people (i.e. a larger government that could try to keep the corporate world in check). George W. was a reckless ignorant sheep and was the last straw. He gutted the last remnants of protection against the influential corporate world and the ultra rich. And for 30 years, John McCain has supported the corporate nation state we've become. For 8 years John McCain has voted with this Republican controlled nation 90% of the time. that comes from his own lips. John McCain is peddling answers for 2% of the population and I am not in that 2%. That is why I'm voting Obama. Plus, he's got a timetable to get us out of the cluster fuck that is Iraq. From day one, Barack was against the $10,000,000,000 a MONTH shit storm that is the Iraq war.And I'm not afraid if Barack's v.p. ever has to take office. God help us all if Sarah Palin ever sits in the oval office.
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Lucas Gornichec wroteat 4:32pm yesterday
Wow. Ya know you can disagree with people but you don't have to be obscene about it. And good job on restating the Obama Ad talking points bud. You get an A.
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Anna Brook Miller (Indianapolis, IN) wroteat 4:51pm yesterday
Well, I think this is beating a dead horse. I am voting for Obama for reasons well known to me. I guess we will have to wait and see how faux the energy is or is not till election day. So, I uploaded some pictures of Emma today. Isn't she so cute?!!! I am not biased or anything.
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Jon Hussein Ford (Indianapolis, IN) wroteat 4:59pm yesterday
hehehe...No one is getting obscene. Palin and McCain rallies of late are obscene. I promised myself I wouldn't do this on facebook, but this particular thread is too hard to pass up. Can you deny that there has been a disproportionate amount of wealth pushed to very top of our economic hierarchy? For years, we've all come to accept the notion that the rich get richer and everyone else is left with the "freedom" of trickle down economics. Reaganomics its called. John McCain supports it. I do not. You believe it to be freedom, but it's not.I vote for Obama because right now, in 2008, he is relatively untainted by Washington. 10 years from now, if he's elected or not, will most likely be a different story. They all get corrupted eventually. But right now, when you compare him to McCain, he's not the establishment.Your comment about the media being one sided sounds like a tired, worn out talking point. I bet you've uttered the term "Gotcha Journalism" once or twice, haven't you? You also probably think Obama is a socialist. Now, that's a McCain talking point. I agree that these discussions aren't going to change minds at this point. In fact, it will only solidify your support for McCain. But nonetheless, I will continue to be passionate, obscene, and earn my A, 'bud'.
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Lucas Gornichec wroteat 7:18pm yesterday
um ok? Where do I even begin with a post like that? I guess you got me Jon. You've deduced who I am from just my 3 posts on this page. Congratulations. Apparently I'm a die-hard Republican simply because I criticized the Democrats. How dare I? Apparently I'm the one using talking points, not you (but WHO told you?!?! was it my wife?), so sorry for the confusion. And I suppose that all this "discussion" really is just "solidifying my support for McCain." I guess I had better vote for him then huh??The one thing that surprises me though is that after all you "figured out" about me, the best comeback you could muster was to call me 'Bud' in return. Good one. I am thoroughly burned. And by the way, I'm not even voting for John McCain. renob...
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Jon Hussein Ford (Indianapolis, IN) wroteat 7:26pm yesterday
just reading is all
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Lucas Gornichec wroteat 7:41pm yesterday
Probably best.
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Jon Hussein Ford (Indianapolis, IN) wroteat 7:56pm yesterday
ugh. you're telling me.

Lucid thoughts from someone who knows a thing or two about the stock market

2008-10-17T13:54:00.001-07:00

This was passed along to me by my good friend Archie. Puts the current financial "crisis" into perspective.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html

It's time to Ensaqear-se...

2008-10-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

During my time in Brazil, a fellow missionary coined the term "ensaqear-se" which is basically the made up Portuguese word for "sack up." While on your mission you can find yourself falling into ruts as you basically do the same routine day in and day out for 2 years (minus time spent in the MTC and the time spent daydreaming during your first few months in a foreign language mission while your comp chatters away with the natives) so it's easy to lose perspective on things. Even with the motivation that comes from the spirit there is often that feeling that your actions are for naught and your efforts will only prove to be fruitless. This feeling is especially tangible after a day of clapping doors and not getting a single optimistic contact or appointment for the future. It's at this very moment when you need to gather your thoughts and sack up. If you google "sack up" and search the urban dictionary, you get a few examples of its use in everyday language. Here are some of the better examples:

-Sergeant Bohannon shrieked at Private Entwhistle, "Sack up, you panty-wearing dipstick...bayonet practice may save your life...now lunge, thrust, stick and twist...repeat..."

-"Holy cow! The terrorists are going to blow us up with Snapple bottles! This is terrorism's A-game? Sack up, people."

The great thing about this word "ensaqear-se" is that it's actually a verb. The "-se" means it is a reflexive verb which means that the subject and object are the same or basically that the action is being applied to itself. In this case to "sack up" applied to yourself would mean to "sack yourself up." Applying this to the mission we can see that such a verb would be welcome in the oft depressing times of preaching the word. At the very moment we found ourselves relinquishing our strength to the despair of the enemy's works and allowed ourselves but one more supplication for the command of our destinies, the strength to carry on by girding about our loins the armor and power of an omnipotent being would be granted to us if we would do but one thing: "ensaqear-se." It was the one thing that was required to effectively prosecute the lord's work while in the mission field. Of course there were other things like prayer and scripture study, getting along with your companion and effectively inviting the spirit, but none of these brought about any chance of success if not joined with active engagement in the work. This would be the "ensaqear-se" part. Many of you (all 3 of my readers) may be wondering what this has to do with anything in our lives now. Well I'll tell you.

I had some time to read through the transcript of last night's final debate and I have to say that I wasn't impressed at all with either of the candidates. When asked simple questions, the answers were never forthcoming and instead the candidates stuck to their beloved "talking points." I really believe that the reason for this is because neither has a clue as to what they will do when they become president. I mean some things are given, such as raised taxes if Obama is elected and a continued tax break if McCain takes office but aside from that I don't think they have a real clue and neither is willing to "ensaqear-se" to the point where they will choose one course of action over another. The economy is so completely shell shocked at this point that no one is willing to say what should be done except for those on the "expendable" level of employment (read: none of the real decision makers), Iraq will continue on its same course set by General Petraeus independent of who the next president is, and Afghanistan will receive somewhat more attention than it has in the past 7 years. Will it suck if Obama is president? Of course. Will it suck if McCain gets elected? Probably. The Democratic majority in the house doesn't look like its going to change anytime soon as America has seemingly decided that the best way to improve our situation at home and abroad is through more government control of our lives, a principally Democratic idea. I think America is out of its friggin mind and it makes me unhappy. I think Americans have forgotten that it takes actual hard work to be successful, that relying on the government or other people for your sustenance is wrong, and that allowing the government to dictate every facet of your life is idiotic. It makes me want to give up. But then I remember the mission. I remember that even though times may get really bad and there may not be an end in sight, good will always come from garbage situations if we are willing to do but one thing: "ensaqear-se." Regardless of who is elected for the next 4 years, America is going to have a rough time and it's a situation we brought upon ourselves. We cannot continue to blame politicians or governments, even when they may be mostly at fault, but start to rebuild America from within. Will this actually happen? Perhaps. I tend to believe the endgame for the world is favorable to those who have tried to do the best they know how and so I believe now that even in the face of idiotic political events, those who push against these impossible odds will prevail. I still believe that the days of America's greatness, both internally and externally, are still ahead of us. Maybe if we started to "ensaqear-se?"

If you don't vote you can't complain

2008-10-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

For years, in fact ever since I can remember, people have been using this argument against those who are either uninterested in voting or just don't want to, for whatever reason they may have. In the first case, for those who are just uninterested in exercising their voting privilege yet continue to complain about the state of our country/government/city I can agree that they really don't have any reason to complain as they have seemingly given up their right to complain about the various problems that affect our government. In the second case of not voting (not wanting to vote for certain personal reasons), I have a harder time agreeing. It seems to me that the right to vote is the same as the right not to vote. Is it correct to assume that just because we have certain rights, i.e. the right to bear arms, it requires me to go out and buy a rifle so as to exercise that right? Isn't the choice to NOT bear arms equally correct and acceptable as the alternative? If a person decides during a presidential election that no candidate supports a philosophy that is agreeable to the voter (assuming the voter has really investigated the issues and is making an informed decision), then isn't it permissible for the voter to abstain from voting? Obviously their not voting might lend support to one candidate or another but the point is being true to one's beliefs and if those beliefs conflict with all candidates, then I see no problem in not being a sellout by simply voting for someone because they are "the lesser of two evils." Perhaps it is better to simply swallow your ideals and vote for something in which you truly do not believe but it seems to me that Americans have grown accustomed to mere mediocrity in both personal responsibility and in our expectations of our politicians and we therefore reap the rewards of this inadequate integrity.

Does admitting guilt before the chaos ensues make everything ok?

2008-10-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

-The secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton Administration offers chilling words back in '98.

-Mr. Barack Obama, frontrunner for the position of President of the United States outlines his own guilt.

WHY DON'T PEOPLE LISTEN?

I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

2008-10-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Barney isn't just a lovable purple dinosaur

2008-10-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

Barney Frank is at it again though it doesn't come as much of a surprise. Barney is blaming the entire housing fiasco on the private sector and even goes so far as to say that the Republicans are targeting blacks as the reason for the crisis. Wow. Its comments like these that just make me wonder how the hell these people ever got into office. I mean is it by luck? Did they find a magic lamp and receive 3 wishes from a genie? "When in doubt, play the race card," even if you're not a minority. I should remember that just in case I ever get into a situation where I totally did the wrong thing and get called out on it. "Well it's just cause the Republicans hate blacks," will be my response. Brilliant.

Really...what DID happen...?

2008-10-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Idiots guide to winning an election

2008-10-03T13:20:00.001-07:00

By a show of hands how many of you watched any portion of last night's debate between Mr. Biden and Ms. Palin? Anyone? Hello? Is this thing on? Well apparently there were quite a few people who tuned in as the ratings for the VP debate were higher than those for last week's Presidential debate. Kinda makes you scratch your head right? Well allow me to explain why this is the case. As I'm sure many of you are aware, Thursday nights are "The Office" nights and as such many of you find yourselves salivating in front of the plasma just waiting to hear those angelic opening credit chords ringing in a new week of quotes with which to live by and circulate throughout your own workplace. Unfortunately for us (and apparently for a number of Americans, a number which exceeds the number of Americans who watched the Presidential debate), we were conned into watching the subpar entertainment of the political maneuvering of an old guy and an Alaskan, both of whom might as well have been from other planets. There was no "Office" to be found. Judging from my own wailing and distraught cries I can only imagine the sound amplified a million fold, as all the little Whos down in Who-ville cried "Boo hoo" and realized there wasn't going to be any "Office" that night. Once again politicians had ripped what little good was left on TV and forced themselves into the living room of the unsuspecting "Officinians" (my term for those who watch "The Office") hypnotizing them into a stupor they couldn't shake. This is why the ratings were so high. As people stumbled across the channel, they were inadvertently caught up by the confusion and idiocy which are hallmarks of any political debate and were left drooling out one side of their mouth as their minds tried to grasp the half-truths and utter fallacies spewing forth from the candidates.
As you can see I make no claim that one was more truthful than the other. What would be the point? There are various websites that systematically check the accuracy of the candidates' statements so I wont make any argument for or against the content of what was said except this: All was said at a time when we should have, by our god-given rights, been watching the story of Jim and Pam's engagement unfold. How dare they? I mean, if they really wanted us to learn something from these nationally televised debates, why not, as my colleague Brianne puts it, "detail their OWN policy and not inform us how badly the other one sucks for a change." I completely and wholeheartedly agree though I have one stipulation. The candidates should be given a list of words which they have to insert into their argument/lies during the debate. I have thus come up with this list as a good starting point. My 3 readers should feel free to add upon this in the comments section.

Absquatulate- (such as what Franklin Raines did from Fannie Mae)
Diametrically opposed- (yes it is a phrase but its my blog so deal with it)
Bugaboo- (look up the meaning as it is strangely fitting for this setting)
Snollygoster- (such as most politicians...ahem)
Nothosonomia- (usually done behind someone's back)
Vicissitude- (result of bad legislation...)

The list could go on but i believe the point is well made. Politicians should take a play from the pages of "how to get an A on your essay which you didn't really do the reading for" playbook thereby ensuring their success with academia and liberals by astounding them with their vast lexicon and drawing in new votes from those who will find it so enjoyable to repeat the word 'snollygoster' over and over to no end. You might as well ask Mr. Bush to start packing now as the White House will be yours in no time.

For now we see through a glass, darkly

2008-10-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Excellent article about the financial issues in Washington. Go Team! http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg30-2008sep30,0,5468292.column

Ford update

2008-10-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick link re: stupendous Ford sales. Perhaps they should rethink their stance on small cars...again.

Deregulamation...?

2008-09-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Wow. Anybody heard anything interesting on the news lately? Apparently the world is coming to an end and after the stock market takes its final plunge there wont be enough "stuff" to sustain our consumer lifestyle (imagine a barren wasteland of empty shops at the Forum at Caesars). For the few of you who reside in Las Vegas, the dry, desolate landscape outside your window already looks very much like a post-apocalyptic world and you should therefore be well prepared for a refreshing swim once the polar caps melt away due to evil Republican spending. I wonder if killed bailout packages float...

Anyway, I have to admit I don't know nearly as much about the financial markets as I do about other more important topics like Disneyland trivia, Star Trek ship knowledge, or quotes from "The Office" because basically financial stuff is just hard (thats what she said...). But the recent crisis has renewed my interest in the economic world. Basically what I'm getting from the stalwart media outlets is that the Bush Administration wants to spend more money (damn them!) to bail out "the rich" and entities that were basically created by the Clinton Administration, given free run of the markets (including buying up crap loans), resisted oversight by putting money into the pockets of both Democrats and Republicans (but primarily Democrats), cooked their books to the tune of $10.6 billion, got caught but not really punished, still didn't get anymore oversight or regulation and eventually led us to the current state of wonderment in which we find ourselves. Ahh, greed is a wonderful thing. Both sides are, of course, throwing accusations at the other. I mean in one instance its the Democrats fault, in another its the Republicans. Everyone wants a piece of the blame game but none of the responsiblity game. I think when it comes to Washington D.C. the responsibility game lays dormant and covered with dust in the top of the closet like Monopoly and Chutes and Ladders. Some of these guys haven't let this one see the light of day since it was first introduced way back in 2nd grade (do unto others before they do unto you...er...wha?) Anyway there have been various calls for legislation to increase regulation over the two mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, mostly from the Republicans, but little in actual progress has been made.

But all this fun has led us to our exact spot in time in which we find ourselves trying to understand why, how, and if the US government is now willing to spend $700 billion on a bailout of these companies which have thus far not only spit in the face of any public official who tried, futilely, to check the monstrosity from growing beyond the confines of its cage, but used those same officials to aid their search for money in whatever form they could find. Then again you must remind yourself that such an institution can only be supported by a general public that is generally more interested in how they can get that same Coach bag that so-and-so has, or get that same Escalade with the 22s like such-and-such was seen smacking booties in on MTV, or yes, even dive into a bad mortgage way beyond their means rather than live within their budget and not on credit cards and payment plans.

So where does the problem lie? The Democrats for not heeding the warnings? The Republicans for deregulation of the banking industry? Or the average American for just living the "American Dream?" One thing is for certain, we are all better off for having at least one stand-up politician and that man is Barney Frank. For those of you who aren't familiar with the man you should definitely click on the "regulation" link above and watch the video. Its good stuff. Oscar winning material even. While some lawmakers are trying to find an actual solution to the bafoonary of Washington, this guy is still playin the game like he's never played before. Even though there were efforts made by Republicans to create stronger regulating bodies Barney Frank insisted there was no impending crisis. Well, it kinda looks like he was completly, totally, utterly and fanstastically wrong. But its ok because as a Democrat you have the benefit of a media that doesn't care about whether or not you're right. Just that you're a Democrat. Anyway, Barney pulled a Joe Biden and took credit for the efforts to stem the flow of destruction caused by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and simply blamed the opposition for their carelessness in allowing such a thing to happen. Ah, if only life we're so simple. He also ridiculed John McCain for suspending his campaign to come help with the bailout plan. I'm not quite sure why that wouldn't make sense, I mean McCain might be the next president after all and if so he might want a say in how his Presidency is going to start. But Barney is good for something. The good Congressman lends us hope that Americans with awful first names can rise to the top through kissing babies and lying through their teeth (as a side note I'd like to point out that if any person named Barney tries to kiss my baby I'll punch him in the weener).

Anyway this post has gone on way too long and I've completely forgotten what I wanted to say. Oh well. Its my blog after all.

The Mythical Myth About Diesels

2008-09-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's just me, but when I hear the word diesel, I don't immediatly think of skies covered in black soot or the clatter of those old school Mercedes-Benz Diesels. I usually think of cars that get more than 40 mpg without a loss in power or drivability. I think of the Audi R10 TDI race car of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I think of the new VW diesels (the new Tiguan and Jetta Sportwagon), cars that look stylish and not like econo boxes such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid. And then I think, "wouldn't it be nice if an American auto maker decided to get in on the success of diesels and manufacture some here? Just think of the great pricing for something like that!" You would think, then, that to read this article, I would be overjoyed at the creation of a diesel that gets over 65 mpg and is made by none other than Ford!

Of course after reading the article one realizes that this vehicle is not to be. One more stylish Ford Europe vehicle that will never see an inch of beautiful American pavement. Apparently the genius of Ford Motor Corp. has decided that Americans still view the diesel as the dirty and loud beasts from 30 years ago. Odd since VW as well as Nissan and Honda see diesels as such a valuable emerging market and have planned releases for their own diesels sometime in 2010. Even after posting its worst quarter ever in the history of the company it still doesn't seem to understand that while there will always be those Americans who can't live without driving a monster truck that gets 12 mpg if only to compensate for a lack of size in certain areas (namely their brain, but I'm sure there is another deficient area...), sales trends seem to show that people are less and less inclined to buy gas guzzling SUVs in favor of the more economical vehicles. I suppose the one real good argument against investing in diesels is the difference in cost. Regular gasoline enjoys a lower government tax than diesel (an average of 47 cents per gallon for gasoline and 53.6 cents for diesel) but per 1000 miles of driving a diesel powered vehicle would use only two-thirds the fuel of its gasoline powered counterpart.

I once wrote an email to Ford asking them why they wouldn't bring the Euro version Focus or the Mondeo to the US as the Focus is superior to the US version in almost every aspect and the Mondeo is a car most Americans haven't even heard of. Obviously I didn't expect anything more than a form letter response and I wasn't disappointed. Ford was prompt in replying to my inquiry with the following letter:

Dear Lucas,

Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center with your inquiry about the production of the Ford Mondeo and the European Ford Focus.

There are no details at this time reflecting plans to put European Ford vehicles into commercial production in Northern America. From time to time, vehicle options are added, deleted or modified. Decisions to make these changes take into account factors such as market trends, customer demands, engineering advances, and dealership input.

The Customer Relationship Center is unaware in advance of changes that our Engineering and Design Team may be making and the specific reasons that the changes may be made in the future. This type of information is considered confidential until the appropriate media statement is released.

If you have any other inquiries, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to address them for you.

Sincerely,
Joy
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company

I guess the moral of the story is that I shouldn't hold my breath that Joy will ever be able to let me know about upcoming US models as she is out of the loop. So much for inside contacts. Perhaps when Ford finds itself completely bankrupt, the government can step in and bail it out, at which time they can begin to focus on vehicles that are both economically and environmentally proactive. A sad day it will be for all those manly men looking to buy the new 8 MPG Excursion.

The Miracle of Biden time...

2008-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ran across a little article in the Wall Street Journal talking about a plan that miraculously did not come to fruition as it would have completely, utterly destroyed the fragile success we have enjoyed in Iraq (something akin to a proton torpedo fired into a small ray-shielded thermal exhaust port on the Death Star and we ALL know how that turned out. Insurance WRITE-OFF!)

The mastermind and genius behind the plan was none other than the current Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, Joe Biden. The plan was originally introduced in 2006 (pre-surge) when a successful outcome of the Iraq war was very much in jeopardy so I guess he at least meant well. In essence the idea was to take Iraq and divide it amongst the various "ethnic and sectarian lines" which, I guess, would lead to eventual post-Iraq War peace and harmony. Yes Mr. Biden, it worked so well in previous attempts by the west to chop up the Middle East as they saw fit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration,_1917; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes-Picot_Agreement; http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Anglo-French_Declaration; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations_Mandate), why not try it again? Unfortunately for Biden and the rest of his crew, but fortunately for Iraqis of both the Sunni and Shiite groups, a miracle occurred and showed the west (at least those paying attention) that cooperation in Iraq amongst the various factions was indeed a possibility if not a reality in the case of opposition to Biden's partition plan. As reported in the article by Qays at-Atwani, the moderator for a popular television show, after interviewing Sunnis and Shiites to come up with a consensus on the Biden Resolution in Iraq, the voices were refreshingly harmonious.
"For the first time in Iraq, all political blocs, decision makers and religious authorities agree on rejecting the [Biden] resolution that contradicts the will of the Iraqi people."
Perhaps this was the genius of Biden's plan. There was never meant to be any partitioning of Iraq! It was all a ruse to bring the various factions together in a joint effort to stop the well-meaning US leaders from completely destroying their country. Indeed this must be the case because Senator Biden had no difficulty taking credit for the recent successes in Iraq as he states "I'm encouraged because they're doing the things I suggested . . . That's why it is moving toward some mild possibility of a resolution."
Well, ya know, again I can't fault the guy for trying. I mean in the end it was probably his support of the surge to which he's clearly referring. Oh wait. He didn't support the surge. Then again it's not that surprising when viewed in the light that most democrats would seemingly rather see Iraq burning than see the current faltering president succeed in the twilight of his presidency. This is really the greatness of American politics. The inability of our brilliant two-party system to ably seek the most advantageous solution to the problems we face not only as a nation but as a modern society. God help us all.

On with the show

2008-09-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

So i suppose I am starting this blog as an outlet for all things unrelated to what happens in real life with my wife. For those of you interested in reading our monthly report you can click on the link to Lak and Chelle. It provides fantastic reading for those of you who don't readily talk to us every day though I think our actual readership is only around 3 people. Hey at least we can't actually lose people right? I mean they're pretty much forced to read whatever drivel we have to offer on a monthly basis cause they're family. hmmm. Maybe we should change the title of our blog to "That time of the month..." Catchy...
Anyway, as I was saying, I feel like I have enough useless "stuff" inside my head to require the use of another blog page so buckle your seat belts, cause this is going to be either very interesting or very lame. Or maybe lamely interesting. Like when you see something stupid on the Internet but you just keep watching/reading because you have some morbid/infantile curiosity. That's gonna be my blog. Oh yeah.