I May Be Done

I'm clearly not updating and have lost my passion for politics. I may be done. It's been great, though. 3 years, lots and lots of hits. Crazy. If anyone wants to become a "Team member" and post here yourself, let me know. Otherwise, I'm sure I'll update on rare, rare occasions, but for now let's assume it's on hold.

Thanks everyone.

~Libro

Balloon Boy?

What the hell was that, really. And live video feed? Are you out of your mind?

Obama Honeymoon Over?

That was the title of an article I saw on my phone, yesterday. I ask then:

Who cares?

Really, at this point, who cares whether or not their is an irrational love for Barack Obama. Those that like him will like him, those that don't will not, and the media - which many believe completely reshape the public focus on a president - usually only reports based on public mood. Though admittedly the media has too much power shaping opinions, at this point those that watch the news have split off into their own partisan news cycle. MSNBC and Fox News aren't exactly likely to change their reporting styles any time soon.

So no, no one cares. Why people insist on reporting about this during 24 hour news cycles is beyond me.

PLR Stuff

One of my current projects is to write PLR articles - PLR stands for private label rights, and essentially for $1.00 per article, someone gets access to 10 articles about a particular topic, and they can reprint those articles in a blog, newsletter, etc., in order to have content to post on their websites.

Since this blog is focused on politics, this may be of little value to most visitors, but if anyone has interest in having one of these packages created for a particular topic, I can probably create the PLR articles for it. Here is an example of what the packages look like, and writing samples can be found on the main page. I can also write PLR for politics if someone believes they will need it.

Note that with PLR, about 50 copies are sold of each. The main purpose of these types of articles are to be:

a) Blog Filler
b) Rewritten to be original content

So keep that in mind. Let me know.

What is the Point of This?

Brinks/Broadview home security (I think that it is name) is a strange system. Once an alarm goes off, the call you to make sure things are okay.

We had that in my house about a half dozen years ago. The alarm went off, and it may have been someone breaking in, so we ran into a nearby room. The alarm continued on and on and on. Finally we turned it off after like 5 to 10 minutes.

Nothing happened.

No police showed up, no nothing. That night, we checked our phone messages and there was a message from our security service saying "We heard that your alarm went off and are checking to make sure everything is okay." Well, NO, it wasn't. What the hell is the point of that message? If I were shot, or dead, or being attacked, what makes them think there is any way I could call for help? Who in the world answers their phone when someone is breaking in and why is not answering the phone an acceptable outcome?

I don't get it. When you watch those commercials, the alarm in the house goes off, and suddenly the guy breaking in decides to run away, giving the lady time to answer the phone. If I knew she had Brinks home security, and I was there to attack her, I would simply attack her - because Brinks does nothing unless you tell them, via the phone, that you are in danger. And if you have time to tell them that you are in danger, chances are you are not in much danger at all.

HE COULD STILL BE ALIVE!

Though he'd be 110. So I doubt it. Still:

But the skull fragment the Russians dug up outside the Führerbunker in 1946 could never have belonged to Hitler. The skull DNA was incontestably female. The only positive physical proof that Hitler had shot himself had suddenly been rendered worthless. The result is a mystery reopened and, for conspiracy theorists the tantalising possibility that Hitler did not die in the bunker.

Also, for fun:

The autopsy also reported that Hitler, as had been rumoured, had only one testicle.

Random Thought

- When the economy was crashing, wages started getting cut, and people were forced to take jobs that were of lower pay, making it hard to pay their bills.

- The unemployment rate in America is based on surveys of the number of people actively searching for work.

- In many families, a family member was working while the other was staying at home to raise the kids.

- Lower paying jobs for that working family member requires that the other family member go back to work in order to live more comfortably.

Is it possible that the unemployment rate can increase not because jobs aren't available, or because people are being laid off, but because more people need to find work in order to pay their bills?

wut

Linda E. McMahon, who has presided over the sprawling World Wrestling Entertainment empire as its chief executive, announced on Wednesday that she was seeking the Republican Party nomination to challenge Senator Christopher J. Dodd next year.

Okay, why not. Not quite as funny as Vince McMahon running for president but then what is, really.

When King County Doesn't Run Washington State

Title from the Seattle Times:

Superior Court judge rejects challenge to R-71

A judge has cleared the way for a public vote on expanded domestic-partnership benefits in Washington state.

For the last decade or so, Seattle has pretty much single-handedly run Washington State. The entire eastern half of the state is as conservative as Idaho, and the bottom half is borderline full red.

Soon, once again, the rights of domestic partners will be up for a vote. Once again they are trying to take very important rights away from couples that will need them in an emergency. And once again, it seems, it will be up to King County to make sure that doesn't happen.

It's annoying, but it seems to happen every year, and every year carries the same doubt. Does King County - especially Seattle - have enough voters to carry the rest of the state?

Washington state pretty much has nothing if Seattle/King County were not located here. Spokane is barely in Washington (and may as well be part of Idaho), and most other small towns do not have the resources to support themselves. There is nothing wrong with Seattle essentially deciding each election, but every time this occurs it is hard to believe that it will happen again next year. It is a spot on the map competing with the rest of the giant state. Hopefully, once again, King County leads the way.

Woah - When Did the Stock Market Get So High?

The market is up at 9310 at the end of the day. It was not long ago where it seemed like it would never reach 1,000 again, and there it is at the cusp. Very cool. I wish I had bothered investing. If I had invested in Starbucks when I planned on it I'd be at double my money right now, but stupid Sharebuilder isn't fun to use and I decided against it. Boo.

Ted Kennedy Passes

I'm happy he held on this long. Even those who hated Ted Kennedy had incredible respect for him - it was often their respect for him that led to their hatred. That says a lot about a person.

Take care, Senator.

Baseball Quote

As a Mariner fan, I appreciated this:

“Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me,” he said. “I think there’s sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I’d rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out.”

h/t USSM

What? I Didn't Update???

What's wrong with me. I thought I did, twice. Weird. Maybe I need to get a team together to post on this website more often.

I want to take a moment to discuss how the economy has impacted the freelancing lifestyle. I have been able to support myself for well over a year by freelancing. Essentially, I make more money than most people do for less work, but unlike full time jobs, any day I could not have work and I make no money. So while I make more per hour, I also run the risk of having no work and not making a dime. All in all, it evens out in the end.

When the economy crashed, everyone worried about whether or not I'd have any work - if people can't afford to pay for the things they need, why would they dish out money to pay high priced freelancers what they can get for free from their employees that they are already paying. This turned out not to be the case. In fact, the work seemed to increase, as layoffs left people (and companies) needing to find people to do the work for them as it was needed.

But recently that work has stalled. Why? Because all of those people that got laid off decided they no longer want to look for work. Instead, they have flooded the freelance market and are willing to make almost no money just so they can afford their bills (and because they are not sure how much their work is really worth to companies). So now, even though the economy is improving, these underbidding freelancers are actually harming the freelance economy. Essentially now, to get work, I have to get paid far less than the work is usually worth, and I STILL run the risk of not having work on any given week.

It kinda blows. I make more than enough to get by, but in a way all of these forced freelancers are lowering wages in the freelancing economy the same way people complain about migrant workers and Indian outsourcing. Hopefully the economic swing will get these people employed and things can go back to the way they were, but I won't hold my breath,

Cool, But Not Enough

More than a dozen Central Area drug dealers voluntarily walked into an auditorium full of police and prosecutors Thursday night and were presented with an ultimatum: Stop selling dope or prepare for prison.

Confronted with photos, video clips and binders full of evidence gathered in a yearlong operation along Seattle's 23rd Avenue corridor, from Madison to Jackson streets, the dealers were promised they wouldn't be arrested, prosecuted or sent to jail for 20 months or more if they embraced the job training, educational opportunities and chemical-dependency treatment being offered them.

Hooray for Seattle - combining both good law enforcement with progressive punishments. But for a city that clearly understands that drugs are not the worst thing in the world, they need to be on the forefront of legalization of marijuana and the creation of better treatment centers. It is usually a lot to ask of a city to make such sweeping changes in a short period of time, but in Seattle these things are long overdue, and the fact that the laws and practices haven't caught up to liberal values of the city is disappointing.

Should Texas Unbecome a State?

Yes.

Should Puerto Rico Become a State?

Apparently this is coming up again in Congress. Congress is doing it the right way - they are voting in order to give the vote up to the Puerto Ricans, and then, since that vote is non-binding, they will re-vote in the future to meet their wishes.

Still, I do not see how it is necessarily a bad thing. I suppose it runs the risk of soaking up more government resources, and we do not get to have that nifty 50 number, which has served us well (though there are a few states I'm willing to drop to make room for Puerto Rico). Still, it has been part of the US for years, to the point where you do not even need to have a passport to visit it. I think it may be time to add it to the list.

No thoughts on anything.

Sometimes it is annoying to like your President. Trusting his judgment I stopped checking the news as often, get less upset when there is some type of argument or opposition, and really do not care when Obama does something I disagree with because, in general, he does enough things that I agree with that I am okay with a different opinion now and then.

So I don't know what to post about. I mentioned a while back that when posting was slim I'd try to waste some time using articles to market some of the side project websites I was working on. Then I generally scratched that idea because those articles are not only annoying to write, they are annoying to read. Most often they are filled with "keywords" to get them higher in search engines, and they don't really have much content. I doubt I'll ever go so far as to simply start using this blog to market something, especially so unrelated to politics. But to get a general idea what what kind of sites I am talking about, here is the link to one: Benefits of Unemployment. It's got affiliate links to some of those "make money from home" guides online. Basically, the goal is to make a little money by people who want to get the guides themselves.

Yeah, as you can see, there is not really a way to write an article about it that will help me market it. Now I don't really know what else to do with this site when political ideas are slim. Photos? I could do photos. Meh.

Hurrying the Health Care

We need this and we need it now. Anyone that wants to argue that insurance companies aren't boosting health care costs for no reason other than to make greater profit is out of their mind. In two years, with no health problems, doctors visits, etc., my insurance costs have doubled. Seriously - they were 150 (I am young and healthy) and they are now 300. With the exception of aging two years, nothing has changed. This is ridiculous. And this is in addition to the known actions of insurance companies to do what they can to block expensive claims.

Hurry and do something, because these companies are out of control and do not deserve to survive.

The Mauder Minimum and Global Warming

According to this article in the New York Times, there is some belief that the world may be involved in another "Little Ice Age" - a period of time that is very cold, but by no means unbearable, that occurred during the Medieval period.

For some reason or another, many believe this is due to global warming - even though the cause of it has to do with fewer ice spots or a so called "resting sun." So the idea that pollution on earth could play a role seems highly unlikely. However, I do wonder how a little ice age would affect global warming. While obviously the worry is "climate change" and not so much warming, colder weather seems like it would be to our benefit, even though it reflects a long time period of misery.

Am I wrong?

Rap Remix that Needs to Happen

Someone needs to make a rap song out of the beat of the original Reading Rainbow song. While they are at it, I wouldn't mind one made out of Beverly Hills Cop. But Reading Rainbow takes number 1 priority. Get on it, Kanye.

Further Proof that Republicans Are Generally Misguided

This makes little sense:

In the aftermath of her decision to drop out and cash in, Palin’s standing in the G.O.P. actually rose in the USA Today/Gallup poll. No less than 71 percent of Republicans said they would vote for her for president. That overwhelming majority isn’t just the “base” of the Republican Party that liberals and conservatives alike tend to ghettoize as a rump backwater minority. It is the party, or pretty much what remains of it in the Barack Obama era.

Often times the blind, irrational faith of Republicans in clearly inferior and inadequate leaders is mocked by the other side. There is a reason.

Why I Check the New York Times

Thinks like this:

Cheney Is Linked to Concealment of C.I.A. Project

The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency’s director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.

No one should get their hopes it, because it is rare things come from this and chances are it has to do with something we had already assumed, but still - the intrigue is there.

Dow Ends Lower Due to Talks of Possible Stimulus

Reasons to not trust the stock market as a barrier of the state of the economy:

1) This.

Discussing something to stimulate the economy causes the stock market to crash further because the economy "might" be worse. That's stupid, since the crashing stock market makes the economy worse. A reactionary response that loses people millions simply because the government is talking about ways to make the economy better is at minimum counterproductive, and at maximum doomed to failure.

Sarah, We Hardly Knew Ye

Proving once again that she never gave a shit about Alaska, Sarah Palin is stepping down at the end of this term. Though no specific reason was stated, according to all sources - as well as Palin herself - she is stepping down for two reasons:

1) Some small scandals and book deals will get in the way of being a good governor.
2) She is probably planning to run for president in 2012.

Wait, what?

Apparently she is stepping down both because she has problems that make her a bad governor, AND because she thinks she can and will run for President in 2012.

This boggles my mind.

Surprise Activism in Strange Places

I may or may not use questionably legal file sharing services. To my surprise, after (accidentally?) opening the file sharing program Limewire, I found this:



(may have to click to see the image)

Good on them. They clearly didn't have to do anything, and yet they chose to do something about it.

Subtle

How Poetic.

From Mark Sanford to his Mistress:

You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light - but hey, that would be going into sexual details …

Hilarious. "My dear, when I look into your eyes, I see infinite skies and wondrous possibilities. When I feel the softness of your lips against mine, I feel as though I am transported into a universe, floating without gravity in a state of endless comfort. And when I get to grasp your boobies, it's like totally hot lolz."

Emails.

Marriage Should be Between a Man and a Woman and his Other Woman

Gov. Sanford Admits Affair and Explains Disappearance

Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina, apologized in a rambling news conference for having an affair, ending a mystery over his week-long disappearance.

Idiot. Maybe if every staunch supporter of banning gay marriage wasn't either gay themselves or cheating on their wives, the issue could be taken more seriously. Except even then the argument is retarded and everyone involved needs to shut the hell up. Go away, Sanford. Add yourself to the list of disgraced moronic politicians that support moral laws they are in process of disproving.

Revolution in Iran

The current conflict in Iran is the reason that using military force to try to get others to follow your beliefs is a poor decision. Left to their own political system, reform and adaptation are inevitable in civilized society.

The "revolutionary leader" Hossein Mousavi may not mark the beginning of a more liberal Iranian society by any means. But it shows that countries are willing to bring change on themselves, and forcing them to with bombs only serves as a deadly distraction from their own political struggles - one that will get them to blame the outside source rather than start creating change.

Now that they have been left alone, the problems with their own political system have been exemplified, and the citizens have decided not to take it. It may not work, but this is the best way to get change in another country.

Still. that does not mean that some type of intervention by the US is unwarranted. But the point of such interventions is to focus on positive changes while staying sensitive to their culture, rather than simply destroying crap we don't like...

~~~~~~~

This post is somewhat rambling, but the point is that what we are witnessing is - while sometimes tragic - often times remarkable, and it would not have occurred if Iranians were forced by gunpoint to conform to the beliefs of the US. Hopefully things turn out for the best, but even if they don't, this is still a historic moment for their country and the world, and it will not soon be forgotten.

My Problem with the Two Party System

As a Democrat, the two party system rarely bothers me. So what if there is only one choice to represent my beliefs? It is still THE choice that represents my beliefs, and though I can have minor disagreements with their voting choices, chances are I would have them even with the perfect candidate.

Rather, my problem with the two party system is that it does not allow for replacements once your party is elected. I am not fond of my Democratic governor. She does many things I agree with, because we are both Democrats, but otherwise I do not think she is that great at her job.

What can I do? I cannot vote for an independent, because there aren't really any that match my views and even if there were, they probably won't win and will simply take away from the Democrat's chances. I'm not voting for a Republican, because that wouldn't make sense. The Republican may be EXTREMELY qualified and would do a fantastic job getting things done - but they would do a fantastic job at instigating a belief system I don't agree with. So ironically an extremely competent Republican would be worse, since they would accomplish the goals I disagree with.

So I am left with a governor I don't want, simply because I do not have other options. Sometimes I feel as though people should vote for the party first and the person in the role second. It would give a voters a chance to unseat incumbents while still keeping their party in power. If I want my governor gone, I have to vote for the opposite party, and that just isn't happening.

God is Good....?

I'm not an Atheist. I am not against religion. I am also not against Christianity. But I do have a problem with it that I think can be found in the following analogy:

The world is flooding. I have a boat that can fit an unlimited amount of people. But the only people I let on the boat are the ones that pledge their undying devotion to me beforehand. I accept rapists, spousal abusers, and other terrible human beings as long as they pledge that devotion, but I turn away children, college professors and good people that simply want the freedom to live their life. Those people I condemn to death, even though I have plenty of room and can fit them all.

I walked by a car that had the Jesus fish and two bumper stickers that said "God is Good" and "God loves all." I find it hard to believe that someone can believe in Christianity and not see that there is a problem with the idea that "God is Good" when he lets people burn in hell for not believing in him, even if they are good people.

That does not mean that religion itself is necessarily bad. Or the idea that heaven exists but it is not for everyone. Consider the following:

The world is flooding. I have a boat that can fit an unlimited amount of people. The only people I let on the boat are the ones that are good people. Some people may have done bad things in the past, but if they are good people that made bad decisions I let them on anyway, along with all other people that have lived good lives. I accept all men and women and children, but I do not accept rapists, spousal abusers, and other terrible human beings. Those people I condemn to death, even though I have plenty of room and can fit them all.

Once again there are people I have turned away, and arguably they can be saved by my boat as well. But at least I have accepted all of the good people in the world, no matter what they believe and what direction they have chosen for their lives. to me, if I have to have a hell, this is a much more positive belief system.

Conservative David Brooks on Sotomayor

From the New York Times:

Sonia Sotomayor had bad timing. If she’d entered college in the late-1950s or early-1960s, she would have been surrounded by an ethos that encouraged smart young ethnic kids to assimilate. If she’d entered Princeton and Yale in the 1980s, her ethnicity and gender would have been mildly interesting traits among the many she might possibly possess.

But she happened to attend Princeton and then Yale Law School in the 1970s. These were the days when what we now call multiculturalism was just coming into its own. These were the days when the whole race, class and gender academic-industrial complex seemed fresh, exciting and just.

Worth Reading.

Interesting Unimportant Factoid

Kristin had an article about Rashida Jones often playing roles in which you did not know what ethnicity she was supposed to be. I realized I did not know what ethnicity she even was, so a quick glance at her Wikipedia page showed that she was African American and Jewish, both of which came as a surprise (I had assume she had some Indian or Filipino blood in her). More pleasing from the page was this:

Though raised Jewish, Jones began practicing Hinduism in her early teens after her mother took her to an Ashram in India. Today, however, she practices Judaism and told a reporter, "In this day and age, you can choose how you practice and what is your relationship with God. I feel pretty strongly about my connection, definitely through the Jewish traditions and the things that I learned dating the guy that I dated. My boyfriends tend to be Jewish and also be practicing."

She's a good one to have on our team. Yet more proof that we're a people that understands humor. =).

New York is 5/5

So far, every food place I have been to in New York has been amazing. I only remember the name of one (Shake Shack), but the others have been equally as delicious. This vacation may have helped me discover a love of eating - something I never really had before.

Yep. I have nothing else interesting to say, other than I am soon to be the proud owner of General Motors. Hooray?

Boston Coming to a Close - On to New York!

Exploring Boston consisted of a tour around a cemetery, drinking at a bar called Sunset and trips to Harvard, Boston College and MIT to see what the campuses look like (Harvard was the least attractive of the three, and that saddens me).

Next up, New York, where I will be dumping some of the clothes I own in order to make room in my bag to purchase inexpensive trinkets from Chinatown, Korea(n?)town, Little Italy and more. Woo ha.

Sotomayor for Supreme Court

Thus far she seems like a good pick. Moderate enough to please most fringe partisans but not moderate so far as to lean to the right. And at 54, if she is to become a good justice, she should have many healthy years on the bench. We'll see what comes out these next few weeks before this pick is thoroughly judged.

It is also nice that she is a Hispanic woman. That's two different qualities that have never/rarely been seen on the Supreme Court. Though I am not generally fond of the idea that one should pick based on any sort of political pressure, so far she seems to be very well qualified. I will reserve judgment until I hear some of the decisions she has made, but so far it is leaning in the right direction.

Traveling for 3 Weeks

Updates will be sparse, but there will be updates. In the meantime, there's this:

Ever since it looked like a Democrat had a good shot at the White House, gun rights groups have been loading for bear. One example: Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman published a book last year titled These Dogs Don't Hunt: The Democrats' War On Guns, which wondered if it's "something Democrats drink that causes them to climb aboard the Gun Control Express."

Candidate Barack Obama's record on the Second Amendment was anything but supportive; he appears to have once endorsed a complete ban on handgun possession, though aides claimed someone else filled out the survey. Other prominent Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Henry Waxman, and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, seemed equally enthusiastic about new restrictions targeting law-abiding gun owners.

So what persuaded a sizable majority of the House and Senate to vote for a bill lauding the "the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens?"

Though I'm anti-gun in the general sense, handguns are last on the list of priorities. I can see a reason to carry them, at least in the home. Still, it surprises me they even bothered with this legislation. Gun rights have become less of a "hot topic" of late, so the timing of this seems odd. But hey, whatever.

All Those Whiny Conservatives

It was not long ago that Republicans painted liberals as whiners that created useless and embarrassing protests that somehow made them less American. To an extent, they were right - there were a remarkable amount of protests that were, at least to this liberal, embarrassing. The Code Pink women come to mind as something I could have done without. Interrupting a speech for mindless shouting rarely gets the message across (no one can hear it on TV), and often makes the speaker look that much better for ignoring it with grace.

But once again proving that it has zero to do with the political stance and 100% to do with being powerless, conservatives decided to take it upon themselves to show the same type of whiny disregard for their own public appearance.

As police officers took the protester away, much of the stadium cheered his removal. A few moments later, another single protester began shouting “Abortion is murder.” The crowd erupted with loud boos directed at the heckler and then broke into loud chanting of Mr. Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes, we can.”

This quote from the NYTimes is nearly identical to what we heard about Bush's speeches and the Code Pink (and other) protesters that were there to disrupt the speech, only to get booed away.

This is not to say that protesting is bad. It's not. In a way, I don't even have a problem with the Notre Dame protests. Go right ahead. But it is important that Republicans realize that they are doing the same tactics they ranted that only liberals did, and stop being hypocritical in their complains about the other side.

I Came, I Saw, I Market

Politics as usual gets boring. Anyone that has read this blog (Hello all 3 of you) knows that I generally enjoy making jokes about what's happening. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of funny things are happening, and those that are (Conservatives rallying the troops to block on Obama judge appointment because that's what they do) are almost cliche in their sadness.

When not blogging (so... 6 days a week), I help people market websites, as well as my own side projects.

So I'm debating whether or not to occasionally use this blog to market some things, in between political posts. I would not stop writing about politics - on the contrary, I would probably write more because I would have something reminding me to write something. But those posts are going to greatly annoy anyone that comes to this site (looking at you, Kristin). So maybe I won't. Thoughts?

Tax Increases in Perspective

"Who is going to pay for this?!" is a common question by those against Obama's plan to fix the economy. Arguments like "this debt will be passed on to our children!" are thrown around as though your child is not going to have a single dime to their name, and will be living on the streets. But this is a poor argument on cost alone:

There are 100 million taxpayers in America. If every taxpayer (regardless of income level) pays $1,000 more every year (hardly financially crippling to almost any Americans - approximately $19.23 a week), the Government will see an increase of:

100,000,000 x 1,000 = 1 trillion dollars - cutting the deficit by a substantial margin.

But wait, it isn't that simple. The number taxed is actually going to be lower than that, scaled based on income. Obviously $1,000 can be more crippling to lower income taxpayers than higher income taxpayers. So if we adjust that number to assume a 1% tax increase, that is only 300.00 for those making $30,000 a year ($5.76 a week). $1,000 for those that make $100,000 a year. And $10,000 for those making 1 million - soon that trillion is even easier to swallow, since poorer Americans will only be forced to pay the price of a cup of coffee.

That 1% increases will help provide:

1) Universal Health Care
2) A vastly improved economy
3) Greater job security
4) Social security
5) Safer streets

To put that in perspective, I pay $2,500 a year for health care alone (I may actually SAVE more money than I'm taxed). Most Americans pay upwards of $4,000. In addition, an improved economy will bring in more money as well as cost the government less over time, making future budgets larger and deficits smaller to non-existent.

No one likes tax increases, and the hope is that Obama will not have to raise taxes on middle class Americans at all. Cutting the Bush taxes alone will bring in far more money that will help widdle down the deficit. But "who is going to pay for this?!" assumes that somehow any tax increase will be financially crippling, and it won't be. If your children have to pay an extra $1,000 more a year in taxes, just be thankful they have a job and rest assured they'll be fine financially.

Worst of Recession Over?

I <3 Barack Obama, but I think this may be a little premature:

Evidence is piling up that the worst part of the recession has ended...

A better-than-expected unemployment report Friday - job losses declined to the lowest level in six months - capped a week of encouraging news, including firmer home sales, a revival in consumer spending and fresh optimism about the biggest U.S. banks.

If the worst of the recession is over, than Obama did a f*cking amazing job. I'm inclined to believe it is not ending yet - and that's okay, because it was not supposed to start ending this quickly. But even the belief that it might be on its downturn already is an encouraging sign.

No One Cares About Swine Flu

And as a result, there is less to make fun of. So enjoy this article, as well as this part of it:

What worse message could you send to teenage girls than the one they delivered at the Republican convention: If your handsome but somewhat thuglike boyfriend gets you with child, he will clean up nicely, propose marriage, and show up at an important family event wearing a suit and holding your hand. At which point you will get a standing ovation.

Now a single mom on the outs with the father of her baby, Bristol wants a new kind of happy ending.

“I just want to go out there and promote abstinence and say this is the safest choice,” she said on “Good Morning America.”

“It’s not going to work,” said her ex-boyfriend, Levi Johnston, in a dueling early-morning interview.

If you have ever watched Levi Johnston on TV for two minutes you will appreciate how terrifying it is when he has the most reasonable analysis of a social issue.

I would also like to add that Bristol Palin - an underage girl with a child - is essentially saying "Holy shit, stop having sex or you'll be stuck with this baby like I am." ... And his name is Tripp. That's 2 p's. This is going to be one messed up kid.

You Have Got to be Kidding Me

Closing an entire elementary school for a week because someone feels "mild flu symptoms" is ridiculous. And apparently it is one of 7 schools.

Do they close school during regular flu season? No. Do they close school for chicken pox? No. Do they close schools for any disease that is infrequently deadly and happens every year? No.

They don't even teach safe sex in high schools, which will result in millions of new AIDS cases every year, and the constant spread of the far deadlier disease.

Really, learn priorities. It's not hard.

Arlen Spector Switches Parties

Comment:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I Don't Have Swine Flu. I'm Jewish.

California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 28 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 40 cases

40 cases. In the entire US, there are only 40 cases of confirmed swine flu. In Canada, there are 6 more. The symptoms are as follows:

* Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
* Unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
* Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
* Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
* Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
* Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
* A persistent lack of energy
* Lower back pain
* Changes in menstruation

No, wait, I'm sorry. That's ovarian cancer. Symptoms of swine flu are... the symptoms of every other flu in existence. This is not remotely a big deal. The flu is always upsetting, but this particular flu carries the same risks that every other flu carries. It is not more dangerous, nor is it an outbreak of a horrific new virus. It is the flu, once again, that just happens to have its origins in pigs.

Bill Posey Has Something Important to Say!

"I expected there would be some civil debate about it, but it wasn't civil," Posey said. "Just a bunch of name-calling and personal denigration. ... There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator."

- Freshman Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL)

That's right Posey. You tell 'em.

Shephard Smith is Not an Idiot

"Journalism" these days is nothing short of awful. No one challenges ideas, no one gets angry over blatant falsities - Fox News just straight lies.

That is, except for Shephard Smith.

If he can continue to get angry like this when the truth needs to be spoken, he can single handedly balance the Fox News scales. And he would be the single hand.

Tea Party Protests Need More Antioxidants

Republicans have become a toxin. Explain to me how you can be protesting "Obama's" (future?) Taxes on Tax Day - TAXES THAT HAVE:

a) Not been raised.
b) Are all based on George Bush's tax plan - the man you fuckers elected.

Are you just plain stupid? Maybe you are just ignorant?



Ah. Perhaps both.

Your entire existence oozes stupidity. Generally I save my rants for politicians, since they are really the ones ruining the country, but this has to be some new level of stupid. Where were your protests when your own dumbass president was creating these taxes? Where were your protests when he killed other Americans in Iraq?

Go. The Fuck. Away. I'm serious. All 250,000+ of you, and anyone that wishes they had protested. This is seriously the dumbest thing you could ever protest, and the types of "signs" and shouts that you idiots were displaying only serves to exacerbate your stupidity. You're all a tremendous joke. The reason we are elitist is because we may, in fact, be better than you.

Baseball is Considerably More Fun Than Politics

If you are not already watching baseball, you should. The Mariners are destroying the competition despite arguably questionable offense and pitching, the Orioles and Blue Jays are showing why they would be competitive in every division other than the NL East, and both the Yankees and the Red Sox are losing.

Baseball is the greatest time waster in the world. Go Griffey.

Corn Will Quickly Be Unclever Euphemism

Really? Iowa?

This entire ruling confuses me. Iowa has allowed gay marriage, deeming it unconstitutional. Excellent, but how? How did those lawyers present this in a way that didn't work in liberal states? How did these judges look at this issue in a way that hasn't been done a million times by judges at all corners of the political spectrum?

It may be a great change, as well as a great precedent, but it leaves me more confused than satisfied.

Passover Tomorrow

It is 3 in the morning and I just ate an entire cheese pizza myself to prepare. Once my metabolism slows down I am screwed.

Still Nothing I Find Interesting

And I am without coffee, so this will be brief. But I like this line by Franklin Roosevelt:

“The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation,” said Roosevelt. “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

A scientific approach to the government I think would be a tremendous change of pace. I think it is impossible in today's political climate where Republicans hail successes as failures and actively hope for the failure of the President, but it would be nice, at least.

I've Got a Hotel on AIG, and 4 Houses on GM

Companies that are too big to fail are, when they are failing, too big. The profound ignorance of GM and the profound arrogance of AIG are due in large part to being too large to support themselves. It is clear that the organization's leaders recognize that both companies are unlikely to profit without serious changes.

So why can those changes not be cutting them into new, separate companies? What is the harm? I would think that by separating the companies the increase in competition will drive them all to be more technologically savvy, and while some of these small companies will fail, they can be re-taken over by the ones that succeed.

The the car companies in particular, it is clearly their fault that they are failing. And letting them die is still not really a viable option. But continually funding them is obviously a problem as well - not because they piss money like a drunken frat boy, but also because it is unfair to the car companies that are succeeding. They are giving 48 billion to GM to help it succeed, but if there are car companies that are doing better, they are not going to be getting the same funding.

Quick example: If Ford starts to be really profitable, they will not get a bailout, but GM still will, giving GM an unfair financial advantage to make inferior cars.

At least breaking up these companies should at least stir the pot, and certainly cannot bleed these companies any drier. Plus they would start to go out of business at different paces, meaning that 5 million people are not going to suddenly be without a job.

My Fault For Not Updating...

I have a cold again, and thinking about politics only gives me a worse headache.

I think the "Snuggie" marks the beginning of the end of civilized society.

GOP Voices Disagreement

One of the things that happened when politics became more polarized is that people elected those that met their very - very - specific views, rather than the most qualified candidate. For obvious reasons, this occurred between parties, but less obvious is that it also occurred intra-parties.

That is, when deciding WHO would run for their party, Americans selected the one that met their most polarized view.

For the Democrats, this actually ended up being a very good thing. Democrats "valued" (in the polarized sense): Intellectualism, science and social issues. So we generally had Democrats run that met these principles. As much as Republicans may disagree with the ideas, no one can deny that this is a "Good thing" if you are a Democrat.

For the Republicans, this ended up being less advantageous (though it was effective at the time). Republicans "valued": Rigid conservatism, uber-patriotism and the "just like us" mentality. So the Republicans that ran in those areas tended to meet those parameters.

At the time, this was likely a good thing for the Republicans when they were winning the vocal wars. But what has happened is that the Republicans that are currently elected and getting re-elected are individuals that are, quite frankly, not that smart. They ran TOUTING their lack of social superiority, their rigid stance against any form of change, and with a focus on how dissent against a president was "anti-American" rather than actually discussing their qualifications for such an important position.

So that's where we are now. We have a government that is filled with Republicans that are in way over their heads because they were not necessarily the most intelligent Republicans available - rather, they were the ones that represented the LEAST vision but were able to vocalize why this made them better Americans. The GOP, especially in the house, is a vastly underqualified group of individuals trying to represent a party that they do not seem to fully understand.

Republicanism, as a political stance, is not necessarily stupid. I strongly disagree with it, but it has at least an interesting premise. When the people handling it understand how to make concessions for the greater public good, it may even be a useful tool. But the current GOP is a minority that consists solely of people that won by polarizing, rather than by substance. They are in way over their heads, and all they can do now is whine and whine.

What's Up With Iowa?

Well, there is at least one Republican I can get behind:

Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley suggested that AIG executives should accept responsibility for the collapse of the insurance giant by resigning or killing themselves.

The Republican lawmaker's harsh comments came during an interview Monday with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, radio station WMT. They echo remarks he has made in the past about corporate executives and public apologies, but went further in suggesting suicide.

"I suggest, you know, obviously, maybe they ought to be removed," Grassley said. "But I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward them if they'd follow the Japanese example and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say, I'm sorry, and then either do one of two things: resign or go commit suicide.

"And in the case of the Japanese, they usually commit suicide before they make any apology."

Well said.

Dammit Stephen!

I love Stephen Colbert, but his guest tonight was David Grann, a guy who searched for a secret civilization in the Amazon, and probably found it. I say probably, because he is telling this incredible interesting story - something that is rare on these shows - and Stephen Colbert would not shut up and let him speak. He kept interrupting him with questions that were clearly about to be answered anyway, throwing this guy off of his rhythm and making the stories incomplete.

Stephen, buddy. Your job is to talk in order to make the interview interesting. But this interview actually was legitimately interesting without you. Please let the interesting people speak.

Now I actually have to buy this damn book. Dammit.

Once Again

Once again, I do not even need to post quotes from the story, since the summary covers the key point:

A.I.G. Planning Huge Bonuses After $170 Billion Bailout
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS and PETER BAKER

The insurer planned to pay about $165 million in bonuses by Sunday, though some payments were reduced after Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner intervened.

Definition:

bo⋅nus
   /ˈboʊnəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [boh-nuhs] Show IPA
–noun, plural -nus⋅es.
1. something given or paid over and above what is due.
2. a sum of money granted or given to an employee, a returned soldier, etc., in addition to regular pay, usually in appreciation for work done, length of service, accumulated favors, etc.

AIG Definition:

bo⋅nus
   /ˈboʊnəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [boh-nuhs] Show IPA
–noun, plural -nus⋅es.
1. something given or paid over and above what is due.
2. a sum of money granted or given to an employee, a returned soldier, etc., in addition to regular pay, for no reason since they suck at their jobs

You Suck. I'm serious. SUUUUUUUUUUUCK. Everyone at AIG should be fired, because they suck at their jobs. The purpose of a reward is to reward someone for something positive they have completed. I don't give my dog a treat because he shit on the carpet. The level of stupidity of these people is unfathomable.

Response to Banks Wanting to Return Bailout Money:

Okay, this is the second time I've posted it, but this still pisses me off:

Some Banks, Citing Strings, Want to Return Aid
By STEPHEN LABATON

Critics of the White House conditions on bailout funds say the measures border on social engineering.

Fine. Give the money back. Or better, give it to me. I will stimulate the economy like no one's business. I'll do what you failed to do. I'll invest in the stock market and buy houses I can actually afford without getting a loan. I'll try to save an economy that you helped ruin, since you are a bunch of morons. I'll even invest in other people's business ideas.

Wow. I can't even fathom this.

Banks: "We need money or we will go out of business thanks to our poor lending practices!"

Government: {{hands over money}}

Banks: "How dare you give us this money and expect us to change our habits. Limits on executive pay? COMMUNISTS!"

There must be a correlation between positions of power and degenerative brain cell tissue.

A Quick Comment:

This was the title and short description of an article on the New York Times:

Some Banks, Citing Strings, Want to Return Aid
By STEPHEN LABATON

Critics of the White House conditions on bailout funds say the measures border on social engineering.

Hm... Maybe it's because YOU SUCK AT WHAT YOU DO. Huh? What do you think? Think that could be it? Maybe if you didn't suck, the government wouldn't have had to bail you out.

Return the money. We didn't want to support you anyway, stupid.

The Axis of Drivel

Today, the New York Times Op-Ed Columnists were on fire:

Blow:

Let’s start with Jindal, who delivered his now-infamous, numbingly rote response to Obama’s national address in a kindergarten cadence. He fumbled his facts and sealed his fate. He then scurried off to Disney World to lick his wounds in a place where they appreciate a character and a fairy tale. Goofy. ...

Collins:

Bunning is one of a number of Republicans who have shown remarkable capacity for alienating voters even in red states. Meanwhile, there are currently only about three who have demonstrated any ability to get elected in the blue ones. They’re the same people who voted for the stimulus, and Steele has said that he’s open to denying them support in re-election campaigns.

Actually what Steele said was: “I’m always open to everything, baby, absolutely.” This came shortly after his vow to The Washington Times that the party would stand for conservative principles applied “to urban-suburban hip-hop settings.” It suggests that one of Steele’s most profound problems is a conviction that the Republican Party can become cool.

The Republican Party is not going to be cool. The Democratic Party is barely cool, and it has Barack Obama. The Republicans have Rush Limbaugh, a man whose popularity among Americans under the age of 60 is lower than a share of Citigroup stock.

Herbert:

More than 4.4 million jobs have been lost since this monster recession officially got under way in December 2007, and we’ve got people wigging out over earmarks. Folks, get a grip. Some earmarks are good, some are not, but collectively they account for a tiny, tiny portion of the national budget — less than 1 percent.

Freaking out over earmarks is like watching a neighborhood that is being consumed by flames and complaining that there is crabgrass on some of the lawns.

New York Times may be the only website that makes me want to turn off adblock and just click around to give them as much funding as possible.

Rush Limbaugh

Like being raped by a fat, sweaty, drug addicted rhinoceros, Rush Limbaugh continues to speak. I expect him to be the news for a while, so this will be a fun read in the interim.

The sweaty, swollen man in the black, half-buttoned shirt who ranted for nearly 90 minutes Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He reiterated his desire to see the president of his country fail. He misstated the Constitution’s intent while accusing President Obama of “bastardizing” the document. He made fun of one man’s service in Vietnam, to laughter.

The New Face(s) of the Republican Party

Republicans are trying to re-brand themselves. Realizing that they look like a bunch of old rich racish white guys that don't understand "the email," they are trying to give themselves a new face that will appeal to the broader public. And here, apparently, are their choices:



Bobby Jindal is the governor of Louisiana. He would be a great face to re-shape the Republican party - he is young (born in 1971), he is Indian (not Black so thy are not copying the Democrats!), conservative and... charming? Sure, why not. Charming.

The problem is that in addition to all of those things, no one really likes him. From Wikipedia:

Reactions to Jindal's speech and delivery were mostly negative, including those of fellow Republicans. Conservative commentators were among the harshest critics, calling his speech "amateurish", "childish", "stale", "insane", "a flop", and "a disaster for the Republican Party". Gail Collins, in her syndicated column emanating from the New York Times and published in Louisiana's Times-Picayune, zeroed in on Jindal's delivery, which, according to Collins, "sounded a little like a junior high schooler's entry into the Chamber of Commerce 'I Speak for Fiscal Restraint' contest."

Apologies for the Wikipedia reference but it is the easiest summary I have been able to find (a few links: 1, 2, 3). Regardless, no one likes him. And while one speech does not determine a presidency, it certainly isn't going to help the Republicans for a while. He may yet help them again in 2012 or 2014, but by then it may be too late to save their party.



Michael Steele - He's just like Barack Obama, except a stereotype!!!

In the last month, Steele has already used more youth slang from the late 1990's than Barack Obama has uttered in the last 10 years. While Republicans think they have offered up their version of the current president, what they have really offered is, by far, the least inspiring black political leader in the history of the world. He's uncharismatic, too conservative to ever match youth beliefs, unfunny, and has absolutely no pulse on current cultural dynamics. Way to go, Republicans.



Seriously, Fuck Joe the Plumber.

GM called me the other day. They asked me if I could find something that embodies their car lines - something that says "General Motors Makes High Quality Cars Made for You!" After hanging up the phone, I went to QFC and bought 3 boxes of Fiber one. 2 days later I went to the bathroom. I then scooped up the contents and froze them. Later, I took it out of the freezer, used a carving knife to fashion a Hummer H3, and handed it in to General Motors.

Yes kids, Joe the Plumber is the Republican's Hummer H3 carved out of frozen shit.



And the number one new face of the Republican party is ... (drumroll) ...

An Old Rich Racist White Guy! Woo!!! Hey, wait a minute. That's the same!

Rush Limbaugh is the Karl Rove of the Republican party, except unlike Karl Rove, Rush is significantly less intelligent and will never, ever, convince younger generations of non-idiots to vote for Republicans. He represents both the downfall of the Republican party (good) as well as the downfall of American society (bad). He spews hate speech and has a 20 million person following that is both dangerous and gullible. As long as he is the face of the Republicans, the Republicans are going to shrink to the point of being irrelevant. But as long as he controls 20 million people, he has a very frightening army of citizens that listen to his hate speech and blow it even further out of proportion.

So that's it. Those are the new faces of the Republican party. A governor no one likes, a chairman no one will like, an idiot, and a louder idiot. I don't think the re-brand is going well.

What? Me Bias?

Watching MSNBC's "audience reaction" monitor for the president's speech today was like staring at a long mountain range where all of the mountains are square, sit directly next to each other with no space in between, and have very minimal ridges up top.

Seriously. This was their effort to try to copy CNN's tracker during the presidential debates. They had Obama voters and McCain voters putting their reaction to the President's speech, and this was the result for the entire hour:

(red line is McCain supporters, blue line is Obama supporters [they overlap] and yellow line represents the neither approve nor disapprove line)

Those lines almost never moved. And yes, it is "those" lines. You can't tell, but apparently McCain supporters (according to the monitor) are just as high on Obama as the Obama supporters, if not more so, to the point where their approval lines overlapped through the majority of the speech. There was even a point where both Obama and McCain supporters approved of his speech so much, the lines actually cross above the page and disappeared.

I love MSNBC. But wow, they need to at least pretend to get a representative sample. Maybe throw in an actual McCain supporter here and there so that the Republican line is at least occasionally lower than the Democrat line.

Carmageddon

The car companies have three choices - fail, succeed with government funds, or be bought by the government. Failing is not really an option. Succeeding is not a possibility. Being bought by the government isn't a recipe for success. There is pretty much guaranteed failure all around.

I have no thoughts. I don't think the car companies can go under, but everyone with 1/3rd of a brain has known for years that the "we will buy big cars and not give a shit about gas mileage" philosophy was going to bite them in the ass. They blame the economy, but their cars are pieces of shit, and the fact that they can haul a truck doesn't matter when no one needs to haul anything.

In fact... what a bunch of complete idiots. Who the hell was in charge of those companies?

Whatever. It's over. The car companies as they were have no chance. But if I were to make any suggestions:

- If you stick around, stop trying to remake these shitty brands. Oh WOW, you shut down Pontiac!!!! Big deal. Why not just make a new car brand? Call it "Xcite." Get people Xcited. Make the cars better. No one actually gives a crap what brand it is under as long as it is a good car.

- Show at least SOME devotion to making better cars. Instead of asking just for bailout money, ask for money to research Hybrids and make cars with significantly higher gas mileage. DO SOMETHING.

- DO SOMETHING.

- Firing people does not solve the problem. That's just less people to buy your cars.

- If you have more cars than you have people to buy them, why not lower the prices on all your cars dramatically to flood some capital into your business. What's the point of keeping them there? They aren't going anywhere, and by the time they are (4, 5 years?) they'll be useless and outdated, from a car company that has gone out of business. You want to impress me? Sell the Cadillac Escalade hybrid for 15,000 dollars or less. I'll buy it.

- Make cars like the iPod. Make them ridiculously gadget-filled and equally affordable. Make. Better. Cars. If a single car has a gas mileage under 35 mpg, it's a shitty car that no one will buy.

- Stop trying to just get money from the government. Partner with the government. Give them an investment so that you can achieve mutual success.

That's all I can think of. It's the end of days of these car companies. At the very least, they can try to actually do something of value.

Obama's Thoughts on Bipartisanship

Here's this quote - Obama's response to Republicans not voting for his stimulus bill:

"Now, I have to say that given that they were running the show for a pretty long time prior to me getting there, and that their theory was tested pretty thoroughly and it’s landed us in the situation where we’ve got over a trillion-dollars’ worth of debt and the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression, I think I have a better argument in terms of economic thinking.”

But how he doesn't care, and he will still look towards bipartisanship. I think he should, but when the ideas are stupid, they should largely be ignored.

Solving the Global Financial Crisis, One Joint at a Time

When the economy is trouble, you need to find a way to make jobs. The best way to make jobs is with government spending - The government has money, that money goes to others and they create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

But while the Republican approach to the economy is misguided at best (and at worst, mildly retarded) they do have one points: It is a scary and dangerous thing to spend a lot of money that you do not have. The Republican alternative, cutting taxes, is a considerably worse idea. But at least they are right that when the government starts spending money they do not have, dangerous things can occur.

So what can they do? The government needs to spend money, but they need to spend money that they have, and they don't have any money. So what are their options?

1) Spend money anyway, take the risk.
2) Don't spend money, take an even bigger risk.
3) Give tax cuts, economy fails, Armageddon comes.
4) Find ways for the government to raise money without raising taxes, and then spending that money.

Clearly number 4 would be best. The Republicans are not fond of the government trying to raise money, but let's face it - if they could find an industry with no competitors that would not push American companies out of business, that would be a great way to make money.

The thing is, that industry already exists, and if it were run by the government it would solve numerous problems at once while earning the government billions of dollars. That industry is the production and sale of marijuana.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's be clear: Despite my extreme dislike of most drug laws, I have never once tried, tasted or held Marijuana. This is not the rantings of an individual that wants to make it easier to smoke his next bowl.

But with all of the studies that have been out and all of the sociological research that has gone into marijuana use, if you still think it is a "gateway drug" or even a dangerous drug at all, you are clearly out of your mind. There is pretty much 0 research that claims marijuana use in moderation is dangerous, with the exception of smoking it because of the fumes you receive from the paper and burnt leaves. It has over a dozen benefits and no real side effects, not including an irrational affection for Phish.

In addition, there are numerous problems that arise from it being an illegal substance. It can help support gangs. It can pay for illegal activities. It can be grown and kept in dangerous ways. In reality, the production and sale of marijuana are where most of the dangers arise, as are the perceptions of it being illicit.

The American government should take control of marijuana sales and distribution. It should open research and production plants to grow safe and powerful Marijuana. It should open stores to sell it across the nation. And all of the profits - all of them - should go into the government solely to support government programs. In other words, what they make they spend on infrastructure and other job creating programs.

What can this do?

1) It is estimated that 25,000,000 people in the United States use Marijuana each year. A single gram of marijuana costs an average of 10.00. That means that if only 1 gram of Marijuana was purchased per year, it would generate 250,000,000 in income. It would not be unheard of for the average person to spend ~$1000 on marijuana each year, garnering 25 billion dollars for the government. And that assumes that more people do not start using it when it is legal.

25 billion dollars may not seem like a lot, especially when compared to a 750 billion dollar stimulus bill, but 25 billion in pure profit that can go straight to investments and job creation every year is a lot of money.

2) Thousands of jobs will be created by the government when they have to pay people to grow, distribute and sell the Marijuana.

3) It will stop the illegal selling of marijuana on the street.

4) Etc., etc., etc.

It creates jobs, it makes the streets safer, it gives the government money to spend on projects that will promote greater job creation - there really is no excuse not to legalize marijuana, and regulating it by the government can help stimulate the economy. Am I wrong?

Now That I'm Better

At what point in journalism school do they teach their students that by repeating a stupid phrase over and over again they become better journalists?

"The Honeymoon is Over"

Wow. Great. That was an important phrase the 100th time I heard it. At 200, it was getting old. At 4,000, it murdered its children before taking its own life. Get over it and start using other words to describe what phenomenon that you yourselves admit may not actually be occurring.

I'm Sick.

Tax Cuts for Democrats

Tax cuts are a stupid idea. And John Boner [sic] is an idiot for the reasons he suggests them. But for the sake of discussion, I was considering what kind of tax cuts I would want if I could only choose one. The two choices are:

1) Tax cuts for businesses
2) Tax cuts for individuals

With the current economic crisis, tax cuts for businesses seems like it would make some sense. The more money a business has, the more people they can hire. The problem is that no one is currently spending money. Will that change if more people are hired? Or will the businesses just keep the money for themselves to make up for money they have lost with the bad economy (meaning it neither gets spent nor promotes job growth)?

Individual tax cuts put money directly into the pocket of individuals. The idea will be that they will spend it, stimulate the economy and create jobs. The question here is whether or not they will spend it. I, for one, know that any money I get is going to pay some taxes I owe (self employment is a bitch). I know other people are just going to save the money or pay back their credit cards. Not exactly the boost the economy is looking for.

So each has their pluses and minuses. If I could only choose one, I'd probably choose tax cuts for businesses - and only small businesses, to prevent corporate hording. At least if businesses are making more of a profit again, there is a chance it will boost consumer confidence and spending will once again increase (which will generate jobs). I don't think either is a particularly good plan, but if tax cuts are necessary, small business tax cuts seem like the best option.

Same Old Song for the Grand Old Poopheads

I'm stealing most of the good stuff, but you should read this article by Bob Herbert of the New York Times (emphasis mine):

[T]he country is hemorrhaging jobs and Americans are heading to the poorhouse by the millions. The stock markets and the value of the family home have collapsed, and there is virtual across-the-board agreement that the country is caught up in the worst economic disaster since at least World War II.

The Republican answer to this turmoil?

Tax cuts.

They need to go into rehab.

When the G.O.P. talks, nobody should listen. Republicans have argued, with the collaboration of much of the media, that they could radically cut taxes while simultaneously balancing the federal budget, when, in fact, big income-tax cuts inevitably lead to big budget deficits. We listened to the G.O.P. and what do we have now? A trillion-dollar-plus deficit and an economy in shambles.

This is the party that preached fiscal discipline and then cut taxes in time of war. This is the party that still wants to put the torch to Social Security and Medicare. This is a party that, given a choice between Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, would choose Ronald Reagan in a heartbeat.

Why is anyone still listening?

l33t Has Come to America

It's Been Real

But now, if you'd be so kind...



Abstinence has come to America.
We have finally gotten rid of Bush and Dick.

Bush's Last Day

Te quiero hoy mas que ayer, pero no tanto como mañana

Well, that's kinda cool

Saw this on the New York Times:

As the number of jobs across the nation dwindles, more Americans are joining the military, lured by a steady paycheck, benefits and training.

The last fiscal year was a banner one for the military, with all active-duty and reserve forces meeting or exceeding their recruitment goals for the first time since 2004, the year that violence in Iraq intensified drastically, Pentagon officials said.

...

And the trend seems to be accelerating. The Army exceeded its targets each month for October, November and December — the first quarter of the new fiscal year — bringing in 21,443 new soldiers on active duty and in the reserves. December figures were released last week.

Not bad. We may be losing jobs, but we'll be gaining military strength at a time where people are worried about terrorists trying to test Barack Obama. Also, it makes the "say no to a larger stimulus" somewhat ironic, since they are going to have to pay more and more individuals anyway. But that's a different issue altogether.

Where Were You When the Devil Left the Building

Busy with work has made it difficult to post. But most upsetting is that I have no plans for January 20th. Bush's last day is a time of tremendous celebration, and I should be out and about with copious amounts of alcohol to complement my happiness.

The Filibuster

What is a Filibuster?

It is when someone stands there for like 24 hours and does not stop talking to block a vote. 60 votes are needed to override it.

It only takes 50 votes to pass a bill, but it takes 60 votes to stop a filibuster. That is why people care so much about 60 votes. But remember, a filibuster is not a term for getting 60 votes - only to block some guy talking for 24 hours.

The Democrats - most notably Harry Reid - often do not go through with the passage of bills because the Republicans threaten a filibuster. But instead of just canceling its passage, Reid should start making the Republicans ACTUALLY filibuster. Make them talk for 24 hours, or whatever, so that the bill does that past. That way, when people wonder why nothing has changed in the White House, the answer will not be:

"The Democrats could not get 60 votes to block the Filibuster."

It will be:

"Senator Mitch McConnell reads from Moby Dick for 24 hours."

One makes it sound like the Democrat's fault. The other makes it sound like Mitch McConnell is an idiot.

Start making the Republicans actually filibuster instead of simply letting them threaten it. If Harry Reid does not start doing that, he needs to be ousted as majority leader.

Oh. My. God.

And Republicans wonder why liberals think they are stupid.

Joe the Plumber is taking on a new job.

The Ohio man, who became famous during the U.S. presidential campaign after asking Barack Obama about his tax plan, is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for a conservative Web site called pjtv.com.

This man is an idiot. You have made him the representative of your party. Congratulations, you are represented by an idiot.

Lions and Tigers and Trillions Oh My!

OMG a trillion dollar deficit?! No1 that typ3s like th1s knos wut that means.

A trillion dollar deficit is a big deal. The irony is that there is no such things as money. It is an arbitrary item designed to represent another arbitrary item that people seem to give implicit value to. Wowza.

Losing jobs is real. A trillion dollar deficit is important, but not real. It is one of those things that we need to let bite us in the ass in the future if we have to increase it today in order to live. A bad economy leads to a bad deficit that will never recover, but a good economy by creating a worse deficit is far more likely to recover. So Barack Obama's spending plans should be welcome provided they increase jobs and have noticeable results on the economy. Assuming that is the case, I really could not care less.

His Larious

7ish years ago, George Bush was going to be remembered for one thing: Performing semi-admirably on 9/11. I remember that time. I knew nothing of politics, saw his reaction, and was pleased with his response.

It's hard to believe how many complete and utter failures have occurred since then. The sheer magnitude of them is so strong, that most people think back to 9/11 as not a terrible tragedy, but a time where Bush decided to take the lead ruining the country. 9/11 has, itself, become an example of the administrations failure despite the actual event being something that even he hadn't ruined (yet).

It's impossible to list all of the things that have gone wrong in the past 8 years. There is no aspect of the country or the world that is better off. Economy? Crashed. Environment? Shitty. Science? Halted. Israel? Worse. Army? Weaker. General Intelligence? Less. That he is not considered the worst president in history by a large margin is only due to the country being significantly more technologically advanced when he started, as there was no way his mistakes were going to cause us to lose our conveniences.

Still, I don't feel remotely bad for him. What a joke.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

There is a level of interest that one has in politics when there is a lot of downtime in their life. When one does not have that downtime, the interest recedes.

In other words, this past week I have had nothing interesting to say.

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18 days until Bush is out of office.