Saturday, February 28, 2009

Another Blast From The Past

This week, we take a look at some silly stuff, songs or videos that might make you smile.

First up is a song and video that embodies the very word silly. It's a little tune from the 70s that got a little airplay along the way. This is one that my generation will most certainly remember. How fondly? I don't know, but here is the Jimmy Castor Bunch and Troglodyte:



The Beatles were a talent unmatched by any other musical act in my lifetime. No doubt about it (in my mind), they could have written a song about a frog hopping across the road and it would have been good. Each song took on a character and personality of its own. Most all of their original compositions were unique.

This silly little song was one that I remember as the Side B of Let It Be. It was on a jukebox at a cheap little drive-in nearby (i.e. dive), when I was but a young lad. It's not deep in lyrics, it doesn't have many different words in it. But the music changes style a few times throughout the tune. So much so, that you will not get bored. I firmly believe this one falls just a hair's width short, of a musical masterpiece for that era.

Here is You Know My Name:



Finally, this song cannot stand independent of the video.

I first saw this one, back in the 90s when it won some awards and have found it quite entertaining. It's funny. It's not something you would be expecting to see, especially in the first few seconds. I am not the biggest fan of techno/electronica. Yet, this one does work for me.

Many people may not know this tidbit (I didn't when I first saw this), but before he studied acting, Christopher Walken studied dancing. I understand the special effects aspect of the music video industry and that some of this video is just that; but under it all, this is Christopher Walken and he does show that he can bust a move.

Here is Fatboy Slim and Weapon Of Choice:



Enjoy.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Recommended Reading

If you get time, take a moment and read Mustang's latest post on some numbers. You might want to have a calculator handy.

AC at Fore Left has some food for thought on an overlooked anniversary. Who knows how this would have played out, had it been 100% successful in its objective?


Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Gaza Aid: Enter The Bottomless Money Pit

From the "how much more insane can it get" department, comes this story:

United States aid for the Gaza Strip's reconstruction will likely top $900 million, an official said, as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared to make her first Mideast trip as America's top diplomat.

Israeli and Palestinian officials said Monday that Clinton will visit Israel and the West Bank during the first week of March. Clinton said during her Asia trip last week that she would attend an international donors conference in Egypt on March 2 to discuss reconstruction in Gaza.

She provided no other details, but a U.S. official in the United States said Monday that the Obama administration's donation will be at least $900 million in humanitarian and rebuilding aid to the Palestinian Authority to help Gaza recover from Israel's offensive against Hamas last month.


Close to one billion dollars will be leaving a strapped economy and a government that hasn't got an ounce of brains, all because Hamas launched attacks from Gaza and Israel took them out. Anyone with a dimwit's intelligence can easily see it will be another colossal waste of money, because this fragile cease fire is not going to last.

Already today, it is being reported that Hamas has launched another rocket attack into Israel. So can anyone tell me just how wise this expenditure is going to prove to be, if we throw this money away and Israel ends up blowing it all up again?

Besides the fiscal irresponsibility angle of this idiotic move, who really believes this is going to make these people like us? Let's see a show of hands.

The French have pretty much worked as hard as anyone trying to kiss the Muslim nations' derrieres and they are not given any special treatment when their citizens visit one of those countries. Evidence to this claim can be found here in this story.

The French teenagers had finished a day touring Cairo's 650-year-old Khan el-Khalili bazaar, gathering in its main square to board a bus back to their hotel. Then the blast went off.

The explosion killed a 17-year-old girl with the group and wounded 24 other people, most of them fellow students. According to the government account released Monday, a bomb had been planted underneath a stone bench on which the girl was sitting.

The Sunday night blast was the first attack in three years targeting foreigners in Egypt, and it raised fears of a blow to the country's vital tourism industry, which is already suffering from the global economic downturn.

The attack shocked the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, hometown of the more than 40 high school students who were on a tour of Egypt. "We are faced with a dreadful drama," the suburb's mayor Patrick Balkany told France's RTL radio on Monday.


Terrorists do not see Western nations as anything but an enemy and certainly are not willing to award any special treatment because any of them are willing to appease and understand their violent demands. So it stands to good reason that $900 million will not have any effect on the average citizen's opinion about America.

Frankly, it will be be seen as compensation for supporting the evil Jews, and will only open the door for demanding/expecting more in the future. The money pit in this case is a bottomless one, because the beast that lives in it will get hungrier and will need to be fed more as times goes on.

Just enter this as dumbass move # 136, by the Obama Administration. One month down, 47 more to go.


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Distorted Imagery

I like to look at graphs. Here is one that I have found interesting, of late. As long as as I am mildly familiar with the subject matter contained in the graphs, I can analyze and correlate them with other forms of knowledge and data --like tables. Tables are not hard to analyze, either. Here's one that I find enlightening.

As long as graphs and tables are accurate and the information contained in them are not skewed, most people that have any critical thinking skills can determine some pretty important things. If a person doesn't have the ability to do a minute amount of research on their own and/or any analytical skills to process that research, there is a good chance they will believe articles like this, without any skepticism whatsoever.

Renowned investor George Soros said on Friday the world financial system has effectively disintegrated, adding that there is yet no prospect of a near-term resolution to the crisis.

Soros said the turbulence is actually more severe than during the Great Depression, comparing the current situation to the demise of the Soviet Union.


The term "renowned investor" will likely impress some people who do not take, the time to educate themselves on the world around them. Other times, the word "billionaire" is used with the name George Soros and that may impress other people, as well. These things may impress some, but others who are able to use these skills I have spoken of are anything but impressed.

For several months now, I have been listening to the message from Democrats and even some Republicans, how the sky is falling and this current economic crisis is comparable to the Great Depression. The Dems did throughout the two terms of GWB, so this is nothing new; they are used to doing it and we are used to hearing it. It was hyperbole for the most part, until the housing market and credit crunch hit in the autumn of last year.

Since that unfortunate time, the Dems have successfully used it as a campaign issue to sweep themselves back into power. It was an opportunity, they took it, as we would have expected them to do. It has been done before and will likely be done again, but the election has been over for almost four months now. The new Congress has been seated for almost two months and the new President, for one. And the gloom and doom is still being advanced, like there is no tomorrow.

Now let's pause for a moment here before we get too far.

We are in a recession, there can be no argument. We have been in them before, this is nothing new. The market continues to drop, layoffs are occurring in most economic sectors, and consumer confidence is low. When this happens, responsible people tighten their belts and do not spend any more then necessary. Even those that have jobs cut back, because of the fear their job may be the next one cut.

The media has been instrumental in this, their daily gloom and doom reports have been a huge factor in this entire mess. We cannot entirely blame them, but they haven't been much of a help, because much of the American market is driven by stocks and stocks are driven by speculation. The same can be said for consumer spending.

When those who have jobs hear the constant bombardment of job losses, comparisons with the Great Depression, and the generalized dismal future this nation is facing, it makes people (with jobs) scared their job will be eventually be eliminated. For that reason, they begin to save instead of spend.

But let's get back to the Democrats, let's get back to Mr. Soros.

The Dems have long been in bed with Mr. Soros. He bankrolled much of the failed bid to get John Kerry into the White House in 2004, he was highly instrumental in the Dems sweep back into power in the 2006 mid-terms, and it is well known that he played a major financial role in the 2008 election of Barack Obama.

The Soros message has been gloom and doom, all along. On the surface, it would seem because of his politics and his desire to see a Democrat in power. But if we look deeper, we would know something different. George Soros has made his fortune by crashing markets and currencies. Just look back to 1992, when he broke the back of the Bank of England.

This should start making sense now, if it hasn't before. Soros gets his people into power. They (in turn) turn out legislation that will not help. Then, the ignorant masses think it is a positive step and glorify those that are responsible for it. In the meantime, everyone involved (including Soros) gets on the gloom and doom bandwagon, continues to turn out negativity with the hope of breeding more negativity, and people buy into it.

Now, about the graph and table I linked to earlier in the post:

It's interesting to look at the graph because it represents the Dow Jones Industrial throughout the last six months, which include: 1) the latter part of the election season, 2) the days of the transition, and 3) the days since the inauguration. The media and the Democrats did a great job of painting a bleaker picture than it was, albeit it wasn't a great outlook with the credit and housing crunch.

As for the table, take a look at the unemployment rates from 1940 until now; then, read about the Great Depression. The Great Depression had unemployment rates of around 25%, and the year 1940 showed a 14.6% rate. At various points from the 40s on, we have had recessions that have resulted in high unemployment. And we have always pulled out of them, eventually.

The point I want to make is simple. We cannot win confidence back, if our leaders in Washington can/will not stop accentuating the negative. No one wants to be lied to, this much is true. But most people already know we are in a difficult situation, and to keep harping on it is only scaring investors. Investors are the crux of our economy, all of the talk of nationalizing banks will not instill confidence.

The only person that appears to be prospering from this kind of talk is George Soros, and the Democrats who are facilitating more opportunities for him to capitalize on other people's misfortunes.


Monday, February 23, 2009

Hillary And China: Back Scratching For Dollars

From Bloomberg comes this report:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged China to continue buying U.S. Treasury bonds to help finance President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan, saying “we are truly going to rise or fall together.”

“Our economies are so intertwined,” Clinton said in an interview today in Beijing with Shanghai-based Dragon Television. “It would not be in China’s interest” if the U.S. were unable to finance deficit spending to stimulate its stalled economy.


Amazing that it would come to this. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State having an economic dialogue with China to keep our deficit spending going. This is like going to the bank while behind on your mortgage, car payment, several credit cards, and having the audacity to ask for more money.

She is right in one sense. It would be in their best interests to sink more money into us, because most of the things we get now come from China. When we stop buying, they stop making.

But the biggest problem I have with this entire conversation has nothing to do with any of the common sense talk about fiscal responsibility or debt. I just cannot help but wonder what state secrets she was willing to share with China, this time around.

Los Alamos was a long time ago. Most of that technology has been realized and developed, time to catch them up to speed again. They need it and we need to finance another Democratic spending spree. This is called back scratching for dollars.


Saturday, February 21, 2009

Another Blast From The Past

It's Carnival time once again and I only know of two places to be for the seasonal celebration, Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans. I know there are many others that hold parades and fun things, but these two cities are the embodiment of this event.

Personally, I have never been to the Rio celebration. But I have some information that my friend Mustang woke up on a park bench there. It was some years ago, after an episode of heavy drinking and some other forms of mainstream debauchery (which shall remain nameless). It is also my understanding that Ed McMahon was found just two benches down, after his own little fling.

No folks, no Rio for me. But I have been to NOLA. I was there in 1995, visiting my dad (adoptive, the one who actually raised me) after he had some minor surgery.

Most people would think that this was great enough on it's own merits, a man scheduling something like this so his relatives could be in town for a big event like this. But Dad always had an angle. Not only did he talk me into coming down, he got his brother to fly down as well. He wanted someone to party with.

I arrived by automobile on Lundi Gras (Fat Monday). Sadly for me, his directions had me lost enough to make several trips around the Superdome. Getting into the right lane to get across that bridge to Algiers was no easy task when there are a million extra people in town, trying to get some place. But I made it and the next day we were all three on Bourbon Street, right after a late morning brunch.

Three days after getting out of the hospital (and a bottle of his trusty liquid Vicodin, in his pocket), he showed us Fat Tuesday in style, the local way. A few drinks in the Quarter and later that evening, we went out to Deanie's -- a great little seafood joint on the lake in Metarie. The food was good and the drinks were stout. The atmosphere was festive and the music set the tone for some great fun.

(As it turned out, he passed away two years later. I was glad that I had gone down then. I only saw him once afterward, and that was in Indiana. I think he knew more about his health then, than he was willing to tell the rest of us.)

So in keeping with the season of celebration, here are some great Louisiana Mardi Gras tunes to mark the occasion.

First up is a great little ditty, you will hear a million times in Nawlins right about now. This is Carnival Time by Al Johnson:



New Orleans native, Dr. John knows how to play a tune. Here is his version of Mardi Gras Mambo:



Next up is Buckwheat Zydeco performing with the Neville Brothers, singing his famous song simply called, Ya Ya:



Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas team up for this powerful and bluesy little number. It is one that puts you somewhere in a roadside bayou honky tonk, with moss on the outside, a boiling pot of crawfish on the backside, and a jukebox inside. This one is called, Blackwater Blues:



Enjoy.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Culture Of Corruption

We heard this ad nauseum from the Democrats that last several years. In fact, this was one of the major factors in their regaining control of Congress back in 2006.

The AP is finally reporting what most of us have already known for a long time, corruption is not limited to one party.

The Obama administration and the new Congress are quickly handing over to Republicans the same "culture of corruption" issue that Democrats used so effectively against the GOP before coming to power.

Freshman Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., is only the latest embarrassment.

Senate Democrats accepted Burris because they believed what he told them: He was clean. Burris now admits he tried to raise money for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who authorities say sought to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.

"The story seems to be changing day by day," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday.

The political mess for the Democratic Party, however, isn't Burris' conduct alone; it's the pattern that has developed so quickly over the past few months.


It's not a pattern that has been developing over the past few months, it has just been coming to light for the past few months. It has been there all along. These crooks haven't just decided to go astray now that they are in power. Just read the rest of the article for a "who's who" of corruption and ethical violations.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The same can be said about outcomes. In 2010, it looks like Democrats will be playing defense again and will be giving up a lot of yardage, on almost every down.


Wednesday, February 18, 2009

AG Holder: US Is "A Nation Of Cowards"

From the AP comes this report:

Attorney General Eric Holder described the United States Wednesday as a nation of cowards on matters of race, saying most Americans avoid discussing unresolved racial issues.

In a speech to Justice Department employees marking Black History Month, Holder said the workplace is largely integrated but Americans still self-segregate on the weekends and in their private lives.

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards," said Holder, nation's first black attorney general.

Race issues continue to be a topic of political discussion, Holder said, but "we, as average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race."


Looks good on paper, but I have to ask: Do black Americans truly want this dialogue.? As long as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are given "mainstream speaking for the black community" status, I cannot see where this is really wanted.

Those who cry racism at the drop of a hat are not willing to listen. They want to to lecture, but they do not want to hear. Most whites have reached a point whereby, it just isn't worth the aggravation and the grief that is yielded when they attempt to engage in honest and open dialogue. If a person is open and honest about how they feel and someone disagrees with it, they are labeled racists anyway. So, why bother to put forth any real effort?

Openness and honesty are especially difficult goals to achieve, when we realize there is a sizable group of people who really believe that blacks cannot be racist towards whites. They use the "years of oppression" excuse almost every time, despite the fact that all slave owners from this nation's history are all dead.

So if someone gets the chance to speak with Mr. Attorney General in the near future, call his attention to this post. Maybe this will help him understand why very few people care about race relations, these days. Then again, maybe not. Maybe he'll just consider this to be just another racist rant by another vile and hateful blogger.


Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Recommended Reading

Once again, I am going to ride the coat tails of other blogs because I am tired, overworked, and underpaid. I am just a loyal member of the proletariat, a tool of the man, and the man is keeping me down. But that's another post.


As always, someone that is always good for a link is Mr. Mustang.
In this post, he tackles the Fairness Doctrine. (Others cause him to be written out of my will, little by little, with each passing turn).


AC has an inside scoop you may be interested in. Do not read if you have a heart condition, specifically an arrhythmia .


I have been frequenting a place lately, called
Voice Of Conservative America. Check out this video of Milton Friedman taking the steam right of Phil Donahue. It's brilliant. It's also likely you'll never see Donahue speechless like this again.


Sunday, February 15, 2009

Sunday Reflection: Thanks For A Hero

We know that race-baiting is such big business these days. How else would guys like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson become so rich?

Anywhere there is a perceived injustice, you will find them there, getting their names in the paper and faces on TV. To hear them on a regular basis, one would think that there is no justice, no kindness, no compassion, or no understanding between black people and white people. They portray an image of everything being unfair, unequal, and bigoted, with whites having all of the advantages.

So with this in mind, it should come as no surprise that neither Al, nor Jesse, were anywhere close to what happened in Boston this past week. Why not? Because something good, something positive happened there, and they have no time to encourage anything that remotely sounds like a message of true hope.

Here is a real story of heroism and bravery that did not make the national media, at least I didn't hear it. I had to stumble upon it by accident.

In 1968, a white firefighter saved a black baby girl, touching the heart of a divided city. The two did not meet again. Until yesterday.

This is a great story. I recommend reading it in its entirety.


Saturday, February 14, 2009

Another Blast From The Past

It's Valentine's Day, which means nice restaurants all over America will be packed to the gills. Know of a good Italian place with good food, good atmosphere, and an unbelievable romantic ambiance? Well, good luck getting a reservation. You will pretty much be out of luck. Your only hope will be a chain restaurant like Red Lobster or Olive Garden with call ahead seating, or a buffet with a long line.

If you can cook, the way out of this is to go to the grocery store. Get some nice steaks, some fresh seafood -- anything that you think she will see as romantic. Then, make her a nice candlelight dinner for two with roses as a table centerpiece. If you really want to score points, do the dishes for her.

(If you are married and mess this up, you may find yourself served with papers next week. If this is the case, consider the law offices of Irwin R. Schuyster for competent representation.)

PYY cannot help you with your procrastinating ways that may land you in hot water on the home front. But here are a few love songs from the past that will at least remind you of someone, someplace, somewhere. (If it's not your present spouse or love interest, you should really keep this to yourself.)

Anyway, enough advice. Here is the music.

This video has some of Hollywood's most gorgeous ladies, in their prime. It's backed by one of my favorite tunes, The Beatles' And I Love Her:



Here is one I always liked, Roberta Flack and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face:



This one comes from Dan Fogleberg. It's simply called Longer:



Enjoy.


Friday, February 13, 2009

Question Of The Week

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will flush almost a trillion dollars into the economy, with the hopes of ending the current recession. One of the more popular portions of the stimulus package will put money directly into the pockets of workers, so they can do their share of spending to help us out of this mess. When all of the math has been done, it comes to about $13 extra, per week.

So today's thought provoking question of the day is:

What do you plan to do with your $13?


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Apostle Obama

He went out to sow seeds of harmony and unity, to bring the world a message. But lo and behold, as the sower went forth to sow his words, it was discovered that he could heal also.

Everywhere he went, there was healing.

It was quite a moment at the end of President Obama's town hall meeting in Fort Myers, Fla., yesterday. As The News-Press writes, 19-year-old Julio Osegueda "rocketed from a Cape Coral teenager who flips burgers for $7.85 an hour at a McDonald's to an instant celebrity of sorts."

And he got a temporary job.


If once is a miracle, twice must mean there is a true gift involved.

Also during Tuesday's town hall, a 61-year-old woman named Henrietta Hughes told the president that she and her 37-year-old son are homeless after having their house foreclosed. She asked for his help. Obama said he would, and his staff put Hughes in touch with local housing authority officials.

By now, we should all be convinced, right?

Well, there's more. This article links to another one.

Their story got the attention of another person who wanted to help.

While local and national media swarmed Henrietta Hughes for interviews, Chene Thompson, wife of State Rep. Nick Thompson, grabbed Hughes’ hand and offered them a house.

The house is in LaBelle, the first home Chene Thompson bought after law school.
“Just give me the opportunity to help you,” Chene Thompson told her.

All is well, right? Obama healed again, right?

Wrong. It was a private citizen who happens to be the wife of a politician, who offered to help this woman. Not Obama, not the federal government. I cannot attest to her motives. But it was a woman, an individual. No need for a village, here.

But it's not over, yet.

But as of Tuesday night, the Hughes had not contacted the Thompsons about coming to see the house. Their cell phone is out of minutes, so it is nearly impossible to get in touch with them.

And two individuals who took it upon themselves to shield the Hughes from media inquires self-appointed media representatives ushered the Hughes into the truck that has been their home.

As she bounced from reporter to reporter Tuesday, Henrietta Hughes seemed euphoric but overwhelmed by the attention. The woman that no one knew Tuesday morning would be known nationwide Tuesday night.


I have the feeling, there may be more to this than meets the eye. What do you think?



UPDATE:

Apparently this isn't the first time the public has reached out to help Henrietta Hughes, Michelle Malkin has the scoop.

Another UPDATE:

I went back to MM's post on this, I found she had linked to this posting.Which in turn linked to this one.

A day after the president and the nation heard their plea, Henrietta and her son are no longer homeless.

State representative Nick Thompson and wife Chene offered the Hughes family their LaBelle home-free of charge for as long as they need it.

Mrs. Thompson has become their Mother Teresa, fielding calls from would-be donors and all the major networks who want to hear more from the Hughes.

The Ellen Degeneres show is interested in their story, too.

Beyond all the attention, Henrietta and Corey say they have found hope with the help of God and President Obama.

"I'd just say thank you very much, we appreciate you," said Corey.

The Hughes will tour their new home Thursday for the first time.

Until then, they are staying at a hotel in Fort Myers, courtesy of another stranger.


Some people fall on hard times. Some fall into it more than others.

Of those that do establish patterns of this kind of thing, some are good people that have never been taught how to succeed, only how to use government. One must wonder why things seem to never work for some people and yet do, for others.

It's great for these people now, they getting attention from everywhere and many are wanting to help out of a good heart. But what happens when the limelight dies out and the 15 minutes are up? What will come of this opportunity? I'd have to say the odds are, she'll be homeless again.

Since this is one more media-generated event, I would say they'll work it as long as they can to portray this as an Obama miracle. But as I said earlier, it is an individual that offered this woman another opportunity, not Obama. He may have been the catalyst, but was not source.


Augustus Obama

Mustang has written another brilliant piece.

Actually, all of his pieces are great. But this one is brilliant, as he gives us a comparative analysis of the famous Roman Emperor and the his first impressions of the new Obama administration.

There is a definite desire to consolidate power and stack the deck in favor of the Democrats for years to come. Remember the FDR court-packing era? We better be prepared to use the courts, we need our own version of Schechter vs. the United States.

Case One-the census.


Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Forest Jihad In Australia Fires? Is America Next?

Forest jihad by fire, is a distinct possibility in considering the rash of fires that are sweeping through Oz right now.

Firefighters and homeowners aren't the only ones keenly watching Australia's massive wildfires, responsible for killing at least 173 people in the southern part of the continent.

Terrorism experts suspect Muslim extremists are watching closely, too — and taking note of the devastation.


There are some who will say this is over the top. And while it hasn't been proven, it is not something that should be blown off. We know that authorities believe some of the fires are the work of arsonists. But they are stopping short of saying they suspect any of these blazes are the work of terrorist organizations:

While Australian authorities have revealed no evidence linking the wildfires to extremists, terrorism experts say the large death toll, the huge swath of destruction and the massive financial blow to the country are proving to Islamic terrorists that arson can be a highly effective — and simple — tool of holy war.

In November, an extremist Web site called on Muslims to launch a "forest jihad" in Australia, Europe, Russia and the United States. The posting, which quoted imprisoned Al Qaeda terrorist Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, said setting forest fires was legal under "eye-for-an-eye" Islamic law.

"Scholars have justified chopping down and burning the infidels' forests when they do the same to our lands," the posting read.

This should be a red hot tip for Americans and frankly, it should concern anyone that lives in an area that may suffer some level of drought conditions. Other larger scale options for terrorists have been thwarted or are not logistically possible at this time. But this one has a low overhead and endless potential targets, when dry conditions are so widespread. All they need is a couple gallons of gasoline, a lighter, some wind, and dry vegetation out in the middle of nowhere.

I am even more apprehensive after reading this little tidbit from the Federal Register:

_______________________________________

[Federal Register: February 4, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 22)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Page 6115]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04fe09-106]



Presidential Documents




[[Page 6115]]


Presidential Determination No. 2009-15 of January 27,
2009


Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs
Related To Gaza

Memorandum for the Secretary of State

By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, including section
2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of
1962 (the ``Act''), as amended (22 U.S.C. 2601), I
hereby determine, pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the
Act, that it is important to the national interest to
furnish assistance under the Act in an amount not to
exceed $20.3 million from the United States Emergency
Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the purpose
of meeting unexpected and urgent refugee and migration
needs, including by contributions to international,
governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and
payment of administrative expenses of Bureau of
Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department
of State, related to humanitarian needs of Palestinian
refugees and conflict victims in Gaza.

You are authorized and directed to publish this
memorandum in the Federal Register.


(Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

Washington, January 27, 2009

[FR Doc. E9-2488
Filed 2-3-09; 8:45 am]

Billing code 4710-10-P

_______________________________________

I don't know about you, but I think we are going to markedly increase our risk of attack if Palestinians can simply claim refugee status, to gain entry to live in the United States. Who knows whether this will bring in a wave of arsonists waiting for summer?


Monday, February 09, 2009

Al Sharpton Back At It

Must have been a slow news day for race-baiting opportunities for Al Sharpton. Now he seems to have Bernard Madoff in his sights, as he spent yesterday picketing outside Madoff's home.

Saying Bernard Madoff enjoys a "gilded penthouse incarceration," civil rights activist Al Sharpton led a rally outside the accused swindler's Manhattan home on Saturday urging equal justice for the rich and poor.

Sharpton and about 30 other demonstrators protested that Madoff was being allowed to remain free pending trial while poor people with no access to top legal representation languished in prison for relatively minor infractions.

"There must be one standard for all, and not one based on income," Sharpton said at the protest on Manhattan's affluent Upper East Side.


How about when Rev. Extortion was found to have owed over a million in taxes? Was he incarcerated? Just asking. Maybe Al would be better served by finding another Tawanna Brawley hoax to run up in the news, only to get sued in civil court by a prosecutor for making defamatory statements.

Not that Madoff doesn't deserve some scrutiny for his current housing situation. But to have a tax cheat and liar bring this to the public's attention only makes it a laughing stock for people, who have some measure of integrity.


Sunday, February 08, 2009

Congressional Budget Office: Present Stimulus Package Is Not A Good Bill

As much as I hate to sound like a broken record, it's hard to ignore some things that I truly believe in my heart and the common sense in my head, especially when they both tell me something is not a very good idea. But I am not alone in the world, just out of the loop of influence.

One guy that is not out of that loop is the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf. In the Director's blog on the CBO webite, he states what is becoming painfully obvious to most intelligent people, who also happen to possess the slightest measure of common sense. And he has attempted to communicate this (SEE: Pdf letter) to the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. Unfortunately for all of us that stand to suffer the full impact of reckless legislation, this ranking member is not presently in the majority party.

For those unfamiliar with Mr. Elmendorf, you can read his resume here (also in pdf form). Those that support this stimulus package lock, stock, and barrel may be ready to jump conclusions about his qualifications, but it is important for them to understand that he is not a right-wing hack. He comes from the Brookings Institution, which is anything but partisan and his appointment had the blessings of a Democratic majority Congress.

Elmendorf doesn't doubt that the current stimulus package will provide a slight boost in the economy for the short-term, which is to say in the next two years. The range he provides is between 1.2 million and 3.6 million jobs. Keeping in mind that this package is now estimated to be at around $800 billion, we can easily use a calculator to do the math. Using his estimate, this means Congress will be spending between $220,000 and $660,000 per job, most of which will pay nowhere near either amount.

So where is the money going? Special interests that Democrats have an unhealthy affinity for, I suspect. More importantly, from where will it come? More government loans, probably from foreign sources that have already loaned us more than we needed to borrow.

To answer both questions in-depth would require a separate post for each. But the outcome of this whole scheme is what people need to hear, because it is apparent they do not care about the questions (or their answers) to begin with. They didn't ask Obama or the Dems how they were going to pay for their grandiose promises during the election, they don't seem to care much now.

Mr. Elmendorf says it will reduce output starting in 2011 and beyond, when these loans will need to start to be repaid. To put it in simpler terms, it will buy us another recession in 2012, coincidentally when the President will be up for reelection. If you are a critical thinker like me, this causes you to ponder some things like whether this is the master plan -- keep the people believing they need him to save them from the same impending doom he says we all are facing, at the present time.

It really doesn't take a calculus whiz to figure this out, just someone that can do basic general math. If you are spending more than you take in, you will need to borrow money. If you borrow that money, you will need to pay it back or risk losing your credit rating. If you have more cash flowing out than in, you either have to find a way to bring more cash in or stop the excess flow of cash out. In other words, you need to increase revenue or decrease expenses.

Never once does it occur to Congress that maybe too much money is flowing out of Washington. But starting in 2011, the independent CBO believes it will really start to flow. In the meantime, there's no need to bring this up. Those that hold power right now, simply do not want to hear it.

One fine example of this is a recent interview with David Obey (D-WI), the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He helped write the bill and doesn't like being asked about the waste in this bill.

U.S. Rep. David Obey (D-WI), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, helped write the bill and says he doesn't like being asked about earmarks.

"We simply made a decision, which took about three seconds, not to have earmarks in the bill," he says. "And with all due respect, that's the least important question facing us on putting together this package."

Leaving out the earmarks does mean Congress will have less control over how the money is spent. But, Obey says, "So what? This is an emergency. We've got to simply find a way to get this done as fast as possible and as well as possible, and that's what we're doing."

That doesn't mean Congress will be responsible if the money is spent badly, he says.

"The person who spends the money badly will be responsible. We are simply trying to build as many protections in as possible," Obey says. "We have more oversight built into this package than any package in the history of man. If money is spent badly, we want to know about it so we can hold accountable the people who made that choice. And guess what? Regardless of what we do, there will be some stupid decisions made."


Sounds like this is worse than if it were full of earmarks, because at least there would be some accountability as how the money will be spent. But in this case, Congress can absolve itself of any responsibility if the money is wasted by the recipients. This is something we have already seen from last year's bailout and despite the knowledge of those mistakes, Rep. Obey is saying he doesn't give a damn how your tax dollars are spent.

The House wrote it and wants the Senate to pass it as they crafted it. As we can see right now, the Senate wants to screw it up in their way. By the time it gets to Obama, he will more than pleased to sign it, either way it would arrive. This tells me they are spendaholics who care nothing about money that you earn and must give to them. They spend it like drunken sailors, with no thought about the long-term consequences. They only care about the here and now, which means they must pay off their supporters, while they have this chance.

You see, I suspect they know their time in power is limited. Even Joe Biden knows there will be a backlash, when the outcome of this sausage fry is more plainly known.

So get ready America, your short term fix is coming, but your children and grandchildren are in for some hard times ahead. I hope you think about it, when that time comes. I hope all of you that voted for this bunch of greedy, idiotic bastards can get your short-term thrill now, because you have demonstrated that you have no knowledge of anything and even less compassion for those that must follow your selfish actions.

If you do not fall into this category of egocentricity, I highly suggest you flood your Senator's e-mail box and phone lines with voices of displeasure. Especially those you know will be up for reelection next year, all these jerks will ever fear or understand is losing their power.


Saturday, February 07, 2009

Another Blast From The Past

It's day four for me without a cigarette and Congress is full of dumbasses, so this is pretty much how I feel this week.

Not much of an Ozzy fan, but I did like this one and it fits right now. Here is Crazy Train:



Speaking of crazy, here is Seal with his song, Crazy:



Pink Floyd and the always relaxing Breathe:



Enjoy


Election Over. Bipartisanship Dead.

After years of GOP rule, the Democrats are now in a position to run over the opposition without much resistance. As we see in the stimulus package story, they are bound and determined to run this thing as close to a trillion dollars (without going over) as they possibly can. And in the process, they are trying to push the faces of the GOP into the mud, while they do it.

Nancy Pelosi, the idiot Speaker who cannot count a census, is chief among the bullies. This article pretty much outlines the spirit of Democrats everywhere.

In a statement sure to rile Republicans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Friday dismissed calls for bipartisanship as “process” arguments extraneous to passing a stimulus bill — and warned Senate Democrats against slashing proposed increases to education spending.


Of course, it was Pelosi, who went on a crusade back in 2004 for House minority rights. Remember this story?

House Democrats' anger at heavy-handed Republican tactics reached a new level yesterday, with the chamber's top Democrat asking the House speaker to embrace a "Bill of Rights" for the minority, regardless which party it is.

In keeping with the general atmosphere of the House these days, aides to Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said he will not respond to the two-page proposal from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

For decades, the party in power has used House parliamentary rules to limit the minority party's ability to amend bills and shape debates. But Democrats -- in the minority for 10 years after four decades of control -- say Republicans have gone to unreasonable lengths in recent years. GOP leaders dispute this, but congressional scholars and even some rank-and-file Republicans agree in whole or in part.

Pelosi's document, which she vows to honor if Democrats regain the majority, says: "Too often, incivility and the heavy hand of the majority" have silenced Democrats and choked off "thoughtful debate." She called on the majority to let the minority offer meaningful amendments and substitutes to important bills; to limit roll-call votes to the normal 15 minutes rather than keeping them open to round up needed votes; and to let all appointees to House-Senate conference committees participate in meetings and decisions.


The emphasis added is from me, but let's trouble shoot this a second.

If you are a Democrat (particularly a younger one), you may be tempted to present the argument that the GOP didn't respond to Pelosi's request back then; subsequently, all bets off now that the Dems are in control. After all, it was they who won, right? You may say that the Dems are giving the GOP a dose of their own medicine.

But if you are younger or suffer from selective memory loss, you may need to be reminded of the 30 year reign of terror the Dems had over the House. Just think back or pick up a book about the Carl Albert, Tip O'Neill, and Jim Wright eras. The Democrats had no trouble shooting down any productive ideas from Republicans during that era and cutting them out of any meaningful role in the system.

But the larger question I'd like to raise is, if it's unfair when one side does wrong, why is is fair when the other side does it? Seems to me that Pelosi would remember how she felt during all those years she felt like a nobody, with no rights to have any meaningful input. Now she wants to turn the tables on those that made her feel that way.

Nancy the Mindless Hypocrite is now vacationing in a upper class resort, warning people in the Senate not to tamper with her work and to ignore the calls for a spirit of bipartisanship, in a bill that is designed to help us all avoid catastrophic results from a tanking economy. Poor people are starving everywhere, just waiting for relief.

But if you will excuse her for a moment, she has an appointment for a seaweed body wrap. She has to stay young looking, you know. She will be back feeding the hungry, after that, her cucumber facial, and her nails appointment.


Friday, February 06, 2009

Buried Polls

Remember polls? We were saturated with them for an entire year and part of another.

In fact we had so many of them the entire time GWB was in office, they came out of our noses. The media used them as an effort to embarrass him and his administration, skewing the results in any way they could to do it. Even if they were slightly favorable towards him, they were cast in the worst possible light..


Well, believe it or not, Gallup is still taking polls. It's what they do best, and they have a new one out about the proposed stimulus package.

Here are the results they report:

38% Pass it, as is.

37% Pass it, with major changes.

17% Reject it.

8% No opinion.


This means 54% of the respondents were against it, as it is currently proposed. If this had been a GWB proposal with a GOP Congress, we'd be hearing this from the media ad nauseum. But, it's not GWB. It's BHO and he is still in a honeymoon phase with his loving and supportive bride, the media.

No folks, we still have polls. The media just isn't receptive to featuring them as a lead-in right now. I wonder how they will react, when they turn south against the Obama administration.



Wednesday, February 04, 2009

The Mindless Madame Speaker Speaks

So many times it's hard to decide what to post. Sometimes there isn't anything of any value. Other times there are a multitude of things to choose from and choosing is quite difficult. But every now and then, something is just too god to pass up. This short clip of Nancy Pelosi stating that every month 500 million Americans lose their jobs is a classic:



Honestly now Democrats, how much longer are you going to tolerate this airhead to lead the United States House of Representatives?

There are gaffes and there are gaffes, but this woman doesn't appear to have one damned bit of intelligence. There are smart people with whom I thoroughly disagree. But to have an idiot, whom I thoroughly disagree with is utterly painful to watch.

She has to be a royal embarrassment for anyone that calls themselves a Democrat.


Addendum: Let's just see if the media makes her look like a brainless idiot, like they would if it were Sarah Palin. I mean fair's fair here. Pelosi is supposed to be a skilled and experienced politician, Sarah was new to the national scene.

I have watched Pelosi quite a bit lately and I have to say, she has a hard time sounding moderately intelligent on her good days.

Remember, this is the same Nancy Pelosi, who in one politically expedient moment, said this:

Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.


Then, in another bright shining display of mindless chatter decides to say:

The president led us into the Iraq war on the basis of unproven assertions without evidence; he embraced a radical doctrine of pre-emptive war unprecedented in our history; and he failed to build a true international coalition.

We rest our case.


Recommended Reading

Here are some things to consider in your daily reading rounds.


AC talks about the new US Senator from NY. What a difference a few days and a title change make.


Mustang raises some interesting questions about the state of the economy and other things that may or may not signal America's decline.


AICS has Obama's two week report card. Of course when you are critical of the President, you run the risk of attracting a mean-spirited and ignorant troll that cannot carry on an intelligent argument. And he did.


Finally, Z has posed some interesting questions that will help us all understand our place on the planet and the universe. Be sure to check them out.


Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Team Obama Playing Defense, After Daschle Withdraws

Bill Richardson's pay for play allegations, Timothy Geithner's failure to pay his taxes, Hillary Clinton's husband's foundation accepting foreign cash. Just when you think it was safe to go back in the water, here comes more.

Today, after much pressure and a critical piece in the NY Times, Tom Daschle has decided to throw in the towel. But before Daschle's exit, another Obama appointee pulled out. Nancy Killefer who was to be the first performance chief, a post created by the Obama administration, had tax problems of her own.

Despite this developing pattern of incompetence, Team O is defending their performance in both the selection process and failure to adhere to its own promises, not to employ lobbyists in the administration.

Despite the tax problems faced by high-level nominees, and the exceptions made to the no-lobbyists pledge, President Barack Obama's spokesman is defending the administration's ethical standards.

Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday, "The bar that we set is the highest that any administration in the country has ever set."


Change is a misnomer in this case, and hope is fading fast. The new administration is not delivering very well in these first days, and the anger is beginning to brew. Between the shady appointments and the audacity of Congress to pork up Obama's stimulus plan with wasteful liberal spending, we may see a downward turn in poll numbers sooner than I ever expected.

In due time, I think you will find a shift in confidence from those that were duped into believing this man could do the many things he said he could. These were they, that thought the nation needed to go in a different direction. PYY and its readers were never fooled, and we said so many times in the days leading up to the election.

But hey, what do
WE know?



Addendum:


Advance Indiana has details on this story.

It is easy to project yourself as a clean politician after making your debut in South Side Chicago with buddies like Rahm Emanuel. US president Obama has appointed more than 17 lobbyists after talking big on anti-lobbyist Governance and rooting corruption out of the American Government.

Seventeen!!!

As AI points out in his post, this isn't being carried by the US mainstream media. One had to search the India Times, to locate this gem.


Michael Phelps: Flying High

Here comes Mikey.

Michael Phelps.

Mike worked hard training to achieve a goal and the objective was met. This has to be a story for the ages, right there. No need to go any further. Stop.

But no, we are not stopping there.

It seems that Michael was photographed smoking pot from a bong and now the world is agog. Some have assumed a holier-than-thou, he should be held accountable by losing the $100 million in contracts, etc., etc., etc. Many of these people were never 23, they never made a mistake. Just ask them. Others may be so under the influence, they still haven't heard the news story, even yet. They are not sure what day it is.


With this scenario in mind, this is your lucky day. PYY readers will get two rants in one post:

The drug laws in the U.S. are antiquated and hypocritical. Let's just (for this argument) take marijuana and alcohol, for instance. Both are drugs, no? Both create euphoria, right? One is legal, the other is not. Makes sense, right?

Wrong.

The history of alcohol in the U.S. should teach us the lessons we need to know about this. Prohibition is the era, in particular.

Remember how alcohol distribution went underground and created the opportunity for the growth of organized crime? Well, take a look around now. Marijuana is one of the modern day mob enterprises. Knowing this to be the case, what sense does it make to create these opportunities today?


We know that demand is there, we know that supply is there. We know that the war on drugs has not worked.

If for no other reason in the world, look at the fiscal end of it. Money is getting dumped into this and has had little effect (if any) on the demand or the supply. The vast majority of the war on drugs has been on supply. This to to say, it has been spent on enforcement of the laws, by making criminals out of these people. I am sorry folks, but it just isn't working. Why keep beating a dead horse?


How about this? How about we legalize marijuana? Alcohol destroys many lives, wrecks homes, kills people. Far more so, than marijuana. So I am not accepting this particular argument, which many will be tempted to counterpoint with me.

Allow pot to be sold in liquors stores with the same laws as the liquor industry. Then, tax the hell out of it. Stop tying up jail space and police officers wasting time arresting people like Waldo (who likes to smoke a joint on the weekends in the privacy in his own home).

The exceptions to this should be driving under the influence and providing it to minors. If someone is caught doing either, throw the book at them.

Now, I promised two rants. I want to make good on that promise.

This one is directed at Michael and others athletes/celebrities that require physical health, drive, and dedication to perform their jobs.
Knowing how Mike had all of these contracts lined up, knowing how he could be financially secure for life, what kind of an idiot cannot show the self discipline it takes to make that kind of money? Like the NBA stars that get busted at the beginning of training camp doing stupid stuff (SEE: Indiana Pacers, before this year), why is it that they cannot behave themselves long enough to perform their craft to the best of their ability?

As for Michael specifically, despite my liberality in the drug laws debate, I think you should leave that crap alone. You need to keep your body as healthy as you can, for as long as you can. That's the talent you have been given, that's the talent you should use to the best of your ability. You started out with nothing, your mom busted her backside to help you get where you are now. Don't blow it for a few moments of socialization and escape.

And the same goes to others.

If you want to be a doctor, leave that stuff alone. Do not compromise your ability to think clearly, so you can learn what you need to learn. And later, you can use what you learn without distractions. Teachers, lawyers, businessmen and women, whatever, it will not make you any more successful by doing it.

If it affects your ability to exercise good judgments, it cannot be a good thing.


No one is going to care if you screw your own lives up without affecting them. But they will, if you screw up their lives in the process.

Think about it.


Monday, February 02, 2009

Monday AM QB

This is the last installment of this opinionated feature, until next season. Naturally, depression has already set in, knowing there will be no more football until then.

Pittsburgh 27 - Arizona 23

The keys to this game were, as follows.

1. Penalties - Arizona shot themselves in the foot with some silly ones, usually holding. The Cards were penalized 106 yards to the Steelers' 56. Both sides were commiting them, but I thought the Steelers got away with more than the Cards.

2. Turnovers - Arizona had one lost fumble to none, for Pittsburgh. The biggest TO was the 100 yard interception return by Harrison. He showed why he is the defensive player of the game on that one. That (in my opinion) was the difference in the game, despite the fact the Cards came back in the 4th. On the 2-yd line ready to score before the half, and whammo. The Steelers sucked the life out and turned the momentum around in an instant. Big, big play right there.

3. The Refs - I thought there were numerous questionable "no calls" that went in the Steelers' favor. I agreed with Madden that Harrison should have been tossed for that cheap shot late in the game. But since he was the defensive player of the year, he wasn't. In the interception return, he showed why he was the man. In this play, he showed why he was the punk.

Nothing wrong with playing hard and hitting hard, but I thought the refs calls were setting the Steelers up to allow them free reign to play their style of game, better. Pittsburgh sensed it and tried to intimidate Arizona at every possible opportunity.

But in the end, the Cardinals had their chance to seal this with another great defensive stand. They didn't do it. I am sure Steelerville is happy and will be as obnoxious as they ever were at workplaces around the nation today. But from a neutral fan of the game, they got the breaks in this one.

Until September, this is NFL bloviater LASunsett, out.


Sunday, February 01, 2009

FEMA Fails Kentucky Ice Storm Victims

Hear that?

That's the sound of crickets chirping. Four days after the big snow and ice storm hit the nation's midsection, we hear no noise but the sound of our little chirping friends. No lead stories in national newscasts, no conspiracy theories, no nothing.

By this time in the aftermath of Katrina, we had every Democratic hack, every race baiting bastard on the face of the earth calling Bush every name in the book, all because of FEMA's poor response. And a poor response, it was (as was that of the state of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans). These BS artists had black people everywhere whipped into an angry frenzy, with accusations of racism and overt plots to kill blacks, in and by the White House.

But today, the media will be talking about the Super Bowl. The bigoted and racist Louis Farrakhan is nowhere to be found, probably planning his next "hate-whitey" speech. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are both absent from soundbiteland. And the current White House is probably getting ready to host a SB party for staffers.

I am not the only one to notice this. Here some others:

Fore Left (Hat Tip to AC for getting me started on this rant. If you read this blog and not his, ask yourself, why not?)

Jammie Wearing Fool

The Jawa Report

American Thinker

Ed Driscoll

The Discerning Texan

The Vocal Minority

You get the idea. Unless you are a Democratic hack or race baiter, this should irritate the hell out of you. If you want to be guided by principles, you cannot pick and choose demographics to apply them.