Friday, August 10, 2007

You want these guys to run health care?

Monday, I sent some documents to the IRS for an appeal that the Taxpayer Advocate is handling for my client.

The office the advocate works at is in downtown Cincinnati. My office is in Loveland, Ohio, about twenty miles to downtown.

I sent the documents Priority Mail so I could do delivery confirmation.

The advocate received the documents this morning.... Four days.

In addition, it took a client 10 days to receive documents via regular mail (one post office over) and another client of mine in NC is still waiting for docs sent two weeks ago.

Yeah, please let's let these guys manage my chemotherapy for me.

Islamic fanaticism near you

So you think the Islamic fanatics are for most part confined to places like Baghdad, Beirut, Kuwait City, London.

Well, here in the old USA, the Nation of Islam has been operating just like the fanatics in London in their attempt to create a Sharia Society which resulted in the assassination of Chauncey Bailey, an editor of the Oakland Post a black owned newspaper.

Funny, you can't find mainstream news coverage of this with a search warrant. In addition, Oakland cops let this area of town run wild.

Christopher Hitchens, asks why?

Finally a resort for Gordon & Midas

It's about time....

The only thing that has made life in Pleasantville one notch below perfect has been the lack of one important amenity, a quality pet resort.

Clegg opened Pet Nation Lodge, a $3 million, 20,000-square-foot pet care facility last month at the former Matthew 25 Ministries building on Loveland-Madeira Road.


The business includes 70 luxury “lodges” equipped with cherry-wood beds and TVs, including eight with Web cams so owners can check on pets online from anywhere.


It has a chef to mix flank steak, salmon or shrimp into meals based on customer desire.

The lodge has a 7,000-square-foot indoor play area with skylights and banana trees.

Clegg says Pet Nation offers “the ultimate pet care” services mainly to dogs for $34 per day and $19 per day for cats. It even offers pets extras like massage therapy, book reading and a door-to-door limousine service for an extra fee.

“We provide guilt-free trips for pet owners so that when they can go on vacation or business, the last thing they have to worry about is their pets,” says Clegg.

Clegg opened the Pet Nation Lodge in Loveland after deciding not to open on Snider Road in Mason last August.

He said the Loveland site saved him $1 million because he was able to buy the church building and convert it into a pet-care facility instead of building a new one in Mason.

Strong demographics also prompted the Loveland facility. Within a 5-mile radius of his business, Clegg says there are 37,000 single-family homes with a combined yearly income of $250,000.


At least now, Midas and I have a place to get our nails done, massages, hair styling, etc. Maybe they'll even wax my eye brows. It just makes me feel all giddy like, say, John Edwards.

Charles Krauthammer

He hits one out of the park on this one.

Is Hillary the Right's Choice?


Bruce Bartlett claims that Hillary might be the right's choice for president. No thank you Bruce. I think it's nice for a lefty to tell the right just who they should like for president, but I think I'll take someone that's say.... not a socialist.

As a guy on the right, I do want Hillary as the democratic nominee, but not for the reason stated by Bartlett.

I want to see a blood bath where we finally get to put to rest this myth of the overwhelming popularity of the Clinton's. We have this Camelot, The Sequel, myth that Hillary's wife, Bill was this huuuugely popular president.

The fact is this in 1992 Mr. Rodham, received exactly 42% of the vote, 49% in 1996. Not exactly, the kind of numbers by which legends are made. This counts the fact the Bill is definitely more likable than his husband, Mr. Rodham.

So I looking forward to a Hillary - Rudy Death match where we finally get to wash the Clinton goo off our collective consciences. Like putting a stake in the heart of all this Clinton fantasy land.

Oops

If you miss the skateboarder's 50 foot fall last weekend, here's the clip.

Where's that global warming

Despite it being near 100 degrees the past few days, it's actually been fairly comfortable.

For instance, wind during an Ohio August is nearly non existent but it's actually been quite breezy here the past few days. In addition, the humidity is such that I'm not sweating just putting on my underwear. I'll take this summer over any in the past ten years any day. If it is a result of global warming , give me some more.

Of course if you are a global warming nut bag, you can attribute anything to global warming. Your hamster runs on the wheel backwards - global warming. Your nose hairs growing rather long - global warming.

So it's refreshing to note that because the past two years or so global temperatures have come in flat it must be caused by.... class..... class.... global warming.

A Reuter's story on the same information reports that in 2009 global warming is coming in "with a vengeance". Is that a new Bruce Willis film?

This reports states that "natural forces" have kept the effects of global warming to a minimum. Maybe the same natural forces that would make it..... warmer?

Yeah, we'll just keep this story for future reference.

Remember Katrina, global warming was going to make hurricanes more deadly and numerous. Well we're in the hurricane season and what name are we up to now? Laverne? or Shirley?

How does anyone take these guys seriously.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Surge Working?

A democratic senator, Dick Durbin, concedes that the surge is working.

Funny I didn't see Sandra or Sheree talk about that last night.

As I called it six months ago, anti war democrats painted themselves into a corner on the war. Either success or failure would work against them. If they had simply backed Bush this whole time knowing "hey, the guy's done in 2008", they could have campaigned on a more nuanced strategy of finishing the job and still looked like they were not anti American.

Instead they created a space where Bush would get credit for success and they would be blamed for failure.

This is what happens when you read too many liberal rags like the NY Times, Washington Post and Boston Globe. You're surrounded by too much group think.

Just ask John McCain.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Wednesday's tax tip Vol. 17 - Sales Tax

Check out my Wednesday post.

Valentinetaxtips.blogspot.com

A phony?


This man is a phony?

Apparently, his campaign is rebutting claims that Heir Hair is a phony.

Here's one I want to see his campaign rebut ....

He's a tort attorney!

What I don't get is why they don't have to register like child molesters.

Hey Baby, want to come to my place?


If/when Hillary gets the DNC nomination, expect lots of good ole stories about Bill and his latest trysts.

At least Bill is getting his new ho's from Canada and they're good looking.

This is Belinda Stronach. Look for her in a People magazine near you.

Levy Passage

The Middletown School levy failed yesterday after it was defeated in May.

Question, how is that when you voted against something just three months ago it gets back on a special election?

It seems to me when you vote against something it should take at least a year before that same issue comes up again.

If the public schools want the "public" to be more sensitive to their funding, they need to do a few things first.

1) Start a tax exempt, non profit organization for the purposes of funding a particular area of the school (ie extracurriculars, libraries, etc.) and aggressively seek funding from corporate and individual donors.

2) Do festivals just like the Catholic Schools, complete with booze and gambling. Not only are these fund raisers, they allow people like myself to actually go into the schools and see their condition. It actually makes the school a more personal asset.

3) Aggressively use the schools for neighborhood activities. I was heavily involved in a community group some years ago and one evening we need a room the size of a classroom for one of our meetings. Could we have it in a public school? We couldn't even get a return call from a principal. We had the meeting at the local Catholic school. Who do you think is more in the public favor after that?

4) Set up community repair days for the schools, just like a Habitat for Humanity project. Call on local churches and community groups to go into the schools and paint or make minor repairs.

5) Set up a parent oversight committee (and subsequent representation on a school board) to go over budgets and recommend changes in the way school money is spent.

As a taxpayer with no school age children, here's the information I get regarding the local public schools.

1) You're not welcome here.
2) We're the professionals..... you pay us to do all this.
3) Our students are ding dongs with lots of self esteem.

In essence, here is the contract public school officials want with voters........ Give us more money and, in return, we'll give you no accountability and we'll keep delivering dumb students.

I can't imagine why people don't line up for that deal.

Have some pride today

Maybe one of the most ignored and abused rights noted in the US Constitution is the right to assembly. I interpret that to mean if I want to have a group that excludes women, men, black white, gay, straight, kids, seniors, ugly, beautiful, I should be permitted to do so.

1st Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

In addition, I believe inherent in this right is the right not to be forced to be a part of a group you don't want to be in. Leave it to the people of "freedom" to force four fire fighters in San Diego to participate in a gay pride parade.

King's Right has some commentary on the issue.

Congrats Barry...

I'm sure you're proud.

For one spectacular moment, Barry Bonds and everybody cheering him could forget about the controversy surrounding his chase and appreciate the phenomenal feat: 756.

Nobody in the majors -- not Hank Aaron, not Babe Ruth -- has ever hit more home runs than the San Francisco star.

On Tuesday night, in his home ballpark, it didn't matter how many of them might have been fueled by steroids or performance-enhancers. Bonds has the title of home run king all to himself, ending Aaron's 33-year reign.

Cheater...

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Jeni Lee in the Slammer

Jeni Lee Dinkel gets the slammer. It's a good thing we're throwing all these child molesters in the clink. I know I feel safer.

When she registers as a sex offender, do you think she'll have a lawn full of people protesting her presence in the neighborhood?

Maybe Dylan Klebold will show up

James Taranto has a interesting read about a rally this fall at Va Tech.

According to the press release Dave Matthews , John Mayer and Nas will perform at the show which will "honor Virginia Tech's enduring Hokie Spirit".

Here are some of the lyrics one of Nas' songs

One 44, two 45's
3 loaded clips, 4 niggas roll, one nigga drives
500 Benz, 6 reasons why
This kid should die
We shootin every m-----f---er outside
Pulled on his block, jumped out the car, guns in our hand
At the same time everybody ran
There that nigga go, hiding in the crowd
Let the trigger blow, 7 shots now he lying on the ground

Too bad the Columbine kids weren't around to honor Tech as well.

More

Happy 4000

As a result of looking over the 4,000 hits on the blog, I decided to see where this blog ranks in terms of other blogs.

I'm still new to this game so I was pleased to see that I rank 14,143 out of over 100,000 blogs on the service. The Truth Laid Bear places the blog in the Slimy Mollusc species in their ecosystem. I'm just behind Redstate Rampage and just in front of One Bob's opinion (both SOB bloggers).

I don't know if I should be elated or depressed but my blog ranks just 4 spots above the John Kerry For President 2008 blog.

Regardless, Keep on visiting and I'll keep on posting the things no one wants to read.

I'm so pretty

Elizabeth Edwards on her husband's campaign

"We can't make John black, we can't make him a woman. Those things get you a lot of press......."

Yeah but is it possible to make him a man?

Yeah, better to get your news from the MSM

A while back, I posted on a piece from some clown talking about how the main stream media will always be the place for news over blogs because of the "serious" fact checking done by editors of said publications.

Well, another one bites the dust.

The New Republic scandal has finally hit the fan. If you haven't followed the events it goes like this.

First, an anonymous active army private sends diary to the New Republic.

Second, TNR prints excerpts of these entries despite the obvious sensational claims of the author.

Third, TNR comes out and states all claims have been "fact checked".

Fourth, the unreliable bloggers state the obvious problems with some of the entries. For instance, the writer claims that truck drivers would go out of their way to run over stray dogs even though most people with common sense would know that you're not likely to get a thrill out of running over dogs when the roads are laced with IED's.

Fifth, author "comes out".

Sixth, author signs a sworn statement claiming he made up many of the stories.

The fact is. TNR didn't do a serious "fact check" because all the information fit very nicely into their liberal, anti military paradigm. So why check when we know it's right.

And you wonder why I watch the news in the hopes of watching two hot anchors make out.

I didn't see this on channel 5

If you know me, you know I only watch one news broadcast, WLWT's channel 5 local news. The only reason I watch is that I keep hoping that Sheree and Sandra throw their chairs to the side and go at it.

But then someone told me that they actually do news during that time slot so I watched last night to see if this story was on the broadcast.

25,000 Insurgents Call It Quits

I guess that good news in Iraq wouldn't make it to a news broadcast unless a bunch of soldiers got shot during the story.

4000

Although we've had the blog going since November, I didn't get a counter on the site until about March.

Since we've had the counter, we've had 4000 hits on the site.

I have to admit the whole blogging thing is a lot harder than I originally thought. After the first few months of bitching and moaning rants, you're confronted with having to do something fresh on a daily basis and it is difficult.

While my of my posts are inspired by something I've read from others, I try not to post on it unless I can bring something new to the game; otherwise you can just go to Drudge, RCP, BOTW et al and read it yourself.

I've kind of hit the wall during the dog days of summer, there's not much going on of controversy and the heat's got me panting 24/7.

Regardless, I want to thank Midas for his contribution. Aside from occasional threats of signing up with Cesar Chavez and demanding better working conditions, he's been a great add for the days I just don't have much.

I also want to thank everyone who's checked out the blog; especially those that comment. I think a dialogue of ideas is truly the only way we get to the truth and make the world a better place and when it's all said and done; it doesn't mean anything... but it doesn't mean anything that it doesn't mean anything so let's have a good time.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Barry's Armor


If I'm Clay Hensley, the next time I face Barry Bonds I'm throwing at his head.

An interesting take on Barry's elbow armor:

Beyond his alleged steroid use, Barry Bonds is guilty of the use of something that confers extraordinarily unfair mechanical advantage: the “armor” that he wears on his right elbow.

Amid the press frenzy over Bonds’ unnatural bulk, the true role of the object on his right arm has simply gone unnoticed. This is unfortunate, because by my estimate, Bonds’ front arm “armor” may have contributed no fewer than 75 to 100 home runs to his already steroid-questionable total.Bonds tied Henry Aaron’s home run record of 755 on Saturday night and will go for the new standard this week back at home in San Francisco.

As a student of baseball – and currently a mechanics consultant to a major league baseball team -- I believe I have insight into the Bonds "achievement." I have studied his swing countless times on video and examined the mechanical gear closely through photographs.

Blogger Union

So you start up a blog and just don't feel the public appreciates your work? under paid? no benefits? crappy coffee you have to make yourself?

Well join the local blogger union local 999.

Imagine that. A liberal looking for someone to compensate them for their crappy opinions no one wants to read anyway.

Well hear this Midas. You bring that union crap around here and you'll be posting for the Daily Kos or Democratic Underground because I'm shutting down the blog and moving it to Mexico.

Deterrent

When it comes to the death penalty there is one thing I have in common with the death penalty protesters.

The death penalty is not a deterrent to future criminals.

As an aside, over the weekend I watched Zodiac on DVD. The future Ms. Gekko and I were talking about other serial killers and their nicknames and I couldn't remember the nickname for Richard Ramirez the LA serial killer from the 80's.

So I did a Wikipedia search on old Richard Ramirez. His nickname was the Night Stalker and he was sentenced to death in 1989.

You'd probably think little Richard was toes up by now given that it's all of 18 years since his death sentence. You'd be wrong.

On August 7, 2006 his first round of state appeals ended unsuccessfully when the California Supreme Court upheld his convictions and death sentence.


First round?. Little Ricky is going to die of Alzheimer's before he gets the needle.

When this guy finally gets the needle people are going to say "who's he?" They won't have any memory of the horrific crimes he committed in the early 1980's and criminals won't be able to see their criminal role models bite the dust.

When a criminal knows that he's got a good 20-30 years of life in prison before he dies.... of natural causes, I'm guessing that the death penalty is definitely not a deterrent.

Personal Financial Tip Vol. 12 - Credit Cards

Check out my Tax Tip Blog

Valentine Tax Tips

X-games

Well it was too hot outside to do anything fun, so I thought I'd give the X-Games some time.

As I watched two guys almost kill themselves doing their "sport", I couldn't help but think that my definition of sports still stands.

If you have to judge it.... it's not a sport. I know that you figure skating fans out there will say. You can't do all the moves those people do on ice.

To which I would say, I couldn't drink as much whiskey as a Green Bay ice fisherman either, that doesn't make it a sport.

Just because it's hard doesn't make it a sport and judging leaves too much subjectivity in determining the winners. Too often, it's about reputation over performance. I guess that would make these sports for senators.

So I'll leave with this. You're not a sport unless you actually compete mano a mano or against a clock. No more "judging" things to determine winners... except for the NBA.