I just read a good piece in the WSJ (subscribers only) regarding the publics' commitment to helping those with obvious mental illness.
It's now clear that the Va Tech shooter was having obvious mental problems. However, ever since the 1980's, when several liberal court rulings determined we couldn't commit someone to a mental health institution unless they were an imminent threat to themselves or others, we now have a population of homeless and otherwise troubled people who are ticking time bombs for problems.
For those liberals who pride themselves on compassion for the less fortunate, here's a question. Would society be more or less compassionate towards the mentally ill if they forcibly incarcerated someone like Va Tech shooter? Someone who showed definite emotional problems that may not have arisen to the "threat to themselves or others" standard.
I bet the shooter's and the victims' families wish we were so not compassionate.
Friday, April 27, 2007
NFL Draft
Who is the player shown to the side? If you're like 90% of normal football fans you wouldn't know but this is Steve Emtman, the number pick in the 1992 draft.
He adds to a great list of other bad number one picks Ki-Jana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, Kenneth Sims, Aundray Bruce, Courtney Brown & Walt Putalski.
These were all "slam dunk" picks. "Difference makers", "Can't misses", etc. as proclaimed by the various draft gurus Mel Kiper, Jerry Jones, etc.
If you are one of the people that head to your local sports bar and watch the draft for three hours with a bunch of buddies, here's a hint; you are a loser.
Here's my prediction for the draft this weekend. Every team will make their picks, each owner, coach, general manager will tell the media they had a good draft and filled their needs and by the end of August half of the picks will be off their teams.
If you want to be entertained this weekend, go down to Liberty and Vine and dodge some bullets.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
PBS hatchet job II
An after thought about last night's Bill Moyer report.
The show was critical of the media's chumminess with government officials. I couldn't agree more with that premise.
In the old days of Major League Baseball, the beat writers were paid by the baseball teams. Over time, papers decided that there was inherent conflict of interest for writers to be paid by the teams.
But it is really no different today. Sure the teams no longer pay the writers but in order to be able to get the good stories, writers, too often, chum it up with the players/managers/owner and even allow themselves to be used by these people to leak information the player/managers /owner wants, all in the pretense of getting closer to the "big story".
The writers ultimately become too close to the teams and never want to write anything that may upset the apple cart (thus they get shut out of any information) so we, the media consumer, get watered down puff pieces passed by "journalists" as news.
It's no different for DC insiders. The whole beltway is nothing but a citizenry of pimps and whores. All too often, big media is positioned to "whore" the information that people in the know want them to deliver.
It was clear from the report last night that Judith Miller, formerly, of the NY Times and "Scootergate", was just such a tool for the administration to get out the information they wanted.
The fact of the matter is, the days of true Watergate style reporting are over and they have been for some time. None of the DC insiders want to do anything that jeopardizes their invitation to the next National Press Core function and none want to do anything to destroy their sources.
As a result, the DC bureaucrats, will keep using their classified knowledge and their pimp/whore relationship with the media to advance the cause or destroy the cause of our elected officials; hence the whole Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame affair.
So when I hear a "journalist" like Dan Rather rip the accuracy of blogger information, I have to laugh.
What's the frequency Kenneth?
The show was critical of the media's chumminess with government officials. I couldn't agree more with that premise.
In the old days of Major League Baseball, the beat writers were paid by the baseball teams. Over time, papers decided that there was inherent conflict of interest for writers to be paid by the teams.
But it is really no different today. Sure the teams no longer pay the writers but in order to be able to get the good stories, writers, too often, chum it up with the players/managers/owner and even allow themselves to be used by these people to leak information the player/managers /owner wants, all in the pretense of getting closer to the "big story".
The writers ultimately become too close to the teams and never want to write anything that may upset the apple cart (thus they get shut out of any information) so we, the media consumer, get watered down puff pieces passed by "journalists" as news.
It's no different for DC insiders. The whole beltway is nothing but a citizenry of pimps and whores. All too often, big media is positioned to "whore" the information that people in the know want them to deliver.
It was clear from the report last night that Judith Miller, formerly, of the NY Times and "Scootergate", was just such a tool for the administration to get out the information they wanted.
The fact of the matter is, the days of true Watergate style reporting are over and they have been for some time. None of the DC insiders want to do anything that jeopardizes their invitation to the next National Press Core function and none want to do anything to destroy their sources.
As a result, the DC bureaucrats, will keep using their classified knowledge and their pimp/whore relationship with the media to advance the cause or destroy the cause of our elected officials; hence the whole Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame affair.
So when I hear a "journalist" like Dan Rather rip the accuracy of blogger information, I have to laugh.
What's the frequency Kenneth?
PBS hatchet job
Yesterday, I noted that the Frontline show on global warming wasn't necessarily a Bush hit piece. Well that came last night on Bill Moyer's show.
The show was supposed to be on the press' lack of candor on what they knew to be lies from the Bush "regime" on the war. Most of the information these reporters had was based on CIA "intelligence".
Here's what we know about the CIA. It's dominated by liberal bureaucrats whose sole mission is to create a need then fill it and that their pre war intelligence was abysmal at best.
But, just like global warming, they failed to answer the fundamental question regarding the Iraq War..... What was the motivation for the Bush Administration to pursue a war based on "lies" and why would John Howard & Tony Blair follow suit?
The liberal mantra is that it was all about oil. But if it was all about oil, the Bushies could have simply lifted the sanctions on Iraqi oil exports.
There's much more to it than that. Even in the special, they showed clips of the neo cons and other pols advancing the cause of eliminating Saddam prior to 9/11. So it appears to me that there is information the public does not know that made it imperative to have a fundamental regime change in Iraq.
I'm no fan of Bush on this war because he's failed time and time again to communicate to the American people why it's necessary to spill American blood in a country that we had contained in some matter.
After the past few nights of watching PBS, at least I got to see first hand how our tax dollars are used for "independent news coverage".
The show was supposed to be on the press' lack of candor on what they knew to be lies from the Bush "regime" on the war. Most of the information these reporters had was based on CIA "intelligence".
Here's what we know about the CIA. It's dominated by liberal bureaucrats whose sole mission is to create a need then fill it and that their pre war intelligence was abysmal at best.
But, just like global warming, they failed to answer the fundamental question regarding the Iraq War..... What was the motivation for the Bush Administration to pursue a war based on "lies" and why would John Howard & Tony Blair follow suit?
The liberal mantra is that it was all about oil. But if it was all about oil, the Bushies could have simply lifted the sanctions on Iraqi oil exports.
There's much more to it than that. Even in the special, they showed clips of the neo cons and other pols advancing the cause of eliminating Saddam prior to 9/11. So it appears to me that there is information the public does not know that made it imperative to have a fundamental regime change in Iraq.
I'm no fan of Bush on this war because he's failed time and time again to communicate to the American people why it's necessary to spill American blood in a country that we had contained in some matter.
After the past few nights of watching PBS, at least I got to see first hand how our tax dollars are used for "independent news coverage".
CVG
As we all know, it's expensive to fly out of Cincinnati. Second only to Anchorage, Alaska. The situation at CVG is a classic example of what happens when one entity has a monopoly on the market. But on the other hand, it's unlikely that Cincinnati would ever have such a large selection of non-stop flights to so many cities if this wasn't a major Delta hub.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Pat Forde's Cincinnati
Pat Forde thinks Cincinnati is weird. Didn't we already know that?
"There is no easy explanation for this place. Cincinnati is a cocktail of contradictions, a town too conflicted for easy labeling. Its outside doesn't readily match its inside, making this a real-life Wisteria Lane: What looks like quintessentially normal America seems to have a ragingly weird undercurrent sluicing through it.
It is famously conservative and proudly prudish, yet it launched the porn career of Larry Flynt and once elected Jerry Springer as its mayor. (Springer later ran for governor, and part of his campaign was a TV ad wherein he admitted paying for a hooker -- with a check.)
The metro area population is around 2 million, placing it in the top 25 nationally, and there are many major corporations located here. But its residents admit that Cincinnati is as likely to think small as it is to think big: resistant to change, wary of the outside world and happy within its own cultural cocoon.
For comparison's sake to other cities, Cincinnatians might need to get out more. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer says he has neighbors in his suburb whose idea of a vacation is to go downtown and stay in a hotel. "
"There is no easy explanation for this place. Cincinnati is a cocktail of contradictions, a town too conflicted for easy labeling. Its outside doesn't readily match its inside, making this a real-life Wisteria Lane: What looks like quintessentially normal America seems to have a ragingly weird undercurrent sluicing through it.
It is famously conservative and proudly prudish, yet it launched the porn career of Larry Flynt and once elected Jerry Springer as its mayor. (Springer later ran for governor, and part of his campaign was a TV ad wherein he admitted paying for a hooker -- with a check.)
The metro area population is around 2 million, placing it in the top 25 nationally, and there are many major corporations located here. But its residents admit that Cincinnati is as likely to think small as it is to think big: resistant to change, wary of the outside world and happy within its own cultural cocoon.
For comparison's sake to other cities, Cincinnatians might need to get out more. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer says he has neighbors in his suburb whose idea of a vacation is to go downtown and stay in a hotel. "
Why the Internet is so Great
The internet, probably the greatest invention by Al Gore since global warming.
Outside of Google Earth and some GPS software which allows me to keep tabs on Shania Twain 24/7, the next best thing is Retrosheet.org which has the box score of every single baseball game played.
I couldn't remember much about about the first baseball game I ever went to outside of it being in the nosebleed section of Riverfront Stadium, we got there late, the Reds played the Pirates and beat on John Candelaria; or at least that's how I remember it.
The site let's you cross reference any box score you may want by player, team, umpire, date, etc. It's awesome.
My memory was pretty clear on the game. The Reds had to have won by a dozen runs. It turns out they only won 5-3.
Outside of Google Earth and some GPS software which allows me to keep tabs on Shania Twain 24/7, the next best thing is Retrosheet.org which has the box score of every single baseball game played.
I couldn't remember much about about the first baseball game I ever went to outside of it being in the nosebleed section of Riverfront Stadium, we got there late, the Reds played the Pirates and beat on John Candelaria; or at least that's how I remember it.
The site let's you cross reference any box score you may want by player, team, umpire, date, etc. It's awesome.
My memory was pretty clear on the game. The Reds had to have won by a dozen runs. It turns out they only won 5-3.
NY Bat Ban
From the "don't they have something better to do" department.
The city of New York passed a law by a 41-4 vote banning the use of aluminum bats for youth baseball leagues. What's interesting, is the vote was after Mike "RINO" Bloomberg vetoed the bill in the first place.
I guess ridding the city of the obnoxious tings of aluminum bats is more important than rats in Taco Bells.
The city of New York passed a law by a 41-4 vote banning the use of aluminum bats for youth baseball leagues. What's interesting, is the vote was after Mike "RINO" Bloomberg vetoed the bill in the first place.
I guess ridding the city of the obnoxious tings of aluminum bats is more important than rats in Taco Bells.
Global Warming Good News
Finally, something good to come out of the warming earth.
Spinal Tap is planning a reunion as part of the Live Earth concert in London.
Hopefully they'll whip out all those Stonehenge props for the show.
Frontline
Against my better judgment, I watched the Frontline piece on global warming last night. I typically pass on Frontline because it's normally a publicly funded hit piece on conservatives.
However, last night I thought they were pretty fair. They spent as much time banging on Clinton/Gore than the Bushies.
The interview that most caught my attention was with a researcher who came out with a report prior to the Brazil conference in the early 90's. The interviewer sought to discredit him because his research was funded by energy groups. This was his response (roughly quoting) "90% of all academicians are registered democrats. They already start with the paradigm that human consumption of natural resources is wrong; are you questioning their influence from government money?"
I realize this piece was predominately related to the political side of the issue. However, despite all the information I have read on this issue, I have yet to get some of the basic questions answered on the subject. (see my post from January)
Related to the issue is a great guest piece in the Enquirer where a reader points out that we've so politicized the issue that we are all skeptical of the "scientific" results reported in the media. The writer mentions other scientific scares that never materialized. He forgot to add African killer bees, SARS, & Bird Flu.
However, last night I thought they were pretty fair. They spent as much time banging on Clinton/Gore than the Bushies.
The interview that most caught my attention was with a researcher who came out with a report prior to the Brazil conference in the early 90's. The interviewer sought to discredit him because his research was funded by energy groups. This was his response (roughly quoting) "90% of all academicians are registered democrats. They already start with the paradigm that human consumption of natural resources is wrong; are you questioning their influence from government money?"
I realize this piece was predominately related to the political side of the issue. However, despite all the information I have read on this issue, I have yet to get some of the basic questions answered on the subject. (see my post from January)
Related to the issue is a great guest piece in the Enquirer where a reader points out that we've so politicized the issue that we are all skeptical of the "scientific" results reported in the media. The writer mentions other scientific scares that never materialized. He forgot to add African killer bees, SARS, & Bird Flu.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
I chose not to vote!
Back in November there was a tight congressional race in Florida District 13 (Sarasota, et al) where a disproportionate number of ballots came back with no votes for either candidate. It was inconceivable to the politicians that people would not vote for either candidate.
Well they've found a solution for the problem... an "I chose not to vote" option on the ballot. It's good to see that politicians trust the voters so much. And it's reassuring to know that candidate "I chose not to vote", "could not win a race".
"Hoping to prevent a repeat, [Bennett] persuaded the Senate Ethics and Elections committee to approve a bill, SB-494, on Monday that would require ballots to have the additional option of 'I choose not to vote.' That option could not win a race, and the actual candidate with the highest number of votes would win the election.
Bennett, R-Bradenton, said the no-choice option would enable uninformed or disgusted voters to opt out in a way that clearly displays their intention to abstain for elections officials. "
Well they've found a solution for the problem... an "I chose not to vote" option on the ballot. It's good to see that politicians trust the voters so much. And it's reassuring to know that candidate "I chose not to vote", "could not win a race".
"Hoping to prevent a repeat, [Bennett] persuaded the Senate Ethics and Elections committee to approve a bill, SB-494, on Monday that would require ballots to have the additional option of 'I choose not to vote.' That option could not win a race, and the actual candidate with the highest number of votes would win the election.
Bennett, R-Bradenton, said the no-choice option would enable uninformed or disgusted voters to opt out in a way that clearly displays their intention to abstain for elections officials. "
American Political Knowledge
A Washington Post-ABC News poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe that Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales' firing of eight U.S. attorneys was "politically motivated."
Your kidding me right? I'm going to do a random poll of my own the next few days to determine how many people can even tell me who Alberto Gonzales is. If 10% got it right, I'd probably fall on my butt from disbelief.
Here's a piece by Jonah Goldberg in which he states the obvious, how can we trust the non informed public to make important policy decisions.
Your kidding me right? I'm going to do a random poll of my own the next few days to determine how many people can even tell me who Alberto Gonzales is. If 10% got it right, I'd probably fall on my butt from disbelief.
Here's a piece by Jonah Goldberg in which he states the obvious, how can we trust the non informed public to make important policy decisions.
CPS lays off 99 teachers
Cincinnati Public Schools plans to lay off 99 teachers for the next school year as well as some psychologists and social workers.
Obviously, some teachers needed to go as the school district is losing students year after year. The one thing of interest to me is this. How come no administrators or principals lost their jobs? This is the main reason I cannot stand the government provided services. I went to a high school that had five, count 'em 5, principals. After about 20 teachers lost their jobs in that high school you know how many principals remained? If you guessed five you would be correct.
When it's all said and done, teacher to student is what education is all about. Everyone else is an add on as far as I'm concerned. But this is what school districts do to blackmail a community into passing levies.
Pete Bronson has a piece about Milford City Schools and their hostile relationship with the community they are supposed to serve.
In their case, despite a 1.8 million dollar surplus the school forced athletes and bands to pay $175 to $250 when the district rejected it's last levy. When parent groups offered to set up a fund raising group to cover the expense, the school district rejected the proposal.
I'm glad everyone remembered that it's all for the kids.
Obviously, some teachers needed to go as the school district is losing students year after year. The one thing of interest to me is this. How come no administrators or principals lost their jobs? This is the main reason I cannot stand the government provided services. I went to a high school that had five, count 'em 5, principals. After about 20 teachers lost their jobs in that high school you know how many principals remained? If you guessed five you would be correct.
When it's all said and done, teacher to student is what education is all about. Everyone else is an add on as far as I'm concerned. But this is what school districts do to blackmail a community into passing levies.
Pete Bronson has a piece about Milford City Schools and their hostile relationship with the community they are supposed to serve.
In their case, despite a 1.8 million dollar surplus the school forced athletes and bands to pay $175 to $250 when the district rejected it's last levy. When parent groups offered to set up a fund raising group to cover the expense, the school district rejected the proposal.
I'm glad everyone remembered that it's all for the kids.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Cause Celebre'
Have you ever noticed that whenever a cause comes to the "conscience " of the music types, the only ones who show up are the same people. Elton John, George Michael, Sting, etc. Do you ever see the Stones at one of these things?
For me, it always looks like these people are looking to jump start their from the "cause".
I guess Sheryl Crow can now join the list. It does seem like it's been years since she's had a hit and it weren't for her relationship with Lance Armstrong she wouldn't be in the papers at all. So maybe the Global Warming Bio Diesel Tour can help out ole Sheryl.
Look for her at the next Save the Rain Forest, Help the Homeless or Kill a Republican concert near you.
Free Ride
Last week, local amusement park Kings Island, was getting all kinds of flack after it decided to stop paying for special buses to transport teens with jobs at the park up from Cincinnati. In past summers, city teens have been able to use the buses as transportation to work at the park during the summer months. The buses ran on schedules that matched the shift times. Late last week, the city of Cincinnati and the park worked out a deal where the city pays about two-thirds and the park one-third of the costs.
First off… it's Kings Island's right to stop financing this benefit. It's the bottom line. They're in business to make money and if it's not beneficial financially for them, they have every right to cancel it. If it is financially beneficial, than Kings Island made a mistake in canceling the service.
But what bugs me the most about it is the special treatment that is being made for kids in the city at the expense of Kings Island and now the city taxpayer. It's assumed by everyone that someone else should be responsible for getting kids living in the city to work. If a young girl out in Brown County wants to work at the park, she has to find a way to get there herself. She doesn't have the advantage of access to a bus that will come to her town, pick her up in time to get to her shift and then take her back home when it's over. I had to find a way into work myself this morning. My company didn't have a limo waiting in my driveway to make sure I got in on time. When did publicly financed transportation to a summer job become a right?
First off… it's Kings Island's right to stop financing this benefit. It's the bottom line. They're in business to make money and if it's not beneficial financially for them, they have every right to cancel it. If it is financially beneficial, than Kings Island made a mistake in canceling the service.
But what bugs me the most about it is the special treatment that is being made for kids in the city at the expense of Kings Island and now the city taxpayer. It's assumed by everyone that someone else should be responsible for getting kids living in the city to work. If a young girl out in Brown County wants to work at the park, she has to find a way to get there herself. She doesn't have the advantage of access to a bus that will come to her town, pick her up in time to get to her shift and then take her back home when it's over. I had to find a way into work myself this morning. My company didn't have a limo waiting in my driveway to make sure I got in on time. When did publicly financed transportation to a summer job become a right?
In God We Trust
Isn't it ironic that public colleges and universities are constantly trying to limit religious expression, evangelism groups and any references to God? But the first thing they do when a tragedy occurs is schedule prayer services and ask the country to pray. Who are they praying to...
Saturday, April 21, 2007
NBC (Nutcase Broadcast Channel)
It doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum people fall in, they are all in agreement that NBC should not have aired the Cho video.
Tim Rutten: "[NBC's] statement is bovine excrement. Look, the only thing this does is to demonstrate that he was insane. Well, none of us had any doubt about that."
Howard Kurtz: "In all the years I've been chronicling the media, I have rarely seen the tidal wave of resentment that has washed over television organizations that showed the now-infamous Cho video. In the minds of many Americans, this was a horribly offensive act, and no amount of explanation about the obligations of journalism is going to change that view."
Mark Steyn: "NBC is fulfilling the killer’s last request. That’s disgusting. That’s disgusting, because in effect, you have colluded in this kind of show of slaughter that he’s concocted, and I think that’s disgusting for NBC."
Mickey Kaus: "NBC is now the go-to site for serial killers who have videos."
Hugh Hewitt: "In a country of 300 million, NBC will find some defenders, but the deep and wide disgust will not shift in the weeks and months ahead, but only harden. When in a few months, or a year or two the next maniac sends the next video of his mayhem, see if Steve Capus is still going to be defending the decision he and his colleagues made to inject poison into the information pipes. Their shame is not only in the fact that are they the most exploitative and callous businessmen in the history of broadcast news. Far worse, they are accomplices to murder, for as Mickey Kaus said yesterday, it "is almost inevitable" that there will be future victims 'who will be dead because NBC published this.'"
Tim Rutten: "[NBC's] statement is bovine excrement. Look, the only thing this does is to demonstrate that he was insane. Well, none of us had any doubt about that."
Howard Kurtz: "In all the years I've been chronicling the media, I have rarely seen the tidal wave of resentment that has washed over television organizations that showed the now-infamous Cho video. In the minds of many Americans, this was a horribly offensive act, and no amount of explanation about the obligations of journalism is going to change that view."
Mark Steyn: "NBC is fulfilling the killer’s last request. That’s disgusting. That’s disgusting, because in effect, you have colluded in this kind of show of slaughter that he’s concocted, and I think that’s disgusting for NBC."
Mickey Kaus: "NBC is now the go-to site for serial killers who have videos."
Hugh Hewitt: "In a country of 300 million, NBC will find some defenders, but the deep and wide disgust will not shift in the weeks and months ahead, but only harden. When in a few months, or a year or two the next maniac sends the next video of his mayhem, see if Steve Capus is still going to be defending the decision he and his colleagues made to inject poison into the information pipes. Their shame is not only in the fact that are they the most exploitative and callous businessmen in the history of broadcast news. Far worse, they are accomplices to murder, for as Mickey Kaus said yesterday, it "is almost inevitable" that there will be future victims 'who will be dead because NBC published this.'"
Hillary
I've always figured that the more people see, read about and hear Hillary, the more they will be turned off. I still think she'll win the Dem's nomination easily, but winning the White House is a much different story.
Dick Morris and Eileen McGann think she's losing steam: "There has been a sudden and highly significant shift in the Democratic Presidential race: Hillary Clinton is rapidly losing her frontrunner position to Barack Obama as her negative ratings climb.
According to the Gallup poll, most Americans don't like Hillary Clinton and the number of people who view her negatively has been steadily increasing ever since she announced her candidacy for President in January."
Dick Morris and Eileen McGann think she's losing steam: "There has been a sudden and highly significant shift in the Democratic Presidential race: Hillary Clinton is rapidly losing her frontrunner position to Barack Obama as her negative ratings climb.
According to the Gallup poll, most Americans don't like Hillary Clinton and the number of people who view her negatively has been steadily increasing ever since she announced her candidacy for President in January."
Friday, April 20, 2007
Prediction
I haven't exactly made myself the next Danny Sheridan with my predictions ie GOP keeping house & senate and the Bears winning the Super Bowl but I feel pretty confident about this prediction.
It looks like good weather this weekend in the City of Cincinnati for beginning of murder season. I'll predict at least one black man will be shot and killed this weekend by another black man.
But at least Imus won't be around to call him a nappy headed ho.
It looks like good weather this weekend in the City of Cincinnati for beginning of murder season. I'll predict at least one black man will be shot and killed this weekend by another black man.
But at least Imus won't be around to call him a nappy headed ho.
Harry Reid Concedes
I've tried to lay off the war because I decided long ago that the military people should run it not a bunch of politicians and hacks who can't tell the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
It doesn't look good in Iraq because, just like Vietnam, we're going to fight the damn thing with one arm behind our back.
With that said, Harry Reid's comments about the war being lost are down right treasonous.
Imagine you are an Iraqi Shia. You desperately want to see a peaceful and democratic Iraq. You are willing to support the US but you also fear for your family if you show too much support. As the days wane, and you see the US wants out do you 1) outwardly show your support to the US and collaborate with US troops or 2) keep a low profile and not cause any stirs.
I was born in 1963, my earliest memories of Vietnam was seeing people hanging off of helicopters leaving the US embassy; desperately trying to leave the country. What do you think happened to all those US collaborators after we left? Let me just say that most of them are not around to tell us because I'm sure they were all executed.
Need a more recent example, try Somalia. After we pulled out of there, the country is in total chaos, run by territorial war lords. How much love do you think those war lords have for US collaborators?
The last thing we need to do in Iraq is to concede defeat and play right into the paper tiger painting Bin Laden has planted into the minds of middle easterners.
The thing that kills me most about the American public is that Bush warned us about this. He told us this would be a long struggle, that there would be setbacks along the way and that there would be battles we wouldn't know about but yet the one news cycle American public wants an end to this thing.
Let's pretend we pull out troops out tomorrow. What happens next? Do you think we will be more or less a target of more 9/11 type attacks? What happens to our friends in the Middle East? Do you think they going to be more or less supportive after the next 9/11 knowing how much we love a struggle? What happens to the Kurds, Sunnis and Shias in Iraq?
Finally, how do we ever justify having our troops anywhere in the world Korea, the Phillipines, Europe? How do we ever commit troops to places like Rwanda Somalia, Sudan, Kosovo where we have absolutely no national interest?
Now that the Soviet Union has crumbled the US is the sole remaining superpower. It is our job to be the policeman to the world. Why? Because if we don't do it, who will? the French?
It doesn't look good in Iraq because, just like Vietnam, we're going to fight the damn thing with one arm behind our back.
With that said, Harry Reid's comments about the war being lost are down right treasonous.
Imagine you are an Iraqi Shia. You desperately want to see a peaceful and democratic Iraq. You are willing to support the US but you also fear for your family if you show too much support. As the days wane, and you see the US wants out do you 1) outwardly show your support to the US and collaborate with US troops or 2) keep a low profile and not cause any stirs.
I was born in 1963, my earliest memories of Vietnam was seeing people hanging off of helicopters leaving the US embassy; desperately trying to leave the country. What do you think happened to all those US collaborators after we left? Let me just say that most of them are not around to tell us because I'm sure they were all executed.
Need a more recent example, try Somalia. After we pulled out of there, the country is in total chaos, run by territorial war lords. How much love do you think those war lords have for US collaborators?
The last thing we need to do in Iraq is to concede defeat and play right into the paper tiger painting Bin Laden has planted into the minds of middle easterners.
The thing that kills me most about the American public is that Bush warned us about this. He told us this would be a long struggle, that there would be setbacks along the way and that there would be battles we wouldn't know about but yet the one news cycle American public wants an end to this thing.
Let's pretend we pull out troops out tomorrow. What happens next? Do you think we will be more or less a target of more 9/11 type attacks? What happens to our friends in the Middle East? Do you think they going to be more or less supportive after the next 9/11 knowing how much we love a struggle? What happens to the Kurds, Sunnis and Shias in Iraq?
Finally, how do we ever justify having our troops anywhere in the world Korea, the Phillipines, Europe? How do we ever commit troops to places like Rwanda Somalia, Sudan, Kosovo where we have absolutely no national interest?
Now that the Soviet Union has crumbled the US is the sole remaining superpower. It is our job to be the policeman to the world. Why? Because if we don't do it, who will? the French?
Kings Island/Minimum Wage
Where to begin.
Tuesday, Kings Island, a SW Ohio Amusement park, announced that they were going to discontinue bus service for some of it's workers, youth from the city of Cincinnati.
Historically, Kings Island recruited lots of kids from the city and provided transportation for them up to Kings Island. They then announced they were cutting the service, essentially eliminating job opportunities for hundreds of intercity kids.
Why? If you guessed the increase in the minimum wage, you get to move to the head of the class. So all those kids who had opportunities before the hike just got to watch what do gooder liberalism does in practice. No one would say publicly because it's probably politically incorrect but when the wage hike went up Kings Island could no longer afford to give job opportunities to at risk kids; higher wages require higher productivity. So they just give those jobs to suburban kids.
Ah, but why kill a liberal do-gooder program that doesn't work when you can create another. The City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County announced that they would subsidize the program so the buses keep running. Never mind that Kings Island does not pay either Cincinnati or Hamilton County taxes of any kind. This is how government works.
In the immortal words of Ronald Reagan
If a liberal see something and it moves, they tax it.
If it keeps moving, they regulate it.
When it quits moving, they subsidize it.
Tuesday, Kings Island, a SW Ohio Amusement park, announced that they were going to discontinue bus service for some of it's workers, youth from the city of Cincinnati.
Historically, Kings Island recruited lots of kids from the city and provided transportation for them up to Kings Island. They then announced they were cutting the service, essentially eliminating job opportunities for hundreds of intercity kids.
Why? If you guessed the increase in the minimum wage, you get to move to the head of the class. So all those kids who had opportunities before the hike just got to watch what do gooder liberalism does in practice. No one would say publicly because it's probably politically incorrect but when the wage hike went up Kings Island could no longer afford to give job opportunities to at risk kids; higher wages require higher productivity. So they just give those jobs to suburban kids.
Ah, but why kill a liberal do-gooder program that doesn't work when you can create another. The City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County announced that they would subsidize the program so the buses keep running. Never mind that Kings Island does not pay either Cincinnati or Hamilton County taxes of any kind. This is how government works.
In the immortal words of Ronald Reagan
If a liberal see something and it moves, they tax it.
If it keeps moving, they regulate it.
When it quits moving, they subsidize it.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Va Tech Shootings
Now that the dust is beginning to settle on the Va Tech shootings, it looks like we can see America.... at it's worst.
Media
Is there nothing sacred for the media? specifically, NBC. I'm a big freedom of the press guy but with every freedom comes a responsibility.
First, a little precursor. I believe most people in the psychiatric community would tell you that this shooter had mega self esteem problems and was obsessed in finding a way to have himself stand out among the masses.
The media knows this yet they play right along into this guy's hands making him a celebrity by putting his name and picture all over the place. He can now rest in peace knowing he's a big man on campus.
Do you think the there might be another disturbed young person out there that might see this type of behavior as his road to immortality?
I would be willing to bet a lot of money that before the end of the school year, there's going to be another one of these types of shootings. And with each and every one of these shootings, the ante gets upped to make the next shooting more sensational than the last.
Has anyone noticed that the entire popular culture is all about being noticed? Survivor, American Idol, Springer, My Space, Deal or No Deal, Maury, You Tube. It doesn't matter if it's to show off your special talent or to sink to the lowest of self-degradation as long as you get your fifteen minutes.
And the media plays right along. Just like a drug dealer handing another vial over to the crack whore; and we all just gawk at the results.
It gives the executives at NBC a total pass. Now they can play the old "we're just giving the public what they want..." card. I'll remember that when one of their kids OD's on meth.
Victims
It's hard to be critical of someone who's lost their life but it appears the victims in the classroom huddled up behind a desk during the shooting; even while the shooter was reloading the clips to his guns. Only a professor, a holocaust survivor, fought back.
What were these kids thinking? Well, I hope he runs out of ammo soon? In this country we've got to start getting it through people's heads that the only way you deal with evil is to confront it.... often violently. You cannot negotiate with evil, you cannot expect mercy from evil, you cannot be patient with evil until it's no longer evil.
The people on United flight 93 got this. They knew they were going to die, but they were not going to let evil win on evil's terms. They didn't huddle up in the corner waiting for evil to decide their destiny, they created their own.
It doesn't matter if evil shows up as the president of Iran or a mad man on campus, at some point, everyone needs to start getting that force is the only way you confront such people.
We've gotten to this place in our country by brainwashing people into this multi cultural clap trap which insists in 1) denying that evil really exists in the first place... "it's just another opinion to be respected"... "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" crap 2) thinking the only effective way to deal with confrontation is to "talk it out".... Malarkey.
For the past couple of decades, we've been "wimpifying" America and it's disgusting. I was watching a piece on PBS a couple of weeks ago when Natan Sharansky said that while he was in a Soviet prison he heard about Ronald Reagan calling out the Soviet Union as an "Evil Empire". It was his opinion that just calling out evil was enough to spur on the dissidents in their country.
Do we have the stones to do it again? or will we just have Nancy Pelosi stop in to shake hands with it?
Media
Is there nothing sacred for the media? specifically, NBC. I'm a big freedom of the press guy but with every freedom comes a responsibility.
First, a little precursor. I believe most people in the psychiatric community would tell you that this shooter had mega self esteem problems and was obsessed in finding a way to have himself stand out among the masses.
The media knows this yet they play right along into this guy's hands making him a celebrity by putting his name and picture all over the place. He can now rest in peace knowing he's a big man on campus.
Do you think the there might be another disturbed young person out there that might see this type of behavior as his road to immortality?
I would be willing to bet a lot of money that before the end of the school year, there's going to be another one of these types of shootings. And with each and every one of these shootings, the ante gets upped to make the next shooting more sensational than the last.
Has anyone noticed that the entire popular culture is all about being noticed? Survivor, American Idol, Springer, My Space, Deal or No Deal, Maury, You Tube. It doesn't matter if it's to show off your special talent or to sink to the lowest of self-degradation as long as you get your fifteen minutes.
And the media plays right along. Just like a drug dealer handing another vial over to the crack whore; and we all just gawk at the results.
It gives the executives at NBC a total pass. Now they can play the old "we're just giving the public what they want..." card. I'll remember that when one of their kids OD's on meth.
Victims
It's hard to be critical of someone who's lost their life but it appears the victims in the classroom huddled up behind a desk during the shooting; even while the shooter was reloading the clips to his guns. Only a professor, a holocaust survivor, fought back.
What were these kids thinking? Well, I hope he runs out of ammo soon? In this country we've got to start getting it through people's heads that the only way you deal with evil is to confront it.... often violently. You cannot negotiate with evil, you cannot expect mercy from evil, you cannot be patient with evil until it's no longer evil.
The people on United flight 93 got this. They knew they were going to die, but they were not going to let evil win on evil's terms. They didn't huddle up in the corner waiting for evil to decide their destiny, they created their own.
It doesn't matter if evil shows up as the president of Iran or a mad man on campus, at some point, everyone needs to start getting that force is the only way you confront such people.
We've gotten to this place in our country by brainwashing people into this multi cultural clap trap which insists in 1) denying that evil really exists in the first place... "it's just another opinion to be respected"... "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" crap 2) thinking the only effective way to deal with confrontation is to "talk it out".... Malarkey.
For the past couple of decades, we've been "wimpifying" America and it's disgusting. I was watching a piece on PBS a couple of weeks ago when Natan Sharansky said that while he was in a Soviet prison he heard about Ronald Reagan calling out the Soviet Union as an "Evil Empire". It was his opinion that just calling out evil was enough to spur on the dissidents in their country.
Do we have the stones to do it again? or will we just have Nancy Pelosi stop in to shake hands with it?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Partial Birth Abortion
The Supreme court today upheld the federal law banning the practice of "partial birth abortion".
One of the tenets to the abortion debate has always been the question of "when does life begin"?
While no one in this lifetime will ever know the answer to this question, I would offer that society already has an established clinical solution to this question. It's simply the flip side of when life ends. I believe it's probably when a heart stops but a doctor can tell me more definitively.
For instance, if life ends with the stopping of a beating heart, then surely we can all agree that life should begin with the same definition..... when the baby's heart starts to beat. At that point in time, the baby should receive all the legal protection any other human would enjoy in this country.
Unfortunately, the whole debate has devolved into a woman's right to do with her body what she wants.
If you believe in that premise, do you believe prostitution should be legal? After all it's a woman's body if she wants to sell it for profit shouldn't she be allowed? What about drug use? Shouldn't a person be able to use meth, despite the abuse it does to one's body. What about eating up all that trans fat? It's my body.... shouldn't I be able to eat all the damn french fries I want? If it's simply my body, what the hell are all these seat belt laws for?
What if a woman wants an abortion for gender selection? Does the baby girl that's about to get killed have a say about her body?
One of the tenets to the abortion debate has always been the question of "when does life begin"?
While no one in this lifetime will ever know the answer to this question, I would offer that society already has an established clinical solution to this question. It's simply the flip side of when life ends. I believe it's probably when a heart stops but a doctor can tell me more definitively.
For instance, if life ends with the stopping of a beating heart, then surely we can all agree that life should begin with the same definition..... when the baby's heart starts to beat. At that point in time, the baby should receive all the legal protection any other human would enjoy in this country.
Unfortunately, the whole debate has devolved into a woman's right to do with her body what she wants.
If you believe in that premise, do you believe prostitution should be legal? After all it's a woman's body if she wants to sell it for profit shouldn't she be allowed? What about drug use? Shouldn't a person be able to use meth, despite the abuse it does to one's body. What about eating up all that trans fat? It's my body.... shouldn't I be able to eat all the damn french fries I want? If it's simply my body, what the hell are all these seat belt laws for?
What if a woman wants an abortion for gender selection? Does the baby girl that's about to get killed have a say about her body?
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Quality Journalism?
John Leo has an excellent piece in the New York Sun about journalistic reporting through the eyes of reporters. He quotes the late Michael Kelly
Seeing the world through this template has resulted in some incredibly awful reporting on the Duke case and the Imus slur.
The bottom line is the traditional news media has a view of the world where conflict must exist between rich/poor, white/black, religious/nonreligious, man/woman etc. When there is evidence to the contrary, these media outlets simply ignore the evidence and reports on the same template.
An example, Terry Moran who wrote a piece on his blog "Don't feel sorry for the Dukies" which essentially states that the rich boys may not be charged with rape but they're still guilty of being white & privileged men victimizing a poor, disadvantaged black girl. He just cannot give up his paradigm of the world.
The same template held true this past fall when NBC decided to do a piece on how white middle class people are hostile to Arab looking Muslims. They baited the piece by having Muslims dressed in Arab gear show up at a NASCAR race and pray.
You know why you never saw the piece.... because it was never produced. They could never elicit a response from those good old boys to harass the Muslims. See, it never occurred to NBC producers that the good old boys don't really care if you are a Muslim as long as you like Earnhardt.
What would have been nice would be to see a piece about journalists' preconceptions about fly over country but don't hold your breath. We'll get that piece when you start seeing apologies to the "Dukies".
"most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard templates into which they plug each day's events."
Seeing the world through this template has resulted in some incredibly awful reporting on the Duke case and the Imus slur.
The bottom line is the traditional news media has a view of the world where conflict must exist between rich/poor, white/black, religious/nonreligious, man/woman etc. When there is evidence to the contrary, these media outlets simply ignore the evidence and reports on the same template.
An example, Terry Moran who wrote a piece on his blog "Don't feel sorry for the Dukies" which essentially states that the rich boys may not be charged with rape but they're still guilty of being white & privileged men victimizing a poor, disadvantaged black girl. He just cannot give up his paradigm of the world.
The same template held true this past fall when NBC decided to do a piece on how white middle class people are hostile to Arab looking Muslims. They baited the piece by having Muslims dressed in Arab gear show up at a NASCAR race and pray.
You know why you never saw the piece.... because it was never produced. They could never elicit a response from those good old boys to harass the Muslims. See, it never occurred to NBC producers that the good old boys don't really care if you are a Muslim as long as you like Earnhardt.
What would have been nice would be to see a piece about journalists' preconceptions about fly over country but don't hold your breath. We'll get that piece when you start seeing apologies to the "Dukies".
Tax Time
As many of you know, I am a local CPA and preparing tax returns is a big part of my practice.
While I can understand that the average person really doesn't get the basics of tax law there are a few things that normal citizens should be able to master.
First, refunds of taxes are just that.... refunds. Your refund goes up or down based on the tax liability reported on the return and the amount you paid in during the year. The fact you normally get a $2,000 refund is no guarantee you'll get $2,000 next year. Especially if you do things like take out money from an IRA, go on unemployment, get divorced. I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time educating taxpayers for things people should really know coming out of high school let alone people with MBA's.
Second, you don't get a refund if you pay nothing in. I swear I spent 45 minutes this year trying to explain to a person who's only income was social security why she didn't get a refund for high medical expenses. Now, there are some credits which are refundable, EIC and, this year, the telephone tax refund. She was expecting a refund to the extent of her medical expenses.
Finally, deductions are just that, deductions, not credits. If you have $6,000 in mortgage interest expense it does not make a $6,000 change in your tax liability and, subsequently, refund. I'll preach till I'm blue in the face that paying increased taxes on non deductions is preferable to paying out the deduction.
When I first started in practice, I swear I had a client who would have paid out $10,000 if it would have saved him $750.00 in taxes. It wasn't until I told him I would give him a $10,000 invoice when he finally got my drift.
I'm a proponent of the fair tax. While people think that will put old Gordon out of business, I would offer that someone has to do all those sales tax returns in addition, I wouldn't have to spend my time providing the public with basic personal finance education on a pro bono basis.
While I can understand that the average person really doesn't get the basics of tax law there are a few things that normal citizens should be able to master.
First, refunds of taxes are just that.... refunds. Your refund goes up or down based on the tax liability reported on the return and the amount you paid in during the year. The fact you normally get a $2,000 refund is no guarantee you'll get $2,000 next year. Especially if you do things like take out money from an IRA, go on unemployment, get divorced. I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time educating taxpayers for things people should really know coming out of high school let alone people with MBA's.
Second, you don't get a refund if you pay nothing in. I swear I spent 45 minutes this year trying to explain to a person who's only income was social security why she didn't get a refund for high medical expenses. Now, there are some credits which are refundable, EIC and, this year, the telephone tax refund. She was expecting a refund to the extent of her medical expenses.
Finally, deductions are just that, deductions, not credits. If you have $6,000 in mortgage interest expense it does not make a $6,000 change in your tax liability and, subsequently, refund. I'll preach till I'm blue in the face that paying increased taxes on non deductions is preferable to paying out the deduction.
When I first started in practice, I swear I had a client who would have paid out $10,000 if it would have saved him $750.00 in taxes. It wasn't until I told him I would give him a $10,000 invoice when he finally got my drift.
I'm a proponent of the fair tax. While people think that will put old Gordon out of business, I would offer that someone has to do all those sales tax returns in addition, I wouldn't have to spend my time providing the public with basic personal finance education on a pro bono basis.
Gun Ban
I was just listening to the radio when the DJ was interviewing Ann Compton from ABC News about the shootings yesterday at Va Tech.
Here were her thoughts "Well Jim, I went to school in the area and it's a big gun ownership population. The people here didn't like the gun ban instituted by the school years ago".
First off, it's a good things the school put that ban in place, otherwise, someone might think it was OK to just walk through campus and randomly shoot students and staff.
Second, Maybe some of those yee haa hillbillies that love their guns understand that attacks get even quick when you're lock and loaded.
I hate to pile on when a tragedy like this occurs but really, has anyone studied the profiles of these guys. Has anyone noticed that these armed attacks are not occurring at rifle ranges, a police station, a biker bar.... they're committed by cowards who definitively know the victims are unarmed.
After a couple of criminals in Cincinnati were shot and killed in robbing convenience stores, convenience store robberies went down but what has skyrocketed in it's place.... bank robberies. Maybe ... it's because robbers play the cost benefit principle and they know that bank employees are unarmed as a matter of policy.
When it's all said and done, this person will be found to be mentally stressed or had some sort of a breakdown but even the early reports show that this guy walked around the campus with absolute impunity. Maybe if a student or staff member had a concealed carry fire arm they could have shut this guy down before 32 lives were lost.
Here were her thoughts "Well Jim, I went to school in the area and it's a big gun ownership population. The people here didn't like the gun ban instituted by the school years ago".
First off, it's a good things the school put that ban in place, otherwise, someone might think it was OK to just walk through campus and randomly shoot students and staff.
Second, Maybe some of those yee haa hillbillies that love their guns understand that attacks get even quick when you're lock and loaded.
I hate to pile on when a tragedy like this occurs but really, has anyone studied the profiles of these guys. Has anyone noticed that these armed attacks are not occurring at rifle ranges, a police station, a biker bar.... they're committed by cowards who definitively know the victims are unarmed.
After a couple of criminals in Cincinnati were shot and killed in robbing convenience stores, convenience store robberies went down but what has skyrocketed in it's place.... bank robberies. Maybe ... it's because robbers play the cost benefit principle and they know that bank employees are unarmed as a matter of policy.
When it's all said and done, this person will be found to be mentally stressed or had some sort of a breakdown but even the early reports show that this guy walked around the campus with absolute impunity. Maybe if a student or staff member had a concealed carry fire arm they could have shut this guy down before 32 lives were lost.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sex Sting
Do these guys watch the news? Every week on Dateline and nearly every week somewhere in America there is a sting where a bunch of guys get busted trying to set up sex with a 15 year old?
While I'm not a big fan of such stings because there is no actual victim (unless you call a 40 year old cop who gets off on this a victim), these guys deserve some kind of punishment for general stupidity.
Here's a question for the "homosexual's are just born that way" crowd. If a man has such a sexual compulsion that he's willing to risk everything to hook up with a 15 year old, should we really punish him?
Keep in mind, once a girl starts to menstruate it's nature's way of saying she's a woman. So aren't we just putting some ridiculous arbitrary standards of sexual conduct on a man who was just "born that way"?
I wonder how many gays are willing to step up and defend these guys. After all, not only do these guys not get to marry these girls, but they get to go on Dateline and have to register as a sexual offender the rest of their lives.
While I'm not a big fan of such stings because there is no actual victim (unless you call a 40 year old cop who gets off on this a victim), these guys deserve some kind of punishment for general stupidity.
Here's a question for the "homosexual's are just born that way" crowd. If a man has such a sexual compulsion that he's willing to risk everything to hook up with a 15 year old, should we really punish him?
Keep in mind, once a girl starts to menstruate it's nature's way of saying she's a woman. So aren't we just putting some ridiculous arbitrary standards of sexual conduct on a man who was just "born that way"?
I wonder how many gays are willing to step up and defend these guys. After all, not only do these guys not get to marry these girls, but they get to go on Dateline and have to register as a sexual offender the rest of their lives.
Edwards Hair
It probably appears that I have an obsession with the candidates' hair as much as I write about it.
Actually, my obsession pretty much ends with a $400.00 haircut. But not for old John Edwards.
I'm sure his $400.00 is just his way of taking care of the neighborhood barber who can't afford health care.
Actually, my obsession pretty much ends with a $400.00 haircut. But not for old John Edwards.
I'm sure his $400.00 is just his way of taking care of the neighborhood barber who can't afford health care.
Government income
Approximately 53 % of all Americans receive some type of government program.
No wonder so many are against tax cuts for the rich; it dries up the income stream
No wonder so many are against tax cuts for the rich; it dries up the income stream
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Michigan IPods
Nixguy has a follow up piece on the Michigan IPod fiasco.
You'd swear it was made up if it wasn't so ridiculous.
Maybe Ohio can do a guns for IPods program to help finance their end of the Brent Spence bridge construction.
You'd swear it was made up if it wasn't so ridiculous.
Maybe Ohio can do a guns for IPods program to help finance their end of the Brent Spence bridge construction.
Clean Gas
Don't blame "big oil" this time when gas prices go up next summer. Blame your elected officials and the global warming, chicken little crowd.
"Starting next summer, Southwest Ohio motorists will pay a little extra at the pump under a state plan to require a cleaner gasoline to be sold in Cincinnati, Dayton and surrounding areas.
The proposal awaiting federal approval is meant to curb ozone pollution in the region. The cleaner gas would only be sold during the summer and would emit fewer vapors that trigger ozone problems. It would replace biennial E-check tests, which ended locally in 2005."
Enquirer: New gas cleaner, but costly
"Starting next summer, Southwest Ohio motorists will pay a little extra at the pump under a state plan to require a cleaner gasoline to be sold in Cincinnati, Dayton and surrounding areas.
The proposal awaiting federal approval is meant to curb ozone pollution in the region. The cleaner gas would only be sold during the summer and would emit fewer vapors that trigger ozone problems. It would replace biennial E-check tests, which ended locally in 2005."
Enquirer: New gas cleaner, but costly
Trans fat ban
Now that we've slowly but surely turned smokers into lepers, we can now turn to the trans fat pimps of bad health.
Here's one of our local do gooders out to beat the death out of trans fat.
You know somehow life seem so much sweeter when we had a bitter enemy like the Soviet Union. At least we could all unite with our olympic teams, chess clubs and Rocky IV to hate the big time bad guys.
Somehow taking out all our anger on a french fry just isn't the same.
Here's one of our local do gooders out to beat the death out of trans fat.
You know somehow life seem so much sweeter when we had a bitter enemy like the Soviet Union. At least we could all unite with our olympic teams, chess clubs and Rocky IV to hate the big time bad guys.
Somehow taking out all our anger on a french fry just isn't the same.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
BMV SSN BS
I made my quadrennial trip to the Ohio BMV yesterday to get my driver's license renewed. I was first in line so I figured I'd lucked out and it would be a quick visit.
After a 20 min wait, the "friendly" lady at the counter informed me that due to a new federal law prohibiting my social security number from being used as an identification, it would not longer appear on my card. Sounds like a good idea!
Her next sentence got me a little confused. She told me that since my number would not be on my card, the next time I visited the BMV I would need a form of identification with my social security number on it to prove who I was.
Now does this make sense? The BMV won't put your number on the card, but requires that you show them another form of ID that does show the number. Our social security numbers were never meant to be a form of identification. Who are the clowns creating these laws?
After a 20 min wait, the "friendly" lady at the counter informed me that due to a new federal law prohibiting my social security number from being used as an identification, it would not longer appear on my card. Sounds like a good idea!
Her next sentence got me a little confused. She told me that since my number would not be on my card, the next time I visited the BMV I would need a form of identification with my social security number on it to prove who I was.
Now does this make sense? The BMV won't put your number on the card, but requires that you show them another form of ID that does show the number. Our social security numbers were never meant to be a form of identification. Who are the clowns creating these laws?
Elect me
In several posts, I've described several of the presidential candidates as geeks, who probably had their lunch money stolen from them as kids.
Does this picture more or less hit the nail right on the head?
At least we can't see her "cankles".
Resistant Gonorrhea
A couple of weeks ago I posted a piece about why people are so willing to teach abstinence to smoking, drugs and drinking but not sex.
What if your kid(s) could possibly get antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea from drinking a beer? Would you more or less be inclined to teach them about abstaining from drinking?
I know that the popular culture is to pass out condoms and beg kids to use them but if you don't believe that abstinence training doesn't work how could you possibly think that the message "abstain from sex unless you have a condom" could possibly work?
What if your kid(s) could possibly get antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea from drinking a beer? Would you more or less be inclined to teach them about abstaining from drinking?
I know that the popular culture is to pass out condoms and beg kids to use them but if you don't believe that abstinence training doesn't work how could you possibly think that the message "abstain from sex unless you have a condom" could possibly work?
Friday, April 13, 2007
Bridge to Nowhere?
Here's an article about the replacing the Brent Spence Bridge in Cincinnati.
If you not from the area it's the I-75 bridge that crosses the Ohio river and is in sore need of replacement.
One of the things holding up the construction of the bridge is simply how the government is going to pay for the bridge.
I've got an idea for you. How about paying for it with the 35 cent per gallon excise tax the feds and state already slap on a gallon of gas. You know the excise tax on gas that's supposed to be used on these types of projects.
Somehow, the feds have no problems coming up with a few billion on a bridge in Alaska that services about 100 cars a day.
This bridge might be one of the most vital in the US. Without this bridge, how are businesses going to be able to leave Michigan and Ohio and move to Tennessee and Georgia?
If you not from the area it's the I-75 bridge that crosses the Ohio river and is in sore need of replacement.
One of the things holding up the construction of the bridge is simply how the government is going to pay for the bridge.
I've got an idea for you. How about paying for it with the 35 cent per gallon excise tax the feds and state already slap on a gallon of gas. You know the excise tax on gas that's supposed to be used on these types of projects.
Somehow, the feds have no problems coming up with a few billion on a bridge in Alaska that services about 100 cars a day.
This bridge might be one of the most vital in the US. Without this bridge, how are businesses going to be able to leave Michigan and Ohio and move to Tennessee and Georgia?
Would Archie Bunker be crucified today?
Well a local radio shock jock was finally fired for lynching of a group of basketball players in New Jersey.
Given the public clamor you would have to believe that's what happened this week.
Out of curiosity, could you put a show like All in the Family on the air in the year 2007? When this show came on in 1973(?), it was controversial to say the least, but it seems like we are able to have a more free discussion of race in this country back in 1973 then we can 34 years later.
I just find that it's amazing that instead of a honest discussion about race, we continue to get this incredible shout down by the usual suspects.
I don't think George Jefferson would have approved.
Given the public clamor you would have to believe that's what happened this week.
Out of curiosity, could you put a show like All in the Family on the air in the year 2007? When this show came on in 1973(?), it was controversial to say the least, but it seems like we are able to have a more free discussion of race in this country back in 1973 then we can 34 years later.
I just find that it's amazing that instead of a honest discussion about race, we continue to get this incredible shout down by the usual suspects.
I don't think George Jefferson would have approved.
Q.O.T.D.
"It is the besetting vice of democracies to substitute public opinion for law. This is the usual form in which the masses of men exhibit their tyranny."
-James Fenimore Cooper
-James Fenimore Cooper
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Sharpton Speaks
"It is our feeling that this is only the beginning. We must have a broad discussion on what is permitted and not permitted in terms of the airwaves..." - Al Sharpton
So Al Sharpton wants to limit what can be said on the radio? Is this the same Al Sharpton that has used the term "honkies", made derogatory remarks about Jews and once said that most Southerners are "just a bunch of red-neck crackers who get drunk and kill black people."?
I'm not so sure Mr. Sharpton is the best person to determine what can and can't be said on air.
Weather Brainwashing
"In a campaign without peacetime precedent, the media-entertainment-environmental complex is warning about global warming. Never, other than during the two world wars, has there been such a concerted effort by opinion-forming institutions to indoctrinate Americans, 83 percent of whom now call global warming a "serious problem.''
George Will: Fuzzy Climate Math
George Will: Fuzzy Climate Math
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Quote of the Day
A liberal is always the guy taking a penny from the cup at your local convenience store.... a conservative always puts one in.
gg
gg
Student Loan Corruption - It's for the Children
It's always been my opinion that if you really want to cut the price increases going on in secondary education quit subsidizing it with government backed student loans and other education subsidies.
But Gordon, kids won't have the ability to get into school if they cannot borrow the money for tuition.
Yeah, I know the schools and the student loan providers are all worried about the kids ability to get into school and get an education to the extent that they are able to pay for the tuition with the student loans.
Here's a nice piece about kickbacks going to the schools from the altruistic student loan companies and the universities they fund.
Some of the schools involved include University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Syracuse University, Fordham University, Long Island University and St. John's University not exactly your run of the mill diploma factories.
Someday, I would love to match up the number of corporate scandals with the number scandals involving government program and have some liberal tell me again how compassionate it is to fund these programs.
But Gordon, kids won't have the ability to get into school if they cannot borrow the money for tuition.
Yeah, I know the schools and the student loan providers are all worried about the kids ability to get into school and get an education to the extent that they are able to pay for the tuition with the student loans.
Here's a nice piece about kickbacks going to the schools from the altruistic student loan companies and the universities they fund.
Some of the schools involved include University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Syracuse University, Fordham University, Long Island University and St. John's University not exactly your run of the mill diploma factories.
Someday, I would love to match up the number of corporate scandals with the number scandals involving government program and have some liberal tell me again how compassionate it is to fund these programs.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Josh Hamilton
In what is in inspirational story, regardless of how his baseball career ends up, Cincinnati Red's outfielder Josh Hamilton hit a home run Tuesday night to record his first major league hit. After being selected in 1999 as one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Hamilton screwed up his life with drugs and alcohol. His recovery shows the importance of faith and family in a person's life. Let's hope he can stay clean and continue to be a positive example to others.
Headline... Shock Jocks are Shocking
Apparently, a complete civil rights violation occurred this week when a national talk show host, known for his offensive diatribes, actually offended an ethnic group.
I won't say his name because these are the things that get the headlines for these guys, the only reason I mention this story at all is because tomorrow is the anniversary of Cincinnati's race riots.
All the outrage then, is the same outrage today, expressed by the usual suspects (again no names mentioned for the same reasons).
What has happened to the Queen City since the riots? Well, the city put clipboards in the hands of the "racist" white cops and had them quit patrolling the worst neighborhoods in the city.
As a result, the murder rates have escalated to where the city is resembling New Orleans or Detroit. But I guess that it's OK because it's better to have 500 young black men killed by 500 other black men than one black man shot and killed by a white police office.
While it appears that the two incidents are unrelated they are in fact totally related. People looking to shoot a gnat with an elephant gun while young black men are getting gunned down in the streets.
I guess being dead is better than being disrespected by a racist.
I won't say his name because these are the things that get the headlines for these guys, the only reason I mention this story at all is because tomorrow is the anniversary of Cincinnati's race riots.
All the outrage then, is the same outrage today, expressed by the usual suspects (again no names mentioned for the same reasons).
What has happened to the Queen City since the riots? Well, the city put clipboards in the hands of the "racist" white cops and had them quit patrolling the worst neighborhoods in the city.
As a result, the murder rates have escalated to where the city is resembling New Orleans or Detroit. But I guess that it's OK because it's better to have 500 young black men killed by 500 other black men than one black man shot and killed by a white police office.
While it appears that the two incidents are unrelated they are in fact totally related. People looking to shoot a gnat with an elephant gun while young black men are getting gunned down in the streets.
I guess being dead is better than being disrespected by a racist.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Tressel Hayes....
People wonder how a totally normal guy from Buckeyeville, aka Columbus, could have such an attitude about an Ohio State University.
Here's why
These are the kind of goobers you end up eating next to at the school cafeteria in Buckeyeville. That area is only one generation from 8 inch foreheads on the kids as a result of all the Buckeye inbreeding.
And Cowherd makes fun of Cincinnati.
Here's why
"Buckeye's fan names son Tressel Hayes"
These are the kind of goobers you end up eating next to at the school cafeteria in Buckeyeville. That area is only one generation from 8 inch foreheads on the kids as a result of all the Buckeye inbreeding.
And Cowherd makes fun of Cincinnati.
Crank up the SUV's
Apparently, all this global warming awareness has resulted in everyone rapidly reducing their CO2 emissions, or in Al Gore's case, buying up all those carbon neutral credits.
How else do you explain snow at baseball games, below freezing Easter temperatures and these poor cute little otters getting eatin' up because of a frozen bay in Alaska.
So here's the deal, drive your SUV or this cute little guy gets eaten by a wolf.
Toyota moves
Here's an article about Toyota moving it's main offices from Michigan, home of the free Ipods for kids, to Erlanger, KY.
Notice that the move went right through the state of Ohio On I-75 to Kentucky, the home of business friendly hillbillies.
Maybe that's the solution to the state's economic woes; we just blow up the Brent Spence Bridge and the companies will have no choice but to stay in Ohio. What scares me is that I'm sure that's probably a serious proposal for some Ohio lawmakers.
Notice that the move went right through the state of Ohio On I-75 to Kentucky, the home of business friendly hillbillies.
Maybe that's the solution to the state's economic woes; we just blow up the Brent Spence Bridge and the companies will have no choice but to stay in Ohio. What scares me is that I'm sure that's probably a serious proposal for some Ohio lawmakers.
Edward's "neighbor"
Here's an interesting piece about John Edward's "neighbor".
Just out of curiosity if you own a 28,000 (that's thousand) square foot home on 102 acres and the home includes an indoor basketball and handball court, do you really have "neighbors"?
Most of my friends think I make fun of Edward's hair because I am apparently jealous of his tremendous mane. But watch this video and tell me if this is a guy we really want for president.
Just out of curiosity if you own a 28,000 (that's thousand) square foot home on 102 acres and the home includes an indoor basketball and handball court, do you really have "neighbors"?
Most of my friends think I make fun of Edward's hair because I am apparently jealous of his tremendous mane. But watch this video and tell me if this is a guy we really want for president.
Cincinnati: It don't stink!
Maybe Cowherd was right. Here's the latest slogan for the city....
Cincinnati: Home to Five Outhouses
"This is better than an indoor toilet," said Ofie Knose, 70, of Crosby Township. "It don't stink."
"I come in here, pull my drawers down and let it go and that's it..."
"If two people want to sit together and stink together, they can hold hands..."
Cincinnati: Home to Five Outhouses
"This is better than an indoor toilet," said Ofie Knose, 70, of Crosby Township. "It don't stink."
"I come in here, pull my drawers down and let it go and that's it..."
"If two people want to sit together and stink together, they can hold hands..."
Saturday, April 07, 2007
MI Idiocy Continues
Your state is near economic collapse. People are leaving in droves. Your state gov't budget is in shambles. What do you do?
Well if you're the state of Michigan and you're a House Democrat you add this to your budget; an MP3 player or Ipod for every child in the state.
You can't make this stuff up. Unfortunately for Ohioans, this type of idiocy is contagious so expect in the next few years our state offering up some of these things to take care of the people.
Expect these ideas from a local Democrat near you; free remote controls, free Snoop Dogg CD's, free brick delivery for the next urban riots, and 6 square inches of tattoo.
Well if you're the state of Michigan and you're a House Democrat you add this to your budget; an MP3 player or Ipod for every child in the state.
You can't make this stuff up. Unfortunately for Ohioans, this type of idiocy is contagious so expect in the next few years our state offering up some of these things to take care of the people.
Expect these ideas from a local Democrat near you; free remote controls, free Snoop Dogg CD's, free brick delivery for the next urban riots, and 6 square inches of tattoo.
The Nati
On Wednesday, ESPN commentator Colin Cowherd went off on the city of Cincinnati calling it "boring", full of "bottom feeders" and "classless".
One part of me says the Cincinnati should just ignore his comments rather than "protest too much". And another part of me says he's right in some respects.
Every city in America has it's share of bottom feeders and losers and Cincinnati is no exception. Just spend the afternoon at a Reds game or Kings Island and you'll get your fill. But to claim that an entire city qualifies is an exaggeration.
Part of Cowherd's skit was coming up with new slogans for the city, most of which were not at all complementary. I've come up with some of my own slogans, some good and some not so good, but mostly true:
Cincinnati: What high school did you go to?
Cincinnati: It's pretty here in the fall.
Cincinnati: We love to litter!
Cincinnati: The home of an amazing number of great restaurants for a city our size.
Cincinnati: Where the weather sucks most of the time.
Cincinnati: Our suburbs are thriving.
Cincinnati: There's kind of a lot to do.
Cincinnati: Home to a lot of good schools.
One part of me says the Cincinnati should just ignore his comments rather than "protest too much". And another part of me says he's right in some respects.
Every city in America has it's share of bottom feeders and losers and Cincinnati is no exception. Just spend the afternoon at a Reds game or Kings Island and you'll get your fill. But to claim that an entire city qualifies is an exaggeration.
Part of Cowherd's skit was coming up with new slogans for the city, most of which were not at all complementary. I've come up with some of my own slogans, some good and some not so good, but mostly true:
Cincinnati: What high school did you go to?
Cincinnati: It's pretty here in the fall.
Cincinnati: We love to litter!
Cincinnati: The home of an amazing number of great restaurants for a city our size.
Cincinnati: Where the weather sucks most of the time.
Cincinnati: Our suburbs are thriving.
Cincinnati: There's kind of a lot to do.
Cincinnati: Home to a lot of good schools.
Cincinnati: Where men are men, but dress like women.
Cincinnati: I was born here, so I'm stayin.
Cincinnati: I was born here, so I'm stayin.
Where's my global warming?
It always seems like the global warming crowd picks the worst possible times to come out with another one of their gloom and doom, chicken little reports.
Juxtapose the following two headlines:
Panel: Global Warming a Threat to Earth
Record Shattering Cold
Juxtapose the following two headlines:
Panel: Global Warming a Threat to Earth
Record Shattering Cold
Friday, April 06, 2007
Good Friday
For those who are not Christians or are maybe agnostic in their faith, I ask the question.
Who is Jesus Christ?
The Romans documented his crucifixion so we know that he was not a mythological character such as Zeus or Apollo. So that leaves us with a few alternatives. He was either a fraud, a lunatic, a normal guy or the messiah.
If he was a fraud, do you think he would have allowed himself to be executed? Most criminals have this thing about self preservation so I would think that when things got harry he would have bolted at the first sign of trouble.
If he was a lunatic, would the Romans have gone to the trouble to execute him? In addition, how many guys do we see wearing aluminum hats having the staying power of their message for more than a minute, let alone 2000 years?
A normal guy? Well Jesus had hundreds of people follow him from city to city in an attempt to hear his message, hardly normal.
So that leaves us with the Messiah.
I've always loved the movie Braveheart because it illustrates in incredible vivid fashion as to what it means so passionate about a cause that you're willing to die for the cause. William Wallace still lives in the heart of many Scots, 600 years after his death.
What if someone was so passionate about God and his relationship with people, he was willing to die in order to reconcile the relationship between God and humanity? That's what Christ did for us.
So if you are still in doubt about Christ's cause, give some thought this Easter weekend about someone who created a legacy that's lasted more than 2000 years and lives in the souls of more than 2 billion people today.
Many people are put off by Christian evangelism. I know, I was one of them. But a few years ago, someone told me that when you watch a really great movie you tell people about it, you don't remain silent. Well imagine how much you want to share the greatest thing that ever happened in your life.... You want to share it with the world.
Have a great Good Friday and Easter weekend.
Who is Jesus Christ?
The Romans documented his crucifixion so we know that he was not a mythological character such as Zeus or Apollo. So that leaves us with a few alternatives. He was either a fraud, a lunatic, a normal guy or the messiah.
If he was a fraud, do you think he would have allowed himself to be executed? Most criminals have this thing about self preservation so I would think that when things got harry he would have bolted at the first sign of trouble.
If he was a lunatic, would the Romans have gone to the trouble to execute him? In addition, how many guys do we see wearing aluminum hats having the staying power of their message for more than a minute, let alone 2000 years?
A normal guy? Well Jesus had hundreds of people follow him from city to city in an attempt to hear his message, hardly normal.
So that leaves us with the Messiah.
I've always loved the movie Braveheart because it illustrates in incredible vivid fashion as to what it means so passionate about a cause that you're willing to die for the cause. William Wallace still lives in the heart of many Scots, 600 years after his death.
What if someone was so passionate about God and his relationship with people, he was willing to die in order to reconcile the relationship between God and humanity? That's what Christ did for us.
So if you are still in doubt about Christ's cause, give some thought this Easter weekend about someone who created a legacy that's lasted more than 2000 years and lives in the souls of more than 2 billion people today.
Many people are put off by Christian evangelism. I know, I was one of them. But a few years ago, someone told me that when you watch a really great movie you tell people about it, you don't remain silent. Well imagine how much you want to share the greatest thing that ever happened in your life.... You want to share it with the world.
Have a great Good Friday and Easter weekend.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
DUI Checkpoints
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and the City of Cincinnati announced a DUI check point for Friday night somewhere in the city to be announced tomorrow morning. Apparently, the police have nicknamed the weekly event as "Shake Down a Bengal Tonight."
What they didn't announce is the bank robbery check point at a Key Bank in town, an assault with a deadly weapon check point on Liberty and Vine, and a child molestation check point at a local elementary school.
Really, it occurs to me that DUI and speeding are the only offenses where the police camp out and spend large resources to find offenders. Is it really a public safety issue or is it really a shakedown of the public for money?
I noticed that in last week's checkpoint they cited 105 out of 711 drivers for failure to wear a seat belt. It's a good thing to because you know those unlawful no seat belt guys, if you don't crack down on them it'll become a gateway to bigger crime like jaywalking or armed robbery.
What they didn't announce is the bank robbery check point at a Key Bank in town, an assault with a deadly weapon check point on Liberty and Vine, and a child molestation check point at a local elementary school.
Really, it occurs to me that DUI and speeding are the only offenses where the police camp out and spend large resources to find offenders. Is it really a public safety issue or is it really a shakedown of the public for money?
I noticed that in last week's checkpoint they cited 105 out of 711 drivers for failure to wear a seat belt. It's a good thing to because you know those unlawful no seat belt guys, if you don't crack down on them it'll become a gateway to bigger crime like jaywalking or armed robbery.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Denial - not just a river in Egypt
Here's an interesting piece
Apparently, the House Armed Services Committee's Democratic leadership has issued a memo to staffers informing them to ban the use of the words "Global War on Terror" from all budgetary communication.
It follows right along with the liberal credo "If you can't win the argument, speak a different language."
Apparently, the House Armed Services Committee's Democratic leadership has issued a memo to staffers informing them to ban the use of the words "Global War on Terror" from all budgetary communication.
It follows right along with the liberal credo "If you can't win the argument, speak a different language."
Follow up
This is in follow up to my post last week about presidential narcissism and Midas's post on the Mark Mallory's pitch.
Mallory is clearly a geek and politics are his way to get back at the guys who gave him big "nuggies" or "wedgies" right before they took his lunch money.
In that post I said I wanted to pick the candidate who least wanted the job. Now, I just want someone who has a life outside politics; like maybe someone who can throw a baseball with their kid(s).
So let's evaluate the athletic prowess of the following candidates
Democrats
Hilary Clinton - Apparently good at throwing lamps at Bill
John Edwards - Looks like he can do anything athletically that doesn't mess up his hair which really means nothing.
Barack Obama - did I spell his name right?
Republicans
John McCain - Former golden gloves boxer
Rudy Guiliani - I've seen him throw a ball before... almost as good as Bush.
Mitt Romney - Who?
Mallory is clearly a geek and politics are his way to get back at the guys who gave him big "nuggies" or "wedgies" right before they took his lunch money.
In that post I said I wanted to pick the candidate who least wanted the job. Now, I just want someone who has a life outside politics; like maybe someone who can throw a baseball with their kid(s).
So let's evaluate the athletic prowess of the following candidates
Democrats
Hilary Clinton - Apparently good at throwing lamps at Bill
John Edwards - Looks like he can do anything athletically that doesn't mess up his hair which really means nothing.
Barack Obama - did I spell his name right?
Republicans
John McCain - Former golden gloves boxer
Rudy Guiliani - I've seen him throw a ball before... almost as good as Bush.
Mitt Romney - Who?
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Mark Mallory
Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory missed the plate yesterday when he "threw" out the first pitch before the Reds/Cubs game.
He tried to add a little humor and a bit of damage control to the situation late today by issuing a top 10 list of reasons why he botched the throw. I hate to be picky, but why does he find it necessary to make a political jab while doing it?
#7. I didn’t want to show up President Bush. He might put a wiretap on me.
The Supremes
The Supreme court yesterday ruled that carbon dioxide emissions are pollutants that can be regulated by the EPA.
Next, apparently will be Oxygen, Nitrogen, Helium, Carbon and water vapor; all elements that naturally occur in the environment the EPA can now regulate as pollutants.
I think the Supreme Court should begin all their court rulings with the pronouncement.
"Brought to you by the same clowns that brought you 'separate but equal' ".
Next, apparently will be Oxygen, Nitrogen, Helium, Carbon and water vapor; all elements that naturally occur in the environment the EPA can now regulate as pollutants.
I think the Supreme Court should begin all their court rulings with the pronouncement.
"Brought to you by the same clowns that brought you 'separate but equal' ".
Gator Bait
Well there was good news and bads news to come out of last night.
The good news... I actually predicted that the gators would win the tournament breaking a streak of three consecutive bad predictions.
The bad news.... well, if you are a Florida fan you'll probably never get to see another Florida - osu basketball game in your lifetime. How do I know? Well, in 1962 the University of Cincinnati gave another ohio state university a basketball ass kicking and it took 45 years and a team of walk ons before another ohio state university would give them a game.
But what do you expect from a team that participates in a conference where they can't count the teams... even with their shoes off.
On a slight tangent, will Greg Oden retire? He looked like Laurence Fishburne dragging ass down the court last night and given that he's about 48 years old, I thought that he could probably retire with his full buckeye pension.
The good news... I actually predicted that the gators would win the tournament breaking a streak of three consecutive bad predictions.
The bad news.... well, if you are a Florida fan you'll probably never get to see another Florida - osu basketball game in your lifetime. How do I know? Well, in 1962 the University of Cincinnati gave another ohio state university a basketball ass kicking and it took 45 years and a team of walk ons before another ohio state university would give them a game.
But what do you expect from a team that participates in a conference where they can't count the teams... even with their shoes off.
On a slight tangent, will Greg Oden retire? He looked like Laurence Fishburne dragging ass down the court last night and given that he's about 48 years old, I thought that he could probably retire with his full buckeye pension.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Q.O.T.D.
"People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." – Rogers Hornsby
2007 MLB Predictions
Predicting the outcome of the baseball season is more about luck than actual knowledge. There are so many variables that can have an effect on a team. But, here's Midas's shot in the dark for the new season. Some of these come from the head, others from the heart.
NL W
Dodgers
Padres
DBacks
Rockies
Giants
NL C
Cards
Brewers
Reds
Astros
Pirates
Cubs
NL E
Phillies
Mets
Marlins
Braves
Nationals
AL W
A's
Angels
Rangers
Mariners
AL C
Twins
Tigers
Indians
White Sox
Royals
AL E
Red Sox
Yankees
Blue Jays
Orioles
Devil Rays
NL W
Dodgers
Padres
DBacks
Rockies
Giants
NL C
Cards
Brewers
Reds
Astros
Pirates
Cubs
NL E
Phillies
Mets
Marlins
Braves
Nationals
AL W
A's
Angels
Rangers
Mariners
AL C
Twins
Tigers
Indians
White Sox
Royals
AL E
Red Sox
Yankees
Blue Jays
Orioles
Devil Rays
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Mike Brown
This past week Mike Brown, owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, voted against a financing plan that would adjust each NFL team's debt ceiling. This is an effort to help out the New York Jets and Giants who are planning to borrow nearly $650 million to build brand new stadiums.
What's fascinating about Mike's vote is his reasoning behind it. He states that he opposes "subsidies of all kinds".
Think back to 1996 when the voters of Hamilton county voted to increase the local sales tax to help subsidize a new stadium for the Bengals and Reds. The monstrosity built for the Bengals (Paul Brown Stadium) ended up costing local tax payers $450 million.
Mike Brown should run for Congress. He'd fit in just perfect in Washington, DC.
What's fascinating about Mike's vote is his reasoning behind it. He states that he opposes "subsidies of all kinds".
Think back to 1996 when the voters of Hamilton county voted to increase the local sales tax to help subsidize a new stadium for the Bengals and Reds. The monstrosity built for the Bengals (Paul Brown Stadium) ended up costing local tax payers $450 million.
Mike Brown should run for Congress. He'd fit in just perfect in Washington, DC.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
The Sunshine State
What does Florida have that Ohio doesn't other than hurricanes and low taxes?
"It's a good question, because according to our former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, 250 Ohio refugees flee to Florida every day. Unless we block I-75 with border-patrol checkpoints and armed guards, Ohio will continue to have five cities in the top 30 for population loss.
Here are a few things Ohio has that Florida does not have: An income tax. An inheritance tax. A gift tax."
Peter Bronson: Migration to Fla. not just for spring break
Ohio Minimum Wage
Well the Ohio minimum wage is kicking in and guess what, companies have to raise their prices to accommodate the increased labor cost.
Here's what a young couple making minimum wage had to say about the increase in their wages.
So congratulations all you minimum wage do gooders, you succeeded in helping the working poor continue to tread water.
Here's what a young couple making minimum wage had to say about the increase in their wages.
James Nelson and Sara Prather, a young, engaged couple with two small children, live with her grandmother in West Chester. They're trying to save money for their wedding and a home.
Nelson, 22, works as a mechanic and Prather stays at home taking care of Lillian, 2, and Jayden, 6 months, because day care costs more than any part-time job brings in. Their finances are so tight they've decided they couldn't afford a cell phone.
Even though Nelson made more than minimum wage before, the rate increased above his old pay level, which meant he also got a raise from $6.45 to $7 an hour, or an extra $20 a week.
Prather, 20, outside a Frisch's restaurant in Bellevue where menu prices increased, said it seems like their money is being taken away just as they were about to get a little ahead.
"This is the only restaurant we can go to and not spend an arm and a leg," she said.
So congratulations all you minimum wage do gooders, you succeeded in helping the working poor continue to tread water.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Sex Ed
Ted Strickland has announced that he will be cutting abstinence only sex education as part of his budget.
As a libertarian, I have no qualms about cutting anything in education. Teachers have enough problems teaching the three r's, I wouldn't be adding the additional burden of teaching social health issues on them, especially when it's such a personal subject for so many.
However, I do find the hypocrisy for liberals on this issue amazing. Liberals are out front demanding that the public education system teach abstinence from cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, dangerous driving, trans fats, soft drinks, etc. but not sex.
Take this quiz, what are the health consequences of smoking?... potential for emphysema, cancer, cardio-vascular disease, yellow teeth.
Now replace those health costs with the potential for HIV/AIDS, HPV, Hepatitis, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, or unwanted preganices? That's not even counting the mental health costs of ill advised abortions, wrecked relationships, etc.
Now the question..... would you be more or less interested in teaching abstinence from smoking if these were the potential health consequences from smoking?
I'm not naive, kids are going to do things we tell them not to do. Hell, I had more than my share of underage beers and a few joints along the way but that doesn't mean that we can't be straight with kids about how sex can have injurious consequences.
My Mother had a saying that always stuck with me "If you think you're mature enough to have sex, then you're mature enough to be a father and raise a family and it won't be in this house." That went right along with "If you're mature enough to drink and drive, you're mature enough to figure out how to get out of jail because I won't be doing it."
The point being, we don't teach our youth that with mature freedoms come mature responsibilities. Actually, more than half the adult population hasn't even figured it out yet.
It occurs to me that the reason so many people don't want children taught sexual abstinence is because they don't want to model it. It's just too cool to go bareback with a stranger.
As a libertarian, I have no qualms about cutting anything in education. Teachers have enough problems teaching the three r's, I wouldn't be adding the additional burden of teaching social health issues on them, especially when it's such a personal subject for so many.
However, I do find the hypocrisy for liberals on this issue amazing. Liberals are out front demanding that the public education system teach abstinence from cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, dangerous driving, trans fats, soft drinks, etc. but not sex.
Take this quiz, what are the health consequences of smoking?... potential for emphysema, cancer, cardio-vascular disease, yellow teeth.
Now replace those health costs with the potential for HIV/AIDS, HPV, Hepatitis, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, or unwanted preganices? That's not even counting the mental health costs of ill advised abortions, wrecked relationships, etc.
Now the question..... would you be more or less interested in teaching abstinence from smoking if these were the potential health consequences from smoking?
I'm not naive, kids are going to do things we tell them not to do. Hell, I had more than my share of underage beers and a few joints along the way but that doesn't mean that we can't be straight with kids about how sex can have injurious consequences.
My Mother had a saying that always stuck with me "If you think you're mature enough to have sex, then you're mature enough to be a father and raise a family and it won't be in this house." That went right along with "If you're mature enough to drink and drive, you're mature enough to figure out how to get out of jail because I won't be doing it."
The point being, we don't teach our youth that with mature freedoms come mature responsibilities. Actually, more than half the adult population hasn't even figured it out yet.
It occurs to me that the reason so many people don't want children taught sexual abstinence is because they don't want to model it. It's just too cool to go bareback with a stranger.
Socialist Republic of PA
The one nice thing about living in the corrupt socialist state of Ohio is a that we're are at least surrounded by other corrupt socialist states.
I do work for a nationally recognized restaurant chain and yesterday in a conference call we were informed that the state of Pennsylvania is now seizing the proceeds from unused gift cards.
Now for those that may not know, most states have programs for collecting proceeds on things like uncashed paychecks, dormant bank accounts, rent deposits etc. Usually when the state receives this money they attempt to forward it to the actual beneficiary.
What makes this money grab so ridiculous is that vendors have no idea who is owed this money. As a result, the state just seizes the cash for themselves. In the case of one restaurant, we are talking about $10,000/year.
How can a state justify this arbitrary money grab. The same way it justifies taking some of your wages to pay for someone's food stamps or the same way they take your home to build an office building.
Florida, here I come.
I do work for a nationally recognized restaurant chain and yesterday in a conference call we were informed that the state of Pennsylvania is now seizing the proceeds from unused gift cards.
Now for those that may not know, most states have programs for collecting proceeds on things like uncashed paychecks, dormant bank accounts, rent deposits etc. Usually when the state receives this money they attempt to forward it to the actual beneficiary.
What makes this money grab so ridiculous is that vendors have no idea who is owed this money. As a result, the state just seizes the cash for themselves. In the case of one restaurant, we are talking about $10,000/year.
How can a state justify this arbitrary money grab. The same way it justifies taking some of your wages to pay for someone's food stamps or the same way they take your home to build an office building.
Florida, here I come.
Quote of the Day
"Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
How to keep a newspaper dry
To local Enquirer delivery persons, especially those in the Loveland area:
When it rains, I notice that you often "double bag" the newspaper in an attempt to keep it dry. I don't consider myself a newspaper bagging expert but it would seem to me that just putting the paper in two bags does very little to actually keep the paper dry since the tops of the bags are open.
May I suggest the following solution...
Place the paper in the first bag, then slide it into the second bag so that the opening of the first bag is at the BOTTOM of the second bag. I guarantee this will keep the entire paper dry and readable.
When it rains, I notice that you often "double bag" the newspaper in an attempt to keep it dry. I don't consider myself a newspaper bagging expert but it would seem to me that just putting the paper in two bags does very little to actually keep the paper dry since the tops of the bags are open.
May I suggest the following solution...
Place the paper in the first bag, then slide it into the second bag so that the opening of the first bag is at the BOTTOM of the second bag. I guarantee this will keep the entire paper dry and readable.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Enemy
It's important to consider (between American Idol and CSI episodes) the evil that America is fighting in Iraq and other parts of the world. It's so easy to forget what the enemy is really all about and how important it is for them to be defeated.
"Maj. Gen. Michael Barbero, deputy director for regional operations on the Joint Staff, said . . . the vehicle used in the attack [on Iraqi civilians] was waved through a U.S. military checkpoint because two children were visible in the back seat. He said this was the first reported use of children in a car bombing in Baghdad. 'Children in the back seat lowered suspicion, (so) we let it move through, they parked the vehicle, the adults run out and detonate it with the children in the back,' Barbero told reporters in Washington."
These same "insurgents" routinely blow up children who line up to receive candy from U.S. troops. Likewise, college students are targeted for death, as are men lining up to apply for civilian jobs, men and women attending mosques, physicians in hospitals, and so on. The more innocent the Iraqi, the more likely he or she is to be targeted for murder. "
Dennis Prager: New Form of Evil Is Why America Has Not Won Iraq War
"Maj. Gen. Michael Barbero, deputy director for regional operations on the Joint Staff, said . . . the vehicle used in the attack [on Iraqi civilians] was waved through a U.S. military checkpoint because two children were visible in the back seat. He said this was the first reported use of children in a car bombing in Baghdad. 'Children in the back seat lowered suspicion, (so) we let it move through, they parked the vehicle, the adults run out and detonate it with the children in the back,' Barbero told reporters in Washington."
These same "insurgents" routinely blow up children who line up to receive candy from U.S. troops. Likewise, college students are targeted for death, as are men lining up to apply for civilian jobs, men and women attending mosques, physicians in hospitals, and so on. The more innocent the Iraqi, the more likely he or she is to be targeted for murder. "
Dennis Prager: New Form of Evil Is Why America Has Not Won Iraq War
Who really pays?
Gordon has covered this topic many times, but it's worth repeating. It takes a long time for truth to get into thick heads.
"It's a matter of faith for some that tax cuts and government spending help the rich, while leaving crumbs for the poor. But as with most conventional wisdom, nothing could be further from the truth.
Now here's the reality: The rich are being taxed at ever-higher levels, while more workers at the bottom of the income ladder are paying no taxes at all. As for spending, resources flowing to those at the bottom far outstrip those flowing to those at the top."
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY: Who Really Pays?
"It's a matter of faith for some that tax cuts and government spending help the rich, while leaving crumbs for the poor. But as with most conventional wisdom, nothing could be further from the truth.
Now here's the reality: The rich are being taxed at ever-higher levels, while more workers at the bottom of the income ladder are paying no taxes at all. As for spending, resources flowing to those at the bottom far outstrip those flowing to those at the top."
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY: Who Really Pays?
Welcome Back Midas
Welcome back Midas. While he was basking in the glorious FL sun, I was back here slaving away getting a fluorescent light burn speaking the truth into the naive brains of liberals.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Government Run Health Care
It just amazes me that many of the politician criticizing the situation at Walter Reed Medical Center are the same ones that want to federalize our health care.
Q.O.T.D.
Today I ran into a dandy quote by John R. Noe:
"A person doesn't become old until his regrets take the place of his dreams."
If that's true, I figure I'm about 75 in "regret" years.
"A person doesn't become old until his regrets take the place of his dreams."
If that's true, I figure I'm about 75 in "regret" years.
How Modern Liberals Think
I don't know that I have ever seen a presentation as powerful as this one by Evan Sayet at the Heritage Foundation.
No one lays why liberals demean America like Sayet does in this speech.
No one lays why liberals demean America like Sayet does in this speech.
Bad Calls
I'm traveling Saturday, listening to the OSU-Memphis game on the radio when I hear Paul Keels, OSU play by play announcer blasting the officials for the bad call at the end of the Georgetown - Vandy game.
At first I'm thinking what relevance does that play have on this game? But then I got to thinking that Paul must have been trying to explain how teams must be advancing in tournament play because of bad calls.
Yeah Paul, Xavier fans know how that feels. Like when a 7' center, who looks like Moses Malone intentionally fouls your guy and the refs don't call it.
You may have even seen the play.
At first I'm thinking what relevance does that play have on this game? But then I got to thinking that Paul must have been trying to explain how teams must be advancing in tournament play because of bad calls.
Yeah Paul, Xavier fans know how that feels. Like when a 7' center, who looks like Moses Malone intentionally fouls your guy and the refs don't call it.
You may have even seen the play.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Narcissism Presidential Style
Is it just me or does it feel like every single person running for president is trying to fulfill some type of personal life time achievement award?
Democrats Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Republicans McCain and Romney all seem to be running as if this is their big chance to win American Idol - the Political Version. Every one of these guys should make their public appearance with the song "I Wanna be a Rock Star" blasting in the background.
My guess is every one of these people were big time geeks in school and this election is their geeky way 0f sticking their tongue out at the bullies who stole their lunch money in prep school.
I think from now on, the person who gets my vote for president will be the person I believe least wants the job.
In that vain, I don't get the sense that Guiliani is running as some sort of life resume achievement. Maybe it's because I think if he were running the presidential calculation machine, he wouldn't have come up with all the goofy issues surrounding his marriage(s) and other personal relationships. He would simply have pulled a Clinton; "stand by your man b.s.".
Maybe someone out there can set me straight.
Democrats Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Republicans McCain and Romney all seem to be running as if this is their big chance to win American Idol - the Political Version. Every one of these guys should make their public appearance with the song "I Wanna be a Rock Star" blasting in the background.
My guess is every one of these people were big time geeks in school and this election is their geeky way 0f sticking their tongue out at the bullies who stole their lunch money in prep school.
I think from now on, the person who gets my vote for president will be the person I believe least wants the job.
In that vain, I don't get the sense that Guiliani is running as some sort of life resume achievement. Maybe it's because I think if he were running the presidential calculation machine, he wouldn't have come up with all the goofy issues surrounding his marriage(s) and other personal relationships. He would simply have pulled a Clinton; "stand by your man b.s.".
Maybe someone out there can set me straight.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Evolution
In follow up to my post detailing my beliefs surrounding evolution, here's a site I ran across where the host describes himself as a "a macro evolution agnostic".
This is the thing that really disturbs me about the teaching of evolution theory. When I was taught evolution in 10th grade biology, no distinction was made between macro and micro evolution. The teaching of evolution as some type of scientific law became the cornerstone of my agnostic beliefs which is why I now believe there is almost a conspiratorial attempt to indoctrinate our youth into the "state beliefs".
As we have entered all this farce known as global warming, it reminds me of so many other things I was taught in school that turned out to be a bunch of caca.
In the mid 1970's, we were taught the metric system because "you won't be able to buy milk and gasoline by the gallon ten years from now". The beginnings of the Earth day movement because we were going to "run of oil in the next 30 - 60 years".
I remember a term paper I did in high school where I wrote that "the earth could only generate the resources to support 6 billion people". Most of my research came from reading some school crap about overpopulation being the ruination of the world.
Even dietary issues are taught, I believe, to reduce the public's consumption of meat and dairy, Have you seen that food pyramid? Eat that and you'll weigh 300 before you graduate, It's totally loaded with carbs from grains. Compare that to 4-4-3-2 which I was taught as a kid.
Since then there has been asbestos, DDT, acid rain, alar, red dye #5, silicone breast implants, mad cow, avian flu, Y2K, all of which have proven to be far less a threat to human life and the environment than originally believed. In fact, the elimination of some of these things through public policy based on hysteria instead of scientific fact has resulted in deteriorating standards of living for the world's poor.
I bet some African with Malaria sure wishes we never outlawed DDT.
So yes, old Gordon is skeptical about Global warming and anything else that comes out of the mouths of lefties. Too many times, it looks like an attempt to scare the public into adhering to some socialist policy.
Now excuse me while I drive down to the local pub in my SUV, have a beer, some nachos covered in trans fat for an appetizer, big ole steak, followed by a couple of cigarettes.
I used to accept evolutionary theory. Then I looked at the evidence. It became clear to me that macroevolutionary theory is built more on a priori philosophical assumptions than on evidence. Microevolution, on the other hand, is supported by the evidence. The distinction between the two is critical and is largely ignored, or not understood, by the mainstream media and general public.
This is the thing that really disturbs me about the teaching of evolution theory. When I was taught evolution in 10th grade biology, no distinction was made between macro and micro evolution. The teaching of evolution as some type of scientific law became the cornerstone of my agnostic beliefs which is why I now believe there is almost a conspiratorial attempt to indoctrinate our youth into the "state beliefs".
As we have entered all this farce known as global warming, it reminds me of so many other things I was taught in school that turned out to be a bunch of caca.
In the mid 1970's, we were taught the metric system because "you won't be able to buy milk and gasoline by the gallon ten years from now". The beginnings of the Earth day movement because we were going to "run of oil in the next 30 - 60 years".
I remember a term paper I did in high school where I wrote that "the earth could only generate the resources to support 6 billion people". Most of my research came from reading some school crap about overpopulation being the ruination of the world.
Even dietary issues are taught, I believe, to reduce the public's consumption of meat and dairy, Have you seen that food pyramid? Eat that and you'll weigh 300 before you graduate, It's totally loaded with carbs from grains. Compare that to 4-4-3-2 which I was taught as a kid.
Since then there has been asbestos, DDT, acid rain, alar, red dye #5, silicone breast implants, mad cow, avian flu, Y2K, all of which have proven to be far less a threat to human life and the environment than originally believed. In fact, the elimination of some of these things through public policy based on hysteria instead of scientific fact has resulted in deteriorating standards of living for the world's poor.
I bet some African with Malaria sure wishes we never outlawed DDT.
So yes, old Gordon is skeptical about Global warming and anything else that comes out of the mouths of lefties. Too many times, it looks like an attempt to scare the public into adhering to some socialist policy.
Now excuse me while I drive down to the local pub in my SUV, have a beer, some nachos covered in trans fat for an appetizer, big ole steak, followed by a couple of cigarettes.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Mr. Gore flys to Washington
Al in Washington to deliver his apocalyptic message on global warming.
I'm sure he flew commercial.
Has anyone ever considered that we could slow global warming simply by banning these guys from traveling around the world telling us about global warming?
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The libs strike again
Once again, liberals prove that if you can't win the debate, pull a Nazi storm trooper maneuver to stifle the opposition.
This must be what Hillary refers to as a "vast right wing conspiracy".
This must be what Hillary refers to as a "vast right wing conspiracy".
Carbon Offsets
John Edwards weighs in on the global warming debate by declaring that his 28,000 square foot home is "carbon neutral" meaning that he can use all the energy he damn well pleases as long as he subsidizes a wind mill farm in SW Oklahoma.
These carbon offsets to me are like beating your wife with a board. It's OK as long as you buy you neighbor a belt to beat his.
Just out of curiosity. Does anyone find it laughable that the party that's always looking out for little guys has a billionaire candidate with a 28,000 square foot house (Edwards), a candidate who lives in the exclusive NY suburb (Clinton), a former candidate married to a billionaire (Kerry-Heinz), and another former candidate with four plus homes (Gore)?
These carbon offsets to me are like beating your wife with a board. It's OK as long as you buy you neighbor a belt to beat his.
Just out of curiosity. Does anyone find it laughable that the party that's always looking out for little guys has a billionaire candidate with a 28,000 square foot house (Edwards), a candidate who lives in the exclusive NY suburb (Clinton), a former candidate married to a billionaire (Kerry-Heinz), and another former candidate with four plus homes (Gore)?
Ohio Lottery
Recently I read a little blurb about Governor Strickland indicating that he wanted to revamp the Ohio Lottery because he thought the payout were too high at 59% of the revenue.
This is what is amazing about state sanctioned gambling.... 59% payouts?
Look, my buddies Sal and Tony run a little gambling thing known as illegal book making. The juice they get off the Sunday NFL games is only 10% of the take. They even extend credit although you don't want to be late on your payments.
This is the type of efficiency you get from a government run monopoly. Do you think the post office might be able to deliver mail at a price lower than the 41 cent stamp due out in May if it were run by UPS, Federal Express, et al?
In fact, I may mention it to Sal and Tony they might be able to make a few bucks from the delivery of illegal mail.
This is what is amazing about state sanctioned gambling.... 59% payouts?
Look, my buddies Sal and Tony run a little gambling thing known as illegal book making. The juice they get off the Sunday NFL games is only 10% of the take. They even extend credit although you don't want to be late on your payments.
This is the type of efficiency you get from a government run monopoly. Do you think the post office might be able to deliver mail at a price lower than the 41 cent stamp due out in May if it were run by UPS, Federal Express, et al?
In fact, I may mention it to Sal and Tony they might be able to make a few bucks from the delivery of illegal mail.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Red State - Blue state reminder
Just in case you've never seen the map of the 2004 presidential race by county.
As you can see, outside of a few isolated blocks in the Southwest, nearly all the country is red except for the various urban counties around the country.
While I don't have hard evidence handy, I believe most reasonable people can agree with the following comparison between the urban blue areas and the suburban/rural red areas.
The blue areas, in general, have higher taxes than the red areas
They have higher unemployment
They have more crime
They have poor quality schools
They have higher homeless populations
Blue areas are predominately governed by Democrats
Red areas are predominately governed by the GOP.
Remind me why we should vote for democratic policies?
Congressional rating
A great analysis by Tom at Bizzyblog analyzing the congressional ratings by various conservative groups and publications. Check it out.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Flight from MI
Maybe one of the most cogent pieces written explaining the relationship between state taxation and job migration.
Money Quote
For our neighboring friends to the north; misery loves company and Ohio will be jumping right off the cliff with you.
Money Quote
States can have a great public education system and the best roads in the country, but if a state's tax system hinders growth and job creation, Michigan's highly educated graduates are going to use the well-paved roads to drive to job opportunities in other states.
For our neighboring friends to the north; misery loves company and Ohio will be jumping right off the cliff with you.
How the Right went Wrong
On Real Clear Politics, is a headline from Time Magazine... "How the Right Went Wrong". Given my boycott of Time/Warner anything, I won't read the article. However, I will comment on my own How the Right Went Wrong.
When thinking ideologically, you have two clear and distinct choices 1) you either believe that it's the state's role to rule to manage every problem or injustice around and can therefore use all it's citizen's resources to accomplish such or 2) you believe in individual liberties and the market place to manage such cares.
Unfortunately, too many people believe there is a gradation between the two and there really is not. Let me provide some back up information first.
Once the citizenry decides that it's OK to take another citizen's money for whatever benevolent purpose, they have employed moral relativism. For instance, state steals my money for someone's health care, well, why can't I steal another person's money for drugs when they were just going to use it for a new car? In my mind, my purpose is just as valid and real to me than the government's established moral code. And in reality it is. After all, who is this arbiter of what's supposed to be important for everyone.
I challenge anyone that reads this blog or any congressman in Washington to tell me what my biggest fears, my wants and desires, my familial concerns are and how they are going to address it through the state. Yet we expect politicians to do this for 300 million people?
You make your first dollar at a fast food job and what does the government say you need pay for first.
Gordon, the government doesn't tell you what to do with your money.
Of course they do, they tell you that you need to save for your retirement through the social security tax and your medical care at retirement regardless of whether your paycheck is enough to even pay for child support, student loans, or feeding yourself. First and foremost is your retirement.
What if you had an idea that you believed would make you the next Bill Gates and you were willing to forgo any social security to make that dream happen what does society tell you? Make sure you fund your retirement first! It's lunacy.
Now the Democratic party is essentially a variety of socialism. They make no bones about the fact they'll take your money and use it for the "benevolent" purposes of their choice.
Republicans on the other hand are "socialist light". They believe in taking less of your money because there are fewer benevolent purposes to care for. Unfortunately, Libertarians , like myself have no one to turn to so we end up having to party with the GOP, simply because they are closer ideologically than socialists.
As a result, the GOP ends up with politicians all over the political spectrum. From Steve Chabot, a budget hawk to Olympia Snowe, a socialist.
In the past few years, the media has portrayed GOP as becoming a party of power not of principle. But really, the party was never anything but a party of power. Only during the Reagan years did Reagan inspire a sense of principle into the party and Newt Gingrich kept the legacy alive through most of the 90's. It's what put the GOP into power for most of a decade.
Unfortunately power corrupts, especially when you have no guiding principle to adhere to. Why not take some more of the taxpayer's money and load up the highway bill with billions of dollars of pork? Let's go ahead and build that bridge to no where. We'll say " at least we're more fiscally responsible then Democrats and, by the way, did you know they believe in gay marriage".
The result is a pack of RINO's the likes of Bob Ney, Tom DeLay, Bob Taft, George Voinovich, Mike Dewine et al. It has libertarians, like myself, wondering why we ever supported this party in the first place.
When thinking ideologically, you have two clear and distinct choices 1) you either believe that it's the state's role to rule to manage every problem or injustice around and can therefore use all it's citizen's resources to accomplish such or 2) you believe in individual liberties and the market place to manage such cares.
Unfortunately, too many people believe there is a gradation between the two and there really is not. Let me provide some back up information first.
Once the citizenry decides that it's OK to take another citizen's money for whatever benevolent purpose, they have employed moral relativism. For instance, state steals my money for someone's health care, well, why can't I steal another person's money for drugs when they were just going to use it for a new car? In my mind, my purpose is just as valid and real to me than the government's established moral code. And in reality it is. After all, who is this arbiter of what's supposed to be important for everyone.
I challenge anyone that reads this blog or any congressman in Washington to tell me what my biggest fears, my wants and desires, my familial concerns are and how they are going to address it through the state. Yet we expect politicians to do this for 300 million people?
You make your first dollar at a fast food job and what does the government say you need pay for first.
Gordon, the government doesn't tell you what to do with your money.
Of course they do, they tell you that you need to save for your retirement through the social security tax and your medical care at retirement regardless of whether your paycheck is enough to even pay for child support, student loans, or feeding yourself. First and foremost is your retirement.
What if you had an idea that you believed would make you the next Bill Gates and you were willing to forgo any social security to make that dream happen what does society tell you? Make sure you fund your retirement first! It's lunacy.
Now the Democratic party is essentially a variety of socialism. They make no bones about the fact they'll take your money and use it for the "benevolent" purposes of their choice.
Republicans on the other hand are "socialist light". They believe in taking less of your money because there are fewer benevolent purposes to care for. Unfortunately, Libertarians , like myself have no one to turn to so we end up having to party with the GOP, simply because they are closer ideologically than socialists.
As a result, the GOP ends up with politicians all over the political spectrum. From Steve Chabot, a budget hawk to Olympia Snowe, a socialist.
In the past few years, the media has portrayed GOP as becoming a party of power not of principle. But really, the party was never anything but a party of power. Only during the Reagan years did Reagan inspire a sense of principle into the party and Newt Gingrich kept the legacy alive through most of the 90's. It's what put the GOP into power for most of a decade.
Unfortunately power corrupts, especially when you have no guiding principle to adhere to. Why not take some more of the taxpayer's money and load up the highway bill with billions of dollars of pork? Let's go ahead and build that bridge to no where. We'll say " at least we're more fiscally responsible then Democrats and, by the way, did you know they believe in gay marriage".
The result is a pack of RINO's the likes of Bob Ney, Tom DeLay, Bob Taft, George Voinovich, Mike Dewine et al. It has libertarians, like myself, wondering why we ever supported this party in the first place.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Debate
If you don't read the comments posted on this blog, you missed a reader referring to me as a gay and dino republican; someone who hates gays doesn't believe in global warming nor evolution.
After she referred to this blog as a a "hilariously misguided", I offered my thoughts on all these subjects and instead of engaging in the debate and maybe winning someone over to his/her beliefs, I got..... nothing.
I love the debate, for a few reasons 1) I may learn something 2) It challenges my own beliefs and my ability to convey my ideas 3) I always hope to change someone else's viewpoint.
Just as I indicated in my post on the seven dirty words, the liberal cause cannot win the debate. I believe that's because there's no controlling moral authority or principles other than moral relativism which can change as often as I change my underwear, at least weekly.
So Mr./Ms. anonymous basically pulled the little liberal debate method, don't answer the questions posed, just make a few snarky and arrogant comments and then disappear. Just like Air America.
After she referred to this blog as a a "hilariously misguided", I offered my thoughts on all these subjects and instead of engaging in the debate and maybe winning someone over to his/her beliefs, I got..... nothing.
I love the debate, for a few reasons 1) I may learn something 2) It challenges my own beliefs and my ability to convey my ideas 3) I always hope to change someone else's viewpoint.
Just as I indicated in my post on the seven dirty words, the liberal cause cannot win the debate. I believe that's because there's no controlling moral authority or principles other than moral relativism which can change as often as I change my underwear, at least weekly.
So Mr./Ms. anonymous basically pulled the little liberal debate method, don't answer the questions posed, just make a few snarky and arrogant comments and then disappear. Just like Air America.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Prediction
I read this interesting story about global warming and this is the passage that most struck me.
My prediction... If a democrat is elected to president in 2008, global warming will be solved by January 31, 2009 give or take a few days after the inauguration.
"We had a chance to have a reasonable debate," Linden replied. "Instead we had denial. The Bush administration and a Republican Congress had years and years to frame a response to global warming that doesn't involve government regulation," Linden continued.So let me get this right.... as a society we've had an industrial revolution in excess of 150 years but it's only been the last seven years where we've had global warming because the Bush administration didn't act.
My prediction... If a democrat is elected to president in 2008, global warming will be solved by January 31, 2009 give or take a few days after the inauguration.
New Blog
I originally started this blog to disseminate tax and financial advice. As I got into more and more political and social commentary I decided this blog wasn't the forum to really accomplish this.
So I started Valentine Tax & Financial Tips. Every Monday, I'll attempt to post a personal financial/health tip, Wednesday's a tax tip and Friday's will be a business tip/advice.
Please check it out.
So I started Valentine Tax & Financial Tips. Every Monday, I'll attempt to post a personal financial/health tip, Wednesday's a tax tip and Friday's will be a business tip/advice.
Please check it out.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
You need to know this Guy!
If you are a sports fan you recognize this guy, if you are not I'll clue you in to who he is.His name is Isiah Thomas. Why do you need to know him? Well he single handedly ruined a professional basketball league (the CBA) into extinction, the Toronto Raptors NBA franchise, the Indiana Pacers, and most recently the NY Knicks.
Why do you need to know him? Because despite the fact that this guy has this incredible resume of failure, the Knicks thought it appropriate to give him a contract extension.
Apparently, the pictures this guy has of NBA executives in compromising positions has netted him millions of dollars of unearned income. That's why you need to know him. Maybe he'll drop some of those pictures.
Sharpton Rips Obama
Al Sharpton ripping Barack Obama... Why would someone who champions the plight of African Americans slam Obama.
Consider that Obama represents the possibility that African Americans can "make it" in an Anglo dominated culture.
African Americans - no longer victims to white oppression. That slogan will never keep Reverends Al & Jesse in the spotlight.
The Reverends' only power comes from the message that black America can only do from what white America is willing to give... the culture of victimhood. If it becomes clear that white America is willing to embrace a black candidate how do you parade your same old dog and pony show in front of the TV cameras?
Monday, March 12, 2007
Baseball is Life
Weather is here, wish you were beautiful! Sorry for the lame cliche. The Mulligan family is here in sunny Sarasota watching the greatest game in the world... (baseball) under the Florida sun. I'll be back to my cynical self in another week. I need another grouper sandwich...
HILL: I'M THE JFK OF 2008
Hillary Clinton comparing herself to JFK.
"He was smart, he was dynamic, he was inspiring and he was Catholic. A lot of people back then [1960] said, 'America will never elect a Catholic as president,' " the White House hopeful told the New Hampshire Democrats' 100 Club fund-raiser here.
"But those who gathered here almost a half century ago knew better," she said. "They believed America was bigger than that and Americans would give Sen. John F. Kennedy a fair shake, and the rest, as they say, is history."
My general philosophy about politicians is..... if they have to say it, then it's probably not true.
NCAA Tournament
This is my favorite time of the sports year; the NCAA basketball tournament.
For those teams whining as to why they're not in. Here's a clue. Play somebody and beat them; preferably on the road.
But Gordon, Syracuse is in the Big East, they have to play a brutal conference schedule. Really, Nearly every team in the Big East (all power conferences for that matter) fattens up on non-league opponents at home so we have all kinds of 10-0, 9-1, 8-3 records before conference play so they all look like good teams. Most of the teams don't leave their home courts until January, it's rigged.
In fact, I'd be willing to wager a lot of money that if the Big East, the Big Eleven (Big Ten for those who can't count), and the ACC played a home and home schedules with MVC, Mountain West or MAC teams those non conference records would look more like 7-3, 6-4, 5-5.
That aside look for a great tournament full of upsets. My pick, Go Gators.
Of course I'm the same guy who predicted
1) GOP keeps Congress
2) Bears win the Super Bowl.
For those teams whining as to why they're not in. Here's a clue. Play somebody and beat them; preferably on the road.
But Gordon, Syracuse is in the Big East, they have to play a brutal conference schedule. Really, Nearly every team in the Big East (all power conferences for that matter) fattens up on non-league opponents at home so we have all kinds of 10-0, 9-1, 8-3 records before conference play so they all look like good teams. Most of the teams don't leave their home courts until January, it's rigged.
In fact, I'd be willing to wager a lot of money that if the Big East, the Big Eleven (Big Ten for those who can't count), and the ACC played a home and home schedules with MVC, Mountain West or MAC teams those non conference records would look more like 7-3, 6-4, 5-5.
That aside look for a great tournament full of upsets. My pick, Go Gators.
Of course I'm the same guy who predicted
1) GOP keeps Congress
2) Bears win the Super Bowl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)