Palin…go away!
Seriously, I don’t care that you have a new book….I don’t care that you have a tattered relationship with your daughter’s “baby daddy“…and I find absolutely nothing of this fascinating in the least. It’s all over TV, she’s been on every talk show on earth….all for what? To increase exposure for a possible presidential run in 2012?
People, the woman quit her job as governor of Alaska…and she is now suddenly viable to be President? I typically love juicy stories in the media but this woman, no matter left or right wing, just doesn’t do it for me. The circumstances are boring and it’s just another public person with a normal dysfuctional family (we all have dysfunction).
I just don’t find her’s real interesting…
Obama wins a Nobel Peace Prize…?
The news was announced that Barack Obama has been selected by the Norweigian Nobel Committee as a winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
My first reaction is congratulations as this is a nice honor for our Prez to win, on the other hand I am concerned. First let me declare that I am a fan of Obama and I voted for him. Funny coming from someone who has voted the Republican ticket since I was eligible to vote, but something was different this year.
I liked the message of change, I had hope in the messages of health care reform, improvement of foreign relations, and an overall changing of the guard per se. The stance on the wars seemed to be a stand still, troops dying in large numbers and seemingly no direction of our executive leadership to change the course.
I’m just at odds with him actually winning the award right now, almost as if the committee felt bad that his bid for the Chicago 2016 Summer games bombed. Granted, Obama is a true statesman of what is just and right, but so are a lot of other Presidents, the problem is convincing Washington lawmakers to get on board with your thinking.
Yes, he is an advocate of sweeping reform and change, but that is the stance of all politicians and only a few economically viable programs actually see the light of day.
Yes, he is making great strides to reach out to other nations and mend wounds that were seen caused by the last admin. However, the differences in cultures, values, and religion go back thousands of years and it’s not like other administrations weren’t trying to win over the Middle East.
I guess my issue is that I want to see Obama hit hard times and I want to see him tested. I don’t want purely the flash of fancy speeches, the well crafted delivery to world leaders, or the public view that words equate to action, they don’t.
The Peace prize is not only an accolade but now might become a burden. A burden to perform. The award places him in a position which requires even more expectation to lead but also to achieve. Not all goals in politics are reachable, there are accommodations, backdoors, and alternative approaches.
My fear is that too much God like treatment will tarnish the underlying truth, the truth being that Obama is at a very critical crossroads of his tenure and the moment of truth is starting to peak. The world will inevitably be watching now.
Glad the government planned Cash for Clunkers so well !
Little did the gub no that nearly 180,000 cars would be involved in the CARS program. They ran out of money after only one week of the program, people were getting cheated because the minimum MPG ratings changes mid-stream, and just what the hell happens to all those vehicles that are turned in?
Here are some tidbits of the program I question.:
There are several requirements (but you also have to meet certain conditions for the car or truck you wish to buy). Your dealer can help you determine whether you have an eligible trade in vehicle.
Your trade-in vehicle must
- Have been manufactured less than 25 years before the date you trade it in
- have a “new” combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less
- be in drivable condition
- be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year preceding the trade-in
- The trade-in vehicle must have been manufactured not earlier than 25 years before the date of trade in and, in the case of a category 3 vehicle, must also have been manufactured not later than model year 2001
Note that work trucks (i.e., very large pickup trucks and cargo vans) have different requirements
There are several requirements (but you also have to meet certain conditions for the car or truck you wish to buy). Your dealer can help you determine whether you have an eligible trade in vehicle.
Isn’t a car more than 25 years old (if it even ran) be considered one hell of a clunker and omission spitting beast? So all those cars stay on the road.
Has to be in drivable condition? Of course it needs to be drivable so the dealer can either put the piece of crap back on the lot, or sell it at auction, which once again, will end up on some other lot and sold to someone else. I thought the whole gist of the plan was to encourage people to trade a car and purchase a more ECO friendly vehicle? Car dealerships now have hundreds of used cars on their lots that initially met the standard of horribleness to be traded in…..ummm..then will be sold? That goal sounds foiled to me.
So, we just removed these cars and put them back on the road again? I guarantee you the dealers won’t have all these thousands of trade in’s smashed into tiny little , shiny metal sauce pans. They make money by moving the car through the system and they get re-imbursed by Uncle Sam for that hefty allowance they just gave you!! This is isn’t a movement to eliminate these cars, we all know it’s more of a push to get dealers making money again. The auto industry still makes the same ECO disaster models so we are just making our roads temporarily more healthy?
The worst joke would be if people are working that $4500 credit into their loan! No No No…you need to ask for cash in your grubby hand! NEVER have a rebate or cash allowance worked into the loan to ease the payment or bring down the balance. If a program offers cash back, then get the cash back and if they don’t offer that option, walk out the door!
Happy car trading and don’t bank on CARS being your answer. As always, buy a car you can afford to pay off in 5 years ! Here that? 5 years ! Or do not buy the car because you can’t afford the lien.
Kisses !
Something I’ve Observed: Health care reform is a two headed snake
I am very confused and troubled by all the backlash and analysis of the health care reform proposals. 
Health care is broken…or is it? The current system employs millions of Americans in good paying, secure jobs in the private sector. Those jobs could potentially be lost if more Americans were given “non-private” options at a cheaper price.
Most insured Americans obtain their insurance from an employer based plan…so if you were to lose that plan are you obligated to now enroll in the government backed plan even if the provisions or coverage was not as good as your employer based plan? However, if the portability option comes into play, you take the plan with you…but you don’t have your job anymore, so do you now pay the actual premium for the plan that your emplorer paid or does it adjust to a more affordable price while you search for a new employer plan? I am hearing that many private based plans could disappear with these changes.
I am all for dissemination of medical techniques and procedures. We should all be granted much more freedoms when it comes to how we are medically treated and what medicinal approaches we are most comfortable with. If a “panel” of experts is assigned to a specific medical discipline and given the task of deciding best courses of treatments for people, does that sever the relationships people already have with their doctor when it comes to health choices? Are we placing too much medical decision making in the best interest of the “whole” or the “individual”?
It’s not that I think the plan reformation will be a complete move to a Socialist plan, I am not that definitive in my thinking. I just want to be sure that our leaders do not sway so far from the private sector that it has a negative impact on the good things the system currently provides.
Which leads my thoughts in a completely different direction? The current system is a market based health system in which individual, stock driven companies call most of the shots. As much as I would like to believe there are regulatory forces in place, my gut tells me otherwise. Multi billion dollar organizations have a lot of influence on health legislation and legislators. Many ask the questions so why with all this market freedom, capital, and research funds…do we not have the magic number on treating societies major ills? (obesity, heart disease, cancer, etc)
With all the focus on health, exercise, and wellness…why is 90% of our country still fat? Does the balance swing back towards the food industry’s interest as well? I think so….actually I don’t understand any of the statistics, the trends, the habits, the demographics, or why nothing ever seems to level out in the long run. Does anybody know, please help me.
Why I love Ann Coulter
Yep, I enjoy her existence. I don’t particularly care for her persona, her constant desire to be in the limelight or the depths to which she will stoop to be the center of attention, and I certainly don’t agree with a thing she says. So why do I love her?
She’s a constant reminder of why I love my country.
I’m not sure that Ann Coulter has even made a point without bending and stretching the truth as if facts were one of those stress relieving items that just have no purpose in life unless they are twisted and crunched into an unrecognizable mess, but my point is that she can. Her credibility seems to be directly related to the size of her big brass balls. She’s like a bull in the china-shop of truth who after her Tasmanian-devil style rant, comes out with perfectly coiffed hair – no worse for the wear.
She has an audience, her books sell. I’m not sure if anyone actually believes the crap she spews out, but thanks to good ol’ American capitalism, she’s a success.
Not surprising, she has a new book out and she she’s on a press tour for it. Sometimes I think she churns out the books not so much to educate anyone on a particular subject, but merely for the fact of having something to talk about so can go on these press tours. She revels in the arguments she gets into with the liberal media and she tosses her blond tresses in a manner that shows she’s not really listening to the interviewer but knows that her points are crap so she expects the questions and has canned answers ready when she hears key words from the host. But again, she has an audience. Those who love her for her big cojones , and those who hate her existence. She thrives off both.
Truth be told, I can’t watch an interview with her without yelling at the TV. But I watch anyway for a few reasons:
1. Makes me appreciate the fact I’m not in a political group for whom she is a talking head. I couldn’t fathom being a part of an organization or movement that relied on her to get any message across. Her fact-tangling approach to most issues removes any credibility she may have on any relevant agenda item.
2. Gives me things to think about when I’m in a political discussion. Her mannerisms and approach are so polarizing that it’s almost like a “what not to do when trying to make a point and be taken seriously’ seminar.
3. Her confidence. We can learn from her ability to look you straight in the eyes and tell you the sun is bitterly cold and scoff at you when you point out scientific proof that it is, in fact hot, you liberal idiot.
4. I’m rubber and you’re glue whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you, you liberal idiot.
5. She is taking full advantage of her American rights and I hope she truly appreciates it. Nevermind the fact that she’s the two steps back for each step forward good, smart female political pundits have made (on both sides, thank you) I really hope that she appreciates and thanks whatever god her close-minded little heart worships that someone decided to give Republican Barbie a microphone and there are people who believe her outrageousness, just because it sounds so far out there, it must be true.
A few of her wonderfully classy quotes:
“I was going to have a few comments about John Edwards but you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot.” –at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference
“These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s deaths so much.” -on 9/11 widows who have been critical of the Bush administration (note: nobody, except of course her, who is cashing in on slamming them)
“We need to execute people like (John Walker Lindh) in order to physically intimidate liberals.” (note: she calls Obama ‘B. Hussein Obama’ because of the fear that name instills but you notice she’ll use Walker Lindh and not refer to Bush as ‘G. Walker Bush’”)
“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity.” – Days after September 11 attacks
“Whether they are defending the Soviet Union or bleating for Saddam Hussein, liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots.”
“Press passes can’t be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the President.” (note: I find this particularly nasty, its because of women like Ms. Thomas who helped pave the way for women in political reporting)
Seriously Ann, stay classy. And thanks for reminding me how free this country still is.
Republicans for Common Sense Gun Control
OK, due to the recent posts by my colleagues on this topic I felt the need to reply. The title of this post is my name for a group that I have wanted to start for a long time.
We all know that the National Rifle Association (NRA) holds a special and powerful place within the Republican party.
As a Republican, my views on this issue stop short of the proposal posted on this site to ban all weapons that fire a projectile.
But, I largely agree with the sentiment expressed that the founders did not comprehend the notion of automatic weapons, certain types of ammunition, etc.
Possession of small arms by individuals in no way protects our rights. The ballot box is the only effective means of protecting our rights. Against a modern military no useful purpose outside legitimate sporting and self defense requirements is served by individual possession of firearms. Small arms do not prevent tyranny.
In fact, any reasonable cost / benefit analysis of the issue will prove the point that for every crime stopped by an individual with a handgun, many more are committed with them by those more willing to use them – criminals.
Now, an outright ban on guns is not going to happen in this country in my life time (which I hope is at least 30 more years!). Also, I am not sure that I am supportive of eliminating legitimate sporting uses. I am not a hunter, but I do enjoy shooting skeet and trap from time to time.
I do think the mass shootings and crime statistics however compel us as a nation to deal with this issue.
I think that when they think about it (”they” being the average person and “when” being after the immediate economic crisis is over and we as a nation can think about issues such as this again) most people would agree on the following as a starting point:
1) Automatic and semi-automatic weapons (along with ammunition specifically designed for killing human beings) should be banned completely. This includes assault-type rifles and handguns;
2) Shotguns, hunting rifles (bolt and lever action) and revolver type handguns should continue to be permitted but only with strict training requirements, serious penalties for committing a crime with such weapon and the provision that anyone who has ever been convicted of a violent crime will immediately be deemed to have committed a parole violation if caught in possession of such a weapon and required to serve out the full term of their sentence.
With respect to revolving handguns, these would further be restricted to certain individuals who can demonstrate a need for such a weapon (certain private security guards, perhaps individuals living in remote rural locations, etc).
From a political standpoint, I think the issue of gun control is one which will increasingly alienate the swing voter in this country who decides elections.
I think that while the NRA may be of some importance to securing the nomination of the party, the extreme positions supported by it will also serve to marginalize the Republican party in national elections.
This will be a tough issue for the Republican party to address internally, although, they are going to have the time to do it starting a week from today.
Political Science for Dummies – Joke for stress release
That was a funny one about France, hehe
DEMOCRATS
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.
Barbara Streisand sings for you.
REPUBLICAN
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?
SOCIALIST
You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.
COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.
BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.
AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on t he 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement
to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.
FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
You go to lunch and drink wine.
Life is good.
GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.
ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don’t know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.
RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You have some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.
You don’t care
TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.
You don’t milk them because you cannot touch any creature’s private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production
You use the money to buy weapons for your entire village.
IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.
BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he’s French, other times he’s Flemish.
The Flemish cow won’t share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow’s milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.
CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Only five speak English.
Most are illegals.
Palin is hot hot hot
She is good looking. I am not sure why the thought of a good looking V.P. appeals to me, but it does. It would be nice if she wasn’t insane, but I don’t want to be too picky.
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