Asides
More from Winston Churchill via Burt Prelutsky: “For a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
Some people want more tax on fuel to discourage driving and the emission of carbon. But they want to spend it on improving the highway system which would encourage driving. The real reason? More money flowing through the government.
Some have said that Bernard Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme ever. Not even close. That record still belongs to our government’s Social Security program.
From George Will: “Friday the president gave the two automakers access to money Congress explicitly did not authorize. More money than had been debated, thereby calling to mind Winston Churchill on naval appropriations: ‘The Admiralty had demanded six ships: the economists offered four: and we finally compromised on eight.’” Priceless.
I hear that Vice President-elect Joe Biden will oversee a task force that will make recommendations on how to build the ranks of the middle class. As far as I can see, he plans to do that by moving people down from the ranks of the wealthy.
My yard is filled with Robins for the first time in several months. Does that mean Spring has arrived?
There has been a lot of talk in the media about the negative symbolism from an Iraqi journalist throwing his shoes at President Bush. They haven’t said much about the positive symbolism from several other Iraqi journalists jumping up and taking the shoe thrower down to the floor and restraining him.
People in the Northeastern US are suffering from a record ice storm. I’ll bet they wouldn’t mind some global warming. I think it’s time for Al Gore to put up or shut up.
Buzzards are circling my house about ten feet off the ground. I wonder if they know something I don’t.
In his weekly radio address Barack Obama said that he wants to install energy-saving light bulbs in federal buildings to cut costs and create jobs. Hmm. I would’ve thought federal buildings already have someone on staff who can change light bulbs.
I’m still looking for that global warming Al Gore promised us. It’s 24 degrees here in Florida this morning. That’s a record for this date.
The New York Times spews hate for the South because it mostly preferred McCain over Obama. They somehow divine that it is clearly due to Obama’s race. I filched their divining rod and found that New York City is also racist. In the February primary they voted 56% to 44% for Clinton over Obama. Yep, it’s gotta be racism.
Dr Walter E. Williams: “Maybe the election of a black president will help white people over their guilt feelings so they can stop acting like fools in their relationships with black people.”
I heard this morning that Paulson is really pushing the bailout money out to banks now, including to some that don’t need it or want it. I wonder how much Joseph A. Bank got.
Some dork at AP thinks VP Dick Cheney uses buckshot to shoot quail. Guide for AP writers: Buck hunters use buckshot. Bird hunters use birdshot. Further clarification: Quail are birds, not deer.
What does it say about a political party that relies so strongly on young, less-informed voters?
A couple of times now I’ve heard Obama say essentially this: “If McCain learns that I once shared my toys with a kindergarten friend he’ll probably try to use that to prove that I’m a socialist.” McCain should come back with this: “No Barack, socialism is more like when you force another kid to share his toys with your friend and you keep all your toys to yourself.”
If Obama believes that “we need fundamental change in this country” doesn’t that mean that he thinks this country has fundamental flaws? I’ve never thought of this country as fundamentally flawed. Have you?
Have you noticed that by the time a presidential election rolls around there is very little difference in what the major party candidates are saying? Apparently they move toward one another because they’re risk averse. They can’t resist adopting their opponent’s positions that seem to be playing well.
This is what Bob Beckel, a Democratic Strategist, called Sarah Palin in a post on The Fox Forum: a “…lightweight, egomaniacal, narcissistic, emotionless hack from Alaska who doesn’t know the meaning of honor or honesty…” Sounds like she’s getting under his skin.
The liberal media love to keep the focus on Sarah Palin’s supposed lack of preparedness for the position of Vice President. It diverts attention from the fact that their favored candidate, Barack Obama, is less prepared. And he’s running for the office of President.
There is one benefit from an Obama victory and the Democrats maintaining control of Congress. No more Countdown with Keith Olbermann. He won’t have any material.
The biggest problem with the government giving Wall Street financial companies a $700B bailout is that the government doesn’t have $700B. In effect, one insolvent entity is trying to rescue other insolvent entities.
Barack Obama has pledged to cut taxes, balance the budget and add new government programs. If he’s neither a messiah nor a magician he apparently believes, as fiscal conservatives do, that tax cuts can cause government revenue to increase.
Barack Obama has a new ad out that focuses on the fact that John McCain has never used a computer and can’t send an e-mail. Jonah Goldberg points out in his column that Obama has never fired a gun. I don’t think a president is going to be called on to do either, but I’m comfortable with a president who is more familiar with weapons than computers.
I hear that some of the attendees of the MTV Awards got political last night. That’s okay. Every time a Hollywood type denigrates the McCain-Palin ticket another thousand people in fly-over country decide to vote for them.
I read that a citizen of China killed an Olympics visitor with a knife. In China citizens aren’t allowed to have guns. So, in a gun-free zone a knife becomes about as deadly as a gun. The Chinese government understands the difference though; they have guns.
Looks like this is becoming a recommended reading list. The American has another good article, The Buck Starts Here, on the history and role of money.
A man has a sign in front of his business that says: A tax-payer voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders. He could substitute poor-person for tax-payer. In the long-term Obama’s policies will hurt the poor more than they will help the poor.
Never in my lifetime have we been offered such a lousy choice for President as the current choice between Barack Obama and John McCain. Maybe the next four years will convince the losing party — and perhaps the winning party — that it has to do a better job of nominating candidates.
I recommend that you take the time to read an article by Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel. He thinks “energy independence” is an unrealistic goal and believes that we should strive for “energy resilience” instead. He might be right.
CBS News’ Sharyl Attkisson: “For many, Independence Day means having to get by - without depending on Congress.” She thinks that’s just awful. I think it’s great.
We often hear the plea, “Can’t we all just get along?” The answer is no. Accept it and move on.
In making my voting decisions I’m more concerned about what the government will do to me than what it will do for me.
The best argument against government-run health care is this: It’s in the government’s best interest for you to die. At least private providers want you to stay alive, if not real healthy.
As I approach my 70s I can still solve mathematical problems and write complex computer code. Now if I could just remember why I did it…
An environmentalist is someone who wants everyone to live a minimalist life except him or her.
Homosexuals claim that sexual orientation is hereditary. If that is true why hasn’t homosexuality become extinct by now? Why does it seem to be proliferating instead?
Some are complaining that our wildlife refuges are being taken over by drug producers, hookers, homosexuals and illegal immigrants. Sounds like life there is pretty wild. Their solution? More money!
Am I the only one who questions the bottom-line of plastic recycling? Each week a very large, carbon-spewing truck lumbers down my street, stopping in front of each house and picking up maybe a half-dozen bottles and bags. They do this only because I’m forced to pay them to do it, not because they profit from the plastic. I suspect it goes into the landfill with the rest of the garbage.
Someone asked: Why is it that your opinion on something is worth two cents, yet you are only offered a penny for your thoughts? Where does the other penny go? I’m not sure but I suspect the government gets it.
A Texas woman has been arrested for trying to flush her stillborn baby’s body down a toilet before placing it in a trash can. In Texas it’s alright to kill a live baby but illegal to abuse the body of a dead one.
A capital murder defendant in jail in Arkansas has lost over 100 pounds. He has filed a lawsuit alleging that he is being starved. He has at least two problems with his suit: He still weighs 308 pounds and was caught giving away food.
I don’t think Barack Obama will agree to an Obama-Clinton ticket. I wouldn’t want it to be my one-heartbeat keeping the Clintons from moving back into the White House.
The talking heads are excited this morning that Barack Obama threw his long-time pastor under the bus yesterday. We should remember though that he is still an extreme left-wing socialist.
A CBS News headline: Audit: Millions Wasted in Iraq Contracts. Another reason we shouldn’t entrust our health care to the government.
Someone has suggested that to ensure that our tax rebate checks stimulate only the US economy we should spend all the money at yard sales.
Barack Obama insists that the vast majority of Americans are “beaten down” by the economy and that he will fix that if he becomes President. If this is true and these people are his primary supporters, how is he able to raise a lot more money than his opponents? Could there be more than a few “special interests” lurking in the background?
This morning it’s 33 degrees in Florida. Al, I’m still looking for some of that warming you promised us.