osaycanuthink

i'm leaving the occupiers

2011-11-03T13:25:00.002-07:00

I'm leaving the occupiers because, as usual, an idealistic movement gets infiltrated, and controlled by the more extreme elements who are neither idealists nor well intentioned. The arrest in Denver of a man who has a history of attacks on police and another self professed headbashing anarchist, the continuing reports of rape and groping in almost all venues and finally the interference with working people trying to get to jobs, and rock throwing violence by the mob in Oakland rob the movement of idealism. The hoodlum element and violent psychopaths are taking over. The other reason is that even the idealistic participants ignore the main outrages, like crony capitalism, the obama $38000 a plate fundraiser (no working class people there) the political appointees at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which is losing 100 billion a quarter, getting 12 million in bonuses.. Why do the protestors ignore the fact that Goldman Sachs gave Obama $436million.. It is beyond me. I guess the idealists don'know and the thugs don't care... When does the looting start

war on thrift

2011-10-29T09:48:00.003-07:00

I can't bring myself to believe it is the federal government's policy to make all senior citizens totally dependent on Social Security and government largesse but when I see the devastation wrought on frugal people of my generation who laid by a nest egg so that, with interest on their funds, and Social Security they would have a comfortable retirement I must reappraise the situation. The Treasury has lowered interest rates so far that it is no longer possible to earn money on your savings. I am acquainted with seniors who are losing their homes because the income they expected from savings is no longer available to help pay the mortgage. They can't help grandkids or children. They must spend savings to stay afloat. This is hardly the result they expected when they put money aside each year. The government without, I hope , realizing it; is with this low interest rate policy transforming the industrious savers of the country from middle class to penurious wards of the state.

I'm Joining The Occupiers

2011-10-10T13:48:00.002-07:00

The DOE loan guarantee program was supposed to help fledgling new green energy companies get started.We got the Solyndra illegal loan refinance mess. Then, just before authorization ran out a company named First Solar recieved 646 million for a project called Antelope Valley and 1.46 billion for a project called Desert Sunlight the first of these projects was sold to Exelon and the second to Obama's bosom buddy Jeffrey Immalt's G E. Two companies that could have self financed these projects. Another 1.24 billion went to something called Sunpower which was immediately sold to NRG. This all may be legal but what in hell is the federal government doing guaranteeing loans for the likes of GE , Exelon, and NRG.

Self appointed Self perpetuating Elite

2011-10-06T11:54:00.004-07:00

The sociology, economic , law and soft science schools of the Northeast and their graduates share one trait, They beleive that the cachet of Harvard , Yale, Princeton, Cornell immediately confers upon them intellectual superiority to the benighted massses who attend state universities. These institutions are supposed to be incubators of original thought but are temples of conformity and political correctness. I find it difficult to discern any change in the law schools from the sophmoric ideals that I held at one time(1952) or anything original in economics since Gailbraith. This is not an indictment of the hard sciences at these institutions ,MIT, Princeton ,Cornell do fine work. It is the supernummerary departments that perpetuate old, fashionable ideas and incestuosly promote their own in nepotic lockkstep.Washington D.C. is submerged in this old boy , old girl, pool of academician conformity.

www lll

2011-09-24T12:09:00.002-07:00

It will come and it will be between western democracies and Islamist theocracies surrounding the Mediterranian Sea and extending thruough Iraq and Iran to Pakistan. It will be a religous war , the worst of all kinds, for the Islamist countries and one only entered into for self protection by the other. Hitler gave fair warning in "Mien Kampf" it was ignored.The notion of a religous Caliphate has been around for a long time and like other outrageous ideas ,has never been taken seriously. It is to zealots and true believers.

a different america

2011-09-06T10:44:00.002-07:00

I remember 12/07/1941 . the immediate reaction wasn't what can I do to protect myself it was where do I go to enlist. It wasn't how do we recompense the families who suffered ? it was how do we protect our country ? December seventh was a Sunday. Monday, my 45 year old physician father volunteered into the Army Air Force. He returned 5 years later. I volunteered into the Merchant Marine when I turned 17 two years later and got out when I was 19. The difference between then and now is immense. We didn't cower in fear under the protection of Homeland Security, we weren't happy about risking our necks but felt it was honorable and correct to defend ourselves. We weren't fearful we were worried and determined. What the heck has happened to the spirit of the country . Is it the fact that we have a professional army and can leave problems to them or is it a spirit that has been diminishing since 1946.

Green Gills

2011-09-03T14:47:00.002-07:00

Bowing to reality the president reined in the EPA in its effort to lower carbon emission standards which would have cost industry 90 billion or so dollars andb the economy many jobs.. This action was met with outrage by the officials of all the green organizations. All these officials have jobs. The true believers who support them are waning in number but officials and staff salaries get paid . I can't walk down the mall without being accosted by some college age youth beseeching me to help protect whales, cows, sheep, a veritable Noah's ark of warm and fuzzies let alone trees and sometimes even people. It concerns me that these educated classes whose unemployment to rate is only five per cent can co-exist with the unemployed mendicants inhabiting the same mall. While I realize the moral superiority of those who protect the environment while oblivious to the harmful effects of many of their extreme positions. Perhaps , they should examine the more alarmist statements of their leaders through the prism of unemployment of those others on the mall.

Gore Gored

2011-08-31T11:54:00.002-07:00

NASA reported ocean levels have receeded one quarter of an inch this year. CERN reports that cosmic rays from sun affect cloud cover, warming and cooling climate. I have long maintained that the green house gas effect as a cause of global climate change was only a small part of the total picture of climate change and that there are a myriad of factors affecting the climate, The green house effect is popular as a theory because it is simple to present and leads us to believe we can do things to influence changes. Unfortunately, reality is not easy to manipulate and the more science examines the causes of climate variation the more complex the process appears. Go buy your carbon offsets from Gore's companies if it makes you feel good but don't expect much other reward

What Benefits for Big Oil

2011-08-30T09:51:00.002-07:00

I have asked repeatedly for someone to enlighten me on the benefits "Big Oil" recieves from the federal government. The depletion allowance benefit was removed in 1975. The only thing that I know of is the allowance of intangible drilling costs as an expense intead of forcing capitalization of such costs and I can't see how this is benefit because if you capitalize a dry hole on accounting basis that would be an asset.. I can see the ridiculous situation evolving that the more dry holes you drill the greater your assets. Canada tried this for a while back in the 50's it was a disaster.. The only benefits I can find that "Big Oil" gets are the same benefits any corporation gets under the tax laws. If any of my readers know of benefits please enlighten me. I have a hunch that the attack on "Big Oil" benefits is a political ploy to draw attention away from the money being wasted on Ethanol and many other subsidized "Green Energy" initiatives.

sauce for the goose

2011-08-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

If Bill keller, outgoing editor of the N Y Times wants faith questions on the table will he support questioning wether president obama's early exposure to Islam will affect his decisions, or if his attendance at reverend wright's fundamentalist black liberation church will be more in ascendance. I am an atheist and peoples religous beliefs are immaterial to me, take 'em or leave'em., but does the president get a pass as a religous person on the creation- evolution brouhaha ? He has, because of the assumption that any Columbia, Harvard "intellectual" is ,of course an ardent evolutionist

Greetings Gate Lets Regulate

2011-08-24T10:59:00.002-07:00

The congress creates agencies . The administration appoints the heads . Then agencies are on their own to do what they do best, grow. The more they grow the more power they have , the more people they have the more money they get. There are two prime fertiizers to their growth, a congress that is inattentive because it is raising money for the next election and regulations. The more regulations they promulgate the more power they have and the more employees they need. This has effects, it creates an entrenched bureaucracy and insures votes for favored congress people. The explosion of regulation over the past years is unfathomable, the tax code is 75,000 pages, there are 4400 actions criminal under statutes, now we are faced with new regulations coming almost daily from the EPA , FDA, HUD. Obamacare is going to bring a plethora of sub-agencies , an army of new employees as is the Dodd-Frank bill. There is no end in sight . Our only hope is the bureacrats will be so innundated with their own paperwork they'll leave productive people alone.

nostalgia bites

2011-08-12T11:04:00.002-07:00

i remember, i remember the time i was a child watching the building of the triboro bridge in the midst of the depression. when city kids wore knickers and sold copies of "Liberty" magazine in hopes of winning a football. when a rather talented violinist would prowl the back alleys playing and accepting pennies wrapped in newspaper thrown from apartment windows., when the "buy ole clothes man "toured the nieghborhood with his garbled soft cry. when entertainment for my elders was a Saturday night of penny poker , radio music and a shared growler of beer. i also remember when the WPA built many of the structures we still use today and the CCC worked in national parks. Perhaps the country needs a WPA and CCC today instead of 99 weeks of unemployment insurance. ry

FDA and governer perry

2011-08-06T09:00:00.003-07:00

I must admit I am jealous of governor Perry. He was able to get a purely experimental treatment of his back problem with the use of stem cells. I on the other hand have been trying to get stem cell treatment of an arthritic shoulder with a stem cell treatment which has a wealth of expermental experience behind it. This treatment successful with two of my acquaintances and and was available in Colorado. However the FDA in its infinite bureacratic wisdom sued to stop the practice , not alledging that it was ineffective or harmful, but that injecting a patient with his own stem cells was use of an illegal drug. The desire to get this treatment was fueled by the hope of avoiding shoulder arthoplasty whih is a serious surgical procedure. I could get this stem treatment in other countries and still may do so. The FDA ignores tested procedures used for years around the world for example hyaluronic acid for use in joints other than knees,EDAP treatments for prostate cancer and other available researched procedures. The agency belatedly accepted as true that bacteria caused ulcers. I believe that they are still frightend of another thalidomide mistake and spend more time covering their rearends than furthering the course of medicine. It may be hyperbole but i think we would still be using leeches if te agency existed in the 19th century.

Arab Spring Spin Sprung

2011-07-30T11:41:00.003-07:00

The panglossian pollyannas who have prematurely been welcoming an Arab democratic revival in Eygpt, Libya , Yemen, and Syria as an" Arab Spring" are soon to be disappointed . The deposition of tyrants by a democratic movement is inevitably followed by seizure of the reins of power by the best organized group ; many times the military, which then imposes a new rule. However, in the aforementioned countries the most organized group is the zealous Islamists. I remember that the United States belatedly supported the removal of the Shah of Iran assuming in our usual naivete that he would be succeded by a less oppresive government . The result, a theocratic Islamist regime that despises democracy and the West. The "Arab Spring" will become a "Western Winter". Haven't any of our diplomats or leaders read Eric Hoff"s "True Believer". They are a group of innocents in a ravenous world.

create jobs and lower deficit, duh

2011-07-14T11:44:00.004-07:00

The most effective way to create jobs is to increase regulations on methods of doing business and discouraging business from expanding. For example creating a labor relations board which denies a company the right to build a factory in south carolina. Have an energy department and interior secretary and epa that regulates coal, impedes oil drilling, and any expansions of refining capacity . An agency which subsidizes alternate energy companies which should be viable on their own and not at taxpayer expense. Of course a justice department that wastes millions prosecuting baseball players, and buying and delivering guns to drug cartels is an embaressment almost as bad as a homeland security agency that terrorizes children and elderly at airports while wasting almost 3 billion on unproven technology to monitor nuclear materials and busily preparing for yesterdays threats.

Do It Right

2011-06-03T09:56:00.002-07:00

Save for your retirement . You will have a nest egg to draw interest from and with social security enough to be comfortable and perhaps leave something for your kids..Well, I didn't expect the concantation of circumstances that have arrived through the present adminstrations economic policies. Where one presumed a modest return, say five percent on my cds. We now look at one percent as a result of the effort to hold down federal interest costs and perhaps encourage business and home ownership.. How many retired peoople are losing their homes because of these artificial rates. Imagine someone retiring on 20,000 social security payment with a nest egg of 500,000 on which the expected return was 25,000 puts them at a comfortable 45,000 a year.. but at a return of 5000 they can't make mortgage payments.. The result is if one has heeded government advice to be prudent you have been stung.. Those who were wastrel were right .. The grasshopper has defeated the ant

something from nothing

2010-09-09T12:02:00.002-07:00

How the media can take the utterances of the pastor of miniscule church group and transform them into a worldwide problem is simply amazing. The desire for news to report now consists of the media making news. The pastor and his church would have labored in obscurity without the deplorable amplification by the media. A report of the activities of a thirty person church group now causes , remarks by the president, generals and idiots around the world. It causes riots and attacks on US embassies. If this isn't arrant stupidity by the reporters and responders it will do until congress reconvenes.

Unholy Union

2010-06-14T11:20:00.004-07:00

The incestuous relationship between public employee unions and public officials destroys state and federal governments. Public employees , teachers included, labor under contracts which make the conditions under which private employees work peonage. The you support me and I'll reward you system has bankrupted the states and only the federal governments ability to print money keeeps it going. Public employees are paid more and have retirement programs that make social security look like a paupers dole. It is a disgrace.

attorneys stimulus

2010-06-11T12:42:00.003-07:00

The mad pursuit by the Justice Department of the unimportant, strewing taxpayer money on convicting Barry Bonds of lying about drug use, is totally ridiculous. Who gives a hoot if he did or didn't ? Only the lawyers getting paid to prosecute this insignificant matter. The Justice Department under Attorney General Holden is a joke.

immigrant identity

2010-04-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

Journalists are constantly bemoaning the sorry financial condition of the publishing industry. I suggest that if they stopped pushing their own prejudices in reporting news stories the industry might be more robust. The N Y Times story reprinted in the Post reporting on high paying , white collar jobs held by "immigrants" is an example of the insidious injection of political correctness constantly encountered in media stories concerning "immigrants". The reporter neglects to mention these people are legal immigrants. The failure to discern any difference between legal and illegal immigrants is a constant theme in newspapers and leads to a , I believe, a purposeful confusion. It allows people who are concerned about the swelling illegal immigration population to be demonized as anti-immigrant.

a modest proposal

2010-03-30T10:22:00.003-07:00

I recieved a letter from the census bureau that I would be recieving a letter from the census bureau. They were correct. I recieved the second letter with a form which I filled out and mailed. A week later I recieved another letter from the census bureau reminding me I was legally obligated to fill out and return the form.
Today the newspaper reported that unemployment fell this month,and that the government had hired a million people to execute the census. I certainly applaud the decline in unemployment but I cant help musing on the number of people employed to send me three letters. If the bureau would send me a dollar I'd contact ten people to insure they returned the census forms and we would save money and relieve the postal service.

death count

2010-03-26T11:03:00.002-07:00

When we were at war in Iraq newspapers carried a death count every day. Were now at war in Afghanistan . I seldom see such coverage in the papers, or on TV. Is their something less about military deaths now or does a change in the administration make death more acceptable ?

Health Care ?

2010-03-25T10:20:00.002-07:00

Why would congress pass a bill of doubtful constitutionality that we do not have the money for and that is totally unworkable? The bill will create jobs for 17000 new IRS enforcers, numerous other federal jobs, create 31 million new patients but not one new doctor. It will in fact encourage doctors to leave their practices. There must be a motive. Being an idealist , and assuming the best intentions of our elected representatives, I'll be damned if I understand the motives producing such weird legislation.

show me the money

2010-03-11T13:23:00.002-07:00

How any of our benighted brethren in the congress can vote in favor of the health care bill when the constitutionality of the payment method is in serious doubt is bewildering. The requirement that citizens buy health care insurance when they don't want to buy it is a serious intrusion on individual rights. If this requirement is deemed legal could you see the day when there is a requirement , for the greater good ,of course, that we buy GM automoblies ?
The argument is made that you must buy car insurance to drive therefore this law is fine, however, that ignores the fact that if I refuse to drive I am not obligated to buy insurance. Driving is a
priviledge I may forgo.
The real problem occurs if this legislation is passed into law and the courts decide that the forced purchase of health insurance is unconstitutional. Where does the money come from to fund the law?Perhaps it would be a good idea to consider this eventuality before creating chaos.

the dismal psuedosciences

2010-03-05T07:16:00.002-07:00

To be acceptable science the theories propounded must be supported by empirical evidence. Three disciplines purporting to be science do not meet this criteria. Economists, psychiatrists, and sociologists each try to use mathematical projections to quantify their theories and all fail miserably. Texts of the three disciplines are filled with formulae purporting to represent reality but merely give a surface gloss to suspect scholarship. It is unfortunate that news organizations trumpet edicts from these groups without caveat or referance to uncertainty.

Poll Taxpayers

2010-02-09T12:49:00.002-07:00

With all the breakdowns of political polling figures by various demographic groups; it would be interesting to see one done on the basis of income tax payers and non- income tax payers. The country is divided about fifty-fifty between the two groups. Such a breakdown could give us some insight into the givers and takers political leanings.

The Chosen

2010-02-04T15:43:00.003-07:00

As a firm supporter of a women's "right to chose" I was really offended by the NOW group chastising CBS for running the Tebow add promoting a women's "right to chose". What has the NOW groups panties in a bunch is that Mrs. Tebow ,exercising her right to chose did not, ignoring medical advice, chose to have an abortion. If one supports a women's "right to chose" you must support her decision when you don't agree with it. Otherwise, you are not allowing choices. The NOW orginazation is not known for consistency of thought.

change the test

2010-01-13T13:30:00.002-07:00

If you don't like results, change the test. AP reports that there will be a new method of counting jobs "created" by the stimulus bill. "Any stimulus money used to cover payroll,give pay raises to existing employees"and anything funded by stimulus money whether expended or not, will be counted as creating jobs. Figures will be as reliable as unemployment figures and healthcare bill costs.

it's now war, really

2010-01-08T15:19:00.001-07:00

Obama quote "we are at war with al queda. We will do whatever it takes to defeat them". Including giving them all the rights of American citizens

Eric Holder buying love

2009-12-30T12:46:00.002-07:00

The civil rights for terrorist group are a large part of the democrat electorate and the administration is rewarding them with a show trial in New York. The trial will not buy the respect of Al Queda or the love of the Muslim world, especially after the attorney general assured us of a conviction. The administration will not realize that we are under attack by religous zealots who are acting in concert, waging war against the West and the U. S. in particular. They prefer to treat these terrorist acts as incidental crimes. It is a denial of reality . The cost of security alone at this show trial will be well over 100 million dollars, the total cost unknowable. I don't believe the defense attorneys are acting pro bono and neither are the prosecutors. The terrorists have a new weapon, keep trying and getting caught and Obama's Justice Department will break the treasury prosecuting your acts.

Ostrich Politics

2009-12-08T13:47:00.002-07:00

The United States has the largest foreign debt in history. Our leaders have put a mortgage on our future and garnishment on our souls. They continue to act as if we were still a first rate industrial nation of unlimited wealth. The only reason we still exert influence is our military power.
Our politicians believe the country "can have its cake and eat it". Our citizenry doesn't want to look at the lower standard of living that profligate spending and borrowing will cause preferring to spend time with their feckless leaders promoting parochial causes. Paraphrasing Egar Lee Masters they diddle with self pleasing notions while reality roars in the pines.

vox populi pelosi

2009-12-01T11:09:00.002-07:00

Nancy Pelosi in her mind speaks for the "American People". It is truly annoying when any politician claims to speak for the "American People". When one so divorced as Pelosi from the lives of the "American People" makes this claim it makes me shudder at her arrogance. She has claimed, against poll evidence to the contrary, to speak for us on healthcare, stimulus , climate change, taxes,immigration, and just about every conceivable topic. The only topic overlooked is her own unpopularity with the"American People".

oh president, where art thou

2009-11-18T12:00:00.002-07:00

There is an old political joke , the candidate says well, we won what do we do now, the answer for Obama is to keep on campaigning. The president has turned over the reins of government to Pelosi, Reid, Emmanuel, and Axelrod, they are the administrators: the background to Obama's frenetic campaigning. They are not up to the job. From the failure to provide flu vaccine to the inability to produce honest figures on employment engendered by the stimulus bill they have shown the administrations ineptitude . All they have done is increase the national debt by 1.4 trillion in eight months. Even the Chinese are fearful of the economy destroying practices of this administration and congress.

bloomberg blooper

2009-11-14T16:09:00.002-07:00

It is right that the terrorists should be tried in N.Y.federal court said Mayor Bloomberg and other savants. Of course the first thing the defense attorneys will do is move for a change of venue and probably get it.This whole mess is a political move to embarass the United States the CIA, the FBI , the military, and the Bush administration to satisfy the ardent left wingers of the democrat party. It will give propaganda victories to the terrorists and aid recruitment of bombers. It is truly disgusting to see the welfare of the United States traded for political posturing.

repeat after me

2009-11-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Where does the constantly trumpeted figure of 44,000 deaths a year because of lack of health insurance come from? The number has been repeated so often it is taking on a patina of truth. I suspect that it resembles the truth in the same way government figures of jobs created by the stimulus bill reflects the truth. A figure arrived at without a scintilla of evidence.

President? Obama?

2009-11-02T13:54:00.002-07:00

I do not think Obama is a president. I think he is a campaigner for a continual presidency . As of this date he has made twenty two fund raising appearances and has campaigned on behalf of two gubernatorial candidates. He has left the task of proposing legislation to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid while he cavorts in public. I thought a president was a leader with some decorum ,not a perpetual candidate and celebrity.

lies and damned lies

2009-10-24T15:28:00.002-07:00

Illegal immigrants will be entitled to government grants for insurance. If you don't believe this let me draw your attention to the Supreme Court decision in the Pyler v Doe case in which the Burger court in a 5 to 4 ruling insured education for illegal alien children. The basis for this ruling was to equate the words citizen and person in contradiction of the clear intent of the constitution. The result, probably unintended, was to extend the equal protection of the law to every person in the United States. Therefore if we have the government providing health insurance it will be provided to all residents. You think the border is porous now, wait.

antic arctic ice

2009-10-21T10:13:00.002-07:00

More and more it looks like the calamity crowd has overplayed their hand.The computer models predicting global warming are being called into question by increasing numbers of serious scientists. The connection between anthropogenic creation of co2 and increasing temperatures doesn't seem to be a major cause of climate change. The indisputable fact is that over the last twelve years ,while co2 levels have increased, world temperatures have decreased.
Congressional and administration types wedded to the Goreian notion of global warming are still using the calamity scenario to advance their political careers. The chimera of achieving enery independence in the Unied States without using hydrocarbons is patently ridiculous. The awful experience with ethanol, the waste of money in subsidies to producers, the environmental effects, should give pause to further subsidies of so called solutions. That is not possible however because too many congress people can't see beyond tomorrows newspapers and popular delusions which must be catered to in order to pander to voters.

blind arrogance

2009-10-15T10:45:00.003-07:00

I cannot understand the congress and administration. They continue to act as if there has been no change in the ranking of world currencies and world powers. We are a debtor nation with a steadily weakening currency surviving on credit extended to us by the rest of the world yet congress and the administration are profligate as ever. They continue to borrow and spend. They manufacture money by fiat and issue debt instruments without regard for the eventual day of reckoning. I can foresee only one result, devaluation of the currency enabling payment with cheaper dollars.

despair

2009-09-29T12:55:00.002-07:00

I read the following comment written by "asalesguy" concerning the beating death of Chicago student Derrion Albert. "Witness the fruit of a city that is a bastion of the DNC. No different in other cities where democrats rule the roost. Witness the horror that has always existed in New Orleans, LA, Tampa, FL, Orlando, FL, Watts, CA, Cincinnati, OH, Detroit, MI, Newark DE and Newark NJ. Cities where the complexion of the residents are the same, the academic achievements of students is best be described as, '-abominable.' The same levels of crime, the same absurdities in business and personal taxes, the same dismal level of city services provided; cities ruled always by politicians affiliated with the DNC..... Black Americans, it is the greed, it is ambition that those whom you vote for that has left you and yours living in chaos; in mayhem. Witness those cast off's on your streets that have moved to the last step in their tormented lives; Oblivion. Vote GOP next time for what do you have to lose ?! The DNC has seen to it that you live with nothing in your hands but despair. Think hard. What's your future..." . I may not agree that a mere change in political party would remedy these situations but i agree that the corruption of the democrat black politicians, and orginizations that run these cities has prevented any improvement in the lives of the black population. It isn't whitey that is solely the cause of black misery it is powerful black political machine leaders in these cities who are equally responsable.

jimmy carter projects

2009-09-19T12:10:00.002-07:00

Now for some psychobabble. Jimmy Carter a product of the deep south, who believes that criticism of President Obama is largely racially motivated, merely reveals that Jimmy Carter believes that people are like he used to be. Carter thinks he has overcome his bias against blacks, not likely, when he retains the anti-semitic views of his early life. When he attributes his repressed resentment of blacks to others it shows how far he still has to go to attain a color blind attitude.

pie in the sky

2009-09-14T10:16:00.003-07:00

Popular delusions ,accidental, government ,industry sponsored and self deluding range from conspiracy theories over 9/11 to the notion that we can eliminate use of carbon fuels to produce energy. It is not amazing that we are inundated with propaganda extolling the use of wind power , ethanol, etc. when so much money is spent on misinformation by vested interests in industries which benefit from government largesse supporting these industries. What is odd is the acceptance of this information as unbiased and truthful, while contrary opinions are derided as lies and deceit.
We are told , and a large number of us believe , that we can add 40million to government health care rolls and pay for them by reducing fraud an waste in medicare, which hasn't been done in years, and assuming new programs will be fraud and waste free.
We believe that government subsidies to buy cars and homes will lead us out of recession and create jobs. We believe that stupid government encouragement of no down payment Fannie Mae loans will not be repeating the mistakes of the past. We believe that immigration problems will not be exacerbated by social programs. We believe that climate change , the new euphuism for global warming is solely the result of human activity and can be averted by legislation. Finally we believe that energy independence can be achieved without drilling for oil or building refineries.
Interestingly most people do not believe these chimeras but the political class does, because it derives power from promoting these myths..

pants smoldering

2009-09-11T11:45:00.002-07:00

It is quite true that the proposed health bill forbids illegal aliens from receiving insurance. It is also true that the bill contains no requirement for ascertaining the illegal or legal status of a person. The bill leaves that up to some appointed bureaucrat to decide in the future. When an effort was made to include in the bill a requirement for determining status, legal or illegal, it was voted down by the majority on a party line vote. I have to suspect a tribute to the service workers union.

first in the race

2009-09-04T13:59:00.002-07:00

As a member of the NAACP in 1942,and entirely without prejudice to any group except zealots of whatever race ,ilk, religion, or atheist: I am sick and tired of the cry "racist" every time I criticise an administration policy or a crook like Charley Rangel. The last refuge of the scoundrel used to be patrotism now it is accusing your opponents of racism.

denigrate and ridicule

2009-08-13T15:46:00.002-07:00

Denigrate and ridicule, attack the messenger not the message. A page from the old Saul Alinsky book. The followers, our elected representatives ,Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, and their president who refuse to recognize grass root outrage at the autocratic rule of a group of people who believe they have a mission to save us from ourselves by spending our money in the most profligate excesses since the Bourbon Monarchy. Citizens who have been showing up in droves, in spite of threats from SEIU thugs are accused of being dupes of pharma companies ;a cadre with which our peerless leader has cut a backdoor deal.They have been called flat earthers ,unenlightenend, false bearers of testimony and by numerous sycophantic media outlets, astroturfers,and birthers all in an attempt to deny the existence of genuine concern. I believe the reason for this is that our congressional paragons are in denial, and think if they ignore the people they will go a way. There is a name for this posture. Let's call them "Ostriches" that should serve for denigration and the posture with their heads in the sand and their thinking parts exposed should serve for ridicule.OK Saul ???

swine flu congress oinks

2009-08-10T21:19:00.001-07:00

While the intellectual giants of democracy are engaged in spending money for bailouts , stimulus, green power and saving the planet they have ignored the most immediate threat to our lives and economy, a flu pandemic. Instead of a Manhattan Project approach to the obvious threat congress and the administration have dawdled along relying on the snail paced federal bureaucracy of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security. Two organizations really known for acting with alacrity. GAO says that in the event of the foreseen pandemic the"beds and medical supplies would be insufficient and plans to protect federal workers aren't adequate". Federal workers, what about the public. A vaccine won't be ready for several months... Why isn't there the same sense of urgency to protect the public as there was to rush through bailouts, stimulus, GM rescue etc. Get off your duffs congress and do something to speed up protection for constituents besides yourselves and government workers.

none so blind

2009-08-08T06:35:00.002-07:00

It is amusing to see how many commentators, pundits and politicians believe that outraged attendees at congressional town hall meetings are merely protesting the healthcare bill. They are protesting congress. Congress has a voter approval rating lower than Nancy Pelosi's I Q , I believe that is below twenty. The public disagrees, according to polls, with the congress on the health bill, closing gitmo, the wall street bail out , the energy bill, the stimulus bill, the clunker program, and of course buying fifty five million dollar airplanes to ferry the members back and forth. We cannot ignore the public revulsion at the corruption and tax dodging of various members. Congressional ethics is an oxymoron. It is gratifying to see average people throwing over an apathetic attitude to government. No wonder politicians are trying to denigrate a movement that threatens their privileged positions.

tiger tiger burning bright

2009-08-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

It's easy to ride a tiger but how does one dismount. Congress and the administration have uncritically accepted the global warming theories espoused by the alarmist climate warriors. Legislation on energy, cap and trade , clean air, cash for clunkers , oil drilling and alternate fuels and solar and wind power are all influenced and passed on the assumption that anthropogenic emissions are exacerbating climate change by contributing carbon dioxide to greenhouse gases . The legion of scientific doubters of this premise are growing rapidly. The disregarded truth is that in spite of the increase in co2 over the last 11 years , the world temperature has declined. How are the deluded going to recant, how will they get off the tiger. They won't, until hell freezes over.

clunker clone caper

2009-08-03T08:49:00.002-07:00

With the clunker program so wildly successful, why shouldn't it be expanded. Congress could offer exchanges of energy inefficent hot water heaters, clothes dryers, washing machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens and electric toothbrushes. Think of the jobs that would would be created and the jobs created destroying these old servicable, but energy hog appliances. Of course the jobs would all vanish when government money was exhausted.

health care, patricians vs plebians

2009-07-23T20:43:00.003-07:00

We are going to be subjected to some kind of monstrosity of legislation on health care. The only way Reid and Pelosi can put a bill together is by promising recalcitrant democrats all kinds of prerogatives if they will vote for the bill. That will result in a tangled mass of legislation that will accomplish little and diminish the medical care of the 80% of the population which declared it was happy with its healthcare. We will all end up under a centralized government system except of course for the privileged aristocrats that write the law. They have insulated themselves, and are exempt fom the effects of the bill. the consequence is that there will be one level of health care for us, the taxpayers, and another level for our paid employees the congress. It is quite similar to the arrangement between the patricians and plebians in Rome, the aristocrats and the commoners in medieval Europe, and the commissars and the people in Stalins Russia. If the health care bill they foist on us is so great then they should forego their status as our masters and embrace the opportunity to share the same trearment. Ironically under the system its greatest proponent Ted Kennedy would probably not be receiving the treatment he presently enjoys and he and Senator Byrd would be in hospice care.

crises to the left of me

2009-07-20T11:05:00.003-07:00

Crises to the right of me. Adult obesity , youth obesity, pregnant mommas obesity, all are crises. Health care is a crisis, global warming is a crisis, oil prices a crisis. Diabetes is a crisis and of course education is a crisis as are air pollution, water pollution, and any number of threatend or endangered species. Lest we forget,silting of dams is a crisis, decaying bridges , pot-holed roadways, archeological sites, are all in crisis mode as are the states of California and Michigan, and the banking system .There is no crisis in the awarding of contracts in exchange for campaign contributions or jobs for family memmbers. There is no crisis in or shortage of the pettifogging and chicanery emanating from the arena of arrogant hypocrites in Wahington D.C.

oil for the lamps of china

2009-07-01T11:18:00.002-07:00

While the infirm of purpose congress of the United States blithers its way into destruction of the economy by chasing the chimera of energy salvation through wind and sun; China continues its efforts to secure an ever greater supply of oil. Incredibly, after all our efforts in Iraq, guess which country has made the best deal for Iraq's oil? What country has Iran's oil future in tow ? It is the same one that controls the oil in Darfur, Indonesia, and is working with Cuba, Venezuela and other oil producing states to share their production. While we genuflect to the quasi-religous global warming crowd, the worlds largest atmospheric polluter continues to increase its control over the fuel of modern industry. Our peerless leaders may still believe that our economy is the strongest in the world but eventually they will face the reality that occurs to all panglossian spendthrifts.

manipulating cap and trade

2009-06-27T18:57:00.003-07:00

Does that group of inflated egos parading around Washington enjoy being hood-winked into voting for the new energy bill.Convinced by suppression of views at odds with the save the planet crew they vote a bill that will raise consumer costs , raise taxes and cost jobs . Suppression,yes, Alan Carlin senior research analyst at EPA authored a report critical of the role EPA contends co2 plays in global warming , the report pointed out peer reviewed references that cast doubt on the EPA view. He was directed not to speak to anyone outside the EPA National Center for Environmental Economics concerning the report. He was informed in writing "the administrator and the administratrion have decided to move forward on endangerment (by co2) and your comments do not help the legal or policy case for this decision..... Your comments would have a very negative impact on our office". I thought it was only the Bush administration that silenced scientists......

polling justice

2009-06-03T12:15:00.002-07:00

The Congress was in a tizzy over some lawyers at the Justice department possibly fired for political reasons under Bush, ignoring the fact that Bill Clinton on taking office fired all of them. I hear no outcries from congress over the departments refusal to take serious action against the New Black Panthers' jackbooted thugs patrolling a Philadelphia polling place during the last election. Attorney General Holder is apparently comfortable with this intimidation of voters. The offenders were wearing black shirts which possibly distinguishes their conduct from brethren of an earlier era and another country who wore brown.

where do i go

2009-05-21T11:04:00.003-07:00

I am a conservative. I believe in smaller government, fiscal responsibility, education, self-reliance, and integrity. What I hope for is immigration control, a balanced budget, free trade,energy independence and ,in an increasingly dangerous world, a strong military. What I wish for is a politician who puts his country before a constituency and re-election. What I don't care about politically are religion,atheism, abortion,sexual orientation these are things that don't deserve governmental attention in a society that is run for the benefit of all. These are things best left to an individual's conscience.I also don't care if people are white, purple,yellow ,red , black or brown. I also don't care if they are Polish,Irish , Russian, Ghanian, or of any other background. I only care if they are Americans. Now, my question what do i do with my vote ?

china's stash

2009-05-18T22:18:00.002-07:00

While the grasshopper USA goes blithely on its way chasing the chimera of clean air , defusing global warming and bringing peace to the mid-east the industrious ants of China are no longer buying our debt. They are using the money from the trade imbalance to build stock piles of commodities. They are buying iron , copper, and grains and have stated that they will increase their strategic reserves of oil by 300 per cent. Is this cause for concern ? Not now, but will it be ? Guess. While we continue with the idea that man causes global "Climate Change" and that our puny efforts can some how control the climate the Chinese are preparing for the future whatever it may bring. While our politicians waste billions on ethanol to buy the votes of the corn lobby and Archer Daniel and hinder domestic oil exploration China prepares for the day of world wide oil and other commodity shortages. I guess it makes sense , think how pretty all those windmills of ours will look with a garden of tulips. We have placed our future on the altar of algoreianism.

where elite meet to patronize

2009-05-11T12:20:00.002-07:00

The aristocracy of Washington and the media are blinded to reality by their incestuous relationship and deluded by their isolation from the general population. It is difficult to find a major issue in which the elite share the opinion of the populace. Gun control, anthropogenic cause of climate change,even climate change per se, treasury department, tea parties,whether business or government is better at operating things, immigration, bailouts, the list seems endless. The frustrating thing is that the plebeians are often correct while the condescending patricians are so often wrong. Intellectual growth comes from stimulus. Speaking to sycophants who reinforce your ego and opinions stagnates. When you add intellectual dullness to corruption the sum is a congress that is moribund and self serving.

uaw and treasury

2009-04-30T19:30:00.002-07:00

Playing with public funds to buy Chrysler and and General Motors for the benefit of the UAW and the votes they will bring. It would be cheaper to pay each UAW member 300,000 each and tell them to retire. We are going to be on the hook for years to come pouring money into failed companies attempting to keep them alive at taxpayers expense and giving them an unfair competetive advantage over the only solvent american auto company, Ford. I would love to sit in the conference room when the UAW bargains with itself over wages and benefits. Under the government plans the UAW will be a 40percent owner of GM , the government a 50 percent owner and the taxpayer a never ending source of bailout funds for these elephantine monstrosities.

legal vote buying

2009-04-27T10:59:00.002-07:00

I just received a letter from my estimable congressmen . It informed me that as a social security recipient I would be paid an additional 250 dollars, and that this largesse came from the president and congress's stimulus plan. I understand similar bribes are going to other groups including the largest to people who pay no taxes. Politicians from all over are applauding this plans originality. Bribing voters with their own money is a great political step forward almost eclipsing bribing voters with other peoples money.

inconvienent truth ignored by media

2009-04-20T19:22:00.002-07:00

If you assume an ostrich position and bury your head in the ice perhaps the fact the the Antarctic ice cap is growing might not be as reportable as the chicken little claims that we are going to be inundated by rising seas. The fevered reporting of some ice shelf calving in the western Antarctic is in sharp contrast to the ignored report by the British Antarctic Survey based on work by the Antarctic cooperative survey that the Eastern ice area which is four times larger than the Western is growing and denser than it has been in decades. For the sea level to rise appreciably there would have to be extreme melting of the Antarctic ice cap.This is not occuring. Why has A P and the general media ignored this story. I guess they don't want to rain on the U N , Al Gore and his sycophantic congressional and administratiion followers. It is deplorable that psuedo-science is the basis for much of our political leaders work.

welcome to utopia

2009-04-17T14:49:00.002-07:00

The congress is nationalizing banks. The congress is nationalizing insurance companies.The congress is nationalizing health care. The congress is considering nationalizing newspapers. The EPA is going to control the emission of carbon dioxide. The congress is increasing the use of ethanol even though it is scientificaly condemned .The administration rejoices. We are being dragged into the third world where bloated bureaucrats replace bloated capitalists. When a government controls banks,insurance, health, education , factories, and newspapers it will result in tyranny. I'm afraid even the ACLU will be muzzled unless they become handmaidens to this change.

fdic:federal deposit investment co.

2009-03-29T11:49:00.002-07:00

The FDIC ( Federal Deposit Insurance Company) is an agency created by the government in 1933 for the purpose of insuring bank accounts and restoring faith in the banking system. Now, in the greatest flim -flammery in my experience the administration, without even a vote from congress, plans to use FDIC funds to insure private investment in "toxic bank assets". This will be done by insuring the purchasers of toxic assets from banks against loss. This is a perversion of the purpose of the agency, and probably not legal. Use of FDIC assets in this manner certainly does not restore faith in the banking system.

talk with the animals

2009-03-09T11:21:00.001-07:00

President Obama wants to reach out to the "moderate Taliban". Who are the moderate Taliban? Do they exist? During the Inquisition were there moderate inquisitors? The very nature of Taliban is religious conformity . If you are not a zealot you are not a Taliban.The total naiveté of our commander in chief is appalling or his hypocrisy is appalling. Perhaps we should blame the leftist pollyannas who see all people as holding identical views and wishing for the same things in life.

mortgage garbage

2009-03-05T13:29:00.001-07:00

Occasionally I reflect on my cynicism and wonder if I am being unfair to the habitues of Washington. Then a situation arises that enforces my attitude. The former ceo of Fannie Mae ,Franklin Raines , who is an economic advisor to the president ,not only fudged the books at Fannie Mae and walked away with millions in bonus money but joined the illustrious Senator Dodd in accepting mortgage favors from Country Wide Financial and lied about accepting such favors under oath. Will he be prosecuted? Don't hold your breath he contributed too much to Senator Dodd, Congressman Frank, and others including the ex senator in the white House.

Incredability

2009-03-04T17:35:00.003-07:00

I will pull the troops out of Iraq (on george bush's schedule and keep 50000 there indefinetly)..I will examine every bill
for earmarks and not allow them (except for the 7800 seperate pork projects for my friends injected into the budget bill).I will defend the borders of the United States (by appointing Gov.Napalitano ,who will not recognize there is a border war underway).I will insure energy independence. (by not considering nuclear energy or clean coal only an increase in ethanol ). I will not apoint lobbyists , or tax evaders to high positions. (except ones I like) .Promises, promises another politician. Are you disenchanted too?

two hard truths

2009-03-01T14:14:00.002-07:00

Democracy will only last until those who have less realize that they can vote themselves more. A government that can give you everything can take away everything. Not original thoughts but hard truths. At this point in our history not only do we have a realization on the part of the fifty per cent of the population who pay no income taxes, that they can vote for a group that promises them more , and will fill that promise at the expense of the group that pays income taxes. This vote will doom the continuation of the nation as a democracy and insure the rise of bureaucratic government. The voters will find they have traded their freedom for a mess of governmental pottage. The bureaucrats will determine what you need and if you will get it .The trade was economic disparity for bureaucratic rule. Good Luck

winds of change

2009-02-28T12:32:00.002-07:00

In 1933 the U.S. government bowed to the inevitable, took us off the gold standard, and devalued the dollar. The depression of the 30's ended in 1934 and stayed quiescent until 1937 when the treasury, buoyed by this success, raised interest rates which moved us back in to a depression. That was relieved by WW II.The huge debt the feds now enjoy can not be repaid but it can be paid off with a debased currency the temptation, and yes, the necessity, will force devalation.

gaming obama

2009-02-21T13:06:00.002-07:00

I now have a mortgage on my house for 190,000. When I took out this mortgage my house was worth 270,000 now it is worth 220,000. If I take out a second mortgage now, with my excellent credit, of 30,000 I will be under water and entitled to help with the mortgage. Is this right? Hell no, but if I had bought the house for 220, and refinanced it when it was worth 270,000 and gotten an extra 50,000 to buy my las vegas vacation. . I would now be underwater and entitled to government assistance of some kind with my mortgage. I'll be damned if I want to help out all the stupid refinancers and the mortgage companies that made those crappy loans.

a rose by any other name still smells

2009-01-27T09:35:00.003-07:00

The arctic ice cap is growing again . The antarctic has more ice than anytime in the last 71 years. The world temperature has declined .07 celsius degrees in the last ten years Still the carbon dioxide level continues to rise. What to do if you have drawn a wrong conclusion from observable facts. Change the game. We are no longer , i hope , gullible enough to fear anthropogenic causes for global warming so the vested interests in the warming hysteria have a new charge "Global Climate Change". This is genius, now wether or not the future weather is warmer or colder the Savonorolas of climate can argue their prescience and continue to affect political policy and garner financial rewards. Please, sycophants of Al Gore, realize climate has always changed,always will change until entropy occurs and the earth is one ball of ice.

Atheist zealots

2008-11-12T12:52:00.002-07:00

The most irritating facet of organized religion is zealotry. It is also the most dangerous. Insistance on and promotion of a single viewpoint as the only way to find ones way in a world of myriad paths is the epitome of hubris. Therefore, I eschew religion and follow an atheist path. I still do , but the new movement of atheist zealotry is depriving me of a philosphical niche. I think it is as ridiculous to insist on a disbelief as to insist on a belief. Obverse views on belief systems can co-exist, without rancor, if zealots would stop insisting we follow their paths.

emotional high

2008-10-27T10:32:00.002-07:00

The Rocky Mountain News published a picture of Barack Obama surrounded by CSU college students. Their emotional state reminded me of pictures of kids welcoming the Beatles back in the sixties. The Messianic appeal the candidate has to his admirers is frightening. Savanorola, Peter the Hermit,Frank Sinatra and less admirable characters in historical times have stirred similar passions. Perhaps I have missed it in the past, I have been through seventeen presidential elections, but the frenzy of these supporters seems higher than the normal excitement of elections. I think elections have been lowered by media coverage to promotion of personalities. I think that we have entered an era where politics should be labeled entertainment rather than serious business .

sexist press bias

2008-09-25T10:59:00.002-07:00

The national press has been all over Sarah Palin ,they question her inexperience in foreign affairs and her "readiness to be president". They do not ask the same questions of Joe Biden. I was struck by the different treatment afforded to Biden after his assertation " that president Roosevelt went on television to reassure the nation at the time of the 1929 crash " . Of course, we know Hoover was president in 1929 and television wasn't to arrive until 1940. The inimitable Joe also invited a state legislator, who happens to be a paraplegic "to stand up and be recognized by the audience", lovely. Neither of these incidents nor his dispargement of clean coal, in a coal mining state, in contravention of Obama's position, made headlines . I can only imagine what an uproar would have occured if Ms. Palin made these gaffes.

reply to unlearned zealot

2008-09-24T17:00:00.002-07:00

While I appreciate Congressman Perlmutter"s attempt to lay all the blame for present economic turmoil on the Bush administration, carefully over looking the brilliant contributions of democrats and republican members of congress,I would like to iterate some history. Subsequent to the 1929 debacle the "Glass -Steagle Act" was passed along with the "Bank Holding Company Act" these acts effectively prohibited banks from acting in non-banking activities like bond underwriting and investment banking.
Sniping at these restrictions started in 1960 reached a crescendo in 1987 resulting in the federal reserve voting 3 to 2 to ease restrictions. Paul Volcker objected strenuously, fearing that lenders would lower loan standards. The lobbying for further easing continued unabated for years , with Greenspan ,the new head of the Fed, as an ally. In November of 1999 President Clinton signed a bill repealing "Glass-Steagall".
"Fannie Mae". was created in 1938 to insure funds for mortgages which private lenders were loath to make in the wake of the depression. It provided funds to local banks to make loans to raise home ownership.then the mortgages owned by "Fannie Mae" became security for loans to "Fannie Mae" at rates lower than it was charging homeowners, this was profit. This secondary market was the private domain of "Fannie Mae" . In 1968 Lyndon Johnson privatized "Fannie Mae" in order to remove it from the federal budget, In 19 70 "Freddie Mac" another "government sponsored enterprise" was created ostensibly to relieve the monopoly position of "Fannie Mae".
In 2003 the management of "Fannie Mae" was charged with manipulation of earnings in order to increase bonuses, 50 million for executive Franklyn Raines and unknown amount for Jamie Gorlick.The two organizations contributed millions to politicians of both parties,. however the largest contributions from 1989 to present went to the impeccable Christopher Dodd, John Kerry, Barrick Obama. President Bush on numerous occasions tried to place some controls on these entitities but was thwarted by Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. There is enough blame for this mess to tar everybody some republicans and some democrats but the whole of Washington is at fault

political ostriches

2008-09-22T11:05:00.002-07:00

Congress can not continue to play ostrich with its head in the sand, posterior exposed position on domestic oil drilling. It is not the obvious problem of transferring 800 billion dollars a year to countries with no regard for the welfare of the U S but one of national security. Please connect the dots. China is buying up oil from Iran , the Sudan , Nigeria, and every where else it can. Russia now controls oil and gas shipments to Europe. Chavez in Venezuela controls shipments to America and could act in consort with friendly Iran and Russia to cut oil supplies to the U S . Russian naval ships are conducting manuevers with Venezuela in the Carribean. Will the politically driven congress acknowledge the threat. Heck no , they will continue to ignore the obvious and pander for votes with anti "big oil" talk and promises of a future based on alternative energy.

brazil's alternative fuel

2008-09-08T09:41:00.005-07:00

For many years environmentalists have been using Brazil as an example of the efficacy of ethanol as an alternative fuel. Ethanol accounted for twenty per cent of Brazil's transportation need . Brazil still remained the fifteenth largest oil importing nation. In an effort to remedy this, Brazil's national oil company went on an exploratory drilling program. In five years it tripled Brazilian oil production. This development ,however was over shadowed in the past year with the offshore discovery of the Tupi field , expected to yield thirty to seventy billion barrels of oil. The Brazilian government , in a brilliant move , has declared that it does not want to become a crude oil exporter but will build refineries for their oil, and export gasoline , diesel, and other refined products with higher value. Is it possible that this example might inspire our benighted politicians to do something to increase domestic production ,make it possible to build some refineries, and stop transferring sixty billion dollars a month to foreign oil producers?

free beer

2008-08-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

I really don't know if this is legal but it sure seems amoral. Barrick Obama has stated that if he is elected he would work to get a one thousand dollar rebate to voters and eliminate any taxes on seniors earning less than fifty thousand dollars. Is this buying votes ? If a candidate said vote for me and I'll give you one thousand dollars it sure would be illegal. I don't see the difference, I guess I'm too naive for politics

obamas math class

2008-08-03T15:57:00.002-07:00

Obama starts off with ten percent lead among all voters through the "non -racist" vote of ninety four per cent of black voters. That means of the remining ninety percent of voters he has to garner 45 percent of the remaining votes while Mccain must get 55 percent of remaining votes to win ,pretty tough, but remenber Obama had a twenty percent ( higher percentage of black delegates) built in advantage over Hillary and she pulled out most of the eleven last primaries

bigotry or denial

2008-07-28T22:13:00.002-07:00

White comedians can't tell jokes that denigrate blacks, women , jews or moslems, or the handicapped. . They can pick on Christians and white businessmen. Black comedians are slightly less restricted only because they can stereotype fellow blacks. There is one minority that both can stereotype and mock with impunity, the elderly. I don't think it is done out of meaness I think it is done and applauded because people realise that they are going to be elderly and think by chortling at the supposed foibles that accompany some aging people they can delay or deny their own arrival at this stage of life. I think it is perfectly allright, actually laudable for an older person to laugh at his contemporaries and his infirmaties, just as it is fine for a black guy to satirize his fellows actions. It does gall me when people frightend of their own mortality set up elderly people as surrogates for their anxieties

canaries in a coal mine

2008-07-11T11:54:00.001-07:00

The travail of the airline industry is a warning to the zealots of the environmental movement and shortsighted politicians who cater to them, by opposing coal , oil, and nuclear energy, of what the economy of this country will be like in a few years.

political pelosi

2008-07-09T09:39:00.002-07:00

Nancy Pelosi has suggested that oil from the petroleum reserve be released to alleviate gas prices. Of course the reserve is to be used when there is an emergency.If Venezuela, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, or other close friends of the United States would cut oil supplies then we could use the reserve. The reserve is not to be used to further the political ambitions of the Speaker. It would be more helpful to a reeling economy if Nancy and her crew would encourage further domestic production but that would antagonise her green suporters.
Incidentally , I wonder where the oil to replace what was released would come from. I guess Venezuela , Iran, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria. I can't imagine what the price would be.

gimme that old time religion

2008-06-23T09:58:00.008-07:00

Friday, June 27, 2008

Martin Luther created a new church with "95 Thesis". Al Gore created one with one movie. Algoreinism with its millions of algorean acolytes is as much a belief system as any religion. It brooks no dissent and demands blind belief from its followers. Its tenant is that global warming is occuring and that man is the cause. While evidence is fairly convincing that global warming is occuring ( in spite of the fact that global temperatures have not moved up for ten years ). It is less certain that carbon dioxide is the cause of any increase. Carbon dioxide has increased over last ten years so the correlation has been weakend. Inconvenient facts have not raised doubts among the true believers in the press or among the public. This church has immense political clout so let us examine its commandments.
1. Thou shall not doubt that global warming is occuring and will remain blind to any evidence to the contrary.
2. Thou art the cause of climate change through use of carbon based fuels.
3. Thou shall preserve the earth for thy progeny even if they have to go hungry and cold
4. Thou shall not question the preservation of areas which only the elite of the church will be able to enjoy.
5. Thou shall keep unbelievers fearful and insist that only through Algorenism can they be saved
6 Thou shall tithe to the Sierra Club , PETA , Friends of the Earth and all other organizations supporting the church so that the selfless acolytes who run these organizations will be well paid.
7.Thou shall stretch facts in order to further the interests of the church and raise money.
8.Thou shall demean any scientists who questions the beliefs of the church as a tool of vicious oil compnanies or other capitalistic despoilers of the environment.
9. Thou shall hold hikers , backpackers, in higher esteem than skiers mountain bikers, horseback riders, the handicapped and other despoilers of the pristine wilderness.
10. Thou shall celebrate the name of our founder, Algore and hold all of his edicts as gospel , as he is infallable in matters of faith.

vote?

2008-06-11T11:42:00.002-07:00

Vote,Why? Neither of the two candidates for president or congress want to face reality. Our economy is headed for disaster unless we increase our domestic production of oil, and build some refineries. It is all very well to say conservation and alternative energy sources will, in thirty years ,make us energy independent.What about the interim. We are exporting two billion dollars a day to countries that are essentially our enemies. In the long run we can achieve energy independence without oil but in the long run we might not have a nation to enjoy it.

fat chance

2008-06-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

As an atheist i am appalled at a university art exhibit ("Cooper Union ") in New York . A crucifix and rosary beads are depicted trailing out of the anus of a statue of the crucified Christ. Not one riot has occurred nor has their been a major demonstration over this obscenity. This points to a difference between modern Christians and Moslems and tacit acceptance by the media of "art "insulting to Christians. If this was desecration of Mohammed or the Koran I'm certain the media and the ACLU would be all over it.

Bear with Me

2008-05-15T12:13:00.001-07:00

I am delighted that we can protect polar bears, whose numbers have doubled over the last four decades, as a threatened species. When will we protect man whose population is growing as fast,from famine ? What a bunch of warm and fuzzy nonsense. This is a transparent effort to prevent oil drilling in Alaska. It won't stop the Russians or Chinese

i have met the enemy

2008-05-13T11:45:00.004-07:00

The comedians all blame Cheney and Bush for high oil prices. I submit another culprit, the Congress.I cannot believe that the congress could act in the fashion it does without recieving support from "Big Oil"and foreign governments. The dramatic rise in oil price has come about because of congress opposing the development of nuclear energy, clean coal, building of oil refineries, domestic development of oil resources, and foisting on the public hair brained schemes like subsidized ethanol. These policies result in increased dependence on imported oil and transfer of a billion and a half dollars a day to foreign oil producers. A corallary of this transfer is the continuing devaluation of the dollar. Any attempt to increase domestic production does not have a chance because of congressional opposition. Who benefits from this congressional behavior : Big Oil and and foreign government oil companies, while consumers suffer. It's difficult to believe this occurs because of stupidity.

Zealotry And Common Sense

2008-04-22T10:21:00.002-07:00

Zeal in search for solutions is commendable . Zealots ,however, are not. Green zealotry, has placed our nation perilously close to economic disaster. It is responsible for our over dependence on foreign oil and lack of development of energy sources. The real "Inconvenient Truth" is that when economic disaster occurs, through lack of energy in the U S,solutions to environmental concerns will no longer be affordable.

wishing won't make it so

2008-04-21T10:20:00.002-07:00

Reality eludes our political leaders. They seem to believe that what they wish for will happen. Examples abound , they believe that energy independence can be achieved though conservation and uninvented substitutes for petroleum. They believe that coverting food to fuel is without repercussions. They believe that global warming is ethnogenically caused and we can combat it by reducing our "carbon footprint". They believe that militant Islam is not a threat to the West and if we accede to demands it will go away. Perhaps they should recognise reality. If we wish energy independence we must have more domestic oil production , we must use clean coal and nuclear energy. We must stop production of the environmentally damaging and useless ethanol.If global warming is a threat we should be preparing for change rather than trying to prevent the inevitable. Militant Islamists have openly declared their intention to destroy the West. We cannot ignore them as we ignored the open declarations in "Mein Kampf" and allow them to use the democractic egaliterean processes of the West to accomplish their purposes. Wishing can get votes but facing reality is survival.

weary of the green

2008-04-16T09:55:00.003-07:00

The ethanol fiasco is only the tip of the iceberg in the fatuous "green" movement. We are bombarded with advertising and living style information daily extolling "green" . Today the local newspaper was exhorting us to have a "green" kitchen. Yesterday I was encouraged to have a "green" home. Tomorrow I will be faced with advertising selling "green " paper towels, cleaning products, building materials,home appliances, automobiles, on and on ad nauseum. Believe it or not, some company is selling insurance by promising to donate part of the premium for "green" projects. I'm so weary of the "green" I'm going to pass on green beer for St Patrick's day and tear up my green card.

halleluah

2008-04-08T16:25:00.002-07:00

The mainstream media is waking up to the folly of ethanol which we have been ranting over for years. Time magazine has a cover article puncturing the ballon of environmental benefits of ethanol and iterating the horrible effect on food prices. Now, if they would trumpet the fact that in spite of increasing co2 in the atmosphere the world temperature has not increased and actually has decreased slightly we may be on our way to a more rational approach to climate change. It gauls me that even that anti-darwin Limbaugh saw thru this agricultural con game while our illustrious confederation of idiots in Washington are redoubling their efforts to sell us on ethanol and fluorescent lightbulbs. light bulbs.

food prices unintended consequences

2008-03-31T10:27:00.002-07:00

The crusade to save the environment , led by the deluded "c" student and Virgina law school drop out scion of a political family, has resulted in mass hunger among the poor of the poorest nations and desperation among the working class people of the developed nations. Grain prices have tripled for corn, soybeans and wheat since the untennable descision to use grains for fuel. Politicians are not known for their regular visits to supermakets , they remain blissfully unaware of the stratafiric rise in food prices. The crusade has also prevented utilization of domestic crude oil reserves and expansion of refining capacity leaving the nation open to blackmail by countries which control world energy supplies and cause high prices for gasoline and heating oil. When are the crusaders going to realize their irrational zeal has exceded good sense? Unfortunately, not soon, the new energy bill calls for tripling grain alchohol production and not one move to provide further oil exploration or new refining capacity.

precious liberties

2008-03-28T09:57:00.002-07:00

Why aren't the ACLU and other groups concerned about losing our liberties standing up to stupid goverment requirements for use of ethanol. The requirement in the energy bill requiring replacement of incandescent bulbs with flourescents surely interferes with my rights and can hardly be justified as as nescessary, except by maufacurers of the replacements. Of course these idiotic measures are being done in the name of reducing "global warming" a sure fire argument with the boobery that makes up most of the TV addicted public.

Environmental truth

2008-03-27T10:36:00.001-07:00

When poverty comes in the door environmentalism flies out the window.

sleeping dogma

2008-03-19T10:05:00.001-07:00

With the dollar declining in value every day ,we still refuse to develop our oil reserves and continue to send our wealth overseas. Environmentalists wake up. We will soon not have enough money to cater your causes. It takes wealth to be environmentally correct. The direction we are pursuing will lead to environmental degradation from lack of money. Where poverty exists environmental concerns vanish.

nine years to bank failure

2008-03-17T10:21:00.003-07:00

The Glass-Steagel Act of 1933 seperated investment bankers from banking. It was passed to prevent just the idiocy and greed that bankers exhibited in 1932. Once again congress in its position of prostitute to special interests like Archer Daniels, Environmental groups, bankers etc. repealed the Act.... look at the result.....Bear Stearns , defaults on crappy mortgages that were packadged and sold as investments, failure of bond insurers, all due to the greed of investment bankers, abetted by stupid ,or negligent, or corrupt congress.

desperate

2008-03-05T13:40:00.001-07:00

How long can we let national policy be dictated by radical environmental ideas to the point where we send our national wealth to other countries , and depend on their good will to obtain oil to keep our economy running : instead of trying to reduce dependence, not only by methods that hold promise over time ,but by developing our domestic energy supplies? I hope before the dollar becomes worthless internationally, but I'm afraid it is going to take a crisis before panicked action is taken.

romping to extinction

2008-02-26T11:29:00.003-07:00

Gleefully filled with salacious tales of celebrity mischief, raucously defending environmental rights and reviling industry , unquestioningly accepting doomsday announcements of ethnogencally caused climate change our democracy stumbles on. Is it possible, as one amazed and disgruntled observerver suggested to me, that congress is purposely working against the best interests of the nation ?
When I rejected this notion he became quite agitated, suggesting I couldn't find my rump with both hands, and began to enumerate unfortunate policies and acts of the governing powers. First he insisted look at the latest priorities of congress, investigating use of steroids by athletes, objecting to a world famous physician touting a lifesaving drug,and protecting polar bears. They attend to these zephyrs of importance while the hurricane winds , of militant Islam , China, energy policy, the decreasing value of the dollar,illegal immigration,and social security reform go unattended or given pathetic attempts at solution.
Turning to recent actions , he referred to the "tax rebate" to almost all taxpayers and non-taxpayers wondering how borrowing more money from China to give to citizens so they could pay for higher priced food and gasoline was accomplishing anything other than buying votes and contributing to the decline of the dollar which is largely responsible for the higher prices.
Speaking of buying votes turned his attention to the "energy bill" which instead of looking to a future where we might free ourselves to some extent from the threat of blackmmail by the likes of Chavez and Saudi Arabia they completely capitulated to
Archer Daniel Midland and "Big Corn" by requiring increases in production and use of ethanol in spite of studies showing it is more deleterious to the environment than gasoline and in spite of evidence that using food for fuel is causing unbearable price increases in food. This stupidity was compounded by a provision in the bill to phase out incandescent bulbs in favor of flourescents as an energy saving measure completely ignoring the problems that arise from disposing of these mercury containing bulbs or the difficulty of remedying breakage. Nowhere in this bill is a plan for energy production, no where a call for nuclear plants, or clean coal, or even for increased drilling of oil wells..The bill is a sop to the environmentally correct; full of feel good measures, that might after fifty years have some effect on our energy problem. Now the latest move is to remove tax incentives on production of oil and move more money to additional "research" on alternative energy sources which may reduce our needs at some mystical time in the future. How do we heat our homes and drive our cars and keep production going from our factories and farms until the millenium arrives.
Congress has totally embraced the radical " chicken little " global warming scenario. If that scenario is correct and global warming is ethnogenicly caused anything our country does to ameliorate the cause is about as effective as sweeping back the tides. World population is growing therefore more greenhouse gases just from bodily fnctions.
. China builds a new coal burning power plant every 6 days, India is building cheap automobiles for its population therefore our turning down thermostats is a joke. Most scientists, who believe in ethnogenicly caused warming think we have already reached the point where no action will reverse the process, scientists who don't agree with human caused warming point at the futility of such efforts. What might be useful is a program to prepare for the consequences of warming rather than trying to negate it.
With the dollar falling to new lows congress still acts as if we were a creditor nation rather than one in deep debt to foreign countries . Witness the "Millenium Bill " just rushed throgh the senate . This gem requires us to give .07% of our gross national product to foreign handouts about an additional 30 billion to what we already do, these sums might be better used for health insurance here at home. The bill also has some very peculiar language that seems to allow the corrupt U N great power over our deliberations.
Social Security is a program on the way to extermination. Thhere are not enough workers to support recepients. Yet the congress added a drug benefit to an already under funded program.Select Social Security recipients are taxed on social security payments but instead of those taxes going to fund social security ,they are put in the general fund to be earmaked for pork projects. Congress refuses to reform the program.
Illegal immigration is a major problem but the government does very little to stem the tide of illegals. Elected officials are afraid of losing the "Hispanic vote". However most citizen hispanics do not approve of illegals. There are laws but they are not enforced. Of course there is a coalition of employers who want the cheap labor. It is up to goverment to find ,enact and enforce a solution.
The litany was losing steam so he glossed over he the failures of the intellegence community which led us into Iraq, the politically correct rules that deny security from "Homeland Security", and congress' total lack of ability to act coherently on anything.
, I had no answer to this tirade except that it was probably stupidity not intentional. I checked AOL celebrity gossip, joined the rest of the lemmings, and headed for the cliff.

capitol capers

2008-02-14T11:54:00.002-07:00

While Congress concerns itself with athletes and drugs China increases its military, Chavez threatens oil blockade,Iraq and Afghanistan continue, and congress buys your vote with your money. If the I.Q. of these illustrious leaders were 2 points higher they'd qualify as rocks and if their ethical I.Q was measured, as lizards.

green mail blackmail

2008-02-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

Venezuela dictator Chavez is threatening to cut off oil sales to the United States. Our considered response to this threat is to produce more ethanol from food crops, a joke.We obviously cannot succumb to Chavez blackmail. Our legislators , however have genuflected to the environmental greenmail, which has rendered us vulnerable to Chavez and his ilk, by prohibitng oil exploration in Alaska and off shore.

marry in haste

2008-02-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Succumbing to the clamor to "do something about global warming" our leaders hastily decided to invest our future in ethanol. Even now when general scientific opinion is that ethanol is no less, and possibly more polluting then gasoline, they have mandated a doubling of its use, and have subsidised the industry at 1.38 dollars per gallon.The next fiasco in the making is the ban on incandescent bulbs. Theoreticaly this move will save energy by replacing them with fluorescents. The energy cost of disposing of these mercury containing replacements and the effort needed to decontaminate if one breaks, is totally ignored in the haste to appear "green " and aware.

arlen spectacle

2008-02-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

Has the senior senator from Pennsylvania completely lost all sense of proportion?. He wants to investigate spying by, not the Chinese, but the New England Patriots. Is this what we elect senators to do, tackle ephemeral and stupid issues. Next he'll wish to take testimony on the psychiatric treatment Brittany Spears is undergoing. How purile can our elected congress people be and what further wastes of taxpayer funds and time can they invent?