Without a Teleprompter...

Imagine...

...if we had a candidate, that didn't care to win as much as they cared to speak the truth.  I was thinking about a Herman Cain, or an Alan West.  Which...they pretty much do.  If one of them campaigned for cutting subsidies (not tax breaks, but true subsidies), limiting the collection of unemployment, cutting the Defense budget by focusing on waste (and its there!), severely cutting the corporate tax rate (corporations don't pay taxes, consumers pay them), getting rid of the death tax, severely cutting the capitol gains tax rate to a nominal fee, and yes - scaling Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to be self sufficient.

...if the candidate had the mindset of 'I'm going to say what needs to be said, and if I lose, then at least America was offered the choice'...I think he just might win.  I think for sure he would win the Republican nomination.

Ron Paul says the right things on the fiscal side, but after that - he goes of the deep end.

Tim Pawlenty says these things - but does anybody hear him?  He got a little traction by speaking against corn subsidies in Iowa.  We'll see...

Donald Trump - he got traction by exactly what I'm talking about, speaking the truth.  But the truth is, he is in it for Trump, and he loves the power too much.

Herman Cain is almost perfect - he lacks the recognition to win, but a good run this time will help.  And YES THEY WILL play the race card with him, but it would be better that race card than the one they usually play.

Allen West speaks truth to power - and he suffers from the same name brand problem that Cain and Pawlenty do.  A full term or two in the House - and the Republicans would be wise to start promoting him.

That brings me to Mr. Gingrich.  Most conservatives (myself included) and ALL media outlets - have written him off.  His comments on Ryan's plan (...oh, I mean his negative comments, not the ones he said before, or since) exposed him as willing to sell out to get the 'middle', the 'undecided', the 'moderate' vote.  For a smart guy - he wasn't smart enough to know that those types of voters don't look for a candidate in the middle, they look for a candidate they believe in (Reagan, and yes...Obama).

So...he's got nothing to lose, because he can't win:  (CLICK here for a video I couldn't embed)

Gingrich: Balance Budget by Cutting Taxes and Government

"...eliminate the National Labor Relations Board, replace the Environmental Protection Agency and repeal the national health care plan..."

"...cut regulations on financial institutions, including eliminating the Sarbanes-Oxley law that governs accounting practices of publicly traded companies..."

"...by getting people off of unemployment, off of Medicaid, off of food stamps, get them back into earning a living and paying taxes..."

"...eliminating the capital gains tax; allowing companies to deduct capital expenses fully; reducing the corporate tax rate to Ireland's rate of 12.5 percent; and abolishing the death tax..."

"...allow the unemployed to collect benefits for four weeks to look for a job, then would force recipients into a job training program..."

Is it just me...

...again?

Democrat wins 3-way race for House seat from N.Y.
Loss of GOP district seen as omen on Medicare plan

I read three articles in reference to this election - FoxNews (AP), Washington Times, and CNN.  CNN by the way, actually titled the link to the article "GOP Medicare plan loses in proxy vote."

There were all kinds of Democrat quotes by idiots....I mean there were all kinds of idiot quotes by Democrats - "We don't want to hurt our seniors", "..their plan is extreme, even Newt Gingrich said so" (half of that one is true).

Oh, wait....there were two Republicans in the race, one being a "Tea Party" candidate.  And yes, their vote tallies combined were more than the Democrat.

Republicans just don't learn lessons, Woodrow Wilson, Bill Clinton, etc. (especially ones from New York - the only place the Republicans didn't dominate in 2010) and lest we forget, the seat was vacated by this "Republican":

 

Netanyahu visits DC...

UPDATE: Flashback to 2008

Obama:  "Uh, in the spirit of continuing, uh, the instability, uh, not going, uh, to solve..."
Netanyahu: (...there is no way this guy wins another election)

Netanyahu: "Actually, with respect, what you proposed would not work in what the Jews call 'the real world...'"
Obama:  (...I can say anything, and I will still win one more election)

Netanyahu:  "Is it me? Can you people see how he crosses his legs?"
Obama:  (...good thing there are no Republicans like this guy, I'm safe in 2012)

Netanyahu: "So, again, rainbows are real, but there is no pot of gold, unicorns are not real..."
Obama:  (...note to self, I should have accomplished, uh, stuff, before lecturing people like him)

Netanyahu:  "See!  See how he sat in our last meeting!  I think Michelle keeps them in a jar..."
Obama:  "Not only can I cross my legs like this, I can lean way over, and experience no pain..."

Nothing...

...in California is beyond belief:

Lying liars and the lies they tell...

Stars Aligning on Debate Over Debt Ceiling by Michael G. Franc

"...In the upcoming debate over the national-debt ceiling, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The economic recovery has stalled. The debt mounts by $4 billion each day..."

"...Liberal lawmakers such as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) argued that the only thing we had to fear was, not fear itself, but these unhinged Republicans who would insist that any increase in the debt ceiling be accompanied by trillions in cuts to cherished social programs, thereby precipitating a game of chicken that would spook financial markets and torpedo our credit rating. Schumer has campaigned relentlessly for a “clean” debt-ceiling bill, bereft of any spending cuts, entitlement reforms, spending caps, or balanced-budget amendments whatsoever..."

"...According to budget experts, this translates into $381 billion in cuts next year alone..."
 
"...In just the last twelve months, they reported last Friday, Medicare’s fiscal hole worsened by an additional $2 trillion; Medicare’s projected date of insolvency is now 2024, five years earlier than projected last year. The news was similarly dour for Social Security, where expenditures exceeded payroll-tax receipts last year by $49 billion, and the date of insolvency edged another year closer, to 2036..."
 
 
$381 billion in cuts next year?  Does anybody remember that the 'draconian' Republicans wanted to cut $100 billion, which became $60 billion, which became $30 billion - and mostly ended up being financial write-offs, and not CUTS in budgets?
 
Can you imagine, that your personal or family situation were so far into debt... You call a meeting, and sit around the table to discuss it.  
 
Do you think that anybody would argue - "I spent $65 on clothes last month, and so I have to be able to spend that much every month, with a little increase."  Of course not. 
 
How about this - "Honey, we have to cut back on groceries."  Ever had that conversation?  If you had a Democrat at the table, you might have heard, "So, you want us to starve the children to death." 
 
If you had any of our current elected officials at the table, you might have heard, "Can we just try to time our purchases so that we stock up on the 31st, then try to string it along for 30 days, then buy heavy again on the 1st of next month?"  They just don't get it - and the sad part is that they know they are lying to the citizens, and they do it anyway.
 
They don't get it - in so many ways.  The housing crisis?  Caused partially by Congress forcing banks (who went willingly once their loans were guaranteed) to lend to people who couldn't afford it.  After it was clear that we had a problem...Congress tried to fix it, by bailing out those same people, and those same banks...with our tax money.  Then, Congress passed new "Financial Reform" laws to remove the risk, which removes reward.
 
What is the reoccurring problem here?  Congress.  When are they going to pay the price?

Wake Up, its time for school...

I have a post that is half-written about college, about who should go, and why.  In the meantime, I found these:

The ‘Education’ Mantra by Thomas Sowell

"...When it comes to postgraduate study in tough fields such as math and science, you often find foreign students at American universities receiving more of those degrees than do Americans..."


"...Too many of the people coming out of even our most prestigious academic institutions graduate with neither the skills to be economically productive nor the intellectual development to make them discerning citizens and voters.


Students can graduate from some of the most prestigious institutions in the country without ever learning anything about science, mathematics, economics, or anything else that would make them either productive contributors to the economy or informed voters who can see through political rhetoric..."

"...Such people have proven to be ideal targets for demagogues promoting polarization and strife. We in the United States are still in the early stages of that process. But you need only visit campuses where whole departments feature soft courses preaching a sense of victimhood and resentment, and see the consequences in racial and ethnic polarization on campus.


There are too many other soft courses that allow students to spend years in college without becoming educated in any real sense.

We don’t need more government “investment” to produce more of such “education.” Lofty words such as “investment” should not blind us to the ugly reality of political pork-barrel spending."



This video is Part 5, but if you have kids who you are not sending to college, or are a kid who didn't go to college, this part will make you feel better about your decision:

I'm Just Sayin...

Treasury Tapping Federal Retirement Accounts to Stave Off Default from FoxNews.com



Tim "In Over My Head" Geithner

 "...Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has informed members of Congress that, with the U.S. government reaching its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling Monday . . . a plan to suspend investments to two government employee retirement funds, while borrowing from one of them..."  This is why there is no Social Security set aside, they go into this money for pensions - it will be all the easier to go into it again.


"...The administration has urged Congress to separate the debt ceiling vote from the push to extract long-term spending cuts. But several moderate Democrats joined Republicans in recent weeks in demanding budget reforms in exchange for a vote on the debt ceiling..."  Isn't that like saying 'the administration wants to spend more money, and doesn't want to promise not to keep doing so.'

"...Democrats are pushing hard for ending tax breaks for the biggest oil companies, a move estimated to bring in an extra $2 billion a year, but Republicans for the most part are shying away from anything that resembles a tax increase, calling instead for spending cuts only and entitlement reform..."  Corporations, even evil oil companies - DO NOT PAY TAXES - consumers pay those taxes at the pump.



The smartest guy in the room, who just lost any shot at being President



"...Newt Gingrich said, "I don't think imposing radical change from the right or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate. I think we need a national conversation to get to a better Medicare system with more choices for seniors, but there are specific things you can do..."  Do you think he even saw the front sites? I mean OUR OWN FOOT is at a pretty close range. 

Death and Taxes...

...I think we can add that not only are taxes certain, but they are certainly not understood by most people. 

The nation's finances are in a crisis.  Not because of the people, but because of the people we elected.  They haven't balanced the budgets, they have overspent, they have over taxed.  They shape the environment that either promotes economic activity, or stifles it. 

...and after they got us into this mess, who believes they can fix it?  We better hope for some change..

Reaganomics Vs. Obamanomics: Fallacies Offered By The Left by Peter Ferrara, FORBES

"...Most fundamentally, many insist that they do not understand how tax rate cuts promote economic growth..."


"...The tax rate...determines how much the producer is allowed to keep out of what he or she produces. For example, at a 25% tax rate, the producer keeps three-fourths of his production. If that rate is increased to 50%, the producer keeps only half of what he produces, reducing his reward for production and output by one-third. Incentives are consequently slashed for productive activity, such as savings, investment, work, business expansion, business creation, job creation, and entrepreneurship. The result is fewer jobs, lower wages, and slower economic growth, or even economic downturn..."




"...Critics have the most fevered difficulties in dealing with the facts regarding the effects of these Bush tax cuts. They quickly ended the 2001 recession, despite the contractionary economic impacts of 9/11, and the economy continued to grow for another 73 months. After the rate cuts were all fully implemented in 2003, the economy created 7.8 million new jobs and the unemployment rate fell from over 6% to 4.4%. Real economic growth over the next 3 years doubled from the average for the prior 3 years, to 3.5%..."



"...In response to the rate cuts, business investment spending, which had declined for 9 straight quarters, reversed and increased 6.7% per quarter. That is where the jobs came from. Manufacturing output soared to its highest level in 20 years. The stock market revived, creating almost $7 trillion in new shareholder wealth. From 2003 to 2007, the S&P 500 almost doubled. Capital gains tax revenues had doubled by 2005, despite the 25% rate cut! That should not have been a surprise. Capital gains revenues rose sharply after the Gingrich capital gains cuts in 1997..."



"...a majority of the Obama “tax cuts” were “refundable” income tax credits, which involve sending a government check to people who do not even pay income taxes, economically indistinguishable from increased government spending.  That is why even the federal government’s own official beancounters account for such refundable credits in the federal budget as spending rather than tax cuts..." 


"..Jack Kemp always used to say if you want to soak the rich, cut their tax rates..."





And now a news update from people in the media who really get it:


Update: Obama Yet Again Refrains From Obliterating Human Race

Like They Say...

Better the devil I know...

FBI Director to Stay 2 More Years

I don't understand this at all.  From everything we know about Obama, I would have expected him to relish the opportunity to pick somebody that could run the FBI (into the ground) for the next 10 years.  Now, if Obama loses in 2012 (he won't...and yes I hope I'm wrong), the Republican President would get to name the next Director.  Hence the reason for some optimism in the comments coming from agents not afraid to comment publicly - the thought of an Obama pick is downright scary, even for the Special'ist of Agents.

As for Mueller...it could be worse.  But it could be better. His wife (allegedly) spoke to Agents of him wanting to extend, which may be the reason so many Agents have been able to extend past the mandatory retirement age of 57.  My guess, he wants to go down as the second longest serving Director.  Many outside law enforcement can't name many previous Directors other than Hoover.




...and I never really noticed this:

Ponder this...

401(k) plans.  A part of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States that (basically) allows employees to invest money in qualified (ie safe/diverse/regulated) plans.  The employer puts the money directly into the plan, so the employee doesn't pay income tax on that money.  At 59 1/2 years old, the employee can take the money out - and then it gets taxed. The benefits are numerous...1) people save money, so they will have it when they are older, 2) the money is invested in companies (in the form of stocks and bonds) that help fund the economy, etc. 

They became popular in the 1980s, and only got more so as the decades went on.  Part of their draw was that people saw how much their money could grow when not spent, and not taxed.  Many people who would otherwise not save or invest, began to. 

A recent WSJ article noted that in 2011, 60% of American households nearing or at retirement age had 401(k) type plans.  (The article was focused on how 401(k)s are falling short - but read between the lines, did any of these people really think that putting away 6-9% a year would eliminate the need to work for the last 20 to 30 years of their life, while maintaining their lifestyle?)

But my thought is this: 

As the baby boomers start to cash in their plans, the TRILLIONS invested, they will start to get taxed.  So the smart guy (or girl...who listened to some guy explain it to her) who has been maxing his contributions, cashes in his cool million - and the millions of baby boomers who start to cash in on their hundred$ of thousand$ - will be giving huge chunks to Uncle Sam.

So that giant sucking noise you will hear...will be large portions of the stock market being sucked into the government coffers. 

We better get rid of these socialists now, before its too late...

What we've got here...

...Obama was campaigning at the border yesterday.  He left reality at about 0900, and spoke near El Paso some time after that.

After confirming to the nation that he has fixed the border...or at least given the Republicans everything they asked for, Obama noted that Intel, Google, Yahoo and eBay were all founded by an immigrant. "We don't want the next Intel or Google to be created in China or India," he said. "We want those companies and jobs to take root in America."

Of Andy Grove, Sergey Brin, Jerry Yang, and Pierre Omidyar, the co-founders of the corporate giants cited by Obama, all of them were legal immigrants who grew up in the United States (with the exception of Grove, who came to the United States at the age of 20). 

Mr. President - the problem is with illegal immigration.  That is why you were in El Paso, sir.

...a failure to communicate.

We should all live on ranches...

Derned Technology...

Video games when my parents were young...




Video games when I was young...




What my kids can play...



(don't worry, they can go 'old school' - I saw one guy shooting with iron sights...)

bin Laden take 3...

...the Pentagon is releasing videos of bin Laden that were found in his million dollar hut.  One purpose of sending these out to the world, is to diminish the impact of the 'messianic' figure that he had become to many.  Some of the videos are 'outtakes' of videos previously released.  The one below shows...well it shows an aged man watching himself on a dated TV that sits on a desk I left in the basement of my last house.  Not quite the 'spartan' cave some expected, and not the million dollar mansion described, but more like some distant cousin's spare room.  (I think they should have got somebody to dub over in a less-than -masculine Arabic voice, "Does that shalwar make my butt look big?" ...and subversive propaganda stuff like that.  It would'a worked, people still think J Edgar Hoover was a crossdresser)





In related news, Lt Michael Murphy got a warship named after him.  I think it is great that his story is out there.  Though the mission was a 'failure', from what Marcus Luttrell says, Murphy and company took down several villages worth of the bad guys on the way out...

...before I read about Murphy I had done a workout named after him.  The story goes that it was a favorite workout of his...and now it is an occasional WOD (Workout of the Day) and in some places a charity event.

Run 1 Mile
100 Pull Ups
200 Push Ups
300 Squats
Run 1 Mile

...with a weighted vest.

Happy Mother's Day!

"The things you did for this family..."

Thanks Mom! Because of how you raised me, I never fought with my brother!

Think Inside The Box...

I found my way to this video through the Crossfit mainpage.  I check it daily for workouts...and inspiration.

I am very opinionated when it comes to education.  Public schools are not what they used to be.  Many people who defend them, don't realize this. When I see the teacher's unions protesting in Wisconsin and New Jersey, and the pedestal they try to put themselves on...I'm scared for our future.  When you become a teacher - you have not reached the pinnacle of deserving our respect, admiration and gratitude.  Rather, you have taken the another step towards a long journey of earning those things.

Watch the video below, it's 11 minutes long, but you won't get bored, you just have to commit the 11 minutes.  I watched it with a skeptical eye, and found I agreed strongly with most of it.

I DO NOT believe in ADHD, or any of the like.  I DO believe that just like many things, there is a myriad of causes of 'problems' and each one has its own spectrum of severity or degree of expression. 

Public education is for those who can't afford private.  I fall into the former.  I believe that we have so much untapped potential, and the norm is for people to doubt themselves, doubt others, and live inside false boundaries, that we (or others) created...

Can switching to Geico save you money on car insurance...

...is the Obama administration bungling a great achievement and opportunity with the killing of Bin Laden?


I often recall a time when I was young and George Shultz was speaking on TV. I’m not sure what position he held at the time, but it’s a good bet it was while he was Secretary of State for Reagan. When asked a question, he answered very slowly, with long pauses. I remember the pauses seemed so long that I thought, ‘wow, he must be old.’ I asked my Dad, “Why is he talking so slow?” He replied, “He is being careful with what he is saying…he speaks for the President.”

With this administration, it seems like there is no discipline. They are all running their mouths about the Bin Laden operation. I can excuse that to some degree…I still get an adrenaline rush when I think about it. However, I don’t speak publicly for the government (some parts of the government FORBID it…for the very reason I am bringing up).

Speaks for the Speechmaker?

What these people need…is to practice some combat breathing. Four in, hold four, out four…whatever works for you. I do four in, eight out, relax four…and then...Pavlov puts me to sleep. (Ladies, think Lamaze…)

Director of the Cia?

The narrative is becoming the changing stories and different accounts - rather than we found the needle in the haystack, we sent a message to anybody who thinks they can run AND hide, or we got some good old fashioned vengeance…

Will they officially release this picture?

May 1, 2011...

On Monday morning, I woke up to two text messages: "Bin Laden is dead."

I feared that they had found a grave, or reports of a death several years ago due to kidney failure. I fired up the computer, but it was slow, so I turned on the TV. I saw young Americans holding American flags, dancing and yelling...IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE! My heart stopped. My brain did not process that scene. I'm not sure it has yet. The bottom of the screen read something like, "US Navy SEALs shot Bin Laden."


Many lives were changed on September 11, 2001. It set my life on a different path. In a way, I'm just like most people, I'm a spectator in the War on Terror. But...I have season tickets, an occasional locker-room pass, and on a few occasions I have been able to suit up for the practice squad.

These are interesting times...

The coverage of Bin Laden's killing has been very telling. The 'news' has gotten it wrong, corrected their mistakes...with other mistakes. It still amazes me, it is really like there are no editors, no producers - arguing for restraint, arguing against the finality and definitiveness of statements made on live TV...

"Osama was armed and fired back...", "Osama used his wife for a shield...", and most recently, "The intel came from waterboarding done at Guantanamo..."

Nobody was ever waterboarded ...at Guantanamo.

I am not a news outlet. I am not a journalist. I am a blogger, with 3 to 5 loyal readers. Okay, closer to 3.

Here is my 2 cents:

In August 2001, Mohammed al-Kahtani, was stopped in an airport trying to enter the United States. He was supposed to meet Mohamed Atta. He was supposed to be one of the 9/11 hijackers. In December 2001 (three months after 9/11), al-Kahtani was captured entering Pakistan, while fleeing the United States military in Tora Bora. Kahtani denied everything, including ever going to the United States. Once he was identified (with fingerprints taken upon his entry into the United States), his interrogation was handed over to the FBI. The Special Agent in charge of his interrogation...got nothing. He was placed in isolation - FBI involvement then ended. After two months, he admitted his name, and was able to name all of the 19 9/11 hijackers. After that, he again gave nothing. He was then submitted to 'enhanced interrogation techniques' approved at the time. He was not waterboarded. Included in the information he gave, was the nickname of a trusted 'courier' used by Osama Bin Laden...

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Pakistan on March 3, 2003. Many regarded him as the Number 3 in the al-Qaeda 'hierarchy.' (He may be lower than al-Zawahiri - but if I could have only one captured - it would'a been KSM). KSM said nothing, until he was introduced to enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. KSM then gave it up, including still-in-the-works active operations. KSM also confirmed the existence and nickname of a trusted 'courier' used by Osama Bin Laden.

On May 2, 2005, KSM's successor in al-Qaeda, Abu Faraj al-Libbi, was captured in Pakistan. (Again, he may have been below al-Zawahiri on some deck of cards...but I would'a traded Ayman for this guy any day). On May 10, 2005, the Department of Justice issued two memos that stated enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA were in full compliance with existing laws. It is not fully clear to me what al-Libbi was subjected to, but he started talking at the same time the DOJ was CYA'ing.  However, his interrogations were cut short, in part due to actions taken by Senator John McCain. Before he stopped talking - Abu Faraj revealed that he communicated with Osama Bin Laden...through a trusted courier.
 
 
The press is in a frenzy right now.  They are not getting it right, and they can't be trusted to.  It needs to be the mantra of those opposed to another four years of Obama.  He wanted the interrogations stopped.  He ran on it, and so did Attorney General Eric Holder.
 
See the link above to watch liberal Christopher Hitchens get waterboarded...for a few seconds.  He determines that it is torture - because he FELT like he was drowning.  But as you can see, he was quite fine.
 
For a complete tutorial on the subject, read Courting Disaster by Marc Thiessen.  Or, if you won't commit the time to reading the book... WATCH THIS.
 
Many politicians and pundits, leading up to the election in 2008, asked the question - 'If you believed a captured terrorist had information, and getting that information would save lives today, would you waterboard the terrorist?'
 
The information possessed by any one of the three above was not enough by itself, was not given up until they were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques...and it took over NINE YEARS from the capture of al-Kahtani to put it all together.
 
[Blogger spell cheque is not working...and I'm not editing, sory]

7:22AM Update...

Michelle Malkin's blog has an interesting and short article HERE.  They (Obama, Holder, Panetta) are afraid to say the truth, if it gets in the way of their pretend world-view. Brennan is already on record (though that doesn't change anything with this administration) as saying that enhanced interrogation SAVED LIVES (while he worked for Tenet under Bush).

Change...

Bin Laden news can hold, he has taken enough of our time over the last 10+ years...

Main Street in Peterborough, New Hampshire 1906. 

Main Street in Peterborough, New Hampshire 2011. 

A farmer told me that 200 years ago New Hampshire was 80% clear 20% forest, and that now its 80% forest 20% clear (compare the hill in the background of the photos).  Derned Global Warming!  You can see, clearly, from the research...that cars and no income taxes causes forestation.  You can't argue with science!!!

I didn't set out to find this location, I just Googled the town and downloaded a pic.  Then, I turned down the street, and while I don't speak (much) French, I had a little déjà vu. 

May Day...

..May Day...May Day...we are sinking!

(This post was brought to you via free hotel Internet in the People's State of Massachusetts)