The Violence Worker!

The Day Of Rage Of Fail

A few hundred die-hard hippy wannabes descended upon the Manhattan financial district commonly known as Wall Street.  They hopped for 20,000 people, but they were lucky if they got 20 percent of that amount. They had hoped to start some kind of Socialist Spring ala the Arab Spring.  The reality is that it's just a bunch of losers still hoping for some kind of Socialist utopia.  Their hope is to really annoy those rich bankers and bring them to their knees with their peaceful rage...or something like that.  The plan is to camp out for months!  We'll see how they are doing in about a month when it starts to get a bit chilly there in between those canyon walls.

When I went to their facebook page, apparently they have some problems according to someone named Daniel Baez. 

I arrived at 1pm and listened to some speeches~we were then informed that 'One Chase Manhattan Plaza' was barricaded by the police and were redirected to Zuccotti Park; as we marched by Wall St. we noticed Wall St. was barricaded as well; when arriving at Zuccotti a loud brass ensemble distracted the gathering (they were protected by a group of police) so it seemed they were hired to do so; helicopters overhead and lines of police vans full, I walked around scoping out the scene and attempted to find an alternate route into Wall St. I made conversation with a group of police officers who laughingly told me that if anyone set up tents or attempted to sleep they would arrest us on the spot..'and we're just doing our jobs dude'...I was a little discouraged and took off to another event. How can anyone stay for more than a day or so?..there are no bathrooms, kitchens weren't set up as announced, and again, the message isn't clear. I'm for 'end corporate personhood' ~ comments?

Sounds like they will be there for  months! Or not.

Lower Manhattan is a district filled with skyscrapers and money.  Wall Street is there, of course, and it is the home of the most famous building in lower Manhattan - The New York Stock Exchange.  Most people probably couldn't tell you where Wall Street is in New York City, but they know that it's essentially the heart of the American economy.

It always makes me smile a bit when I see these comical Commies out protesting what they call Corporatism.  This whole protest was set up through social networking websites using high speed computers and smart phones that were developed, and sold by the corporations seeking to make a profit.  And while there probably few, if any, computer firms that call Manhattan home, all the big ones have made a pilgrimmage to the canyons of Manhattan when they went public.  Apple might be based in , CA, but their money is in NASDAQ, a block away from Ground Zero.

Imagine a world without a profit motive.  There would be no reason for anyone to better their lives or take a risk.  If there is no profit, there is no investment.  If there is no investment, there is no innovation.  If there is no innovation, then we'd all still be foraging for nuts and berries.  They use their iPhones and iPads.  They use there laptops and desktops.  They ride in cars, fly in planes and talk on a cellphone to someone on the other side of the world with the clarity as good as if they were on the other side of the city.  They listen to music on their ipods, watch cable and satellite TV.  The take pictures with digital cameras and use the internet for little cost. 

If it wasn't for the profit motive and the desire for wealth, it's doubtful that any of those things would be available.  No TVs, no computers, no iPhones and no internet.  Twitter, Facebook and Google would not available because the internet wouldn't exist.  No pictures, no videos and the ability to amplify sound would also not be available.  Everything from the clothes on their back to the tarps they will use to ward off the rain were made by a corporation whose existence and raison d'être is based upon making a profit.

I understand some of their fears and I agree with some of what they are saying.  No corporation should be "too big to fail."  We need to rein in the corruption.  No one is against that.  What we don't need, is the system destroyed which is essentially their ultimate goal.

I guess they will be releasing some kind of  manifesto next Saturday:

What if, try as we might, we just can't come up with only one demand? Well, then maybe we can decide together on an END THE MONIED CORRUPTION OF AMERICA MANIFESTO – a rousing compendium of our most urgent demands. And on the seventh day of our occupation we publicly deliver our manifesto to the White House and to the American media, letting Obama know that we won't leave Wall Street until he responds.

I'm sure Obama will be there to take delivery.  Memo to the Commie Kiddies: You'll have a better chance finding him on the golf course!

I also note that they are complaining that the main stream media isn't paying enough attention to them.  It's almost comical.  But then, they are corporations, after all.

We'll see if there are more than a dozen still camped out after a few days.

VW

The Big Speech

Traditionally, speeches before the whole Congress are important affairs.  Usually, they give the State of the Union address in January and only rarely does the president ask to speak before the entire assembled Congress unless there is some momentous occasion such as war.  It's usually not the venue for an economic policy speech.

If you are going to go that route, then your legislative plan should be in the hands of Congress when you make your speech or at least on its way.  If you are just wanting the spotlight and the other party runs at least half the show, you better have something better than a glorified stump speech to give or you are going to be treated appropriately.  The President does not run the Congress.

Usually, a speech of that caliber is usually given at a more appropriate place.  Often it is at some factory or at some city in a state that is particularly hard hit by a recession.  Presidents are political animals by definition and when times are tough, you want to give the impression that you are in charge, but you also want to shore up the base a bit.  That's why the speech is often given in a state that , along with being hard hit, is a swing state or a one that is starting to waiver.  Michigan was a good state to give a jobs speech on labor day using that reasoning.

First, he flubbed the scheduling.  He's been relegated to a time slot when few will be watching.  The Republicans have surmised that all he is going to do is give a speech that is a rerun of similar speeches in the past.  In other words, there won't be anything really new except the terms. 

Recognizing the unpopularity of the 2009 package, however, Democratic leaders have revised their message with less loaded language – “job creation” instead of “stimulus” and “Make it in America” in lieu of “Recovery Act” – in hopes of tackling the jobs crisis.

So, instead of stimulus, we'll hear "job creation".  They are banking on the fact that you are too stupid to know any of this.

And because it's just another speech, some Republicans said they wouldn't be there and Speaker Boehner said that there won't be a Republican rebuttal.  Boehner, so far, has played Obama like a violin and he continues by refusing to answer his speech.  Pelosi is furious, which means Boehner probably made the right call.  No one would be hanging around to listen to it anyway, there's a football game to watch!

I probably will read the box score later on.  I won't be watching football either, although that is probably preferable.  Heck, I'd prefer to listen to a cat howl.  The cat would also make more sense.

VW

 

More Proof Obama Is Inept

So the Dear Leader demanded a joint session of Congress so that he can give another "Jobs" speech.  And that's fine.  Theoretically, I suppose anyone could demand to speak before a joint session of Congress.  The trick is getting it approved by the leadership of the House and the Senate, specifically the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader.

Since the President is only a wannabe dictator and not a real one, he can only ask that the Congress set a little time aside for his speech.  Since the Speaker of the House is a Republican, it becomes a bit trickier in that he needs the Speaker's permission.  A little diplomacy is in order - or at least one would think so. 

Usually what happens is the President decides he wants to address a Joint Session of the Congress.  This is usually not done for mundane reasons.  These sessions are usually reserved for more significant speeches by Presidents and other dignataries.  State of the Union speeches are the more common speeches given by Presidents in a Joint Session.  Once the President decides he has some really significant things to say, he has his Congressional Liaison staff contact the appropriate staffers in Congress who pass on the request to their respective Chamber leaders.  They negotiate upon a date and time, arrange it with the media covering the speech, then make the public announcement.  Nobody gets their toes stepped on and we, the public, are not privy to any spats over scheduling.  Nobody looks like an idiot.  It's how professionals do it.

Until now.  Obama demanded in public a joint session to talk about jobs and Speaker Boehner shot him down, also in public.  It seems Obama's desired date and time would conflict with the GOP Presidential debate also scheduled for that evening.  The Obama camp said it was a coincidence, but most people with half a functioning brain cell don't believe it for a minute.  He was looking to steal some thunder and got struck by lightening instead.

Obama comes out of this looking more  inept and inexperienced  than presidential.  It's not even a rookie mistake.  It's arrogance, amateurish, and a sign that he has absolutely no idea what he's doing.

EPIC FAIL!

VW

Driving Small Farmers out of Business

Liberals tell us that they love small farms and family farmers who produce and sell locally.  Nothing wrong with that really, and I support the idea.  I worked on a small family farm when I was a teenager.  I milked cows, bailed hay, fed the livestock, etc.  It was a great experience.  The old guy that owned the farm worked at an auto plant during the day, but would work the farm in the evening.  He had two teenage sons that helped him out. It wasn't a paid job.  They were family friends and I would spend time in the summer there.  It was a great experience.  One that every kid should have.

Aside from their pap about locally grown and sustainability, they spend their time trying to devise regulations and laws that drive the small timers crazy and out of business.  Understand that small farmers are not rich.  Many have to have another source of income.  That doesn't seem to bother the bureaucrats in their quest to regulate every aspect of our lives.  In this case, they want to force those who drive farm equipment, such as tractors and other equipment to have a Commercial Driver's License or CDL.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been collecting public comments on the notion, which the agency insists doesn't yet merit being called a "proposal."

But it's far enough along that the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, state Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel, and a bipartisan group of 21 U.S. senators, among others, are speaking out against it.

In one scenario, farmers hauling grain to local elevators would be treated as if they were engaged in interstate commerce because grain, in many cases, eventually leaves the state.

Lumping farm machinery into the category of commercial vehicles also could result in farmers' having to log their mileage, even for short trips, and it could require them to get a federal medical card showing they are fit to drive.

"It would be more paperwork, more expense for us," Strobel said.

The farmer's kids would presumably be barred from operating the family tractor because a CDL requires that you be 21 years old. How many small farms can afford that?

According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau's Gefvert, the rules that are under consideration would result in an initial cost of $124 to each Wisconsin farmer and employee, for the commercial driver's license, permit and test; not to mention the time and cost for behind-the-wheel training that is several thousand dollars.

Yeah, they just have that kind of cash sitting out on the kitchen table.  The article doesn't mention it, but add to this the fact that farmers routinely haul around fertilizers and pesticides. I'm fairly certain that would also require a hazardous material endorsement.  That would mean an even greater expense.

That's liberals.  Run the farmers and factories out of the country with endless regulations, then complain because they are disappearing.

VW

How To Create Millions Of Jobs!

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  It also might just mean that you are completely cluesless as to how to solve a problem.  It's what you learned, and what's been drummed into your skull for decades with the fervor of a traveling salvation show on opening night.

Their mantra is that the President creates jobs, Congress creates jobs.  The government creates jobs.  It's been said so much by so many that it must be true.  And it seems like it should be true.  After all, these are the ruling elite.  They are the brightest and the best we have to offer.  They say it like it's gospel and everyone says, "Amen!"

Ever since the the debt ceiling fiasco, the President has returned to the "Jobs" theme.  People are telling him to create jobs so he turns to the only weapon in his arsenal:  Spend more money that we don't have.

Some are suggesting another stimulus bill (and we all know how that last one turned out) and others are suggesting we need to extend unemployment benefits as that is a sure-fire way to create jobs.  When that was mentioned at a recent White House Press Briefing, the young looking Jay Carney was asked a simple question.

"I understand why extending unemployment insurance provides relief to people who need it, but how does that create jobs," Wall Street Journal's Laura Meckler asked Jay Carney at Wednesday's WH briefing.

Apparently, this is the simplest of questions not worthy of an answer.

Carney responded: "Oh, uh, it is by, uh, I would expect a reporter from the Wall Street Journal would know this as part of the entrance exam."

But wait!  After professor Carney slices the WSJ reporter with the White House Ginsu, he deigns to answer the question in order to enlighten the masses just in case Ms. Meckler reports it so that the readers of her paper will understand.

"There are few other ways that can directly put money into the economy than applying unemployment insurance," Carney said.

Carney answers the question: "It is one of the most direct ways to infuse money directly into the economy because people who are unemployed and obviously aren't running a paycheck are going to spend the money that they get. They're not going to save it, they're going to spend it. And with unemployment insurance, that way, the money goes directly back into the economy, dollar for dollar virtually."

"Every place that, that money is spent has added business and that creates growth and income for businesses that leads them to decisions about jobs, more hiring. So, there are few other ways that can directly put money into the economy than applying unemployment insurance, Carney said.

Brilliant!  Absolutely Brilliant!  That will get everyone back to work as soon as the checks are cashed!  Think of it!  Endless unemployment checks and we solve unemployment. 

Carney estimates that unemployment benefits could create up to one million jobs.

We could start giving everyone an unemployment check!  Think of the jobs that would be created!!!!  These guys that are running the country!  We are in good hands!  They smartest guys in the world!

Until the benefits run out again - which they will.

We are broke. Doing this would only have a marginal effect, if that, and it would only be temporary.  It's a brazen attempt to buy a few votes, that's it.

Oh, and Creating more and more debt is not going to fix this economy. 

VW

Team Obama

Imagine the White House as a team locker room.  It's game day and the Obama team is losing.  The score is 35 - 0 at the half and the coach calls the team together to give them a pep talk.  Let's listen in.

Coach Obama:  Let me be clear, this is a failure of the referees out there to call a fair game.  The other team is also not helping us win.  They are selfish and only interested in winning the game for themselves.

Quarterback Geithner:  But coach, we don't have a game plan.

Coach Obama:  Doesn't matter.  I'm the greatest coach in the history of the game.  I get to win.  Besides, they're all jealous and want to take my job so they aren't playing fair.

Towel Boy Biden:  Gee, boss, I know!  How about if we call them names?

Coach Obama:   Not bad for a towel boy, but it's not enough.  Calling them names might get some of the crowd fired up, but it may not be enough to make them let us win.  We need for them to just give up so we can declare victory.

Quarterback Geithner:  But coach, we don't have a game plan.

Coach Obama:   Look, I don't know how to make a game plan outside of name calling and temper tantrums.  It's always worked before.  We don't need a plan as long as we just demand that they play by our rules and let us win in the name of sportsmanship.

Towel Boy Biden:  Gee, boss, I know!  How about if we call them names?

Coach Obama:  Shut up Joe and get me a clean towel. Now let's all get out there and mill around until they give up and let us win!  I'll see you all later, I have a tee time in 20 minutes.

===============================

Leadership you can believe in.

VW

 

Brother, Can Ya Spare A Dime?

This is government in all of its incompetent and crooked glory!

It seems that the city of Oakridge, Oregon (pop. 3300) is missing 420,000 dollars.  For a small town, that is a helluva hole.  Give or take a point or two, that's about a 13 percent sized hole in a budget of just over 3 million dollars.  No one seems to know where all that money is.  They are stuck in an audit since 2008.  Nobody seems to want to answer some important questions.

The City of Oakridge has not completed an audit since 2008, something Zimmerman blames on “the difficulty in making the numbers work.”

The 2009 audit currently in process has run into a number of problems, resulting in delays and the auditor’s refusal to sign off on the audit. Zimmerman says the auditors have had a number of questions and issues over the years that needed to be resolved before the audit could be completed.

At issue now is a $67,000 temporary account with insufficient documentation, and thus the 2009 and any subsequent audits have yet to be completed.

Their backup plan is to solicit loans from the local citizenry to help keep the city from defaulting.

George Custer began seeking “investors” soon after the City acknowledged it would be laying off eight city employees, about one quarter of the staff, to fill the budget gap, saying it was a win-win for the City and the citizens.

Custer is a volunteer planning commissioner for the City of Oakridge and claims he was not working on behalf of the City. Instead, he was soliciting loans for the City as a “concerned citizen.”

Both the city administrator and the mayor knew about the plan and considered it an option to keep the City from defaulting on its payments and going into bankruptcy.

“That was a plan B in case other things didn’t work” said Donald Hampton, City of Oakridge mayor.

Custer says that half a dozen citizens have agreed to give the City a loan if a loan from the bank does not materialize, but the list of citizens will remain anonymous for now.

I'm surprised they found anyone willing to loan them anything!  I certainly wouldn't offer to loan them a dime!  If they can't keep track of 13 percent of their own budget, what's the chances they will keep track of my loan?

I might add that the county is quite blue, voting 58% for Kerry/Edwards and 63% for Obama/Biden.  Hizzonner, Mayor Hampton, was formerly on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Education Association.  I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest he might not be a Tea Party member.

They probably just need to raise taxes on the town's rich people.  That will do it.

VW

Arrest Me or Shut Up!

I'm tired of the terrorist meme.  Arrest me or shut the hell up about it.  This whole half baked lie about bringing down the government is crap.  We didn't default and I said so back last month that we wouldn't.  Neither side was going to risk it and most of us knew that there would be some last minute deal that would not address the deficit spending and the debt ceiling can would be kicked down the road another couple of years.

This "deal" is nothing but a "re-elect me" bill.  It's set up so that everyone gets cover.  The provisions in that bill are economy killers.  If certain spending cuts aren't met or taxes raised, the military budget will be cut 50%.  We need to trim the defense budget, there is no doubt, but we cannot do 50% and if you think that isn't putting our country in REAL immediate danger, than you have no clue about what real terror is.

When do we stop the insanity.  Maybe the real terrorists are those who demand we keep spending, deficits - be damned!  Who really want to take this country down?  Who really wants to see us default?

And we will default and not because of a failure to raise the debt ceiling.  Maybe not today or next month or even next year, but we will hit a point  that we will owe more than we can ever hope to pay.  We will hit a point where the payments and interest on our accumulated debt will be more than we can pay and still maintain a modicum of security. Yeah, just keep voting to raise the debt ceiling.  Shut up and color.  After all, we can't risk bringing the country down!

So quit calling me a terrorist.  Shut the hell up.  Those of you who insist that I, and people like me, are terrorists either can't or won't see that we are headed for a crash that will eventually destroy this country.  It's people like me that actually think we might be able to save it if we really do do something now.  Unfortunately, we have idiots running around screaming "terrorists" and ignore the road we are on.  Again, just shutup and vote. 

I guess dissent is no longer patriotic!

/RANT

VW

Letters, I Get Letters...

and sometimes there are a few words interspersed! 

Today I got a comment on my blog on this post: The Ethics Of Journalism.

Here, unedited, is his epistle:

But u r terrorists. U r covered in the blood of violence. You have a goal and tactics much similar to that of Germany in the 1930's thru WWII. Why be hypocritical and hide from the truth.

It was signed "Bob" and Bob's IP addy is out of the San Fransisco Bay area.  His email addy is peacekid69@yahoo.com and he searched for "tea party violence examples".  Go ahead, type that into Google and follow the first link that pops up. 

Given that it is from the center of the Idiot Universe and the email addy, I figure it's legitimate.

Bob may not be all that bright, but Bob is listening and he is listening to people like Biden who calls people like me "terrorists". There is no evidence of any violence from the Tea Party, but the numerous Goebbels on the left keep firing a constant barrage of accusations and they are using terms such as "terrorist" to describe us.  I guess it's only a matter of time until some Tea Party member gets violent and tries to pick a fight with a bullet fired from some patriotic leftist's gun.

VW

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

It's getting damned old.  I am sick and tired of people equating those of us who consider themselves Tea Party members with terrorists,  Now, it's our Vice President.

Biden, driven by his Democratic allies’ misgivings about the debt-limit deal, responded: “They have acted like terrorists,” according to several sources in the room.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60421.html#ixzz1Tp9PNtNx

Here is a copy of the email I sent to Biden's office: 

Dear Vice President Biden,

How dare you call people like me a terrorist!  Yes, I support the Tea Party movement 100%. I'm also a hard working, middle class, American.  I'm a retired USAF NCO, work for a defense contractor on an Air Force Base and I hold a security clearance.  I love my country and I hardly consider myself any kind of threat to my country or to my fellow citizens.

Is this where we are in this country, sir?  Is this the new civility, sir?  Because if it is, we are in pretty bad shape. Admittedly, I am a conservative , but Mr. Biden, I would never stoop so low as to call you, or people who think like you, enemies of this country!

Simply put, You owe us a profound apology for your thoughtless and inflammatory remarks.

Michael J. Pittman

According to the Politico article, he later denied saying it.

Yeah, right!

VW