Hey there! It’s been a while, hasn’t it. Yeah. You see, I’m not one of those professional bloggers that has the time to post stuff every day, or every other day. I was trying to pump out a post once a week, and that hasn’t even been happening.
There’s so much going on in the world. The gulf oil leak (it’s a leak, not a spill). The feds are probably going to sue Arizona over their immigration law. The world cup is happening. E3 was a few weeks ago (www.endofnations.com), and I’m making the switch to Direct TV.
Let’s bust these out real fast so I can claim I’ve covered all the bases.
The oil leak:
All Obama needs to do is swim down to where the oil is spewing out and yell “YES WE CAN!” at it, and it’ll stop.
Does anyone remember that the same thing happened in 1979? Exact same thing. People are upset that the federal government isn’t really doing anything. Well, they are…or at least were…they were taking bribes to look the other way and ignore all the safety violations. Way to go, guys. People need to realize that Obama is an impotent president and really can’t do anything about this other than pretend he is doing something. People need to realize that it’s inept government oversight that really caused this.
Arizona:
Yeah yeah, people are still talking about this. So apparently Obama is sending in some people to Arizona to try and work something out. Hillary claimed that they are going to sue Arizona over the immigration bill. Really? Ok. You’ll lose. Arizona isn’t backing down on this. There are rumors that Obama is going to give the nod to ICE to use some sort of executive power to grant amnesty to all the illegals. Now, that’s only supposed to happen on a case by case basis, so we’ll see how that goes. I’m just interested in seeing how far Arizona and the feds are willing to go on this issue.
The World Cup:
Soccer is for wimps. Just look at it. Every time I try and watch there are guys falling all over the field like they are being struck my lightning, or like they are being shot by a sniper. They roll around on the ground and pretend they are hurt…they look to see if anyone is paying attention, and then they get up and continue playing this stupid sport. This is one reason this sport hasn’t caught on in America. Another is the absolutely horrible officiating. This kind of crap wouldn’t fly in the NFL. And then there are those damn vuvuzelas. You know, those horn things that make the stadium sound like a giant beehive. Yeah..bring one of those to a baseball or football game, and we’ll see how long security lets you stay. Rugby. Now that’s a real sport. I had someone tell me that the fans are so into soccer that the seats are like a rugby match. Really? That’s your bragging point? Let me get this right…soccer is cool because the fans are worse than raiders fans and eagles fans put together? No. I’m sorry. That argument is invalid. Soccer is a non-sport.
E3.
Electronics Entertainment Expo. It’s a big video game trade show that happens in L.A. every year. One of the games I’m working on has been nominated for 8 awards at the show. Check it out. www.endofnations.com. I’m doing the sound design for it. Check out the trailers. The story is actually pretty cool, too.
Direct TV:
So, I’m fed up with Cox. That’s the company I have/had digital cable and internet with. These guys are jerks. They raise rates randomly. Their customer service is garbage, and the actual cable and internet service is crap. I called to cancel and the woman was practically begging me to stay, saying all this bad stuff about Direct TV, which ended up being false. I told her that I’m saving over $50 per month by switching to Direct TV, and that if she’d be willing to give me that sort of deal for the next two years, I’d stay with Cox, but she wouldn’t do it. Well, guess what, lady, I’m outta here. Verizon is like this too, only they don’t raise their rates randomly. That’s why I switched to T-Mobile. And no, I don’t have an IPhone. I refuse to use AT&T and I refuse to pay several hundred dollars for a phone that doesn’t do anything more than the awesome phone I got for free from T-Mobile on father’s day weekend (MyTouch 3G slide). Plus, AT&T coverage sucks. Yeah, yeah, I’m sure there are one or two of you out there that haven’t had issues, but their overall coverage is crap, and I’ve been on the phone with many an AT&T customer who had their call dropped.
So, that’s that. Have a good 4th of July weekend.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Fiscal-crises-threaten-apf-242192521.html?x=0
Friday, May 21, 2010
Obama and Calderon like to cuddle
If you heard what Obama had to say to the U.S. when he was pal’ing around with president Calderon from Mexico, and aren’t angry, you must not have a pulse. Before I get to that, I have to laugh at FOX news. When Obama was talking, he used the words “ a legal immigrant”. FOX news obviously doesn’t know how to listen, nor do they have a brain, because they were jumping up and down over this, quoting him as saying “illegal immigrant”. What? Did they hear the same thing I did? I didn’t hear “illegal immigrant”. Trust me. I have good ears for this sort of thing. I spent two years editing dialogue for a living. Plus, do you really think Obama’s speech writers are going to let him even use the words “illegal immigrant”? Come on, FOX news. Grow a brain and a pair of ears, please.
OK. So why should you be mad? Well, there are several reasons.
First, Obama claims that there are no borders anymore. That’s right. He said it. Now, I’m all for allowing people to come here. I’m not a big fan of the huge hassle immigrants have to deal with just to become a legal alien here. It’s a HUGE cost and takes years of time to do. I can’t blame Mexicans for pouring across the border like they do. But there are legal issues here, as well as safety and environmental issues, and it all goes back to the actions of your beloved federal government. Let me explain:
Did you know that it is cheaper for people in Mexico to buy produce from the U.S. than from local farmers? Makes no sense, I know, but there is a reason for this. You see, the U.S. government gives massive subsidies to farmers to grow certain crops. Basically, you and I are paying farmers to do what the government wants. So, this creates a lower cost of farming for the farmers, which in turn, lowers the price of food. Sounds good, right? Well, when you look at the big picture, it costs us. It costs us in tax dollars, and it costs us in other ways. Since American agricultural products are so cheap, people in Mexico started buying their produce from America, and not locally. This put the local Mexican farmers out of work. I’m talking massive unemployment. So, what do they do? They can come here illegally and become day laborers or, they can work for the drug cartels. When they come here to work, they are doing so illegally, which then causes them to usually work under the table, thus resulting in low wages and horrible working conditions. They really can’t go about it the legal route, because they don’t have the money or the time to do it. They need work now. Let’s not forget the lovely welfare system that entices them with free health care, food stamps, and housing assistance. I know I know, people say “well if they are illegal, they can’t get those things”. Trust me, they can. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Also, don’t forget about chain migration.
So, they come here…and yes….they do take jobs away from Americans. Again, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They are a huge drain on the taxpayers. But it’s not the fault of the illegals. It’s the fault of those in power who make it so difficult to come here in the first place legally, and for freebies they get when they arrive. I would bet a year’s salary that if we got rid of the welfare state, you’d see a massive self deportation on the part of the illegals.
Here’s another reason to be angry with Obama. He said a huge lie right to the face of the American people in his rose garden statement. He said that his entire administration had read the Arizona immigration bill. Really? So that’s why your attorney general secretary of homeland security both admitted that they hadn’t read the bill. Both of them had gone on TV prior to admitting they hadn’t read the bill and claimed that it was unconstitutional and will lead to racial profiling. To me, that’s disgraceful, and they should both be fired. But this administration doesn’t even know what disgrace is.
Next is the best part…..
Not only is Obama and his administration flat out lying about Arizona’s immigration law, they have the president of Mexico up for a visit. It’s not a visit to discuss the real issues at hand, it’s to admonish the American people for not wanting drug smugglers and human smugglers to destroy lives and property. Obama wants to do whatever he can to stop this immigration law in Arizona. He’ll even lie to the American people if he needs to. Not the usual stuff we expect from politicians. This is blatant. It’s really bad. He said that the law can lead to profiling. OK….well that tells me two things. First, Obama has no faith in the Arizona police to enforce this law correctly. Second, by his rationale, ALL laws lead to profiling. Can you tell who has pot in their pocket just by looking at them? So, Obama is insulting us, and then he has the nerve to let president Calderon condemn us. If Mexico was a country that let people just come and go as they please, then maybe I could understand... But it turns out that Mexico has even more strict immigration laws than the U.S. does. Their laws even involve racial profiling. So, here you have the president of a country that is in shambles because of a drug war; a country throws people in jail right away for being there illegally; a country that states that it needs to put a cap of non-mexicans that live there; telling the U.S. that our laws need to allow for migration from his country. Really? Wow. Get that man a wheelbarrow because he’s got some big balls that he needs help wheeling around. That’s like a prostitute telling you not to have sex cause it’s bad.
This also shows us that the main stream media is a bunch of morons also (as if we didn’t know this already). To me, this is a huge story. You’d think that everything I talked about above would be huge news. But it’s not. I guess this is the change they believe in.
OK. So why should you be mad? Well, there are several reasons.
First, Obama claims that there are no borders anymore. That’s right. He said it. Now, I’m all for allowing people to come here. I’m not a big fan of the huge hassle immigrants have to deal with just to become a legal alien here. It’s a HUGE cost and takes years of time to do. I can’t blame Mexicans for pouring across the border like they do. But there are legal issues here, as well as safety and environmental issues, and it all goes back to the actions of your beloved federal government. Let me explain:
Did you know that it is cheaper for people in Mexico to buy produce from the U.S. than from local farmers? Makes no sense, I know, but there is a reason for this. You see, the U.S. government gives massive subsidies to farmers to grow certain crops. Basically, you and I are paying farmers to do what the government wants. So, this creates a lower cost of farming for the farmers, which in turn, lowers the price of food. Sounds good, right? Well, when you look at the big picture, it costs us. It costs us in tax dollars, and it costs us in other ways. Since American agricultural products are so cheap, people in Mexico started buying their produce from America, and not locally. This put the local Mexican farmers out of work. I’m talking massive unemployment. So, what do they do? They can come here illegally and become day laborers or, they can work for the drug cartels. When they come here to work, they are doing so illegally, which then causes them to usually work under the table, thus resulting in low wages and horrible working conditions. They really can’t go about it the legal route, because they don’t have the money or the time to do it. They need work now. Let’s not forget the lovely welfare system that entices them with free health care, food stamps, and housing assistance. I know I know, people say “well if they are illegal, they can’t get those things”. Trust me, they can. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Also, don’t forget about chain migration.
So, they come here…and yes….they do take jobs away from Americans. Again, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They are a huge drain on the taxpayers. But it’s not the fault of the illegals. It’s the fault of those in power who make it so difficult to come here in the first place legally, and for freebies they get when they arrive. I would bet a year’s salary that if we got rid of the welfare state, you’d see a massive self deportation on the part of the illegals.
Here’s another reason to be angry with Obama. He said a huge lie right to the face of the American people in his rose garden statement. He said that his entire administration had read the Arizona immigration bill. Really? So that’s why your attorney general secretary of homeland security both admitted that they hadn’t read the bill. Both of them had gone on TV prior to admitting they hadn’t read the bill and claimed that it was unconstitutional and will lead to racial profiling. To me, that’s disgraceful, and they should both be fired. But this administration doesn’t even know what disgrace is.
Next is the best part…..
Not only is Obama and his administration flat out lying about Arizona’s immigration law, they have the president of Mexico up for a visit. It’s not a visit to discuss the real issues at hand, it’s to admonish the American people for not wanting drug smugglers and human smugglers to destroy lives and property. Obama wants to do whatever he can to stop this immigration law in Arizona. He’ll even lie to the American people if he needs to. Not the usual stuff we expect from politicians. This is blatant. It’s really bad. He said that the law can lead to profiling. OK….well that tells me two things. First, Obama has no faith in the Arizona police to enforce this law correctly. Second, by his rationale, ALL laws lead to profiling. Can you tell who has pot in their pocket just by looking at them? So, Obama is insulting us, and then he has the nerve to let president Calderon condemn us. If Mexico was a country that let people just come and go as they please, then maybe I could understand... But it turns out that Mexico has even more strict immigration laws than the U.S. does. Their laws even involve racial profiling. So, here you have the president of a country that is in shambles because of a drug war; a country throws people in jail right away for being there illegally; a country that states that it needs to put a cap of non-mexicans that live there; telling the U.S. that our laws need to allow for migration from his country. Really? Wow. Get that man a wheelbarrow because he’s got some big balls that he needs help wheeling around. That’s like a prostitute telling you not to have sex cause it’s bad.
This also shows us that the main stream media is a bunch of morons also (as if we didn’t know this already). To me, this is a huge story. You’d think that everything I talked about above would be huge news. But it’s not. I guess this is the change they believe in.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Things you are unlikely to say unless you have kids
“Don’t sit on your brother.”
“Don’t put your boogies on the wall.”
“Stop trying to open the door with your tongue.”
“Stop drawing on the wall.”
“That’s not chocolate.”
“How can someone so small make such a loud noise?”
“This puke is really warm.”
“Stop shoving Cheerios up your nose.”
“Stop trying to pick your brother’s nose.”
“Why is there something wet between the couch cushions?”
“He threw a train at me in frustration.”
“Don’t eat that dirt.”
“Crap. He just ate that dirt.”
“I need help getting this dirt out of his mouth.”
“Now he just put sand in his mouth.”
“No. I’m not going to wash the sand out of his mouth. Let him live with it for a bit. That way he’ll know not to do that again.”
“Dammit! He just stood up and ran away, and stepped in his poopy diaper as he did so. Now there are poo footprints on the carpet.”
“Don’t put your hand in that!”
“He didn’t hear me say that word.”
“Honestly, he didn’t get that from me.”
“I can’t believe something this large came out of such a little body.”
“Ugh…that’s a gooey one.”
“Please stop farting on your brother.”
“He’s a stealth tinkler.”
“It’s a diaper changing assembly line.”
“Who pooped in the tub?”
“Don’t put your boogies on the wall.”
“Stop trying to open the door with your tongue.”
“Stop drawing on the wall.”
“That’s not chocolate.”
“How can someone so small make such a loud noise?”
“This puke is really warm.”
“Stop shoving Cheerios up your nose.”
“Stop trying to pick your brother’s nose.”
“Why is there something wet between the couch cushions?”
“He threw a train at me in frustration.”
“Don’t eat that dirt.”
“Crap. He just ate that dirt.”
“I need help getting this dirt out of his mouth.”
“Now he just put sand in his mouth.”
“No. I’m not going to wash the sand out of his mouth. Let him live with it for a bit. That way he’ll know not to do that again.”
“Dammit! He just stood up and ran away, and stepped in his poopy diaper as he did so. Now there are poo footprints on the carpet.”
“Don’t put your hand in that!”
“He didn’t hear me say that word.”
“Honestly, he didn’t get that from me.”
“I can’t believe something this large came out of such a little body.”
“Ugh…that’s a gooey one.”
“Please stop farting on your brother.”
“He’s a stealth tinkler.”
“It’s a diaper changing assembly line.”
“Who pooped in the tub?”
Friday, April 30, 2010
Arizona
I’m sure you’ve heard by now the new immigration law that Arizona has passed. It’s stirred up a hornet’s nest of controversy that has been mainly full of lies and mis-information. Let’s dig into this, shall we?
Argument number one: “It’s unconstitutional”
Actually, it isn’t. Here is a section from the actual bill that addresses this issue:
A. NO OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR
OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE MAY ADOPT A POLICY THAT LIMITS OR RESTRICTS THE ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS TO LESS THAN THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY FEDERAL LAW.
That basically means that Arizona can’t do anything that violates federal law.
Argument number two: “It’s a federal issue”
This is not the case. Back in 1996, President Clinton signed a bill that allows states to deal with immigration issues.
Argument number three: “It’s racial profiling”
Actually, it isn’t. There is nothing in the law that says to target any person of any specific nationality or race. In fact, here is the part of the bill that says how they will determine immigration status.
B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY
OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).
What this basically means is that if you come into contact with the cops for whatever reason; getting pulled over for some moving violation in your car, being arrested for theft, or any other reason the cops deal with you; they can check your immigration status if they have reasonable suspicion that you are an illegal alien. Reasonable suspicion isn’t skin color. Reasonable suspicion is the lack of a driver’s license, car registration, or any other proof of identity. If you have any of the normal stuff you carry on you all the time, you’ll be fine. The idea here is that illegal immigrants typically don’t have these items.
It’s clear to me that the President, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and all the other political hacks who are criticizing this bill haven’t actually read it based on the words coming out of their mouths. I’m sure this is going to be challenged, and there will be lawsuits, and all that jazz. That ought to be interesting, and here is why…
The main reason Arizona passed this bill is because the federal government wasn’t doing anything to deal with all the problems that illegal immigration has brought to the state. It’s not just people coming here to work. I’m talking about violence, kidnappings, and other crime. The people of Arizona have been waiting for the federal government for years to do something, and they decided they didn’t want to wait anymore. They are essentially asserting their 10th amendment right here, and if the feds start jerking them around, then the feds will be in violation of the constitution. If that happens, there could be a shitstorm on the horizon, and it’s somewhat possible that Arizona could secede. Yeah, I know, that sounds crazy, but it could happen. It’s not likely, but the way things are going, you never know what could happen.
In terms of my own personal feelings on this bill….I’m conflicted. The libertarian in me says that all people are free no matter what geo-political land mass they hail from. Free people should be able to travel freely from one place to another. Just because they cross an imaginary line on the ground doesn’t make them illegal, in my book. However, if Arizona wants to make a law like this one, they are well within their right to do so. I can’t see anything in the bill that is illegal or unconstitutional. I may not agree with it, but it is what it is.
What is really grinding me is how politicians are calling for boycotts against Arizona . Really? What’s the logic in that? Boycotting Arizona will result in lost business and tax income, won’t it? Won’t that lead to a loss of jobs? Won’t that hurt the people they are so concerned about? Makes no sense, but then again, I shouldn’t be surprised at that.
The real solution to this immigration mess is something that you won’t here in mainstream media or from politicians. One big thing the government could do is decriminalize drugs. Mexico is literally involved in a civil war between the government and the drug cartels. The drug cartels exist because there is a demand for those drugs here in the states. Whenever there is a demand for a product or service, someone will fill that demand, legal or not. Since drugs are illegal, it’s a high risk game that these cartels play getting the drugs into the U.S. If drugs were legal, the demand could be met locally with local growers, or hell, even foreign growers and be done in a legal matter. This would save lives, money, and time.
If Mexicans want to come work here, they should be allowed to, and be paid fairly for their work. Since many of them are “illegal”, they fly under the radar. They get paid under the table and don’t complain about work conditions or low wages because they are afraid of being deported. If they could just come and work here, and be covered under the same labor laws that you and I are, then there wouldn’t be an issue here. The free market could handle this no problem.
If you want to read the actual bill, go here: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf
Argument number one: “It’s unconstitutional”
Actually, it isn’t. Here is a section from the actual bill that addresses this issue:
A. NO OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR
OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE MAY ADOPT A POLICY THAT LIMITS OR RESTRICTS THE ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS TO LESS THAN THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY FEDERAL LAW.
That basically means that Arizona can’t do anything that violates federal law.
Argument number two: “It’s a federal issue”
This is not the case. Back in 1996, President Clinton signed a bill that allows states to deal with immigration issues.
Argument number three: “It’s racial profiling”
Actually, it isn’t. There is nothing in the law that says to target any person of any specific nationality or race. In fact, here is the part of the bill that says how they will determine immigration status.
B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY
OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).
What this basically means is that if you come into contact with the cops for whatever reason; getting pulled over for some moving violation in your car, being arrested for theft, or any other reason the cops deal with you; they can check your immigration status if they have reasonable suspicion that you are an illegal alien. Reasonable suspicion isn’t skin color. Reasonable suspicion is the lack of a driver’s license, car registration, or any other proof of identity. If you have any of the normal stuff you carry on you all the time, you’ll be fine. The idea here is that illegal immigrants typically don’t have these items.
It’s clear to me that the President, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and all the other political hacks who are criticizing this bill haven’t actually read it based on the words coming out of their mouths. I’m sure this is going to be challenged, and there will be lawsuits, and all that jazz. That ought to be interesting, and here is why…
The main reason Arizona passed this bill is because the federal government wasn’t doing anything to deal with all the problems that illegal immigration has brought to the state. It’s not just people coming here to work. I’m talking about violence, kidnappings, and other crime. The people of Arizona have been waiting for the federal government for years to do something, and they decided they didn’t want to wait anymore. They are essentially asserting their 10th amendment right here, and if the feds start jerking them around, then the feds will be in violation of the constitution. If that happens, there could be a shitstorm on the horizon, and it’s somewhat possible that Arizona could secede. Yeah, I know, that sounds crazy, but it could happen. It’s not likely, but the way things are going, you never know what could happen.
In terms of my own personal feelings on this bill….I’m conflicted. The libertarian in me says that all people are free no matter what geo-political land mass they hail from. Free people should be able to travel freely from one place to another. Just because they cross an imaginary line on the ground doesn’t make them illegal, in my book. However, if Arizona wants to make a law like this one, they are well within their right to do so. I can’t see anything in the bill that is illegal or unconstitutional. I may not agree with it, but it is what it is.
What is really grinding me is how politicians are calling for boycotts against Arizona . Really? What’s the logic in that? Boycotting Arizona will result in lost business and tax income, won’t it? Won’t that lead to a loss of jobs? Won’t that hurt the people they are so concerned about? Makes no sense, but then again, I shouldn’t be surprised at that.
The real solution to this immigration mess is something that you won’t here in mainstream media or from politicians. One big thing the government could do is decriminalize drugs. Mexico is literally involved in a civil war between the government and the drug cartels. The drug cartels exist because there is a demand for those drugs here in the states. Whenever there is a demand for a product or service, someone will fill that demand, legal or not. Since drugs are illegal, it’s a high risk game that these cartels play getting the drugs into the U.S. If drugs were legal, the demand could be met locally with local growers, or hell, even foreign growers and be done in a legal matter. This would save lives, money, and time.
If Mexicans want to come work here, they should be allowed to, and be paid fairly for their work. Since many of them are “illegal”, they fly under the radar. They get paid under the table and don’t complain about work conditions or low wages because they are afraid of being deported. If they could just come and work here, and be covered under the same labor laws that you and I are, then there wouldn’t be an issue here. The free market could handle this no problem.
If you want to read the actual bill, go here: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tea Baggers and the Tea Party movement
I have conflicting thoughts on this whole “tea party” thing. Let’s start with the good.
It’s good to finally see people become active in openly criticizing the government, rather than worshipping a candidate. It’s nice to see people are doing this in large numbers. This affords not only republicans to get together and share ideas, but it allows for more freedom oriented people (libertarians, minarchists, and the like) to attend the tea parties and interact with the other people there and expose them to the true ideas of liberty. It’s a good networking opportunity. It lets the government see that people are upset.
Ok, the stuff that I’m conflicted about….
It’s about damn time. Where were you people the past 8 years? Didn’t the Patriot Act get you angry? Didn’t the medicare prescription drug bill get you angry? Didn’t all the lies get you angry? Sure, it’s convenient to get all upset at the democrats because they are in power, but when the republicans were in power, government grew by leaps and bounds. Spending skyrocketed. Bush trampled all over our rights. He started the TSA. You know…that organization that frisks old ladies and makes my boys go through a secondary screening. The Bush administration was full of corruption and just plain evil people. During the time the republicans were in power, they didn’t do anything to fix government.
So, my question is this: What do these tea party people really want out of all of this? What is the end goal? I have my own personal goals as far as freedom is concerned, and I have my own ideas on how to get there. I get the feeling that these people just don’t know what they want or what to do. They are just finally pissed off enough to gather in large groups and hold signs saying that somewhere in Kenya a village is missing an idiot. “We are going to take the nation back!”, they say. Really? How do you plan on doing that. Voting for…I don’t know…a republican? Those folks that really screwed things up before Obama is screwing them up even more? Yeah, that’s right. Just vote in “your guy”. That doesn’t work, people. Just read my post on “you can’t take the nation back”. These tea party people need to step things up. I’m not talking about using violence. I’m talking about non-cooperation. Don’t like the government? Alright, stop paying for it. Stop using government entitlement programs. Oh, you like those entitlement programs? Oh I see, you like a little bit of socialism, but more of that socialism that you are dependant on is bad….I get it. See the inner conflict here? See why the tea party people are getting so heavily criticized in the media? See why Sarah Palin looks like even MORE of an idiot now than she ever did? The republican politicians well tell you to vote for them because they will make things right. Really? What evidence is there to support that? I’m not buying it.
You teabaggers ought to just declare personal independence and stop paying. Have the balls to stand up for what you believe in rather than vote in someone who is going to force their political ideals on other people….you know…the same thing that is happening to you that you don’t like because it’s the other team. Oh, but it’s alright if our guys force the other team to do what we want because they are bad and we are good. It’s majority rule, after all, isn’t it? That’s what democracy is….two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner.
It’s good to finally see people become active in openly criticizing the government, rather than worshipping a candidate. It’s nice to see people are doing this in large numbers. This affords not only republicans to get together and share ideas, but it allows for more freedom oriented people (libertarians, minarchists, and the like) to attend the tea parties and interact with the other people there and expose them to the true ideas of liberty. It’s a good networking opportunity. It lets the government see that people are upset.
Ok, the stuff that I’m conflicted about….
It’s about damn time. Where were you people the past 8 years? Didn’t the Patriot Act get you angry? Didn’t the medicare prescription drug bill get you angry? Didn’t all the lies get you angry? Sure, it’s convenient to get all upset at the democrats because they are in power, but when the republicans were in power, government grew by leaps and bounds. Spending skyrocketed. Bush trampled all over our rights. He started the TSA. You know…that organization that frisks old ladies and makes my boys go through a secondary screening. The Bush administration was full of corruption and just plain evil people. During the time the republicans were in power, they didn’t do anything to fix government.
So, my question is this: What do these tea party people really want out of all of this? What is the end goal? I have my own personal goals as far as freedom is concerned, and I have my own ideas on how to get there. I get the feeling that these people just don’t know what they want or what to do. They are just finally pissed off enough to gather in large groups and hold signs saying that somewhere in Kenya a village is missing an idiot. “We are going to take the nation back!”, they say. Really? How do you plan on doing that. Voting for…I don’t know…a republican? Those folks that really screwed things up before Obama is screwing them up even more? Yeah, that’s right. Just vote in “your guy”. That doesn’t work, people. Just read my post on “you can’t take the nation back”. These tea party people need to step things up. I’m not talking about using violence. I’m talking about non-cooperation. Don’t like the government? Alright, stop paying for it. Stop using government entitlement programs. Oh, you like those entitlement programs? Oh I see, you like a little bit of socialism, but more of that socialism that you are dependant on is bad….I get it. See the inner conflict here? See why the tea party people are getting so heavily criticized in the media? See why Sarah Palin looks like even MORE of an idiot now than she ever did? The republican politicians well tell you to vote for them because they will make things right. Really? What evidence is there to support that? I’m not buying it.
You teabaggers ought to just declare personal independence and stop paying. Have the balls to stand up for what you believe in rather than vote in someone who is going to force their political ideals on other people….you know…the same thing that is happening to you that you don’t like because it’s the other team. Oh, but it’s alright if our guys force the other team to do what we want because they are bad and we are good. It’s majority rule, after all, isn’t it? That’s what democracy is….two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Han Solo Effect
There is a reason why so many people prefer the original Star Wars trilogy to the prequel Star Wars trilogy. This is the Han Solo Effect. I'll explain.
First, we have to show how the prequel trilogy is similar to the original trilogy. Both had movies directed by George Lucas. Both had writing by George Lucas. Both had crappy actors. Luke was a whiny brat, and Anakin was a whiny brat. Like father like son, I guess.
Han....he's the guy that's the voice of the audience. When Obi Wan mentions the force, Han is like "wft?". He's the voice of reason. He's trying to cover his ass. He owes people money, and has bill collectors coming after him. He just wants to get paid.
The ride of his? The Millennium Falcon? That's the equivalent of a beat up 1970's Lincoln Continental that has the really little tires with gold wire rims, but it's still primered and hasn't been painted yet. It's cool enough and fast enough to do the job...and has room to smuggle stash, but it's barely holding on. It always needs something fixed. It needs to be whacked to get going. The Flacon is probably the only relatable vehicle in the star wars universe.
The prequel trilogy lacked the human element. Yes, I know there were humans in them, but there wasn't somebody that the audience felt like was their voice in the movie. Instead, we got an annoying Gungan named Jar Jar Binks. Probably the only good guy in any of the Star Wars movies that the audience wanted to see killed in a violent way.
First, we have to show how the prequel trilogy is similar to the original trilogy. Both had movies directed by George Lucas. Both had writing by George Lucas. Both had crappy actors. Luke was a whiny brat, and Anakin was a whiny brat. Like father like son, I guess.
Han....he's the guy that's the voice of the audience. When Obi Wan mentions the force, Han is like "wft?". He's the voice of reason. He's trying to cover his ass. He owes people money, and has bill collectors coming after him. He just wants to get paid.
The ride of his? The Millennium Falcon? That's the equivalent of a beat up 1970's Lincoln Continental that has the really little tires with gold wire rims, but it's still primered and hasn't been painted yet. It's cool enough and fast enough to do the job...and has room to smuggle stash, but it's barely holding on. It always needs something fixed. It needs to be whacked to get going. The Flacon is probably the only relatable vehicle in the star wars universe.
The prequel trilogy lacked the human element. Yes, I know there were humans in them, but there wasn't somebody that the audience felt like was their voice in the movie. Instead, we got an annoying Gungan named Jar Jar Binks. Probably the only good guy in any of the Star Wars movies that the audience wanted to see killed in a violent way.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Census
Have you filled yours out? I tore mine up and threw it away. I did this for a few reasons. First of all, I was greatly offended that the federal government is using tax money to pay for ads on TV promoting it. Second, it asks a lot of invasive questions. Third, they already have all of that information anyway.
I can’t begin to tell you how angry I was when I saw a Census ad play during the super bowl. To begin with, it wasn’t even clever, like the “Green Police” commercial Audi did. Second, if they didn’t twist the arm of the network to get it aired for free, it cost us a lot of money. After that, they keep playing them, like I didn’t notice the “you’ll get your census soon” notification in the mail. Well…it’s quite possible many people missed that notice seeing how the postal service seems to lose mail all the time. But really? They are going to spend tax money on tv commercials promoting a government program? That’s wrong.
Now, if you received yours, did you look at the questions? How many questions do they need to determine just what type of Hispanic someone is? For me, there is just “white”. Not “white of eastern European descent”, or “white of western European descent”, or “white of whatever other place white people come from descent”. That just didn’t sit right with me. It was at this point that I tore it up and threw it out. Oh, I also threw it out because it was addressed to “resident”. My name isn’t “resident”. If I get mail addressed to “resident” it is considered junk mail and goes right in the trash.
One big question in my mind is “don’t they already have all this information?” If you fill out your tax forms, all that info, and more, is on there. Can’t the IRS and the census people hook up and swap info? If you don’t fill out your tax forms, all that info is in other places, like your employer, schools, libraries, the banks, all over the place. If the government can raid my bank account, they can take the time to count me and my kids in a much smarter and more efficient way than sending a long form (which is not very “green”, I might add), which I will throw away (screw you recycling). Then, they are going to send a person (one of those “jobs” that obama has claimed to create) to my house to pester me. My wife was a little upset that I threw out the census form. Not because she thought that it was our civic duty to fill out, but because now some government schlub is going to come to our house. They will make 3 attempts to contact you in person. If you are like me, and don’t answer the door for government people, then they will actually go to your neighbor’s house and bother them to try and get info from them about you. If that fails, then they just give up. They threaten you with a fine of some sort, but whatever, they can go pee up a tree.
I’m tired of these commercials on tv and the radio about “stand up and be counted”, and “our community deserves our fair share”. I call B.S. on that. I don’t want to be counted, and that money that is “our fair share” is money that was stolen from other people to begin with. The idea that it is fair in any way is just ludicrous. I don’t want that money. Leave me alone. I can decide how to spend my money better than some government hack can.
I can’t begin to tell you how angry I was when I saw a Census ad play during the super bowl. To begin with, it wasn’t even clever, like the “Green Police” commercial Audi did. Second, if they didn’t twist the arm of the network to get it aired for free, it cost us a lot of money. After that, they keep playing them, like I didn’t notice the “you’ll get your census soon” notification in the mail. Well…it’s quite possible many people missed that notice seeing how the postal service seems to lose mail all the time. But really? They are going to spend tax money on tv commercials promoting a government program? That’s wrong.
Now, if you received yours, did you look at the questions? How many questions do they need to determine just what type of Hispanic someone is? For me, there is just “white”. Not “white of eastern European descent”, or “white of western European descent”, or “white of whatever other place white people come from descent”. That just didn’t sit right with me. It was at this point that I tore it up and threw it out. Oh, I also threw it out because it was addressed to “resident”. My name isn’t “resident”. If I get mail addressed to “resident” it is considered junk mail and goes right in the trash.
One big question in my mind is “don’t they already have all this information?” If you fill out your tax forms, all that info, and more, is on there. Can’t the IRS and the census people hook up and swap info? If you don’t fill out your tax forms, all that info is in other places, like your employer, schools, libraries, the banks, all over the place. If the government can raid my bank account, they can take the time to count me and my kids in a much smarter and more efficient way than sending a long form (which is not very “green”, I might add), which I will throw away (screw you recycling). Then, they are going to send a person (one of those “jobs” that obama has claimed to create) to my house to pester me. My wife was a little upset that I threw out the census form. Not because she thought that it was our civic duty to fill out, but because now some government schlub is going to come to our house. They will make 3 attempts to contact you in person. If you are like me, and don’t answer the door for government people, then they will actually go to your neighbor’s house and bother them to try and get info from them about you. If that fails, then they just give up. They threaten you with a fine of some sort, but whatever, they can go pee up a tree.
I’m tired of these commercials on tv and the radio about “stand up and be counted”, and “our community deserves our fair share”. I call B.S. on that. I don’t want to be counted, and that money that is “our fair share” is money that was stolen from other people to begin with. The idea that it is fair in any way is just ludicrous. I don’t want that money. Leave me alone. I can decide how to spend my money better than some government hack can.
Monday, April 5, 2010
What's next from Obama and the Dems
Now, I’m no conspiracy theorist type person. However, I have to say that it is quite apparent to me that Obama and his clan obviously have some long term plans to turn America into the next country to join the socialist European union. I see a large monster coming over the horizon, and that monster is the VAT.
What’s that? Never heard of it? You will. VAT stands for Value Added Tax. It is essentially a national sales tax. But it’s not that simple. It’s a tax that will greatly increase the cost of goods and services in America , driving more manufacturing overseas (which will probably end up having an import VAT anyway…go figure).
Here’s how the whole scheme works. Let’s take an item you might find at your local target…something lots of people have, and are starting to use more and more this time of year. It’s your friend and mine, the grill. I love my grill. My wife bought one for me for my birthday. We use it a lot. I made some great burgers on it last night, as a matter of fact.
Anyway, what the value added tax does is tax each level of production of that grill. Still confused? Yeah, so was I until someone explained it to me. Let’s use a basic Weber charcoal grill. First off, that grill is made out of metal. That metal has to be made in wherever it is made. The smelting/whatever plant that makes that metal pays for the raw materials. On top of that, they pay VAT. Ok, now they’ve made their metal things and sell those to Weber for the actual manufacturing of that grill. Weber pays the people that made that metal for the metal, and yet another VAT. Weber sells that grill to Target, who pays for the grill, and another VAT. You go to Target to buy a grill, because hey, it’s spring, it’s time to grill. You pay for that grill. You pay for the state income tax…AND you pay another VAT. The idea here is that whenever value is added to an product, there is an arbitrary tax put on that item, no matter what stage of the manufacturing process it is in.
Right there is 4 levels of taxation. That ends up being a lot of money. Sometimes 50% of the value of the item being sold. How do I know this? Well, I used to sell pro audio equipment for the tv and film industry. I had customers all over the world. Those poor guys in Europe had to pay a VAT for anything that came into the country. I was instructed by these guys to mark the value of whatever I had sold them significantly lower than what the item was actually valued at due to the VAT. If I sold a recorder that was $13,000 (yes, they cost that much), I had customers tell me to put the customs invoice at something like $1000 so they wouldn’t get raped on VAT.
I bet you are asking why the government would even consider something like a VAT. Well, since Obamacare has passed, and there is no way to pay for it, some people in government have been advocating the idea of a VAT. Remember that promise to not raise taxes on the middle class (which has already been broken) that Obama was touting during his campaign? Well, this VAT would break that promise in a big big way. I’m not saying it’s a sure thing, but the way things are going, it’s going to come up within the next few years for debate in congress. This would be a national sales tax on top of state sales tax.
Aren’t we taxed enough? To think that some people in government think this is a good idea shows just how out of touch with the real world they really are. I advocate for not paying income tax, but this VAT is something that couldn’t be avoided, just like sales tax. You can’t tell the people at target you refuse to pay the sales tax because it is morally objectionable. They’ll look at you like you have two heads. You can’t get out of it. That’s why websites like Amazon.com are so popular. I can buy stuff and not pay tax on it. It’s great. Maybe I’ll pay shipping, but most of the time the shipping is either free for super saver shipping or is less than tax.
Anyway, look for the VAT discussion within the next year or so. I’d be surprised if it isn’t at least floated out there as an idea to get people talking about some sort of tax increase on Americans. You know, to soften us up. Propose something that’s really bad, knowing it’ll go down in flames to only have us put up with some new tax that is only a little less offensive.
What’s that? Never heard of it? You will. VAT stands for Value Added Tax. It is essentially a national sales tax. But it’s not that simple. It’s a tax that will greatly increase the cost of goods and services in America , driving more manufacturing overseas (which will probably end up having an import VAT anyway…go figure).
Here’s how the whole scheme works. Let’s take an item you might find at your local target…something lots of people have, and are starting to use more and more this time of year. It’s your friend and mine, the grill. I love my grill. My wife bought one for me for my birthday. We use it a lot. I made some great burgers on it last night, as a matter of fact.
Anyway, what the value added tax does is tax each level of production of that grill. Still confused? Yeah, so was I until someone explained it to me. Let’s use a basic Weber charcoal grill. First off, that grill is made out of metal. That metal has to be made in wherever it is made. The smelting/whatever plant that makes that metal pays for the raw materials. On top of that, they pay VAT. Ok, now they’ve made their metal things and sell those to Weber for the actual manufacturing of that grill. Weber pays the people that made that metal for the metal, and yet another VAT. Weber sells that grill to Target, who pays for the grill, and another VAT. You go to Target to buy a grill, because hey, it’s spring, it’s time to grill. You pay for that grill. You pay for the state income tax…AND you pay another VAT. The idea here is that whenever value is added to an product, there is an arbitrary tax put on that item, no matter what stage of the manufacturing process it is in.
Right there is 4 levels of taxation. That ends up being a lot of money. Sometimes 50% of the value of the item being sold. How do I know this? Well, I used to sell pro audio equipment for the tv and film industry. I had customers all over the world. Those poor guys in Europe had to pay a VAT for anything that came into the country. I was instructed by these guys to mark the value of whatever I had sold them significantly lower than what the item was actually valued at due to the VAT. If I sold a recorder that was $13,000 (yes, they cost that much), I had customers tell me to put the customs invoice at something like $1000 so they wouldn’t get raped on VAT.
I bet you are asking why the government would even consider something like a VAT. Well, since Obamacare has passed, and there is no way to pay for it, some people in government have been advocating the idea of a VAT. Remember that promise to not raise taxes on the middle class (which has already been broken) that Obama was touting during his campaign? Well, this VAT would break that promise in a big big way. I’m not saying it’s a sure thing, but the way things are going, it’s going to come up within the next few years for debate in congress. This would be a national sales tax on top of state sales tax.
Aren’t we taxed enough? To think that some people in government think this is a good idea shows just how out of touch with the real world they really are. I advocate for not paying income tax, but this VAT is something that couldn’t be avoided, just like sales tax. You can’t tell the people at target you refuse to pay the sales tax because it is morally objectionable. They’ll look at you like you have two heads. You can’t get out of it. That’s why websites like Amazon.com are so popular. I can buy stuff and not pay tax on it. It’s great. Maybe I’ll pay shipping, but most of the time the shipping is either free for super saver shipping or is less than tax.
Anyway, look for the VAT discussion within the next year or so. I’d be surprised if it isn’t at least floated out there as an idea to get people talking about some sort of tax increase on Americans. You know, to soften us up. Propose something that’s really bad, knowing it’ll go down in flames to only have us put up with some new tax that is only a little less offensive.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Another great piece not by me.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/04/paying_the_price_for_obama.html
Link to a great blog post
Since I'm really busy these days, and I keep up on another friend's blog, and that blog had a really interesting post recently, I had to share it with you fine folks.
Basically, it explains how there were lots of lies when it came to people calling congressmen "nigger" and spitting on the them and other things that just didn't happen when people were protesting the day of the health care vote.
Thanks to Richard Lightstone for this post. It's his blog, and he offers a great perspective on politics.
http://angelinoview.com/2010/04/02/the-left-is-out-to-get-you-and-the-tea-party/
Basically, it explains how there were lots of lies when it came to people calling congressmen "nigger" and spitting on the them and other things that just didn't happen when people were protesting the day of the health care vote.
Thanks to Richard Lightstone for this post. It's his blog, and he offers a great perspective on politics.
http://angelinoview.com/2010/04/02/the-left-is-out-to-get-you-and-the-tea-party/
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
What Obamacare Means for You
Okay. So this bloated bill has passed the house, and Obama will be signing it into law. There are a couple of quick things we need to keep in mind before I get into the meat of this thing. First is that government entitlement programs never go away. Now that this thing has passed, the chances of it being repealed are slim to none (although I’ll give examples later of why it is unconstitutional and should never have passed). Second, is that government entitlement programs always cost more than they are originally projected. That’s just the way they operate.
So, let’s really dive into this. First, I really need to state that health care is NOT a right. People, especially those on the left, and those that are tax takers, have been claiming health care is a right. They are confusing a “right” with “entitlement”. A right is something that comes from within the individual. Government is not required for you to have rights. Government is there to protect your rights, not give them to you. Rights apply to everyone. You have the right to life. You have the right to property. You have the right to liberty. You have the right to keep and bear arms. Those are things you can do on your own without government. It is government that, instead of protecting those rights, is infringing upon them. You obviously don’t have the right to property, because if you did, you wouldn’t have to pay property taxes. If you don’t pay property taxes, the local government takes your house away. Therefore, you don’t actually own your property. You just paid a lot of money to live on it. And liberty? That’s been lost a long time ago. Sure, you feel like you have freedom, but it’s only an illusion. You see, we are all slaves. Not slaves in “The Matrix” sense, but in the chattle sense. You know, the black people that had to pick cotton. That was chattle slavery. “What?” you say. “That is just stupid to say”. Not really. The difference now is that the plantation is really big. The fact that you have to pay half of your income to various taxes means that you don’t own your labor. If the government can take part of your income by the threat of force, that means they own your labor, and by extension, they own you. Liberty is just an illusion right now. Sure, they let you complain about them. They let you drive around. If you want to move to another country, you have to pay an exit tax. That’s an infringement on right to travel. Don’t even get me started on gun laws. What you need to understand is that government cannot give you a right, especially if that so called right is given to you at the expense of other people’s labor. That means that it takes tax dollars to pay for this “right”. At that point, other people’s rights have been violated, so in the case of health care, it is no longer a right, but an entitlement program. Some people feel it is a moral obligation for hospitals to not refuse anyone, but it is immoral to forcefully take money from me in order to pay for that. I’m not saying I’m not willing to donate to the hospital’s charity wing, just don’t force me.
Alright, now that that’s out of the way, and you hopefully understand rights, let’s look at the health care bill itself. Well, I’m not going to actually look at the 2000 pages right here. I have perused bits and pieces of it, and it’s full of legaleze and stuff that most people wouldn’t even understand. What this bill does is increase demand while diminishing supply. By increasing demand, I am referring to the fact that tens of millions of people are now going to have health insurance that didn’t have it before. By diminishing supply, I mean that the supply of doctors isn’t large enough to keep up with the demand. In fact, it is shrinking. More and more docs are retiring early because of rising costs in malpractice insurance (thank you John Edwards), and the cost of doing business with the government. You know how Obama keeps complaining about the rising cost of health care? He’s right, but his rationale is way off. You see, medicare and Medicaid only pay for a small percentage of a billable procedure. So, because the government will only pay for part of your hospital bill, that has to be made up with private insurance companies or people that pay out of pocket to make up for the loss the hospital or doctors office takes when they deal with the government. Now, add thirty-something odd million people into that equation. Anyone with a gradeschool understanding of economics can see that with a greatly increased demand, lowered supply, and underpayment for services received, the cost to the 87% of Americans that are already insured is going to go up.
Time to look at the constitutionality of the thing. There is a really important thing that most people don’t know. Even the government people seem to have forgotten this. States’ rights supersede the government. Read the 10th amendment. Also, states must recognize other states’ state constitution (that sentence needs the word “state” in it more). In plain English, that means that the state of Illinois must recognize the rights of someone from South Carolina under the South Carolina constitution if that person is in Illinois. Now, this doesn’t always work out. For example, it is legal to open carry a firearm in New Hampshire, but try doing that in Chicago. There really isn’t any legal precedent on this that I know of, but the argument is this. If states rights are above the federal constitution, and states must recognize the state constitutions of other states, then this whole health care bill is unconstitutional. You see, in some states, the government cannot force people to pay for a product or service they don’t want. Now, if all other states have to recognize this (and let’s be honest, they really don’t, but by law they are supposed to), and state constitutions are above the federal one, then this health care bill is unconstitutional. Ponder this, I’m just some guy that has a reasonably good understanding of states rights and individual rights. I didn’t study and then teach constitutional law like Obama did. You’d think he would know all this. He probably does, but just doesn’t care.
Remember how we were taught that the people in Washington “represent” us? That doesn’t seem to be the case, now, does it. They didn’t listen to the American people when it came to the bail outs, and they didn’t listen to the American people when it came to this health care bill. I love how statists (that’s both of you, democrats and republicans), love to live by this majority rule nonsense. Majority rule is two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner. For the sake of argument, let’s just say majority rule is a good thing. Well, the majority of Americans did not want the bank bail outs to happen. A majority of Americans did not want this health care bill to pass. In both circumstances, congress did not listen to the majority of Americans, and did what they wanted to do anyway. How is that representation? Americans need to realize that nobody can represent them, let alone one person representing millions of people. I can’t think of one person that I would want representing my ideals and beliefs in government and making votes on my behalf. “Just vote for the guy that best represents you”, I’ve been told. Forget that. It doesn’t matter. The president and congress have just proved several times over they don’t listen to us, so why bother voting for “the right guy”.
Let’s now look at all the arm twisting and deal making that went on to get this thing passed. It is at this point that I must give a hat tip to Richard Lightstone for this information, since I’m pretty much just lifting it from his blog:
“It will saddle us with huge tax increases and debt that could very well be unsustainable. Do the Democrats care? Not at all, they always wanted to control every facet of our lives. They’ve grabbed huge chunks of our free market system; automobile companies, banks, insurance companies and now health care.
To quote Margaret Thatcher, “Sooner or later you run out of other people’s money”.
* A $569 billion tax increase – the largest in history.
* It will be 18% of our GDP
* Increases our deficit by $662 billion
In order to get the reluctant Democrats to vote for this travesty here are some of the dirty deals:
The Louisiana Purchase: A state in which every single county qualifies as a disaster area will receive extra Medicaid funding. Louisiana is the only state that qualifies, courtesy of hurricane Katrina. This $300 million bribe purchased the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) for the Senate version of the bill.
Cornhusker Kickback: Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) won a provision that the full amount of Nebraska’s increased Medicaid costs would be paid for by the federal government.
Gator Aid: Medicare Advantage participants in five states would be exempted from the general Medicare cuts — Florida, New York, California, Oregon, New Jersey. The estimated cost of this plum is $7.5 billion according to the office of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Florida is the largest beneficiary, with the bulk of the affected senior population.
Vermont Green: The Senate bill provides $600 million in extra Medicaid funds to Vermont, ensuring support from Independent Bernard Sanders (I-VT).
Massachusetts Moolah: The Senate bill provides $500 million extra for Massachusetts Medicaid, a political move designed to put pressure on newly elected Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA).
The Dodd Deal: In oh-so-innocent and unspecific wording, the Senate bill allows $100 million for “debt service of, or direct construction of, a health care facility,” at a public university. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) bragged that he was securing the money for the University of Connecticut.
Montana Earmark: Max Baucus (D-MT) secured a provision that expands Medicare coverage for people who live “in or around the geographic area subject to an emergency declaration made as of June 17, 2009.
Bismarck Bank Job: This deal bought the vote of Rep. Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota, the state’s only House Democrat. Legislation to restructure the student loan program was included in the health care bill.”
Ok, I’m back. Thanks Richard for that info.
This is just a small amount of deal making that went on. I’m curious what happened with Dennis Kucinich on Air Force One. This just shows you that all of these politicians really are just political whores. At least they are high paid whores. They treated us like cheap hookers with a dry rape and not even a thank you at the end.
Sorry for the crudeness, but it’s the truth.
After all this, what does this really mean for you? It means expect to see your health insurance premiums go up over the next few years. Expect to see taxes increase on businesses. Expect to see small businesses go out of business. Expect to see the dollar lose even more of its value. After all, America’s credit rating is going in the toilet, and we won’t be able to borrow money from china at a decent interest rate. Have your children start saving now to pay for all this. Oh, don’t forget that it will take ten years of tax money to pay for 4 years of “health care”. That math just doesn’t add up, here in the real world. I’m not going to even get into the path to a single payer system that this paves. I’ll save that for another post, as this is already really long.
Here is what you need to do…and don’t do. Don’t bother calling or writing to your representative. They don’t care. The republicans are powerless. You can vote the democrats out, but the republicans won’t be able to do anything for a bunch of years. Rather than hope the political system works (has it ever?), you need to stop paying for it. That’s right. Stop paying. I look at it this way, paying for this broken system is like paying to for the afore mentioned dry rape in prison. Really, that’s what it is. Stop paying taxes. I know it’s a scary idea, but think about this. Millions of people who are supposed to file each year don’t even file. They never get caught. The government only really goes after the really rich tax dodgers because they have the most to gain from going after them. Here’s what I do…if I end up owing money, I don’t file. If I end up getting a return, then I file and get the money back that is rightfully mine. It’s my money after all. Hell, it was a loan to the government that was paid back with no interest!
So, let’s really dive into this. First, I really need to state that health care is NOT a right. People, especially those on the left, and those that are tax takers, have been claiming health care is a right. They are confusing a “right” with “entitlement”. A right is something that comes from within the individual. Government is not required for you to have rights. Government is there to protect your rights, not give them to you. Rights apply to everyone. You have the right to life. You have the right to property. You have the right to liberty. You have the right to keep and bear arms. Those are things you can do on your own without government. It is government that, instead of protecting those rights, is infringing upon them. You obviously don’t have the right to property, because if you did, you wouldn’t have to pay property taxes. If you don’t pay property taxes, the local government takes your house away. Therefore, you don’t actually own your property. You just paid a lot of money to live on it. And liberty? That’s been lost a long time ago. Sure, you feel like you have freedom, but it’s only an illusion. You see, we are all slaves. Not slaves in “The Matrix” sense, but in the chattle sense. You know, the black people that had to pick cotton. That was chattle slavery. “What?” you say. “That is just stupid to say”. Not really. The difference now is that the plantation is really big. The fact that you have to pay half of your income to various taxes means that you don’t own your labor. If the government can take part of your income by the threat of force, that means they own your labor, and by extension, they own you. Liberty is just an illusion right now. Sure, they let you complain about them. They let you drive around. If you want to move to another country, you have to pay an exit tax. That’s an infringement on right to travel. Don’t even get me started on gun laws. What you need to understand is that government cannot give you a right, especially if that so called right is given to you at the expense of other people’s labor. That means that it takes tax dollars to pay for this “right”. At that point, other people’s rights have been violated, so in the case of health care, it is no longer a right, but an entitlement program. Some people feel it is a moral obligation for hospitals to not refuse anyone, but it is immoral to forcefully take money from me in order to pay for that. I’m not saying I’m not willing to donate to the hospital’s charity wing, just don’t force me.
Alright, now that that’s out of the way, and you hopefully understand rights, let’s look at the health care bill itself. Well, I’m not going to actually look at the 2000 pages right here. I have perused bits and pieces of it, and it’s full of legaleze and stuff that most people wouldn’t even understand. What this bill does is increase demand while diminishing supply. By increasing demand, I am referring to the fact that tens of millions of people are now going to have health insurance that didn’t have it before. By diminishing supply, I mean that the supply of doctors isn’t large enough to keep up with the demand. In fact, it is shrinking. More and more docs are retiring early because of rising costs in malpractice insurance (thank you John Edwards), and the cost of doing business with the government. You know how Obama keeps complaining about the rising cost of health care? He’s right, but his rationale is way off. You see, medicare and Medicaid only pay for a small percentage of a billable procedure. So, because the government will only pay for part of your hospital bill, that has to be made up with private insurance companies or people that pay out of pocket to make up for the loss the hospital or doctors office takes when they deal with the government. Now, add thirty-something odd million people into that equation. Anyone with a gradeschool understanding of economics can see that with a greatly increased demand, lowered supply, and underpayment for services received, the cost to the 87% of Americans that are already insured is going to go up.
Time to look at the constitutionality of the thing. There is a really important thing that most people don’t know. Even the government people seem to have forgotten this. States’ rights supersede the government. Read the 10th amendment. Also, states must recognize other states’ state constitution (that sentence needs the word “state” in it more). In plain English, that means that the state of Illinois must recognize the rights of someone from South Carolina under the South Carolina constitution if that person is in Illinois. Now, this doesn’t always work out. For example, it is legal to open carry a firearm in New Hampshire, but try doing that in Chicago. There really isn’t any legal precedent on this that I know of, but the argument is this. If states rights are above the federal constitution, and states must recognize the state constitutions of other states, then this whole health care bill is unconstitutional. You see, in some states, the government cannot force people to pay for a product or service they don’t want. Now, if all other states have to recognize this (and let’s be honest, they really don’t, but by law they are supposed to), and state constitutions are above the federal one, then this health care bill is unconstitutional. Ponder this, I’m just some guy that has a reasonably good understanding of states rights and individual rights. I didn’t study and then teach constitutional law like Obama did. You’d think he would know all this. He probably does, but just doesn’t care.
Remember how we were taught that the people in Washington “represent” us? That doesn’t seem to be the case, now, does it. They didn’t listen to the American people when it came to the bail outs, and they didn’t listen to the American people when it came to this health care bill. I love how statists (that’s both of you, democrats and republicans), love to live by this majority rule nonsense. Majority rule is two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner. For the sake of argument, let’s just say majority rule is a good thing. Well, the majority of Americans did not want the bank bail outs to happen. A majority of Americans did not want this health care bill to pass. In both circumstances, congress did not listen to the majority of Americans, and did what they wanted to do anyway. How is that representation? Americans need to realize that nobody can represent them, let alone one person representing millions of people. I can’t think of one person that I would want representing my ideals and beliefs in government and making votes on my behalf. “Just vote for the guy that best represents you”, I’ve been told. Forget that. It doesn’t matter. The president and congress have just proved several times over they don’t listen to us, so why bother voting for “the right guy”.
Let’s now look at all the arm twisting and deal making that went on to get this thing passed. It is at this point that I must give a hat tip to Richard Lightstone for this information, since I’m pretty much just lifting it from his blog:
“It will saddle us with huge tax increases and debt that could very well be unsustainable. Do the Democrats care? Not at all, they always wanted to control every facet of our lives. They’ve grabbed huge chunks of our free market system; automobile companies, banks, insurance companies and now health care.
To quote Margaret Thatcher, “Sooner or later you run out of other people’s money”.
* A $569 billion tax increase – the largest in history.
* It will be 18% of our GDP
* Increases our deficit by $662 billion
In order to get the reluctant Democrats to vote for this travesty here are some of the dirty deals:
The Louisiana Purchase: A state in which every single county qualifies as a disaster area will receive extra Medicaid funding. Louisiana is the only state that qualifies, courtesy of hurricane Katrina. This $300 million bribe purchased the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) for the Senate version of the bill.
Cornhusker Kickback: Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) won a provision that the full amount of Nebraska’s increased Medicaid costs would be paid for by the federal government.
Gator Aid: Medicare Advantage participants in five states would be exempted from the general Medicare cuts — Florida, New York, California, Oregon, New Jersey. The estimated cost of this plum is $7.5 billion according to the office of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Florida is the largest beneficiary, with the bulk of the affected senior population.
Vermont Green: The Senate bill provides $600 million in extra Medicaid funds to Vermont, ensuring support from Independent Bernard Sanders (I-VT).
Massachusetts Moolah: The Senate bill provides $500 million extra for Massachusetts Medicaid, a political move designed to put pressure on newly elected Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA).
The Dodd Deal: In oh-so-innocent and unspecific wording, the Senate bill allows $100 million for “debt service of, or direct construction of, a health care facility,” at a public university. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) bragged that he was securing the money for the University of Connecticut.
Montana Earmark: Max Baucus (D-MT) secured a provision that expands Medicare coverage for people who live “in or around the geographic area subject to an emergency declaration made as of June 17, 2009.
Bismarck Bank Job: This deal bought the vote of Rep. Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota, the state’s only House Democrat. Legislation to restructure the student loan program was included in the health care bill.”
Ok, I’m back. Thanks Richard for that info.
This is just a small amount of deal making that went on. I’m curious what happened with Dennis Kucinich on Air Force One. This just shows you that all of these politicians really are just political whores. At least they are high paid whores. They treated us like cheap hookers with a dry rape and not even a thank you at the end.
Sorry for the crudeness, but it’s the truth.
After all this, what does this really mean for you? It means expect to see your health insurance premiums go up over the next few years. Expect to see taxes increase on businesses. Expect to see small businesses go out of business. Expect to see the dollar lose even more of its value. After all, America’s credit rating is going in the toilet, and we won’t be able to borrow money from china at a decent interest rate. Have your children start saving now to pay for all this. Oh, don’t forget that it will take ten years of tax money to pay for 4 years of “health care”. That math just doesn’t add up, here in the real world. I’m not going to even get into the path to a single payer system that this paves. I’ll save that for another post, as this is already really long.
Here is what you need to do…and don’t do. Don’t bother calling or writing to your representative. They don’t care. The republicans are powerless. You can vote the democrats out, but the republicans won’t be able to do anything for a bunch of years. Rather than hope the political system works (has it ever?), you need to stop paying for it. That’s right. Stop paying. I look at it this way, paying for this broken system is like paying to for the afore mentioned dry rape in prison. Really, that’s what it is. Stop paying taxes. I know it’s a scary idea, but think about this. Millions of people who are supposed to file each year don’t even file. They never get caught. The government only really goes after the really rich tax dodgers because they have the most to gain from going after them. Here’s what I do…if I end up owing money, I don’t file. If I end up getting a return, then I file and get the money back that is rightfully mine. It’s my money after all. Hell, it was a loan to the government that was paid back with no interest!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Ignorance of the law...
...is no excuse.
You ever hear that one? It's the famous phrase that cops and the like use when you break some obscure law that nobody knows about.
Here's the thing. Last year, there were 40,000 laws passed nationwide. If you were to read for 10 hours per day, 6 days per week, for 3 lifetimes, you'd be able to read all the laws that are currently on the books. That doesn't mean comprehend, just read. So, to be fair, nobody knows all the laws, yet when you sign that form at the DMV to get your liscence, you swear to follow all the laws. Well, guess what, you and I, and everyone else that has signed that form has lied on that form and hence, broken yet another law. ...since nobody can possibly know all the laws.
Here's another thing that pisses me off. People that think when a cop pulls you over, he isn't intent on giving you a ticket.
Really?
I've talked to lots of cops, and none of them pull people over just to say hello. If they pull you over, they WANT to give you a ticket, and I don't care what you think otherwise. That's what they do. Sometimes you get lucky and the cop may feel sorry for you, or like your boobs, and let you off with a warning, but believe me, they want to give you a ticket. If you look poor and aren't white, they'll find an excuse to search your car, too. Don't believe me? Look it up. There are hundreds, if not thousands of stories of cops arbitrarily searching cars for "probable cause" when it's a bunch of jive. If a cop wants to search my car, he can get a warrant.
You ever hear that one? It's the famous phrase that cops and the like use when you break some obscure law that nobody knows about.
Here's the thing. Last year, there were 40,000 laws passed nationwide. If you were to read for 10 hours per day, 6 days per week, for 3 lifetimes, you'd be able to read all the laws that are currently on the books. That doesn't mean comprehend, just read. So, to be fair, nobody knows all the laws, yet when you sign that form at the DMV to get your liscence, you swear to follow all the laws. Well, guess what, you and I, and everyone else that has signed that form has lied on that form and hence, broken yet another law. ...since nobody can possibly know all the laws.
Here's another thing that pisses me off. People that think when a cop pulls you over, he isn't intent on giving you a ticket.
Really?
I've talked to lots of cops, and none of them pull people over just to say hello. If they pull you over, they WANT to give you a ticket, and I don't care what you think otherwise. That's what they do. Sometimes you get lucky and the cop may feel sorry for you, or like your boobs, and let you off with a warning, but believe me, they want to give you a ticket. If you look poor and aren't white, they'll find an excuse to search your car, too. Don't believe me? Look it up. There are hundreds, if not thousands of stories of cops arbitrarily searching cars for "probable cause" when it's a bunch of jive. If a cop wants to search my car, he can get a warrant.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
So you think I'm a right winger...
I have news for you. I'm not. I'm a person who supports the ideas freedom and liberty. I oppose tyranny and socialism. I do not support the extraction of wealth via the use of force to pay for programs for others. I have been criticized by some for using state health care in the past. My response to that is this. I paid into that system. I paid A LOT into that system. California has some of the highest taxes in the country. If someone pays into the system, I see no problem if they want to use that system. The problem becomes that people become reliant on that system. My family did not. I was out of work at the time, and decided to cash in on the massive amount of money I had paid in.
My point of view is this. I should be free to choose to not pay into that system. If I don't pay into that system, then I don't get to use it. I should not have money extracted from me with the threat of violence to pay for it.
Liberals tend to label anyone who doesn't think like they do "right wingers" or "neo-cons". I don't take my marching orders from some bloated politician or talk radio host. I don't rely on talking points from the president or articles in newspapers. I look at what politicians actually do and how they do it. I also look at history, and what has happened to societies that have slowly gone down the road of tyranny. I want no part of that.
My question to you is this. If I don't want to pay, what will you do to me?
My point of view is this. I should be free to choose to not pay into that system. If I don't pay into that system, then I don't get to use it. I should not have money extracted from me with the threat of violence to pay for it.
Liberals tend to label anyone who doesn't think like they do "right wingers" or "neo-cons". I don't take my marching orders from some bloated politician or talk radio host. I don't rely on talking points from the president or articles in newspapers. I look at what politicians actually do and how they do it. I also look at history, and what has happened to societies that have slowly gone down the road of tyranny. I want no part of that.
My question to you is this. If I don't want to pay, what will you do to me?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Health Care is not a right
Some people think it is, but it isn't. A right is something that comes from the individual. The best analogy I heard about rights is this: Imagine you are on a deserted island all by yourself. You have the right to life because you choose to live if you wish. You have the right to freedom of speech. You can say what you want on this deserted island, and nothing can stop you. You have the right to property. You can either build on this island, or just hang out under a tree and hope you survive. In this situation, there is no way for you to have a right to health care. You see, health care is something that is provided. Many people in the health care debate are confusing a "right" with "entitlement". Even then, people are not entitled to health care.
Let's look at this another way. Something is not a right if money is extracted from people via the threat of force in order have that right. Meaning, you do not have a right to health care if I am forced to pay for it.
It's really that simple. The next time some one tells you that health care is a right, you tell them that you would like to agree with them, but you can't get your head that far up your own ass.
Let's look at this another way. Something is not a right if money is extracted from people via the threat of force in order have that right. Meaning, you do not have a right to health care if I am forced to pay for it.
It's really that simple. The next time some one tells you that health care is a right, you tell them that you would like to agree with them, but you can't get your head that far up your own ass.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
You can't take the nation back
We've all been hearing a lot of the "we need to take our nation back" rhetoric lately. I hear it on tv, radio, podcasts, and music. That's a nice idea, but when I ask people just how they plan on doing this, I get the inevitable reply "we need to vote our guy in!". Really? Isn't that what people have been doing every 4 years since this country started? Isn't that what just happened with Obama, and Bush before him, and Clinton before him?
What people fail to realize is that it doesn't matter who is in charge. Politicians are all the same. They are like professional wrestlers. On screen they really go after each other, but behind the scenes they are buddies that go out for drinks and sex with lobbyists. Getting "your guy" in office does nothing.
When I respond with this, people often ask "well, what would you do?". The answer is simple. Stop cooperating. Stop paying them. It's tax time. Don't file. "But you'll go to jail", is the reply I get. Well, odds are I probably won't, and neither will you. You see, millions of people who should file, don't each year. These are regular, middle class people. The only time you hear of someone getting arrested for tax evasion is when it's a big time celebrity with lots of money. It's not worth it for the feds to come after you and me. They don't have enough jail space to go after all the people that don't file. Oh, and don't give me this "it's your civic duty" nonsense, either. Since when is my civic duty to willingly let people steal money from me?
The thing is, I don't want their "services". I don't want the military killing children. I don't want all these stupid laws (40,000 news ones last year alone). I don't support using force to extract money from people. I just want to be left alone. I'm willing to pay for certain things that I use, like schools and roads, but that's on a local level. The federal government does nothing to benefit me, and that's what they are there to do.
So, as you all receive your W2's this year, why don't you all decide to keep your money instead of handing it over. If you are going to get a return, then by all means file. Get your money back, and then adjust your tax forms at work so no federal tax is taken out and don't file next year. Yes, I'm asking you to take a risk, but it's a much lower risk than some of the people took hundreds of years ago to get out from under the thumb of a king.
What people fail to realize is that it doesn't matter who is in charge. Politicians are all the same. They are like professional wrestlers. On screen they really go after each other, but behind the scenes they are buddies that go out for drinks and sex with lobbyists. Getting "your guy" in office does nothing.
When I respond with this, people often ask "well, what would you do?". The answer is simple. Stop cooperating. Stop paying them. It's tax time. Don't file. "But you'll go to jail", is the reply I get. Well, odds are I probably won't, and neither will you. You see, millions of people who should file, don't each year. These are regular, middle class people. The only time you hear of someone getting arrested for tax evasion is when it's a big time celebrity with lots of money. It's not worth it for the feds to come after you and me. They don't have enough jail space to go after all the people that don't file. Oh, and don't give me this "it's your civic duty" nonsense, either. Since when is my civic duty to willingly let people steal money from me?
The thing is, I don't want their "services". I don't want the military killing children. I don't want all these stupid laws (40,000 news ones last year alone). I don't support using force to extract money from people. I just want to be left alone. I'm willing to pay for certain things that I use, like schools and roads, but that's on a local level. The federal government does nothing to benefit me, and that's what they are there to do.
So, as you all receive your W2's this year, why don't you all decide to keep your money instead of handing it over. If you are going to get a return, then by all means file. Get your money back, and then adjust your tax forms at work so no federal tax is taken out and don't file next year. Yes, I'm asking you to take a risk, but it's a much lower risk than some of the people took hundreds of years ago to get out from under the thumb of a king.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Dave's First Post
So, this is a blog. I've heard about them. I even had one a while back that I think I posted to just a few times, but lost interest because the only people that read it were me and my mom. There are probably millions of blogs out there. How in the world is someone going to find this one? Well, I hope that, in combination of me pimping this out on facebook, and word of mouth, more than 2 people will read this. I first asked myself why I wanted to start this blog. Well, one reason is that I really wanted to do a podcast, but don't have the ability to do that right now (i don't have the equipment at home that I would need to do a podcast up to the quality that I would want, as I am an audio snob). So, I decided to do a blog instead. It's cheap. I already have a computer, and there is nice blogspot website for cheap bastards like me who won't purchase their own url. The next reason is that my head is full of things I want to share with people, ranging from politics to jokes and random thoughts. Why would you even want to read crap that I write down? Because it's good, that's why. I don't suckle at the teet of government. I am part of no political party. I do not care about race. I do not care about religion. I do not care if a joke will offend you. I do not care what most people think because most people are uptight asshats. There. Right there. That's what I'm talking about. I just said something bad about you.
I'm taking this opportunity to not write about one specific topic, but just to say, "hey there. welcome to the no asshattery zone". See, I just kind of stole a line from Bill O'Reilly, only I replaced "spin" with "asshattery" because O'Reilly is an asshat, and he spins stuff like crazy.
I'm taking this opportunity to not write about one specific topic, but just to say, "hey there. welcome to the no asshattery zone". See, I just kind of stole a line from Bill O'Reilly, only I replaced "spin" with "asshattery" because O'Reilly is an asshat, and he spins stuff like crazy.
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