National Security 101

Here's the latest earthshaking news from Obamaville, AKA 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, AKA the White House.

Forget Iran's and North Korea's nuclear arms development, forget Osama Bin Laden and his merry band of suicide bombers, here's the latest threat to USA national security:

Childhood Obesity!! Good Golly Mrs. Michelle, thanks for the warning.  Michelle Obama stated in a press conference before president Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, that military officials stated that 25% of USA young people are too fat to join the military.  This makes obesity a risk to national security?  If fat folks want to join the military, put them in cook school and let them be around food all day.  They will probably get so sick of being around food all day they will probably lose weight and become eligible for other positions.  Our armed forces are overburdened with defense of not only the USA, but bearing the major burden of UN "peacekeeping missions" all over the world.  If we had "fat brigades" that provided humanitarian relief to disaster areas all over the world, maybe their exposure to the misery, suffering and hunger poor people suffer worldwide would curb their own food cravings.

I saw an article about all woman teams in the US Marine Corps.  They were called female engagement teams or FET for short. The USMC thought a FET could make more and faster progress with Afghan women than USMC guys could.  Maybe the Marines should start LEAT (lard arsed engagement teams).  Their mission would be to bond with their fellow fat folks and encourage them to give up killing each other.  This is just the 21st century version of the beat your swords into plowshares.  If people want to grow food, warfare becomes a hindrance and nuisance.  Maybe the love of corned beef and cabbage could help people tolerate their differences and work together for their common good.

obamacare declared Unconstitutional.

On 13 December, 2010 the Virginia Supreme Court Declared Obamacare Unconstitutional!!!  Of course, the Obama Adminstration will file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.  Now the fun begins!!!!  Go free markets, Go Liberty Loving Americans Go!!!!

Sarah Palin's humorous and interesting twitter post

I just came across a very illuminating and homurous youtube post called "Bar Stool Economics".  I wish more of our politicians could remove their political blinders and realize what soaking the rich for more and more taxes without trying to reduce spending will do.  Rush Limbaugh moved his number one rated radio talk show over this.  New York City started taxing the rich more and he decided to move to Palm Beach, Florida.  I wonder why he didn't do it sooner.  Do you think New York is really glad to get rid of him.  I'm surprised NY has not tried to put some kind of "ex-pat" tax on him and other millionaires who give up the big apple for more of their earnings in their pockets.



 P. S. Click on the text message, the origins of this article go back to 2002 and no one knows for certain who the original author is, except for the original author, of course. 
















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a couple of videos

Here's a couple of videos that poke fun at some of our politicians. It will offset the tragedy at Yeonpyeong the earlier post and whatever other news you see today. If I do not post again, have a safe and grope-free Thanksgiving Day.

Video 1 "Safer"


Safer from RightChange on Vimeo.

Video 2: The return of the (now) 25 foot Pelosi

North Korea attacks South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.

North Korea launched an artillery attack on Yeonpyeong, an island of 1200 people near the North Korean border. South Korea launched 80 rounds of artillery in defense. No motives have been given at this time. The South Korean President announced an investigation into a possible relationship between this attack and North Korean war game exercises started near the border on Monday 2 November, 2010. IMHO, it's time to offer South Korea enough missiles to bomb North Korea's new nuclear enrichment plant back to the stone age, after they sign an acceptable trade agreement.

Actually, the US and South Korea have mutual defense treaties in place. Maybe North Korea is trying to frighten US and South Korea into breaking the treaty. Let's hope this does not worsen and the treaties remain strong.

Halloween special rants

What better way to celebrate Halloween than a visit with the wicked witch of the west, the current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Here are a couple YouTube clips of her. She must be a narcissistic foot fetisher and a very limber lady to be able to put her foot in her mouth as she does.

Video clip 1



She states that without Obama'a economic recovery package, 500,000,000 Americans will lose their jobs. According to the CIA World Fact Book, the US population size was 310,232,863 (July 2010 est.) Now here's the truly scary fact of life. The US Presidential line of sucession goes first to the VP currently Joe Biden then to the Speaker of the House, currently the WWW, Nancy Pelosi. As much as I disagree with the President, I pray for his continuing health and safety.

Video 2



In this clip Speaker Pelosi ignores a reporter's question about the fairness of the Health Care bill's individual mandate to buy health insurance. She also evades his question about whether people who do not get health insurance can go to jail. Finally, she just ends the press conference and ignores the reporter.

Also, her defense of the insurance mandate is that without it, people will go to emergency rooms and pass the bill on to others. She said the mandate was fair because it provides subsidies for people who cannot afford health insurance. These subsidies are taxpayer funded, so the mandate will not spare people having to pay for other people's medical bills, it just changes the way the taxpayers subsidize the underinsured medical bills. That is just another redistribution of wealth scam on her part.

2 Videos of 2 demagogues trying to rewrite history of their past statements

Here's two videos to think about on election day, Tuesday 2 November, 2010. The first one is from For America reminding us of what a nightmare Obamacare is. The second one is from CNBC Power Lunch.  It features the master of the disasters known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, rep Barney Frank, the first openly gay congressman and currently the chairman of the house financial services committee.  In it he states after the FM/FM collapse that he was always opposed to sub prime mortgages and advocated more rental housing??!!  Does he not know most of his statements in congress are on C-Span and in many cases YouTube as well?  The Power Lunch reporters conjured up one statement from 2005 that contradicts his first statement.

video 1

video 2

Nancy Pelosi buys votes with Obamacare Promise

Quote of the Day:

We see it as an entrepreneurial bill, a bill that says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will have health care.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi May 2010

Counter Quote of the Day:

"Imagine, if you will, that I am an idiot.
Then, imagine that I am also a Congressman.
But, alas, I repeat myself."
-- Mark Twain

I found this video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi encouraging musicians to give up their regular jobs to pursue development of their creative or performing arts skills.  The USA is in an economic depression and she tells people that have jobs that provide health insurance to quit and follow their dreams.  Thankfully, she does not start singing "Climb Every Mountain" from the "Sound of Music."

Obamacare 101

I just read an interesting article on the Business and Media Institute's website about Obamacare. McDonald's and White Castle both did studies to asses the effects of Obamacare on their business. McDonald's concluded that their franchisees would lose 15% to 20% of their profits if all the provisions of Obamacare are enforced. White Castle found that their net income would decline by 55%. You do not need an Ivy league law degree to realize a 55% loss of net income will not start a hiring frenzy. It will probably lead to restaurant closings, layoffs and workers getting fewer work hours AKA underemployment.

BTW, the article was titled "We are Headed for 15 Percent Permanent Unemployment."

A sad day for the First Family

The first family is vacationing at Martha's Vineyard. Some of the beaches there are closed due to possible coliform contamination. President Obama played golf instead of swimming.

Rima Fakih, the first Muslim winner of the Miss USA pageant, said she agreed with Mr. Obama's statement that the Cordoba Initiative has the Constitutional right to build a mosque there. She also went on to say she felt it should not be built so close to ground zero. According to the New York Post, she said "I also agree that it shouldn't be so close to the World Trade Center. We should be more concerned with the tragedy than religion."

Finally, Obama's mortgage aid program had a 48% dropout rate according to a recent treasury department report. "The government program as currently structured is petering out. It is taking in fewer homeowners, more are dropping out and fewer people are ending up in permanent modifications," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. This was reported at BreitBart.com in an article by AP's Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger. On the bright side 32% of homeowners in the program received permanent mortgage modifications and are current on their payments.

Treasury Department hosts housing conference

The Treasury Dept is hosting a conference on the future of the US Government in the housing and mortgage industries. Mortgage executives and government housing officials will attend this first of many conferences on this subject. (Was anyone expecting decisive action from a pre-lame duck administration and congress?) Government officials are expected to say that government needs to decrease its involvement in the housing and mortgage industries. In December 2009, the US Treasury removed the $400 billion limit on bailing out Fannie and Freddie. This puts the US taxpayers at risk for any and all losses Fannie and Freddie sustain. How much more involved can the US government get with these 2 companies? At $400 Billion, the sky was the limit. Unlimited liability will put us on the dark side of the moon.

Another consideration is the US Congress, specifically the house financial services committee. Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and cohorts allowed Franklin Raines, director of Fannie Mae to change the pay plan so he received $91 million from 1998 to 2004. Then accounting discrepancies (AKA cooking the books) were uncovered and he was forced out and had a settlement of $24 million on the charges. Look for resistance to reform by the boatload from these folks. Click here for my post on Barney Frank.

Update on my earlier post

Before the people with no sense of humor start accusing me of advocating barbarian practices, let me say this.

First, The human cannonball solution was done with zip point naught seriousness on my part. This would flood the Mexican embassy with trial lawyers seeking work visas in Mexico. hhhmmmm maybe that would cut down on medical malpractice suits and help bring down health insurance costs. I also think it would be cruel to the aliens.

Second, I made the IRS agent suggestion only half in jest. What kind of health care reform bill needs 16,000 IRS agents. Not any real ones. How many tax and spend bills would need that many agents? All of them. I am all for health care cost reform. That is why I am opposed to the Obama-Pelosi-Reid socialized health care disaster.

A simple solution to the Arizona illegal aliens problems

I was websurfing earlier today and saw an article about the Arizona border security problems with illegal aliens. Beside it was a picture of a Border Patrol Agent using binoculars to survey the border for illegal aliens. He had a pickup truck with a cap on it for holding prisoners. Then I realized what the problem was: Border Patrol Agents are too wimpy and kind-hearted for the task. They carry water and nabs for illegal aliens they find suffering from dehydration and low blood sugar.

Then I had an inspiration. Remember when President Obama ordered 1200 national guard troops sent to the border to support law enforcement agents? The troops could not actually enforce laws just support the enforcers. Now, remember how many IRS agents would need to be hired if Obamacare is not defeated? Try 16,000 or 320 per state. His actions speak louder than his words and tell of different agendas.

Why not just take 3,200 of those agents and put them on Arizona border enforcement. Take off the Border Patrol markings on the vehicles and replace them with IRS markings. At the busier crossings have an armored truck to safeguard all the fines and penalties they impose. This would make the most determined prospective illegal alien think twice before crossing.

Another quick solution. Buy cannons used by the circuses for human cannonball shows and set them up at the border. Give them a summary trial at the border then outfit them with a parachute, a water bottle and a pack of nabs. Then shoot them across the Rio Grande. Think of all the paperwork that would save not to mention cutting down on recidivist crossers.

Interesting fact on Oil Taxes

Remember when Obama said that BP would pay for all damages caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? I just learned that there is an 8 cent per barrel tax on all crude oil drilled in or imported into the USA. The tax monies go into a fund to reimburse the Coast Guard and other government agencies expenses incurred to contain and clean up oil spills. If BP has to reimburse these expenses, can they apply for a refund of the tax they already paid into this fund? I doubt it. If President Obama is so concerned about sparing the American taxpayers any losses from these spills, he should donate all the campaign contributions received from the oil companies. He got the biggest contributions from them, it's time for Obama to practice what he preaches and spread some of the wealth oil companies spread his way into this fund. It would show his sincerity behind earlier promises about transparency in government and no lobbyist influence. Will this happen? Probably not.

Go GOP!!! Hold the Democrats feet to the fire!!!

I just read a news article that the Obama/Pelosi/Reidcare reconciliation bill has procedural flaws in it and will have to be returned to the house for amendment. I am glad the Senate Republicans have not given up hope and are working to uphold the will of the American people and repeal the 2500 plus page bill. The best part of this is not that flaws were discovered so soon but the flaws were in the parts pertaining to the student loan takeover of the bill. Golly galorisky gee whiz, who could have imagined that the dedicated demagogues of the house could have made a mistake. It makes me wonder how many, if any, of them bothered to read the bill.

Rep. Barney Frank, d-Mass let the cat out of the health care nationalization bag already. He said that if the current bill led to an overload on the health care system and led to an emergency enactment of a public option, this would be a good way to segue the USA into a single payer health care system. Barney boy, Americans are not socialists. We are a freedom loving country and will not change for you or your fellow control freaks who cannot imagine the American people running their lives without constant government intervention and micromismanagement.

Nancy Pelosi inserts foot into mouth.

I just came across a quote from a March 9, 2010 press release from the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I just had to share it with everyone.

"We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what's in it away from the fog of the controversy."

I bet she wishes she had thought that one through a little bit more. What happened to transparency in government? If she wants the fog of controversy to clear, just do your deeds on the house floor with C-Span to document it for you. Do away with the closed doors meetings that you and your fellow democrats use so much recently.

In the interest of making this a fair and balanced rant, I offer 2 counter quotes.

"Imagine, if you will, that I am an idiot.
Then, imagine that I am also a Congressman.
But, alas, I repeat myself."
-- Mark Twain

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. "
-- Will Rogers

For more information on the GOP healthcare reform bill click here.

A word to the wise or casting pearls before swine?

In Saturday's address to the American Public, President Obama said he was willing to negotiate with the GOP if they were sincere in working to make Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Baucuscare the law of the land. He did this after his much heralded "bipartisan health care summit" on Thursday. On Monday he announced his own version of a health care overhaul (AKA nationalized, socialized health care) to the nation. Is it just me or was his announcement of an Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Baucuscare plan counterproductive to any sincere effort to reach an accord with the GOP? While I'm on this subject, isn't his unilateral announcement of Obamacare just another act of desperation to get his legacy of Obamacare rammed down the throats of the American people who do not want it? So far, Obamacare has been an egotrip at the expense of America's prosperity and personal liberty. Every President does this in his first year of office. Maybe Congress should enact first year legislation signature limits on Presidents. After all, one of the duties of Congress is to be a deliberative body, not the express lane for taxation and spending.

On Sunday, February 28, house speaker Nancy Pelosi advised her fellow Democrats to vote for Obama/Pelosicare even if their constituents disapprove of it. She stated that Social Security and Medicare were initially unpopular but nowadays are favorite tax and spend programs of the American Public. OK, maybe she was not bold and forthright enough to label them as the wealth distribution programs they are, but she was serious about voting along Obama/Pelosi party lines instead of their constituents best interests, not to mention wishes. Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Obama need to read the US Constitution. I do not expect this will morally rejuvenate either one of them. I am hoping a glance at America's History will make them realize they are servants of the public who elected them, not the other way around. They do not rule by divine right.
Even if they do not figure this out now, I am certain both of them will be reminded of this in November's congressional elections.

Wellpoint raises premiums in California

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NEV) got on the Senate floor today to crucify Wellpoint for health insurance premium increases. He did not elaborate on anything vaguely resembling facts. He said that Wellpoint and other "greedy insurance companies that care more about profits than people" are an excuse to ram nationalized medicine down the throats of the American taxpayers. This reminded me of an article Dana Milbank (Washingtonpost.com) wrote about Mr. Reid back when he introduced his own bill with the public option (aka socialized medicine). He did not consult any of his fellow senators; democrat, republican or independent. He just did it out of the blue sky. Mr. Milbank wrote that this was unusual behavior for Mr. Reid, who was known mainly for just bringing pork barrel funds to Nevada. Mr. Milbank thought the real motivation for Mr. Reid's newfound concern for all his fellow Americans was the difficult re-election he faces this year. By becoming an advocate for the public option, Mr. Reid hoped to win over more left wing liberals in Nevada.

I have to agree with Mr. Milbank. Mr. Reid's motivation is self preservation of his Senate seat, not any newly awakened compassion for taxpayers with rising health insurance costs.

Wellpoint's CEO of the consumer business unit, Brian A. Sassi, pointed out that California consumer business unit has been losing customers due to the recession and higher health care costs. Healthy people are dropping insurance or buying less expensive plans. When this happens there is less revenue to cover the sicker & older people who keep their plans. He also pointed out that the House and Senate bills have been watered down on the issue of universal coverage. The penalties for not buying insurance are too low to enforce compliance with any requirement for universal coverage. Unless Mr. Reid and his universal health care left wing cronies are willing to start fund drives to cover these losses, the premiums will go up or Wellpoint will have to get out of the individual health insurance business in California.

Of course, Congress will hold hearings about these increases. What else is new? This is just demagogues putting on a show. I have no doubt part of Mr. Reid's rise in attacks on the insurance companies for being insurance companies is another effort to get himself re-elected.

Go Michelle Obama!!!

Where have I been lately? I just read about Michelle Obama's initiative on childhood obesity. Finally, something really substantial that will lower the spiraling cost of health care. This is something I forgot to put in my last post on the subject. Reversal of the growing epidemic of obesity will save scads of money in the future without lots of taxes today.
This is a great example of what our government needs to do, start using a variation of the KISS principle. Instead of Keep It Simple Stupid, Keep It Short and Succinct. As I have ranted before, it is easier and less burdensome to enact a 50 page bill than a 500 page bill. 2000 page bills are a nightmare for small businesses, why does our congress keep working on them?
Another interesting tidbit I learned is the Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, is overweight. She defends her size by saying it helps her identify with the 67% of Americans who are overweight. I am obese and my doctor is very lean. He is an active runner. He practices what he preaches. Maybe this will be a great opportunity for Vice Admiral Benjamin to lead the way by personal lifestyle changes to lose weight.
Ranting about weight loss and government action, check out OKCmillion. Mick Cornett, mayor of Oklahoma City initiated a challenge to his city to lose 1 million pounds. Oklahoma City is one of the most overweight cities in the USA. Mayor Cornett started this campaign so Oklahoma City can shed its overweight stigma. (Sorry, I couldn't resist that almost pun.)

A modest but realistic proposal on health care reform

I read an AP article online today indicating the democrats are still trying to put through their bloated 2000 page pig ears.(pork and earmarks) They are hoping President Obama's state of the union address tonight will inspire them to get back on track and railroad their alleged health care reform through congress and onto the backs of the American Taxpayers. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said not having a health care reform package enacted was unacceptable. Last week she said she did not have the votes to pass the Senate health care bill. Is there a link between Botox abuse and Alzheimer's?

I know I've said parts of this before so bear with me. Here is my proposal on REAL health care reform:

1. Put limits on malpractice suit payment amounts. This would lower the malpractice insurance premiums paid by health care providers. It would also cut back on the use of "defensive medicine" where Doctors order marginally at best procedures not for the benefit of their patients but to protect themselves from a malpractice claim.

2. Limit advertisements for prescription drugs and other covered procedures. They are the most prevalent ads in the media today. These ads actually encourage patients to ask for certain drugs from their doctors. If they trust an ad on TV or a magazine more than their doctor's judgment, they should change doctors. After all, that is what doctors really provide; their professional opinion and advice on the best method to treat illness and injury.

3. Put page limits on all legislation, not just health care boondoogles. The senate finance committee's version was 1000 pages! The house, overachievers that they are, doubled the ante to 2000 pages. If any member of congress has the rare blend of audicity, stupidity and arrogance to say they have read any of these bills, they should be shot in both feet with a pellet gun. The members of congress do not read these bills, they rely on congressional aides and interns (remember Monica Lewinsky?) to read and summarize a small portion of the total bill.

There was a parable about several blind men trying to describe an elephant by touching different parts of the elephant's body. Needless to say, the man touching the trunk reached a different conclusion than the men touching the elephant's ears, flanks, legs and underbelly. This is the same way health care bills are presented to congress.

To continue elephant parable usage, let me quote the great educator Marva Collins. When her students faced an overwhelming learning task, she would say "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." If congress would do this instead of trying to swallow the whole hog at once, they would be more effective and productive legislators. (Did I just mix my metaphors with elephant and hog?)

Republicans win "Teddy Kennedy's" Massachusetts Senate Seat

In a rare display of realistic maturity, Martha Coakley conceded that republican Scott Brown won The special senate election to fill the vacancy caused by Edward Kennedy's recent death. Earlier, her campaign attorney held a press conference to let the world know he contacted the Massachusetts secretary of state's office that there were three alleged cases of ballots being pre-marked for Scott Brown. Since then, the secretary of state's office dismissed the allegations as unfounded and unprovable.
What does this mean for the USA? First, there are 41 republicans in the US senate now, enough votes to stop the democrats efforts to railroad their alleged health care reforms which are actually a thin disguise for socialized medicine. Second, the timing is remarkable. President Obama was sworn into office on January 20, 2009. His one year anniversary will have a sad note to it. Many of the Massachusetts voters reported discontent and disappointment with his performance in office. Many democrats are concerned now about the upcoming 2010 elections.
Let's face facts. The people of Massachusetts have spoken their minds at the polls. Maybe the democrats should listen to people who live outside the DC beltway more.