GAAAAAaaaaaaaaa

Found it over at Bits and Pieces:

No, no ... you're not a slave, we're only taking your money

This is a very hard-hitting cartoon, by Michael Ramirez. Some will think it over the top, or extreme. Is being born an American in the 21st century really equivalent to being a slave? One recoils from the thought. Yet a child born today is the inheritor of a national debt that stands at $15 trillion, and counting. If Barack Obama gets his way, the debt will explode over the next decade. Our children and grandchildren will spend years of their lives, assuming that they are taxpayers, working off the principal and interest of the debts we have run up. Perhaps indentured servitude is a more accurate characterization than slavery. Still, the image is a powerful one:

Found this over at the PowerLineBlog.  Since it agrees with my line of thought on the issue, I found it very profound.

State of the Union Address - Oh Joy!

Billionaire Warren Buffett's longtime secretary will be joining first lady Michelle Obama in her box at tonight's State of the Union, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer announced on Twitter. 

Debbie Bosanek, who has worked for Buffett for nearly two decades, has become a symbol in the White House's fight over the tax code and economic fairness. Obama is expected to renew his push for the so-called "Buffett rule" that would bring investment taxation levels into line with income taxation levels — and ensure that upper income earners pay rates as high as middle-class Americans. 

"Warren Buffett's secretary shouldn't pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett," President Obama said in September, when he unveiled his American Jobs Act proposal. More here:

Well, if you have a brain you have to ask yourself "Why is Warren Buffet's tax rate lower than his secretary's?"  Answer: "it isn't."  If his secretary wanted to risk/invest her money in the stock market then she would pay the same tax rate on any profit she might make.  

But Obama doesn't say that, does he.  You now why?  Because he's saving you the "thinking."  The truth will only confuse you because you aren't sophisticated/educated enough to truly understand .... so he simplifies it for you.  Aren't you thankful?  Really, who needs all that brain damage trying to get all the relevant facts.

See?  These self-proclaimed geniuses never tire of tinkering with the economy.  First, the great geniuses decide "Hey, if we lower tax rates on investment, we'll get more investment."  Oh my but they are so proud of their great insight because "this is so obscure -- only the great geniuses can figure it out."

Then, when they get more investment and jobs are being created etc everything is fine and they spend and spend like there's no tomorrow. They expand their power base the government as fast as they can. They put nothing aside for a rainy day.  

And lo ... can you guess what happens then?  Right, they get themselves in the inevitable jam ... and what's the first thing they ("Democratics") want to do?  Answer: Tax the evil rich.  The EXACT OPPOSITE of their previous declarations.  Yes, and they'll continue their hopeless flail-a-thon endlessly thru time unless they are stopped by the constitution electorate.  

That's right, and if you suffer because of it, well, that's just tough cookies.  After all, they're only trying to do the "greater good," and don't you appreciate their great intentions?  Hey, don't we all have to accept continuous some suffering to get to Utopia?

And what does all this have in common?  Total incompetents manipulating the economy when they have no right to do so.  They have no business picking winners and losers by manipulating the tax code like that.  This is why complete and total tax reform is necessary. The Fair Tax leaps to mind.  It would remove the idiot's ability to reward their buddies and punish their enemies ... and with that goes most of their power.  Most lobbyists would be out of a job.

But they won't change the tax code, will they.  No. They'll drag us with them into their idiocy ... and the only legal recourse we have is the ballot box.

Tonight, Obama will tell us how everything is improving now ... and how he just needs to get the evil  rich to pay their "fair share."

Remember this when you go to vote.  I'm not saying one party is better than the other, I'm saying choose the candidate who wants to leave you the hell alone ... so you don't wind up in the "we're all in the same boat" situation with a bunch of morons.

Another scumball permanently separated from polite society

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, SC (WIS) - An armed robber was killed by a customer at an Upstate Waffle House early Saturday, according to Spartanburg County deputies. 

The shooting happened at the Waffle House on Chesnee Highway just after 1:00 a.m. According to an incident report, two armed men entered the restaurant and tried to rob it. 

A customer in the Waffle House, who is a concealed weapon permit holder, was also armed with a handgun and attempted to hold the suspects at gunpoint until law enforcement could arrive, deputies said. 

Deputies said one of the robbery suspects pointed his gun at the customer, and the customer then shot the man, who died on the scene. More here:

Oopsie daisy.   I sure hope the victim (aka the customer) doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about "whether he did the right thing" etc.

Seriously, if it were me and I saw a couple of knuckleheads with masks and a gun (in the middle of the night at a Waffle House) I think I'd shoot LONG before anyone pointed a gun at me, capisce?  Because as soon as I see that I figure they are there to steal money and kill witnesses ... and if I have a choice, it's going to be the criminal who gets killed.

Amazing yes -- but remember, practice first

Klown prediction - Presidential Election - GO Newt!!!

Yes folks -- here it is -- the call you've all been waiting for.

I found an online betting spot that was giving 2-1 odds against the Newtster (winning the Republican nomination) so I had to take a little of that action ($20 curp.)  I'm not convinced he's got a "great" chance but I think he has a chance.  I won't say more than this ... I think Newt would be better than Romney.

They were also offering odds on any Republican of +$135.  Upon researching that I found it meant that you could bet $25 but you would win $33.75 (or bet $100 and win $135.)

By the way, they were giving 5/1 against Newt winning the Presidency.  5/1?

Yes, my friends, you think the election of 2010 was a landslide? I predict Obama is going to take a whoopin' at the polls in November ... Obama and all the "Democratic" asshats which have been stealing my money and freedom for as long as I can remember under the guise of "helpin' the workin' man."

Ever notice they can't help you without stealing "just a little" of your money and freedom.  And if they can't quite help you with that they just need a little bit more.  But it's never enough, is it?  Answer? No.  And I am convinced that, at long last, the American people are waking up to the fact the "Democratics" are NOT their friends.

Ok, here is my prediction.  I predict that Obama is going to lose in the worst landslide in history for an incumbent.  Herbert Hoover lost by 18% and Carter lost by 11% and I think those are the two worst.  That means I'm predicting Obama to lose by 19% -- the WORST INCUMBENT DEFEAT IN HISTORY. 

Actually, we all know better, don't we.  We know it will be much closer than 19% ... but look at it this way, this will give you an easy way to say "WRONG, KLOWN."  And I like to give you the opportunity every so often ... I'm generous that way.

I had the rest of the historical election results (since 1900) listed here but I thought about it and figured you weren't that interested so I deleted the whole thing.  You can click here if you're interested in that kind of thing.

Soooo, what are YOUR predictions?  Go ahead and make them. The Klown's short memory and the natural humility of the reader combine to make an inviting atmosphere for making predictions with no repercussions.  

(Note: Thanks to "The Dealer" for bringing an error on this post to my attention.  I had originally said the odds for any Republican to win the Presidency was "-135" when it was actually supposed to be "+135."  I have corrected it in the post above.)

Did you know that stamps went up today? Yes, to 45 cents.

I'm guessing you didn't even know stamps went up today ... because, after all, who cares, right?  The media knows you don't care so they aren't about to waste your time bringing this piddly item to your attention.

Why is it that all I hear about the post office is how it's going broke and how it needs to cut services and Saturday delivery and on and on and on? I wondered how they are doing with their prices? Are they keeping up with inflation? So I went and did some research for you - no need to thank me.

But Klown, they have to deal with terrorism!!!

Terrorism? Do we stall have a danger of that? I thought the whole world would love us again IF ONLY WE ELECTED THE GREAT OBAMA? I thought "this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth."

Ha ha ha, hoo boy.

So, in 1952 a stamp was 3 cents.  Today it's 45 cents.  Draw your own conclusions.

I'm not sure about that "Annual rate of inflation change" thing. Doesn't look right to me somehow.

Bad luck gets guy kilted by nature - no way to have seen it coming

 A reveler releases a bull with flaming horns during a festival in honor of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals, in the streets of Gilet, a town near Valencia, Spain, in the early hours of Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. A flaming-horned bull trampled and fatally gored a man early Saturday Jan. 21, 2012, during a festival in eastern Spain, an official said. (AP Photo / Alberto Saiz) 

MADRID—A flaming-horned bull trampled and fatally gored a man early Saturday during a festival in eastern Spain, an official said.

Large balls of flaming wax are traditionally affixed to the beasts' heads before they are let loose to rampage through squares and narrow streets in such festivals.

The mayor of Navajas, population 730, said emergency services in his town were unable to save the life of the 45-year-old man whose name was withheld. Jose Vicente Torres said the accident happened when the man, who had traveled from Alboraia, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) to the south, tripped just as the bull was released. More here:

Ack, he tripped JUST BEFORE they released the bull. SUCH a tragedy.  Who could have foreseen this?  I guess we can chalk it up to bad luck ... one in a million, right?

Newt wins South Carolina, the media is flummoxed

Excerpts below from an article in the lefty media.  Yes, it's hard to detect but if you read the following closely you may uncover some complete idiocy lefty bias.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich finished an astonishing comeback Saturday night to defeat front-runner Mitt Romney in South Carolina, plunging the Republican Party into a wrenching and potentially lengthy period of soul-searching: Can either of these jokers beat President Obama?

Oh yes, it was, what did he call it?  Astonishing?  Yes, astonishing to idiot jourrrrnalists anyone dripping spittle down their chin.  That's one of the hallmarks of being an idiot-lib, you're in a perpetual state of "astonishment." During the whole lead-up to the South Carolina Primary, all we heard was "Romney is leading 27-18%" ... "Romney widens lead in South Carolina" etc etc etc.  And yet Newt wins by double digits ... hard to fathom, eh?

Right, meanwhile it was hard for any in our group to find a Romney supporter.  That's right, during the last couple of months, it was clear to us that Gingrich was clearly the favorite.  To the media?  Not so much.  You see, THAT's why they label his win as "astonishing."  Because the media is "astonished" you didn't listen to them after they were so clear in their orders to you -- bunch of idiots down there in SC.

You know what else?  He (jourrrrnalist) referred to both the "leading candidates" as jokers.  That's right ... you know why?  Because Republican voters are stupid, that's why.  They don't know a "joker" from their elbow ... tee hee.

Humiliated and humbled, Romney remains the front-runner for the GOP nomination and, by all conventional measures, is best equipped to push Obama from office. 

Gingrich is an unabashed egoist ("I think grandiose thoughts") who likes to compare himself to historic figures including Abraham Lincoln, ... " 

Yes, but not Obama.  Obama's NOT an unabashed egoist ... seriously, he's totally abashed ... and he NEVER compares himself to Lincoln etc.  NEVER?  ... HARDLY EVER?  Makes me wonder if he's ever sick at sea.

Excerpts above were from this article:  You can click over there if you have something rumbling in your stomach and need to speed up the vomiting.

Obama's first add is full of lies.

In his very first TV ad of the 2012 campaign, the president is feeding the public false information about America's dependence on foreign fuels. His twisted statistics actually celebrate the Obama recession.

The Obama re-election campaign is already shaping up as the most deceitful in American electoral history. "For the first time in 13 years our dependence on foreign oil is below 50%," the commercial declares, accompanied by goose-bumpy music.

Major economic downturns, in fact, unfailingly produce declines in oil imports. And so do higher gas prices — which went from an average of less than $2 a gallon at the time Obama took office to nearly $4 in the middle of last year and remain well above $3 today.

How could gasoline demand not drop with so many people out of work, businesses dying and jittery investors sitting on a trillion dollars?

Full article HERE.

Do we need the Dept of Education?

So I was reading "Imprimus" today (as is my wont on a monthly basis) and the subject was "Do we need the Dept of Education?"

The article was adapted from a speech by Dr Charles Murray (if you haven't heard of him yet you probably soon will.) I say this because he has written a book, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, will be published at the end of January.

Ack! How racist does THAT sound? I don't suppose he did that on purpose ... you know ... to get the idiot media to cluck and flap like there's a fox in the yard and sell the CRAP out of his book?

The articles/speeches in Imprimus are generally fairly short ... not long enough to make me go "Oh crap, I'm not reading this"  yet long enough to substantiate the premise.

Anyway, this part caught my attention:

The bachelor of arts degree as it has evolved over the last half-century has become the work of the devil. It is now a substantively meaningless piece of paper—genuinely meaningless, if you don’t know where the degree was obtained and what courses were taken. It is expensive, too, as documented by the College Board: Public four-year colleges average about $7,000 per year in tuition, not including transportation, housing, and food. Tuition at the average private four-year college is more than $27,000 per year. And yet the B.A. has become the minimum requirement for getting a job interview for millions of jobs, a cost-free way for employers to screen for a certain amount of IQ and perseverance. Employers seldom even bother to check grades or courses, being able to tell enough about a graduate just by knowing the institution that he or she got into as an 18-year-old.

So what happens when a paper credential is essential for securing a job interview, but that credential can be obtained by taking the easiest courses and doing the minimum amount of work? The result is hundreds of thousands of college students who go to college not to get an education, but to get a piece of paper. When the dean of one East Coast college is asked how many students are in his institution, he likes to answer, “Oh, maybe six or seven.” The situation at his college is not unusual. The degradation of American college education is not a matter of a few parents horrified at stories of silly courses, trivial study requirements, and campus binge drinking. It has been documented in detail, affects a large proportion of the students in colleges, and is a disgrace.

  I don't have any further comment but you can find the rest of the article here:

That'll do, Newt. That'll do.

Future American President, Newt Gingrich swiftly, properly, and definitively dispatches CNN's John King at the beginning of last night's debate. From our good friends at Newsbusters.

POINT TAKEN!

Well done, Anne. Shout "POINT TAKEN!" to shut him and his argument DOWN.

Stuff Liberals Say

Hey ... Biden is NOT an idiot!

Vice President Joe Biden had his “oops” moment Wednesday speaking in a 49er-crazed San Francisco when he told a crowd at a city political fundraiser that “the Giants are on their way to the Super Bowl.” More here:

By way of explanation, the "Giants" are San Francisco's baseball team ... the 49'rs are the football team.  He mixed them up, big deal.

The "big deal" lies in the fact that the media LOVES to point out when a Republican does it because, you see, this kind of thing illustrates the stupidity of the person in question ... unless, of course, that person is a "Demcoratic" ... then it's just one of those things that happens to us all ... and "look, the genius is human after all, awwwwwww."

Who is this famous person?

An older Radar O'Reilly?

A younger Dwight Shrute?

Someone else?

UPDATE: I posted this the morning of Feb 18.  I happened to be watching Jon Stewart that evening and saw that they mentioned a "Dwight Shrute look alike contest" in their reference to this pic, soooo ...

While I'm in the area ... looks like Colonel Flagg has withdrawn his candidacy and thrown his support to one of the other candidates.

Found it while I was researching "Cone Pone"

Corn-Pone Opinions: "We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking."

In a 1901 essay not published until 1923, years after his death, mark Twain examines the effects of social pressure on our thoughts and beliefs.

A political emergency brings out the corn-pone opinion in fine force in its two chief varieties--the pocketbook variety, which has its origin in self-interest, and the bigger variety, the sentimental variety--the one which can't bear to be outside the pale; can't bear to be in disfavor; can't endure the averted face and the cold shoulder; wants to stand well with his friends, wants to be smiled upon, wants to be welcome, wants to hear the precious words, "He's on the right track!" Uttered, perhaps by an ass, but still an ass of high degree, an ass whose approval is gold and diamonds to a smaller ass, and confers glory and honor and happiness, and membership in the herd. For these gauds many a man will dump his lifelong principles into the street, and his conscience along with them. We have seen it happen. In some millions of instances....

In our late canvass, half of the nation passionately believed that in silver lay salvation, the other half as passionately believed that that way lay destruction. Do you believe that a tenth part of the people, on either side, had any rational excuse for having an opinion about the matter at all? I studied that mighty question to the bottom--and came out empty. Half of our people passionately believe in high tariff, the other half believe otherwise. Does this mean study and examination, or only feeling? The latter, I think. I have deeply studied that question, too--and didn't arrive. We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking. And out of it we get an aggregation which we consider a Boon. Its name is Public Opinion. It is held in reverence. It settles everything. Some think it the Voice of God. Pr'aps.

I suppose that in more cases than we should like to admit, we have two sets of opinions: one private, the other public; one secret and sincere, the other corn-pone, and more or less tainted. -- "Corn-Pone Opinions," by Mark Twain

Yes, it seems he's right about the 50% thing ... and seems to still hold true over a hundred years later??  

And this is why I think our founding fathers were SO concerned about limiting the power of government.  Because, what is government anyway if it isn't the majority telling the minority what to do? That's right, roughly 52% of the idiots in the public telling the other 48% how to live. And the founders realized that it has always been so and will always be so -- and they wanted to LIMIT the power of these idiots in the "majority" who enslave you to whatever extent they possibly can.

Those dumbass peeps from Corn-a-ponia (Iowa)

So I was talking with a friend ... about how Rick Santorum actually won the Iowa caucuses instead of Romney.  When all we've heard in the media is "Romney, Romney, Romney."  Now that Santorum has won, do you think that you'll hear the media constantly harping his name?  No?  Gee, I wonder why that is.

Ahhhh yes, I deftly identified a perfect opportunity for me to look down my nose with a feeling of superiority (such a rarity for me /sarc) and to release some pejoratives about Iowans ... specifically "corn pone."

After laughing at the Corn-a-ponians I started to realize a couple of things:

1 - This hasn't as much to do with "Iowans" as "The Republican Party" which is probably in charge of this clusterf**k.

2 - Iowans would probably rather do their primary differently but guess what, I'd bet ninety percent of Americans would rather do their income taxes differently too and we see how much THAT means.

So a time was had making fun of the Iowans but after the time was had I suddenly thought, "hey, what IS corn pone anyway?"  Yes ... so if you were thinking the same thing, you're in luck.

Corn pone

Corn pone (sometimes referred to as "Indian pone") is a type of cornbread made from a thick, malleable cornmeal dough (which is usually egg-less and milk-less) and baked in a specific type of iron pan over an open fire (such as a frontiersman would use), using butter, margarine, or cooking oil. Corn pones have been a staple of Southern U.S. cuisine, and have been discussed by many American writers, including Mark Twain. In the Appalachian Mountains, cornbread cooked in a round iron skillet is still referred to as a "pone" of cornbread. 

The term "corn pone" is sometimes used to refer to one who possesses certain rural, unsophisticated peculiarities ("he's a corn pone"), or as an adjective to describe particular rural, folksy or "hick" characteristics (e.g., "corn pone" humor). The term is sometimes intended as a pejorative, often directed at persons from rural areas of the southern and midwestern U.S. More here:

Some racist showed me this pic