And Yet Even More State Republi-CON Fiscal Conservative Hypocrisy

UPDATE II: After being admonished for omissions on his "Constitutionally mandated" ethics disclosure forms, Haridopolos "has put the kibosh on a fellow Republican’s ethics bill — the same bill Haridopolos himself had co-sponsored last year." Read The Miami Herald, Why did Senate President Mike Haridopolos’ office stall ethics legislation?


UPDATE: Now Florida's new Senate president has been admonished for errors on his financial disclosure forms. He "left out key information from 2004 through 2008 in required financial-disclosure forms — such as a $400,000 investment home in Mount Dora and the names of two clients who paid him more than $120,000 over the five years." Rea the Pensacola News Journal, Florida Senate admonishes Haridopolos.

"Florida's new Senate president, who wants the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate next year, got $152,000 from a coastal community college to write a book on politics. . . The 175-page, double-spaced manuscript [didn't] come close to meeting the original contract's call for a publishable, textbook-quality look at the development of the Florida Legislature, state constitution, the governor's office and judiciary from pre-statehood until present. "

It did, however, include this sage advise, "'a cell phone will be essential' for the would-be candidate, and 'a computer with an Internet connection is equally important.'"

Read the Washington Post, Fla. politician's deal: 1 book, 1 copy, $152K.

He should relate well to Florida Gov. Rick 'Fifth Amendment' Scott, who "resigned under a cloud as CEO of Columbia/HCA, the world's largest hospital corporation, when it was busted for massive [$1.7 billion] Medicare fraud."

Men Are Just Happier People

From an email:

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station toilet because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Wedding Suit rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a five-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

The Republi-CONs Secretly Support Obamacare

UPDATE II: According to "MIT professor Jonathan Gruber, the man more responsible for helping Mitt Romney create Romneycare than anyone else . . . without Romneycare’s embrace of the individual mandate — which is now despised by conservatives — Obamacare would never have happened." He also says that "Romney was an aggressive champion of the individual mandate." Read the Washington Post, Former Romney adviser: Without Romneycare, Obamacare would never have happened.


UPDATE: "A few years ago, [the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare) was the Republi-con healthcare plan] — but it was called RomneyCare, or the Dole-Chafee bill. Then Democrats adopted their plan, and rather than view that as a victory for the conservative movement, Republicans abandoned it. Now their plan is either nothing at all or some variation of the Affordable Care Act that differs in ways they have trouble explaining." Read the Washington Post, The conservative case for the Affordable Care Act, Part II.

You don't need to travel to an alternate universe to find a Republi-con plan to reform a government health care program into ObamaCare. It is happening today, in Washington, D.C. Read the Washington Post, ‘Even if he agreed with me, he couldn’t say so’.

The Social Security Trust Fund Lie

Those Social Security trust fund "IOUs 'do not consist of real economic assets that can be drawn down in the future to fund benefits' . . . [and] pay off seniors for the next 26 years. . .

That money is gone with the wind. Those trust fund trinkets are nothing more than a record of past borrowings. They say nothing about the future."

Read the Washington Post, It’s still an empty lockbox.

More Partisan Zealotry Through Highly Selective Editing of Reality

UPDATE: "James O’Keefe’s guerrilla video attack on NPR [had] . . . all the hallmarks of a hit piece. . .

O’Keefe did not merely leave a false impression; he manufactured an elaborate, alluring lie. . .

The result is more than a race to the murky journalistic bottom. It is the triumph of a thoroughly postmodern view of politics: Power means everything. Truth means little. Ethical standards are for the weak and compromised. Influence is gained, not by persuasion, but by deception and ruthlessness.

This escalation is really a descent. "

Read the Washington Post, The NPR video and political dirty tricks.

Another deceptively edited tape, causing a faux Republi-con firestorm. Read TheBlaze (Glenn Beck's website), Does Raw Video of NPR Expose Reveal Questionable Editing & Tactics?, which concluded that while "undercover reporting is acceptable and ethical in very defined situations, it is another thing to approve of editing tactics that seem designed to intentionally lie or mislead about the material being presented."

Budget Gamesmanship and Tough Decisions

UPDATE VI: Something else to cut, undeserved combat pay. Read the Washington Post, I didn’t deserve my combat pay.


UPDATE V: Another tough decision after years of irresponsible budget decisions. Read the Washington Post, Tricare target of Pentagon cuts as health care projected to reach $65B.


UPDATE IV: "Public media fear budget may pull plug" Read the Pensacola News Journal, Public broadcast cuts catch static.


UPDATE III: As noted before, "we should discuss some of the difficult decisions that will have to be made to balance the budget, with a case study of WUWF, focusing on the general expenses (I'm trying to get a copy of the station's $1.135 million budget), funding sources, and Public Radio's campaign to prevent cuts to government funding."

Well, I got a copy of WUWF's 2010 Audited Financial Statements. The total WUWF budget is $2 million.

I noticed that "Cash paid to Employees" (page 9) is approximately $730,000. To understand that number, I asked the station manager how many full-time paid employees work at WUWF. Also, what part of that budget item is attributable to his position. His reply:

"WUWF radio has 12 full-time employees. Of that, 3 positions are funded by federal or state grants. 7 positions are funded by the university (including mine). The remaining 2 positions are funded by the UWF Foundation. $55,334 of the salary budget is attributable to my position, representing 50% of my compensation. The other 50% is paid from our television operation, which I also oversee. The television operation has 3 positions (in addition to mine), funded partially by the university and partially from earned revenue. It receives no federal or state grants."

We can discuss on the next show.


UPDATE II: "We’re going to be doing a lot of deficit cutting over the next several years. The country’s future greatness will be shaped by whether we cut wisely or stupidly. So we should probably come up with a few sensible principles to guide us as we cut.

The first one, as I tried to argue last week, is: Make Everybody Hurt. The sacrifice should be spread widely and fairly. A second austerity principle is this: Trim from the old to invest in the young. We should adjust pension promises and reduce the amount of money spent on health care during the last months of life so we can preserve programs for those who are growing and learning the most. . .

[Third, n]ever cut without an evaluation process. Before legislators and governors chop a section of the budget, they should make a list of all the relevant programs. They should grade each option and then start paying for them from the top down."

Read The New York Times, The New Normal.


UPDATE: "Governing is not a 'hostile corporate takeover,' Morgan tells Gov." Read the Pensacola News Journal, Sheriff Morgan gets frank with Gov. Scott.

The article includes a link to the letter.

Imagine a politician who takes a logical approach to budget decisions by "recommend[ing] that the governor compile a list of agencies and tasks performed, then delineate 'want vs. need,'" instead of focusing on political gamesmanship. Read Rick's Blog, Sheriff Morgan questions Scott’s budget.

Time to Call the Bluff of Republi-CON Budget Hypocrites

On the budget, "Boehner is in a pickle. If he moves to the right on the continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government, he loses the Senate. If he moves to the left, he loses his own Republicans. And if he just stands there, the government gets shut down -- and polls suggest the public will blame Boehner and the Republicans." Read the Washington Post, John Boehner’s problem — and ours.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Maxine

Class Today at McNoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Maxine


Follow-up to fact-free fantasies: TBD;


Local and regional: our very own Sunshine advocate, and more disclosures about Florida's new Senate president, and after two years, a trial for Florida's former house speaker, will it lays bare a conspiracy to defraud taxpayers, and remember days gone by, watch this 1964 Pensacola tourism film;


National and international: I'm waiting, where's the balanced budget, don't hold you breath because the Republi-CONs Con the Tea Party, there'll be no $100 billion budget cut, but the budget battles continue, is the problem that there are too many old people?,

after the devastation in Japan, you should support better, not just less, government

free speech, is it all or nothing?, or should there be limits on hate speech like our very on pastor-in-residence to the dictators, 64 days til the end of the world, again

union busting, part of the Republi-CON war on the middle class, but who said: “where collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost”

budget gamesmanship and tough decisions, and Congressional pension reform hypocrisy

the Republi-CON Double Dip Recession, not a new ice cream, but it'll make you scream,

and they're off and running, reports are that former speaker of the House Gingrich will become the first major Republican candidate to enter the 2012 Presidential race, and he start the campaign by explaining his patriotic affair(s), but he's number four, how do the others rate,

more partisan zealotry through highly selective editing of reality, but even Glenn Bonkers doesn't believe it, so many lies, so little time to 'refudiate', this time it the EPA and milk

BE AFRAID!, says the terrorist group support, now Republi-con the Congressman

a Facebook revolution?, did it take an ominous turn this week when Saudi Arabia invaded Bahrain, America's addiction to oil, and support of Middle East dictators

new score in the health care lawsuit: US 3 - VA 1 and FL, and Obama can continue the reform effort , and did you know, the Republi-CONs secretly support Obamacare

the benefits of a modern secular legal system, don't read your spouse's email, or record her conversations, you can kill a rat, but not a hamster, is it a crime to have a false persona,

no class like this at my school,

you're so wonderful, not

and 'The Great Stagnation' and our broken political system;


Fun stuff: test your power of observation, quiz for the know-it-all, what Dads do when Moms are not home, read the witticisms!, America's Funniest Grandmother and Mission Impossible, Squirrel Edition, Escapa;

and

Donate to a good cause: help the friends of a former instructor at the Naval EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes, who was detachment company gunnery sergeant from June 2007 to June 2010 and taught several courses and was recently wounded in Afghanistan.

I'll discuss anything, but expect a no mercy take down if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

You Can Kill a Rat, But Not a Hamster

"Why do we protect pets more than farm animals?" Read The New York Times, Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.

Congressional Pension Reform Hypocrisy

Despite the call to cut the pensions of government workers, "members of Congress, regardless of party, aren’t saying much about their own retirement plans, which are much more generous than those held by most Americans." Read the Washington Post, Congressional pensions fall on high end of scale.

And They're Off!

UPDATE III: From the Washington Post, Rating the Republican primary field:




UPDATE II: And let's not forget the "governor of New Jersey[, whose] videos are a sensation, fueling buzz about a national candidacy." Read The New York Times, Christie’s Message Gets Wide Audience on YouTube.


UPDATE: For the next celebrity contestant in Who Wants to be the President, read USA Today, Donald Trump considers taking on Palin in presidential bid.

Next up, Mickey Mouse.

It's still early, but it's past candidates Romney, Huckabee and Gingrich down the back stretch, with newcomers Pawlenty and Thune close behind, many others dreaming of Air Force One, and Palin on everybody's mind. For the current odds on the prospective Republican presidential candidate, read The New York Times, 2012 Contenders to Bet Against.

Florida Republi-CONs, and Their Corrupt Relationship With Their Corporate Overlords

You remember former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom -- over 2½ years, a 25-year-old junior Sansom staffer, who was given a party American Express card, spent nearly $1.3 million. Thousands were spent "on jewelry, sporting goods and in one case $15,000 for what's listed as a monthlong stay at a posh Miami Beach hotel." The Florida Republi-cons spent "$650,000 in lodging, $60,000 in airfare — mostly commercial airlines — and $66,000 for charter planes."

Now, more than two years after first calling for his prosecution, the show will soon begin. Read the St. Petersburg Times, Corrupt capital culture exposed from the inside, which notes that "[s]ome in Tallahassee, inured to the capital's corrupt culture, have defended Sansom and argue that he has paid a price for doing nothing more than what many other lawmakers do to help their districts and benefactors. But . . . testimony now lays bare a conspiracy to defraud taxpayers."

I remind you that Florida government is dominated by those waskly Republi-cons.

Witticisms!

From an email. The first and last two regard Congress:

It 's not whether you win or lose, but how you place the blame.

You are not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.

We have enough youth. How about a fountain of "smart"?

The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson.

A fool and his money can throw one heck of a party.

When blondes have more fun do they know it?

Five days a week my body is a temple. The other two it's an amusement park.

Learn from your parents' mistakes, use birth control.

Money isn't everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch.

Don't drink and drive, you might hit a bump and spill something.

If at first you don't succeed skydiving is not for you..

Reality is only an illusion that occurs due to a lack of alcohol.

Time's fun when you're having flies. --Kermit the Frog

We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse.

Red meat is not bad for you Fuzzy green meat is bad for you.

Ninety-nine percent of all lawyers give the rest a bad name..

One good thing about Alzheimer's is you get to meet new people every day.

Xerox and Wurlitzer will merge to produce reproductive organs.

Alabama state motto: At least we're not Mississippi

Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

The latest survey shows that three out of four people make up 75% of the population

You know why a banana is like a politician? When he first comes in he is green, then he turns yellow and then he's rotten.

I think Congressmen should wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers so we can identify their corporate sponsors.

So Many Lies, So Little Time to 'Refudiate'

The latest Republi-con lie: "Assertions by Republican lawmakers and in the press that dairy farmers will have to build containment facilities are 'fictions,' the E.P.A. chief says." Read The New York Times, Spilled Milk Regulations a Myth, E.P.A. Says.

A School Teacher, Tea Party Member and CEO

First seen at Rick's Blog.biz:

A school teacher, Tea Party member and CEO are sitting at a table. In the middle of the table there is a plate with a dozen cookies on it. The CEO reaches across and takes 11 cookies, looks at the Tea Party member and says, "Look out for that school teacher, she wants a piece of your cookie."

Patriotic Affair(s)

UPDATE: "Thanks to Newt Gingrich, we have learned of the link between patriotism and adultery." Read The New York Times, Eye of the Newt.

Gingrich explains the reason for his marital affair(s), giving new meaning the phrase 'in service to our country.' Read the Washington Post, Newt Gingrich: 'Passion for the country' led to personal indiscretion.

Sub Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Usually on Thursdays you can listen to me, the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- no political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

But I can't make it today. I'll be back next week to deprogram you.

Quiz for the Know-It-All

This is a quiz for people who know everything! These are not trick questions, they are straight questions with straight answers.

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters ' dw' and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter 'S.'

For the answers to the quiz, click on comments.

The End of America's Zenith?

UPDATE X: "Americans seem unable to grasp the magnitude of the challenges that face us. Despite the hyped talk of China's rise, most Americans operate on the assumption that the U.S. is still No. 1." Read Time, Are America's Best Days Behind Us?


UPDATE IX: "Napoleon is famously said to have declared, 'When China wakes, it will shake the world.'" Read The New York Times, China Rises, and Checkmates.


UPDATE VIII: "China is playing games with its foreign-exchange policy at the world’s expense." Read The New York Times, The Renminbi Runaround.


UPDATE VII: The title says it all. Read Newsweek, It’s China’s World We’re Just Living in It.

Thanks again to Wal-Mart and the Republi-cons.


UPDATE VI: Thanks to Wal-Mart, "China has the United States about where it wants it. You can make your own calculation of President Obama’s leverage over Beijing — and it’s heading south." To understand why, read The New York Times, The World’s Watchmaker.


UPDATE V: For yet more proof of the growing power of China, read the Washington Post, China's strident tone raises concerns among Western governments, analysts.

And there is not much that can be done about it since the Republi-cons' war on the middle class and unfair trade policies gave China a $2.4 trillion slush fund to "create a world economy that serves China's interests."


UPDATE IV: Tell your kids to learn a new language of business. Read The New York Times, Foreign Languages Fade in Class — Except Chinese.


UPDATE III: After yesterday's fireworks, read The New York Times, Chinese Fireworks Display, about the future of Chimerica, the tightly integrated China-America symbiotic relationship.


UPDATE II: Will the dollar soon be worth less (pun intended)? Read The New York Times, The Almighty Renminbi?

And if you doubt the growing power of China, read The New York Times, China’s Heart of Gold, in which the writer, the executive director of the Beijing Private Equity Association and a director of the China National Association of International Studies, demands "inflation-protection measures for China’s existing investments in America, and [requests] additional security or collateral for its continued investments. America should also provide its largest creditor with greater transparency and information."

This is a stunning demand and challenge to American sovereignty.

This is also the beginning of the end of America's debt addiction, and the withdrawal/detox of the American economy is going to be ugly.

All thanks to Republi-con unfair trade policies as part of their war on the middle class.


UPDATE: Read The New York Times, America the Tarnished.

Will this decade prove to be America's zenith? I predict that the economic mess will be the event leading to the emergence of Chinese economic and military dominance.

Read Washington Post, In Downturn, China Sees Path to Growth.

Another Four Pinocchios for the Republi-CONs

"Congress already has appropriated some spending in future years [for the new health care law], but [Bachmann's] claim that this money was 'hidden' does not have credibility. The money for these programs was clearly described and analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office before the legislation was voted into law." Read the Washington Post, Michele Bachmann's 'bombshell' on a 'hidden' $105 billion.

Cut Federal Government Pay and Benefits

UPDATE III: Reports suggest that "federal employees are paid too generously when compared to private sector workers." Read the Washington Post, Federal pay and benefits back in the spotlight.


UPDATE II: Better less and late than none and never. Read the Washington Post, Obama announces 2-year pay freeze for federal workers.


UPDATE: Another I told ya so, my idea to cut all federal government payments is catching on. Read the Washington Post, Freshman from Utah is making a name for himself.

A bill would furlough federal workers for 2 weeks. That would be a start. I've suggested a 10% pay reduction for all government payees (workers, retirees, veterans, social security recipients, etc.), 50% for any payment over $100k/year.

Don't Read Your Spouse's Email

UPDATE: Also, be careful when you 'wiretap' (record) your spouse in Nebraska, or probably anywhere else in the U.S. Read arstechnica.com, Modern divorce: Wiretapped teddy bears, $120,000 in fines.

And read the federal court order to understand why.

Don't read your spouse's email, especially in Michigan. Read the Washington Post, Michigan man to could go to jail for reading his wife's e-mail.

BE AFRAID!

UPDATE: My, my, it seems that it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black. "Representative Peter T. King, whose committee is holding hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims, once fervently supported a terrorist group, the Irish Republican Army." Read The New York Times, For Lawmaker Examining Terror, a Pro-I.R.A. Past.

Republi-cons have no shame.

"This week’s scheduled hearing into the Muslim community is an affront to America’s most precious ideals." Read The New York Times, Flailing After Muslims and the Washington Post, Rep. Peter King's hearings on Islamic radicalization: Fuel for the bigots.

No More Human Labor

UPDATE: Of course, it is important to understand that the Industrial Revolution and "the overwhelming automation of the business of providing us with calories, warmth, and dryness has not left us short of things to do, and not feeling as though we have suffered status degradation." Read Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality with All Ten Tentacles, Did the Singularity Already Happen?

It sounds Utopian. But what will the middle-class do? Read The New York Times, Degrees and Dollars.

The Benefits of a Modern Secular Legal System

In "the year 1000 the Middle East’s share of the world’s gross domestic product was larger than Europe’s—10% compared with 9%. By 1700 the Middle East’s share had fallen to just 2% and Europe’s had risen to 22%." Why? Tammy might not like the answer. Read The Economist, The crescent and the company.

Flee-ocrats

UPDATE: Democratic state legislators are also fleeing the party in record numbers.

"The 2010 election was devastating for Democrats across the country, but the South was at the epicenter of the destruction. . .

Since the election, things have gone from bad to worse for Democrats in the South. In Louisiana, the state's attorney general and five state legislators - all Democrats - have switched to the Republican side since the 2010 midterms.

The Republican consolidation of the South over the past two years is hard to dispute. But is it a permanent reality or simply the latest swing of the political pendulum in the region? Not surprisingly, the two parties offer vastly different assessments."

Read the Washington Post, Will the South stay solidly Republican?

"Lawmaking can be a frustrating business, especially when you're outnumbered. But some Democratic state legislators have recently embraced a simple tool to gain leverage: the empty chair." Read the Washington Post, Democratic legislators embracing tactic to gain leverage: Fleeing.

A sad commentary on the the party.

Cheer Up Monday -- Childhood Innocence (Posted Early)

You'll be laughing till Monday:

New Score in the Health Care Lawsuit: US 3 - VA 1 and FL 1

UPDATE: Unconstitutional, but still enforceable, if the government appeals the original ruling "within seven days and [seeks] an expedited review at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals." Read the Wall Street Journal, Judge Says Health-Care Overhaul Can Roll Out While Government Appeals, which includes a link to check the status of "the 22 cases challenging the health-care law" at the Kaiser Health News scoreboard.

To read the order potentially staying his find that the health care law is unconstitutional, click here.

To read some of the other recent court documents, click here.

"A third federal judge upheld the constitutionality of the Obama health care law, which two other federal judges have ruled against." Read The New York Times, A Third Judge Validates Health Care Overhaul Law.

Free Speech, Is It All or Nothing?

UPDATE II: Chief Justice "Roberts called 'startling and dangerous' the government's argument that the value of certain categories of speech should be weighed against their societal costs when protecting free speech." Justice Alito would disagree. Read the Washington Post, Alito stands alone on Supreme Court's First Amendment cases.


UPDATE: Free speech means all of it, at least so long as the speech is on matters of public concern, the relationship between speaker and subject was not a private grudge, and speech is said from a place where the speaker has the right to be. Read the New York Times, Justices Rule for Protesters at Military Funerals, or read the Supreme Court opinion.

Antichrist Obama, God Hates Adultery, You're Going to Hell!

Any problems with those statements?

Then what is the objection to God Hates the USA, Thank God for 9/11, Thank God for Dead Soldiers, Semper Fi Fags, Priests Rape Boys, or God Hates Your Tears?

Read the Washington Post, High court struggles with funeral protest case.

No Class Like This at My School

According to Northwestern University spokesman Alan Cubbage:

"Northwestern University faculty members engage in teaching and research on a wide variety of topics, some of them controversial and some of at the leading edge of their respective disciplines, The University supports the efforts of its faculty to further the advancement of knowledge."

Their dedication to the advancement of knowledge is commendable. Case in point:

"A Northwestern University professor concluded a discussion of bondage and other sexual fetishes in his human sexuality class by having a woman take off all her clothes, climb on stage and graphically demonstrate the use of a sex toy." Read The New York Times, Northwestern Uni Defends Sex-Toy Demonstration.

I liked this quote from the article:

"'It is probably something I will remember the rest of my life,' said senior Justin Smith, 21, one of the students who stuck around voluntarily after class when students were told about what they were about to see.

'I can't say that about my Econ 202 class and the material that I learned there,' Smith told The Chicago Tribune."

For a more graphic description of the events that day, read EdenFantasys.com, Northwestern Students Treated to Orgasm Demo.

Republi-CONs, and Their Mutually Beneficial Relationship With Their Corporate Overlords

"Corporations are restricted in making contributions to Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. But they can give whatever they like to the foundation set up by his wife." Read The New York Times, Wife’s Charity Offers Corporate Tie to a Governor.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

The NoBullU New Year's Resolution;


Follow-up to fact-free fantasies: TBD;


Local and regional: BREAKING NEWS, unconstitutional, but still enforceable, if at first Boeing doesn't succeed . . . change the rules, more state Republi-CON fiscal conservative hypocrisy, Republi-CONs, and their mutually beneficial relationship with Louisiana corporate overlords, and remember days gone by, watch this 1964 Pensacola tourism film;


National and international: I'm waiting, where's the balanced budget, don't hold you breath because the Republi-CONs Con the Tea Party, there'll be no $100 billion budget cut, but the budget battles continue, free speech, is it all or nothing?, union busting, part of the Republi-CON war on the middle class, budget gamesmanship and tough decisions, the Republi-CON Double Dip Recession, not a new ice cream, but it'll make you scream, and they're off and running, reports are that former speaker of the House Gingrich will become the first major Republican candidate to enter the 2012 Presidential race, America's obsession with sex, but not violence, a former car thief and arsonist, who is he now?, Hedgehog News protects its investment in Republi-CONs, a Facebook revolution?, new score in the health care lawsuit: US 3 - VA 1 and FL , the reason for repeal -- the health care industry bottomline, Republi-CON fear, anger, hatred whatever the subject, time flies, we just finished the runt month, no class like this at my school, and 'The Great Stagnation' and our broken political system;


Fun stuff: test your power of observation; what Dads do when Moms are not home, America's Funniest Grandmother and Mission Impossible, Squirrel Edition, Escapa;

and

Donate to a good cause: help the friends of a former instructor at the Naval EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes, who was detachment company gunnery sergeant from June 2007 to June 2010 and taught several courses and was recently wounded in Afghanistan.

I'll discuss anything, but expect a no mercy take down if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

A Former Car Thief and Arsonist, Who is He Now?

A six-term California Republi-con, recently been elected chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Read The New Yorker, Don’t Look Back, Darrell Issa, the congressman about to make life more difficult for President Obama, has had some troubles of his own.

A Facebook Revolution?

UPDATE II: "Future historians will long puzzle over how the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, in protest over the confiscation of his fruit stand, managed to trigger popular uprisings across the Arab/Muslim world. We know the big causes — tyranny, rising food prices, youth unemployment and social media. But since being in Egypt, I’ve been putting together my own back-of-the-envelope guess list of what I’d call the 'not-so-obvious forces' that fed this mass revolt." Read about those 'not-so-obvious forces' at The New York Times, This Is Just the Start.


UPDATE: So far, the Middle East revolution "movements that have appeared so suddenly and proved so powerful have shunned the two central tenets of the Qaeda credo: murderous violence and religious fanaticism. The demonstrators have used force defensively, treated Islam as an afterthought and embraced democracy, which is anathema to Osama bin Laden and his followers." Read The New York Times, As Regimes Fall in Arab World, Al Qaeda Sees History Fly By.

Reaffirming what I said for many years, violence favors the terrorists.

In the meantime, follow the Middle East protests, country-by-country.

To understand "[h]ow a spat over pears in the middle of nowhere morphed into a Tunisian revolution," read The New York Times, Facebook and Arab Dignity.

If at First Boeing Doesn't Succeed . . . Change the Rules

"Boeing won a rematch for the airborne refueling tanker this week because the government put more emphasis on long-term costs." Read The New York Times, Air Force’s Shifting Rules Helped Boeing.

It was a "decade of effort to overcome multiple obstacles." Read The (Everett, WA) Herald, 6 keys to how Boeing won the tanker contract.

The Runt Month

Should we feel " sorry for February, squeezed between the big months of January (named for the Roman god Janus, keeper of gateways and entrances) and March (after Mars, the god of war)." Read The New York Times, Except February.

Test Your Power of Observation

How much do you see and remember? A quiz about things you've seen before. Give it a try.

America's Obsession With Sex, But Not Violence

Master Mike sent me an email to inform me that Ted Kennedy rented a Chilean brothel for the entire night to talk with communist.

My reply: Bush (and Clinton and Obama too) rented torture cells and associated with dictators.

So is torture good/acceptable and sex bad/unacceptable?

Hedgehog News Protects Its Investment in Republi-CONs

First Hedgehog News bought a stake in the Republi-CONs when parent News Corp. donated $1 million to Republican Governors' Association. Then News Corp. contributed $1 million to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "the business lobby that has been running an aggressive campaign in support of the Republican effort to retake Congress." But more shocking, "every major contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination who isn’t currently holding office and isn’t named Mitt Romney is now" on the payroll of Hedgehog News.

And just revealed, two years ago. the powerful chairman of Hedgehog News encouraged an employee to lie to federal investigators doing a background check on former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, to protect former New York Mayor Giuliani and conceal an affair. Giuliani was Kerik's mentor and supporter, and a longtime friend of the chairman. Giuliani was also just beginning a presidential campaign.

Hedgehog News owns the Republi-con party and will protect its investment.

Cheer Up Monday

It could be worse:

What Dads Do When Moms Are Not Home

Pulling out a tooth with a rocket:

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

The NoBullU New Year's Resolution;


Follow-up to fact-free fantasies, don't be duped: God Mocks Pastor Truthiness

I called, he's a fraud (who pimps of fear anger and hatred), he denies the missile nonsense, and claims God talks through an oil well,

and of course, the birther delusions, it is clear that he hasn't even read the Congressional Research Service that would agree that Obama is a "natural born citizen," (the Congressional Research Service is a part of the Library of Congress, providing professional, objective and non-partisan public policy research to members of Congress and their staffers. The writer of the memorandum is a qualified constitutional attorney who has summarized the historical and legal material with references, showing, by contrast, how shoddy the birther arguments are) (this memorandum explains why even Republi-CON Congressmen/women refuse to join the Birthers), and he hasn't talked to Barbara Nelson, who "specifically remembers his birth" because she spoke with the obstetrician who delivered him shortly after his birth,

and slander by innuendo, one example -- Michelle Obama did not surrender her license to practice law, another example -- denying the theory of evolution,

and now he continues the devil's dirty work supporting Middle East dictators;

and predicting apocalypse (why are people addicted to such 'predictions?', bold predictions: always enticing, but often wrong);


Local and regional: is it déjà tanker all over again and remember days gone by, watch this 1964 Pensacola tourism film;


National and international: I'm waiting, where's the balanced budget, don't hold you breath because the Republi-CONs Con the Tea Party, there'll be no $100 billion budget cut, budget battles continue, budgets from Reagan to Obama, always lookin for the anti-Obama angle, and showing how dumb they are, Republi-CON fear, anger, hatred whatever the subject, the Republi-CON Reagan Myth, which ad was your favorite?, health care lawsuit score: US 3 - VA 1 and FL 1, the reason for repeal -- the health care industry bottomline, time to call the Republi-CON bluff on health care, you go to war based on the myths you want, and 'The Great Stagnation' and our broken political system


Fun stuff: America's Funniest Grandmother and Mission Impossible, Squirrel Edition, Escapa

and

Donate to a good cause: help the friends of a former instructor at the Naval EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes, who was detachment company gunnery sergeant from June 2007 to June 2010 and taught several courses and was recently wounded in Afghanistan.

I'll discuss anything, but expect a no mercy take down if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

Republi-CON Fear, Anger, Hatred Whatever the Subject

"The corpulent critic giggled and concluded: 'Yes, every square inch of my glorious, naked body oozes with the truth.'" Actually what oozes from his mouth, whatever the subject, the Republi-con campaign strategy -- fear, anger, and hatred. Read the Washington Post, Rush Limbaugh binges on anti-Michelle Obama vitriol.

Four Pinocchios

"The claim that Obama repeatedly has apologized for the United States is not borne out by the facts, especially if his full quotes are viewed in context." Read the Washington Post, Obama's 'Apology Tour'.

Questions to Ponder

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in"... but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change?

They're going to see you naked anyway.

Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

The Republi-CON Reagan Myth (and What Obama Can Learn From It)

UPDATE III: Reagan once said: "Someday it might be worthwhile to find out how images are created — and even more worthwhile to learn how false images come into being."

And just in time for President's Day Weekend, a new film examines the myth of Reagan, who according to The New York Times, Reagan and Reality:

"[Presented} himself — and has since been presented by his admirers — as someone committed to the best interests of ordinary, hard-working Americans. Yet his economic policies, Reaganomics, dealt a body blow to that very constituency.

Mark Hertsgaard, the author of 'On Bended Knee: The Press and the Reagan Presidency,' says in the film, 'You cannot be fair in your historical evaluation of Ronald Reagan if you don’t look at the terrible damage his economic policies did to this country.' . .

What we get with Reagan are a series of disconnects and contradictions that have led us to a situation in which a president widely hailed as a hero of the working class set in motion policies that have been mind-bogglingly beneficial to the wealthy and devastating to working people and the poor. . .

[T]he economic revolution that gained steam during the Reagan years and is still squeezing the life out of the middle class and the poor that is Reagan’s most significant legacy. A phony version of that legacy is relentlessly promoted by right-wingers who shamelessly pursue the interests of the very rich while invoking the Reagan brand to give the impression that they are in fact the champions of ordinary people."

Shall we have a WEBY meet-up to watch the film?


UPDATE II: "Some Republicans, I suppose, might be so enraptured by the Reagan legend that they are unaware of his actual record. I hate to break it to Sarah Palin, but Reagan raised taxes. Often. Sometimes by a lot.

When he took office as governor of California in 1967, the state faced a huge budget deficit. Reagan promptly raised taxes by $1 billion - at a time when the entire state budget amounted to just $6 billion. It was then the biggest state tax increase in history. During Reagan's eight years in Sacramento, the top state income tax rate increased from 7 percent to 11 percent. Business and sales taxes also soared. . .

[As president, Reagan] raised taxes 11 times, beginning with the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982. . .

Reagan had promised to eliminate the departments of Energy and Education, but he didn't. Instead, he signed legislation that added to the Cabinet a new Department of Veterans Affairs. . .

[Now,] the Republican Party has lost its mind. The GOP argues for deep across-the-board budget cuts of a kind that Reagan ultimately rejected. Party leaders denounce the belief that government can do any good for anybody as "socialism." "

Read the Washington Post, The GOP's selective memory on Ronald Reagan.


UPDATE: Did you know that "[f]ederal spending grew by an average of 2.5 percent a year, adjusted for inflation, while Reagan was president. The national debt exploded, increasing from about $700 billion to nearly $3 trillion." This despite the fact that "Reagan raised taxes six of the eight years he was in office."

And I bet you didn't know that "Reagan was in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants, [and] he signed a bill to give amnesty to 2.6 million illegal immigrants in the United States."

To better understand Republi-con mythology, read the Washington Post, Five myths about Ronald Reagan's legacyand HBO documentary explores Reagan's myths, mysteries, which shows that "Reagan-the-man refuses to conform to Reagan-the-myth, a figure [the documentary shows that ] has been created by political opportunists to brand policies and agendas Reagan himself would likely oppose."

"The present-day radicals donning Reagan drag, led by Sarah Palin, seem not to know, as Cannon writes, that their hero lurched “from excessive tax cuts to corrective tax increases disguised as tax reform” and “submitted eight unbalanced budgets to Congress in succession.” Reagan made no promise whatsoever of a balanced budget in the document that codified Reaganomics, his White House’s 281-page message to Congress in February 1981. The historian Gil Troy has calculated that spending on entitlement programs more than doubled on Reagan’s watch. America slid into debtor-nation status, and Americans “went from owing 16 cents for every dollar in national income in 1981” to owing 44 cents per dollar in 1988. . .

What Reagan did know was how to deliver a message, even if that message belied his policies or actions or the facts."

Read The New York Times, Let Obama’s Reagan Revolution Begin.

Funny Talking Animal Voiceovers

It's Monday, and if you need a good laugh, watch:

Test for Old-Timers

A pop culture test for old-timers. The answers are at the end. Have fun, but no peeking!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?

A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil

2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was...

A. Sugar Ray Robinson
B. Roy Orbison
C. Gene Autry
D. Rudolph Valentino
E. Fabian
F. Mickey Mantle
G. Cassius Clay

3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, 'We have met the enemy and...

A. It's you
B. He is us
C. It's the Grinch
D. He wasn't home
E. He's really me an
F. We quit
G. He surrendered

4. Good night David.

A. Good night Chet
B. Sleep well
C. Good night Irene
D. Good night Gracie
E. See you later alligator
F. Until tomorrow
G. Good night Steve

5. You'll wonder where the yellow went...

A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons
C. When you clean your tub
D. If you paint the room blue
E. If you buy a soft water tank
F. When you use Lady Clairol
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

6. Before he was the Skipper's Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie's friend...

A. Stuart Whitman
B. Randolph Scott
C. Steve Reeves
D. Maynard G Krebbs
E. Corky B. Dork
F. Dave the Whale
G. Zippy Zoo

7. Liar, liar..

A. You're a liar
B. Your nose is growing
C. Pants on fire
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher
F. On the wire
G. I'm telling Mom

8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and...

A. Wheaties
B. Lois Lane
C. TV ratings
D. World peace
E. Red tights
F. The American way
G. News headlines

9. Hey kids! What time is it?

A. It's time for Yogi Bear
B. It's time to do your homework
C. It's Howdy Doody Time
D. It's Time for Romper Room
E. It's bedtime
F. The Mighty Mouse Hour
G. Scoopy Doo Time

10. Lions and tigers and bears...

A. Yikes
B. Oh no
C. Gee whiz
D. I'm scared
E. Oh my
F. Help! Help!
G. Let's run

11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone...

A. Over 40
B. Wearing a uniform
C. Carrying a briefcase
D. Over 30
E. You don't know
F. Who says, 'Trust me'
G. Who eats tofu

12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women's stockings...

A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Stauback
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway

13. Brylcream.

A. Smear it on
B. You'll smell great
C. Tame that cowlick
D. Grease ball heaven
E. It's a dream
F. We're your team
G. A little dab'll do ya

14. I found my thrill...

A. In Blueberry muffins
B. With my man, Bill
C. Down at the mill
D. Over the windowsill
E. With thyme and dill
F. Too late to enjoy
G. On Blueberry Hill

15.. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by...

A. Clark Gable
B. Mary Martin
C. Doris Day
D. Errol Flynn
E. Sally Fields
F. Jim Carey
G. Jay Leno

16. Name the Beatles....

A. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo

17. I wonder, wonder, who..

A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C. Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?

18. I'm strong to the finish....

A. Cause I eats my broccoli
B. Cause I eats me spinach
C. Cause I lift weights
D. Cause I'm the hero
E. And don't you forget it
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me
G. To outlast Bruto

19. When it's least expected, you're elected, you're the star today...

A. Smile, you're on Candid Camera
B. Smile, you're on Star Search
C Smile, you won the lottery
D. Smile, we're watching you
E. Smile, the world sees you
F. Smile, you're a hit
G. Smile, you're on TV

20. What do M&M's do?

A. Make your tummy happy
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket
C. Make you fat
D. Melt your heart
E. Make you popular
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand
G Come in colors




____________________________________________________
Below are the right answers:


1. D - Wonder Bread
2. G - Cassius Clay
3. B - He Is Us
4. A - Good night, Chet
5. G - When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D - Maynard G. Krebbs
7. C - Pants On Fire
8. F - The American Way
9. C - It's Howdy Doody Time
10. E - Oh My
11. D - Over 30
12. C - Joe Namath
13. G - A little dab'll do ya
14. G - On Blueberry Hill
15. B - Mary Martin
16. G - John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D - Who wrote the book of Love
18. B - Cause I eats me spinach
19. A - Smile, you're on Candid Camera
20. F - Melt In Your Mouth Not In Your Hand

A Question of Where to Retire

You can retire to Phoenix , Arizona where...

1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your hiney from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

OR

You can retire to California where...

1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought.

OR

You can retire to New York City where...

1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan .
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.
5. You've worn out a car horn. (Ed. Note: If you have a car.)
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.

OR

You can retire to Minnesota where...

1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco .
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. Most of your culinary repertoire consists of casseroles.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction.

OR

You can retire to the Deep South where...

1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has 2 first names: Petey Joe, Larry Lloyd, Lettie Mae, Flora Jean, etc.
5. Everything is either "in yonder," "out yonder" or "over yonder." It's important to know the difference.
6. "Witchya, didya" indicates the possessive-interrogative: "Y'all didn't bring yer 12-gauge witchya, didya"?

OR

You can retire to Colorado where...

1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home so he stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.
5. 2 feet of snow on Halloween is not unusual.

OR

You can retire to the rural Midwest where...

1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?"
5. When asked how your trip to any exotic place was, you say, "It was different!"

OR

You can retire to Florida where…

1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind – even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.


So pick your poison.

Budgets from Reagan to Obama

UPDATE: Next show, let's discuss some of the difficult decisions that will have to be made to balance the budget, with a case study of WUWF, focusing on the general expenses (I'm trying to get a copy of the station's $1.135 million budget), funding sources, and Public Radio's campaign to prevent cuts to government funding.

Somebody remind me if I forget.

From the Washington Post:



Humor aside, the budget is a mess. That said, "[s]ee how Obama's spending compares to his predecessors and how presidential priorites shift over time" at the Washington Post, 30 years of spending priorities.

Then "[e]xplore every nook and cranny of President Obama's budget proposal" at The New York Times, Obama’s 2012 Budget Proposal: How $3.7 Trillion is Spent.

America's Funniest Grandmother

The comedy of Mrs. Hughes:

Always Lookin for the Anti-Obama Angle

UPDATE II: From the Washington Post, The GOP loves freedom, but not for Egypt:

"The conservative mantra has been: Obama Is Always Wrong. Therefore there must be something wrong with the way he handled Egypt - even if it appears, from what we've seen so far, that the result is a historic opening for democracy in the world's most troubled region.

The other possible explanation for the lukewarm conservative reaction is a lack of faith in our most cherished democratic values - at least where majority-Islam countries are concerned. . .

[Republicans] and some others seem to believe that only political parties of which the United States approves should be allowed to participate in Egyptian elections. . .

These conservatives are arguing that the world's 1.2 billion Muslims cannot be trusted to govern themselves. That's not what I call loving freedom."

UPDATE: From This Modern World, Introducing: The Conservabot 9000!, "for a coherent aggregation of conservative opinion on the Egyptian uprisings:"

Have you noticed the mixed messages on Egypt from the Republi-cons. That's because they are still lookin for the anti-Obama angle. Listen as Palin tries to find that angle:



Read the Washington Post, Sarah Palin needs her own wake-up call, which also examines her nonsense on the press:

"[T]he cornerstone of our democracy is a free press. But implicit in that is the expectation that journalists will hold people in positions of authority and influence accountable and responsible for their words and actions. An expectation that Palin thrives on flouting. . . And when she does answer questions, she does so from sympathetic inquisitors or from the comfort of her Fox News security blanket."

You Go to War Based on the Myths You Want

"What Rummy didn’t know could fill his book." But what he did know was that there was no evidence of any current WMD programs in Iraq.

Read The New York Times, Simply the Worst, which quotes a report marked 'SECRET' from "Major Gen. Glen Shaffer, then the director for intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretary of defense, responding to Rummy’s request to know the 'unknowns' about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction" and dated Sept. 9, 2002 (just as the Bush administration started its P.R. campaign leading to the March 2003 Iraq invasion). The report stated:

"'We range from 0% to about 75% knowledge on various aspects of their program. . .'

'Our assessments rely heavily on analytic assumptions and judgment rather than hard evidence, the evidentiary base is particularly sparse for Iraqi nuclear programs.'

It added: 'We don’t know with any precision how much we don’t know.' And continued: 'We do not know if they have purchased, or attempted to purchase, a nuclear weapon. We do not know with confidence the location of any nuclear weapon-related facilities. Our knowledge of the Iraqi nuclear weapons program is based largely — perhaps 90% — on analysis of imprecise intelligence.'

On biological weapons: 'We cannot confirm the identity of any Iraqi facilities that produce, test, fill, or store biological weapons,' the report said, adding: 'We believe Iraq has 7 mobile BW agent production plants but cannot locate them ... our knowledge of how and where they are produced is probably up to 90% incomplete.'

On chemical weapons: 'We cannot confirm the identity of any Iraqi sites that produce final chemical agent.' And on ballistic missile programs they had 'little missile-specific data.'"

In other words, there was no evidence Iraq had any nuclear, biological or chemical weapons program!

God Mocks Pastor Truthiness

After denouncing Pastor Truthiness (formerly known as Pastor Poppins) for doing the devil's work and supporting Middle East dictators, Egyptians have their freedom. May they us it wisely.

Time now to denounce Huckabee of Judea and free Palestine!

Time to Call the Bluff of Republi-CON Budget Hypocrites

UPDATE: "Over the past decades, spending in nearly every section of the federal budget has exploded to unsustainable levels. . . The greatest pressure comes from entitlements. " Read The New York Times, The Freedom Alliance, which states:

"The supposedly rabid Republican freshmen are actually big government conservatives. They will cut programs that do measurable good while doing little to solve our long-range fiscal crisis.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration theoretically opposes runaway debt while it operationally expands it. The president is unwilling to ask for shared sacrifice if the Republicans won’t ask with him. Fine. But he hasn’t even used his pulpit to prepare the ground. He announces unserious cuts with lavish fanfare.

Since most of the budget is untouchable, the budget ax will fall on every section of the discretionary budget. It will fall on the just and unjust alike, regardless of merit.

The implication is this: If people who care about this or that domestic program fight alone, hoping that their own program will be spared, then they will all perish alone. If they have any chance of continuing their work, they will have to band together and fight their common enemy, the inexorable growth of entitlement spending."

From The Atlantic, We Are All Budget Hypocrites:

"The classic test of whether politicians are serious about balancing the federal budget is whether they confine their suggestions to eliminating earmarks, foreign aid, and fraud, waste, and abuse. Politicians love to rail against these things because they're unpopular and therefore make attractive targets. But doing so is a dodge. All combined, they account for only a tiny fraction of federal spending, so doing away with them does little for the bottom line. Anyone who implies otherwise isn't being forthright about the problem or the possible solutions. But politicians have always gotten away with this because most voters don't know enough about the budget to realize they're being snowed. . .

But the budget battle won't favor Republicans nearly as much as it might at first appear to. That's because, as voters learn more about what's on the line, their preferences tend to shift: They become less insistent on keeping taxes down, as Republicans would prefer, and more invested in protecting the kind of entitlements that Democrats cherish.

A New York Times/CBS poll last month showed that 7 in 10 Americans considered the deficit a "very serious'' problem, but also that they didn't think they should have to pay higher taxes to solve it -- a mindset that lends itself to the Republican claim that the problem stems mainly from spending, rather than revenue.

But when presented with the type of reductions that would be necessary to bring about this scenario -- including deep cuts in programs like Medicare and Social Security that generate most of the long-term debt -- the respondents changed their minds. Nearly two-thirds indicated that they would prefer solutions that are anathema to Republicans, such as higher payroll and gasoline taxes, a new levy on employer-provided health benefits, and limits on popular measures like a tax deduction for mortgage interest. They were suddenly open to cutting military spending, too.

Under no circumstances will reducing the deficit be painless or easy. One attempt to minimize tough political choices by outsourcing the problem has already come up short. Last fall, the White House's bipartisan deficit commission recommended a package of cuts and tax increases. But Obama flinched from endorsing it, and Congress never considered it. Instead, Republicans and Democrats will tackle the job on their own.

Which party ultimately comes out ahead will depend to a large extent on how much the public comes to terms with the real causes of the long-term budget deficit and what really has to be done to fix them. Right now, budget ignorance remains widespread, and Republicans appear to have the upper hand. But that could soon change. America will never be a nation of budget wonks. But if the budget battle finally forces voters to understand what eliminating the deficit will entail, the debate may soon look a lot different."

Is the Republi-CON Plan to Destroy the Banking System and Divide the Country?

UPDATE: "We’ve always known that the modern G.O.P. wants to take America back to the way it was before the New Deal; but now it’s clear that the party wants to build a bridge to the 19th century, and maybe even to the antebellum era. Backward, march! " Read The New York Times, Abraham Lincoln, Inflationist.

"The Republican takeover of the House put a chairman's gavel in the hands of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the gadfly GOP presidential candidate with a cult following. On Wednesday, he used that gavel for the first time - to remarkable effect.

The hearing itself was lively - based on Paul's desire to abolish the Federal Reserve and bring back the gold standard - but what really stood out was Chairman Paul's leadoff witness: a Southern secessionist. "

Read the Washington Post, Ron Paul's economic Rx: a Southern secessionist.