The number-crunchers in Washington, D.C. might want to put down their abaci and direct their attention to the wisdom of Alexei Kudrin.
Mr. Kudrin, Russia’s finance minister, wants his fellow countrymen to chain smoke and drink to excess.
Those were not his words, exactly. But one can read between the lines.
Ok, the most entertaining thing I’ve read in a long time was the recent New York Times Op-Ed “The Billionaires Bankrolling The TEA Party”, by Mr. Frank Rich. It shows that the New York Times has learned an amazing lesson. With the success of the National Enquirer and the Jon Edwards story, something which used to be the sort of stuff you might expect to hear first from such a prestigious organization as the Times, the Times has learned and decided to emulate the National Enquirer!
Naturally I am concerned about overweight people. I am concerned because I have a big heart. Not an enlarged, unhealthy heart, like thickset people, but rather I am full of concerned feeling for them. I want them to be healthy. Even if they don’t want to be healthy themselves. I want this for them because I am healthy myself. I run almost every day. I eat healthy foods. And I feel great! Except for all this concern that I have for people who don’t run, and don’t eat healthy foods.
When I think of those butterballs, I feel sad.
But then I feel happy again when I think of the people who are actually doing something about our country’s obesity epidemic. People like me, who make enlightened food choices, and who exercise regularly. I am a lean and healthy 154 pounds, and at 6′1″, I am an appealing ideal to which others can aspire.
America’s strength comes from its adaptability; its ability to remain dynamic and search for innovative ways to solve the problems that face us as a people. Whether it’s finding solutions to the dangers of terrorism on our airplanes, or finding ways to ensure affordable healthcare for all, our country is taking the initiative and making important decisions that will make us all safer and healthier.
Of course, there is still more we can do. That’s another part of our strength — our ability to recognize that we should always do more. There will never come a time when we shouldn’t be doing more.
We’re seeing this in Washington. Even the sweeping healthcare bill that was just passed is being made even more sweeping, because our leaders understand that laws, even existing laws, need to be dynamic, to change with the times. And times are changing. We’re not the same country we were when the health care bill was passed five months ago. We’ve grown. We’ve changed. Our laws need to change with us.
There was a flash one day, and another a few days later and the war was over. Millions of Americans and Japanese that had just had their date with death cancelled turned around and went home. In Europe the fighting had stopped with Hitler dead, but the squabbling had begun already. Germany had been reduced to ashes in some precincts and barely touched in others. The Soviets were digging in and laying the chaulklines for the Iron Curtain which of course split Germany just as Berlin herself was split into a sector for each of the Allies. British, American and French sectors were Free Berlin. The Soviet sector, less so. [Read more →]
It seems to this American that the people blabbering on about how Obama is a Muslim foreigner miss out on something far more threatening to our nation’s future: we haven’t seen Joe Biden’s birth certificate either. Not even a photocopy. Nor have we seen any birth announcements or baby photos, preferably of him dressed as a cowboy. From this we can draw one logical conclusion: our Vice President is a robot. [Read more →]
Our metaphorist-in-chief, Barack Obama, has apparently been getting a lot of “mileage” out of his latest metaphor, in which he likens the state of the economy to an automobile.
The first time President Barack Obama used the metaphor at a Democratic fundraiser in April, he spent exactly four sentences on it: “And yet, after driving our economy into the ditch, they decided to stand on the side of the road and watch us while we pulled it out of the ditch,” Obama said at the Los Angeles event for Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. “They asked, ‘Why haven’t you pulled it out fast enough?’ ‘I noticed there’s, like, a little scratch there in the fender. Why didn’t you do something about that?’”
That is a great metaphor. You can see why he makes the big bucks. Enough that his wife can afford to go on great trips to Spain (do you think she ate any paella while she was there? I love paella). It’s easily equal to his other great metaphor, the one about the medical care bill being like planting seeds in a garden, only we don’t know what kind of seeds we planted, so we need to wait and see what comes up.
Actually, it’s a better metaphor, since it reminds people of “Cash for Clunkers,” arguably the president’s greatest accomplishment. [Read more →]
You know what I hate? These new “ Fire Safety Cigarettes “. Talk about an absolutely horrible idea!
In Portland, Oregon, health inspectors shut down a 7-year-old girl’s lemonade stand at a street fair because she didn’t have a $120 temporary restaurant license.
“I understand the reason behind what they’re doing and it’s a neighborhood event, and they’re trying to generate revenue,” said Jon Kawaguchi, environmental health supervisor for the Multnomah County Health Department. “But we still need to put the public’s health first.”
OregonLive.com reports that “the girl worked on a sign, coloring in the letters and decorating it with a drawing of a person saying ‘Yummy.’” Perhaps city inspectors could have also cited the girl, Julie Murphy, for false advertising or at least for making an unsubstantiated claim, since it is unlikely that an independent panel of experts was commissioned to establish that the lemonade was indeed “yummy.” [Read more →]
“Sarah Palin, the smartest woman in America? With all due respect, I must refudiate.”
Refudiate away. Name her countless verbal transgressions, cite her taunting vacuum of legitimate political and legal knowledge, snort at her so-called feminist identity. I won’t deny you. I’m right there with you. Sarah Palin has never struck me as a genius. In fact, I’ve always gotten the impression she’s the type who’s unable to read without moving her lips. [Read more →]
In the last embarrassing installment of the “The Conversation,” the New York Times’ pandering online ‘dialogue’ between columnists David Brooks and Gail Collins, readers overheard David and Gail chatting philosophical on the progress of humanity. Regardless of the deplorable state of American, well, everything, they assured each other in alternating heaves of optimism, at least the present is better than the past.
Not that we should be surprised. David Brooks could find the silver lining of industrial capitalism in a radiation cloud. Nuclear technology, after all, is clear evidence of economic growth and human creativity. No, we shouldn’t be surprised that this country’s supposed intellectuals are finding new ways to dumb down discourse with rancid chestnuts about progress. But we should be disappointed.
10. “Did you catch Hillary’s lace pantsuit?”
9. “Bill and one of the bridesmaids are missing.”
8. “Look! It’s the Salahis!”
[Read more →]
Does anybody know how to cancel a bid on E-Bay?
I put in a bid for a “Mickey Mouse Outfit” and now it seems I’m only 6 minutes away from acquiring Obama and his entire cabinet!
Having absolutely nothing better to do, the President of the United States appeared on The View yesterday where he made what I consider to be a rather startling claim for an American to make:
President Obama charmed the ladies on “The View” yesterday and confidently showed off his command of the big challenges facing the nation today.
But the name Snooki didn’t ring a bell.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is,” the smiling but perplexed President said when asked about the big-haired “Jersey Shore” bombshell, according to several audience members interviewed after the show.
“We all liked that he didn’t know who she was,” said Nella Cerminara, 51, of Montreal.
That would be nice if the president didn’t know who “Snooki” was, I suppose.
Except he does know who Snooki is. He was lying. Check out this video from back in May: [Read more →]
Bristol, Bristol, Bristol. The story of your charmed teenage years could have been taken right off the cover of a dog-eared Sweet Valley High paperback. You met a guy you liked, you had unprotected sex because condoms make Jesus cry, your mother forced you and your swollen belly to make an appearance at the RNC, and then your baby daddy abandoned you, trashed your family in Vanity Fair, and came crawling back with a diamond ring and five pounds of freshly-killed moose meat. I mean, really, what little girl hasn’t dreamt of a future like that? I get it, honey, you fell in love with the dream. And now I’m going to wake you up. Come crawl into Auntie Meg’s lap, Bristol Palin; it’s time for some tough love. [Read more →]
Buckle up kids, this is from ICE’s own website, discussing the Federal program designed to train State and local officers in immigration enforcement. The authorization for this was given in 1996.
Sort of an FYI to those of you claiming that Arizona does not have the liberty to enforce its new immigration law.
The world moves on a woman’s hips, says David Byrne, or maybe it was the Weymouths but we know what they are talking about. That taper, swell and taper is hypnotic, notoriously it is used in advertising and product design to subliminally trip primordial triggers. Is it no more than vestigal reproductive instincts? Science seems to demonstrate this geometric construct to be nearly a bedrock of reality; not quite as solid as the speed of light but close enough to earn the name Normal or Standard Deviation.
And it isn’t just solar intensity or SAT scores that follow this template. Like so many other aspects of finance and economics, a Standard Deviation is historically demonstrated in the relationship between tax rates and tax revenues. [Read more →]
The recent financial reform bill that passed the House and Senate was so important that even the people who created it don’t know exactly what it will do. And we can debate all day what’s the most important part of the bill, but I’d like to suggest that it’s the ban on the despicable practice known as “Movie Futures Trading” (MFT) that will have the most positive affect on the country.
MFT is the process by which people bet on how much money a work of art — a film — will “earn” at the box office. Much as the stock market speculators nearly caused the collapse of our entire financial system, so to does this crass gambling enterprise threaten the very foundation of an industry that is vital to our economy and to our standing in the world. Interim MPAA president Bob Pisano put it best when he said:
“After proposals for these speculative gaming platforms came to light, our industry came together to oppose these plans with an unprecedented coalition that included entertainment industry workers, creators, independent producers and distributors, studios and theater owners. We are pleased with final passage of this important legislation. Congress has acted decisively to ban proposed trading in box office futures and to make important reforms in the country’s financial regulatory system. We applaud the work the bill’s authors have done, and of course, the many Senators and Members who supported the provisions to prevent movie futures trading.”
Essentially, it encourages people to “root against” certain films — films produced by studios that already have a hard time ensuring their products make money.
I understand the nature of a changing economy enough to appreciate that some people are thrown out of work and have a difficult time getting back on their feet. The government doesn’t make it any easier no matter what they say because Washington only encourages continued unemployment by effectively paying people not to work. Therefore, I thought about an alternative system, one that would provide a cushion and yet not be a drag on the taxpayer. In fact, my idea provides greater flexibility and much greater potential for those who behave responsibly. No, it’s not perfect but it’s better than what we have. [Read more →]
By Carter Era standards it is not really that bad. Of course by Carter Era standards Carter wasn’t that bad either. Those who remember “double-digit” unemployment remember poorly. The nation has never clocked a year with unemployment over ten percent and those two years that were close to that were ‘82 and ‘83, the shank of the Reagan Revolution. Inflation did hit murderous levels under Carter but of course we are not experiencing anything like that today. Four percent inflation has been the norm for decades and we have had some recent deflation though that was brief. Now we are about two percent, a quite good number giving us a misery index in the elevens which historically is not miserable at all. [Read more →]
The Washington Post reports that the DoJ is going to file suit against Arizona’s new immigration law.
At the EXACT SAME TIME, “The Obama administration has vowed to crack down on employers who hire illegals… ”
So riddle me this, Batman: It’s the Federal Government’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws when it comes to Arizona, but it is NOT the Federal Government’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws when employers hire illegals? That sounds to me like a classic Catch-22. Enforce immigration laws on your own, the Federal Government will sue you. Don’t enforce immigration laws on your own, the Federal Government will sue you.
Man, I really love “Hope” and “Change”.
The Antiplanner, a Cato policy scholar, is one of my favorite bloggers here in the Beaver State. He’s a first-rate analyst, and I love how he makes Smart Growth proponents roll their eyes and burst into flames. Anyway, there’s an an excellent post on his site regarding crony capitalism and mass transit in Honolulu. I recommend the entire thing, but here are the money passages (emphasis mine):
Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, just announced that their country will break ties with Israel if it refuses to apologize for the flotilla incident. This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Turkey’s long history of supporting freedom. A history that stands in direct opposition to Israel’s, whose aggression goes back to when it was referred to as the Ottoman Empire. [Read more →]
Yesterday brought us the funeral of Sen. Robert Byrd. He was the nation’s oldest and longest serving Senator. He also comes with a fairly controversial past, one which drew much criticism while he was alive. I’m obviously referring to his membership in the Ku Klux Klan, and his work as a recruiter for the organization.
So what is the best way to eulogize someone’s racist, cross-burning, terrorist past? Just ask former President Bill Clinton.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said yesterday that the Afghanistan War was of “Obama’s choosing” and that the president should’ve known from history that a war there was unwinnable.
Of course, he couldn’t be more correct. [Read more →]
Oliver Stone has a new movie out called South of the Border, which allegedly depicts President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela as some sort of humanitarian. Chavez has invested money in the poor areas of Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba, and even the United States, but are his motives altruistic? More importantly what has he done for Venezuela? [Read more →]
There’s one man who possesses all the skills and experience to get the BP spill under control. Love him or hate him, Dick Cheney is the man. He’s steered an oil services company (Halliburton). He’s been Secretary of Defense, proving he knows how to manage huge endeavors such as Operation Desert Storm. And he takes a heart attack the way the rest of us knock back a shot of Jack Daniel’s, with a wince and a smile.
[Read more →]
President Obama, a role model to our children (I like to think of him as our “Role Model-in-Chief”) set a terrible example to our obesity-plagued children by having a cheeseburger with some guy from Russia.
The buzz around the White House centered much more on the presidents’ unexpected jaunt for cheeseburgers to Ray’s Hell Burger in Virginia — Medvedev took jalapenos — and less about the many substantive matters they discussed.
Did the president check this out with his wife first? Remember, she is the one who created the “Let’s Move” campaign, to encourage fat kids to, well, move.
And also, to not eat so many cheeseburgers.
The oil still gushes from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, and washes up on shores, destroying and threatening tourism, fishing, and ecology. The Coast Guard and BP work tirelessly to plug the leak and limit the damage. The U.S. District Court of New Orleans just overturned an Obama administration moratorium on new drilling, citing that this rig’s disaster does not necessarily presage others’. Sometimes it looks like the President is more concerned with punishing big oil than fixing the problem.
If the United States did ban offshore drilling, where would we get the lost oil? These are considerations that the government will hopefully make. In fact, which forms of energy we should develop, where we should develop them, and how we should develop them seem to be the greatest challenge facing mankind in the 21st century. The answers are debatable, but there is one consideration that is not conventionally thrown around. Antarctica. [Read more →]
The Department of the Interior — in the wake of the tragic Gulf oil spill — has created a new government agency to oversee offshore drilling.
Sorta.
Actually, what it did is rename an old agency. An agency that has been cited for its utter incompetence and corruptness. [Read more →]
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