Bad Actors

I watched Obama's body language, facial expressions, in his speech to the Marines at Camp Lejeune today and twice, yes twice, I believe BHO was scowling. Did Barry's handlers tell him this crowd might not be receptive, not the adoring tingling fans he's accustomed to playing?

Pundits say Obama received a resounding welcome - they did cheer when he mentioned their pay raise, but overall I thought the crowd was subdued, the applause light. I wonder Bubba, do you think they screened the audience for troops who were pro-Obama as the "left" said was done for Bush?

(Answered my own question - "Before President Barack Obama's arrival, service members were asked to greet the president with a "rambunctious" welcome." )

Of course, the bumper sticker to buy now is Out of Iraq in 18 Months - but leaving 35-50,000 troops in country, to cleanup ... or train, advise, and guard that huge embassy ... it isn't really out of Iraq, it's a bone from Obama (or boning). Actually, his plan is only a remake of the Bush idea of "redeployment to other areas in the region."

Because, amidst all the Obama's praise for US troops and the 3-phase withdrawal plan by August 2010, I guess I missed the part where Barry told us that most of those "returning" troops will actually be detouring to the other war - Afghanistan, along with Pakistan. (Again, a remake, Redeployment Part Deux).

And as with nearly all remakes, many of the lines and scenes are same ol' same ol' - BHO has assured the hawks that if the situation on the ground changes - so will the planned withdrawal - which, come to think of it, didn't Iraq War (starring Bush) have approximately the same withdrawal time line? Oh, that's right ... it was called a "horizon for troop pullout," subject to change if conditions in Iraq began to erode, the U.S. would reconsider troop withdrawal.

You see the change Bubba? You change the Bush "timeline" to the Obama "timetable" but keep "if the situation on the ground changes." More or less the same script but a new star playing the president, although many other bad actors return to play the same roles.

Show time! Plunder & Pillage, At Home & Abroad, Part III. Or is it IV?

Medical Reform School

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama would reform the healthcare system with a 10-year fund of $634 billion in a budget proposal he put forward on Thursday. He offered few details but the budget reflects new priorities:

* It stresses a shift from an unwieldy paper-based health system in which doctors and clinics share little information to health information technology, including electronic records.

_______ Ah, remember when computers first came on the scene a few decades ago and we were told by boasting giddy voices the machine would reduce paperwork. Well, anyone who has ever worked in most any field knows that never came true and never will - simply because so much still has a hard copy from which the information is entered into the computer; and a hard copy is excellent CYA if anyone tampers, screws up, or loses electronic records. And those never ending printouts that have to be filed.

* Obama is gambling that although costly in the beginning, the system will reduce errors caused by poor communication and scribbled prescriptions, save tens of thousands of lives every year and billions of dollars that go into the federal Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs.

_______The majority of deadly errors made are human stupidity and carelessness - and that will continue whether done from a keyboard or handwritten. Currently, written medical information (rx, orders, tests, etc.) are seen by several sets of eyes (physicians, nurses, pharmacy, transcribers, techs), hence more chance of spotting errors. With higher tech methods and a single person directly entering the incorrect drug or dosage or a procedure, it will almost certainly go unnoticed. People tend to have faith that if a computer says so - it must be correct, never mind that computers are only as smart as the person entering the data; even if the computer says you cannot give that much heparin to a newborn how long will it take to chase the chain of command to set it right, and if it's an emergency? Have you seen the young doc whizzing through the hospital p.c. touch screening prescriptions, procedures, labs, etc.? Have you seen him proofread or double check anything? For the love of god, he has to tee off at 3.

* The budget includes a controversial $1.1 billion measure for the federal government to get into the business of comparing medical treatments. This is often left up to the private sector now, and drug companies have little interest in proving the benefits of cheap, generic treatments although studies have shown they often work better against disease such as heart failure and diabetes.

_______ Another government bureaucracy is born. Billions of dollars to compare the fact that Dollar Store aspirin works as well as Percocet on that stress headache - but you can't get high on aspirin, and since you eat narcotic pain killers like candy for those headaches you can't substitute an aspirin because it eats your stomach - better to be a prescription hophead.

* It allocates $6 billion for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health. Cancer is the No. 2 killer of Americans and costs billions of dollars. For instance, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates the average hospital cost for a single lung cancer patient in 2006 was $14,200 or about $1,900 a day. The total cost for all lung cancer patients was about $2.1 billion in 2007.

_______ Over the last few decades trillions have been spent on cancer research, and some advances have been made for certain types of cancer, yet the 3 oldest ancient forms of treatment are still the norm - cut, burn, poison. Overall, this money would be better spent on preventive health maintenance rather than research on how to cut, burn, poison us more effectively. Besides, there is ample cancer research already, here and worldwide.

NIH will hand out the $6 billion in the form of grants; the same NIH which a couple of years ago "Following a string of high-profile scandals, the US government ... pushed for stricter oversight of grants given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The trend has many researchers worried that they might have to start accounting for their time and money or face being investigated."

What? Hold researchers and their institutes accountable? Have you lost your mind? These men are gods, gods, I tell you. Also, can someone tell me who the US government "pushes" when it wants stricter oversight? Does it push itself, reluctantly?

The typical "scandal" involves doctors/researchers, recipient of grants, who were also receiving payments from pharmaceutical companies. Or testing drugs on minority foster children.

But! There will be "government oversight." Yessirree, because someone in the government is going to push for it.

* The budget proposes cleaning up inefficiencies and reducing overpayments in Medicare, the federal health insurance plan for people over 65 and the disabled, which covers 45 million people and makes up 13 percent of federal spending.

_______Whut? No more medi-millionaires/billionaires? Like Bill Frist and HCA.

* The budget says that using more competitive bids for Medicare will save more than $175 billion over 10 years. Critics call this unrealistic.

_______ When the government claims it will save money anywhere at anytime on anything, I call it bullshit.

"Competitive bids" - that's politicalspeak for top companies who work out an arrangement and take their turn feeding at the trough. Sort of like mafia dons agreeing on how much and who gets a cut of the take.

I Hear That Train a Coming

A couple of things struck me as oddly ludicrous about BHO's speech last night. One, it resembled a State of the Union address - but it's too early in his term for that. Is there a reason we're getting so much of the new president so quickly? Is time running out or something?

Barack does give a good speech. Average Joes come away feeling euphoria and hope - we will rebuild, we will recover, we are not quitters, the hardest-working people on Earth, now is the time to act boldly and wisely, build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.... rah rah rah.

So .... if we're going to boldly and wisely build a new economic foundation ... why are the hardest-working people on Earth using old Europe ideas?

That's right Bubba, in particular the Italian model from the first half of the last century: Increased State intervention in industry. Italy's Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI) was set up in 1933 to help ailing industries and banks; a giant State firm, using public money to buy shares and "bailout" ailing industries.

IRI was meant to be temporary, but is still around today, offering government genius and business wisdom from experts.

OBAMA: Over the next two years, this plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector -- jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and expanding mass transit.

Remember, Benny Il Duce made the trains run on time - he too was big on public works projects. Infrastructure stuff Bubba, infrastructure. Il Duce rail system was mostly propaganda, although Italian railways were repaired post WWI, rail efficiency was hyped to convince Italians of the efficiency of fascism. (Gosh, I hate to use that word.)

In the US, such efficient antics are labeled as necessary, mandatory or else, stimulus packages, a financial stability plan. Brought to you now by the Obama and Tim Geithner. Tim, former employee of Kissinger & Associates (yes, Henry), was a director at IMF, worked under Robert Rubin, etc., you can be sure Tim & friends know how to make and burst bubbles. And Tim was vetted by progressive obamamites?

I suppose Democrats/progressives now favor public liability for private debt? Last September they were shouting "Bush bailouts perverse ... an insidious act of vile turpitude..." Last September progressive/liberal bloggers claimed Bush was using fear to force congress to hand him a $700 billion blank check.

I guess when you own man is turpitudy the word has a different meaning. And don't worry Bubba, VP Biden is going to handle the oversight on this blank check. (Maybe Joe can hire his son and brother to help with oversighting.)

So Bubba, if you mistake what's going on as change - remember the definition of politics: Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. (Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914) - The Devil's Dictionary. )

There is less strife of interests these days Bubba, because, if you do away with the hollow party rhetoric, both parties are on the same track, and you are going to pull the train. Chooo chooo you think you can, you think you can.

For My Daughters & Granddaughters

I Hope You Dance

Robbin' Hoods

The president signaled in his campaign that he would support addressing the retirement system’s looming financing shortfall, in part by applying payroll taxes to incomes above $250,000. But that would ignite intense opposition from Republicans, especially with the economy deep in recession.

Consider too that the super-rich collect most of their income from investments - and investment and corporate income is taxed differently (lower) than earned income - so BHO's plan to tax those "rich folks" making 250K is not going to touch the wealthy elite. Obama today says he will allow the "Bush tax cut for the rich" to expire as scheduled in 2010, but wait and see on that one.

"There were ... 132.6 million tax returns filed in 2005 that had a positive AGI, not just the returns from people who earn enough to owe taxes. From other IRS data, we can see that 90.6 million of the tax returns came from people who paid taxes into the Treasury. That leaves 42 million tax returns filed by people with positive AGI who used exemptions, deductions and tax credits to completely wipe out their federal income tax liability. Not only did they get back every dollar that the federal government withheld from their paychecks during 2005; but some even received more back from the IRS. This is a result of refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit." (EIC, or the yearly bribe to the miscreant and/or poor so they don't revolt.)

Earning $250K today puts you in the top 1 or 2 or 5% of earners, depending on who and which stats you look at. Many folks in the remaining 95% believe more taxation on those at $250+K is a good idea.

Consider this though - the majority of these $250K earners are two income earner households, who may be living better than you, but they are nowhere near club members of the wealthy elite. And not everyone earning $250K is corrupt and feeding at the public trough; most are not hiding assets in offshore banks. Many of them are small business owners - not multinationals living off government contracts and nepotism. They are the upper middle class, the largest group of taxpayers, standing between the über-rich and the nonworking/working class poor. But, as in all backward nations, there can only be two classes - rich/poor - so let us hurry and rid ourselves of these upper middles.

The problem in not that taxes are too low on income earners of $250,000 - the problem is government spending. Only the village idiot would think it's a good idea to raise taxes on wage earners and give the government more funds; the village idiot is always convinced these funds will trickle down to him.

Umbrellas

Citigroup Inc. is in talks with federal officials that could result in the U.S. government substantially expanding its ownership of the struggling bank, according to people familiar with the situation.

While the discussions could fall apart, the government could wind up holding as much as 40% of Citigroup's common stock. Bank executives hope the stake will be closer to 25%, these people said.

Any such move would give federal officials far greater influence over one of the world's largest financial institutions. Citigroup has proposed the plan to its regulators. The Obama administration hasn't indicated if it supports the plan, according to people with knowledge of the talks.

When federal officials began pumping capital into U.S. banks last October, few experts would have predicted that the government would soon be wrestling with the possibility of taking voting control of large financial institutions. The potential move at Citigroup would give the government its biggest ownership of a financial-services company since the September bailout of insurer American International Group Inc., which left taxpayers with an 80% stake.

The talks reflect a growing fear that Citigroup and other big U.S. banks could be overwhelmed by losses amid the recession and housing crisis. Last week, Citigroup's share price fell below $2 to an 18-year low. Bank executives increasingly believe that the government needs to take a larger ownership stake in the institution to stop the slide.

----------What does it all really mean? Bailing out who exactly?

Well, obviously the major shareholders of Citigroup. And who would that be?

MAJOR DIRECT HOLDERS
Holder ----------------Shares Reported
MAHERAS THOS ........ 2,440,092
FORESE JAMES ..........1,809,500
PANDIT VIKRAM ...........1,707,503
PRINCE CHARLES .......1,612,732
MILLS WILLIAM .............1,373,229

TOP INSTITUTIONAL HOLDERS (in Citigroup)
Capital World Investors
Barclays Global Investors UK Holdings Ltd
STATE STREET CORPORATION
VANGUARD GROUP, INC. (THE)
Capital Research Global Investors
AXA
DODGE & COX INC
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
MORGAN STANLEY
UBS GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT (AMERICAS) INC

TOP MUTUAL FUND HOLDERS (in Citigroup)
GROWTH FUND OF AMERICA INC
INVESTMENT COMPANY OF AMERICA
WASHINGTON MUTUAL INVESTORS FUND
VANGUARD 500 INDEX FUND
DODGE & COX STOCK FUND
SPDR TRUST SERIES 1
INCOME FUND OF AMERICA INC
VANGUARD TOTAL STOCK MARKET INDEX FUND
SELECT SECTOR SPDR FUND-FINANCIAL
VANGUARD/WINDSOR II

Own any stock, or maybe your employee pension invested in such companies? Has your retirement plan been giving merit pay to talented investment managers who invested in companies that need bailout? Hmmm. Let's look at one - take Vanguard Windsor II.

Vanguard month-end ten largest holdings as of 01/31/2009
Rank Holdings
1 Occidental Petroleum Corp.
2 Wyeth
3 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
4 International Business Machines Corp.
5 Verizon Communications Inc.
6 Imperial Tobacco Group ADR
7 AT&T Inc.
8 ConocoPhillips Co.
9 JPMorgan Chase & Co.
10 Philip Morris International Inc.
Ten largest holdings = 28.9% of total net assets.

Tobacco, pharma, oil, big business ....

Seems like only yesterday Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia was the biggest shareholder in Citigroup - oh wait, it was 1991 when the prince first invested in the financially reeling Citicorp. My my, 18 years ago Citigroup's predecessor, Citicorp, was reeling from loan losses in Latin America and real estate.

Travelers Group and banking giant Citicorp wowed the business community with the announcement in April 1998 of plans for the largest merger ever to hit Wall Street. The merger was finalized in October and a new financial powerhouse – Citigroup – was born.

Citi"group", now barely 10 years old - not even out of puberty, and reeling again.

But! Long before Citi, group or corp (aka Citibank), the company operated under the name of National City Bank.

And what/who is National City Bank?

Recap:
On June 16, 1812, with $2 million of capital, City Bank of New York (now Citibank) opened for business in New York City. In 1968, First National City Corporation (later renamed Citicorp), a bank holding company, became the parent of Citibank. After the 1929 market crash the federal government rescued NCB with multimillions. In fact, DC lawmakers blamed National City for the bubble/crash of 1929 and passed the Congress passed the Glass-Steagall Act, which Bill Clinton and congress would eventually do away with.

In the 1980s, Citi ran into trouble over loans made to in Latin America. Citi faced billions of dollars in potential losses when Mexico became insolvent in 1982. The federal government came to the rescue with the Brady Plan to help sell Latin American debt and have the banks write off some of it.

Citi needed help again during the recession of the early 1990s. Holding $10 billion in bad loans, related to leveraged buyouts or commercial real estate, their stock price fell and rumors of bankruptcy began to circulate. Again, the Federal Reserve came to the rescue with several interest rate cuts.

In 1998, all Citicorp divisions merged with all divisions of Travelers Group to form Citigroup Inc. Citibank continues under the Citigroup umbrella.

Get ready folks, you have a lot of large, reeling umbrellas to hold.

Bipartisanship?

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) has constantly been in the news lately, but his latest remarks about possibly nationalizing some American banks generated front-page news in The Hartford Courant and The New York Times.

Dodd, chairman of the Senate banking committee, was just one of several prominent officials who have raised the possibility of a bank takeover in recent days. Stocks in major banks such as Bank of America had been beaten down and continued to trade lower when the markets opened Friday, as fears of nationalization hovered.

Dodd told The Courant that his remarks were not intended to advocate nationalization. They were "merely suggesting it was a possibility."

"This idea of nationalizing banks is not comfortable," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). "But I think we've got so many toxic assets spread throughout the banking and financial community, throughout the world, that we're going to have to do something that no one ever envisioned a year ago, no one likes. To me, banking and housing are the root cause of this problem. I'm very much afraid any program to salvage the banks is going to require the government... I would not take off the idea of nationalizing the banks."

---- Oh sure, placing banks under ownership and control of government, temporarily (wink wink), is a great idea. The government is good at running things and good at implementing policies on a "temporary" basis.

In the dreams of Karl Marx - "Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly"...

Change you can believe in - are we there yet?

Apparently, for now, the idea of nationalizing banks has been dismissed as absurd - until it's done. And then you will see, socialist management is just as incompetent as capitalist management. Probably because it's the same managers, using the same word list: Room for debate, insolvent, government injected capital, majority stake, last resort, momentum, distinguished economists say ____ (fill in blank), and toxic assets.

Yessiree - let's dump all this salvaged toxin into the cook books of the federal government - we're gonna spin straw into gold and live happily ever after.

Doom Doom Everywhere

..."a return to the "violent extremism" of the 1920s and 1930s." Or so Dennis Blair our intel chief says.

This phrase/quote is all over the net with articles of doom and gloom. Prepare - judgment day is coming sayeth the expert bloggers and think tankers, and I particularly cannot stomach Chris Hedges (author of above Alternet piece), even if he is a Bush critic.

HEDGES: The specter of social unrest was raised at the U.S. Army War College in November in a monograph titled "Known Unknowns: Unconventional 'Strategic Shocks' in Defense Strategy Development."

That monograph was written Nov. 2008 by Nathan Freier, retired military brass; his last military assignment as the Director of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute (SSI), and now paid by government funded stink tanks to come up with scary bullshit and justification for contingency spending on scary bullshit. The military has always raised the spectre of social unrest. Riots and unrest were common between 1750 and 1800 and between 1800 to 1850, and again between 1850 to 1900, and again between 1900 to 1960, and again. Note we get major wars along the way ... war puts those unrested folks to work ...

To elucidate how genius Mr. Freier is, he also comments in the pdf report that "Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait was a strategic surprise." Do you believe DoD was surprised when Saddam invaded Kuwait?

HEDGES: The corporate thieves, those who insisted they be paid tens of millions of dollars because they were the best and the brightest, have been exposed as con artists. Our elected officials, along with the press, have been exposed as corrupt and spineless corporate lackeys. Our business schools and intellectual elite have been exposed as frauds. The age of the West has ended. Look to China. Laissez-faire capitalism has destroyed itself. It is time to dust off your copies of Marx.

Yep, we're all just aching in our bones to live like a billion Chinese peasants.

Freier's paper states "DoD is now doing valuable work on strategic shocks. This work must endure and mature through the upcoming political transition. "

I guess some folks haven't dusted off their Marx and are going to be shocked when Obama drags us into WWIII on the way to the upcoming China-styled political transition?

Or maybe Freier was thinking the political transition to a Black prezident might cause white folks to riot and revolt? Surely he wasn't thinking the Obama administration would really change anything at DoD.

Or maybe Freier was just thinking of his curriculum vitae.

My Valentine

Late, again. ;)

More Oinkers

The French Kiss Off Award
to Representative Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for $211,509 in olive fruit fly research in Paris, France.

The Taxpayers Get Teed Off Award
to House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) for $3 million for The First Tee in the defense appropriations bill.

The Cold Hard Cash Award
to Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) for $165.7 million in defense pork.

The Tax Dollars on Drugs Award
to Representative John Murtha (D-Pa.) for $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center.

The Pantheon of Pork Award
to Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.VA) for $386 million in pork.

The Narcissist Award
to Representative Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.

The Pig in Sheep's Clothing Award
to Montana Senators Max Baucaus (D) and Jon Tester (D) for $148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute.

The Unidentified Fiscal Object Award
to Representative Ann Esshoo (D-Calif.) for $1.6 million for the Allen Telescope Array.

The Money Doesn't Grow on Trees Award
to Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) for $344,540 for the city of Chicago GreenStreets Tree Planting Program.

The Porky and Bess Award
for $7.9 million for 36 theaters in 21 states.

The Pacific Fleeced Award
to Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) for $173.2 million in defense pork.

The Taxpayers Get Steamed Award
to Maine Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe (R), and Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine) for $188,000 for the Lobster Institute.

This Pork Was Made for Walking Award
to Representative Virgil Goode (R-Va.) for $98,000 to develop a walking tour of Boydton, Virginia.

The Return to Sender Award
to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for $196,000 for the renovation and transformation of the historic downtown Post Office in Las Vegas.

Obama Diddly

Obama Orders Pay Limits Pay at Banks Getting Aid

Makes good headline but has more holes than a sieve.

Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama called bonus payouts at banks getting rescue funds “shameful” as he and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced the government will require financial companies getting aid in the future to cap compensation of top officials at $500,000 a year.

--- Key words - "in the future." Remember folks, tomorrow never comes. Also "pay" is not the issue with these executive fatcats - the bulk of their compensation comes in the form of stocks, perks, bonuses, benefits, etc. The average CEO salary in 2007 was $610,170. Cap pay at $500,000 but top officials will still receive obscene "compensation."

“In order to restore our financial system, we’ve got to restore trust,” the president said at the White House as the administration set out new rules for companies that seek “exceptional” assistance from the Treasury. “And in order to restore trust, we’ve got to make certain that taxpayer funds are not subsidizing excessive compensation packages on Wall Street.”

---- Key word - "excessive." Okey dokey - compensation packages for Wall Street. Who determines what is an "excessive" amount? Gee, I wonder if those boys on Wall Street can give the appearance their packages are from company profit and not taxpayer funds. A little Halliburton style bookkeeping of cost overrun goes a long way. Or heck, start a war and watch real revenues increase.

Obama also urged Congress to finish work on economic stimulus legislation, saying that a failure to act “will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession.”

--- Key words - "crisis ... catastrophe ... guarantee recession." Got fear? Extortion 101.

Reacting to public outcry over bonuses paid to bankers getting government bailout money, the administration is imposing conditions that would force greater transparency for expenses such as corporate jets, office renovations, entertainment and holiday parties, and restrict severance pay when executives leave the company.

--- Key words - "greater transparency." Does not mean there will be fewer jets or parties or pay packages, but that the public will continue to clearly see the payoffs ... er, bonuses.

While pay would be limited, there are provisions that would allow additional compensation in the form of restricted stock that can’t be sold until taxpayers have been paid back.

--- Key words - "additional compensation ... until paid back." Cook the books.

Outrage among the public and lawmakers has been building since October, when Congress passed a $700 billion financial-rescue plan for financial firms. Lawmakers complained that the first half of the fund was doled out with little public accounting of how the money was spent. A New York state comptroller report that $18.4 billion in bonuses were paid out to Wall Street executives and employees as the U.S. sank into a recession further inflamed Americans.

--- Key words - "first half of the fund doled out." The best and the brightest had no idea the rescue money would be used for bonuses, winky-wink.

“For top executives to award themselves these kinds of compensation packages in the midst of this economic crisis is not only in bad taste, it’s a bad strategy, and I will not tolerate it as president,” Obama said.

--- Key words - "in the midst of this economic crisis." Bad taste, bad strategy?! How about immoral and evil?

Rules apply to companies that in the future take “exceptional” amounts of bailout money from the Treasury, as Citigroup Inc. and American International Group Inc. have in the past. They don’t apply to companies that have already taken rescue money, although those companies must in the future agree to strict monitoring and oversight.

--- Key words - "future ... exceptional ... don't apply to already taken money." Who determines the amount of "exceptional?" Isn't it convenient that looting laws for the ruling political class never apply to money already taken? Always rules for "the future" but never any vision.

The compensation restrictions announced today are part of a wider White House plan to overhaul rules governing the remaining $350 billion in the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

--- Key word - "overhaul." A doublespeak term pols use; means nothing will change but the "rules" will be overhauled to read as if change has been made. And isn't the program acronym interesting TARP? A tarp is a cover, sometimes used to protect, sometimes to hide something.

On Wall Street, there is concern that compensation curbs would infringe on a company’s ability to attract top-notch employees, and that would lead to a talent drain, Meredith Whitney, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., said on Bloomberg Television. “If you cap compensation, the best and the brightest are still going to figure out a way to make money and it may not be on Wall Street, when those minds are needed most,” Whitney said.

--- Keyword - "attract talent." Brain drain, words often used by the best and the brightest in snakeoil sales.

Under the guidelines announced today, top executives at financial institutions would be required to hold stock for several years before they can sell it, thus holding them to long-term objectives, rather than making a quick buck. Rules would require a “say on pay” feature, giving shareholders a voice on compensation, though it would be nonbinding.

--- Key words - "several years ... nonbinding." Three years is considered long-term, and a long time if you are a top executive holding those multi-million quick buck packages. And those new rules would say a shareholder can have a pay say, but your say won't mean diddly binding squat.

Made In a Handbasket

Free trade critics are backing what free trade supporters (including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce) oppose: A federal proposal that would require goods and equipment used in what could be a $1 trillion federal economic stimulus program be “American-made.”

U.S. Sen Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is sponsoring the “American-made” rule for construction and other equipment that would be used in the economic stimulus program, which funds public works, water, transportation and other construction projects as well as broadband communications deployments and energy research.

Free trade critics such as the U.S Business and Industry Council back the idea, saying it will help American manufacturers and be sent overseas.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposes the restriction, worrying it will spark trade retaliation from other countries.

---- As I have always been a proponent of federal contracts using "American made" products, I lean toward support of the above rule - but the likelihood of passing such a rule is nil to none - if a snowball freezes and it does pass, move out of the way of the oncoming political gravy and hog train.

Both progressive and conservative bloggers say the idea is a replay of the 1930s Smoot Hawley Tariff act, the Great Depression era, yadayada, etc. According to these exspurts we have been down this "protectionism" road before, and this made-in-America road rule will lead us to bread lines, double digit unemployment rates, and worldwide misery, as if the world is currently one well-fed, employed and joyful global village?

Yessirree, blogging geniuses are claiming Smoot Hawley created the Great Depression, fostered nationalism worldwide (think nationalism/Hitler). Last week and next week they will tell you the Great Depression was caused by too much credit, or wealth disparity, and/or that only the New Deal saved us - none of it true but never let facts stand in the way of a good-sounding blog post. (These wise guys are usually the first to claim the US needs to return to the gold standard, never mind that the gold standard didn't prevent the Great Depression.)

Made in America rule is not the same as a tariff act - the current debate bans the purchase of foreign construction material for public works projects. Nor does the rule necessarily mean all those made in China items will be gone from the shelves of Wal-mart or beyond your price range because of retaliatory trade practices. Smoot Hawley hiked the tariff on over 800 imports, such as sugar, cattle, shoes, matches, and eggs. Canada retaliated by cutting shipments of bacon and eggs - should they do so again, woe be to us and Mcmuffin?

Spending large sums of the $1 trillion Obama package at home on "goods and equipment" makes sense to me. An oft heard refrain from some folks goes something like this: If Americans made a decent product then Americans would buy made in America.

Swooshing over the heads of such folks is the fact that for average Joe Consumer - most everything he buys, even what he considers the expensive brand name, is still cheap foreign made with cheap labor and cheap materials. Joe is just stupid enough to pay extra for a name label. I remember the era of "you get what you pay for" but have noticed in the last 20 years that is no longer the case. Goods and products that once were dependable for quality are now shoddy. Planned obsolescence.

The drawback to senator Dorgan's rule is the more than likely chance that those corporations in America (many foreign owned) will gouge the taxpayer for the cost of those made in America goods and equipment. Without stringent oversight we will have $600 toilet seats, $800 screwdrivers, and a poor-quality infrastructure that continues to crumble. You do realize, there is no such animal as "stringent oversight."

Meat & Bones

More on the Obama stimulus package: Tax cuts. This will be .... "unlike the $600 per worker lump-sum rebates issued last year, taxpayers would have less withheld from their paychecks." --- Truth is, it is just like the lump-sum Bush rebate, you will just get it in a dribble rather than a lump, approximately $10 per week for Joe Blow's paycheck. The idea is that people would spend more on goods and services immediately, rather than saving the tax cut or using it to reduce credit card debt. It is a "temporary" band-aid. And a headache for accounting offices across the country.

Some folks who are promised a benefit:

Low-income workers, the measure would make the child tax credit more generous by making more people eligible for refunds if they earn too little to pay income tax. The earned income tax credit for the working poor would be made more generous for larger families. --- Rewarding the poor for paying no taxes and having a lot of kids (maintaining the future of the plantation with voters). Many of those who become eligible for refunds will not see refunds as it stays with the State for they are deadbeat dads who owe child support, student loan defaulters, folks who owe the IRS $2000 in back taxes with $20,000 interest and penalties. Predatory payday loan lenders, title leasing, or cash leasing lenders will thank Obama because EIC is all that stands between them and the repo man or the D.A. with a bad check in his hand.

The package would extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless through the end of 2009, increase the weekly benefit by $25 and provide unemployment benefits to more part-time workers. --- Part-time is the new full-time, and you have $25 more to hang on by the skin of your teeth, at least until the end of 2009.

Food stamp benefits will go up ... states would get $77 billion in aid for education and $25 billion as a block grant with no strings attached. --- State agencies and their pockets thank you Mr. President. Lenders of student loans thank you. Private school vouchers thank you. And our local high school will thank you b/c now, maybe, they will get funds to remove the asbestos.

Senior citizens receiving Social Security would get a bonus payment of $300 under the Senate version of President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan. Many nursing homes administrators thank you, and my elderly neighbor thanks you because with $300 she can finish paying off her rent-to-own electric stove, and rent-to-own thanks you.

Other programs, such as $1 billion to combat bird flu, are said to likely attract ridicule from Republicans and budget hawks for doing little if anything to create jobs. --- I doubt this program will irk republicans. When Bush did the same thing the democrats called it "a thinly disguised gift for pharmaceutical giants." Democrats will now call it an investment that will lead to medical breakthroughs.

Republicans are pleased with provisions extending tax cuts for the purchase of new plants and equipment and allowing money-losing businesses to claim refunds on taxes paid up to five years ago. --- Ah ha, the meat on the bones. Plants/equipment tax cuts to bring manufacturing to America. But you'll have to explain to me how this will cure unfair trade practices, currency manipulation, and large-scale import dumping in the US market. But, a lot of recent "money-losing businesses" thank you!

These measures are not going to "stimulate" the economy or cure our economic ills or create sustainable living-wage jobs or end a recession. It will increase US debt and guarantee continued poverty for many. And we have yet to factor in the continued cost of 2 wars and Obama's planned "surge" into Afghanistan. (God why does this feel like business as usual.)

In the words of an old Bolshevik, and the apparent meme for the Obama administration, "These are Extraordinary Times" (or the collapse and takedown of the USA).

1 Leg of a 3-Legged Stool

"The recovery package that we're passing is only going to be one leg in, at least, a three-legged stool," said Obama. "We are also starting to put in place the kinds of reform elements - oversight, transparency, accountability - that's going to be required in order for the American people to have confidence in what we're doing."

A few preliminary highlights from Obama's recovery package:

The NYT said the Obama administration plans to tighten the U.S. financial regulatory system, including stricter rules for hedge funds, credit rating agencies and mortgage brokers. The broad changes include increased oversight of the complex financial instruments that helped spawn the current economic crisis, the newspaper said on its website.

--- Tightening the regulatory system and adding extra oversight was supposedly done after the 1980s S&L crisis and various sundry corporate scandals. Maybe it will work this time. What's that you say? Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

Oh look! Paul Volcker, one of Obama's chief economic advisers. I'll be damned Bubba. Paul Volcker, the same guy from the Reagan era and S&L crisis. Come on Toto, close your eyes, there's no place like change, there's no place like change.

Obama used his first weekly radio and Internet video address as president to press the case for quick passage of the economic recovery plan. Saying more people filed for unemployment this week than at any time in the past 26 years, Obama warned joblessness could hit double digits and the economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity if nothing was done. --- $1 trillion short of its full capacity - what the hell does that mean? It means you can expect your taxes to rise to cover 1 trillion in spending. Not more taxes on the rich, but for items that Joe Average spends on: Gasoline, diesel fuel, utilities, tobacco, alcohol, consumer taxes, your county, city, state, and property tax will rise. Expert advice now, as it was in the 1980s: Clip coupons, car pool, shop secondhand stores.

'If we do not act boldly and swiftly, a bad situation could become dramatically worse,' he said. Obama hopes to sign an economic recovery plan into law within a month. --- He must do it quickly before the peasantry catch on to these scare tactics.

The White House posted a four-page report on its website, www.whitehouse.gov, on Saturday outlining the impact of the stimulus plan. Aides said the report began to put 'meat on the bones' of Obama's previously stated goals.

President Obama believes that if we do not act quickly, this recession could linger for years – and America could lose the competitive edge that has served as the foundation for our strength and standing in the world. That's why the President has put forth an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will jumpstart job creation and long-term growth.

--- Huh? We were told in the 1980s that because of overpaid workers and skyrocketing benefits the US had lost its "competitive edge" on the world stage - US companies had to seek cheap labor in order to compete. We've been jumpstarting job creation for the past 80 years. Obama says he will create millions of jobs that cannot be outsourced. He's counting on construction jobs, as presidents before him have - as if there aren't enough ghost malls across the country and gazebos, and bridges and roads to nowhere. This is a trillion dollar pork barrel.

Highlights of The Obama Plan:

* Doubling the production of alternative energy in the next three years. --- Alternative energy is approximately a little less than 1% of all energy use - so Obama wants to up that to about 2%. Okay, so what does that mean? It means, the government will increase taxes to raise money to cover investment and production of solar power, wind power, wave power, biomass power, and other alternative energy sources - none of which are priced competitively with gas and oil, therefore those few wealthy dabblers and electric car celebs who can afford alternative energy will be given tax credits and those "green" corporations will receive tax incentives and probably government subsidizing. And you my little paychecker to paychecker will help make up the difference by paying more tax on gas, oil, coal.

* Modernizing more than 75% of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills. --- This means some of your higher tax will give millions to slum lords to improve their rental property with a little spray foam insulation and/or some new windows, which will be done by crony contractors. A few low-income homeowners may slip in and get some foam and windows. This type of home energy retrocrap went on under both Reagan and Clinton, usually in cahoots with HUD. I'm sure Chicago building contractors are drooling over this one. Modernizing 75% of federal buildings sounds like most of the money is going to the bosses offices. We've "modernized" federal buildings before, about every decade.

* Making the immediate investments necessary to ensure that within five years, all of America’s medical records are computerized, to improve care and cut costs. --- This means part of your higher taxes will be given to physicians and hospitals and clinics for new computers; supplied by crony contractors and overpriced. I live in Podunk and all the clinics/hospitals have medical records computerized. Does the government want all medical records linked into a national database, similar to the FBI's IAFIS system? Your care will not improve with Dr. Plentymoney's new computer, and maybe doc will cut costs by firing file clerk Wendy. The health care industry is a huge porker.

* Equipping tens of thousands of schools, community colleges, and public universities with 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries. --- Again, crony contractors and inflated material cost. Johnny Jetson can barely read but he will get a few minutes access every school day to a new Dell with Vista.

* Expanding broadband across America, so that a small business in a rural town can connect and compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world. --- This is one of my favorites. I'm a small business owner in a rural town and cannot compete with my counterparts in the world because they work for 75% less money. But, to be fair, a lot of tech companies are going to appreciate it, i.e. Verizon, SBC Communications, Time Warner, Comcast.

* Investing in the science, research, and technology that will lead to new medical breakthroughs, new discoveries, and entire new industries. --- Ahh haa, viva Viagra and government pet rocks. Or more science, research, and tech to keep up the funding for folks like:

Lockheed Martin Corp
The Boeing Company
Northrop Grumman Corp
Raytheon Company
General Dynamics Corp
Bae Systems PLC
United Technologies Corp
L-3 Comm Holdings, Inc.
Saic, Inc.
Kbr, Inc.
McKesson Corporation
Computer Sciences Corp
Bechtel Group, Inc
Navistar Defense LLC
United States Government
Macandrews & Forbes
ITT Corporation
Bell Boeing Joint Project
General Electric Company
Humana Inc.
Los Alamos Natl Security

But remember folks, this bold new plan is swift, transparent, it's oversight, it's accountability, it's change, it's like no package any president has ever promised or tried before, and you can be confident ... it's ... it's ... it's a stool (double entendre).

Barryboarding a.k.a. Hope & Change

Here we go again. To waterboard or not to waterboard. Executive signing orders okay now. Meet the new boss ... same as ... you know the rest.

Obama signed an executive order which (you know, those things that progressives screamed about when Bush "ruled" by signing orders), supposedly revamps US detention and interrogation. However, Obama's new order applies only to employees or agents of the United States - meaning if buddies of the US want to do a little nail extraction and cattle prodding for us ... the buddy system, my little changelings, has been the US M.O. for decades anyway. Another word for it is "rendition" or as with everything else these days, "outsourcing." (Buddies are not "agents" of the US, they will do this of their own accord.)

According to the Army Field Manual, the bible of interrogation methods, waterboarding is not allowed. Waterboarding is also known as Bush's "harsh interrogation techniques." Yet, Obama's pick for DNI, Dennis Blair, dodged the question of whether waterboarding was torture or not, and he believes that possibly additional interrogation methods will be considered for use by trained CIA personnel. Does that mean if you're trained CIA personnel, it won't hurt as much? Wiggle wiggle.

The 3 detainees who underwent waterboarding probably considered it torture.

As for closing Gitmo, that will take a year - and a lot can happen in a year. Apparently the government has still not found a way to do anything in a timely manner (other than looting your tax dollars).

Dennis Blair is one of those "experienced" folks. He sits on the board of Tyco (scandal scarred), Iridium Satellite (extensive DoD client), and the stink tank Center For a New American Security, that sounds eerily close to Project for a New American Century (PNAC).

One supposedly potential problem for Blair's confirmation was "... he violated conflict-of-interest standards because he was involved with a study of a major military contract for the F-22 fighter jet while sitting on the board of the company that produced the aircraft. However, the inspector general found that Adm. Blair didn't seek to influence the outcome for the study." Dennis also headed a couple of Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) task forces. Chaaange chaaange chaaange. Can I have a fist bump folks?

Know what a "task force" is? More often than not it's a group of individuals (sometimes military but can be civilian) who are paid to skim over boring reports (or pay staffers to read thoroughly and give a synopsis) and sit in brief meetings to offer opinions and ineffective strategy; i.e. presidential task force to fight drug trafficking. Totally useless but on a resumé it gives the appearance one has actually done something.

A military "joint task" is such as Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO), one of the Gitmo units overseeing "enemy combatants." Again, a group of individuals who may or may not be accomplishing anything other than providing sound bytes and platforms for pundits and pols who use it to keep your knickers in a knot - as if you have a say-so in government affairs.

But, I think Blair is a fine example of the military/industrial/government complex, eh? Don't be alarmed if you feel a tightening, it's just the same old Pentagon grip. Gimme another fist bump.

Obama's Gazebo & Hebro' Connection

Rabbi Capers Funnye, cousin to Michelle Obama. "Though a few acquaintances of Funnye and the Obamas said they knew of the connection, the news came as a surprise to most members of the Chicago Jewish community. Neither Funnye nor the Obamas have made a point of mentioning their family ties. In Funnye’s synagogue, however, the rabbi’s link with the Democratic presidential nominee is a matter of common knowledge.

“He really jumped on everyone’s radar after the 2004 convention,” Funnye said. “That’s when some people said, ‘Isn’t he related to you or something?’ I said, ‘Yeah, he’s married to my cousin, and she’s making him everything that he is.’”

Our Voices, with Funnye.


Our Voices, Part 2.

Obama earmarks: A $100,000 grant for a garden project in Englewood, Ill., which was initiated by campaign volunteer Kenny Smith. The “Englewood Botanical Garden” project was never built. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Today the garden site is a mess of weeds, chunks of concrete and garbage.” State records show that $65,000 of the grant money obtained by Obama went directly to Smith’s wife Karen, Judicial Watch said.

More earmarks: In July 2000, Obama helped secure a $100,000 grant for the Community of St. Sabina, the Catholic Church headed by the Rev. Michael Pfleger.

Also in 2000, Obama helped secure $75,000 for FORUM, a political activist group run by Yesse Yehudah. Five people working for FORUM donated $1,000 to Obama’s campaign after getting the grant, according to Judicial Watch. FORUM also contributed $5,000 to help pay Obama’s campaign debt after Obama lost his 2000 Democratic primary challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush.

In 1999, Obama arranged for $50,000 for adult literacy and counseling services offered on Chicago's South Side by a group called Blue Gargoyle. A $25,000 grant for the group's youth services followed the next year. (Blue Gargoyle is Rabbi Funnye's baby.)

Chaaange change change hmmm unhuh ummmhuh change chaaaaange chaaange ..... (sing to the tune of Aretha's Chain of Fools). For 4 long years mmmmm I thought you were my man ....hmmm mmmm change change chaaaange ... then I found out .... mmmm unhuh mmm ... my papa said come on home ...

American Idle

One thing I can always count on are folks who tell me I must be a sorry, sad, bitter person; because I'm disdainful of politicians or pop icons, etc. etc. If I am not impressed with that person's favorite hero then I'm so negative. (Amazingly, these astute folks can ascertain what I'm all about by reading 1 post!)

If I do not support massive spending for social programs and bailouts - then I must be a libertarian, a republican, or worse, that I believe in nothing, or no-thing, and Americans love to believe in "things." Americans are very serious about their "things." Ask any marketing company or adman, or campaign manager.

If I do not favor third world icons, such as Fidel, Hugo, and Evo, then I must be a rightwinger. By the way, how's Hugo's social programs funded with war-for-oil profits doing? Hugo so wanted the price to reach $200/barrel. (Wait a minute, politically correct term is "developing world" not third world.)

Maybe I should join the Ron Paul back to gold standard flock. I could help pack and ship all that gold when domestic and foreign entities cash in their dollars. Or maybe I should support Cynthia McKinney, who's greatest claim to fame has been yelling racism when a D.C. rent-a-cop didn't recognize her in her new hairdo.

Oh oh oh I know, I can be a hardcore liberal, no wait, liberal has fallen out of favor and been replaced with "progressive." Okay, lets progress.

I've witnessed the last 2 generations of recipients of "progressive" social programs (free or almost free food, shelter, utilities, education, etc.) and although today 75% are thugs, hoochie mommas, dopers and small-time dealers, illiterate liars and thieves, unemployable, unmotivated, and still unmitigated sufferers on the plantation - maybe mo' money will help. Ahhh chaaa chaaa - that's progress for you.

Yessiree, more free stuff will help folks find pride and direction in their lives. Yes ma'am, redistribute the wealth and maybe those young guns roaming the street all hours of the day and night won't throw rocks through my window for fun or rob my daughter's house twice while she's at work. That's it, these criminal-minded folks just need more free stuff from a progressive guvmint.

But forget about those government created jobs - Big Daddy has been doing that for almost a century; besides those "jobs" have now become jobs "Americans won't do" because way too many Americans don't like to sweat, but our neighbors to the south will; open your arms. (By the way, Mexico would support and appreciate gold backed dollars.)

(Dear Gov: If you create jobs for Americans, most folks want fun jobs: Video game tester, rock star, athlete, movie star, model, couch potato, or any job that makes them the boss.)

It seems to me the most ardent supporters of "redistributing the wealth" are those folks who depend the most on government - although I fail to see how redistribution is going to lift their standard of living as it never has and never will - they are at the social level Big Daddy Government likes best: Dumb, doped, dependent, distracted, and preying on their own. On the other hand, if you are part of the social class positioned to disburse those redistribution dollars, then yes, you would gain access to more funds to funnel to you and yours. Don't blame me, that's just the way it works.

Many folks say we need new blood in D.C., and ta-da! Obama. But if I mention term limits, the same folks will claim we also need experienced men/women. I guess that's because folks like you and me, inexperienced but with integrity and common sense, couldn't possibly sit at the table with those elite, seasoned political men/women and make a deal.

Good gosh, selectable experienced folks like Caroline Kennedy or Hillary Clinton would just mop the floor with someone like me. Also, never mind that new blood Barry has completely surrounded himself with old political blood (all supremely capable of avoiding taxes and hiring illegal nannies).

Of course, sigh .... I was loved by many when I was bashing BushCo on a regular basis.

Wait, let me stick my finger in the wind and see which way I should blow this year. Blogging is just a popularity contest, right? And I'm the blog boss. ;)

Random Apathy

I seem to have no interest in politics these last few months and I place the blame (or credit) on the fact that nothing will change for the better. Absolutely nothing. I'm appalled, amazed, retching I tell ya, over the same tired-ass political speeches of promise and glory coming soon to a mailbox near you.

I had no interest in watching the inauguration or the discussions on the fashion sense of Michelle and the girls. I have no interest in whether or not Barry stumbled over the oath of office - it will be the most minor stumble he makes over the next 4 years. But I suppose we will have to focus on the little things as anything else will be called "racism" by those trusty white guardians and self-appointed black leaders of political correctness.

I was disgusted with JayZ or whatever that fool's name is, with his vulgar thug lyrics regarding Obama's inauguration. JZ does not represent any of the decent folks I know. He represents the worst and the dumbest - why don't those self-appointed white and black leaders (and Obama) tell these ugly con artists to pull up their pants and go home. That would be change.

Recently I read an article or two on Michelle's heritage - Obama spoke of his wife as having the blood of slaves and slaveholders running through her veins, the "quintessential" American woman. I studied her branch and it was not all that, I have a branch of my own much more interesting.

I found a branch of mine where one Frederick Metcalf registered to vote in 1867 in Lowndes, Alabama - his name written in between white men on the page. I found Fred as a private in the 138th US Colored Troops. I also have records where Fred and 3 of his brothers used the letter "X" as their middle initial - more than a century before Oliver Stone made it trendy for ballcaps and T-shirts.

I have found "cousins" across the country also researching and willing to share information, old records and letters, photos, and family lore.

I tracked Fred from Alabama to Virginia after the Civil War where he found his father, 80 y/o Samuel Douglass, and from there they went west to Mississippi where he found his wife and son who had been sold. They reunited and raised 10 more children together, still alive in the 1900 census in Tallahatchie, MS.

I learned they put their faith in the American system, regardless of what that system had previously done to them. I have their bank records where they put their pennies and nickels in the first "black bank", The Freedman's Saving & Trust (1865-1872) - only to lose what little they had when the bank went under (due to bad investments, original huh?).

I traced another familial branch that was neither slave or slaveholders; just dirt farmers who came to the colonies from Scotland and Ireland; they fought on the Union side during the war; some died in Andersonville, some took land grants in Oklahoma and are still there today.

After about 1870, most of these folks lived their entire lives in the county they were born in. They raised their families, served in wartime, supported political parties and ideas, were union members and suffragettes; went to church, sent their children to school, and believed in the American way. They survived and adjusted to national turmoil and depressions, lived through social atrocities and political assassinations. They usually died at home with 3 or 4 generations at their bedside.

Lucky for them they had no exposure to cinematic pundits; nor did they have to feed and fund thousands of pols and staffers at the trough.

They were not rich or famous or particularly beautiful - but they did seem to have something few Americans have today; they were grateful; maybe simply because they knew where they came from and where they were going - something folks today can't seem to figure out, unless they are told in a letter from a government agency, with sociopathic cultural icons lighting the way.

The Big Switch

DailyTech reported earlier this month that the Obama transition team isn't too happy with the current state of the analog to digital TV (DTV) switch. The funds made available to provide $40 DTV conversion boxes to Americans ran out at the start of 2009 and many Americans would be left without TV signals once the DTV switch occurs next month.

In the latest saga concerning the DTV switch, Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) has introduced legislation to delay the switch until June 12. Obama and his team fully support this move as they feel that more time is needed to provide additional funding for $40 DTV converter box coupons.

John Podesta, Co-chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, stated earlier this month that the DTV switch cannot possibly take place on February 17 as planned because, "The government's programs to assist consumers through the upheaval of the conversion are inadequately funded." Podesta added, "There is insufficient support for the problems consumers (particularly low income, rural and elderly Americans) will experience as a result of the analog signal cutoff."

"The federal government is getting $19 billion from selling the analog TV spectrum while people with analog TVs have to go out and spend their own money for a converter box," said Joel Kelsey, policy analyst for Consumers Union, in a statement. "Everyone affected by the digital switch should be able to get their $40 coupons. Congress needs to consider delaying the transition until these problems are fixed."

The government has spent virtually all of the $1.4 billion that was allocated for the program. One problem is that the $40 coupons expire after 90 days, and many coupon holders couldn't find converter boxes at first. When they did, the coupons had expired. Consumers have been placed on waiting lists for the coupons with no clear dates set for their availability.

-----This conversion does not effect cable TV users - so tell me how many folks these days are still using antennae?

Moldy Oldy

Charity Brown - You Beat Me to the Punch


Bettye Swan - Make Me Yours


Paula Estrada - Hello Stranger

Xmas Donation

Herd Manimals

"As police brass dissect what happened when a stampede of shoppers outside a Valley Stream Wal-Mart left a seasonal worker dead, they may lean on the stores themselves to better plan for events like Black Friday, a Nassau police spokesman said yesterday.

Nassau police say the stampede outside the discount chain store was foreseeable given the huge crowds that gather for post-Thanksgiving sales."

--- Another tragic example of mass stupid. This is not the first time stampeding shoppers have killed and it won't be the last. And for Wal-mart junk?!

Ya know ... sometimes I can understand why the ruling class looks down with such contempt at we the people.

Rocket Science

Shu Quan-Sheng ... accused of illegally exporting technical data related to the design and manufacture of a liquid hydrogen tank, and illegally helping foreign operatives design, develop, build and test the tank and fueling systems for a launch facility.

"At no time during this period did Shu have the required licenses or written approvals with respect to brokering, export of defense articles, or proposals to provide defense services to the People's Republic of China," the Department of Justice said.

The complaint alleges that Shu offered bribes to government officials with China's 101 Institute to induce the award of the hydrogen liquefier project to the French company Shu represented. A 2003 agreement with the French company said AMAC International would get 10 percent to 15 percent commission if the deal went off successfully.

To ensure that the French partner got the $4 million liquefier contract and his own company its commission, Shu offered payments to Chinese officials to induce them to choose his partners in France.

USA-SPACE/CHINA:US man admits illegal space data exports to China.

Shu Quan-Sheng, 68, a native of China who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, entered the guilty plea in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia.

Shu is the president, secretary and treasurer of AMAC International, a high-tech company in Newport News, Virginia, that has offices in Beijing.

Shu admitted that from 2003 through October of 2007 he violated the U.S. arms export control law by providing China with assistance in the design and development of a cryogenic fueling system for space launch vehicles. He admitted that in 2003 he violated the same law by exporting to China military technical data from a document about designing and making a liquid hydrogen tank and various pumps, valves, filters and instruments.

Shu also pleaded guilty to offering bribes of nearly $190,000 to Chinese government officials to win the award last year of a $4 million contract for a hydrogen liquefier project for a French company Shu represented, the department said.

---- Shu came to the US in 1990. Mission accomplished?

Black Coffee

Nana Mouskouri - La Paloma


Nana - Amazing Grace


Nana - Black Coffee

Staging

One morning, as J. Edgar Hoover "assiduously scoured the newspapers for signs of dissent and subversion, he noticed a report about the latest article written by Norman Mailer for Esquire magazine."

The FBI monitored Mailer's "writings, meetings, speeches, movements, acquaintances and even Christmas card list, posing as a friend, calling up his father and knocking on his door in the guise of deliverymen."

Their reports were than [sic] stamped "CLASSIFIED", "SECRET" and "SUBV. CONTROL", the latter an apparent reference to suspected subversives.

"The fascinating insight into the tactics of Hoover's FBI has been made public in newly-declassified US government files. The documents were released to the Washington Post under a Freedom of Information Act request lodged following the writer's death a year ago. The FBI's first Mailer memo, dated June 29 1962, contained enough incriminatory material to fuel the investigative instincts of Hoover, a fervent anti-Communist and veteran of the post-war "Red Scare" McCarthyite witchhunts. It noted that the writer "admitted being a 'Leftist'" and called the FBI "a secret police organization" that should be abolished. One informant said Mailer was "a concealed Communist", although others disputed that assertion."

----- A couple of things to recognize here. One, the FBI, like so many other Federal employees, waste time and tax dollars performing "look busy" work to justify their inflated salaries and egos, and two, the WaPo getting Mailer's FBI files is not "fascinating insight" into anything. And just to be petty, I know the Brits use spelling variations, but I had to correct their word "assiduously" as it was misspelled in the original article. Do new agencies not have spellcheckers or proofreaders with an eye?

Also, I think it's been a while since I have read Red Scare, McCarthyite, witchhunts, Leftist, secret police, informant, and Communist all within three short sentences. That's to remind you, coming soon, not to be afraid of such labels - it will be the old FBI up to its tricks again.

All I remember of Mailer in his heyday is I couldn't finish any of his material, and feminists at the time referred to Norman as a chauvinist pig. Apparently he had his fans, otherwise how could he become such a noted, award-winning writer. (Son of a well-known connected Jersey Jewish family, Harvard man, etc. had nothing to do with it.)

According to the article above in 1973 Hoover "feared" the release of Mailer's biography about Marilyn Monroe - Norman was accusing the FBI of cover-up in Monroe's overdosing death. Conspiracy surrounding Marilyn's death was a sales market bonanza for at least a decade. Like so many "artists," she was worth much more dead than she ever was alive. She was the prototype, albeit older, for a Spears or Angelina type tabloid queen, of which Mailer attempted to cash in on as so many did at the time, and still do.

Guys like Mailer, Capote (Clutter family) , Schiller (Jon-Benet), etc., with pen in beak, circle like vultures over high-profiles. Schiller, good friend of Mailer, does have some beautiful photography of Marilyn Monroe. (Fortunately, he didn't smear feces on the virgin Mary or stick a bullwhip up her butt and call it art.) Made wealthy, they have convinced the public that "true crime" ragmag writing is an art form. They helped secure an insatiable, vicarious national appetite for sleaze; with marketing to convince us such writings are a study in psychological profiles or investigative reporting, or an educational analysis of social man.

Hogwash.

It's high gloss on the style of writing that my junior high teacher kept hidden in his desk drawer - erotic magazine covers showing a busty female in the clutches of a muscled intruder with titles like Real Detective or True Crime. Fetish anyone? Mailer and ilk are the National Enquirer for "educated" folk. As for profiles in psychology - that's all the monkey-see monkey-do American needs - lots of exposure to the perps and victims of the depraved among us.

You really think the FBI believes their own files - or are they laughing at the public faith that FOIA has "information" anywhere in it? They must get their writers from the same muddy-the-water comedy pool the public gets theirs.

Famed Nordic System

Gender parity.

Another article in what has been at least a decade of endless spiels by high profile and unknown shitheads alike, on the wonders and magnificence of living in one of those semi-socialist, "free" healthcare, sex and drug liberated and wealth parity communes known as Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, and other Euro-topias.

THE LADY STATES: In the streets of Oslo, fathers are as likely as mothers to be pushing the pram, and they're just as likely to be picking up their kids from nursery and school as their wives ... It's worth noting that Norway is not the only Nordic nation that is top of the class. Finland is second, Sweden third, while Iceland is fourth. Culture may play a part, but more important is the fact that these countries have created societies – the famed Nordic welfare system – that allow women to be more active in the public sphere, be it in the workplace or in politics ... Coming back to visit Britain I am amazed at how working mothers are increasingly demonized in public debate for daring to combine paid work and childcare. It's like children happen to women but not to men. If it's so terrible to be a parent and go to work at the same time, why aren't men getting the same flak?

----- Hon, a man's flak begins at home.

Quick, I must hide this from the old ball and chain because he mopped floors, cooked meals and raised kids for years and worked - he might think he's been nordicized, or gender pared. (I even convinced him to sit to pee so the bathroom stays cleaner longer.)

What a vapid article. The lady is amazed that women in Britain are publicly demonized for daring to combine work and childcare. And I guess 2 income households are by choice and not an economic necessity in Norway? How many American women would prefer to be stay-at-home moms, baking cookies and wiping baby butts and noses, because daddy brings home plenty of bacon?

But gender equality aside, this article reminds me that for at least a decade or more I have been brainwashed with information praising the wondrous accomplishments of Euro-Nordic semi-socialist nations.

Here is what I notice, (and to my shame once parroted) each time the praise has come from:

A native nordic, blonde person, who lives in a country where the famed nordic welfare system allows women to be more active at work and in politics. Well of course the system is manageable when your nordic nation is little more than a gated white community of 4.5 million, which is still called a Kingdom and more or less uniracial, not to mention heavily dependent on offshore drilling, fishery, and international trade, along with restricted immigration.

The second type of praiser of the nordic welfare system are non-nordic natives who think the US can mimic the system and that the US, with dozens of opposing cultures, religions, ideologies, can all just get along in our kingdom of 300+ million and growing. These praisers are usually white Americans who have vacationed or worked abroad and are gushy about how wonderful it was over there. They are also in that group that voted Obama because they "wanted to be part of history," or what I call the "ox and moron" logic - have you ever witnessed firsthand how dumb oxen can behave? Believe me, the old phrase "dumb as an ox" is true. I've heard some ignorant excuses in my life from those voting for a particular candidate but being "part of history" has to be the dumbest yet.

The third type of famed Nordic welfare pushers are the most devious. They would lead us to believe as soon as we can equalize everyone - gender, race, intellect, income, ideology - we will all live in Valhalla and commune with the Gods. Corruption will disappear, greed will be wiped from human nature, life will be fun on the State playground. Their goal is to supply everyone a crust of bread, a house of straw/mud, and minds that cannot process much of anything beyond cable TV, and they will call it world unity or parity or something warm-fuzzyish.

But yes, for at least a decade it seems I stumble every day on at least one article written in giddy glee on the benefits of a euro-nordic-style welfare socialist state. No one ever explains where the funding for 6 billion earthlings on welfare will come from, but I suppose the corporate kingdom will figure that one out - just as soon as they finish emptying the US coffers to bail us out of yet another crisis.

And then most folks are gonna grasp the true meaning of parity, peon parity.

Rewriting Ronnie

I'm real tired of hearing Ronald Reagan, a petty third rate political actor trained to read lines, has become the hero of those who consider themselves "real Christian conservatives." Talk about lipstick on a pig.

Even Boy Bush will have spin meisters to put a lot of gloss on his pig and Bush will never be known as the revulsion-inducing putz he is, but as just another president in a long line of American presidents / figureheads. A couple or three presidents are remembered as heroes, but most are simply forgotten in the dustbin of national history. What to think of each president, or not think, will be taught in those textbooks funded by the government and preapproved by those who control our fine institutions of public education.

Reagan was no hero, or affable right-winger. He was more a Boy Bush lite, or perhaps Boy Bush is Reagan on steroids. In any case, those "conservatives" and "Reagan democrats," defenders of beloved Ronnie's memory, are as deluded as any other American political sheep herd.

Reagan practiced and prolonged a mean, petty, murderous vindictiveness toward the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, El Salvador's FMLN, in his weekend war on Grenada to prop up that US colony, etc.

Had John Hinckley been a better shot, I'm certain the US would have had their war on in the Middle East much sooner. Perhaps Reagan was somewhat uncooperative with the powers that be, especially after the anesthesia wore off - that may make him a hero, sort of. On the other hand his role may have been only to set the economic destruction ball rolling. Perhaps Poppy Bush and friends jumped the gun (no pun).

It was Ronnie who praised, applauded, and slobbered over Poland's trade unionist leader Lech Walesa and urged American union "Solidarity" with young Lech - while in Latin America and at home the corporate thugs were busting unions as quickly as possible, by brainwashing Joe the Assembler that his labor costs were too high and the company could not afford his union wage and benefits. Reagan was the ball that started the jobs rolling out and overseas. You see folks, Polish unions were honest, American unions corrupt, Central American unionists were corrupt commies.

Lech Walesa. I remember his mug on the nightly news during the '80s. Car mechanic and shipyard electrician who rose to become president, win a Nobel Peace prize, honorary degree from Harvard ... what ever happened to Lech? Reports say documents came to light in June 2008 alleging Walesa had been a collaborator of the communist secret police, "Bolek", way before the formation of "Solidarity." This suggests a degree of calculation on his part as well as the Polish government, in the context of all the events of the formation of Solidarity and subsequent to it. I gotta wonder, did Babs and Poppy Cia Bush know all this when they were hugging Lech in Warsaw back then.

Although I have limited support for most social programs, Reagan cut such aid not to the bone but to the marrow. He closed mental health facilities dumping tens of thousands on the street - but not to worry - also on his watch the tough on crime folks found a big opportunity in the American prison industry, which would criminalize and privatize the housing of many of the nation's mental incompetents and social misfits.

It was Ron who was adored by the Yuppie generation (young upwardly mobile/urban professionals). Many, if not most, made their money in the fast lane of sales, wheeling and dealing in real estate investment, computers, technology, pharma for the whole family stupefied with cable entertainment, and mad ad men - because the only thing that meant anything was Status. Flaunt it if you got it, fake it 'til you make it. It was the era when I scratched my head and asked "How did Deadbeat Dyrone get a MasterCard with his credit?"

Oops, did you say S&L bailout? Iran Contra? He tripled the deficit? The Ron who never met a defense program he didn't love. Grandpa Ron the Affable. His love of big weapons bred bigger waste and corruption to help us along to where we are today - and now folks pay homage to rouged cheek Paw-Paw Reagan.

The '80s under Reagan was one long decade when the national anthem was Gordon Greko's Greed is Good; doesn't matter how you make it, just make it (it being money).

There was nothing conservative or spiritual about Ronald Reagan.

And, honestly, with all the astrology readings going on under the Nancy administration ... I thought astrology was forbidden to Christians, at least since St. Augustine devoted a section of the City of God to ridicule astrology.

Republicans today piss and moan that "conservatives have turned away from Reagan's brand of conservatism" - that's one of those social programming memes that is supposed to mean something but is actually empty rhetoric for empty heads - because today's political conservatives or liberals are just like and are continuing Reagan's brand: Overspending, corrupt, corporate and/or self-serving policy pushers of a New State, and like Reagan, they too will retire to the ranch when the shit hits the really big fan.

(Although, looking back I think the seriously slow US decline took a firm foothold around 1960.)

Shirts & Such

Recap of Obama/Biden Universal Voluntary Public Service:

Barack Obama will enable all Americans to serve.
Integrate service into learning.
Invest in the nonprofit sector.
Expand Corporation for National and Community Service.
Engage Retiring Americans in Service on a Large Scale.
Expand Service-Learning in Our Nation's Schools.
Expand YouthBuild Program.
Require 100 Hours of Service in College.
Promote College Serve-Study.

Known in Italy years ago as camicie nere, camisas doradas in Mexico, plínio salgado in Brazil, or blueshirts if a member of the Canadian National Socialist Unity Party. Had the ideas above come from a conservative American political party they would have been immediately designated by the "left" as brownshirts.

When such groups are founded by "progressives/liberals" they are imperiously referred to as America or Community or Job or Peace "corps." These orgs accomplish little to nothing overall yet the funding keeps on coming and coming and growing and growing. But whatever color shirt you wear - most likely it will be made in China (which, if you haven't figured it out by now, has become the political/economic role model for the US).

On another note - the news this a.m. is Obama will likely use executive signing orders to overturn certain Bush policies, such as stem cell research, etc. etc. Now, remember, Bush "ruled by executive order" and according to America's "left" it was dictatorship - but when Obama does the same it will henceforth be known as "setting his stamp" on American policy.

And by the way - Neither Congress nor any administration has ever prohibited private funding of embryonic research. Bush vetoed federal funding of research, federal and funding being the keywords here. That's right folks, the so-called supporters of stemcell research want YOU to provide tax funding for the research. The policy question is not really whether it's morally right or wrong - but who pays - private corporations or federal guvmint funding. And we know how efficient the government is with tax funded enterprises.

Have you taken a close look at Obama's Chief of Staff to be, Rahm Emanuel? Well, for all those on the "left" screaming about BushCo's administration being tied to Zionists - you can't get much closer to zion than with Emanuel.

Emanuel is said to have "mailed a rotten fish to a former coworker after the two parted ways." On the night after the 1996 election, "Emanuel was so angry at the president's (Clinton) enemies that he stood up at a celebratory dinner with colleagues from the campaign, grabbed a steak knife and began rattling off a list of betrayers, shouting 'Dead! ... Dead! ... Dead!' and plunging the knife into the table after every name." His "take-no-prisoners attitude" earned him the nickname "Rahm-bo". People who worked with Emanuel at that time "insist the once hard-charging staffer has mellowed out."

Oh yessiree, we be all mellowed out with Barry's rule.

Excuse me hon, what neck size would you like your free red shirt? Oh, wait, you're so progressive you're giving the shirt off your back to the new administration, in hope of change? Bwaaa hahahahah.

Wonderful Tonight

Clapton with Katie Kissoon doing backup vocals.

Mutt Like Me

While many seem to find Obama's "a mutt like me" remark humorous I find it anything but. Barry, is that how you talk in front of your daughters? Not helping the matter was OBH looking down often at his podium notes and following along with his finger.

Supporters claim the mutt remark shows OBH's warm sense of humor, claim it means nothing more than a mixed breed which BHO is, or they claim he was being politically savvy and used the moment to remind white folks that he too had a white mama - his first press conference and he's still reassuring part of the population that he's half white? Obama displayed a kinder and gentler self-contempt moment - and peeple think it's cute.

The remark says to me OBH is uncomfortable with at least one-half of his heritage. He should know there are plenty of others more than happy to use the adjective "mutt."

My advice Barry: Never refer to yourself as a mutt, mongrel, niggah, homeboy, Americoon, Bo-Bo, Bonky, Buckwheat or Burnt Cracker or burr head, etc. even if self-deprecation makes the dumber among us chuckle or guffaw.

The remark shows BHO is unaware of America's southern history where Blacks were referred to as mutts or "mongrels," whether mixed breed or not. Mutt is a derogatory term - not something that should be coming from the mouth of the next "leader of the free world."

If you think past presidents arrived at the White House clueless and/or with a lot of unresolved psychological baggage - you ain't seen nothing yet.

Aftermath of Obama Victory

Spiderman

How superficial of me, but note the colors of the Family Obama on the night of the acceptance speech.

My first thought was - hmmm, red and black, the colors of Marxist/Leninist rebels everywhere, hmmm.

My second thought was - EGADS, Michelle's dress looks like the hourglass on the belly of a black widow spider. Again, hmmm...

Shock

Let me see ... Election 2000 and election 2004 were stolen, rigged, etc. etc. according to the "left." But election 2008 is on the up and up ?

The agenda continues folks, regardless what face they put on it, acceptance speech as translated by someone:

Yesterdays