Thursday, September 26, 2013

Well, if I have to choose which side . . .

Here's a story in the Daily Mail about a stand-up comedian I never heard of who punched a journalist when he found out the journalist was tweeting about him negatively. The punchee appeared to have been injured more in his self-absorbed dignity than physically.

It occurs to me that the Republic might be much improved if maybe three or four journalists got punched now and then. Maybe a coupla dozen politicians as well. Not to cause injury, but just, shall we say, for purposes of enlightenment.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Things that happen when certain kinds of people are in charge . . .

Here's a list of over 700 companies and organizations that have applied for and received an exemption from Obamacare. They don't have to comply with the employer mandated health insurance laws, but of course -- their employees are not exempted.

Oregon has been advertising it's exchange to begin October 1, 2013. There is a grace period between then and the first of 2014 after which you must be insured. IRS will be on the case to assure you buy medical insurance for 2014, for in case your employer doesn't cover you. If you don't guy coverage, you'll pay a fine to IRS -- I mean, a tax on uninsured people. It's the same money, tax or fine. But the Supreme Court wants to call it a tax to make Obamacare all legal and stuff, and if they call it a tax, it probably would be unconstitutional.

What's it going to cost if you don't get employer provided coverage? What will you have to pay for a family plan? What happens if you lose a job, or get cut back on hours? What insurance companies are going to sell through state exchanges in each state? What is going to happen in states where the exchanges aren't set up yet, or aren't ever going to be set up? What happens if you have to move from one state to another, in search of a job?

Need help trying to figure out what to do?

Good luck.

This is so not ready for prime time.

Monday, September 23, 2013

The Sky is Falling, Zombies, and Government Shut-Down . . .

The House has passed a CR (continuing resolution) to keep the government in business until they can get around to ever passing a budget, because they have so much work to do and can't get it all done in maybe two days a week of actually working, for which they get paid over $150,000 a year, plus perks.

The only problem is that they left out Obamacare from the CR, which means that there will be no legal way for Obamacare to operate come October 1.

Also, there is some reluctance to agree to raise the debt limit, you know, the rule that says there's a limit to how much the government can borrow -- the debt limit that gets raised every time the executive bureaucrazy wants to pass money out to their cronies in big business. (You didn't think the cash all went only to poor people, did you?)

Anyhow, the government could shut down real soon, if the Senate doesn't do something about a continuing resolution.

My question is this. If the government shuts down, does that mean that Senators, Representatives, and executive officials won't get their pay checks?

You know what the answer is, and you know what the answer should be, and those two ain't the same thing.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Maybe it was just routine. . . workplace violence , or maybe they were just horsin' around . . .

An Al Qaeda affiliate, Al Shabaab, sent a bunch of gunmen into a crowded shopping mall in Kenya and shot up the place. They would ask if somebody was Muslim, and if not, they'd kill'em. Thirty-nine dead and well over a hundred wounded. Hostages were taken as well.

Remember how, just before the election, what was left of Al Qaeda was on the run, basically all but all washed up?

Yeah, right. That and rap music is lyrical, Co'- Cola is a disinfectant, and Hillary Clinton just learned she is pregnant.?

Friday, September 20, 2013

Let's get this straight . . .

The Republican majority-controlled House, at nearly the last minute, has passed a bill to provide continuing financial authority to keep the government spending money . . . but not Obamacare. They are voting to keep the government open. Those who voted against the bill would let the government shut down before they give up Obamacare.

For the bill to become law it must be passed in the Senate and survive a possible presidential veto. The Senate is controlled by the Democrats who vow not to pass the bill, thus leaving the government without continuing funds. Even if it were to pass in the partisan Senate, the President promises to veto the financial authority to keep the government running unless Obamacare is also funded.

In other words, the Senate and the President will vote against funding the entire government - defense, entitlements, federal aid, everything - if they can't have Obamacare.

So what do you think we'll hear from politicians and public comments in the media? The Republicans want to shut down the government.

Hey, I think Obamacare will prove to be a disaster, and an increasing number of citizens agree with me. Maybe even more are opposed than approve if you believe some recent polling. But opinions vary. It's at least possible that the country could grow to accommodate Obamacare if the economy and employment situation could ever get out from under the load of crap burdening us at the time.

I just want it straight. It's the Democratic Senate and President threatening to let the government shut down, and the Republican House which has voted to fund the government.



Monday, September 09, 2013

The confict in the middle east is both more and less complicated than you think . . .

Check this out. Bashar Assad's grandfather has some insights into the conflict between his Alewite culture, and the Arab Muslim objectives in the region. And he said some nice things about the Palestinian Jews. France was in charge at the time, and he was looking for French protection from the Muslims.

Thursday, September 05, 2013

How about just assigning fifty push-ups and a penalty patrol . . .

I'm still thinking about this Syrian adventure before us. Well,it wouldn't be an issue except President Obama kinda made it an issue some time ago when he blustered that if poison gas was used, that behavior would cross a red line requiring the U.S. to toss some bombs. So now his story is that he kinda sorta didn't say what it sounded like he was saying. Then he said he didn't need any stinking congressional permission to send "his" military into action, and now he wants congressional approval.

I don't think there's any good guys in the Syrian conflict. That isn't to say that Assad deserves to die. He does. But I don't trust our current political masters to get the job done in a clean, uncomplicated fashion. There is just way too much crocodile tears being conspicuously shed by professional moralizers.

Oh, he gases his own peepul! He must be shown how unacceptably uncivilized that is. He must be punished. Such evil cannot be permitted by us to persist in the world.

Oh, yeah? If we are now in the business of punishing evil heads of state for abuse of their citizens. . . When do we start bombing North Korea?

Monday, September 02, 2013

A different kind of reluctant warrior . . . .

Our president sent our Secretary of State to make the case for punishing somebody in Syria, explosively. A bunch of federal employees were told to stay close to the office over the holiday weekend, because maybe stuff was going to happen where they would be needed. And then, and then . . . Nothing.

President Obama has asked Congress to decide whether or not to act in Syria, despite the fact that he has basically already declared war on Syria. At least that's what the Syrians think. No doubt President Obama is snickering to himself over the clever way he stuck the turd in somebody else's pocket, so when things get bad he'll have somebody else (besides Bush) to take the blame.

So now it is up to Congress to make an executive decision. (And yes, I see what I just did, there.). Two things: Kerry is probably steamed pretty good, after having been a self-righteous, smug dove since 'Nam. And I sure would like to see a landslide Congressional vote of "present."