What? people who earn a million will move to avoid taxes? How come? It's only a 2% increase. Let's see, on a million dollars that's merely $20,000 on top of the already high taxes, maybe $90,000, they were paying already, which were on top of the taxes they were paying to the federal government. Probably over half goes in taxes when it's all over.
The fatcats should stay and pay the taxes.
We voted!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Internet regulation update
It's worse than I thought. We've nationalized car manufacturers, insurance companies, banks, and now communications is next in line. Dammit, the internet was pretty much the only thing that was working to encourage innovation and wealth creation. The rest of the economy pretty much seemed to be rent-seeking and zero sum balance sheet shifting.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sticky-fingers on the internet . . .
The sticky-fingered commisars of the FCC have been wanting to regulate the internet. We aren't sure how they propose to regulate it or what features of the internet they figure should be regulated. But they went and did it. Their scheme passed today, and pretty soon now, we might learn what it is that they did. But it is a secret for now.
I figure seeing as how they really don't want to talk about what they just did after they done already done it (that's how we used to talk in Kentucky), it's to give them some extra time to either get out of town or to get their stories right.
Maybe I could go along with regulating the internet. I could live with some sort of painful and bloody punishment for spammers, for instance.
But, really! WTF?
I guess its just a whole lot more satisfying and easy to run a democracy if you don't have to put up with a bunch of people yelping about whether or not the rule you are inflicting on the public is necessary, or wanted, or helpful, or even Constitutionally permitted. Next, somebody will say that government should govern with the consent of the governed, and I'm pretty sure, based on the evidence, that that can't be the case.
That's why I always counsel people to vote in every election. You get few enought chances to express yourself to our overlords as it is, so you should never pass up a chance if it comes your way. Because the alternative to voting involves bayonets, ropes, and sturdy tree branches.
I figure seeing as how they really don't want to talk about what they just did after they done already done it (that's how we used to talk in Kentucky), it's to give them some extra time to either get out of town or to get their stories right.
Maybe I could go along with regulating the internet. I could live with some sort of painful and bloody punishment for spammers, for instance.
But, really! WTF?
I guess its just a whole lot more satisfying and easy to run a democracy if you don't have to put up with a bunch of people yelping about whether or not the rule you are inflicting on the public is necessary, or wanted, or helpful, or even Constitutionally permitted. Next, somebody will say that government should govern with the consent of the governed, and I'm pretty sure, based on the evidence, that that can't be the case.
That's why I always counsel people to vote in every election. You get few enought chances to express yourself to our overlords as it is, so you should never pass up a chance if it comes your way. Because the alternative to voting involves bayonets, ropes, and sturdy tree branches.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Double dip for the holidays.
Looks like Portland is experiencing yet another round of home price reductions. A double hit. I was just saying that it really is sad to drive around looking at Christmas lights, and seeing "For Sale" signs at Christmas. I'm doing just fine but there's a great deal of people suffering through no or low work opportunities out there, who wrapped up their families' lives in their homes and retirement plans, who are no longer able to afford either and are unable to liquidate either in any way that offers relief -- and they didn't do anything wrong or do anything to deserve being punished in this way. Except for the way they voted.
Our government, elected officials and civil service types, represent the fountainhead of the nation's miseries.
Bitter? Oh, no. P.O.d
Our government, elected officials and civil service types, represent the fountainhead of the nation's miseries.
Bitter? Oh, no. P.O.d
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Pirates have boarded the Ship of State
The budget was due months ago. But at least one has finally been proposed. Finally.
One point one t-r-i-l-l-i-o-n dollars! 1,924 pages. 6,488 earmarks. And 40% of federal revenue is borrowed, at present, before we even get to this budget.
And when somebody objected that this isn't much time to review the budget proposal before voting on it, Senator Reid said we have until January 5 to vote on it and get it to the House. How much time is needed for people to just do as they are told by their elected betters?
Oh, my poor children and grandchildren, and great grandchildren to come if my grandchildren can even manage to have children when the time comes.
One point one t-r-i-l-l-i-o-n dollars! 1,924 pages. 6,488 earmarks. And 40% of federal revenue is borrowed, at present, before we even get to this budget.
And when somebody objected that this isn't much time to review the budget proposal before voting on it, Senator Reid said we have until January 5 to vote on it and get it to the House. How much time is needed for people to just do as they are told by their elected betters?
Oh, my poor children and grandchildren, and great grandchildren to come if my grandchildren can even manage to have children when the time comes.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Peace be upon the holy business card . . .
Here ya go. A doctor discarded a business card. The card identified a person named Mohomed, that is, he was named after the prophet. It's a common enough name; I've met several "Mo's" in my life so far.
What's the problem? The problem is that by throwing away the card, the doctor was basically disrespecting the prophet because his name was on the card, and Islam, which is a criminal offense requiring punishment.
It seems to me that if one is so insecure about one's religious beliefs that discarding a business card is a threat to one's sense of self, well, maybe the only cure is to just find a warm cave somewhere far from where people are, and spend your days squatting naked in the cave interacting with nobody, right up to the inevitable end. At least it would, anyhow, be better for the rest of us who are cool with throwing away business cards and mean no disrespect to anyone when we do.
What's the problem? The problem is that by throwing away the card, the doctor was basically disrespecting the prophet because his name was on the card, and Islam, which is a criminal offense requiring punishment.
It seems to me that if one is so insecure about one's religious beliefs that discarding a business card is a threat to one's sense of self, well, maybe the only cure is to just find a warm cave somewhere far from where people are, and spend your days squatting naked in the cave interacting with nobody, right up to the inevitable end. At least it would, anyhow, be better for the rest of us who are cool with throwing away business cards and mean no disrespect to anyone when we do.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Lions, and Tigers, and missiles, oh my. . .
Just, dammit! Iranian missiles targeting us. How many workers' paradises do we have to contain to the south? Didn't the threat of atomic missiles die down after the end of the cold war and the strategy of Mutual Assured Distruction? Do we have to teach little kids, again, to duck under their school desk and cover their ears?
Kennedy scared the U.S.S.R. missiles out of Cuba but left Castro in place, to appropriate the labor and lives of generations of Cubans to come. Obama gives Chavez big wet kisses on the cheek.
For that matter, how long do we have to put up with Islamic expansionism? To them, we are infidels in a world which should be entirely under Sharia, and the best we should hope for is to be dhimmi.
Western civilization has been periodically plagued by Islamic predations necessitating taking up arms, as in the Crusades, among other things. Islamic incursions damn near made it to Paris, and to Vienna, and pretty much ran Spain before being beat back. Temporarily. President Jefferson read the Koran then went after the pirates of Tripoli. This sh8t isn't new.
Here's the deal. When faced with an implacable threat to your civilization, you either have to win, or you lose. You can't just contain and delay them, as has been the strategy of choice for 1100 years. You can't just beat them back. You have to beat them.
Oh, and by the way. Being dhimmi means becoming a member of a barely tolerated indigenous population eking out an existence on the margins of a dominant occupying population.
Kennedy scared the U.S.S.R. missiles out of Cuba but left Castro in place, to appropriate the labor and lives of generations of Cubans to come. Obama gives Chavez big wet kisses on the cheek.
For that matter, how long do we have to put up with Islamic expansionism? To them, we are infidels in a world which should be entirely under Sharia, and the best we should hope for is to be dhimmi.
Western civilization has been periodically plagued by Islamic predations necessitating taking up arms, as in the Crusades, among other things. Islamic incursions damn near made it to Paris, and to Vienna, and pretty much ran Spain before being beat back. Temporarily. President Jefferson read the Koran then went after the pirates of Tripoli. This sh8t isn't new.
Here's the deal. When faced with an implacable threat to your civilization, you either have to win, or you lose. You can't just contain and delay them, as has been the strategy of choice for 1100 years. You can't just beat them back. You have to beat them.
Oh, and by the way. Being dhimmi means becoming a member of a barely tolerated indigenous population eking out an existence on the margins of a dominant occupying population.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
It's for the children . . .
The federal government is now contemplating making back-up cameras mandatory on all new vehicles. Parents sometimes back their cars over their children who are permitted to run any damn place they want to, so as to avoid stifling their little emotional developments.
Well, you have to look, don't you? If you are backing up, you have to look in your mirrors, or swivel around and look out the back window, or something. Right? After all, the lady who backed her SUV into my car down in the basement parking lot had a back-up camera in her car. She didn't look at it.
Not everybody pays attention to what they are doing. Not everybody looks; they merely trust the way is clear.
For this reason the original proposal was that reverse gear just be eliminated from all passenger vehicles, altogether. And it would have passed, too, except that the bureaucrats couldn't figure out whether to make circular driveways or solar-panel powered roundtables required features in all urban areas, so they compromised. They'll revive the reverse-gear elimination proposal after all cars are finally equipped with back-up cameras.
It's for the children.
Well, you have to look, don't you? If you are backing up, you have to look in your mirrors, or swivel around and look out the back window, or something. Right? After all, the lady who backed her SUV into my car down in the basement parking lot had a back-up camera in her car. She didn't look at it.
Not everybody pays attention to what they are doing. Not everybody looks; they merely trust the way is clear.
For this reason the original proposal was that reverse gear just be eliminated from all passenger vehicles, altogether. And it would have passed, too, except that the bureaucrats couldn't figure out whether to make circular driveways or solar-panel powered roundtables required features in all urban areas, so they compromised. They'll revive the reverse-gear elimination proposal after all cars are finally equipped with back-up cameras.
It's for the children.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Jihad in Pioneer Square
The enemy is among us. Surely this guy, thinking about violent jihad since he was fifteen, has associates, people he knows, contacts, who are similarly inclined. They just haven't done anything about it -- yet.
Friday, November 26, 2010
More homeland security on the way . . .
No, that's not my arrest record. It's my resume; why do you ask? It shows job experience pertinent to this job. I'm from the government, and of course you can trust me.
If I can't be paranoid now, when can I be paranoid?
Looks like feeling you up and taking nude pictures of everybody is just the beginning. We are starting to shut down web sites, now., under Homeland Security. Hey guys, there's a modicum of justification in either instance, and maybe a shred of law, too, but there is a whole lot more of WTF! in airport searches and taking down web sites. This could be the thin edge of the wedge.
Nah, that's just paranoia talking. Right?
Nah, that's just paranoia talking. Right?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Department of Justice takes a dive.
The DOJ needs to prosecute the law. But people in the DOJ don't necessary like all the laws that they are charged with enforcing. So, we get this:
West said Monday that DOJ was discharging its responsibility to the tradition of the Justice Department while making adjustments to the arguments in line with the administration's views.
"I think that the best example -- let me give you one -- in the Defense of Marriage Act -- you'll notice that we have not only discharged our responsibility to defend the constitutionality of a congressional statute, but we've done so in a way which reflects the policy values of this administration," West said.
"We disavowed some arguments that we believed had no basis in fact, and in fact we presented the court through our briefs with information which seemed to undermine some of the previous rationales that have been used defense of that statute," West added.
"We believe that's being an honest broker with the court, and that's the way we'll continue to discharge our responsibility," West said.
West said Monday that DOJ was discharging its responsibility to the tradition of the Justice Department while making adjustments to the arguments in line with the administration's views.
"I think that the best example -- let me give you one -- in the Defense of Marriage Act -- you'll notice that we have not only discharged our responsibility to defend the constitutionality of a congressional statute, but we've done so in a way which reflects the policy values of this administration," West said.
"We disavowed some arguments that we believed had no basis in fact, and in fact we presented the court through our briefs with information which seemed to undermine some of the previous rationales that have been used defense of that statute," West added.
"We believe that's being an honest broker with the court, and that's the way we'll continue to discharge our responsibility," West said.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's talking about taking a dive. You know. Act like you are just boxing your heart out but making sure that all your best punches fall a little short, or land on the shoulder instead of the chin. And when the other guy finally gets one good punch in, well, lay down and take a little nap.
Wonder if there might be some sort of ethical rule about this sort of thing, like, oh, I don't know, maybe zealous representation.
On the other hand, this might be brilliant. I can just see the next administration saying to itself, "The corporate income tax sucks. Let's prosecute those corporate tax cheats, but not win, because we'll never get Congress to repeal the tax." Or better yet - selectively rolling over and playing dead. Tax the bejeezus out of Google, but lose the case against Halliburton.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Next time, invite the terrorist to mediation . . .
How can this be? A terrorist who admits to killing a couple hundred people is found not guilty on all those homicide charges, and is convicted only on a single conspiracy charge?
As I understand it, the judge ruled that some available witness testimony was inadmissible because the identity of the witness came from an interview of the accused terrrorist, and the judge thought that interview was coercive. So available evidence was suppressed. Kind of like fruit of the poison tree. So the jury had to deal only with what remaining evidence was presented -- which was evidently insufficient to convict beyond a reasonable doubt.
Yeah, civilian trials affording civil rights to fanatic terrorists will work just fine. (Sarcasm). And the AGs office screwed up a case pretty badly all the while thinking they'd hand the left fringe a victorious show trial.
We are at war. The object of our enemy is to replace our civilisation and history with sharia. They've been at it for over a thousand years, and they'll keep at it for a thousand more if necessary and if we let them. -- until they win. And we are somehow under the protection of an executive branch run by people who seem to want to fight a war for the survival of our way of life with strategies that got them a good grade in moot court and maybe almost got them laid by humourless, intense political chicks.
The hell of it is, these guys think they are being serious.
As I understand it, the judge ruled that some available witness testimony was inadmissible because the identity of the witness came from an interview of the accused terrrorist, and the judge thought that interview was coercive. So available evidence was suppressed. Kind of like fruit of the poison tree. So the jury had to deal only with what remaining evidence was presented -- which was evidently insufficient to convict beyond a reasonable doubt.
Yeah, civilian trials affording civil rights to fanatic terrorists will work just fine. (Sarcasm). And the AGs office screwed up a case pretty badly all the while thinking they'd hand the left fringe a victorious show trial.
We are at war. The object of our enemy is to replace our civilisation and history with sharia. They've been at it for over a thousand years, and they'll keep at it for a thousand more if necessary and if we let them. -- until they win. And we are somehow under the protection of an executive branch run by people who seem to want to fight a war for the survival of our way of life with strategies that got them a good grade in moot court and maybe almost got them laid by humourless, intense political chicks.
The hell of it is, these guys think they are being serious.
News of 'toos . . .
I now have my first tatoo. You can't see it and neither can I. A doctor put it there so he could remember and examine that location later.
So then there's this guy who has 98% of his skin, plus his tongue and the whites of his eyes !!!! tatooed. And not tatooed in pretty forest scenes or animals either. His face is a checkerboard, and the whites of his eyes are blue, and his tongue looks like something like maybe a rotten sea slug that has been washed up on the beach. Everything is inked, and inked, and inked. He did his eyes himself. He's been called the most tatooed guy in Portland.
I'm pretty sure no doctor was involved in his tatoos.
I'm pretty sure that this guy doesn't entertain any dreams of employment of any serious kind. Except maybe being used as a shock display in a human oddity show. Which he can continue to do after he dies, if his hide is properly preserved.
Wonder how much money it costs get 98% of your body tatooed.
Wonder if a need to tatoo everything to the point that you become unemployable -- through some extreme self-mutilation neurosis -- makes a person eligible for some kind of socialized disability payments for the remaining 50 years of life.
Yeah, because that's the kind of thing I can really get into as a taxpayer still contributing to the social security system.
So then there's this guy who has 98% of his skin, plus his tongue and the whites of his eyes !!!! tatooed. And not tatooed in pretty forest scenes or animals either. His face is a checkerboard, and the whites of his eyes are blue, and his tongue looks like something like maybe a rotten sea slug that has been washed up on the beach. Everything is inked, and inked, and inked. He did his eyes himself. He's been called the most tatooed guy in Portland.
I'm pretty sure no doctor was involved in his tatoos.
I'm pretty sure that this guy doesn't entertain any dreams of employment of any serious kind. Except maybe being used as a shock display in a human oddity show. Which he can continue to do after he dies, if his hide is properly preserved.
Wonder how much money it costs get 98% of your body tatooed.
Wonder if a need to tatoo everything to the point that you become unemployable -- through some extreme self-mutilation neurosis -- makes a person eligible for some kind of socialized disability payments for the remaining 50 years of life.
Yeah, because that's the kind of thing I can really get into as a taxpayer still contributing to the social security system.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Does she keep the plane? . . .
I hear that Nancy Pelosi is going to stay on as leader of the Democrats in the House, although she will now be minority leader instead of majority leader, and she will no longer be next in line after the Vice President to take over if anything happens to the President.
This is a reward from the Democrats for her many contributions to the country and her party.
Hope and change? She got the change part -- the House Republicans changed from minority to majority. And she will continue to focus Republican energy on governing as a majority party.
Maybe she can give the Senate and the White House to Republicans, as well, if we let her keep the big Air Force plane to fly back and forth between California and D.C.
This is a reward from the Democrats for her many contributions to the country and her party.
Hope and change? She got the change part -- the House Republicans changed from minority to majority. And she will continue to focus Republican energy on governing as a majority party.
Maybe she can give the Senate and the White House to Republicans, as well, if we let her keep the big Air Force plane to fly back and forth between California and D.C.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
People who should neither vote nor procreate . . .
I don't know if she's my girlfriend or not. I just have her name tatooed on my neck. She just happened to try to cut her name off my neck. She's crazy that way, but I'm okay with that, 'cause I have her name tatooed on my neck. And stuff.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Mid-term elections, gah! . . .
I'm so-o-o-o glad the election is over. I'm so tired of hearing the haters on the left accusing the right of being negative. I'm really sick of the moral posturing on the right. All the politicians are all spending other people's money, campaign contributions, in an effort to get or keep a job -- where they will collect other people's money, taxes, and spend other people's money. Mooches, every one.
But there are some great questions that were raised in this election. What is the function of government? Is it even possible, using the tools of government, to create jobs, or tolerance, or virtue, or security?
I'm afraid that this election simply highlighted these questions, bringing them into intensely sharp relief. The questions raised in this election weren't answered by this election, even though the ideals espoused by the radical left Democratic National Committee took a "shellacking," according to President Obama. The questions abide. We see that too many of us still don't have jobs, or won't have jobs, and too many have jobs that should not be done. Mooches. Too many are intolerant, while preaching tolerance for their own conditions. Virtue is a joke, something to be mocked in computer video clips, and we are targets of politico-religious fanatics.
We'll not be able to go forward as a nation without finding resolutions to the great questions raised by this election.
The 2012 election season starts beginning now.
But there are some great questions that were raised in this election. What is the function of government? Is it even possible, using the tools of government, to create jobs, or tolerance, or virtue, or security?
I'm afraid that this election simply highlighted these questions, bringing them into intensely sharp relief. The questions raised in this election weren't answered by this election, even though the ideals espoused by the radical left Democratic National Committee took a "shellacking," according to President Obama. The questions abide. We see that too many of us still don't have jobs, or won't have jobs, and too many have jobs that should not be done. Mooches. Too many are intolerant, while preaching tolerance for their own conditions. Virtue is a joke, something to be mocked in computer video clips, and we are targets of politico-religious fanatics.
We'll not be able to go forward as a nation without finding resolutions to the great questions raised by this election.
The 2012 election season starts beginning now.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
What's holding us together , , ,
Mark Steyn has an interesting take on current affairs, the border wars, and ever-increasing centralized government. Worth a look.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Election relief is just around the corner . . .
I'll be so glad when this election is over. Politicians will pretty much say or do anything to get power over the rest of us and most of it is blather and nonsense, and a large part of that is condescending and patronizing blather and nonsense.
But once in a while, something shows up that seems sensible to me. Take a look. Since one seldom hears anything like this from politicians, I believe we are engaged in a betrayal whenever we treat a politician with any courtesy or with the appearance of respect.
I accept the fact that they lie by habit and inclination. What I hate is, first, that they expect us to believe the bull and, second, so many do. The true believers, left and right, are called "the base." Politicians play to their reliably thick headed base instead of trying to represent all of us, and lots of them get rich doing so.
Any politician who has served in Washington the least little bit -- has served in Washington way too long. Time for a change.
But once in a while, something shows up that seems sensible to me. Take a look. Since one seldom hears anything like this from politicians, I believe we are engaged in a betrayal whenever we treat a politician with any courtesy or with the appearance of respect.
I accept the fact that they lie by habit and inclination. What I hate is, first, that they expect us to believe the bull and, second, so many do. The true believers, left and right, are called "the base." Politicians play to their reliably thick headed base instead of trying to represent all of us, and lots of them get rich doing so.
Any politician who has served in Washington the least little bit -- has served in Washington way too long. Time for a change.
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