The Taxman (or woman)

This is what a Democrat ticket will bring to us, because to them it is the clear solution to all of our current problems.

Currently in Massachusetts: Mass.: Gas tax hike option lingers From the article: "I have never opposed raising the gas tax. What I have said is that it is not my first choice," Patrick said in response to reporters' questions Wednesday. "I think I would be right in saying that it is not the first choice of most consumers in Massachusetts, especially in these times." In other words, stay tuned. Increased gas taxes will not only effect the cost of commuting, but will inflate the cost of products we buy from the shelves. Additionally a potential tax would also hinder not just the economy of Massachusetts, but of all of New England since shipping routes cross the state. This is the mentality... there is a ton of government excess, ballooned social programs, corruption, you name it... and yet instead of potentially trimming waste, Patrick, loyal to fellow politicians would rather hurt the people they serve.

And remember, Deval Patrick plays a key role in the Obama campaign. So this is what all of the country could potentially have in store for it.

A refresher for those not keeping track:
"They often riff off one another. They share a world view," Axelrod told the Times about Obama and Patrick. "Both of them are effective speakers whose words tend to get re quoted and arguments tend to be embraced widely." from: Obama, Clinton camps point to borrowed rhetoric

The main difference between Obama and Hillary is I believe Hillary, and not Barack, is more likely to make her tax and spend funding of Marxist dreams a reality.

Hillary Clinton Proposes Massive Energy Tax
This is from a biased source, but regardless... the message is legit. Hillary is packaging this as the people vs. corporate America, however the "tax breaks" she plans on rescinding, are breaks to big oil industry that they receive as incentives to invest in things such as research and renewable resources. Hillary's beef (and the democrats beef) is that the private sector is getting to decide how to spend these funds rather than "Big Brother". "Speaking to a group of alternative energy investors in Washington, D.C., Clinton proposed to sock oil companies with $20 billion in new fees that would be used to fund research on clean energy - driving up costs for oil producers that they would inevitably pass along to consumers."

Chance of Increased Taxes if Hillary Clinton is Elected
From article:
-She certainly would repeal Bush's tax cut halving the tax rate on dividends and would raise it from its current 15 percent to 30 percent. She would also most likely end the planned elimination of the estate tax and probably reduce the size of estates subject to the tax.
-She has specifically refused to rule out a big increase in Social Security (FICA) taxes. This levy is currently enforced on the first $97,000 of income. Hillary would probably follow the lead of Democratic liberals and either raise the limit — at least doubling it — or eliminating it altogether. A self-employed American making $250,000 a year currently pays $12,125 in FICA taxes (12.5 percent x $97,000). If the threshold were eliminated, his FICA tax would jump to $31,250!
-Robert Novak reports that Rangel's staff is "hard at work on an audacious plan that over the next decade would redistribute up to a trillion dollars in American income through the tax system." Rangel, himself, calls the new legislation "the mother of all tax reforms." (This is the redistribution of wealth and is Marxist at its heart)
-Behind her rhetoric about shared values and unity, lies the most far reaching tax increase proposals since the days of the New Deal. And, if she is elected, she will likely carry enough Democrats into the Senate (my current estimate is 58) to pass whatever she pleases.
(Please note Dick Morris wrote this article.... former Clinton White House staff)

The Democrats want us to change the structure of our government. They want us to be, (overused term) "A Nanny State". The idea is that since a few of us will slip through the cracks we should create a government funded safety net. (Which will rob us of what little incentive and work ethic Americans have remaining now days) To achieve this goal we will be matching the nations at the latter end of the following chart. Please note that our corporate taxes already are nearly as high as those in the highest taxed countries. Hillary and Obama want them to be EVEN HIGHER. That should be good for everyone...... who competes with us on the global market. See chart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Income_Taxes_By_Country.svg

Night on the town, and a relaxing weekend....

Well... the "guys night out" that John Madden had been planning in Portland came and went. The night started with a great meal of salad and Chicken Parmesan cooked by Michelle. We had a couple of after-dinner-beers, and then headed out to Rosie's (transportation courtesy of Michelle). All three of us, John Madden, Tim Hayes and myself drank too much cheap beer listened to music, and frequented a few of the "off the beaten path" watering holes. We headed back to John & Michelle's apartment after finishing off our bar hopping night at "Bubba's" where Michelle's sister Christine tends bar. It was a surprisingly unique establishment which from the outside appears to be a typical dive. They were having "80s" night complete with a dance floor that has built in multicolored lights (circa 1970s). The place was packed with people, and I didn't notice the dance floor till it emptied out later on. Truthfully I was too wrapped up in conversation to really care much about the festivities.

Back at the apartment we listened to a play list John had made specifically for the occasion on his ipod. It was a broad array of tunes covering vast expanses of time and genres.... in both the context of our own lives, as well as the broader context of music history.

At one point in the night Tim convinced us all to try to play cribbage. By this time I had been awake for probably 19-20 hours and on about 4 hours of sleep from the previous night. The game has sentimental value for Tim, as he explained. Apparently his grandmother always encouraged him to play, or to learn how to play since he was a child. I was really exhausted and honestly I have a tough time having enough attention span to play cribbage when I'm awake and sober. However, it was clear that Tim was looking forward to sharing the game with us, and we all listened as Tim explained the rules. I don't know if it was bad luck, bad skills, bad hands, or all of the above but I did poorly. John smoked both Tim and myself at the game. When John was 80% around the board I think they could see me slipping into a coma induced by alcohol, and accentuated by a lack of sleep. I think Tim suggested that John already had essentially won the game... or maybe I suggested it. The suggestion was complementary to my train of thought, that was certain. I can't remember who brought it up, and it doesn't matter either way. I was just relieved not to play any more hands, and was fine with the prospect of finishing last, despite a slight chance I could have caught up with Tim.

I think I was lying down on the futon before the night (actually the morning) officially came to an end. John gave me a pillow and threw a blanket on top of me, and he and Tim continued talking while a couple more songs played. I tried to participate at random in the conversation. I'm certain when I chose to interject it just was only a waste of energy and what little wit I possessed had long vacated the premises.

I slept intermittently and finally woke up for a period of time to use the facilities and then try to hydrate myself with a couple glasses of water. I could hear Tim downstairs talking to Jaxon (spell?) Christine's little girl who is about 4 years old or so. John and Michelle live in the upstairs unit of a duplex, while Michelle's sister Christine and her two children occupy the first floor. Tim came up later trying to coach me into going to the gym later with him, and/or playing some basketball with John, Tim, Brandy, and their friend Sherri. I had a head ache... a trend that has gotten worse in my "old age" that I tend to get even from moderate drinking. Hayes located an Advil for me downstairs, which I chased down with some more water. I managed to catch a couple more hours of sleep and woke up around 12:30 feeling a lot better. John was up around this time and we went downstairs where Christine and Tim were watching Jaxon play with some blocks in the living room. Brandy and Sherri arrived and John & Tim readied themselves for their basketball match. I decided this was a good point to go my separate way since I was a little too tired for competitive sports.

After leaving I decided to grab a bite to eat at Arby's before heading back to Melrose. I think I scared the teenager at the register. I hadn't showered, had significant facial hair growth from not shaving in greater than 24 hours, was wearing an old red "Walmart special" hoodie, and my hair was in chaotic bed-head form. Not too mention my essential tremor was really kicked in due to previous long day and exhausted state.

I really enjoyed my roast beef sandwich and curly fries. Even the fountain soda seemed amazing, and satisfied that cola addiction that I most definitely have. We don't have Arby's around Boston, probably due to the prevalence of mom & pop roast beef sandwich shops. Sadly, I actually enjoy Arby's moist roast beef more than I do the dry, and often rare, (as people prefer) roast beef of eateries such as Kelly's or Liberty bell. Arby's is what I grew up on, and I have a sort of sentimental spot for it too.

I was going to write minimally about the "Guys night out" experience and instead compose a fantasy piece about what it would be like to eat lunch with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling especially creative so you'll have to settle for this in its place.

Saturday night Kate and I went to Friendly's (Kate's favorite). I had a turkey melt, Kate had a chicken wrap sandwich, and we split an ice cream sundae for desert. Sunday we poured through our travel books on Germany and took some notes. We took a walk and went to the Melrose library where I picked up a history book on Berlin. It was a nice day despite only being in the 40s. There were a ton of people out walking around enjoying the sun. The tennis and basketball courts in Melrose were filled with cheerful people getting exercise in the cold spring air. Kate and I got some Chinese take out for lunch. I had chicken with mushrooms, and Kate had General Gau's chicken. Later that evening I drove Kate back to Brookline. For a change it was still sunny out when I said goodbye to her. A sign of warmer weather to come.

Well it is time for bed... I should sleep well again as I am still catching up!
Happy end of March! Bring on the April Showers....

FRIDAY!!!!

Today will be a half day since I'm headed to Maine... but since I worked till 10:00 Thursday, and since I'm going in early tomorrow.... well you get the picture.

I had two Cadbury eggs for desert tonight... particularly criminal since working late thwarted my desire to get to the gym.

My apartment is kind of a mess... I need to tidy up a bit here before I go to bed.

My building stinks when I walk in, I have the sneaking suspicion there was another plumbing problem somewhere because it smells like wet carpet out in the stair well.

Well... That's enough random thoughts, stream of consciousness, whatever....

This will likely end a sub par lot of posts for March. I'll try to do better in April.

Have a spiffy weekend.

Peeps!

Kate and I went up to Sabattus for Easter dinner. Mom sent us back with half the ham so I'm sure Kate and I will be eating it all week.... not that I'm complaining it was delicious. My Aunt Gigi also prepared both Kate and I large Easter baskets which contained bags of toll-house cookies with 5 different types of chocolate chips (They are amazing), some organic soda, and a large assortment of various Easter candy. I had a Cadbury Creme egg and a peep for desert tonight.

The Clintons are at their usual shenanigans:

Clinton 'misspoke' about '96 Bosnia trip
And by misspoke they mean she lied about something completely ridiculous to try to make her self look good, largely because it is the Clinton M.O. and the usually get away with it.

Meanwhile the Obama campaign has really started going nasty.... probably has something to do with his sinking polls.
Obama supporter references Bill Clinton and 'blue dress'

March Rain... Better than March Snow.

Tonight it was raining at a pretty good clip as I left work to go to Kate's. While exiting a bus at Beacon St. to catch the green line I caught my reflection in the door. My parka hood was pulled over my wool hat, and my signature dark circles under my eyes gave me a rather grim look. Oddly what popped into my head when I saw myself was one of those Russian dolls that have miniatures inside them. In my immediate shelter from the elements my form lacked any semblance of a neck or arms.

I frowned at my reflection and walked out onto the sidewalk and towards Kenmore square where I picked up the D line.

Kate had made tuna fish sandwiches and chips (which I actually suggested). She puts a hint of relish in her tuna fish which I've never had before. It was actually a nice touch. For desert we had a "confetti cake" with chocolate frosting. It is essentially a vanilla cake that has colored pieces of sugar in the batter making it "fun" to look at when you cut it open.

Anyway I'll be off to bed soon, and then on to another exciting day of work.

I have to admit, I thought the Obama speech was very good... despite that I think the damage is done. Jeremiah Wright isn't like Obama's prejudiced white grandmother, he is someone who Obama has immortalized with the title of his book "The Audacity of Hope". Barack Obama may not be a racist or an extremist, however he is tethered to Wright, (who clearly is racist) with a strong and heavy chain.

Barack Obama Crashes.....

And soon will be burning. To help you get caught up (If you aren't already), click the video link below.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/03/17/costello.obama.pastor.cnn?iref=videosearch

For the written version: Obama's Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11
Honestly the guy says a lot wackier things then that, but I just don't have the time to itemize them.

So it is finally out there, who knows WHY it was allowed to be kept under wraps for this long but it was. Technically the right wing talk syndicate was trumpeting the Louis Farrakhan connections through Barack's "Trinity Church" and were predicting it would come back to haunt him. However since many potential conspiracies brought forward by these Limbaugh and Company tend to carry little weight, I certainly didn't pay very much heed to them.

Essentially this is like Bob Jones University was for George W. Bush (He, probably ignorantly, broke a precedent no political visits to a school which banned interracial dating), this is Bill Clinton's student trip to the Soviet Union, (protested the U.S. in the USSR while opting out of the draft) and perhaps the best comparison, this is JFK's Catholic Church problem. The Catholic church problem is most like Obama's problem in that it rests upon a divisive fear. The debatable, irrational idea is that each of these candidates (Obama, Kennedy) will pay their respective groups favor. Luckily for Kennedy there was not audio or video tape of priests across America essentially ordering by word of God that they parishioners perform their duties as Catholics and vote for him. Do I think Kennedy would have funneled U.S. money into the Vatican? Do I think he would have changed U.S. law to favor Catholic beliefs? No, but perhaps poor, arguably old fashioned, and questionable behavior on the part of some of the Catholic organization at that time allowed this belief to have credibility in a population that was comprised primarily of protestants. Now this is where the two split off, and where Obama's situation gets much more dire.

In the year 2000 the U.S. census records that Blacks and African Americans made up 12.3% of the population. Whites made up 75.1% of the population.

Lets go down through the list now:

George W. Bush and Bob Jones University: Bush apologizes, while it is a REALLY stupid mistake... I think that is exactly how it was interpreted by those who didn't already hate Bush. Of course if we had the foresight to see how Bush's presidency would go we probably wouldn't be so surprised at him making a stupid mistake. Additionally, largely due to George Bush... the interracial dating ban at Bob Jones was overturned after the outcry following W's visit. Some mistakes actually are for the best.

Bill Clinton & his potential draft dodging and his Anti American protests: Clinton with his charm and wit largely is able diffuse this. He was young... he was a student... you know that sort of thing. And anyway it probably helped that he was a Democrat and by default if you are a Democrat you are either ignorant of what your policies of choice do... or you are a closet Marxist. (Or perhaps an open Marxist... After all "It takes a Village".... right?)

JFK: John gave a stellar speech that largely put to rest the fears of Catholic influence. He explained to non-Catholics that he was just like them. (And really.... Catholics outside of some minor theology points, ceremony differences, and that whole Vatican thing... well... they ARE a lot like all of the other Christians. Had JFK been running for office in Northern Ireland perhaps it would be a different story, but different denominations of Christianity turned out less divisive here... largely because class-ism wasn't an issue.

Now Obama has a much steeper hill because he has religion, race (the primary factor), and potential allegations of sympathies towards radical Islamic beliefs and a pastor who met with known terrorist Muammar el-Qaddafi.
from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/us/politics/06obama.html?ref=politics
“When his enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli” to visit Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, Mr. Wright recalled, “with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell.” Mr. Wright added that his trip implied no endorsement of either Louis Farrakhan’s views or Qaddafi’s.

Now apparently Oprah was also a member of Barack's church, however she stopped going in 1986. I'll be curious to know if we ever find out what her reasoning was. Now I doubt that Barack is a racist, or if he has sympathies towards fundamentalist Islamic beliefs. I doubt Barack Obama believes that AIDS was created by the U.S. to keep Africa down. I doubt he believes that all black people owe their problems to rich white men. (things Wright said and preaches) However Barack attended the church for twenty years.... and to deny outright that he knew any of this stuff was going on is even more laughable then Hillary Clinton's accusations of Obama's so called plagiarism.

Obama has to pull a JFK... but again, this is the digital age and there is DAMNING fuel to throw on the anti Obama fire. (Wright's sermons are available on DVD.... sort of funny huh?) To pull this off he is going to have to say that Wright's inflammatory statements... and often ignorant, bigoted and racist statements were just minor blips in an otherwise decent man's sermons. Good luck with that. Jerimiah Wright makes Don Imus look like Martin Luther King.

I'm a little disappointed as a McCain fan... (I use the word fan loosely) that this disaster couldn't have waited till after the Democrats chose their nominee. In all seriousness... honestly I'm a bit disappointed that Obama really couldn't have been what many people hoped he would be. His ability to motivate people, speak positively, and tell people that they have a role to play, was refreshing.... even if I disagree with 2/3 of what he says. I've come to think Hillary and Obama would be equally awful presidents, but Obama's lighter rhetoric on government health care is the primary reason I wanted him to get the nod rather than Hillary. Additionally Hillary will continue the secretive behind the doors style of government that Bush and to a lesser degree Bill Clinton before him were so fond of. Hillary does not believe in communicating with Americans because she thinks we are basically all stupid. If we vote for her... she just may be right. We can not pay for or manage the social programs we have.... In a time of fiscal and economic crisis you can guarantee that it would be a bonehead move to try and expand them even more.

Bowling, Boxing, St. Patty's Parade & Movie Rental

It was an eventful mid march weekend. After a long week I got home Friday night and honestly I was down for the count. I fell asleep on the futon, woke up in the wee hours of the morning, and then I slept till afternoon on Saturday.

After pulling myself together I went to Charlestown to pick up Mike Caprio, and we headed over to see Scott Wilkinson (both are old friends from St. Joe's College) at his new (to me anyway) condo in Maynard. It is a nice two bedroom unit in a small complex situated on the banks of a rushing brook. The view, and the sound of the water rushing by alone makes it an ideal place to live.

The night started with candlepin bowling in Stow MA. For those outside of New Endland, candlepin bowling uses small heavy balls without holes. A key difference is that the dead pins that don't roll off the alley remain between your attempts to knock down the pins with in a set. This would seem to help, but it doesn't very much. I was watching the alley to see if anyone bowled a strike, but the occasional spare was about as good as it gets.

The bowling alley was very busy and populated mostly with teenagers and a few family outings. It actually had computerized scoring which surprised me. Typically candlepin alleys tend to be really outdated and lack such technology. In typical fashion I lost all three rounds of bowling to both Scott and Mike. (Candlepin ain't my thing)

After the game we picked up some beer and pizza and headed back to Scotty's to watch the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch fight on pay-per-view. The deal included 3 fights beside the Pacquiao-Marquez battle, however this feature fight was by far the most entertaining. It was very close in the end with an early knock down of Marquez giving Pacquiao the edge. After an entertaining evening I drove Caprio back to Charlestown, and then headed back to Melrose. Before going to bed I did some final work on my draft rankings for fantasy baseball.

I woke up early the next morning (early for a weekend anyway....) to go to breakfast with Kate at the South Street Diner. The diner is really close to South Station, however I did have a bit of trouble finding it. I was 15 minutes late and cranky when I arrived. Kate didn't mind (or tolerated) my tardiness and we waited another 15-20 minutes to get in side. My irritation (mostly at myself) melted away once the coffee was in front of me and we were seated at the bar of the diner. We were directly under a heater blowing down on us which also to the bite out of the cold and damp March morning. I had a cheese omelet with toast and home fries, Kate had eggs, toast and home fries. The home fries were exceptionally nice and were more like lightly spiced, small cut potato wedges. It was a neat little greasy spoon with an edgy staff which was curt but friendly. We were served by a pleasant waitress with a lip ring. The cooks and the wait staff argued about pop culture and what songs to play next which made for interesting entertainment. Because of the St. Patrick's Day festivities the music was primarily of an Irish nature. Some of the staff was irritated by one waiter's enthusiasm for local act "The Dropkick Murphy's" (made popular by "The Departed" and use by The Red Sox to celebrate recent victories). The waiter defended the band with the claim that "They make me want to kill someone....... In the best way possible, of course". Overall for those of you in the Portland area, South Street diner sort of reminded me most of Marcy's with a potentially more interactive dining experience.

After our food Kate and I made our way over to Broadway in South Boston to watch the parade. Broadway station was mobbed with people to the point you could even move. We walked nearly all the way to the far end of Southie before the crowds thinned out slightly so we could get a good vantage point to watch the parade. It was a little chilly, and we had some mixed precipitation, but the festivities, the amusing (and often intoxicated) crowd, and people watching made it all worthwhile. It was the first time I'd been in my several years living in "Greater Boston" and I'm glad I finally saw it. Some pictures below....note the hokey "St. Patrick" fake beard and all. I missed getting a picture of the bomb squad and the trash truck, both would have been good captures.

After the parade we made our way to Brookline (with some degree of difficulty breaking free of the crowds). In Brookline we rented "Gone baby Gone" which lived up to the Dennis Lehane novel (author of Mystic River) it is based on. Casey Affleck as actually well cast as Patrick Kenzie who is a private investigator at the center of the story. His character is not really a leading man in the book and embodies many flaws. Kenzie's determination and ability to relate to the blue collar and criminal elements in Boston make him succeed at role within the story. Patrick Kenzie is a re-occurring character in Lehane's novels and I'd actually like to see Affleck reprise the role. Despite Affleck's success at making Kenzie a reality, I felt Angela was not as edgy or true to the tough intimidating beauty that is portrayed in the novel.

Kate and I had a couple of subs for supper from a local shop in Cleveland Circle. I had a meatball and she had a ham & cheese prepared "Italian-style". We each had a half of each others sandwich and split a bag of chips while enjoying the movie.

Reluctantly I eventually headed home. I fiddled around the apartment a bit and now I am finally off to bed.

Anyway have a splendid Monday. Happy St. Patrick's day!

Reluctantly Weighing in.....

BBC reactions to the Eliot Spitzer Scandal

OK....I don't know why anyone is so surprised that a power hungry politician would have an invincibility complex, and a thirst for more... so to say.

I'm not going to get caught up in Eliot Spitzer's morals... whatever, those who know anything about me already should know what I think about this. I have certain beliefs, but for others, live and let live I say.

What ultimately drove me to mention this wasn't so much the story itself but rather the reaction to it, and the perceptions related to it... both domestically and abroad.

The BBC link above allows you to check out comments from readers which include Americans, as well as people from all over the world, primarily Europe.

A couple of things struck me. First the BBC is often promoted by intellectuals in America as being an unbiased news source. I think such an ideal is tough to achieve, and the BBC's reporting on this issue showed a lack of comprehension of the story.

The headlines and rhetoric of BBC writers support an idea that this is nothing more than the U.S.'s puritan leanings. I'm pretty certain there are a lot of Muslims all over the world who would question the notion of the United States as "Puritan". Certainly there are many residual behaviors that remain from the puritan era, however, the people who go out of their way to crack down on the social mores of others are a minority here in the states (albeit too powerful of a minority).

There is a lot of data to support that many secularists here have just not found motivation to become involved in politics in the past. Turnout in the Democrat primaries has shown that the increased discontent with Washington has brought more of the masses out of the woodwork. In fact even the Republican party, largely controlled by social conservatives has elected arguably a secular moderate to represent it in the fall (in part because the social conservatives & fundamentalists were politically fractured).

But anyway.... I digress...
If you read a random sampling of the BBC comments there is almost NO MENTION OF MONEY LAUNDERING!!!!! Which I guess goes to show that the BBC was largely successful in perpetuating the stereotype.

Experts: Spitzer's potential troubles may include prison

Money Laundering, Cross-Border Prostitution at Heart of Spitzer Allegations

"Anti-money laundering laws require financial institutions to report suspicious transactions to the government. The objective of the laws are to help the government catch terrorist financiers, drug lords and other criminals. One bank's call on suspicious activities is the reason the FBI's public corruption unit got called in and uncovered the prostitution ring, one Justice Department official told ABC News.
The investigation into Emperors Club VIP began with an Internal Revenue Service inquiry into wire transfers that showed up on transaction records as QAT consulting. QAT and the Emperors Club have the same address listing in New York."

Prostitution is a misdemeanor in NY. However Money Laundering, and potential identity theft (Apparently he used a "friend's" name in the Emperors Club ledgers) and transporting prostitutes across state lines... all carry much more weight.

What pisses me off is this isn't about whether you think prostitution is a big deal or not.... As far as I'm concerned it might even be better for the U.S. to legalize it (regulation & taxes... help prevent spread of disease, and abuse of minors). Again, what you think about that issue is IRRELEVANT!

Because:

A. A governor is supposed to uphold the law
B. Spitzer broke the law he claims to uphold on multiple counts
C. Spitzer's dilemma show incompetence (He is supposed to be an expert on the law).
D. Spitzer's actions have made him a lame duck and have tied up the New York government.

Now, Should Spitzer get prison time? Well I'm no expert on the law... but I'm guessing probably not. A fine, a misdemeanor charge, sure.... loss of his job as governor (provided he didn't have the sense to step down) ABSOLUTELY. While his actions are phsycologically damaging for his family and associates, there is no crime against that. It would be rather tough and perhaps even more arbitrary than typical law to enforce.

The American system of justice is supposed to provide Spitzer with a fair and reasonable trial. Unfortunately for Spitzer his hypocrisy as a former prosecutor with zero tolerance will probably be his undoing. It will be an excellent example of the theory of karma in action.

So in summary should Spitzer have stepped down? Yes because no longer belongs there, nor will he have the political leverage or respect to serve.

And for the Europeans who dismiss this as a sex scandal that is no big deal... it happens here all the time.... etc., etc., Again, the crime wasn't so much deviant sexual behavior as it was the law enforcer breaking the law. And if they believe that law officials abusing the law is NO BIG DEAL.... then it is sort of a real sad world isn't it? And for those that will say what Bush has done is worse.... well you are probably right, but as it stands no American laws that can legitimately be prosecuted were broken. The Bush Administration knows how to manipulate the system without damning infractions. They are perhaps even more skilled at it then the Clintons before them.

I think the question is why couldn't Spitzer have an old fashioned extra marital affair? No one would have really cared too much about that. I'm guessing it is because of freaky fetishes. Thoughts?

Mosaic... Continued

Still hungry I test out some of the mosaic cement. Toxic Schmoxic.

Kate cooked a Pasta Primavera dish tonight with chicken, and desert made up of crispix cereal, chocolate, peanut butter and confectionery sugar (how can you go wrong?). After eating we brought our mosaic frame project one step closer to completion. All that remains to do is wash off grout residue after they are completely dried, and then put pictures/ photos into the frames.

Here is the mess we made in attempting to put the grout into the frames. They do look much better than what you see here now that most of the grout has been cleaned off.

Anyway.... Thursday, and then Friday, we are almost there.

March Winds.....

A good weekend overall I must say.

Saturday night Kate came over and I prepared a taco feast. We had both turkey and beef tacos, with hard and soft taco shells. Additionally we had some nachos with jalapenos, beef, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes and a plentiful helping of cheddar cheese. It was all topped off with some guacamole and sour cream. Kate prepared these as I worked on our taco buffet.

It was so windy here Saturday night that the tree branches would intermittently rap on my window and wake me up. Usually I enjoy the wind, and I would go as far to say that it typically helps me sleep. This unfortunately was not the case on Saturday.

Sunday Kate and I lounged around for a bit and eventually headed over to Brookline. We decided to work on a mosaic kit that I bought Kate a while back. The mosaic kit turned out to be a lot more of a process than we had originally anticipated. Kate baked some brownies while we got our mosaic workshop (Kate's bedroom floor) situated for production.

The kit was honestly a bit on the cheap side. It consists of two wooden frames, a large one and small one. The large frame was visibly defective and is slightly crooked. It would be an omen of things to come. The directions were awful, and they suggested using some of the cement/grout as paste, however it dried extremely fast (contradicting the manufacturers claim of 7-10 minutes) and was not strong enough to actually hold the tiles onto the frames. Additionally the directions suggest that the project is a two part endeavor. First you glue the tiles to the frames with grout, then you use the remainder of the grout to fill in the gaps between the tiles.... the caveat being that this latter step is performed after 12 hours of drying. What didn't make sense to us was how you would use fast drying grout 12 hours after you initially made it, since the directions only explained how to make one batch. The thickness of the grout seemed to be incorrect as well. I ended up walking to CVS in frustration at some point to get rubber cement to glue the tiles down in place of the grout. Unfortunately it was five dollars wasted. The two small tubes I purchased were no where near sufficient to perform the job. Kate and I were pretty frustrated. I was trying to laugh at the situation which was usually met with a glare from Kate.

We headed back out for a break, and for more reinforcements. Elmer's glue and gloves (because I managed to take some skin off my finger with the rubber cement) were purchased at the local hardware store in Cleveland Circle. We debated on stopping for Pizza for supper and ultimately decided to go back and get delivery. The Elmer's glue worked like a charm. Our frames were nearing completion when the food arrived and we took a break and watched an episode of Highway to Heaven. (Ahhh nostalgia...)

Although we had some bumps in the process, project mosaic overall seems to have been a success. It was a fun afternoon, and I'm certain we'll have a blast on Wednesday filling in the gaps with grout when I visit Kate for supper.

I tried doing my taxes finally only to discover I need a 1040 form instead of a 1040A form.... I'm pissed off on one level, but pleased on another. I now have a legitimate excuse to put off taxes for one more night. I just have to remember to go to the post office tomorrow and pick up the form!!

I have physical therapy early tomorrow morning. Not particularly looking forward to being up really early... oh well.

Enjoy your Monday.

The Wellesley Thesis

Continuing with Hillary's early radicalism I'll go back further than the internship monitoring the Black Panther trial in New Haven. I alluded to this briefly as the article I linked from in the previous post also referred to Hillary's interest in "radical" Saul D. Alinsky.

Reading Hillary Rodham's hidden thesis
"Clinton White House asked Wellesley College to close off access"

As described in the article: "As forbidden fruit, the writings of a 21-year-old college senior, examining the tactics of radical community organizer Saul D. Alinsky, have gained mythic status among her critics — a “Rosetta Stone,” in the words of one, that would allow readers to decode the thinking of the former first lady and 2008 presidential candidate."

This excerpt from "All Things Considered" has Hillary in her own words disagreeing with Alinsky, but in a manner I'm not certain is an improvement upon his views. (see Alinsky Wikipedia link above):
In her 2003 biography, "Living History" Clinton notes that although she agreed with some of his ideas, "particularly the value of empowering people to help themselves" they had a fundamental disagreement: "He believed could (you) change the system only from the outside. I didn't."
I think this speaks volumes. It illustrates what I see is Hillary's biggest flaw, and her biggest difference from competitor Barack Obama. Democracy is built upon the power of the people to create change. Hillary believes that it is not the people but rather the people in power who will create change. I believe that the United States government was designed so that people could influence and ultimately change things from the bottom up, from the outside. Hillary believes that she, and not the masses, knows what is best for them. In fact, I think it is free will... the thing that Alinsky used as a vehicle for his ideals.... I think it is this that scares Hillary the most.

Now Wikipedia as it turns out actually has a page devoted to Hillary's hidden thesis. The summary, short and sweet is that it never should have been hidden to begin with, and that by and large it criticizes Alinsky's modus operandi. (Her thesis was 92 pages..... the site claims it is available now on the web, but only via copyright infringement... Yowsers... 92 pages!)

And actually Wikipedia is probably right on the money. But to me, this move goes back to the assumption that the masses aren't intelligent enough to realize the truth about what young Hillary wrote. Ultimately the move.... by Clinton or Wellesley, (there seems to be a little debate on who was responsible) may have backfired as Hillary critics pounced on it thinking there was something to hide.

From the Globe: A student's words, a candidate's struggle

The article ends: Alinsky, author of "Rules for Radicals," was a powerful and popular figure on college campuses in the 1960s, and Clinton calls him "charming." He asked Clinton to join him at an activist training institute in Chicago after she graduated. But she turned him down to attend Yale Law School. Alinsky died in 1972 .

"His offer of a place in the new Institute was tempting," Clinton writes at the end of her thesis, "but after spending a year trying to make sense out of his inconsistency, I need three years of legal rigor." I think Hillary's ideas of Alinsky's "inconsistency" were along the lines that her view of "empowering" people involved creating laws, where it seems Alinsky saw a collective voice and protest as more meaningful.

The Globe also makes a point to say that there are sources that have revealed that the White House was indeed behind locking away the thesis, and that this was omitted from this story. Information control, even in cases where it is petty is as much part of the Clinton's standard operating procedure as it is of the current one. If anything, much of the Bush administration's ability to withhold information from the public was established via the precedent of the Clintons.

Here is yet another write up of Hillary's Thesis:
Hillary's Thesis: The Village Needs an Enemy This piece uses many sections of the thesis that actually illustrate that Alinsky did indeed have a profound impact on Hillary's current views.

Most notable from the piece: One year after Hillary turned in her thesis, Time Magazine profiled Alinsky. Their assessment was much different than hers. It said, “In his [Alinsky’s] view, the end of achieving power justifies a range of means…If the occasion requires, Alinsky’s forces will not refrain from spreading rumors about an antagonist or indulging in something that comes very close to blackmail.”

Sounds a little like Hillary's (and by that matter both of the Clintons) Campaign tactics. I'm guessing this would be an example of what Hillary considered "inconsistencies" in his views.

Actually when I read up on Alinsky, I have to admit that I sympathize with some of what he says. There is an interview from a 1971 Playboy which is available online (click link) which paints a pretty good picture of his views (It is good reading...). What is troubling is that Hillary thinks that to realize Alinsky's ideas she needs to force the system with radical re-branding, which she will achieve once she infiltrates it. CEOs shouldn't be able to make over a certain amount, tax the rich and give to the poor, force people to make the "right" decisions. Hillary has severe doubt in the decency of the common man.

Now I will be the first to say that people suck, (much of my cynical, critical personality is based on it) however, I think people need the freedom, free will, to make good or bad decisions for themselves. Let the consequences be what they will. Now there are certain instances where consequences have bad implications for others, however, this train of thought is a slippery slope. To survive in this world everyone needs a little faith in humanity. Hillary appears to have no faith in humanity. Her intentions, while she may believe they are noble, will rob us of what humanity we have only to create an equal sharing of misery for those who don't have the luxury of power.

Radical Roots

Dismissing an Urban Legend, and yet Maintaining a Radical Foundation

Perhaps the most famous story about Hillary that is passed around is her connections to the Black Panthers during her time at Yale. Today I plan on focusing on this documented piece of history which is often exaggerated by the far right, but can not be discounted. It is demonstrative of certain character traits that still define the polished politician we believe to know today.

Hillary and the Black Panthers: The Real Story

Disclaimer: This article borrows from unauthorized biographies of Clinton, which I suspect were written largely in part by people who were not "fans". This aside the associations listed are documented history.

Of note from article: "At Yale, Hillary found a new Svengali in the form of left-wing law professor Thomas Emerson, known around campus as "Tommy the Commie." Emerson recruited Hillary and other students to help monitor the trial of the New Haven Nine for civil rights violations. Hillary took charge of the operation, scheduling the students in shifts, so that student monitors would always be present in the courtroom. She befriended and worked closely with Panther lawyer Charles Garry."

The point to be observed here is that Hillary "monitored" this trial but was not an active participant. As the Wikipedia page detailing the trial (New Haven Black Panther Trial) says:
"Along with other Yale law students, future US Senator and first lady Hillary Rodham volunteered to monitor the trial for violations of civil rights, for the ACLU. Years later, during the U.S. Senate elections in 2000, a widely circulated urban legend would erroneously ascribe responsibility for "getting the defendants off" to her, as well as to future head of the Clinton U.S. Justice department's Civil Rights Division, Bill Lann Lee, who was a Yale undergraduate at the time."

This particular piece is especially relevant: "A series of hard-Left mentors introduced Hillary to the brass-knuckle realities of revolutionary activism. As a Wellesley undergraduate, she met and interviewed radical organizer Saul Alinsky, whose Machiavellian tactics she admired. Hillary's senior thesis supported Alinsky's call for class warfare."

Saul Alinsky's Wikipedia page says: "Alinsky was a critic of a passive and ineffective mainstream liberalism. In Rules for Radicals, he argued that the most effective means are whatever will achieve the desired ends." (sounds very Clintonesque... and dare I say much like the techniques for accomplishment that our current administration employs.)

Another piece from the article: "Indeed, Hillary's work for the Panthers won her a summer internship at the Berkeley office of attorney Robert Treuhaft in 1972. A hardline Stalinist, Treuhaft had quit the Communist Party in 1958 only because it was losing members and no longer provided a good platform for his activism. "Treuhaft is a man who dedicated his entire legal career to advancing the agenda of the Soviet Communist Party and the KGB," notes historian Stephen Schwartz."

Robert Treuhaft's Wikipedia page says: "The son of Hungarian immigrants, he worked for labor union and radical left causes much of his life. From the early-to-mid-1940s to 1958 he and Mitford were members of the Communist Party USA." And yes, Hillary is mentioned on this page as having worked for his law firm.

Simply youthful radicalism? Hillary's Marxist leanings are a thing of the past? I'm not so sure, and I plan to build that case with continued posts.

Non Political Related Stuff in George's Life

Kate made a nice supper tonight which was essentially steamed chicken with potatoes, carrots and onions. Kudos to the cook! I made up some garlic bread while Kate finished cooking the main course.

Tonight walking home I had a bit of a scare. I was walking down Pleasant St./ Washington Ave between Oak Grove and my apartment, and just past the DMV two big wild looking collarless dogs walked across the street RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. When I saw them I just froze, because if they decided to come my way there would be no way I'd outrun them. I was a bit nervous because I heard a rumor of a coyote attack in Melrose last year. I grew up seeing coyotes in Maine, but honestly they were usually mangy and small, and these looked like Alaskan Malamutes with grayish hair. They were within 20 yards of me, but they didn't seem to find me interesting and walked off behind the old Mills by the train tracks.

I couldn't help but think of an email Scotty sent me recently with the following article.
Rogue Wolf Kills Dozen Sheep in Massachusetts
The thing that gets me is these coy/dogs whatever they were seemed to be at least 60-70 lbs if not more. They were much taller than say a golden retriever or a lab. I suppose with my shock of seeing them that close, in the middle of the city, that I may have exaggerated their actual size in my mind. I would think if wolves have migrated down south... perhaps because of the extreme amounts of snow in Canada, and even in NH, VT, and ME, that there will be more instances such as the one described in the article, especially in Massachusetts.

She won't give in....

And it appears with good reason with an improvement in her standing after these last primaries...

And yet I'm baffled... why would you want to trade this:

For this:

It is absolutely beyond me. I'm not even sure that qualifies as a lateral move so to speak.

And even if Obama does manage to get a majority of the votes and delegates after the primaries..... you can rest assured that Hillary will do WHATEVER it takes, whatever shady underhanded tactics she and her advisers can dream up. Because she wants power. Hillary will not be Bill. As president she will have a democratic controlled legislature... and it will be "fully operational".

Hillary will take away our civil liberties faster than you can blink. All in the name of socialism.

Her moderate voting record of recent years and her pork spending on the natives of NY may have fooled people... but the real Clinton dream, not that of Newt Gingrich... will finally be realized.

Honestly I really do feel that a vote for Hillary, will essentially be like selling your soul... for the good of humanity of course ;)

I've held back on the anti-Hillary rhetoric up until now.... but stay tuned, I fully intend to go all out, and any of you who are like minded.... I encourage you to supply me with links, comments, info, news... whatever. Those who worship Hillary (or feel I'm unfair).... please leave comments as well. I look forward to discussing them. I am a reasonable person, (well... some might disagree) but please try and build a case for her. Some of what Hillary says I agree with, but alas... Hillary ain't exactly on the honor system. She speaketh with forked tongue... or something like that.

Winter Hum Drum....

I just finished watching Shaun of the Dead (Great movie! I needed the laugh!) and I decided to write a post regardless of it being a bit late.

I'm suffering with a bit of the winter blues I think. For the most part I feel like everything is good in life, but there is that nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something or that something is going to sneak up on me. It is a bit of a nasty feeling, but I just truck on and attempt to distract myself with the tasks at hand.

I've been feeling a bit scatter-brained (more than usual that is.....) as of late and I suppose this contributes to it.

I've been busier than usual lately. It is due primarily to my physical therapy and increased visits to the gym, on top of already long work hours. Not to mention for whatever reason my errands just seem to be piling up on me. My taxes, which usually are easy to do were complicated this year by a small amount of stock options that I sold. There are two different types of options which I sold (they have different tax classifications). After some lengthy, overcomplicated conversations with two different etrade representatives, as well as input from coworkers in a similar situation, I STILL have several documents to read.

So I've been getting home late, and honestly I still need some additional time to unwind when I walk in the apartment. I keep procrastinating on the taxes. I'm beginning to realize that they will probably be done when I decide to stay up to 3:00am to complete them. Otherwise it probably won't happen.

My multitude of appointments have been driving me crazy. Typically in the past Outlook on my work-office PC has been sufficient. However I now have soooo many appointments it has been tough keeping track of them. I got burned today when I had to reschedule a job related training when I confused my planning due to one of my physical therapy appointments. I was pissed at myself (as I have been really frequently lately).

Kate said yesterday to get a day planner... and yes, she's right, I do need a day planner. I've tried the planner in my phone, but it being a piece of crap... it is untrustworthy. I need a new phone, however I'm not going to buy some overpriced thing that I won't really use or appreciate. So instead, after my physical therapy appointment today I attempted to go to a couple of the Central Square pharmacies to acquire a wonderful day planner which will surely fix all of my problems and cause the sun to rain down upon me from the heavens.

CVS:
Outside the door are the usual Central square pan handlers. The one guy who is probably only in his twenties and says "you got any change?" is immediately recognizable to me. Not that I remember what he looks like, but rather his high tenor voice and the upward lilt he puts on the question. I assume he thinks that this manner of asking makes him seem to be atypical... like this usually isn't his thing. The trouble is I pass him every other day, easily. Then there is the older man who sits on the ground right by CVS with a dusty Styrofoam Dunkin Donuts cup. He jingles what little he chooses to keep in the cup. In a raspy voice, he loudly says "Spare any change?" and he is of the type that goes for the guilt. I attempt to walk by them as though they are inanimate objects that are merely in my way.

Once inside CVS, as usual there are usually two or three vagrants inside standing in my path, amongst the lines of people trying to check out. This CVS seems to be always mobbed regardless what time of day it is. They've installed two auto-check out lanes in addition to the cashiers which appeared to be fully operational. Interestingly enough the entire mid day crowd avoided them like the plague, and instead congested the store well into its overcrowded aisles. As I look at the line I realize that most of them are elderly and are intimidated by the computers. I try not to scoff knowing that this will likely be me some day (If I'm lucky).

Eventually I make my way through this headache inducing mess and over to the stationary aisle. Much to my chagrin most of the date books appear to be the size of children's coloring books. There is a spot for the pocket datebooks, however they appear to be sold out. One is sort of reasonably sized, however it is approximately an inch think. Not very pleased with my options I head over to Walgreens across the street.

Walgreens:
Irritated I wait at the crosswalk, while the panhandlers shout in my direction. The traffic signal takes for ever, and I ultimately just decide cross the street "frogger-style" walking part way, waiting for a tractor trailer with bad breaks, then finishing the trek across the congested Mass. Ave.

Walgreens has a revolving door which I always avoid for some unknown reason. Instead I go in the exit as someone comes out. Walgreens is sort of the antithesis of CVS...well not really, I mean they are both pharmacies, but where CVS is crowded with merchandise, busy and a little dingy, this Walgreens is squeaky clean, bright and sort of vacant. I locate to the stationary aisle, and what immediately strikes me is that nearly everything there is directed towards children. I keep thinking I'm looking in the wrong place. I mean, how could Walgreens POSSIBLY not have a day planner? I walk around in circles, getting more anxious about how a simple objective such as getting a day planner is turning out to be such an inconvenience. I've probably circled the store 3 times in futility and disbelief before I finally ask a woman stocking shelves if they have any day planners. At first when I ask she looks at me like she can't understand anything I said. Then after a short delay she says "Check aisle 5 where the stationary is..." Which me brings me right back to where I started. During my exploration of the store I notice the following items, binoculars (For peeping toms and birdwatchers... check out those pigeons!) Summertime toys, a giant pencil eraser the size of a paperback book, digital cameras, (NO not disposable ones... the real deal), and did I mention DVD players? Because everyone knows the best place to by quality electronics is at your neighborhood drug store.

BUT NO FREAKING DAY PLANNERS!!! I mean why the hell would those sell in Central Square? It's only surrounded by banks, biotech businesses, a community college, not to mention MIT and Harvard. Totally no market for day planners ...but swimming pool float toys... oh well they had better stock up on those, I'm sure in March in New England they'll be flying right off of the shelf.

Cursing to myself I head back to work. Upon arriving I tell one of my coworkers of my futile search and he says "I think you can get day planners where they sell women's purses". Thanks a lot, ASS! But honestly, I had to give him credit, it was well played and really kind of funny too.

My weekend:
Kate and I had a pretty good weekend. We had Chinese food on Saturday night (I had some leftovers tonight) and on Sunday we decided to go see the Kennedy Presidential Library. It was that one major tourist destination in Boston that I had some how never made it to. It is a beautiful museum, and an appropriate activity to partake in due to the onset of the present elections. After our educational experience, we headed over to Cambridge Common, a pub between Porter and Harvard Square. Kate had been there before and said the food was good, and she wasn't kidding. It is always busy, and now I know why. I'm sure to be a return customer.

Well... only 4 more days till next weekend ;)