Monday, February 09, 2009

One Party....

And I don't mean the type that serves up jello shots.

GOP Sounds Alarm Over Obama Decision to Move Census to White House

Closing up this article:
"I've always remembered what Joseph Stalin said: 'Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.' The same principle applies to the census. Since one or the other party will always be in power at the time of the census, it is vital that the out-of-power party at least be able to observe the process to make sure it isn't being stacked in favor of the party in power. This will be difficult for the GOP since I suspect Democrats will control both houses of Congress for the entire Obama first term," Sabato said.

Ironic from a political campaign that said the Bush White House took too much executive power (which there is some truth to...). This move pretty much seals the deal that along with the "Stimulus" we will become a one-party rule Socialist nation. The GOP could end up in a marginally better position than the Green or Libertarian party soon.

Obama's press conference tonight was impressive. The likes of his communication skills have not been seen since Reagan, but as we are learning his rhetoric doesn't follow his actions, and his words are half truths at best.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair

I don't know if it topped this pesto chicken sandwich that Kate made last Thursday, which she dreamt up herself, but I made a new dish on Saturday night. Basil Chicken over Angel hair. I followed the recipe at the link with the exception that I used "Linguine Fini" instead of Angel hair pasta. We had some black & white cookies for desert which were surprisingly good since I got them from the Shaw's Supermarket Bakery. I have a ton of fresh basil left over (they only sell large packages), which means that I will probably be having it on the small pizzas I'll likely make for supper this week.

Today Kate and I went to Lendy's, a deli/diner in Saugus. It is a great little place that we should frequent more often. Kate had a patty melt with fries, and I a cheeseburger club with cole slaw. They have one of those menus where you pretty much have to close your eyes and point... because everything seems pretty good.

So yes... it was one of those weekends where eating was a highlight. When I wasn't hanging out with Kate, I spent time preparing tax crap ang doing a ton of errands. I'm heading on a buisness trip abroad next week so I have a ton of preparation to do.

Caught pieces of the Grammy's tonight. A lot of it was crap, per usual, but I did enjoy a McCartney/Foofighters colaboration on "She was Just 17", and Radiohead.

So anyway... Monday. Here we go again.

Friday, February 06, 2009

The Decline of American Power

While it has been happening with an increasing pace over the last several years, today will be seen as the day when it accelerated. The era of big government is here.

Senators debate stimulus after reported deal

Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, and Arlen Specter broke ranks with the GOP and helped pass the Democrat special interests social programs pork laden monstrosity and may have done more damage to the American economy than any Congressional figures before them.

Barack Obama has shown his true colors. Apparently he, Reid, and Pelosi have cut deals for the state of Maine and Pennsylvania. Maine honestly has enough mill renovations for artists and prospective businesses that don't exist, so I know already that Collins and Snowe are masters at producing, and benefiting from pork.

This bill is 60% pork and very little of it actually even goes to the infrastructure improvements that could have created jobs in the short term, and built our economy in the long term. What it does instead is it expands government bureaucracy and buys the Democrats more votes from people who won't want to lose their often wasteful, and sometimes questionable government jobs.

Earlier Today:
Obama fires up House Democrats to help push through stimulus bill
"We're not going to get relief by turning back to the very same policies that, for the last eight years, doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin," he said. "We can't embrace the losing formula that says only tax cuts will work for every problem we face, that ignores critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, or the soaring cost of health care, or failing schools and crumbling bridges and roads and levees."
Trouble is THESE ARE THE SAME POLICIES THAT DOUBLED THE NATIONAL DEBT... ONLY WORSE!!!!!!!!!!
Bush passed one of the largest expansions in social services since FDR with his medicare bill. Bush rarely met a pork laden spending bill he didn't like. Bush passed a useless tax credit/check in the mail scheme, much like Obama's current proposal, only Obama plans to send the breaks primarily to people who didn't even pay taxes to begin with. (It is called Welfare... and it undoes some progress made in the Clinton years with the Gingrich Congress) Bush's tax break did next to nothing to help the economy, and neither will Obama's. And the fact that he mentions infrastructure in the same sentence as rising health care is a joke. Health care reform may provide a brief boon the first year or two (although in this economy it might not....). However, when the numbers come back and it is shown that Nationally funded health care at the current level of quality is unsustainable, ultimately it will result in hospital closures, less equipment, and less staff. As people at the lower end of the income bracket are forced to switch to government run insurance plans, it will begin a shuttering of insurance agencies and private companies. As this trickles into investment, and as the government limits how much can be spent on prescriptions, the pharmaceutical industry too will wilt and grind to a halt...... altogether shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs, making us poorer and more reliant on the system.

But infrastructure lets not forget about that!! Infrastructure... Construction Stimulus Breakdown Provided it remains similar to the house bill... which it seems like it will, only 160 billion or approximately 20% goes to what they call infrastructure... which is a loose definition. Only 50 billion (6.3%) is related to transportation... which I think is a huge mistake. We could have taken the opportunity to modernize this country and create a ton of jobs in the process, like FDR did... but instead this. The rest of "infrastructure" is related to crap which once complete, will have little to no bearing on the economy... if anything it will burden the economy further. Government health clinics, more Internet in schools, buildings to replace already functioning buildings, a bunch of crap for museums and the National Mall. We are in a National crisis... AND WERE GOING TO PLANT F$(&ing GRASS!!! Come on. The National Mall has looked like crap for as long as I remember. Lets worry about that when we have the time, or if we must get a chain gang or two out there and put them to work.

Commentary: Stimulate the economy, not government Romney gets it.

Stimulus Backers Face Growing Skepticism Over Need for Government Action
Even the Obama worshiping public are starting to get it....