Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Mark Levin Kicks Teresa Ghilarducci's Tail

Wow. Mark Levin put a Beat-Down on Teresa Ghilarducci on Monday. But it wasn't an "I'm gonna shove facts down your throat" beat down. It was an "I'm gonna let you sound like an idiot" beat down.

Levin asked Dr. G questions about her plan that made her think she was in a nice, warm, and inviting environment (and you can tell it worked by her tone), when really, he was asking very calculated questions, aimed at making her answer in a way that she believed was smart, but listeners think that she doesn't have a clue what she's talking about.

Like when he was asking her about the Social Security "Trust Fund," he asked her where the money is. Her reply was that it is backed "By the full faith and credit of the United States." After some pressing from Levin about the fact that the money has already been spent, she admitted that the money has been "Borrowed by the government."

There were even times where she COMPLETELY contradicted herself. Here is this woman saying that we need the government to control our retirement accounts. Then Levin asked her if she had a pension. to which she replies "I have a GREAT pension that goes into a fund that is professionally managed" and her "trustees bargain with WALL STREET to get the best prices."

The best part? At the end;
Levin: Alright my friend. Alright, listen to me...We've got to go, you're a good sport. Just do me one favor, will you?
Dr. G: Yeah?
Levin: Stop detroying my country. Thank you for your call.

It's amazing!!!!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Obama's First 100 Days

From Pat Buchanan at RCP

What does the triumvirate of Obama-Pelosi-Reid offer?

Rep. Barney Frank is calling for new tax hikes on the most successful and a 25 percent across-the-board slash in national defense. Sen. John Kerry is talking up new and massive federal spending, a la FDR's New Deal. Specifically, we can almost surely expect:

-- Swift amnesty for 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens and a drive to make them citizens and register them, as in the Bill Clinton years. This will mean that Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona will soon move out of reach for GOP presidential candidates, as has California.

-- Border security will go on the backburner, and America will have a virtual open border with a Mexico of 110 million.

-- Taxes will be raised on the top 5 percent of wage-earners, who now carry 60 percent of the U.S. income tax burden, and tens of millions of checks will be sent out to the 40 percent of wage-earners who pay no federal income tax. Like the man said, redistribute the wealth, spread it around.

-- Social Security taxes will be raised on the most successful among us, and capital gains taxes will be raised from 15 percent to 20 percent. The Bush tax cuts will be repealed, and death taxes reimposed.

-- Two or three more liberal activists of the Ruth Bader Ginsberg-John Paul Stevens stripe will be named to the Supreme Court. U.S. district and appellate courts will be stacked with "progressives."

-- Special protections for homosexuals will be written into all civil rights laws, and gays and lesbians in the military will be invited to come out of the closet. "Don't ask, don't tell" will be dead.

-- The homosexual marriages that state judges have forced California, Massachusetts and Connecticut to recognize, an Obama Congress or Obama court will require all 50 states to recognize.

-- A "Freedom of Choice Act" nullifying all state restrictions on abortions will be enacted. America will become the most pro-abortion nation on earth.

-- Affirmative action -- hiring and promotions based on race, sex and sexual orientation until specified quotas are reached -- will be rigorously enforced throughout the U.S. government and private sector.

-- Universal health insurance will be enacted, covering legal and illegal immigrants, providing another powerful magnet for the world to come to America, if necessary by breaching her borders.

-- A federal bailout of states and municipalities to keep state and local governments spending up could come in December or early next year.

-- The first trillion-dollar deficit will be run in the first year of an Obama presidency. It will be the first of many.

Welcome to Obamaland!

Barack Obama is just the man to sign all of this into law, Pelosi, Reid, Kerry, Frank, and other hardcore liberals will be the one to propose the legislation. And as McCain reminded Americans, Obama has rarely voted against his democrat constituents.

It could be at least a very rough 2 years, until the next congressional cycle comes around.

Monday, October 27, 2008

I Just Got To This

Plot to assasinate Obama


With the first black candidate in history, comes the possibility of something like this happening. Although I have to acknowledge the presence of "Assassination Chic" towards the Bush Administration, there have been no actual attempts on his life, despite the "Zero Curse" looming over his presidency.

Although I do not like the proposed policies of Democrats, and more over Barack Obama, I do not condone ANY form of harm directed in his direction, especially in the name of racism.

Racism is something that is a very hot topic for me and one that I absolutely cannot stand. The rampant use of the N-word from whites, and blacks is deeply appalling to me, and I firmly believe that all people are created equal under God. The only difference in people is what they do with those God given talents, and that ANYBODY, with the will to succeed and the proper encouragement can accomplish the greatest of things.

Update To Previous Post

I haven't written much in the way of letters to the editor in my life, but after reading the one my dad sent to The Tennessean, I had to send one to the AJC. This is what I wrote;

Did you know that Congressional Democrats are contemplating the elimination of the tax breaks on your 401k? It's true. Democrats invited Teresa Ghilarducci to "inform" them of her idea. In a nut shell;
1) corporations would no longer get tax breaks for matching your contributions
2) 5% of your income would be taken and placed in an account (with an additional $600 from the government) that would buy government bonds making only 3% interest per year, and,
3) your current 401k growth would be considered taxable income every year.
Just to demonstrate how much this could cost you, a person making $30,000 per year every year for 35 years would have all of $133,000 in the government retirement account, compared to having $310,000 by putting the same amount in a 50% matched 401k making 7% per year.
Is that (D) really worth $177,000 of your retirement?

Well, is it?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Democrats Love Taking Your Money

In case you didn't already know it. There's nothing a Democrat likes to do more than to spend your money. Not their money...yours.

And now they are planning on going after your 401(k). Teresa Ghilarducci, from the New School of Social Research has been invited by Democrats to testify about her "AWESOME" (read: ignorant) new plan for your retirement savings.

Here's the plan;
Eliminate all of the tax incentives for your 401(k) such as it being tax deferred until retirement (meaning that you have to pay income taxes every year on the growth of your 401(k), even though you can't access the money without being taxed more. And companies can no longer get the tax write off for contributing to your 401(k).

So not only will your company no longer match your contributions, when you get close to retirement, if you make $50,000 a year, and have $300,000 in a 401(k) that grows at a modest 7% that year, you have to pay income taxes on $21,000 that you actually never got. That is an additional $1,400 in taxes that you would magically have to come up with. If you had a good year and made 12% on your 401(k) ($36,000), you would have to pay over $3,600 in additional income taxes. And if you took money out of your 401(k) to pay for the income taxes on your 401(k), that money would be taxed at 40%. So you would have to pull out $6,000 from your 401(k) to pay for the $3,600 in income taxes on your 401(k)'s growth.

So what do they plan on doing about retirement savings? A Government Retirement Account controlled by the Social Security Administration that will take 5% of your income every year and match it with $600 per year. That's not bad. Until you look at how it will grow. 3%. A lousy 3%. That's less than half of the modest long term market average of 7%.

Here's a comparison for you. Lets say you make $30,000 every year for 35 years. Under the government plan, you would contribute $2,100 per year for 35 years, growing at 3%. And the grand total after 35 years is....
A whopping $130,779. That is barely 4 years of your $30,000 income.

Now let's look at the same contribution at a market average of 7%. So you are still making $30,000 per year, but with this, let's say your company will match half of your contribution up to 5% of your income. If that account has $2,100 added to it every year, that is only $1,400 of your income (instead of 1,500 for the government plan) and the company matches it with an additional $700. Now we let that grow for 35 years at a modest average of 7% and the total is now...
$310,618. MORE THAN DOUBLE THE GOVERNMENT RETIREMENT.

BUT! Let's looks at something else. What if you paid 5% and the company matched that at 50%. You would put in $1,500 and the company would match an additional 750, to $2,250 per year. That makes the total $332,805.

Now lets say you have a REALLY good company that matches your contribution dollar for dollar up to 5%. That's $3,000 per year at 7% for 35 years.
That gives a total of $443,740.


Do you really think the government should be in charge of your retirement savings? It could be a $310,000 question.


On top of that, here is a copy of a letter that my dad sent to The Tennessean;

The tax and spend Democrats are after your pocketbook again. They are planning to eliminate your 401K deduction and also increase the Social Security tax by 5% or more. So not only will you be taxed on your retirement earnings that used to be tax deferred through contributions to your 401K plan but they also want to force you to pay another 5% of your income to a "retirement account" that will be run by, guess who, the government. You will have no choice in the investment alternatives; it will be invested in government bonds only.

But make no mistake about it, this is not about planning for your retirement. This is another tax and spend plan that needs a source of income. Barack Obama wants to spend over $800 billion in his plan to fund global poverty and the Democrats need money to pay Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants. They have been stealing from the Social Security trust funds for decades and there is no reason to believe that this new source of revenue to the government will be any different. You will see your payroll withholding tax increase from 7.65% to approximately 13% and you will lose the tax deferral benefit of your 401K deductions. In addition, any earnings on your current 401K retirement fund will be taxed as ordinary income each year instead of being deferred until your retirement. So your tax withholdings for FICA will approximately double and your income from your 401K will be added to your normal income and be fully taxable each year which effectively reduces your retirement account balance.

So don't be surprised, if and when the Democrats take control of the government, that your taxes will drastically increase even though Barack Obama has pledged that they won't. Actions speak louder than words and the Democrats need a new funding source for their tax and spend plans. And guess who's going to provide that funding? You.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Barney Frank Is A Lying Jerk-F#$%

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, fired back in a statement noting that Republicans controlled Congress from 1995-2006 "and that is the period in which the absence of regulation, into which they want a criminal investigation, occurred." Frank added, "House Republicans appear to be demanding a criminal investigation of their failure to legislate.
He said that Democrats have been trying to advance reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac legislation.

EX-FRICKING-SCUSE ME!!?????!!


Republicans blocked regulation? MY ASS they blocked regulation. It was the Democrats who stated that "nothing is wrong" at Fannie Mae 2 WEEKS after an OFHEO report found MASSIVE amounts of accounting fraud. It was Democrats who blocked the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act Of 2005 It was Democrats who ignored President Bush's 17 Warnings about the problems at Fannie/Freddie.

Every time I see Barney Frank open his mouth I want to shove a huge patty of horse s@$% down his throat because recently, that's all that's been coming out of his mouth.

Barney Frank, I hope you are fired from the House Financial Services Committee, and get thrown in jail after all of this.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Misconstrued Information At It's Best

Here in GA, Saxby Chambliss is running for re-election of Us Senate, and there is an advertisement by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee that takes facts to their limits of stretching...

Scratch that. They out-right lie.



Sound Familiar? It should. Especially to Atlantians, home of Neal Boortz.


What the ad does not mention is that yes, Saxby wants a 23% sales tax. But that tax replaces any and ALL other taxes. Income taxes, capital gains taxes, corporate taxes, payroll taxes, ALL OTHER TAXES ELIMINATED.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

If It Sounds Incredible...It's Uhhh...Probably True

MCCAIN: "Sen. Obama, as a member of the Illinois state Senate, voted in the Judiciary Committee against a law that would provide immediate medical attention to a child born in a failed abortion. He voted against that."

OBAMA: "If it sounds incredible that I would vote to withhold lifesaving treatment from an infant, that's because it's not true."

THE FACTS: As a state senator, Obama opposed three legislative efforts, in 2001, 2002 and 2003, to give legal protections to any aborted fetus that showed signs of life. The 2003 measure was virtually identical to a bill President Bush signed into law in 2002 — a bill that passed before Obama was in the U.S. Senate, but one that Obama said he would have supported. The state of Illinois already had a law to protect aborted fetuses born alive and considered able to survive. Among those opposed to the state effort was the Illinois State Medical Society, which argued that the bill would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship and expand civil liability for doctors. Critics said the proposed legislation would have undermined the landmark Supreme Court case on abortion, Roe v. Wade, in ways the federal law would not.
— The Associated Press



And don't even get me started about the Late Term Abortion Issue. I wish McCain would have mentioned this. And just in case, here is a small reminder of why this is a hot topic to me;

Barrington says that in recent years survival rates for premature babies have increased due to the medical technology now available. At 28 weeks more than 96 percent of babies survive; at 24 weeks the rate is 50 percent; and at 22 weeks, two percent. The third trimester starts at week 27, and the baby weighs only about 2 lbs. During the procedure, the doctor almost fully delivers a baby who has almost a 90% survival rate if it were born premature.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Seriously?

At McCain rallies last week, some spectators were heard yelling comments about Obama such as “kill him” and “off with his head.” At an event in Florida, a racial insult was directed at a black television cameraman.

I disagree with almost every government policy with Obama, but comments like that are way over
the edge, and to yell racial insults or call for his death show a very deep level of ignorance.

Things like this really boil my blood, and blatant racism is one of my absolute pet peeves.

Following The Money, The Money, The Money...

So this is a bit unnerving. The "Non-Partisan" site FactCheck.org is controlled by the Annenberg Foundation, which has a branch called the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. That branch had a "key founder" by the name of Bill Ayers, and a board member by the name of Barack Obama.

Although the Mission Statement of the Political Fact Check says;
The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.
The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.
They have to get money from somewhere. That somewhere comes from earmarks. And who put the earmark in for Annenberg?
Obama Requested $3.5 Million For The USC Annenberg Research Network. In 2005, Obama requested $3.5 million for the USC Annenberg Research Network on International Communication, in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to support the deployment of pervasive broadband for education and economic development.Funding was for the construction of a large-scale broadband wireless systems in two communities—one in South Los Angeles and the other in small-town Illinois. In each community, broadband network coverage will be provided over a minimum of about a half-square mile area, utilizing leading edge wireless technologies. In Los Angeles, this will include the five schools in USC’s immediate neighborhood, with about 8,000 K-12 students. USC also will provide wireless equipment and access to every family with a student entering the first grade of a new Science Center School, and in Illinois, a similar group of students will be selected to receive wireless equipment and access within the coverage area. The impact of these technologies on the students and their families will be tracked.

Although the money link is vague, it is still there, and it shows that on top of the fact that he was a member of the board from 1995 to 2002, he was still connected to them financially 3 years later in 2005.

The money trail isn't as big to me as the fact that he was a board member of on of the Foundation's Branches.

I do believe a "conflict of interest" would be the proper term?

H/T: Death by 1000 Papercuts via Mr. Right

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Grrrrrr

You know, I've been thinking...The GOP this election cycle has had a nasty habit of sitting on their hind ends about key issues.

During the primaries, I was an avid Fred Thompson supporter. And in September of '07 he held 25% of the support, and rising fast as Giuliani was slowly falling. And what did he do?

NOTHING. While the GOP held a debate, he went on late night TV, and allowed "Tax Hike" Mike Huckabee to establish himself as the evangelical candidate.

From that point on, Thompson couldn't get any more traction and faded into the dark. That was missed opportunity number one.

Now, enter John McCain and the Obama and Fannie Mae, William Ayers, Franklin Raines, Reverend Wright connections. Again, the GOP sat on their fat tails thinking that they didn't need to bring those forward. It got so bad that during the debate, on the first question, Obama made a comment about how Republicans for the last 8 years had deregulated companies.

WHAT?!! This was a fat hanging curve...no, it was a FRICKIN BALL ON A TEE! Republicans called for stricter regulation of Fannie Mae 17 times, EVERY TIME blocked by Democrats, even after Fannie Mae was discovered to be involved in a $10.6 BILLION accounting scandal.

And you know what happened? McCain didn't swing and miss...He's the only person to ever strike out in T-Ball on a CALLED STRIKE. The man didn't even swing!

Yes, he brought it up later, but that was late in the debate when Obama had already gotten into a groove. McCain could have had him against the ropes right off the bat, but he waited. That debate could have become a very significant swing in the polls, but instead, since the debate, Obama has increased his average lead to 7.1%, and now almost has a true majority.

All of this sitting on their tail-end has got me really frustrated, and I'm not alone.

And I have to say, although I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR OBAMA;
Bob Barr is looking more and more appealing every day.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Thursday, October 9, 2008

HAHAHAHA!!!!!

This is just too much AWESOME!!!! LOLdrivers!









Wednesday, October 8, 2008

CNN Poll - Obama Won?

Umm, Excuse me? There were 2 or 3 questions Obama entirely didn't answer, and yet look at this crap;

54% said Obama did better to 30% McCain
65% called O more likeable
57% thought Obama was more intellegent to 25% Mac
60% thought O better expressed himself to 30% McCain



But here's the kicker;
According to the poll, 64 percent had a favorable opinion of Obama after the debate, up four points from the pre-debate result. McCain’s favorability rating remained unchanged: both before and after the debate percent of those polled had a favorable opinion of the Republican nominee both before and after the debate.

So the poll tipped the scales anyways, 60% for Obama.

Figures. Although I think McCain nailed Obama on a lot of things, Obama may have too strong of a hold on people's emotions this election, when they need to be voting with their minds. Obama has created a "warm and fuzzy" feeling that people just can't shake, regardless of what you tell them.

That is not a good thing.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Debate Live-Blogging

9:05
Question one - How do we bail out average people who are losing money?

Barack used the tired line about the failed policies of the last 8 years, and that the Republicans had a lack of regulations...If McCain doesn't jump on that....I may have to vote for Bob Barr.

9:08
Whiff number one for Mac.

9:12
FINALLY! Go Mac! The link b/w Obama and Fannie has been used, and Obama did not respond to the fact that he was the #2 recipient of the lobbying money.

9:20
Here is Obama in a nut-shell. Under Bush, the deficit has grown to 10 Trillion. Under me, we're going to spend more money for health care, entitlements and others that will cost trillions of dollars. But some how I'm going to have a net decrease in spending.

9:37
Mac needed to hit him about raising taxes on people (ie small business owners) who make more than $2.8 Million by over $700,000 (25% of their income) and that small businesses don't pay capital gains taxes because THEY ARE NOT PUBLICALLY TRADED!!! They pay INCOME TAXES!

9:41
Obama ducking out of the entitlement question, and Mac called him out on it, "I'll answer the question Tom."

9:46
Obama is really about to say he won't drill??!!

9:54
Mac hits Obama on the difference b/w Private sector solutions and Government Mandates. Hehe, and the red light stopped flashing, and Tom wasn't waving.

10:08
McCain very good on intervention. The Pakistan question may be interesting.

10:11
Publicly announcing an attack decreases public opinion of you in that country. True.

10:14
Obama just gave McCain a VERY mean glare when he said "He thinks I'm a little green behind the ears."

10:22
Mac is owning Obama on Iraq. Obama is struggling to deliver his ideas. He'd against the ropes.

10:30
Mac made a good quip about the no preconditions statement Obama made, and then I found this quote from the Factcheck.org forums.
"Why wouldn't Obama meet unconditionally with the leaders of Iran, he met with Bill Ayers, a terrorist."

10:32
Last words. Obama on his soap box, McCain speaking similarly to FDR's fireside chats.

Also live blogging;
Malkin
Hot Air

Monday, October 6, 2008

I'll Admit It, I'm Starting To Question Their Pricing

Here in GA, we have just gotten out of a gasoline crisis which left many people stranded, and stuck in long lines at the pump.

With this, I can understand the increase of the price of gas back to $4 per gallon to shrink the demand to the level of the supply. But now the crisis is over, and oil settled today at $87.81, nearly half the record highs of over $147 a barrel just a few months ago.

What irks me is that I can see the gas prices in places like Oklahoma, Missouri, and even my old home, Tennessee, and the gas prices are 50 cents lower in TN, and down to $2.77 a gallon in Oklahoma.

Granted there is a refinery in Oklahoma, but as oil prices plummet, but prices remain the same, I can't help but start to wonder where somebody is making a killing.

When A Win Isn't A Win

Here is the verbatim quote of the "Yellow Line Rule;"

"This is your warning: race above the yellow line. If, in NASCAR's judgment, you go below the yellow line to improve your position, you will be black- flagged. If in NASCAR's judgment you force someone below the yellow line (in an effort to stop him from passing you), you may be black-flagged."

For driving below the line, you WILL be black-flagged, for forcing them down there, you MAY be black-flagged.

There is the fine print.

But don't forget that Mike Helton said this in a meeting in 2003;
"What we are beginning to see happen, and we saw it [in the Busch race], is some of you have figured out that to protect your spot, you can move down against the yellow line to prevent someone from going on your inside," Helton told the drivers. "That is OK. But if you do it while that guy is trying to get around you and you move him down there while he has a quarter-panel or fender alongside of you, if you make him go down there, then you are subject to a black flag, too."



At about 40 seconds in, Smith begins to move outside, then back inside, and Stewart CLEARLY went to block outside, then inside, and Smith very much had his right front inside his rear quarter panel and was forced below the line. I don't think Smith could be spared, but Stewart may have deserved the "pass through" penalty as well, as per the rules, and Mike Helton's statements.

Personally, in hind-sight, I would have either just let him get spun out, or I would have juked inside, then out.

But that's me.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Cubs Getting SWEPT! ROFL! ROFL! ROFL!

The Cubs were the "Best NL team" and "This was their year to win it all." Excuse me while I go take some stitches. I just split my sides laughing so hard.


CUBS;
Completely
Useless
By
September

And I just remembered this from my previous post about how the Cubs suck...

CUBS;
Can
Usually
Be
Swept

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

This'll Be Fun

Today is going to be a fun day at work. We are performing a 24 hour audit of a piece of machinery in the plant in order to prove to the manufacture that it is not performing as well as promised when the machine was purchased. This consists of two 12 hour shifts by the process engineers (like myself) and other management members. The shift I took? Not the 6 AM to 6 PM shift...but the 6 PM to 6 AM graveyard.

I get to be a fly on the wall watching a particular section of the line run for 12 hours without doing anything but watching, and recording when my area stops.

I'm gonna be a zombie Friday morning.

But on a side note, I'm REALLY excited about all the dirt track racing that is going on this weekend!!! Friday night is the Lucas Oil Rome Rumble in Rome, GA, and Saturday night is the Dixie Shootout at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock. I've got my tickets, and I am VERY excited about it.

*UPDATE* I finished the audit and left work at about 7:30 AM Friday morning, came home, slept, then checked back in on things from 4-6, and the Rome Rumble afterwards was a LOT of fun! Tonight, Dixie Shootout!!!