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August 31, 2007

Jokes of My Father's : The Political Edition

Like most upper middle class baby-boomers, my father loves his email forwards. PinkDome posted a link to a site called My Right-Wing Dad, a blog featuring nothing but retarded emails from overfed and underinformed boomer dads around the country.

I wonder if they, like my dad, are just trying to piss off their offspring? See, Barfly let me in on his schtick after one particularly bad email I spent more than an hour refuting point-by-point. I felt like an idiot for days. Now, I mostly laugh at his forwards. And of course, I post them here. Let the cavalcade of fun begin!

One morning a blind bunny was hopping down the bunny trail, and he tripped over a large snake and fell, KerPlop, right on his twitchy little nose. "Oh, please excuse me!" said the bunny. "I didn't mean to trip over you, but I'm blind and can't see." "That's perfectly all right," replied the snake. "To be sure, it was my fault. I didn't mean to trip you, but I'm blind too, and I didn't see you coming. By the way, what kind of animal are you?" "Well, I really don't know," said the bunny. "I'm blind, and I've never seen myself. Maybe you could examine me and find out." So the snake felt the bunny all over, and he said, "Well, you're soft, and cuddly, and you have long silky ears, and a little fluffy tail and a dear twitchy little nose You must be a bunny rabbit!" The bunny said, "I can't thank you enough. But by the way, what kind of animal are you?" The snake replied that he didn't know, and the bunny agreed to examine him, and when the bunny was finished, the snake said, "Well, what kind of an animal am I?" The bunny had felt the snake all over, and he replied, "You're soft, you're cold, you're slippery, and you haven't got any balls...You must be a Democrat.

Sometimes it's just too easy... with the change of one word, this became one of the most offensive emails I've ever sent to my retardican friends.

Oh, and my dad.

(Please note, I will be in Dallas this weekend. I leave you to the tender mercies of Mayor McSleaze...)

Posted by mcblogger at 04:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Economy : Oh, well... this is a bad idea

The Fed has decided to cut Citi and BofA some slack... by allowing their depository subsidiaries to loan money to their brokerage group. Prep work for the cut off funds in the commercial paper market or the prelude to another depression?

Posted by mcblogger at 03:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Quit trying to kill McBlogger

Some angry old man tried to kill me Tuesday afternoon. In one of these...

I was leaving Walgreens on Mesa where I'd just spent 15 minutes trying to find fragrance free lotion (I may be a fag, but I don't want to smell like green tea. Or oatmeal. Or some floral arrangement). As I was turning onto the driveway to get get back onto Mesa, in is coming Mr. Giant SUV who decided his vehicle needed the entire drive.

Here's an idea... can we mandate that the elderly don't get to drive GIANT SUV's? I mean, if they have to take up the entire to road with them then clearly they can't be trusted.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

In which two Republicans do something right

Well, at least half right...Bush is proposing expansion of FHA along the same lines we've already discussed. See how smart I am? Not really. Seriously, anyone in banking could have said the same thing. It's unfortunate that our douchebag of a Republican President has a better proposal for dealing with this than our Democratic candidates. Obama the Tard has decided to punish third party originators (known as brokers and small banks) because they are all to blame for the mess, in his ridiculous opinion. Which is really smart and all because these same folks are on a first name basis with tens of millions of voters.

Obama's proposal offers no real solution. Even if you want to collect penalties from brokers (which you can't do because more than 96% of them have never done anything illegal) they don't have the equity to pay the levy.

The only problem I still have with Bush on this issue is broadening the GSE's (Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae) which is something Congress will have to do and shove down his still stupid throat. At least HE got half of it right, unlike our Democratic candidates who flubbed this like a motherfucker.

Yes, there are two Republicans who've done something right. Perry finally gave in and commuted the sentence of Kenneth Foster.

Republicans doing something right... not too impressive when you consider that a broken clock is right at least twice a day.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

PLEASE roll out the PR campaign. PLEASE!

Eye on Williamson has a great piece up on the Chron story detailing TXDoT's plans to use public funds to sell toll roads and the TTC to the public. I think this is a fabulous idea. The limited campaign that's been used to far has been tremendously successful at raising the TTC profile as well as galvanizing public opposition. This PR campaign will no doubt bring even more attention and criticism to it.

Sure, it's a waste of money as Rep. Chisum points out. Please note, this is probably the only time I will ever agree with Warren Chisum. I certainly hope Reagan and Nixon are enjoying the snowstorm in hell. However, for those of us opposed to privatization of infrastructure, it's a massive boon. This will finally put TXDoT's stupid plans in the spotlight on the mismanagement of transportation in this state going back to then-Governor George Bush.

And see, it's already starting...

Oh, and while you're at it, please tell us what a good idea it will be to toll existing lanes on interstates! People will LOVE that idea.

Roll on, TXDoT! You're making my job sooo much easier!

Posted by mcblogger at 08:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

And... He's Off!

Ending months of fevered indifference, the laziest man alive Fred "Scrotum Face" Thompson has officially entered the contest to see who gets to be beaten to a pulp by Hillary Clinton in 2008. Republicans rejoice! At last an unpleasant cranky old white man is running!

Okay, maybe "running" is too active a verb. (Did I mention that Fred is the Laziest Man Alive?} So... walking. No, sauntering. Actually, the most appropriate metaphor is to say he's being transported in one of those sedan chairs once favored by oriental despots. If the bearers were stuffed.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 07:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 30, 2007

So what IS Brownie up to?

Unbelievable.

"I cannot believe it's been two years when I see how bad things are down there," Brown said in an interview yesterday. He said that he has not been back to New Orleans since Katrina -- "I haven't been invited" -- but he gets updates from people doing work there. Also, he's busy.

He has fashioned a career for himself as a disaster management consultant and public speaker. The image of him that remains -- the Brownie who did a heck of a job, who needed extra time for a meal at a crowded Baton Rouge restaurant while the situation at the Louisiana Superdome became more and more desperate -- is one he says he carries with him these days on the public speaking circuit.

Today, Brown splits his time between Washington, D.C., and Colorado, working as a disaster preparedness consultant for a number of corporations, including Cotton Cos., which works to restore wireless communications.

The man who was a miserable failure at managing the response to a disaster is now consulting with companies on how manage a disaster? What is this, a lost episode of Seinfeld?

Posted by mcblogger at 05:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tolls : Sometimes the adults have to step in

It's clear from the recent CAMPO meeting and the Statesman's most recent editorial that our leadership is ready to throw in the towel. Like children, they are incapable of seeing all the options on the field and seemingly unaware of the long term impact of their decisions. Immediate gratification and long term pain. If that isn't childish, I don't know what is.

Central Texans shouldn't kid themselves, there IS a cheaper alternative. However, as Eye on Williamson points out, it's going to require leadership from our elected officials...

I believe there is a choice and it’s not one that the AAS or many politicians, if any, have the courage to take on. It entails doing what the people want, not doing what it easy. It entails taking an tough stand, stepping our front, breaking down GOP talking points, and leading on this issue. If put to a public vote these politicians know the toll roads would fail, overwhelmingly. But they still proceed as if this is the only option.

The Statesman believes that an increase in the gas tax is unlikely, so CAMPO should go ahead and authorize the burdening of Central Texas taxpayers with paying off toll roads into infinity. Problem is, increasing the gas tax isn't unlikely if Democrats are able to retake the Lege next year. In short, we can afford to wait... we have this long... for a better solution that will benefit all Central Texans, not just those that stand to profit from toll roads. At the end of the day, the next session will not see two major obstacles to increasing the gas tax, Mike Krusee and Speaker Craddick, gone. That, in and of itself, means there is a major transportation funding policy shift coming.

If CAMPO is smart they'll realize this and lead the way to better future for all of us. If they don't, then everyone who votes for this plan will have problems getting re-elected. Yes, Kirk, even you. We like you, but we won't hesitate to recruit and fund a challenger to you in the primary. And she'll win.

Take a moment and let CAMPO know how you feel...

Posted by mcblogger at 11:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

With fondest memories...

We would like to take the time to give our condolences to the family of Mayor McSleaze's wonderful friend, Leona Helmsley. The Mayor has decided to take a few days off to mourn the passing of his friend. Though their relationship was often tumultuous (their political arguments often led The Mayor (who supports Democrats) to rain blows down upon Leona (who loved Republicans) as she used a nail file to stab him in the feet and legs), they shared the kind of connection, friendship and feelings of superiority only enjoyed by the obscenely rich.

That, and McSleaze has always believed hanging out with people who are bigger assholes than yourself makes you look better. I think that's one of the reasons he tolerates me.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Another 50 Bn? And your choice of AG? Not so much...

That stupid pig farmer is asking for another massive dose of funding to continue his party's colossal disaster known as the Iraqi Invasion, or less popularly, as Cheney's Bad.

The request -- which would come on top of about $460 billion in the fiscal 2008 defense budget and $147 billion in a pending supplemental bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq -- is expected to be announced after congressional hearings scheduled for mid-September featuring the two top U.S. officials in Iraq. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker will assess the state of the war and the effect of the new strategy the U.S. military has pursued this year.

Let me get this straight (laugh it up, losers)... you want to spend more than $650 BILLION on 'defense and your wars' but we can't find the money for CHIP? Or the money to fix our crumbling infrastructure here at home? Come on. The reality is that if we don't do something now to improve the lives of all Americans, winning the war on terror will be meaningless since the entire country will be stuck in traffic, dying of some curable disease that they couldn't get treated because of a lack of health insurance.

Current estimates of infrastructure repairs and improvements NATIONWIDE amount to $700 BN over 10 years. Toss in another $50 BN and you can fund expansion of CHIP for more than 5 years as well. That money would directly and indirectly improve the economy and the lives of ordinary Americans for DECADES and create a massive economic expansion.

Instead, Bush wants to spend it on a war he can't win because he's not fighting it right. Give me $70 BN. I'll win the war on terror in two years. Bush is annually asking for 10 TIMES that and can't get the job done.

Priorities, George... priorities.

On top of his spendthrift request, we also have him demanding his own AG nominee...

Democratic Senate leaders have called on the White House to consult them closely during the selection process, but administration officials warned yesterday that the president intends to nominate an attorney general who agrees with his policies. "It is the president's prerogative to appoint someone who shares his views," a senior administration official said.

I don't care HOW good the candidate, if they don't say "I unequivocally support the Constitution of the United States, especially in matters where it is in conflict with the Executive Branch and I will faithfully cooperated with ALL Congressional Oversight activities" then turn them down. The United States can not afford another Bush crony in such an important office.That, and it's time to put dickhead in his place.

Posted by mcblogger at 08:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Forbes and Giuliani

Please excuse me... I'm just finding out about this, mostly because I pay as much attention to Rudy Giuliani as I do to Sister Ruth when she whines about how much I drink. Apparently, Steve Forbes, who (like Paris Hilton) is a recipient of the ovarian lottery, endorsed Rudy and joined his campaign as an economic adviser. Here's what happened back in March the endorsement came to life and Rudy was forced to embrace one of Steve's signature issues, the flat tax.

In 1996, when Mr. Forbes first ran for president, Mr. Giuliani, then the mayor of New York City, disparaged a flat tax in general and Mr. Forbes’s plan in particular. The Forbes plan called for a single tax rate above a certain income, instead of several rates based on income. Mr. Giuliani said that a central part of the proposal, eliminating deductions, would hurt taxpayers in urban areas and reduce tax revenues for populous cities and states.

“You’re giving them more authority, more autonomy, and you’re giving them less resources to deal with the problems,” he said then in an interview with CBS, calling the proposal “a mistake.”

He used stronger language on CNN a few days later, saying the Forbes plan “would really be a disaster.”

Eleven years later, Mr. Giuliani is the one running for president, and with a record on social issues to the left of most Republicans, he has been trying to appeal to fiscal conservatives. In those circles, the word of Mr. Forbes, the magazine executive who also ran for president in 2000, carries considerable weight.

These days, Mr. Giuliani calls himself an advocate of supply-side economics and tells audiences that he cut taxes and restrained spending as mayor. He said several times yesterday that the federal tax code should be vastly simpler.

We already knew Rudy was a giant whore (and no, I'm not talking about just his drag performances) but this is something entirely new. This is out and out pandering from the 'hero of 9/11'. Yeah, Rudy, I totally think you're brave. Fucko.

What disturbs me most about him is that there is a possibility he might win. And that has the potential to put Forbes, who is well known for his diminutive intellect and horribly written magazine, in a policy making position where he can help push through some of his other stupid ideas... like a return to the gold standard. Like most 'gold bugs' (so-called because they love gold and are as smart as insects), Forbes believes this is the only way to run a monetary system.

Seriously, it's a bad idea. I could spend a few paragraphs on why, like the fact that while fiat currency (like those in use EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD TODAY) can be inflationary at times, it can also just as easily be deflationary when needed. It's also far more responsive to demands for credit. The gold standard is based on a metal dug up out of the ground and removes the ability of a central bank to effectively act as a lender of last resort. Which means that when you have a credit crunch (which we have now) the Fed can't respond effectively to it. Currently, I think the situation we are in will lead to a shallow recession. Under the gold standard, it would have already started a deflationary death spiral into a depression.

How do I know? Because it's happened before. Throughout the 19th century. Which is why we dropped the gold standard in the 20th.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 29, 2007

CAMPO with the finger on the trigger to kill or move ahead with phase 2

As many of you are no doubt aware, Austin Metro has become the great test tube for all the state's shitty transportation plans. Basically they, in cooperation with the Republicans in the Lege and Statewide office whose campaign contributors stand to benefit from significantly scaled up tolling, have engineered events to force the regional mobility authorities and planning organizations (like CAMPO) into accepting tolls, not as a last resort but as an only resort. To wit...

"We need to be continuously very forthright and upfront," said Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, a CAMPO board member who opposed the 2004 toll plan, which ultimately died. "We don't have the dollars to do this without tolls."

And people actually wonder why Gerald is soon to be the FORMER Commissioner for Precinct Three.

Of course, The Evil Republican Plan doesn't excuse our none too brave members of CAMPO, most of whom still don't get it. Just FYI, I'll be at Keep Austin Blue's meetup on the 19th at Mother Egans and will be ready to discuss all this with you ad nausuem if you think the only reason I'm being harsh is because I'm on a blog. Trust me, I'm twice as nasty in real life. Drinks are at 6:30.

After reading this article by Ben 'Will someone help me understand this' Wear, I have to ask, who runs CAMPO and has ultimate decision making authority? Our elected officials or TXDoT's Bob Daigh?

The reality is that the members of CAMPO are going to have to find the guts to turn their backs on this plan and demand a public funding option from TXDoT and the Lege. No more whining, no more excuses. If they don't they are going to saddle EVERY Central Texas taxpayer with VASTLY higher transportation costs. And if the electeds on the CAMPO board think that won't end up on a opponent's mailer, think again. I'll pay for it if I have to.

You all have to focus on a couple of things...
1) The majority of the phase two roads are going to negatively effect the community in East Travis County. People who can least afford tolls.

2) Tolls are VASTLY more expensive on ANY basis compared to publicly financed infrastructure with an indexed gas tax.

3) This isn't one road that will effect relatively few people. These roads are all over Travis County, not to mention the expansion plans for 35 and MoPac. In short, it's going to hit everyone from the Downtown dweller to the Suburban soccer mom.

4) The only way we can relieve traffic congestion on MoPac and 35 is to pull traffic off those roads. That means 130 and 183/71 have to be free.

I'm asking you all, even you Gerald, to do the right thing and tell TXDoT to come up with some better options. We already know what they are and it's time to get them moving.

Posted by mcblogger at 02:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dan Grant invites you to a special screening...

Dan Grant to Host Special Advance Screening of "No End in Sight"

Thursday, August 30

7:00pm

Alamo Drafthouse Theater, South Lamar

1120 South Lamar

Congressional candidate Dan Grant will be speaking at a special advance screening of the Iraq war documentary "No End in Sight", on Thursday, August 30, at 7 PM, at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar location. He will be also be conducting a Q-and-A session after the screening.

Dan's experience on the ground in Iraq gives him a unique, insider's perspective on the war and its effects. While in Iraq, he was an advisor to the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq for the Iraqi elections, and was a consultant to international military forces and local leaders in Baghdad, Basra, Fallujah, and Mosul.

No End In Sight is an award-winning, critically lauded documentary, and is the first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq’s descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy. Hailed as “without question the most important movie you are likely to see this year” by Time, the film is a jaw-dropping, insider’s tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness and venality.

No End In Sight examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S. policy – the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government, and the disbanding of the Iraqi military – largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. How did a group of men with little or no military experience, knowledge of the Arab world or personal experience in Iraq come to make such flagrantly debilitating decisions? The film dissects the people, issues and facts behind the Bush Administration’s decisions and their consequences on the ground to provide a powerful look into how arrogance and ignorance turned a military victory into a seemingly endless and deepening nightmare of a war.

Go to this link to purchase tickets online for the screening...

Posted by mcblogger at 01:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Noriega endorsed by some heavy hitters

OK, this impresses me...

(Houston, TX) — Texas Democratic icons Governor Dolph Briscoe, Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and State Senator Rodney Ellis, who briefly served as Lt. Governor as well, today joined Houston’s Paul Hobby in endorsing Rick Noriega as the next United States Senator from Texas.

Standing together at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where Noriega served as Incident Commander when the facility was turned into a shelter and emergency support network in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, these icons that represent over three decades of Texas leadership called for a restoration of forward looking leadership that responds to the needs of the people.

“What we have here today is more than a list of endorsements,” Noriega declared. "It is a history lesson that teaches us that Texas stands at its greatest when we plan for the future, bring people together, and hold our government accountable.”

Under the weather with a fever, Governor Dolph Briscoe, who occupied the Governor’s Mansion from 1973 – 1979, sent a written statement that paid tribute to Noriega’s service in the military and humanitarian leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “These times call for a leader like Rick Noriega, a leader with character, a leader who understands Texans are not afraid of the future, and we’re not followers.”

State Senator Rodney Ellis recalled how Noriega has lived out the warrior’s ethos — leave no man behind — from the battlefield to the legislature and in the community. “In the legislature, Rick fought to all Texas children had health insurance. And here in this very building, the George R. Brown Convention Center, he proved that compassion is not a weakness, but part of the very fabric of who we are as Texans,” Ellis explained. “That’s the type of leadership we need in the United States Senate.”

Lt. Governor Bill Hobby, who served Texas from 1973 to 1991, spoke directly to Noriega’s appeal statewide, “It’s time for a US Senator who can bring Texans together,” Governor Hobby declared. “Rick Noriega earns respect for the strength of his convictions, for rejecting the politics of personal destruction, and for his courage to speak to a higher calling in all of us, “Hobby added.

Noriega openly questioned whether John Cornyn’s voting record reflects the values of ordinary Texans, noting that the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) rated Cornyn 85th out of 100 Senators in support for veterans and their families.

“The standard for leadership and service has been set by the gentlemen behind me; not by the man who occupies one of Texas’ two US Senate seats,” Noriega concluded.

Noriega promised that as his exploratory campaign continues to gain momentum, “Texans will get a chance to see the many faces and many perspectives that our campaign represents.”

Feel free to take a moment and drop some dough on Lt. Col. Noriega! Why wouldn't you want to support a guy who has the support of some of our oldest and most respected leaders... as well as many Texas Bloggers?

Posted by mcblogger at 11:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Having fun with the Stonewall D's

I gotta hand it to the Dallas Delegation to the caucus. Y'all stood by your man on Saturday and it was clear you had a lot of respect for Shannon. What was also clear was that you were ready to put the organization behind the man.

That makes no sense.

Just to save you some curiosity, the Board of Texas Stonewall Democrats voted Saturday to send a letter to Shannon Bailey asking him to resign while his legal problems are ongoing. The Board did not follow up this action with a decision to remove him in 7 days should he refuse to resign. Basically, the board is now on record. The next step is Shannon's.

I gotta tell you, being in that room was tense. No one wanted to be there and everyone that was there to ask the board to remove him was pissed at Shannon for forcing them into that position. All summer, people have been asking Shannon to step down so as not to damage the organization or our position within the Texas Democratic Party. His steadfast refusal to acknowledge the political reality of his situation forced that meeting to happen.

It was not a mistake. We were not judging Shannon or his actions back in June and we know the legal system will work it's way to probably dismissing the charges against him. However, in the meantime, he's burning the credibility of the organization. And that can't be tolerated.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

FAST APPROACHING : DAY-O-MCBLOGGER

I'm turning 33. Yes, THIRTY THREE. Which, by the calculations of someone smart like Jessica Simpson, means I'm in my late 30's.

This year, Day-O-McBlogger falls on a Sunday. We'll be having drinks. Actually, that entire weekend is going to be filled with debauchery. Or I might sponsor a quilting bee. Which I know my housemate will love given her affinity for old ladies and quilts. And quilts made by old ladies.

Don't worry about it... you probably won't be invited, basically because you failed to get me a gift last year. So, I'm offering you the opportunity to buy me something this year. Who knows, it might even get you an invite to the 2008 festivities. It really depends on the gift. Here are some ideas...

But these are just suggestions... you get me what you feel like getting me, if anything. It's the thought that counts.

Oh, and Talisker is fine, too.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:18 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 28, 2007

You helped get us into this mess, cocksucker

If you've ever wondered why people hate Ari Fleischer, here's the fucking reason...

Douchebag, come to Texas sometime. I'd love to sit down with you and discuss all these weighty issues. I'd also like to take you out back and beat the holy fuck out of you. We're going to fix the mess you created in 2003, Ari, by bringing our troops the hell home and actually fighting a real war on terrorists since you and your President have failed to do so.

Like with all Republican failures, it takes a Democrat to come along and fix it.

Posted by mcblogger at 02:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Economy : The Unthinkable

The liquidity crises in the mortgage industry still has not abated, but it is slackening a bit. Here's the skinny:

All this is as things are now (how's that for bad writing). The nightmare scenario is that in the next 90 days the commercial paper market seizes up as the mortgage market has. If that happens, we're heading for another depression unless the Fed decides to liquefy the commercial paper market entirely. If that happens, you can expect the dollar to lose 30% of it's value vs. other world currencies.

And a deep recession that won't be easy to recover from because it will have been caused by the very thing we're supposed to be able to depend on, the market. I guess no one ever explained to all those free market jackasses in the Republican party that sometimes markets break, mostly because they are made up of irrational humans.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

No bid contracts on the rise

First rule of government spending under a Republican Administration : Why pay someone to do a job when you can hire a consultant at twice the price.

Second rule : Don't bid the job out to multiple consultants, no-bid it, baby!

And so, the Washington Post reports that more and more government contracts at being put out on a no-bid basis, creating an environment in which even the most ridiculously bad consultants can get hired and charge exorbitant fees. So much for fiscal conservatism from Republicans.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 27, 2007

Afghan psychopaths go ballistic over "blasphemous" footballs

You know, some days I feel sorry for people and other days I just wonder why we don't just get it over and drop the fucking Bomb.

A demonstration has been held in south- east Afghanistan accusing US troops of insulting Islam after they distributed footballs bearing the name of Allah.

The balls showed the Saudi Arabian flag which features the Koranic declaration of faith.

The US military said the idea had been to give something for Afghan children to enjoy and they did not realise it would cause offence.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 08:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dregs : TPA Round Up for 8/27

It's time once again for the weekly Texas Progressive Alliance blog round-up. This week's round-up is brought to you by Vince from Capitol Annex.

Getting this week's round-up off to a great start, we want to thank our friends over at the 50 State Blog Network for taking note of our round-up and mentioning it in their round-up.

John at Bay Area Houston thinks it is time to drag Ari Fleisher out of town for using disabled vets in his pro-war commercials.

After the space shuttle safely landed this week, Krazypuppy at Texas Kaos wonders "Who Does an Astronaut Have to Bleep to Get Some Attention From the Media?"

At Bluedaze, TXsharon tell us that Barnett Shale drilling with it's insatiable thirst for fresh water is just another kind of blood for oil war. Barnett Shale Drilling: It's not sexy but Noriega for TX US Sen. is.

Alexandra Pelosi screened her documentary "Friends of God" in Houston last Thursday, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has the report.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the lawsuit filed against Round Rock Independent School District for allowing prayer at high school commencements in Graduation Prayer At Three RRISD High Schools Draws Lawsuit.

Todd Hill at Burnt Orange Report talks impeachment. Funny thing is because independent Linda Curtis is working to "Impeach Perry".

Stop Cornyn talks endorsements this week. Watts has picked up a few mayorial endorsements in the Valley and Lt. Col. Rick Noriega is getting the endorsement of some big statewide Democrats Monday. Our chances continue to look good in 2008.

Steve Southwell at WhosPlayin.com finds himself agreeing with a Republican city councilman regarding the government's role in banning smoking in restaurants and bars.

Vince at Capitol Annex continues his exploration of the last days of the 80th Texas Legislature and the events surrounding the resignations of the House Parliamentarians and uncovers a smoking gun--an opinion drafted by former Legislator and now-Parliamentarian Terry Keel days before he was appointed to the post.

Muse muses about 8th graders--including her own--who are on the front lines of Texas' education accountability system.

Texas Toad at North Texas Liberal asks some important questions concerning education and a forthcoming campaign for intelligent design in the classroom.

Easter Lemming spots censorship and uncivil airwaves on Houston radio news. He relates that to the censored radio guest and himself become less conservative years ago when exposed to the Wall Street rape of employees in leveraged buyouts.

McBlogger takes some time out of his far too busy schedule to bash all the immigrants in Austin.

Half Empty writes about Rick Noriega's Enthusiastic Ovation at the SDEC quarterly meeting this past weekend.

Off the Kuff asks how students can be expected to understand the debate over evolution and "intelligent design" when it's clear that neither SBOE members nor newspaper reporters really understand it.

Posted by mcblogger at 07:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Journal's really sliding downhill

Apparently, the Journal has decided to throw in the towel altogether when it comes to journalistic integrity by letting shills write op/ed pieces. Said shills have, of course, questionable expertise in the subjects they write about. However, why should that stop them?

Yeah, yeah... I'm a banker. What could I possibly know about healthcare? Quite a bit actually, from the standpoint of actually running a small business that provided healthcare to employees and from the public policy perspective as a taxpayer. That, and I'm about 10x's smarter than some idiot from the TPPF. Working for the TPPF means you're some combination of greedy and stupid. Why? Because if you weren't either of those things, you'd be working at the Center for Public Policy Priorities.

Mary Stout is one of those people. Calling her a moron would be being gracious. Fucktard is more like it. Fucktard whore for the TPPF is even better.

Mary's really full of ideological bullshit and rhetorical nonsense, the same rhetorical nonsense that allows Republicans to say

That last one was, of course, Wimpy from Popeye but you see the point. Anything that violates the neo-conservative worldview, no matter how much sense it might make, is automatically dismissed out of hand. Just take a look at CHIP.

The conservatives would like you to believe it's a handout. What they really don't like about it is that government is better at running health insurance for hundreds of thousands of kids economically. Specifically, they don't like that this program has pulled some kids off private health care insurance... and saved the government and families millions. You and I both know that if CHIP were amended to allow people to choose from private insurance programs that government would pay for, even if such a program ended up costing three times as much as the government-run program, they'd be pleased as punch. Nevermind that it thoroughly screws over the taxpayer, which is why I find it impossible to believe anything that comes from these people.

One of the reasons CHIP exists is because preventative care is LESS EXPENSIVE than emergency care which is invariably where those without insurance end up. Do you think your property taxes are high? Most of the reason is that hospitals have to treat everyone that comes in an ER. The indigent have their bills sent to the county and we end up paying for it through our property taxes. With the insurance and the preventative care, a condition which one may have is relatively inexpensive to either cure or treat. Without, it's extremely expensive because by the time it's bad enough to require a trip to the ER, it's automatically going to cost thousands.

Basically, the neo-con view of this, advocated by Stout, is that it is better better to save $1 now by not providing cheap insurance and instead waiting to pay $4 down the road when the condition deteriorates to the point that it requires a hospital stay.

That's some kind of logic, no?

Now, don't get me wrong... I'm hardly a socialist. What I am is someone who can't stand waste and what neo-cons like Stout are advocating is just that, wasteful spending that will benefit large corporations at the expense of the taxpayer. Or, to put it more bluntly, it's corporate welfare, pure and simple.

I do believe that there are some things the government is better at than private enterprise, and vice versa. Government is terrible at deciding how much soap to make and how many TV's need to be in stores. Government is good at building roads and holding down healthcare costs. That's the real crux of this matter... for-profit private insurance companies are too damn expensive because of overhead. When their SG&A expenses begin to approach that of government run programs, then I'm all for handing them over to private companies. The reality is that they aren't even close. Private insurers are bloated with VERY well paid senior and middle management. So much so , in fact, that I refuse to invest in them because they do not use shareholder capital efficiently.

Oh, to be sure there is waste in any enterprise, be it one run by government or by private interests. That's a given. However, I'm always going to opt for the one that costs me less as a taxpayer and that is clearly the government run program. Just look at Medicare/Medicaid, the government run health insurance program that has the lowest overhead in the country.

As for Stout's anecdotal evidence about the very minor amount of cheating in the program, I'd actually like to see some hard data on that. Further, I would like to see people who are abusing the system kicked out of it. Which acknowledges another reality... people cheat. It's what is done to stop them that matters. As for the folks who can afford, with sacrifice, far more expensive private insurance, I guess it's never occurred to Stout that they can either pay for that, or they can pay the electric bill which has been driven up dramatically by another TPPF pet project called 'utility deregulation' which was supposed to save consumers billions but has ended up COSTING much more than the old regulated system. Just another of their ridiculous and ill conceived policy failures. Taxpayers in this state can not afford more market based thinking from the TPPF.

The bottom line is that this program works and is of economic benefit to taxpayers. However, the sense that this makes from a business perspective is just as important as the fact that it's the right damn thing to do for the children of the working poor in this country.

Posted by mcblogger at 02:03 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

So long, asshole

el Presidente continues to clean house during August, when he thinks no one will see. Honestly, I'm just glad the brain dead, politically inept and ethically challenged son of a bitch is gone.

Seriously, never in this country's history has one man been so dedicated to destroying the rule of law and riding rough shod over the Constitution. His term of office has been a black mark on our history and embarrassed every Texan. Try going back to law school, Albert, and concentrate on Constitutional law...

Posted by mcblogger at 09:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 26, 2007

Yikes!

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 06:40 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

For Shame, Ari...

The Republicans are hell bent on pressing ahead with this 'stay the course/let the surge work' bullshit. So much so that they have created some of the most obscene commercials ever produced using wounded vets and the families of those we've lost.

The common thread? We invaded Iraq because of terrorism. If we don't fight them there they will follow us here. We have to go on with the mission for the fallen. In one of the videos, a mother of a soldier killed in Iraq is used for propaganda purposes, ostensibly with her agreement.

Mrs. Strong, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you actually believe what you're saying. Let me clue you in on something you're obviously not ready to face... Your son, like many others, died for a lie. Yes, he did free Iraq from Saddam Hussein. However, it wasn't to keep WMD's from being used against the US. It wasn't to take out those who perpetrated 9/11. It was the work of people, drunk on their ideology, who sought to remake the world as they saw fit using your son and many other brave American soldiers. That's what really happened. Our President lied to us. His advisors deliberately engineered evidence and outright lied about the threat posed by Iraq. The invasion was unnecessary. And the man responsible for 9/11 is still at large.

Finally, Mrs. Strong, how many more have to die before you'll let your son go? How many more mothers have to bury their sons before you'll say enough is enough? Before you and others will admit that we don't belong in the middle of a civil war? You son and millions of men and women he served with have done their duty to their country. It's our duty to them, as civilians, to elect men and women who will put an end to this and bring them home.

And for you, the shameless Mr. Fleischer, may you be reviled the world over as a shill par excellence. As someone who'd sell his own mother to make a buck. Enjoy your irrelevance.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 25, 2007

Attention Whores in the News

Living saint Cindy Sheehan joined Party of Slavery member Dennis Kucinich in a march to the Bush compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. "President" Bush, of course, was at his own pigfarm near Crawford, Texas, but the weather is so much nicer in Maine this time of year.

The actual Bush-in-residence at Kennebunkport, former President George Herbert Walker Mifflin Stanley Porter Davis Bush, greeted the peaceniks with a request that they get the hell off of his lawn.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 05:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

When celebrities refuse to die

Sometimes it's too easy...

Apparently, Ted Nugent, at a recent concert, boldly told the audience of meatheads there to see him perform (wanna bet there was an overabundance of garbage men and relatively few doctors?) that Obama and Hillary should suck on his machine guns. He did this, of course, because sadly Ted lost his penis while he was doing a brief stint in gay porn in the early 90's. It was a truly tragi-comic rimming accident that only could have happened to the Nuge. Not having a penis, he invests his machine guns with his manhood. Thus, the comment. Don't feel too bad... it wasn't much of a loss if you know what I mean (girls talk, Ted).

Of course, why on earth he'd want head from Obama and Hillary remains a mystery. I wouldn't let either of them near my cock. I would, however, fuck the shit out of Mitt Romney.

What? Ever donkey punch someone? Trust me, it's not something you do to someone you really want to emotionally 'connect'.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:44 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Economy : Good news for housing

Dodd is planning on bringing up statutory expansion of FHA (loan limits and loan to value ratios, aka, LTV's) in September when Congress returns. Depending on how fast this is implemented, this could be what ends up saving the US from a very deep recession.

The House Financial Services Committee in June passed a bill that would give the FHA more latitude. Senate Banking Committee chairman and presidential candidate Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) canceled the scheduled markup of a related bill but said this week that he hopes to bring it up after the Senate returns in September.

In a statement issued by his office yesterday, Dodd said he is working with committee members "to find common ground on this important issue."

One question to be resolved is whether the FHA should be given flexibility to insure loans without a down payment.

This, along with expansion of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are essential steps in shoring up the housing sector and maintaining homeownership in the US. Given that wage and job growth are anemic, it's not like US homeowners can bail themselves out. They've also been piling on debt (and so have the Brits, apparently) mostly so they can afford to maintain their lifestyles without increases in wages.

This problem has been cooking since the 1970's. Why? Because real wages have declined since around that time. Which makes me want to reiterate why increasing the minimum wage is a good idea and non-inflationary. Simply, people get accustomed to spending a certain amount of money and once they've achieved what they perceive to be an adequate lifestyle, they tend to save any excess income. Over the last six years, it's been impossible to generate income over and above basic living. In some cases, basic living expenses for many aren't covered by wages.

So what's a way to test this theory? Just look at back history. The last time the US had a good savings rate was the post-World War II boom. While we don't need another war like that, we do need return to some of the economic and fiscal policies of the time. Let's start with higher real wages, higher corporate taxes and high marginal tax rates.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 24, 2007

Cocaine use falls in FL, symptom of the bad economy

Ah, Florida... home of humidity, massive mosquitoes, the Shuttle and Disneyworld. Also home to sky-high cocaine use. At least, it used to be...

Cocaine use in South Florida's workforce has experienced a sharp decline this year compared to 2006, mirroring a national trend that shows the drug's use at a 10-year low, a leading U.S. testing firm reports.

''The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area saw a dramatic decline of approximately 18.1 percent in cocaine positivity rates among workers,'' said Barry Sample, the director of science and technology for employee testing at Quest Diagnostics. ``This drop may suggest that employees in the area either are choosing not to use cocaine or lack access to the drug.''

Nationwide, there was a 16 percent drop in positive workplace drug tests for cocaine in the first six months of the year, Quest announced Thursday.

The Lyndhurst, N.J.,-based company compiled its report on 4.4 million drug tests conducted from January through June. The nationwide rate -- about one test in every 172 was positive for cocaine -- is the lowest in the 10 years since Quest began reporting cocaine in its testing index, a widely used benchmark.

Yeah, had to see this coming... people spend less on drugs when they can't make their house payments and their income has failed to go up. Year after year. Finally, it's success in the war on drugs! Make people poor and they can't afford them!

Posted by mcblogger at 03:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ratcliffe... let me buy you a clue...

R.G. Ratcliffe had an interesting piece in the Chron assaulting the conspiracy theories that purport to reveal the existence of plans to create a North American Union. He spends an inordinate amount of time talking about the conspiracies and gathering quotes from 39%'s Spokeskitty, Robert Black. What he should have been doing was researching the ports now under construction on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Or the roads leading from them and connecting them to the border with Texas near Laredo and the future southern terminus of 39%'s TTC-35.

He might have also spent some time looking into the intermodal facilities planned for Dallas and Kansas City. He might have learned that while the NAU may be a long way off, the infrastructure is already being built for it. That's the real story that R.G. missed while searching for conspiracy theory comedy.

Now, I'm all for infrastructure and commerce. I'm not for no custom checks from the Mexican Pacific Coast all the way up to KC.

Seriously, R.G., let me buy you a drink at LaLa's sometime and fill you in on what you're missing. We can get the folks at Eye on Williamson to join us. They certainly get it.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Calling Bullshit : For 100 people you couldn't get a warrant?

McConnell admits that less than 100 people in the US are being wiretapped, as well as a few thousand overseas, because of terrorism related investigations.

So, the question becomes, why did we have to gut the Fourth Amendment? It seems pretty clear than the courts are more than capable of handling warrants.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Immigrant bashing

I made it from Mopac and CapTex to Mesa and Steck today in 35 minutes. Not particularly impressive unless you realize that I started the journey at 5:16.

I know, I know... you want the details. You're not getting them. I will, however, be signing autographs later. Who wouldn't want the autograph of the FASTEST HUMAN ALIVE?

All this driving made me realize that Austin has a massive immigration problem and we have to fix it. All these awful foreigners driving badly on our streets and freeways are creating massive problems for all of us who want to maintain the quality of life that makes Austin special. That means we need immigration restrictions on these people. No, I'm not talking about those from south of the border. I like them. They usually drive OK and are generally pretty cool. They fit right in. It's the people from the rest of the US that piss me off.

We have to make sure that people immigrating from another part of the US understand how Austin works. Either that or we need to adopt a nativist attitude and force them to move back from where they came. I don't want anyone to have to suffer the way I did trying to catch the flyway to MoPac from 183 and being cut off by some dick in a green pick up with South Carolina plates.

It's not just the traffic, it's the jobs. Yes, even now, people from California or some place called 'Iowa' are stealing jobs that rightfully belong to neckbeards wearing Birks who have a cool dump in 78704. Now that I mention it, are there any cool dumps in 78704 or have they all been converted to fab new palaces for the recent arrivals who want travertine and granite covering every surface and demand exotic things like central air and heat? Do I really NEED another neighbor from Colorado? We've already lost Hyde Park to a non-Austinite ghetto. Must we lose Great Hills? Allandale? Northwest Hills? Westgate? Tarrytown?

The madness has to stop. Our infrastructure can't afford these newcomers and their bad driving. Our prosperity depends on Austinites being able to obtain jobs far outside their realm of competence and for which they will always be late and leave early. How the hell is a recent grad supposed to compete against some starving immigrant from Ohio who shows up to work early and leaves late?

And no, I don't want to discuss how hot it is. Look at a map. It's Texas. It's August. Go back to Maine if you're that miserable. We'll all be better off without your Subaru with the Kucinich stickers on MoPac.

Posted by mcblogger at 08:06 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

August 23, 2007

Even now the poor decisions continue...

Via Forbes comes word that el Presidente has decided to veto a gas tax increase to repair the crumbling infrastructure in America. Why?

Bush said in a White House press conference that he would prefer that members of Congress better prioritize how current tax revenues are spent before raising taxes. He said currently, members of Congress use revenue for their own personal priorities first, then distribute funds for infrastructure improvements.

Yeah, Ted Stevens 'bridge to nowhere' was a really shitty project. Remind me which party he belongs to, Mr. President?

OK, so you're the President and you're opposed to any tax increases that might actually accomplish something good for the country and boost the economy (seriously, look at the numbers... tax increases used to finance public works have a pretty good record of paying more than they cost in terms of economic activity). What ARE you for?

President Bush said yesterday that he is considering a fresh plan to cut tax rates for U.S. corporations to make them more competitive around the world, an initiative that could further inflame a battle with the Democratic Congress over spending and taxes and help define the remainder of his tenure.

More competitive? They already pay less in taxes here in the US than most of their competitors, not to mention the fact that cutting corporate taxes will exacerbate the hole in the budget that Republicanomics has already created. Corporations already pay less than 7% of the taxes in the US. Now the President wants to unload MORE of their responsibilities onto the middle class?

Think I'm lying? Check out Daimler Benz's operations in Germany. Or Lever's in Britain. They pay WAY more in taxes than US companies and they are WAY more successful. People actually want a Mercedes, meanwhile GM can't make a decent car to save it's life.

The President, again, took Congress to task for spending while not mentioning that more of the discretionary budget under Democrats is going to necessary programs, a dramatic change from all the crap the Republicans spent money on. If only there were someone to offer a counterpoint...

"After six years of reckless spending in Washington, President Bush is the last person who should brag about fiscal responsibility," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). She accused the president of misrepresenting Democratic spending plans, which she said come in lower than his and have received some Republican support. And she said Bush wants "to spend $2,800 each second . . . to keep our troops in the middle of a civil war in Iraq."

Thanks for that, Nancy. It's pretty clear to all of us out here in the real world that Bush knows as much about rational spending and fiscal responsibility as he does about winning a war on terror.

I'll make you a deal, Mr. President... I'm all for cutting corporate taxes by 5% if we can eliminate all loopholes. Oh, and increase the capital gains tax rate to 30% for gains made with less than two years in an investment. It'll bring money into the government, boost corporate profitability because of decreased accounting overhead and provide stability in the markets because traders will be less likely to churn stocks to eke out a few percentage points.

Wait. That'll never happen. It makes too much sense.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tolls : A modest proposal that does not involve Carona gorging on Children

The Statesman now thinks it's a good idea. At the federal level and we can only assume at the state level as well. Peter Stern loves it. So does Eye on Williamson.

So, one has to wonder, why the hell the gas tax hasn't been indexed?

There is a really simple explanation... it's a lack of courage and an inability to do the right thing, especially when it's most important. Save CHIP? Well, sort of. Save our infrastructure so that the economy can continue to grow? Sadly, no. Instead, Republicans in executive office and the Lege hide behind the non-existent 'need' for privatization and tolling. Which is why you're going to see so many Republican members of the Lege out of office next year.

Think about that fatass Carona in Dallas. Go on, think about his twinkie-cream filled ass. Right now there are four Democrats thinking about getting in the race. Three of them actually look human, as opposed to Carona who looks like the human equivalent of a jelly doughnut.

One of them will beat him in the general and there will be a new Senator from Dallas County. Which is my affectionate way of letting all of you know, Republicans and Democrats alike (but mostly you stupid, obstinate, inactive Republicans), that you're all expendable. And you're all threatened.

You need to be worried because the groups and individuals aligning against you have money. And feet on the street. Republicans have been able to get away with the toll road bullshit because the industry groups that stand to benefit from them have been the only voices running PR. That's about to change.

I gotta tell you, I'm pleased as punch. I love a good, bloody fight. Speaking of a fight, Pink Dome has some information up on the Democrat who is going to fuck Time Machine Krusee up. One has to wonder why Seabiscuit hasn't resigned yet. It almost makes me think he's kinda gutsy.

Almost.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dregs : Allstate gets slapped down; War Vet gets used and a new blog

Posted by mcblogger at 01:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 22, 2007

I need this for hunting season...

This is MetalStorm, a new projectile weapon system that's solid state and capable of firing one million rounds per minute.

With Duck season fast approaching, as well as my birthday, I think this would make the perfect gift. For you to give to me.

(via DangerRoom)

Posted by mcblogger at 06:08 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Edwards having trouble in Iowa

The WaPo has an article up about younger voters in Iowa turning to Clinton, Obama or even Guiliani instead of Edwards.

But Ocheskey, 28, is no longer enthralled with the candidate she supported last time: former senator John Edwards of North Carolina.

Instead, she's thrown him over for Sen. Barack Obama. "I decided right at the beginning of the campaign to support Barack Obama," said Ocheskey, a teacher in Des Moines.

Under a thin layer of smoke that hung at the diner ceiling as dishes clanked and her friends fell quiet to listen to the political conversation, Ocheskey poured out the reasons for her conversion, all of them pertaining to what she described as Obama's strengths and fresh appeal rather than Edwards's weaknesses.

This is bad news for Edwards who has held a lead in Iowa until recently. Now, according to multiple polls, the top three Democratic candidates are roughly polling equally, leaving virtually nothing for the second tier. Which I AM happy about because it's time for some of the lame-o's to go away.

You probably noticed I mentioned Guiliani... Here's the quote...

Now, (Wendy) Daniel said she is considering Obama, or maybe even former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, the current Republican front-runner in national polls. "But if Hillary gets up there, I won't vote for her," she said emphatically. "I don't like her 'stand-by-your-man kind of girl who rides on her husband's coattails just to become president' thing. Maybe if she would have gotten a divorce and done everything for herself I would have thought about it."

So you won't vote for someone who has worked hard to make her marriage work but you'll support a guy who divorced and abandoned his kids? You've got issues, Wendy.

I still like Edwards despite his retarded views on what needs to be done to fix the lending industry. Mostly because of all the leading D candidates, his ideas aren't as terrible. These morons never thought of actually talking to someone in the industry?

Posted by mcblogger at 01:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Economy : The Hedgies bitch and moan about taxes

Lightseeker at Feet To Fire has a great post up about all the private equity and hedge fund fucko's who are bitching about finally having to pay regular income taxes on their income. See how that's unfair and all?

Yeah, neither do I. Here's their reasoning...

Tax-break supporters say fund managers deserve the low capital-gains rate because they contribute their ideas to the investment, and those ideas represent "sweat equity." Reformers say lots of people have ideas, such as chefs and scientists, but they still have to pay full taxes on their incomes.

"There will be deals that don't get done. There will be entrepreneurs that won't get funded and turnarounds that won't get undertaken," said Rosenblum, who also is chairman of the Private Equity Council, an industry group.

Yeah, Rosenblum, I'm gonna call bullshit right about here. Fact is, 'sweat equity' is nothing more than a nice way of saying 'I have no skin in the game and I still want to get paid'. The reality is, you guys exist ONLY because of imbalances in asset valuation (occasionally the market goes crazy and prices good assets as if they were going out of business... it's called 'panic') and super cheap money. There isn't anything innovative about it. It's the corporate equivalent of flipping a house. You go in, you make some improvements, tighten the balance sheet, and sell it all back to the public when the market calms down. Just as that type of investing is causing a great deal of problems in the housing industry, it will eventually cause problems in the entire economy. That's your contribution to the economy. Wow. We're so blessed to have you.

Some in PE, namely the VC's who actually DO create wealth, aren't sold on the ideas of the company flippers.

Denver venture capitalist William Stanfill disputed this argument, saying his colleagues have displayed a "chicken little" mentality. He noted venture capitalists are paid very well compared with other industries.

It makes little sense to tax teachers, CEOs or surgeons at a higher rate than private equity executives, Stanford law professor Joseph Bankman said.

No, it doesn't make sense. Match point to the guy from Stanford.

All this comes at a time when people are starting to look closely at the third world-like income disparity that has permeated the US since Bush took office (we talked about this last week). Of course, not taxing PE and Hedge fund managers exacerbates this problem. Until we see growth on the lower end of the wage scale, the reality is that economy will NOT grow. It'll contract. It's happened before.

We called it the Great Depression then.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:16 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Attorney General Greg Abbott loses Iraqi munitions

Not really... the munitions are lost but we don't really know who lost them. So naturally we assumed it was Attorney General Greg Abbott who's all the time losing things. However, we think it might just be the Pentagon. From Reuters (via Somervell County Salon)

The Pentagon cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, or about half the weapons earmarked for soldiers and police, according to a government report.

The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, said in a July 31 report to lawmakers that the Defense Department also cannot account for 135,000 items of body armor and 115,000 helmets reported to be issued to Iraqi forces as of September 22, 2005.

The GAO said the Pentagon concurred with its findings and has begun a review to ensure full accountability for the program to train and equip Iraqi forces.

"However, our review of the 2007 property books found continuing problems with missing and incomplete records," the GAO report said.

No joke, I just want to know how y'all can be such colossal FUCKUPS?!?!?! FedEx and UPS manage to keep track of and move tons of shit all over the world daily, yet you people can't keep up with guns and body armor?

Posted by mcblogger at 08:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 21, 2007

Jokes of My Father's : He's still on that shitty list

My dad has somehow made it on a stupid ass political joke list. It's the one where he's sent 'great' jokes about Hillary, Ted Kennedy and Osama (stop me if you've heard this one before... they're on a boat...). I think every middle aged white guy in East Texas is on this list. The jokes are lame and most of the time I make the effort to let my dad know that while I applaud his efforts to make me laugh/piss me off, it would be better if the emails were actually funny/incendiary. They're mostly pretty lame, kinda like Bob Dole.

An elderly man suffered a massive heart attack and his family drove

wildly to get him to the emergency room.

After what seemed like a very long wait, the E.R.

Doctor appeared, wearing his scrubs and a long face.

Sadly, he said, "I'm afraid he is brain-dead, but his heart is still beating."

"Oh, dear God," cried his wife, her hands clasped against her cheeks

with shock! "We've never had a Democrat in the family!"

I copied it back to him with DEMO