Just a couple cartoons to show you that America is a pretty cool place to live. Not all countries are as free as we are - not by a long shot. Yeah, Saudi Arabia will finally let women vote in local elections, but they still can't drive. Personally, I'd trust more people to drive than vote...
Meanwhile in Russia, you can elect Vladimir Putin, or ........ well, you can vote at least, right? Glad to be an American now?
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We're not sure if we like the 'SC' or the '6' better, but the management would like to thank Scarlett Johanssen for the extra 85,000 hits this month. We ended up at 101,244 for September. Didn't even know she was a fan.....Thanks also to Bobbo for the PhotoShopping.....
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Jesus, Look at the Size of Those Mitts !!!!!
No, the picture has nothing to do with our post - we just thought it was funny. Had to pick from about 50 of these of Biden doing stupid gestures or making weird faces. The guy is a Blogging Gold Mine, but we'll admit it: we're strating to like Joe Biden more and more every day. Not that it's hard to go up from where we had him...
From Day One, Biden has been the loose cannon of the Obama Administration, but he has drawn a firestorm of criticism for doing something unforgivable - telling the truth.
What did he say? Basically, that he and Barack Obama are at the point now that they are responsible for the economic condition of the United States, and that the 2012 Election will be a referendum on their performance on handling it. Truth telling like that has NO PLACE in politics....
For too long now, Obama and his handlers have been using the excuse that they inherited this economy. That they were dealt a terrible problem, and that it will take years to fix it. That's all true, but there comes a time when you can't keep looking backwards to wash away your troubles of today - and that time has passed. The economy is stagnant, but in a better position than three years ago, when jobs were dropping like flies. It happens, and like almost all plans, DC cannot cure what ails the US. It's time to take ownership of what you have....
Let's put this in terms that I can explain: Say you bought a car. It's a bomb - a real Piece of S**t. You do what you can to fix everything on it.. You change the oil, the other fluids, you fix the leaks, recharge the ac, put decent tires on it. It's now a servicable, if not spectacular car. Then one day, you wreck the car because you blew a stoplight while texting your buddy while eating a Checkers Big Buford after having a couple at the local bar - all while thrashing your head to Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer'. Trust me, it's funnier if you visualize all that....
Our question is this: do you blame the guy who sold you the car, or do you take responsibility for your own actions that contributed to today's accident? Obama has plenty of blame for where we are today: The Stimulus, Job-killing regulations, and most of all, a Health Care plan that has every business owner in America wondering what the effects of it will be..
You can always count on Joe Biden for a gaffe every now and then. But, in this case, he's being reticently honest. It'd be nice if he weren't the only one to admit it....
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Either This Is a Three Time Super Bowl Winner, Or the Guy Who Robbed Your Local Piggly Wiggly...
We're not sure if you caught this news, so we thought we'd pass it on. Tom Brady has it all as much as any man in the world: Super Bowl winner, tons of endorsements, good-looking dude with a Supermodel wife. But even the most successful of us in the world are a little superstitious. Brady is no different.....
After his atrocious 4 interception performance in a loss to the perpetual cellar-dwelling Buffalo Bills, Brady appeared at a news conference minus something he's been working on lately - his hair. Seems that there are people in Baaahston that keep track of the Pats' record, and it's correlation to Brady's hair length. The data leans that a Short-haired Brady is better than the Long-haired Brady. After last Sunday, even Brady must have admitted it. Now his locks are as short as the wax job on Giselle Bundchen's flower patch. Didn't think we'd mention Brady with Bundchen, did you?
Rex Ryan better beware!
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Thaaat's Riiiiiight ! The NJ Gov.'s Demise Will Come From Within
Let us repeat a fact we made previously. We like Chris Christie... A lot. The guy is a no-nonsense leader who looks out for the good of his state as a whole. In a region where state, county and municipal worker unions have the taxpayers by the sac, Christie played hardball and got the concessions needed to get his state back to solvency... Traits that are needed in a President. The problem is Christie will never win the nomination - at least not in 2012. But it won't be the fault of Barack Obama....
No, we have an eerie feeling that the GOP is going to kill it's own this year, now matter how electable they might be. Hell, they've been doing it already. We'd all like a perfect candidate, and for many of us in the party, that means getting as far to the right as possible. That's all well and good, but the majority of voters are looking for a more centrist - and sensible candidate. Too bad candidates that are 90% conservative aren't good enough for some...
Let's see the evidence..... I dunno. First Mitt Romney is thrown in with Barack Obama for his passing Health Care in Massatooshits. Next, Rick Perry gets hammered for allowing immigrants PAY in-state tuition at Texas universities. Meanwhile, John Huntsman is an afterthought because he.... GULP !!!! - was an ambassador for Obama in China. And he's a Mormon!
With a track record like that, Chris Christie should run to the hills..... and he is. Rightly so, Christie is fighting off his centrist suitors like they have the plague. To some in the GOP, political moderation is a disease. Honestly, we don't know all of Christie's social policies, but generally, we here in Yankeeville are more 'accepting' on gay marriage, abortion and other thing that make the Right Wing cringe. Expect the bombs to fly against Christie if he runs.... Big Time.
We think Christie would make a good President, but it won't happen yet. Not if he's smart, becuase it won't happen this election. Not with the nutjobs who can't compromise at all on anything. Good used to be good enough, but that's out the window. They'll learn soon enough, and maybe they will compromise then. They have to. There is no perfect candidate. For now, we'll have to settle (there's THAT WORD again!) for these attacks on Christie.....
www.tv.com/shows/late-show-with-david-letterman/clips/late-show-chris-christie-top-ten-10558478/
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"Even our Commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand: neither seeking nor granting exclusive favours or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of Commerce, but forcing nothing; establishing with Powers so disposed; in order to give trade a stable course."
- George Washington, 1796 Farewell Address.
It stuns us sometimes how much a guy who was a Surveyor and General had such a keen sense of Economics. Government does not need to pick winners. Whether it's farm subidies, oil company tax breaks, or blowing billions because you want to promote green energy, the market will govern whether an industry survives or not. If it profitable, someone will do it, and someone with money will finance it. My business went under because I had a crappy business plan, and no cash to do it. So be it. I moved on. That is how business works, and how it's always worked...
One thing that works for us is 'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World' star, Anna Kendrick. We passed on the big boobs and half-nakes asses, and decided to show a hot girl with a brain today. We apologize for letting some of you down.. :)
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The Yankees May Regret Letting Tampa Into the Playoffs....
We've seen it before..... and we may see it again. Remember back in January, when the Bears played the Packers on the last day. They could have knocked them out of the playoffs, but they slacked off, let the Pack in, and three weeks later.... We all know the story.
The Yankees may have just done the same thing. Gust Avrakatos will let us know soon, but there is one simple rule in Sports: Never let a team on a roll make the playoffs! They could have spanked Tampa in any of these games, and let the slumping Red Sox in. Maybe the they thought Tampa would have a better shot at beating Texas, who play the kind of game the Yankees can't stand. So far, they're right. But, eventually, the road will go through Tampa again, and the Rays are a confident bunch right now.
The Bronx Bombers may have had the best record in the league, but they are not a solid bunch. The pitching is not deep at all: CC Sabathia has to pitch against Justin Verlander at every start, Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes are young and unproven, and the rest are retreads. On offense, there are a lot of homers and RBI's, but they are not hitting for average, and tight , short series need stolen bases and little hits. The Yanks don't play Smallball well. Tampa Bay does....
Nope, they can't go back. However, Pandora is now out of the box, and New York may regret not taking one game to finish off the Rays. Yeah, even subs should have been able to hold a 7-0 lead, but you never take your foot off a dying guys neck until he is dead. Tampa has plenty of life now - how much will the Yankees have left?
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The Ex-Whipper and Eleven Other Reasons Give Us No Reason to See A Budget Deal Ahead..
Like wa always seem to say, Washington has a bad habit for avoiding the tough decisions, and taking the easy way out. They did it earlier this year, when they passed a BS $1.5 trillion budget cut over the next decade. If it sounds like a lot of cutting, keep in mind that this year's deficit is $1.2 trillion. So, they essentially did about 13% of the business needed to be done... Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
But, fear not, for there is a little-known codicile in the Faber constitution (OK, it's pretty well-known) that formed the Budget Select Supercommittee to create a bi-partisan solution to cut even more from the fuure budgets. A Gang of Twelve: Six Senators, Six Congressmen. Six Republicans, Six Democrats. All entrusted with working together to hack and chop fairly, so the automatic cuts don't take effect.
Yeah, it does sound pie in the sky and far fetched to us as well. For those of us who live in the 6th District of South Carolina, we KNOW nothing will happen in the next 60 days.. Why? Because one of those members is our own Whipmaster, Jim Clyburn.
We all know that Clyburn is a budget hawk and expert, with his decades of private business experience, and years of serving on every financial and business-related committee in Congress. Oh wait, he hasn't done any of that. No, he's there for two reasons...
First off, he's there for himself. You see, the lobbyists now know that instead of paying off every Committee Chair and Whip (which are probably 100), they now only need to coddle 12 people of the 535 members of Congress. Clyburn has already gotten flack for doing a ton of fundraising as all of this has gone on to fill his coffers. Well, he DOES need all the money he can get to fight off those tough challenges every 2 years....
But, the main reason he is there is that both he and Barack Obama - who calls him The Sage, which really is polispeak for 'Old' - is to ensure that NOTHING happens to the Sacred Cows of Medicare, Social Security and other programs that are going to sink the US economy eventually. Clyburn and Obama are both on the same page as far as their vision of America, and Cly and the Family Stone will make sure almost no cuts occur, and that taxes are installed wherever possible.
He's not our only reason for doubts about a deal. We're not very happy with either side's choices. The other House Dems? Xavier Becerra is another super-liberal, who fought every compromise brought by the Bowles-Simpson panel. Chris Van Hollen could be better, but his job is essentially to make sure Democrats are elected. Bipartisanism isn't exactly a prereqisite for that gig... The Senate Dems are Patty Murray, who has the same gig as Van Hollen, only in the other chamber, John Kerry, and Max Baucus. Could be worse, but not great.
As bad as the Dems choices were, the Republicans loaded their side with guys (literally ALL guys) just as rigid on tax reform. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is a Tea Party-type, no taxes, no how stiff who will not help the cause of compromise. Rob Portman (R-OH) has the OMB experience to break out the paring knife and make the tough decisions, but his tenure in the Bush Administratio will not make him friends. John Kyl (R-Az) is another big wig in the GOP who didn't get there by being nice wih the other side. Maybe the fact he's quitting soon will soften him up, but we doubt it.
On the House side, Jeb Hensarling (R-Tx , which says it all) leads the team, along with Michigan committee chairs Dave Camp (Ways and Means) and Fred Upton (Energy). Hensarling has been the GOP floor hammer for a decade now, and Camp opposed any tax hikes on Bowles-Simpson. Upton is more of a wildcard, but has been a thorn in the side of Obama lately. Not much daylight for compromise there either...
No, we're not big fans of tax hikes, but if we get a 3-1 or better deal on cuts vs. tax hikes, then make the deal. My economic guru, Joe the CPA, says the megarich know they have been getting sweetheart deals the past decade, and they can and would pay it. Everyone talks about payinr 'their fair share'... the best way to do it? A Flat Income Tax, two tiers, with one exemption tied to the poverty line. Simple. Fair. Will this every happen? Never....
More importantly, will the budget deal get done? Maybe, but we doubt it. Our hopes are for Baucus, Portman, Kyl and maybe Van Hollen to reach a deal. We know the likes of Clyburn will not get it done - he's just there to get Obama's way in the deal as much as possible. And of course, he's in it for himself.... But, we do look forward to Clyburn's reunion with John Kerry.
We STILL love this picture.... They look SO comfortable together!
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If This Guy Is Like Most Diplomats, His Car Is Illegally Parked.
You may have noticed all the news this week from the United Nations, as they have been discussing possible recognition of Palestine. With all of the leaders that have been in town this week (Obama, Ahmadinejad, Abbas and Netanyahu among them), the East Side of Manhattan has been one gigantic traffic stop.
Yes, when the UN diplomats are in town, most of the major thoroughfares in New York are blocked. In short, millions of commuters have to wait or figure out how to get to work, home or a client some other way. All week......
Apparently, that is still not enough for UN diplomats... It seems that they have trouble parking legally as well - anywhere! As of this week, New York City is owed a total $16.7 million for unpaid parking tickets. Egypt leads the pack at $1.9 million, followed closely by Nigeria at $1 million, and Indonesia at $725k.... Literally EVERY country in the UN owes New York money for parking tickets...
It has gotten so bad, a group of New York-area congressmen are submitting legislation that would impose sanctions for any country that owes the city money. We're not sure exactly what those sanctions are, but it should be interesting to see them try and collect..
So, while you may think diplomatic immunity was only used for DWI's, drugs and killing prostitutes, you are corrected - and it's been going on for a long time, as we can attest. Back in the Summer of 1990, I worked at Robert Moses State Park, which is a beach basically. I found a car parked in the corner of the lot, literally blocking the entry way to the beach. So, if an ambulance or police had to get on the beach, they could not. I called the police, had the car towed, then waited for the diplomat to return.... I advised him he endangered lives, so we towed the car back to the mainland 12 miles away, and I gave him the phone number to the tow company and a taxi company that would pick him up - and for him to fuck himself. I was 22, and it was my first experience at giving a political bigwig the finger. It was beautiful....
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You should be used to this by now... In the bait and switch world that is DC, the hocus pocus game of budget cuts has begun. Rather than take the paring knife to programs that waste money or do nothing, the Obama Administration has counted the money that they SHOULD NOT spend if we withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan as deficit savings....
No, it's not necessarily false. If we aren't there, the defense budget - which has gotten pretty hefty in the past decade - will drop. But, WILL we be out totally? How about Pakistan? Somewhere else? What if we finally invade Canada? It could happen, but there are plenty of other cuts available that are spinning out of control. It's time Washington stopped taking the easy way out, and make the tough decisions we paid them to do... Yeah, I just laughed too.
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"Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1771.
In short, if you're looking to hit the lottery to change your life, don't be surprised when nothing happens, and you're in the same hole you've always been. Work hard. Work smart. Think. Good things will happen. They can't keep you down forever..... Speaking of going down, how about Claudia Alvarez?
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One Post Causes SC6 To Have More Hits in 3 Days Than The Previous Six Months....
More stunning to us than Hermain Cain's Florida win today was what we saw when we clicked onto our Blog Stats. We have a decent traffic stream - more than even we originally thought. Most months, we have about 12-15000 hits a month. Our alltime high was last October, right before the 2010 Elections.... We had 21,862 hits. On September 13th, that was blown out of the water.....
Apparently, SOMETHING made the rounds suddenly. The 12th was a normal day - 629 hits. Like a lightning flash, SC6 became a hot blog..... Here are the numbers:
9/13 - 24,985 hits
9/14 - 43,588 hits
9/15 - 11,463 hits
9/16 - 2298 hits
9/17 - 1461 hits
and it continued pretty much through the 21, which was our last day over 1000 hits. We checked the data, and it appears that our source for the hits had nothing to do with our bread and butter - politics. Nope, politics only gets you so far. To get the hits, you gotta show some leg... Specifically, Scarlett Johanssen.
We can't even remember when that post was exactly - we may have posted on her twice. But after the 78,000 hit total in just 72 hours, SC6 is well poised to crack the 100,000 hit barrier - in a single month! Yes, we're both proud and not proud at the same time. Almost six years now, and we're still just throw poop against the wall......... and seeing what sticks. Still haven't figured it out!
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The Texas Governor: Not As Smooth a Talker As He Is a Dresser
So, being able to speak DOES matter... It's a skill I found out as a candidate was important. Now Rick Perry knows it too. After his totally incomprehensible salvo on Mitt Romney on Thursday's debate, his campaign has lost a lot of steam. Not totally gone, but then again, if you can get the salvo out of the rocket launcher, it isn't a salvo, is it??
Yes, doing a good job is primary, but being able to ENUNCIATE what your vision is falls right in behind it. Voters don't want to have to sift through what you meant to say to decipher your vision - you have to pound them on the skull with a sledge hammer. If you fail at that, you fail. Period....
Perry's flub reminds us of a clip featuring a certain Trashmen song.... Just replace 'Bird" with 'Before That'....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184&feature=related
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Take Your Bow, Godfather ..... For Now.
After working 11 1/2 hrs 12 of the last 13 days, we woke up to our usual Sunday am routine - an omlette and Fox News Sunday! One thing that broke our routine and woke us up real fast was the word that former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain won the Florida Straw Poll....
Now, the rule that has always applied (and still does here) is that STRAW POLLS DON'T MEAN ANYTHING.... No, Cain did not win Florida - he got about 1000 of 2657 attendees to vote for him. Yeah, he bum rushed the party, and walked out with the keg, a couple CD's, and the hottest girl there... But, there are legitimate reasons for the win as well....
In a year where jobs, and the Federal Budget are paramount, Cain has submitted perhaps the most realistic and fair tax reform plan. His 9/9/9 Plan, which includes a flat tax and national sales tax, has a good amount of equity and fairness to it. No, we are not Fair Tax fans at all, but compared to the 23% tax they've been dropping, a 9% sales tax is more reasonable. Everyone else's plans haven't made much of a splash - while most of them haven't even submitted a plan. 2012 is not the year of semantics and promises - we want numbers. Cain has done that, and it paid off Saturday.
So, do we now put Cain in the top spot? Uh, no. 1000 supporters is not a campaign make. But, we might be apt to move him up to a Top Three or maybe Four. Wins in anything do that, but it is fleeting and fluid. Ask Michelle Bachmann... The main fact to pull from the Florida Straw Poll is that GOP voters are not happy with the field, to it's own detriment, and we'll get into that shortly. For now, Cain can finally put a notch in his belt, and hope it starts a roll up the polls with more participants than an old Pee Dee Pride hockey game.
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"The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1816.
There's a lot of big words there, but basically TJ is saying that funding the government by raising taxes, rather than cutting their spending, is BS. It is and will always be most important for the citizens of the United States to be liquid, rather than their government. If we run out of money, then the government must cut back accordingly some as well.... Seems simple enough to us. We're not crazy budget cutters, but there is a limit. What has no limit? The hotness of Yvonne Strahovski!
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We meant to post on this last week, but post-hangover syndrome got to us.... In case you missed it, a study showed that watching Spongebob Squarepants for as little as 10 minutes causes your kid to lose his/her short term memory. For those of us who live near young kids who watch Spongebob, this is no surprise... Uhhh, what the hell was I talking about again????
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"It is certainly true that a popular government cannot flourish without virtue in the people."
- Richard Henry Lee, 1786.
Government is a reflection of it's people - usually. If we allow only people with character to represent us and our values, then good things will eventually happen. One thing that flourishes nicely? Summer Altice!
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We were surprised it wasn't a Smiley Face 'Have a Nice Day' t-shirt.... On this anniversary, it's fitting that we remind Congress what America became ten years ago on this day. Somewhere along the way, the unity was lost - but it's never too late to get it back!
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We're Guessing Left to Right It's Romney, Bachmann, Huntsman, Palin and Obama ...
OK a-holes, Summer Vacation is over.... Time to get back to saving America. The campaigns are back in gear, and apparently everyone's "What I Did This Summer" project was creating jobs plan.
Like most smart people, we are reserving judgement on all three plans submitted this week by Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. We do wonder how the others plan on winning without a plan. We are well past the days of generalized bullshit. We all want specifics....
Granted, we will probably find one or two things from each plan that will help, but the malaise will be here much longer than we hoped. We're talking years of low job growth here folks. This bodes badly for Obama, who's re-election lives and dies by the economy. He isn't helping himself by building all of this up. He will have no magic bullet, and it has to cost money, which will undo everything he did a month ago.
So, is it all much ado about nothing? No, there are always things Washington can do to set the plate better... We doubt it will happen, but yu have to listen at least - and we'll be there....
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New Android App Lets You Make Speeches In Obama or Bush 43's Voice...
We figured out today that Hurricane Irene cost me about $350 this week....Between having to eat out 3 meals a day for 4 days, lost food, and lastly, buying a new cellphone - one with a car charger - that was the total extra expense. Yeah, I was planning to finally get a smartphone soon anyway, but Irene pushed it a little ahead of schedule....
The big fun of getting a new phone are the apps. Android Market is pretty damned cool, and there are plenty of things available that are free. One we heard about comes from I-Speech. If you're a political junkie like me, it's right up your alley...
Ever want to send your friends a crank call from President Bush, or just for once hear Barack Obama say 'let's cut entitlement programs and balance the budget'? Well, now you can. The I-Speech app allows you to type in whatever text you want, and it then plays it for you in Obama or Dubya's voice..
The app uses voice recognition technology, which for a President is very hard. After all, using all of a President's speeches gives you plenty of fodder to make the program possible. It does have a few spots where it blends stuff together, but for us, a free app that allows us to hear Barack Obama say our favorite quote, it's awesome.
Yes, I've been listen to Obama say "I'd like to introduce my friend and political consultant, Jim Clyburn.... As you know, Jim is a tax and spend liberal, he race baits, and he also molests puppies." Well, he doesn't molest puppies anyway, but it's fun to hear...
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The Ex-Prez Trades In Burgers For Fruits, Veggies and Beans..... No Word If Hillary's With the Program Yet.
In case you missed it this week, word is out that the Extreme Left has finally gotten to Bill Clinton - not that it was too hard. Yes, in a case that proves that in politics, anything can happen, Bill Clinton has become a Vegan...... Viva Las Vegan, Mr. President!
Yep, the 42nd Prez has traded Big Mac's and McNuggets for fruits, veggies and beans... and a nation mourns. Word is, McDonald's stock dropped 25% on the news alone. Granted, we could never go that route - we love meat just too much to give it up. It's just about our only vice. But, it has done Clinton some good. Word is, he's dropped about 20 pounds so far, so good for him....
Now, for our concerns. We're hoping it doesn't all go to his head. We don't hate vegetarianism.... we just hate Vegan 'Superiority'. In our book, Vegans act more conceited and judgemental than Jehovah's Witnesses... So, our advice is for Clinton avoiding taking the 'Vegan Edge'. If you need an example, we give you a couple clips from our favorite recent movie - last year's 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World'...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqqGZBRBLcM
Now, before you all go out and drop meat and eggs in order to do mad Bass Guitar solos and kick skinny kid's asses, watch what happens...
www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=dLpCZ8g5uK8
So, we'll just it back and remember the Bill Clinton we know and love... Something tells me that we'll see him there again soon. Vegan Edge, my ass!!
www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ms6k_saturday-night-live-clinton-at-mcdo_fun
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In selecting (Men) for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate -- look to his character..."
- Noah Webster, 1789.
At first,we confused this quote with 'let you conscience be your guide', but this is actually better. Conscience can be clouded, principles are less apt to be adjustable.... We doubt any sect or denomination would have a problem with Brooklyn Decker - unless you're a bunch of reporters who mistook her for Erin Andrews or some other blonde at the US Open this week. She almost got onto a media bus and waited outside it, when the reporters started getting mad at her for getting on the bus. I would have begged for Mrs. Roddick to get on if it were me....
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While zero job growth was a tough story to pass up, no one bothered to make a cartoon about it - at least not by Friday... So, we're going with former Veep Dick Cheney's new tell-all book. We saw a clip of Cheney from yesterday's Fox News Sunday, and we gotta say one thing: either he has cut out the bacon and sausage, and is in the best shape of his life, or he is pretty sick. Either way, the book should be a decent and interesting read... Unless you're a Gitmo detainee.
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Which GOP Candidate's Wish Is Granted By Zoltar ??
We can't tell you how many times I wished I was Big too.... But alas, I'm still stuck in Trollville. OK, not troll, but a couple inches taller would be nice. Some of the Republican candidates have a much better chance of winning next year - while others have the same chance as me being 6'2".... Doesn't stop us from trying, does it? So, to give our two cents foresight into the early primary and caucuses, we have looked into our crystal ball, and we're posting ths to see if we can still prejudge voters decisions...
Honestly, we're seeing this as a 3-4 candidate race early on. Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, and to a lesser extent, Ron Paul are first tier candidates with shots at winning any of the races in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. By then, we will have a pretty good idea of which 1-2 have real shots at the nomination. The rest of the field has no shot, and barring a major new entry, we see no reason to see it changing. So, here we go!
Iowa:
Honestly, we see a little bit of a backlash from Perry here for not taking part in any debates or the Straw Poll - and especially for taking the heta awya from it by announcing the same day. He'll do well, but Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul are well organized there. No, we see no clear winner here, but we'll give the slight edge to Bachmann for bordering Iowa, and having being the only female in the race. Yeah, it goes that way sometimes... Bachmann 25%, Perry and Paul 23%, Romney 12%....
New Hampshire:
Well gee, this is Mitt Romney's backyard.... You think he'll pull it off? Of course, but the big question is will it be it the big win he needs? We don't think so... Romney's campaign lacks the fire needed to win it all, and New Hampshire will be the writing on the wall. Perry again will fare decently here as well, but Bachmann and Paul will fare worse in this least Republican of Republican states the good news is half the field will be cleared out by then... Romney 34%, Perry 28% , Bachmann 16%, Paul 13%.....
South Carolina:
Ahh.... What all of you have been waiting for! The State that Picks Winners. Why is SC the place that picks 'em? Well, we're pretty astute first of all. Secondly, we rarely have a candidate from here - or anywhere near here for that matter. So, we are the most objective. Lastly, all the candidates load up on Iowa and New Hampshire. South Carolina is where the real cmapaign begins, and by then, the imposters are gone. So, the question is who has the legs to make it this far, and the juice to rile up supporters without spending a mint to do it? I really think only one fits both.... Romney has the money, but he is a bad fit for SC, and if he is hoping to catch fire on Super Tuesday, he better think again.... ask Rudy Giuliani.
Bachmann and Paul? Good groundforce for sure on both parts, but campaigns need a certain amount of cash to win. That and both have chinks in their political armor... I listened to Bachmann in Spartanburg for 15 minutes, and it was the cliched Conservative BS (Abortion, Gay Marriage, etc) that the moderate voters who actually win elections tired of 6 years ago. BTW, please give me a plan to improve the economy, not saying "I'll fire Barack Obama". Weak, sister - very weak. Paul has all the juice to finish third everywhere, but horses that show every race never get the trophy. Good ideas on some things, and a nice idealist, but his foreign policy and personal freedoms scre the bejeezus out of a lot of voters...
Yeah, we're gonna pick Perry to finally win in the Palmetto State, and to have a nice run from there. Will he take the nomination? We're not 100% on that yet. God knows the reaction by the GOP to succeed Obama with ANOTHER Governor from Texas might go over as well as the Democrats almost nominating Hillary in 2008. But, he has caused the groundswell in the party to finish first of second just about everywhere, and to take over from there. Perry 40%, Bachmann 27%, Paul 19%, Romney 9%....
Maybe the Palmetto State Blessing comes true again in 2012 - or maybe it finally misses the mark. We'll see in the Spring. As for us, we think our compass is dead on - again. Romney will stay in until Super Tuesday, as will Ron Paul, but it wouldn't surprise us to see both drop soon afterwards. We have a feeling Bachmann is going to ride the string for as long as she can, and build her power base. Is Rick Perry our dream candidate? No, but at least he has some kind of leadership resume, and has some traction going... Zoltar says Rick's wish is granted...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjIxic9cBXU&feature=related
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Here's Our Submission to the Ex-Libyan Leader's Lost Collection
Just in case you weren't sure Moammar Qaddafi was a total self-absorbed nutjob, we are now able to convince you... Totally true story here, folks! When rebels finally took over Qaddafi's secret hideout, they found a kooky like nugget - a scrapbook filled with hundreds of pictures of former Bush National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. We shit you not....
No word on whether there were any notes enscribed under any of the pics, but we imagine there had to be at least one "I'd like to cross her Line in the Sand." or "I' would give 30 wives to launch a Scud Missile in to her Airspace".... Maybe it's just us, but Condi Rice is a bit of a hokey crush, but then again, my brother had this infatuation with Kate Winslet. To each his own...
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"It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn."
- George Washington, 1789.
It always amazes us how far ahead of his time our first President was. His ability to know what importance the United States and their actions from the start would affect the world was astonishing. Too often, leaders are too concerned with today. To them, the future is just the next election, when they need to think 20, 20 and 50 years down the road. If we did, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today.
One thing that stamps happiness on us is a hot redhead like Tina Hobley... Yummy!!
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We were going to post on this earlier in the week, but we forgot. Fortunately, the cartoonists took care of that for us... Times are tough all over, aren't they? Even for creepy, plastic Fast Food icons. Yes, the king is dead - at least in this form. Can't blame Burger King for axing him though... Dude was the most disturbing spokesperson since the Putterman Family from the old Duracell ads...
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"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."
- John Adams to his wife, Abigail, 1780.
This may be the most practicaliy-based post ever. Most of us are victims of circumstance. You think I ever wanted to be in the car business? Hell no. But, we must pay the bills first, or in Adams' case, to allow his country to base success on ability, rather than heredity. Of course, it all does lead eventually to philanthropy, trust funds, and idiot grandkids named Skip or Trey..... One poetic thing we like? Sheila Grant's nice booty!
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That Area In the Center of the Projected Path? Yeah, That's Us.
Today, I'm blogging from my driveway... I've already bungee corded myself to the fence , in full preparation to face Hurricane Irene 100% outdoors. OK, I'm lying... This is my first hurricane since 1978 (anyone remember Hurricane Bell??). I remember a couple things about it: first, my sister decided to take us driving around in her Toyota in a driving rain as it first hit. Don't ask.... Secondly, the worst part was at night, we lost power, but it was the fastest hurricane in recorded history. Seriously, Bell moved along at about 40 MPH, so it was barely a hurrican, but it seemed worse. Five or six hours later, it was gone....
So, where am I going to fight this? Well, my apartment would be a perfect bunker: it's bricked, ground level with good drainage down the driveway, and only has 2 small windows. But , enduring a 24 hr long storm by myself is not my idea of fun. So, I'll be shortly heading to Carol & Joe's to watch the rain and wind - all while downing a couple dozen drinks... OK, 4-5 maybe.
As it moves along, Irene does seem to be getting hung up a bit in North Carolina, which is making it weaker. Will it still be a Hurricane by the time it hits here? We'll see, but I'm starting to doubt it. Either way, I'll be ready - armed and dangerous!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_03zn8Vq6iw&feature=related
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Ben Franklin said there are two certainties in life: Death and Taxes. Actually, at the start of the Civil War, only one of those was certain - but not for long. Necessity may be the Mother of Invention, but often it is a Pandora's Box. In this case, the snake was the creation of the US's first Income Tax.
Created to help pay for the War, it was started in August, 1861. It eventually was discontinued, but from 1913 on, it has been a staple of revenue for the US Treasury and Congress. We don't even want to look up and find out what the initial tax rate was - it would probably make us puke! But, just in case you needed to know when it first started, now you have your answer.....
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Cataclysmic Earthquake Fails To Swallow DC .. Millions Let Down.
Yes, we post this mostly to mark the time for historical purposes, rather to make news.... Yes, we could feel the 5.8 tremor all the way up here in Yankeeville. No, we didn't feel it personally. We were driving back from the Dr's office at 145, when it hit. However, we did did hear it as it happened, thanks to a live talk show on POTUS, based in DC. No, it wasn't quite the same...
Yeah, we suppose that it was just plain bad luck that it hit while all of Congress and the President were on vacation. Then again, that may be the reason it happened. To us, it was much like a huge fart that you've been holding, and you finally let it rip to let go of the pressure building...
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We're Taking the Ups and Downs of Life on Two Wheels ...
For those of you who are Facebook friends of mine, you already are aware of this revelation. Last week, I bought my first motorcycle.... It's a 2006 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom. It only has 3600 miles, is loaded to the gills, and I got it dirt cheap.
The hard part of course, is now I have to learn to ride it responsibly, and that will take a while. The first lesson with my brother went very well - I learned taking off (no picnic, because the clutch is MUCH tighter than on a car), stopping, U-turns and shifting gears. Well, the turns are still a lot of work, especially at slower speeds - and we learned it yesterday.
I made a tighter than 90 degree turn on from a dead start on a downhill grade - and the bike had no momentum, so it stopped and leaned left. I planted my left leg to support it, and my thigh pretty much blew out and pulled.. Before you get worried, everyone drops a bike at one point or another, especially when they're first learning. More importantly, I know what I did wrong, so I know not to do it again...
Riding a motorcycle is a lot of fun, and I'll be doing everything to do it safely: training courses, staying off busy roads, and not trying to do too much. It may take a while to get up to speed, but that's how it goes. Next year, I hope to be able to go on mini-trips with the rest of the band for lunch or to see stuff. Can't wait..
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"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."
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Thomas Paine, The American Crises, 1776.
Thought we'd drop you one of the most famous of all quotes from the Revolution. It is a trying time now as well for us, but we'll work it out. One thing that we like is rubber-suited beauty Bianca Beauchamp. Wrap that rascal !!!
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Classify this under the 'I Didn't Not Know That' category... In hindsight, it doesn't surprise us. Low Cost Labor usually does lead to low unemployment - unless it's the Pee Dee you're talking about.
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We're SC6 ... And We USED To Be a Big Deal Apparently
No, we weren't surprised to hear that Rick Perry got in the 2012 Presidential race. Or that he did it on the day of the Iowa Straw Poll, which we thought to be a smart move. Or that he did it in South Carolina, where George Bush took off and won the 2000 Primary on the way to the White House...
No, there were two things that surprised us: first, that it was at the Conservative Bloggers Conference in Charleston. Not a bad idea either... That will get lots of free press, although the amount of importance placed on bloggers is debatable. No, the biggest surprise of all is that it occurred in our home state, and no one told us about it! Yeah, we've been out of the state for almost 2 years, but we managed to be a solid Top Ten Blog in South Carolina for over a year after we left.
Honetsly, we have no idea what our influence on SC Politics is anymore. We miss BlogNetNews a lot. It gave us an idea of where we stood, and it turned out that we were more powerful than we thought. Nope, we never banged the sitting Governor, or got paid to push candidates' agendas... We just blogged it as we saw it, and we were usually right. Would we have come? Maybe. There are plenty of things going on that we would attend if we actually heard about, but maybe not too.
Basically, we don't know jack shit about the Conservative Bloggers Conference, but it seems to us that you might want to have as many of the Top Blogs as possible - especially in their home state. If you don't ask people to come, they won't come. Hope it was fun.
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Yeah Tim, Bye-Bye Now ... Grow a Pair, Buddy.
The 2012 Presidential campaign had it's first victim today, as former Minnesooota Governor Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race after a third place finish in the Iowa Caucuses..... Wait a second. It's not the winter of 2012? This was the Straw Poll, and he quit? Ohh......
Yes, we are being very sarcastic, but Pawlenty deserves it. As much of a big deal as the Iowa Straw Poll is made, every candidate knows one thing... YOU DON'T TAKE STRAW POLLS SERIOUSLY !!! They a friggin' joke: 4000 party insiders and paid attendees show up at one place, and now we're supposed to think Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul are the leading candidates for the GOP? Please...
The hilarious part is that Tim Pawlenty apparently does believe it. Yeah, he probably was not going to win, epsecially with Rick Perry coming in, and his lack of traction was his primary downfall. But very few REAL people are paying attention to the race right now, and they're ALL waiting for the field to be closed, then they'll decide. Bachmann has support from Tea Partyers and guys thinking with their dicks, and Ron Paul is Ron Paul - he has his fanatics that will go to the ends of the earth to support him, but not many others...
Was Pawlenty reading the Tea Leaves early, and just pushing the inevitable early? Maybe... Still, we see it as another example of Tim Pawlenty's weakness - he's a big sissy without the guts to really fight for what he wants. Winning the Presidency is not easy. They don't all lay down and vote for you - unless you're me at the 2006 Sumter County GOP Straw Poll, where I won 98-0 over Gary McLeod. How did that end? Exactly....
Pawlenty's suit and shirt are still clean, and we're sure his undies are still dry, because his political cajones apparently don't exist. He's a political Eunuch. Thanks for playing, Governor!
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"A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired."
- Alexander Hamilton, 1775.
I'll be the first to admit that power is something we all like - especially for those who seemingly have none. Of course, the more we get, the more we are inclined to want more. One thing we are fond of is Mad Men star and P-Luv favorite Christina Hendricks. BTW, we are not implying anything here..... They're real, and they're spectacular!
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We're having a sale this week only... We're overstocked, so we need to clean out our excess inventory. Our loss is your gain ! There were plenty of events for the cartoonists to pick on, so we picked two. The Iowa Debate and Straw Poll was one big story. Of course, the candidates are well aware that they need to say more than 'I'm Not Obama'. The one who actually comes up with a realistic plan will win...
Then again, some people will never get it, even when it's explained to them like a six year old...
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The next installment of our Civil War 150th Anniversary series is the curious story of what is considered to be the most sacred places in the United States. As most of you know, Washington DC is just a stone's throw across the Potomac River from Virginia. Arlington and Alexandria are directly across, so when the war broke out, protecting the US capital was of paramount importance...
To make sure DC was safe from cannon fire, it was open season on Northern Virginia. For example, Winchester changed hands 78 times during the course of the war. For Arlington and Alexandria, it was pretty simple: they were almost immediately taken over for the entire conflict. One resident was of particular interest - Robert E. Lee.
Offered the command of the entire Union Army by Abraham Lincoln, Lee waited until his home state of Virginia decided whether of not it would secede. When the Cavalier State went with the South, Lee declined the job, and went with it. A key loss for the Union to be sure.... Problem for Lee was that he lived in Arlington House, the family home of Lee's wife Mary Anna Custis, a direct descendant of Martha Washington. Ironic..
Needless to say, the Lee's evacuated Arlington House, and it soon became holding of the US Army for various reasons. Mrs. Lee kept up on the annual taxes on the place until 1864, when Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs had an idea. Meigs, who lost his son in battle earlier that year, decided to pick places to bury the mounting war dead - and Arlington was his first choice.
Mary Custis Lee sent an agent to pay her annual taxes as usual, but the US Government refused to accept it, and they purchased Arlington at auction for $26,800. Meigs then preparing the site for Union dead, starting with his own son, who was buried in Mrs. Lee's rose garden, next to the home. He ensured that if Robert E. Lee ever came home, he would be forced to see the cost of what Meigs considered his disloyalty.
The Lee's never moved back in, but their son did sue the US Government after the war for improper due process in the sale. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 in favor of the Lee estate, and the property was returned. Useless by then for private use, Arlington House was sold back to US for $150,000. It now stands as Arlington National Cemetary - the most hallowed ground for over 300,000 US war dead. Certainly one of the more ironic stories of the Civil War, it happened 150 years ago...
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And we wonder why we never went into advertising...... Would the Snapple people sue us for copyright infringement?
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"No morn ever dawned more favorable than ours did; and no day was every more clouded than the present! Wisdom, and good examples are necessary at this time to rescue the political machine from the impending storm."
- George Washington, in a letter to James Madison, 1786.
Sounds a lot like the times we live in today, although it may be easier to start from scratch than try and fix the mess our government faces nowadays... One thing that is better now are the ladies, like Allison Brie - nothing cheesy about her!
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Well, the deal has been made. We'll agree with most that 2.1 Trillion over the next decade was not quite enough to satisfy us, or the financial markets for that matter. The only place a AA is better than a AAA is in a battery... About double that would have been a good start.
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