January 31, 2010
January 30, 2010
George Carlin Strikes Again! OMG These Had Me Laughing So Hard I Was Crying Tears Of Laughter! Thank You George Carlin I Really Needed That =)
1. If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?
2. If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
3. Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?
4. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
5. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
6. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
7. When someone asks you, "A penny for your thoughts" and you put your two cents in . . . what happens to the other penny?
8. Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
9. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?
10. When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
11. Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?
12. Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?
13. Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
14. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?
15. "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
16. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
17. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
18. Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
19. What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
20. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me . . they're cramming for their final exam.
21. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?
22. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
23. If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
24. No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.
25. Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
26. Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts.
27. If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?
28. Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
2. If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
3. Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?
4. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
5. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
6. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
7. When someone asks you, "A penny for your thoughts" and you put your two cents in . . . what happens to the other penny?
8. Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
9. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?
10. When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
11. Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?
12. Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?
13. Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
14. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?
15. "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
16. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
17. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
18. Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
19. What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
20. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me . . they're cramming for their final exam.
21. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?
22. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
23. If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
24. No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.
25. Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
26. Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts.
27. If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?
28. Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
The Late George Carlin Speaks Out...
I Am Your Worst Nightmare. I am a BAD American.
I am George Carlin.
I am George Carlin.
I like big cars, big hooters, and big paychecks.
I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some midlevel governmental functionary with a bad comb-over who wants to give it away to crack addicts squirting out babies.
I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, you'd better do it in English.
I'm not in touch with my feelings and I like it that way.
I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents.
I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer.
I want to know which church is it exactly where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches. And where does he get his money. And why is he always part of the problem and not the solution.
I believe if she has her lips on your willie, it is sex, and it is sex for both of you. This even applies when you are President of the United States.
I think that being a student doesn't give you any more enlightenment than working at Blockbuster. In fact, if your parents are footing the bill to put your pansy ass through 4-7 years of college, you haven't begun to be enlightened.
I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God or gods, just leave the rest of us out of it. This also applies to sexuality.
I believe it's called the Boy Scouts for a reason.
I don't think being a minority makes you noble or victimized.
I don't use the excuse "it's for the children" as a shield for unpopular opinions or actions.
I think fireworks should be legal on the 4th of July.
My heroes are John Wayne, the Simpsons, and whoever canceled Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.
I know wrestling is fake and I don't waste my time arguing about it.
I think global warming is a big lie. Where are all those experts now, when I am freezing my ass through a long winter?
I've never owned a slave, or was a slave, I didn't wander forty years in the desert after getting chased out of Egypt, I haven't burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and neither have you, so shut up already.
I think the cops have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you're running from them. I also think they have the right to pull your ass over if you are breaking the law, regardless of what color you are.
I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don't want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation of the world for the next four years.
I think if you are in the passing lane, and not passing, your license should be revoked, and you should be forced to ride the bus until you promise to never delay the rest of us again.
I think beef jerky could quite possibly be the perfect food.
I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement.
I think Dr. Seuss was a genius.
I'm neither angry nor disenfranchised, no matter how desperately the mainstream media would like the world to believe otherwise.
If that makes me a BAD American, then yes, I'm a BAD American.
If you too are a BAD American please forward this to everyone you know.
We need our country back!
I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some midlevel governmental functionary with a bad comb-over who wants to give it away to crack addicts squirting out babies.
I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, you'd better do it in English.
I'm not in touch with my feelings and I like it that way.
I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents.
I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer.
I want to know which church is it exactly where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches. And where does he get his money. And why is he always part of the problem and not the solution.
I believe if she has her lips on your willie, it is sex, and it is sex for both of you. This even applies when you are President of the United States.
I think that being a student doesn't give you any more enlightenment than working at Blockbuster. In fact, if your parents are footing the bill to put your pansy ass through 4-7 years of college, you haven't begun to be enlightened.
I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God or gods, just leave the rest of us out of it. This also applies to sexuality.
I believe it's called the Boy Scouts for a reason.
I don't think being a minority makes you noble or victimized.
I don't use the excuse "it's for the children" as a shield for unpopular opinions or actions.
I think fireworks should be legal on the 4th of July.
My heroes are John Wayne, the Simpsons, and whoever canceled Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.
I know wrestling is fake and I don't waste my time arguing about it.
I think global warming is a big lie. Where are all those experts now, when I am freezing my ass through a long winter?
I've never owned a slave, or was a slave, I didn't wander forty years in the desert after getting chased out of Egypt, I haven't burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and neither have you, so shut up already.
I think the cops have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you're running from them. I also think they have the right to pull your ass over if you are breaking the law, regardless of what color you are.
I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don't want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation of the world for the next four years.
I think if you are in the passing lane, and not passing, your license should be revoked, and you should be forced to ride the bus until you promise to never delay the rest of us again.
I think beef jerky could quite possibly be the perfect food.
I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement.
I think Dr. Seuss was a genius.
I'm neither angry nor disenfranchised, no matter how desperately the mainstream media would like the world to believe otherwise.
If that makes me a BAD American, then yes, I'm a BAD American.
If you too are a BAD American please forward this to everyone you know.
We need our country back!
Time Gets Better with Age... I Love What They Wrote! Now These Are Words Of Wisdom That Comes From Life's Experience...
I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sings "Silent Night".
Age 5
I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either.
Age 7
I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back.
Age 9
I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again.
Age 12
I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up.
Age 14
I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me.
Age 15
I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice.
Age 24
I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures.
Age 26
I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have followed me there.
Age 29
I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
Age 30
I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it.
Age 42
I've learned that you can make some one's day by simply sending them a little note.
Age 44
I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others.
Age 46
I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.
Age 47
I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
Age 48
I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours.
Age 49
I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone.
Age 50
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
Age 51
I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills.
Age 52
I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die.
Age 53
I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.
Age 58
I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, work to improve your marriage.
Age 61
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
Age 62
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
Age 64
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
Age 65
I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.
Age 66
I've learned that everyone can use a prayer.
Age 72
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
Age 82
I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
Age 90
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
Age 92
Age 5
I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either.
Age 7
I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back.
Age 9
I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again.
Age 12
I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up.
Age 14
I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me.
Age 15
I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice.
Age 24
I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures.
Age 26
I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have followed me there.
Age 29
I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
Age 30
I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it.
Age 42
I've learned that you can make some one's day by simply sending them a little note.
Age 44
I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others.
Age 46
I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.
Age 47
I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
Age 48
I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours.
Age 49
I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone.
Age 50
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
Age 51
I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills.
Age 52
I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die.
Age 53
I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.
Age 58
I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, work to improve your marriage.
Age 61
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
Age 62
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
Age 64
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
Age 65
I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.
Age 66
I've learned that everyone can use a prayer.
Age 72
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
Age 82
I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
Age 90
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
Age 92
"Live, Laugh, Love" A Poem By Jill Eisnaugle ~ May This Poem Touch Your Heart And Inspire You To Embrace Life With Childlike Innocence And Joy!
Live, Laugh, Love
By Jill Eisnaugle
May every dream be yours to keep
May every joy be near
May every hour without sleep
Be one of warmth and cheer
May every beat within your heart
Be blessed with much to give
So, your path is a work of art
Each day that you shall live.
May every smile upon your face
And every childish grin
Be filled with memories to embrace
As if you’re young again
May each sunrise bring cause to view
Life’s humor for its pleasure
So, each path you choose to pursue
Yields laughter beyond measure.
May every vision in your eyes
Be for those you hold dear
May you know only brilliant skies
Where shooting stars appear
And with each shooting star, I pray
Your hopes are heard, above
So, every path to come your way
Is paved in lasting love.
By Jill Eisnaugle
May every dream be yours to keep
May every joy be near
May every hour without sleep
Be one of warmth and cheer
May every beat within your heart
Be blessed with much to give
So, your path is a work of art
Each day that you shall live.
May every smile upon your face
And every childish grin
Be filled with memories to embrace
As if you’re young again
May each sunrise bring cause to view
Life’s humor for its pleasure
So, each path you choose to pursue
Yields laughter beyond measure.
May every vision in your eyes
Be for those you hold dear
May you know only brilliant skies
Where shooting stars appear
And with each shooting star, I pray
Your hopes are heard, above
So, every path to come your way
Is paved in lasting love.
"To Laugh" A Poem By Ralph Waldo Emerson
To Laugh
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
To laugh often and love much;
to win the respect of intelligent persons
and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest critics
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
To laugh often and love much;
to win the respect of intelligent persons
and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to give of one's self;
to leave the world a bit better;
whether by a healthy child;
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived -
this is to have succeeded.
to give of one's self;
to leave the world a bit better;
whether by a healthy child;
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived -
this is to have succeeded.
Life Is Too Short... My Friend Just Sent This To Me. Had To Share With You! ♥ Much LOVE ♥
"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. ♥ So love the people who treat you right. ♥ Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be...... worth it." ~ Unknown
January 29, 2010
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life! ♥
This song was just playing in my spirit and put a HUGE SMILE on my face and in my HEART! God is singing this song to you. YOU are the apple of His eye and LOVES YOU soooooooo much!
For those of you wondering why I post the lyrics, I've been asked this question many times, the reasons are as follows: a) for my readers who can't play the video or don't have sound. b) so that my readers are able to sing along to the correct lyrics. c) for my foreign readers who are non-english speaking and need to use the google translator. Peace and love to you all. ♥
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
~ by Stevie Wonder and James Gilstrap and Lani Groves
(God)
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
That's Why I'll Always Stay Around
You Are The Apple Of My Eye
Forever You'll Stay In My Heart
(You)
I Feel Like This Is The Beginning
Though I've Loved You For A Million Years
And If I Thought Our Love Was Ending
I'd Find Myself Drowning In My Own Tears
(God)
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
That's Why I'll Always Stay Around
You Are The Apple Of My Eye
Forever You'll Stay In My Heart
(You)
You Must Have Known That I Was Lonely
Because You Came To My Rescue
And I Know That This Must Be Heaven
How Could So Much Love Be Inside Of You
(God)
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
That's Why I'll Always Stay Around
You Are The Apple Of My Eye
Forever You'll Stay In My Heart
BREAKING NEWS! O-M-G! Must read ESPN News! Referee Should Have Called A Penalty On Favre Injury 3rd Qtr Reversing A Subsequent Interception. Score Was Tied 21-21...
written by Kevin Seifert
Friday January 29, 2010, 10:49 AM ET
It was the third-quarter hit during the NFC Championship Game that injured Brett Favre, a low blow the NFL is now acknowledging should have been called a penalty, reversing a subsequent interception.
"It's the type of hit that we don't want," NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira said, "... because clearly we're trying to protect the knees and we need to focus on this to make sure we don't miss [them]."
Appearing on the NFL Network and NFL.com this week, Pereira said the right call had not been made during the New Orleans Saints' 31-28 overtime victory Sunday.
With the score tied 21-21, Favre took a hit from Saints defensive end Bobby McCray. The quarterback's left ankle was injured during the play, and he got it treated on the sideline and remained in the game.
"Pretty much a direct shot into the back of [Favre's] legs," Pereira said of the hit.
The Vikings would have had a first down at the Saints' 19-yard line.
Instead, linebacker Jonathan Vilma's interception put the Saints at their own 31-yard line, though they failed to score on the resulting series.
The Greatest LOVE Of All ~ by Whitney Houston
I was just cleaning my home and while I was vacuuming this song was resonating in my spirit. Somebody needs to hear this right now. I hope this song gives you strength to lift your head up to the sun. Allow the LIGHT to permeate every fiber of your being. Whatever you do don't get trap in despair. That will only lead to fear, which will paralyze you. Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming. Try to center yourself. Find your happy place. That will bring you balance. Then you will be able to keep moving forward through the good and sucky parts of life with a smile. Don't get frazzled. Take a DEEP breath and then let it ALL out. In this moment, ask God to fill your spirit with His love, peace and joy. Then let it go and hand everything over to Him. Let God know that you need Him and that you can't do this on your own.
There is no such thing as mistakes ONLY life lessons. So LIVE and learn. Choose LIFE! The moment you try to stop controlling everything, that is when you'll find peace and then you will simply ENJOY LIFE and all that it has to offer. Just TRUST that everything has its purpose. Keep moving forward with confidence, then suddenly you will discover that it was ALL for your BEST interest! Your epiphany is on its way! In the meantime, find a way to put a smile on your face and in your heart. Everything is going to be okay. This is such a beautiful song. Enjoy the lyrics! God is LOVE.
The Greatest of All ~ by Whitney Houston
I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
Everybody searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A lonely place to be
So I learned to depend on me
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest LOVE of all
I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest LOVE of all
And if by chance, that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your STRENGTH in LOVE
I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
Everybody searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A lonely place to be
So I learned to depend on me
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest LOVE of all
I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest LOVE of all
And if by chance, that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your STRENGTH in LOVE
"Racketeer Rabbit" (1946) starring Bugs Bunny and Edward G. Robinson
"Racketeer Rabbit" (1946) starring Bugs Bunny
I am so happy I found this classic Bugs Bunny cartoon. Thank you Josh for posting this video on your MySpace video blog! Bye bye corrupt politicians both Republicans and Democrats. It's curtains for all you dirty rats, curtains I tell you! Enjoy ;)
January 28, 2010
Union Boss Tells Members: "Shut the f*ck up, you motherf*ckers!" Members React For The Same Reason Americans In The Tea Party Movement Are Reacting! Because Of Such Flagrant Dis-Respect!
I don't blame the members for reacting this way! The Union is their formal representative. Members pay the Union dues (money) for this representation. The members have every right to be pissed off when treated so offensively! This is the same kind of behavior from the Democratic party that rallied the Tea Party Movement!
The Labor Union Report writes the following:
The Labor Union Report writes the following:
On March 31st, NUMMI, the UAW-represented joint venture between Toyota and General Motors, will be closing its doors in California, throwing another 4,700 United Auto Workers out of work.
With 80% of the UAW members upset with their union, this past Sunday, the Union of Ailing Workplaces (aka UAW) held a membership meeting that turned into a shouting match between rank-and-file members and their union leadership.
At one point, one UAW leader (identified as Javier Contreras) yelled at the crowd, telling them to "...Shut the f*ck up, you motherf*ckers!..."
Things got so bad, that UAW leaders had to call the police to restore order.
***********************************************************
I have taken the following from ihatebeets, the person who posted the video YouTube description:
Javier Contreras loses control at the union meeting. Don't expect class from these guys!
Javier Contreras, Bargaining Chairman of UAW Local 2244 was the union leader who incited a riot at the January 24, 2010 union meeting. The video captures him using profane language towards a displeased membership. His lack of professionalism proves that he is in no way capable of leading us through anymore failed severence negotiations! When you disrepect one of us you disrespect the entire union!
You ask...why all of the hostility? These hard working people have been waiting for thier union leadership to sit down at the table with the company to agree on a severence package. While the company has made thier offer public, no information has been given to the membership on union counter proposals. The union dues ...are being spent on lavish trips to Palm Springs rather than providing the services they pay for! Who wouldn't be angry??? [YES, INDEED!]
8 Quotes That Will Make You Think... From The First Social Scientist Alexis de Tocqueville, French
Alexis-Charles-Henri Cl̩rel de Tocqueville (July 29, 1805, Paris РApril 16, 1859, Cannes) was a French political thinker and historian best known for his Democracy in America (appearing in two volumes: 1835 and 1840) and The Old Regime and the Revolution (1856). In both of these works, he explored the effects of the rising equality of social conditions on the individual and the state in western societies.
Democracy in America (1835), his major work, published after his travels in the United States, is today considered an early work of sociology and political science. An eminent representative of the classical liberal political tradition, Tocqueville was an active participant in French politics, first under the July Monarchy (1830–1848) and then during the Second Republic (1849–1851) which succeeded the February 1848 Revolution. He retired from political life after Louis Napoléon Bonaparte's December 2, 1851 coup, and thereafter began work on The Old Regime and the Revolution, Volume I. [source: wikipedia]
Democracy in America (1835), his major work, published after his travels in the United States, is today considered an early work of sociology and political science. An eminent representative of the classical liberal political tradition, Tocqueville was an active participant in French politics, first under the July Monarchy (1830–1848) and then during the Second Republic (1849–1851) which succeeded the February 1848 Revolution. He retired from political life after Louis Napoléon Bonaparte's December 2, 1851 coup, and thereafter began work on The Old Regime and the Revolution, Volume I. [source: wikipedia]
8 Quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville
- In the United States, the majority undertakes to supply a multitude of ready-made opinions for the use of individuals, who are thus relieved from the necessity of forming opinions of their own.
- Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.
- The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.
- Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.
- In America the majority raises formidable barriers around the liberty of opinion; within these barriers an author may write what he pleases, but woe to him if he goes beyond them.
- Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.
- There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.
- A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.
BONUSHistory is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.
BONUS BONUS
When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
President Obama Believes He's Like The Persian "god-King" Xerxes! He's So Self-ABSORBED...
HUH?
Are you kidding me? NO!
TEA PARTY MOVEMENT!
(Independents, Democrats and Republicans become UNITED!)
(Independents, Democrats and Republicans become UNITED!)
President Obama still doesn't HEAR US!
NOVEMBER 2010!
Un-Fricken-Believable! Democratic Senator's OK $1.9 TRILLION Raise In Debt Ceiling! They're Going On A Spending BINGE Before They FREEZE Spending! It's Like Gaining 100 Pounds Before Going On A Diet! Can We GET REAL Here?!
Wall Street Journal
written by Corey Boles
Thursday January 28, 2010 1:53pm est
WASHINGTON—The Senate approved legislation Thursday increasing the federal government's borrowing limit by $1.9 trillion, enough to enable the Treasury to pay its bills through 2010.
The 60-39 vote was strictly along party lines with no Republicans joining the Democratic majority to approve the legislation. [The Democrats RUSHED this bill through BEFORE Scott Brown of Massachusetts gets SEATED in the Senate! (emphasis mine)]
Once the increase is signed into law, the federal government will be able to borrow up to $14.3 trillion, by far the highest amount of debt it has ever held on its books. The current limit of around $12.4 trillion would have been breached by the end of February.
House lawmakers must still take up the legislation and are expected to do so next week, according to a senior House Democratic aide.
The increase comes just over a month after Congress upped the borrowing cap by $290 billion from its previous limit of $12.1 trillion.
A vote to increase the debt ceiling is politically difficult but is largely symbolic. There is little chance Congress would allow the government to breach its debt limit. If there were to occur, the ramifications for the financial markets and the U.S. fiscal position could be disastrous.
Financial markets globally were roiled in November, when the government of Dubai, a much smaller entity than the U.S., warned it was unable to continue servicing its debt.
Under that scenario, the U.S. government would likely lose its prized top-shelf credit rating, be forced to pay substantially higher interest rates to its creditors and the value of the U.S. dollar could plunge.
Legislation raising the borrowing limit includes a measure requiring budgetary rules requiring every dollar in new mandatory spending be offset by new revenue or cuts elsewhere in the budget.
In the 1990s, the so-called "Pay-as-you-Go" rules were in place when the federal budget ran a healthy surplus, and Democrats hope its reinstatement will eventually lead to a similar result.
President Barack Obama had pushed for the passage of the pay-go rules, arguing they would go some way to rein in federal spending and the burgeoning budget deficit.
The federal budget deficit in fiscal 2009 was a record $1.4 trillion, and this week the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office forecast the fiscal 2010 deficit to be only slightly lower at $1.35 trillion.
Underscoring the difficulties the president faces in his drive to austerity, lawmakers rejected a separate measure that would have limited increases in discretionary spending by Congress.
In his State of the Union Address Wednesday night, Mr. Obama proposed to freeze discretionary spending for three years starting in fiscal 2011. In his speech, Mr. Obama pledged to veto any spending bills that increase discretionary spending during that period.
But given lawmakers weren't even willing to approve limits to discretionary spending, they may very well be reluctant to agree to a complete freeze later in the year.
The Senate defeated a measure that would have established a commission mandated to highlight duplicative or wasteful spending by federal government departments and agencies. On Tuesday, lawmakers voted down the creation of a commission to recommend the spending cuts and tax increases necessary to move the federal budget deficit back toward manageable levels.
Mr. Obama pledged to create such a commission using his executive authority. Lawmakers of both parties have said this approach wouldn't be effective as the president can't oblige Congress to hold a vote on such a commission's recommendation.
Taking the task of resolving the long-term fiscal imbalances from Congress' hands is an idea that has been around for years. As the nation's fiscal position has worsened, the concept has gained steam.
What President Obama Did To The Supreme Court Judges Last Night Was Out Of Line And Very Disrespectful. He PUBLICLY SCORNED Them To Their Faces!
A president's executive authority UNDER the Constitution, tempered by the checks and balances of the judicial and legislative branches of the federal government, was designed to solve several political problems faced by the young nation and to anticipate future challenges, while still preventing the rise of an autocrat. [source: wikipedia]
Judicial Watch
written by Staff
January 21, 2010
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton issued the following statement in response to today’s United States Supreme Court 5-4 ruling, which struck down major provisions related government restrictions on political speech.
“The First Amendment has been vindicated by the High Court. Judicial Watch believes that better enforcement of bribery and extortion laws are key to fighting government corruption – not self-serving restrictions on free speech by politicians. Allowing full participation in our nation’s political process for citizens acting through corporations will do more to hold corrupt politicians accountable than any campaign finance restriction or bureaucratic regulation.”
Judicial Watch filed an amicus curiae brief in support of free speech in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Judicial Watch argued in its brief that:
- Political speech is at the heart of the First Amendment and is entitled to the broadest protection.
- Unlike contributions to candidates, independent expenditures, which are not coordinated with a candidate or campaign, do not pose a danger of corruption or its appearance.
- The Supreme Court has consistently invalidated legislative attempts at limiting or restricting corporate expenditures as violative of First Amendment free speech.
Judicial Watch Uncovers New Documents Detailing Pelosi's Use of Air Force Aircraft! Pelosi Is So OUTTA THERE In November!!!
Judicial Watch
written by Staff
Thursday January 28, 2010
House Speaker’s Military Travel Cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a Two-Year Period, Including $101,429 for In-Flight Expenses
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the Air Force detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s use of United States Air Force aircraft for Congressional Delegations (CODELs). According to the documents, obtained by Judicial Watch through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Speaker’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol. The following are highlights from the recent release of about 2,000 documents:
- Speaker Pelosi used Air Force aircraft to travel back to her district at an average cost of $28,210.51 per flight. The average cost of an international CODEL is $228,563.33. Of the 103 Pelosi-led congressional delegations (CODEL), 31 trips included members of the House Speaker’s family.
- One CODEL traveling from Washington, DC, through Tel Aviv, Israel to Baghdad, Iraq May 15-20, 2008, “to discuss matters of mutual concern with government leaders” included members of Congress and their spouses and cost $17,931 per hour in aircraft alone. Purchases for the CODEL included: Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine.
- According to a “Memo for Record” from a March 29—April 7, 2007, CODEL that involved a stop in Israel, “CODEL could only bring Kosher items into the Hotel. Kosher alcohol for mixing beverages in the Delegation room was purchased on the local economy i.e. Bourbon, Whiskey, Scotch, Vodka, Gin, Triple Sec, Tequila, etc.”
- The Department of Defense advanced a CODEL of 56 members of Congress and staff $60,000 to travel to Louisiana and Mississippi July 19-22, 2008, to “view flood relief advances from Hurricane Katrina.” The three-day trip cost the U.S. Air Force $65,505.46, exceeding authorized funding by $5,505.46.
“Speaker Pelosi has a history of wasting taxpayer funds with her boorish demands for military travel. And these documents suggest the Speaker’s congressional delegations are more about partying than anything else,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Judicial Watch previously obtained internal DOD email correspondence detailing attempts by DOD staff to accommodate Pelosi’s numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speaker’s last minute cancellations and changes.
Apple iPad Reviews: The Critics Weigh In. I'm So Bummed Out About This News! It Left Me With Second Thoughts About Purchasing This Product. The Ipad Can ONLY Run One Application At A Time!
PC World
written by Brennon Slattery
Thursday January 28, 2010 11:09am
Now that the mania of Apple's iPad (such a bad name) announcement has begun to calm and people are checking bank accounts instead of RSS feeds for more information, big-name critics are pulling out their swords and taking swings at Apple's latest creation. The overall reaction has been, in a word, underwhelming. What was hotly anticipated has mostly turned into cold soup. So what happened and what is being said?
There is, without a doubt, much disappointment surrounding the iPad. Bloggers curb-stomped it for its shortcomings:
- No multitasking
- No Adobe Flash (yet)
- No camera or iChat capabilities
- No HDMI port
- 4:3 aspect ratio
- Still dependent on AT&T's 3G service
- Dependence on adapters
... and the list goes on.
What I found interesting is that the "big-name" critics took a more compassionate view of the iPad. David Pogue from the New York Times outlined three phases of "the standard Apple new-category roll-out," starting with feverish speculation and hype, then hands-off negativity, then release-date positivity. Pogue urged caution from the knee-jerk types: "it's too early to draw any conclusions." Furthermore, he writes, "as we enter Phase 2, remember how silly you all looked when you all predicted the iPhone's demise in that period before it went on sale."
Om Malik had a positive take on the iPad over at Gigaom. He loved the single button, landscape and portrait modes, Web browsing experience, Maps, and the ability to "plow through" e-mails. Still, a hint of wariness came at the end of Malik's brief first impression when he said, "If I didn't own a Kindle or an iPod touch, the decision to buy an iPad would be an easy one. But I own both, and even if I only owned one of them, it would be a tough decision."
Please click HERE to read the ENTIRE ARTICLE...
STIMULUS WATCH: Stimulus Jobs Overstated In Report! This Is What Washington KEEPS BRAGGING About?!?! NONE Of You Know The Meaning Of EXCELLENCE! Who's Overseeing This $787 BILLION Project?
Yahoo News / Associated Press
written by Brett J. Blackledge and Matt Apuzzo, AP writers
Thursday October 29, 2009, 9:46 pm EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is promising that new figures being released Friday will be a more accurate showing of progress in President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan. It aggressively defended an earlier, faulty count that overstated by thousands the jobs created or saved so far.
Ed DeSeve, serving as Obama's stimulus overseer, said the administration has been working for weeks to correct mistakes in early counts that identified more than 30,000 jobs paid for with stimulus money. He said a new stimulus report Friday should correct many mistakes an Associated Press review found that showed the earlier report overstated thousands of stimulus jobs.
"I think you'll see a pretty good degree of accuracy," DeSeve said in an interview.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs downplayed errors in job counts identified by the AP's review, telling reporters, "We're talking about 4,000, or a 5,000 error."
The AP reviewed a sample of federal contracts, not all 9,000 reported to date, and discovered errors in one in six jobs credited to the $787 billion stimulus program -- or 5,000 of the 30,000 jobs claimed so far.
Even in its limited review, the AP found job counts that were more than 10 times as high as the actual number of paid positions; jobs credited to the stimulus program that were counted two and sometimes more than four times; and other jobs that were credited to stimulus spending when none was produced.
For example:
-- Some recipients of stimulus money used the cash to give existing employees pay raises, but each reported saving dozens of jobs with the money, including one Florida day care that claimed 129 jobs saved.
-- A Texas contractor whose business kept 22 employees to handle stimulus contracts saw its job count inflated to 88 because the same workers were counted four times.
-- The water department in Palm Beach County, Fla., hired 57 meter readers, customer service representatives and other positions to handle two water projects. But their total job count was incorrectly doubled to 114.
Those errors were included in an early progress report on the stimulus released two weeks ago that featured numerous mistakes, including a Colorado business' claim that its stimulus contract created more than 4,200 jobs. TeleTech Government Solutions actually hired 4,231 temporary workers for its stimulus project, but most of them worked for five weeks or less and the others no more than five months, company president Mariano Tan said.
The short-term positions should have been reported as 635 full-time, 40-hour-a-week jobs under the government's method of calculating stimulus work, Tan said.
The AP's review sampled some of the contract data reported on the government's Web site, recovery.gov, that serves as the official accounting of stimulus data. The review focused on the most obvious cases of jobs wrongly tied to the stimulus because of record duplications or misinterpretations of how the jobs should be counted. In some cases, businesses reported short-term projects with large job counts, which appeared inaccurate in the records. The AP contacted businesses to discuss their jobs reports and confirmed the errors.
Some businesses actually undercounted jobs funded with stimulus money, the AP's review shows, because they reported only new jobs created, not existing jobs saved. But by far the most reporting errors were found in the number of jobs credited to the stimulus.
Gibbs said that early data couldn't be reviewed as carefully as new data will be. "Three days after the data was received, it was required to be put on the Web site," he said.
The Colorado business' job count, along with many others, has been corrected, Gibbs said, and will be updated in Friday's report.
"We disputed, as the AP disputed, the report that came in that calculated a number of jobs but didn't accurately account, the way we account for, a full-time, yearlong employee as being a job," Gibbs said.
His comments during his daily meeting with reporters came hours after the White House issued a midnight press release complaining about the AP's review of jobs the government credits to stimulus spending.
DeSeve, who criticized the AP's review as misleading, said the administration is aware of problems with the early data. Agencies have been working with businesses that received the money to correct mistakes. Other errors discovered by the public also will be corrected, he said.
"As a result, whatever problems the early and partial data had, the full data to be posted on Friday will provide the American people with an accurate, detailed look at the early success of the Recovery Act," DeSeve said in a statement the White House issued just after midnight Thursday.
Tsk Tsk President Obama... How Can You Be So DISHONEST About Lobbyists?! What's Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander! Or Does ACCOUNTABILITY NOT Apply To You?
Red State
written by Erick Erickson
Wednesday, January 27th at 10:34pm est
Tonight, Barack Obama said, "To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.
"That's what I came to Washington to do. That's why -- for the first time in history -- my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that's why we've excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions."
Maybe this explains why his national security policies are so weak. He put William Lynn in the Pentagon as Deputy Defense Secretary. Mr. Lynn was a lobbyist for Defense Contractor Raytheon. I guess the Deputy Defense Secretary is not a policy-making job.
But it is not just Lynn.
•Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm [now confirmed].
•Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association.
•William Lynn, deputy defense secretary nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for defense contractor Raytheon, where he was a top executive.
•William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use.
•David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric.
•Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs.
•Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.
•Mona Sutphen, deputy White House chief of staff, was registered to lobby for clients, including Angliss International in 2003.
•Melody Barnes, domestic policy council director, lobbied in 2003 and 2004 for liberal advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
•Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.
•Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.
•Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to the president’s assistant for intergovernmental relations, lobbied for the American Association of Justice from 2001 until 2005.
January 27, 2010
How Wise Are You?
Personal Worth Examiner
written by Soul Dancer
November 7, 2009 10:44pm
When it comes to learning life lessons, what type of students are we? Oops! Did I make a wrong assumption? Are we students of life? Shall we find out?
First, I invite you to read this Wall Street Journal post: "The Man Who Predicted the Depression."
Next, based on what you've read, what grades would you give out based on the state of our general physical health or economy. How about our grades on social studies, history and math? What more do we have yet to learn about wars, poverty, prejudice and pride? What does rampant obesity, discrimination and fear teach us? Are we growing more wise or more creative in ways to NOT learn?
Wisdom: a word worth paying attention to!
How do we grow wise? What ingredients do we need to cook-up some wisdom? Consider this wisdom pyramid (much like the old food pyramid):
First ingredient: data. Words, numbers, images, sounds, sights, tastes are all good examples of data. For example, open a dictionary to any page and you'll find all sorts of words. Words form a small part of our wisdom. We need more than words to become wise.
When we combine words into something meaningful, we form information. The web is wonderful in overloading us with information. Is information wisdom? Not yet! Why? Well, google some directions on how to change a flat tire sometime. I bet this information doesn't come CLOSE to containing what you need to know when you actually have to change a flat tire. When you finally DO change that tire, you turn information into knowledge.
Yes, knowledge contains the seeds of profound wisdom. While people who contain vast stores of knowledge often seem wise, don't allow all that knowledge to fool you into believing they're a wise person. For example. Imagine you've read every known book about New York city. You've listened to every know expert on the city of New York. You've watched every known movie, DVD, video and TV series there is on New York city. However, you've never actually traveled to, or lived in New York city. If the time comes for me to visit New York City I'll hire a someone who LIVES and works in New York city (hands-down any day) over anyone who's book smart about NYC.
BINGO! Experience combined with knowledge forms the initial crumbs of wisdom. Why only crumbs of wisdom versus the full on buffet? Simple! The amount of first-hand experiential time plays the pivotal role to determine how ripe ones' wisdom really is. The more time we spend practicing our craft, the more wise we become in such practice. Of course, we aid the process of becoming more wise when we add the final wisdom ingredient: perspective!
Data + information = knowledge. Knowledge + experience + time = initial seeds of wisdom. Time + multiple perspectives = savvy wisdom! To test out this formula, think back to a time when you thought you knew it all! (Is that time, today? If so, you're in for some big surprises!) As you ponder your level of wisdom, do you notice how the more you know, the more you become aware of how much more there is to know?
Is it possible to ever know ALL there is to know about some one or some thing? A wise person will automatically answer NO! If someone tells you, "Yea! I know all there is to know about [insert any topic], RUN (don't walk) away from this person. Why? Arrogance inspires blindness. Confidence inspires insightfulness.
What does forming wisdom have to do with one's personal worth?
Our personal worth is soundly rooted in how well (and fast) we learn life lessons. Those who learn quickly tend to adapt, survive and often thrive. Anyone who learns the hard way (often painfully hard), does so by repeating, repeating (did I mention, repeating?) certain lessons over and over again. Each time we repeat a lesson, we consume more time, money and related resources. While each lesson offers a nuance unlike any other lesson, it's worth our time to learn our lessons the first time around.
Any time you discover yourself feeling discomfort or pain due to repeating a less-than-enjoyable life lesson, try on this suggestion to soften or dissolve pain: LEARN with a sense of gratitude. Learning based in gratitude helps dissolve discomfort or pain when we genuinely appreciate or savor the learning process. Ready to engage the art of savoring the learning process this time? I hope so! Why? When we fail at learning something, we face repeating that lesson. The Man Who Predicted the Depression clearly demonstrates how we once again have before us some critical economic lessons. These lessons impact our personal worth on many levels.
Have you noticed how a wise person enjoys and savors the art of learning? How wise do you feel these days?
Expect President Obama To Repeat The Same In 2010. Can He Be Any More Hard-Headed And Single Minded? He Still Doesn't Get It... UGH! Wisdom Comes From Having Multiple Perspectives!
These Photo's Pretty Much Sum Up My Thoughts
On The State Of The Union Address!
The Obama Fisc: Spending Religion Arrives A Year, And TRILLIONS Of Dollars, Too Late! MUST READ!
Wall Street Journal
written by WSJ Editorial page
Wednesday January 27, 2010
Meet President Obama 2.0. Unlike the 2009 version, this 2010 update isn't the spender who has sent the federal deficit to levels unseen since World War II. This new fellow is a fiscal conservative, and Americans will see this major new talent perform tonight as he delivers his State of the Union address.
Whether or not Americans choose to believe him, there's no denying the fiscal reality created by the rollout version of President Obama last year, as detailed in the Congressional Budget Office report released yesterday. For the second year in a row, fiscal 2010 will see a trillion-dollar deficit—an estimated $1.35 trillion, or 9.2% of GDP, which is down slightly from last year's post-World War II record of 9.9%.
Mr. Obama did inherit a recession, which is partly responsible for this ocean of red ink. The slow pace of economic recovery has contributed to a collapse in revenues, down to 14.8% of GDP in 2009 and an estimated 14.9% this year. That's well below the modern historical average of about 18.1%, and it is a reminder that economic growth is the most important contributor to smaller deficits. Had last year's "stimulus" worked half as well as the White House advertised, these deficits wouldn't be as large.
But as the nearby chart shows, Mr. Obama's major contribution to deficits has been a record spending spree. In 2007, before the recession, federal expenditures reached $2.73 trillion. By 2009 expenditures had climbed to $3.52 trillion. In 2009 alone, overall federal spending rose 18%, or $536 billion. Throw in a $65 billion reduction in debt service costs due to low interest rates, and the overall spending increase was 22%.
In one year.
CBO confirms that Democrats have taken federal spending to a new and higher plateau: 24.7% of GDP in 2009, 24.1% this year, and back to an estimated 24.3% in 2011. The modern historical average is about 20.5%, and less than that if you exclude the Reagan defense buildup of the 1980s that helped to win the Cold War and let Bill Clinton reduce defense spending to 3% of GDP in the 1990s.
This means that one of every four dollars produced by the sweat of American private labor is now taxed and redistributed by 535 men and women in Congress.
The slight deficit improvement for 2010 isn't due to any spending restraint. The feds will get a $218 billion windfall from reduced spending on TARP bailout cash, plus $27 billion in reduced deposit insurance outlays. All of that money and more is going right out the door again in $112 billion more in so far unspent stimulus, a 7% increase in nondefense discretionary spending, 6% more for Medicare and 11% more for Medicaid.
Compared to this gusher, Mr. Obama's touted spending freeze for some domestic agencies is the politics of gesture. It would apply to only 17% of the budget, and these programs have already had a 22% increase in their annual appropriations in the past two years, and another 25% increase including stimulus.
As for the deficit, CBO shows that over the first three years of the Obama Presidency, 2009-2011, the federal government will borrow an estimated $3.7 trillion. That is more than the entire accumulated national debt for the first 225 years of U.S. history. By 2019, the interest payments on this debt will be larger than the budget for education, roads and all other nondefense discretionary spending.
The tragedy is that Mr. Obama's fiscal conversion is coming a year too late, assuming it is now real. If the President and his party really are serious, they can do more than promise a spending freeze after 2012. They can stop spending more now: Drop the health-care bill, cancel the unspent stimulus spending from last year, kill the $150 billion new stimulus that has already passed the House, and bar all repaid bailout cash from being re-spent. Everything else is marketing.
Please click HERE to read the ENTIRE ARTICLE... MUST READ!
January 26, 2010
Obama: No Earmarks For 2009! That Statement Was Made In 2008. Now Let Us Examine How Many EARMARKS Were Passed In 2009 And How Much This WASTEFUL SPENDING Has Cost Us ALL!
CNN
written by Drew Griffin and Scott Bronstein
Tuesday April 15, 2008 <<<<
(CNN) -- Last year Sen. Barack Obama, submitted a laundry list of federal funding requests, known as earmarks, to the Senate Appropriations Committee: 112 earmarks totaling more than $330 million in taxpayer funds.
But that was last year.
This year, as the Senate funding request deadline approaches and the final primaries of the Democratic nomination process draw near, Obama's staff told CNN the junior senator from Illinois will request no earmarks for fiscal year 2009.
The dramatic change is in line with a statement Obama issued last month in connection with an amendment calling for a one-year moratorium on earmarks in the Senate.
The amendment, sponsored by federal earmark foe Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, was shot down by a vote of 79-21.
"We can no longer accept a process that doles out earmarks based on a member of Congress' seniority, rather than the merit of the project," Obama's statement said.
"The entire earmark process needs to be re-examined and reformed. For that reason, I will be supporting Sen. DeMint's amendment and will not be requesting earmarks this year for Illinois," the statement added.
**********************************************************
EARMARKS 2009
Since Junior Senator Obama became President Obama
I am DEMANDING that every Congressperson and Senator that has ever requested and received a SPECIAL INTEREST EARMARK (PORK) at the TAXPAYERS EXPENSE should pay us back out of their very OWN POCKETBOOKS! Afterall, that money went to pay-back your compaign sponsors ONLY benefiting your political careers. Isn't that considered HIGHWAY ROBBERY? NO MORE FREEBIES on the backs of HARD WORKING Americans! Pay it back!
in Final Defense Appropriations Bill December 17, 2009:
1,720 EARMARKS
worth $4.2 (B)ILLION
Total in disclosed earmarks
in FY10 Omnibus Spending Bill December 10, 2009:
5,224 EARMARKS
worth $3.898 (B)ILLION
Total in disclosed earmarks
in Defense Authorization Bill October 30, 2009:
687 EARMARKS
worth $4 (B)ILLION
Total in disclosed earmarks
in Dept of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill October 21, 2009:
186 EARMARKS
worth $420 (M)ILLION
Total in disclosed earmarks
in 2009 Omnibus Spending Bill March 13, 2009:
8,570 EARMARKS
worth $7.7 (B)ILLION
Total in disclosed earmarks
To be CONTINUED... still researching!
****************************************************************
ADDED BONUS!
BILLIONS of Taxpayer Dollars Magically Disappear!
Watchdog.org
written by Bill McMorris
November 17, 2009
Just how big is the stimulus package? Well for one, it has doubled the size of the House of Representatives, according to recovery.gov, which says that funds were distributed to 440 congressional districts that do not exist.
According to data retrieved from recovery.gov, nearly $6.4 (B)ILLION was used to “create or save” just under 30,000 jobs in these PHANTOM congressional districts – almost $225,000 PER JOB. The web site operates on an $84 (M)ILLION BUDGET and is tasked with MONITORING the distribution of the $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress – which, for the record, counts 435 members – in early 2009.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Watchdog.orgwritten by Scott St. Clair
Tuesday January 26, 2010
They keep getting it wrong at Recovery.gov, the federal government Web site that tracks stimulus efforts. First it was phantom Congressional districts, then phantom Zip Codes, now it’s PHANTOM stimulus CONTRACTS.
And they’re too easy to find since it only took one phone call to dig one up.
According to Recovery.gov, two contracts totaling $210,381 resulting in the creation of ZERO JOBS were awarded in the Kirkland, Wash. Zip Code of 98034. Per the site, both were awarded to Lancs Industries, a manufacturer of protective clothing, containment devices and other safety products.
This came as news to Tim Wiest, Lancs’ president, however. But Lancs itself DOES NOT have ANY contractual relationship with the U.S. government, he said.
“I am uncomfortable with the appearance that stimulus funds are coming to us directly,” he said. Yet the clear implication from the Web site is that is what’s happening.
Wiest wanted it understood that the implication is FALSE. Lancs Industries has “no contract with any federal agency through which we receive federal stimulus funds,” he said.
Government Watchdogs Release Database Detailing Earmarks and Campaign Contributions
Taxpayers for Common Sense
News release
August 13, 2009
Washington, D.C. - Two of Washington, D.C.’s most reliable and respected non-partisan watchdogs joined forces today and released a comprehensive database linking campaign contributions with earmarked spending by lawmakers.
Taxpayers for Common Sense, a national budget watchdog, provided data documenting more than 20,000 earmarked spending provisions worth over $35 billion. The Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money-in-politics on its website, OpenSecrets.org, provided data detailing $226.8 million worth of campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures.
“At a minimum, earmarks granted to lawmakers' friends and supporters merit scrutiny and indicate potential conflicts of interest,” said Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director of the Center for Responsive Politics. “This information will help Americans decide for themselves whether their congressional representatives are beholden to the voters who elect them – or to elite interests bankrolling their campaigns.”
With the new user-friendly tools that are available at www.opensecrets.org and www.taxpayer.net, the public can see how much their elected official secured in earmarked spending during fiscal years 2008 and 2009. Citizens may then explore which entities received the earmarked funding and whether --and how much – those entities and their leaders contributed to the lawmaker’s campaign. Additionally, the underlying data sets are available for download at each of the organizations’ websites.
“Earmarks and campaign contributions are part and parcel of the pay-to-play system that permeates Washington,” said Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense. “Companies making thousands of dollars in campaign contributions get millions of dollars of earmarked taxpayer dollars from lawmakers.”
In recent years, corruption probes related to earmarks have increased, and earlier this year, one prominent lobby shop shuttered operations following an FBI raid. Taxpayers for Common Sense and the Center for Responsive Politics intend to continue this partnership and release additional data on FY2009 beneficiaries and related campaign contributions and FY2010 earmarks and campaign contributions when available.
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