Too Good to Miss - Zo & Russell Simmons

I just love Zo.  I met him once and he was exactly what you see.

When the Left Attacks - Kristi Yamaguchi Edition

For this she is getting threatening tweets.  It has been suggested her medal be taken away.  She was there, she saw what Romney was able to do to turn the 2002 Olympics around.  Could someone else have done it?  Most likely.  But, the fact remains it was him that they went to and he did the job that he was asked to do.  


The list of stars, athletes, and the like that support Obama is very long.  Are these people OK with the people on the right saying the same type of things and making the same types of threats?  

Extreme Parenting Part 3

I would like to talk to the person who does think this is extreme.  This is good parenting.  Social media is a great deal of fun at moments, but it also can be very dangerous.  It is said this young lady is only 11.  She has no clue to how she potentially put herself in danger by posting a picture of her drinking.  I am sure that this was not her only punishment.  Obviously she has a parent that is trying to teach her right from wrong.

Good for this mom or dad.  Every parent should be paying attention to what their kids are posting on social media.  Personally, I think that 11 is too young for Facebook, even if you are monitoring it.  But this parent thought their child was mature enough and when she realized that she wasn't she has taken the privilege away.  I have this feeling it will be a while before she is posting anything on Facebook again.

Awesome Version of the Star Spangled Banner from Restore Love

Liberal Logic - Mayor Emanuel Edition

Rahm Emanuel, Chicago's mayor, has put his liberal logic on full display for all the world to see.  You see, the mayor decided to weigh in on the Chik Fil A non-controversy by announcing Chik Fil A doesn't share "Chicago Values".  Really?  It wasn't all that long ago that the mayor admitted that some in his city have the wrong values.  


Now this same man has decided that the city needs the help of The Nation of Islam to patrol the streets to help cut down on the unending violence in the city now being dubbed "MurderTown".  


So this idiot liberal would like to keep Chik Fil A from expanding in the City of Chicago, which of course violates our laws, because they believe in traditional marriage.  This belief, held by millions around the country, is simply that marriage is between one woman and one man.  It in no way wants to see discrimination against homosexuals.  Gay people can do what ever they want to do with that one exception.  That is it.  We don't call for violence against people, we don't call for the death of anyone.  We are simply stating that the institution of marriage is something that is held sacred and by redefining marriage we are being asked to accept beliefs that violate our religious views and conscience.  


Islam, however, is a very different story:

The Sunan Abu Dawud, named after its editor, is another reliable collection of hadith. Ibn Abbas reports the following about early Islam and Muhammad’s punishment of homosexuals: . . . "If you find anyone doing as Lot’s people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done" (vol. 3, p. 145, no. 4447).

 The next one from the same collection says that an unmarried man who commits sodomy should be stoned to death: "Ibn Abbas said: if a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death" (vol. 3, p. 1245, no. 4448).

Thus, these two passages in Sunan Abu Dawud go further than merely rejecting and banishing homosexuals or sexual sinners, as we saw in Bukhari’s collection. Rather, Ibn Abbas says that Muhammad and the early Muslim community commanded their execution.

 The hadith editor Timidhi repeats Ibn Abbas’ narration: "Ikrima reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas that God’s messenger [Muhammad] said: ‘If you find anyone doing as Lot’s people did, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.’" (Recorded in Mishkat al-Masabih, trans. James Robson, vol. 2, p. 763, Prescribed Punishments).

In the same hadith collection, the Mishkhat al-Masabih, a compendium that brings together other hadith collections, are found the punishments of being burned to death and having heavy objects thrown on the guilty homosexuals:

The Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan also have such a good record when it comes to your faith, Mr. Mayor:

"[T]he Jews don't like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that's a good name. Hitler was a very great man. He wasn't a great man for me as a black person, but he was a great German. Now, I'm not proud of Hitler's evils against Jewish people, but that's a matter of record. He raised Germany up from nothing. Well, in a sense you could say there's a similarity in that we are raising our people up from nothing."
— Louis Farrakhan, radio interview, March 11, 1984

"Jews have been conclusively linked to the greatest criminal endeavor ever undertaken against an entire race of people … the black African Holocaust. … The effects of this unspeakable tragedy are still being felt among the peoples of the world at this very hour."

— The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews (NOI book), 1991

"Who are the slumlords in the Black community? The so-called Jews. … Who is it sucking our blood in the Black community? A white imposter Arab and a white imposter Jew."

 — Speech by NOI national official Khalid Muhammad, Nov. 29, 1993

"These false Jews promote the filth of Hollywood that is seeding the American people and the people of the world and bringing you down in moral strength. … It's the wicked Jews, the false Jews, that are promoting lesbianism, homosexuality. It's the wicked Jews, false Jews, that make it a crime for you to preach the word of God, then they call you homophobic!"

 — Louis Farrakhan, Saviours' Day speech, Feb. 26, 2006


So these are Chicago Values.  Good to know. With values like these, it is no wonder the murder rate is so high.  

Romney V. Brian Williams Boring White Guy

This cracked me up.  He can think on his feet.

From what I have heard, Williams is right and boring white guy will be exactly what he picks.  Romney will be taking a very safe choice.  Bold he is not.

But why would the color matter?  Is someone automatically less boring if they are not white?  This is what promotes racism in this country.  Is the person qualified?  That is all that should matter.

Wrongful Death or Proof We Need Tort Reform?

Megan Duskey, 23, went to a Halloween party in a trendy hotel in Chicago in 2010.  She never made it home after falling four flights into a basement.  Her parents have filed suit for wrongful death against the hotel and the part event planners.

Megan decided to try to slide down the banister of the staircase and instead lost her balance.  The fall caused massive head trauma and she died instantly.  A tragedy for her friends and family.  She was young woman who recently graduated college with a degree in special education, and was a teacher at a local elementary school.

Here is a picture of the staircase she attempted to slide down, according to The Daily Mail.

Are you kidding me?  If this is truly the staircase that she fell from I don't see how her parents can possibly win a lawsuit stating that anyone else was responsible for her death other than her own choices.

I feel for her parents.  There is no greater pain then to bury a child.  It is not the natural order of the way life is supposed to happen.  You have children and fully expect them to outlive you.  Her parents lost a precious gift.

The reports at the time of the accident say they do not believe that alcohol was a factor, but that was before an autopsy was released.  She was only at the party for about 30 minutes when this accident occurred.  Her parents are suing the hotel and both party planners.  The problem is that she wasn't even in the party when her accident happened.  She is outside of the ballroom it was being held in.  Her parents say they didn't do enough to provide for proper security for the attendees of the party and by having an open bar with the price of the ticket they were irresponsible.

So the people who bought these tickets don't need to show any restraint whatsoever?  Since the ability to drink to excess is there, it is someone else's fault if someone decides to do that.  I have been to many a wedding where there was an open bar and didn't get drunk.  It is called self-control.

According to this lawsuit not only should they have been policing how much people drink they also should be putting guards around the staircase in case anyone gets the idea to slide down it.

Luckily for these parents I won't be sitting on this jury since I don't live in Chicago, but they would get not one dime from me.  They have my deepest sympathies for the beautiful daughter they lost, but that doesn't mean they deserve to paid for it.  There is such a thing as personal responsibility, and sadly, this young woman didn't show any.  She made a stupid choice and it cost her life.  Tragic, but not worthy of a settlement.  When this case is lost, they should be forced to pay for the legal bills of the other parties.  That will reduce the amount of frivolous lawsuits in a hurry.

Extreme Parenting Part 2

So here we have another parent (of course this could very well be fake, we will go with the assumption that it is not) that is taking their responsibility to what many will consider an extreme.

Now, my dad did this.  My brother would have to find other sleeping arrangements regularly.  The only time it happened to me it was my mother's fault (no really it was) and I slept in my bed once my mom got home.

You have to be pretty sure that your neighborhood is safe enough to do this.  I would think this could very well be against the law depending on the age of the child and what state you live in.  You could end up in trouble with child protective services.

It did nothing to get my brother to come home on time.  Now, I always did come home on time.  But I was that kind of kid.  I followed the rules.  Or, let me put it this way, when I didn't follow the rules, I wasn't dumb enough to get caught.  Having a friend who had weekly sleepovers and a mother who traveled was always a plus, at least to my teenager point of view.

I would not do this.  I think this is too extreme and dangerous.  How about you?

Mitt Romney's Speech to the VFW - Audio

Jon Stewart on ABC's John Ross Blaming Tea Party for Dark Knight Rises Shootings

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Quote of the Day - Dianne Feinstein Edition

“I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks,”

Dianne Feinstein on the national security leaks.

Lovely.  This idiot will probably still vote for him.  

Open Letter to VA State Senator Louise Lucas

Dear Ms. Lucas:

I heard your comments about the upcoming presidential election and how Mitt Romney is appealing to the racist segment in society that is against President Obama due to his skin color.  Your exact statement was:

“All of the folks who are saying ‘we don’t like Barack Obama,’ they can’t tell you any reason they don’t, because — let me say this first of all, President Barack Obama did not create the situation that has us in this economic mess that we’re in. Everybody knows that this stuff happened under President George Bush, and they’re trying to dump on the president. But those people — intelligent people understand that President Barack Obama did not create this mess, and the mess that was created could not be solved in two or three or four years. Intelligent people understand that.
“But Mitt Romney will go out and try to play to the fringe by saying it’s all Barack Obama’s fault. But intelligent people know better. I listen to MSNBC. I listen to all the media outlets. And you know exactly where the slants and biases are coming from. But right thinking people know that this mess was not created by Barack Obama, and he’s done the very best job that anybody sitting in the White House could’ve done to try to pull us up out of the muck and mire that George W. Bush got us into.”

I can give many reasons that I don't like President Obama and not one of them has to do with his skin color.  I have three years worth of blogging about issues that I care deeply about that again have nothing to do with skin color.

You make these statements without any regard to the people in this country that have real differences of opinion about how policy should be dealt with.  It makes no difference to you the people who I have in my life.  The people who I consider my loved ones, my close friends, the people who I genuinely care about.  You can't be bothered to find those things out before you spew your racial comments.  Comments that are not meant to be the least bit helpful, but to further divide our country.

You see Ms. Lucas, I am willing to concede that there are people who don't like President Obama simply based on skin color.  Why is that you are so unwilling to concede that the vast majority of people who are not happy with the job performance of President Obama have differences in opinion regarding policy?  Could it be that you have nothing left to say and you can't defend the policies?  Because it seems to me that is the most logical explanation.

In your diatribe you even admitted that you couldn't get your own children to see the racism that you seem to think permeates everything and everyone in this country.

Frankly Ms. Lucas I am sick to death of people like you playing the race card.  It has long since reached its limit.  What you have done is make it next to impossible for the people who are truly victims of racism to get a fair hearing.  Your calling everything under the sun racism has done nothing but diminish the word to the point that it has virtually no meaning any longer.

You would like to know what it is that I don't like about President Obama?  Ok, here you go:

1. Obamacare will not reduce healthcare costs in this country.  I will be paying more for insurance than in the past.  I was told I wouldn't lose my health insurance if I was happy with it.  That was a lie, I did lose my insurance.  I am now paying close to 80% more than I was the day Obamacare was signed into law.
2. The Stimulus package did little to actually stimulate the economy.  It was a payoff to democratic constituencies.  The next generation shouldn't be saddled with that debt to make your union buddies happy.
3. Yeah, I have a problem with guns being brought across the border and having two border agents lose their lives.  Why don't you?
4. Eric Holder is a disgrace.  He used his position to further political causes without regard to the law or our constitution.  His refusal to help Arizona with a law that the Supreme Court says is perfectly consitutional is proof of that.
5. President Obama using executive privilege to save Eric Holder's ass is disgraceful and illegal.
6. President Obama has skirted around the legislature in order to pass his so-called Dream Act.  It matters none to him that is an issue that has to be passed into law through congress.

Those are things that simply jumped to the front of my mind.  I could come up with hundreds of others.  My opposition to President Obama has nothing to do with his skin.  It has to do with his policies.  My objection to you is that you are a small-minded idiot that thinks that dividing people will score you cheap political points.

The economy is awful.  The spending is out of control.  We have more people on disability then those living in the City of New York, and record numbers on food stamps.  Unemployment has not been below 8% since the President took office.  We were told if that we spent almost a billion of mostly borrowed dollars we would never reach that point.

We continue to rise the debt limit so that President Obama and his buddies like you continue to spend money we don't have.

You want to come at people who oppose the President with facts, than have at it.  I am willing to debate you on that.  But until that time, please go crawl under a rock.  We don't need to hear from the likes of you of how racist this country is.

What you are saying is that President Obama is perfect and deserves no criticism.  That is simply ridiculous. Had President Obama been a white man you would be the first in line to bring torches and pitchforks to The White House demanding an answer of what is going to be done for the 14% unemployment rate for blacks.  But you are the one who is showing your racist stripes by refusing to address this issue.  You are the one that can't criticize a black man.  That is what is racist.  You give him a pass and treat him differently because he is black.  I simply treat him as bad president whose policies are failing.  You should try it sometime.  It is quite liberating.

Tweet of the Day

To everyone upset about Joe Paterno's statue being taken down: Just look the other way and pretend it's not happening.

The Slippery Slope of Liberalism Part 5

I have been kind of taking the easy way with my blogging of late, posting quotes and videos.  So I have been saving up my commentary.  So here it is.

I came across this article  the other day.  The federal government is actually paying people to drug their children.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Apparently there is a program that many are more than likely unfamiliar with that gives low-income families money to help care for disabled children.  Wonderful right?  Not so much when you consider how far to the extreme this program has been taken.

It started out with what was probably very good intentions, as many government programs do.  Low income families that are caring for children with disabilities such as Cerebal Palsy and Down's Syndrome don't always have extra money that these children sometimes need.  Especially in the case of CP, where you will be taking your ill child to the doctors at a more regular clip than with a child without this illness.  CP is fatal and requires a great deal more medical care.  Children with Down's in some cases will also sometimes need additional care.  Child care sometimes can be more difficult to find and more expensive, not all public schools have the ability to care for these children and private schools are the only option.  Most people with Down's are perfectly capable of being mainstreamed, but some are not.  There is a Social Security Insurance program that will offer families some financial aid to help offset some of these costs.  I personally have no problem with that.  These children need care and not all of these kids are born into families that can afford that care.  These are the types of government programs that I can get behind.  That is until they start being abused.

Which is exactly what has happened with this program.  We now are seeing families going out of their way to find "disabilities" to attach to their child.  Not only are they doing that, they are also upping the chances of receiving the money by getting their children on medications.  There are rises in families that are applying for children with ADHD especially.

Now, I don't fall into the category of people who say that children should never be medicated for ADHD.  Some do need it.  I have no doubts about that and will make that argument to anyone who disagrees.  What I do have a problem with is the haphazard way we have gone about getting the proper diagnosis and the knee-jerk reaction we have to put the child on a ritalin like med.  There was a study that concluded that as many as 1 million children are misdiagnosed with ADHD and given stimulants:

"Many ADHD diagnoses may be driven by teachers' perceptions of poor behavior among the youngest children in a kindergarten classroom, but these 'symptoms' may merely reflect emotional or intellectual immaturity among the youngest students."

Apparently the cut off dates of when children are allowed to enter kindergarten have something to do with the diagnosis the study has found.  The younger the child is compared to other children in the class the more likely they are to be labeled as ADHD.  The family then can turn around and call their child disabled and get the money that is being offered in this program.

Eventually she did, putting in applications for her two older sons. Neither was on medications; both were rejected. Then last year, school officials persuaded her to let her 10-year-old try a drug for his impulsiveness. Within weeks, his SSI application was approved.

“To get the check,’’ Fielding, 34, has concluded with regret, “you’ve got to medicate the child.’

Oh, but this gets worse.  The payments become so attractive to some families that keeping your child labeled as disabled becomes the priority.

And once a family gets on SSI, it can be very hard to let go. The attraction of up to $700 a month in payments, and the near-automatic Medicaid coverage that comes with SSI approval, leads some families to count on a child’s remaining classified as disabled, even as his or her condition may be improving. It also leads many teenage beneficiaries to avoid steps — like taking a job — that might jeopardize the disability check.

 One nurse practitioner in a large urban clinic who asked to be unnamed because she is not authorized to speak about her patients said she recently faced the wrath of a parent whose 4-year-old child’s SSI benefits, granted at birth due to prematurity, were cut off because the child was much better now. The nurse said she had candidly filled out the SSI form about the child, saying the boy had caught up with his peers and had only “minimal deficits.’’ The mother was livid, shouting at her, “Don’t you think this child’s disabled?’’

 “They get angry with us,’’ the nurse practitioner said.

One diagnosis she believes is seriously overused is “the whole vague developmental delay’’ category for young children, often preschoolers who are behaving badly at home or in day care for undetermined reasons. She said clinicians often attribute such behavior to developmental delay, especially if they are sympathetic to that family’s needs for SSI payments.

It is very difficult when you have financial problems.  They can become overwhelming and sometimes people come to believe that there is no way out of them.  I get that.  I have sympathy for people who find themselves in these situations.  But to put your young child on drugs is not the answer.

A new trend in the psychology field is give children as young as 3 a lifelong diagnosis of bi-polar disorder.  Of course once this diagnosis is in place, they have a life filled with medications; very strong medications.  The increase in the numbers of children who are diagnosed with this is simply stunning:

I have been a child psychiatrist for nearly five decades and have seen diagnostic fads come and go. But I have never witnessed anything like the tidal wave of unwarranted enthusiasm for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children that now engulfs the public and the profession. Before 1995, bipolar disorder, once known as manic-depressive illness, was rarely diagnosed in children; today nearly one-third of all children and adolescents discharged from child psychiatric hospitals are diagnosed with the disorder and medicated accordingly. The rise of outpatient office visits for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder increased 40-fold from 20,000 in 1994–95 to 800,000 in 2002–03. A Harvard child-psychiatry group led by Dr. Joseph Biederman, a prominent supporter of the diagnosis, recently insisted, “Juvenile bipolar disorder is a serious illness that is estimated to affect approximately 1 percent to 4 percent of children.”

The more serious the illness, the higher the likelihood of your application being accepted becomes.

As I said, there are children out there who do need to medicated for a period of time.  But this very well-intentioned program has turned poor parents into drug dealers for their children in order to get money.  Instead of helping these parents find their way out of poverty, we have labeled their children as disabled and mentally ill.  Sadly, some of those labels will stick with these children for life.  Big government at its finest.

Obama Humor

I have to admit this is one of my favorites that has come out since Obama said that business owners didn't build their businesses on their own.  

But I have to say these gave me the biggest laughs:

The Context of Rush's Statement that the Media Won't Report

"It has been observed that movies can reflect the national mood," said Democratic advisor and former Clinton aide Christopher Lehane. "Whether it is spelled Bain and being put out by the Obama campaign or Bane and being out by Hollywood, the narratives are similar: a highly intelligent villain with offshore interests and a past both are seeking to cover up who had a powerful father and is set on pillaging society," he added.

This comment was reported a full day before Rush made his comments on Bane, the bad guy in the upcoming Batman movie.  Of course the people on the left that are reporting this are leaving out this detail as well as taking Rush's comment out of context.  He outright says that there are people out there who are not very well-informed will make the connection when the hear name Bain Capitol.  And let's be honest here, there are many stupid people out there; sad but true.

Obviously I have not seen the new movie as it has not been released yet.  But I did see Dark Knight, and that was a story of good versus evil.  It attempted to make people to think about what you would do if you pushed to your limits and beyond by forces that are evil.  Would you go for revenge or would you do the Christian thing and forgive?  Not that it put it in a Christian context as such in the movie, but the premise remains the same.  This movie has been talked about as an extension of those themes.

Rush was responding to these comments as well as to liberal bloggers who made the connection.  The movie was written well before Romney was the nominee and Bane was a past character being brought back.  So there was never any connection intended.  But that didn't stop the left from saying so.  But all of a sudden Rush is a paranoid idiot when he discussed the left making the comparison.

Media bias much?  Hypocrisy is thy name.

Romney's Full Speech on the Choices We Face in November - Video

This speech is exactly what he needs to do.  Paint with broad strokes the differences in the choices.  Are we going to chose a society that is becoming more and more dependent on the government, or one that allows people to be free to make their own choices?

Extreme Parenting

Obviously this young lady lied to her father and was caught.  Dad decided to teach her a lesson and this was the result.  Now, we don't know what she lied about, nor do we know what other types of issues he is experiencing with his daughter.

This photo will outrage many.  Others will stand up and applaud that he is taking the bull by the horn and teaching her a lesson she will soon not forget.  I think it is safe to say she will at least think about it the next time she has the inclination to lie to her dad.

Would I do this?  Maybe, maybe not.  It would depend on the circumstances.  He at least still has enough control over the situation that she did this.  If she were one of those very sad cases where the child is totally out of control he never would have been able to get her to do this.  Maybe he sees signs that is the direction she is headed in and wanted to nip it in the bud.  Again, we don't know.

It is possible that she lied about going to party where there were boys and/or drugs.

In any event I hope everything works out for this family, and I do kinda give the guy some kudos.  He is there, he is trying to instill a sense of right and wrong as well as a sense of personal responsibility.  Sadly many children are being raised by single parents and don't always have the involvement of both parents.  So good for you dad in trying to be a positive influence to your growing daughter.

Would you do this?

Quote of the Day - Elton John Edition

 ''It's going to be heartbreaking for him to grow up and realize he hasn't got a mummy,"

Maybe he should have thought of that before hiring a surrogate.   

Quote of the Day - Jacqueline Jackson Edition

“We don’t believe a darn thing until we see it, you’re going to have to show us. We’re from Missouri. But young people also need to listen. They need to make themselves available to understand many of the illusions and the trinkets that are being dangled in front of their faces.”

Jacqueline Jackson, mother of Jesse Jackson Jr. talking about her son and his issues with a "mood disorder" due to his disappointments in life.  He was going to be a senator or Mayor of Chicago, and those didn't pan out.


Gee, it doesn't seem that she didn't teach that lesson to her son very well by the sound of this:

An IPad is not a human right.  To stand up on the floor of the house and spew this type of nonsense is exactly what gives people the "illusions" she is talking about.  You want an IPad, go out and work for it. 


As a side note, depression is a very serious illness that if left untreated can be fatal.  I wish him the best in his recovery.  

Quote of the Day - Cleveland.com Commenter on the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

With all the right wing conspiracy theories floating around the internet and airwaves, no wonder some people are tricked into believing there is some sort of secret fund that will solve all their financial problems.

A comment on the story about the hoax that some saps are falling for that they too can get some Obamacash to pay their bills.


Hmm, right wing conspiracy.

Some headlines:


Number of people claiming federal disability insurance payments is now HIGHER than New York City's entire population of 8.25 million

USDA uses Spanish soap operas to push food stamps among non-citizens, citizens [AUDIO]

’WELFARE QUEENS‘ WHO JUST WANT THEIR ’OBAMA BUCKS’

Graves Says Obama Is Gutting Welfare Reform

Yes, it sounds like a right wing conspiracy to me too.  After all, we are not creating a environment that people are living off the government more and more everyday.

Quote of the Day - Charles Krauthammer Edition Part 4

‎"A felon he's not. I mean, he's a guy who not only doesn't have a skeleton in his closet. He doesn't have a closet."

Charles Krauthammer on the not so subtle attempt of the Obama campaign to paint Gov. Romney as a felon 

Very Powerful Letter to the Editor from Ken Huber Tawas City, Michigan

Very sad and very true.

So Much for the "Rich Not Paying Their Fair Share"

Effective Tax Rates (taxes paid on tax return)

Bottom 20 percent (0-$17,000):         -5.8 percent

Second 20 Percent ($17,000-$33,500):  1.3 percent

Middle 20 percent ($33,500-59,500):  9.2 percent

Fourth 20 Percent ($59,000-$103,500): 12.9 percent

Top 20 Percent ($103,500+):  20.6 percent

Effective Tax Rates (also including payroll tax paid by employer)

Bottom 20 percent (0-$17,000):         1 percent

Second 20 Percent ($17,000-$33,500): 7.8 percent

Middle 20 percent ($33,500-59,500): 15.5 percent

Fourth 20 Percent ($59,000-$103,500): 18.7 percent

Top 20 Percent ($103,500+):  24.3 percent

It is time that people in this country learn the differences between payroll taxes and income taxes.  We cannot have a conversation on what is "fair" until we have a basic understanding of the differences.  People keep thinking that Social Security and Medicare Taxes are income taxes.  They are not.  They are different line items.  While it doesn't make it any easier to pay them, they are a different animal.

So according to these numbers (From the Tax Policy Center) it is not until you reach the income bracket of $59K do you pay any money into the treasury.  You are only paying for social security and medicare.  Which in theory you get back, if you live long enough.

So much for the rich not paying enough.  They are the ones paying the bills.  So, if the democrats want things to be fair and they make less than $59K per year, get out your checkbooks.  You are dead weight on the rest of us.

Simply the Best - Roger Federer Dashes the UK's Hope of a Champion

Roger Federer claims his 7th Wimbledon title and reclaims the #1 ranking.  Not too shabby for someone who is in his thirties.  He also has tied Pete Sampras for most weeks at #1, and next week he will take that record all for himself.

Congrats to Roger.  I hope that this is a good omen for him to take home the gold medal in singles. The only prize he has not won.

Photo from Getty Images

A Refreshing Change of Pace from HuffPo

Imagine my surprise when I read this on HuffPo.  Conservatives have been saying this for years and we get called names and made fun of.

 Sex is an expression of love. If it's used for anything else -- to try to get approval or love or to try to feel alive -- it won't feel good for either of you in the long run. You may experience a physical sensation of pleasure or an emotional high of feeling wanted or desired, but in the aftermath of sex you're likely to feel empty, lonely, and possibly used.

It is time we start telling tweens and young women (young men as well) the truth.  We have mountains and mountains of cultural lies that we keep passing down to the next generation.  One being that a baby is just a bunch of cells.  If you think about it, we are all just a bunch of cells, granted more developed than a baby (in most cases, anyway) but nonetheless, there is no way around this, we all started that way.

We also tell girls that they can be sexually active and there is no price to pay for that.  Unplanned pregnancy is no longer a big deal, get an abortion.  You can always take the morning after pill, you can go to the doctor and get a shot and that will be the magic thing that keeps you from getting pregnant.  We don't tell this young women what a soul killer abortion can be.  The guilt and the regret that many women live with for the rest of their lives.

Do parents today still have those talks with their daughters about how boys are sometimes only looking for one thing?  I know my mother had that talk with me.  My mother also told me some other things that I would never repeat to another young girl.  But she came from a different generation and I am the youngest child.  But, I will tell you it did work with me.  I have always been very conservative when it comes to certain things.  There was no way on God's green earth I was going to go home and tell my parents I was pregnant.  I behaved accordingly.

But we do need to get back to sending this message.  While sex may feel good on any given night with any given person, long term it isn't good for you.  A truly enjoyable sex life is about connecting with someone, loving someone, wanting to share yourself and your life with that person.  It isn't about scratching an itch.

Most people also don't know the truth about what creates great sex. The popular message says that great sex is a function of technique and frequency, but this is a cultural lie. The truth is that great sex is a function of connection, first with yourself and then with your partner. In other words, when you feel alive inside your own skin and connected to your partner's essence, then you can meet each other sexually in a way that will feel fulfilling for both of you

The article is really about getting engaged, but it has some great lessons.  Read the entire thing here.

Quote of the Day - David Plouffe Edition

‘It's What Everybody Expected.’

David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to President Obama, on the jobs report yesterday that showed only 80,000 jobs added for the month of June.

Really?  I thought the private sector was doing just fine.  

Quote of the Day - President Bush Edition

“You're always the former president but I wanted to come here as a laborer...I do want to say that on this particular trip that myself and friends have left behind a clinic and hope to inspire others to come and refurbish clinics as well,”

President Bush on his institute's work in Africa.  This week he and his wife are in Zambia building a clinic to help diagnosis and treat cervical cancer.  He didn't send a check, he went out and help build the clinic.  

As usual his service is done with little news coverage. As a side note, I guess this further proof that Laura Bush has never done anything for women, huh?  

An Open Letter to Chris Rock

Yesterday Chris Rock tweeted this:

Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks

Dear Mr. Rock:

I am not going to call your tweet racist.  Besides the fireworks, your comment was historically accurate.  We did have slaves the day the declaration was signed.  The founders did not put an end to slavery.  The reason that they didn't was the fact that they knew it would not be ratified if they had.  The decision was made to have an imperfect United States, instead of no country at all.   The hope had been that slavery would die on its own, as it had in many other countries by that time.  Sadly, we did have to fight a civil war to end slavery.

I am not one to say that this country is perfect.  We have many warts and many things we should be ashamed of.  Even today things happen that are a true shame and black eye on our nation.  One that comes to mind immediately is the fact that we have so many veterans that are homeless.  These are men and woman who were willing to die to protect this nation and the very least we should do is pay them enough that this never happens to them.  We are working on ways to solve these problems.

I looked up your net worth, it is said to be $70 million.  That is more money than most Americans will make in a lifetime.  You don't seem to have done all that badly in this country, even though we once had slavery.

But the thing that I really don't understand Mr. Rock, is why are not making these same statements about other countries that had slavery?  Virtually every country in the history of the world had slavery in some form or another.  In some instances the practice continues to today, it is just called by another name; indentured servitude.  That is a very common practice in the Middle East, it is even known to happen in America as well when foreign workers are brought here to work for certain visas.  This isn't all that uncommon in people who work for diplomats that are in our country.

Why are you not railing about these practices?  This is something that you can actually do something about.  The history of slavery in this country cannot be changed.  Our history is our history.  But, it really isn't anymore of a black eye on our country than it was on any other country that did the exact same practice?  After all the Egyptians held the Jews slaves for many years.  The Greeks and the Romans had slaves as well.  Do you make the same statements about these countries?  Or is it just the United States that you make these statements about?  If so, I would like to know why.

Why are these other countries exempt but we are not?  As I said, you have done quite well for yourself in this country.  I wonder if you were a Jew who was living in Egypt you would do as well?  Somehow I don't think so.  The act of holding Jews as slaves has long since ended there, but the bitterness has not.  They are currently going through a great deal of upheaval there and being a Christian could get you killed.

You see Mr. Rock, you can do pretty much anything you want in this country.  You can become a stand up comedian, make movies, and be on television.  Attracting white audiences all the while you are making a very good living for yourself.  I don't think that is possible for the Jews in many other countries in the Arab world let alone Egypt.

I don't deny racism exists in this country.  It most certainly does.  But it is time that we admit that racism will never fully be eradicated.  As it is a human condition.  It happens across all political, financial, and racial strata.   Your tweet proves that.  You did this on purpose on a day that we should be celebrating the wonder that is America.  The great experiment that became our country.  As I said, we have problems.  Maybe, just maybe, you should stop trying to stir the pot.  I know that you do a great deal of charity work with your wife.  I applaud you for putting yourself out there to raise awareness to different issues that we face in our nation.  But by bringing up slavery on Independence Day was far from your finest moment and does nothing to help anyone.  Except maybe to revive your stalled career.

A Boston Liberal Celebrates the Fourth of July

Happy birthday, you aging, corrupt, anti-intellectual, police-state, global weapons supplier, you!

My friend Phil went to BU and has quite a few Boston liberals as friends.  One decided to put this as his facebook status today.

You know I will put in for the one-way trip to wherever he feels that is a better to place to live.

Unpatriotic Debt - New RNC Ad - Video

A Tale of Tragedy and Two Campaigns

As I am sure you have heard several states are in a state of emergency due to a sudden thunder-storm that was accompanied by high winds.  Millions were left without power during days of record heat.  I am among the powerless.

The people of Virginia have been struggling to find cool places to stay.  Hotel rooms are sold out and the few malls that are opened are jam-packed with people looking for some relief from the heat and some hot food.  In my area there is one gas station open.  One major mall had to close early Saturday evening due to no water.  The only thing open for miles was a McDonald's.

In response to this emergency the presidential campaigns handled it in this fashion:

First from the Romney Campaign through email:

Friend,
The severe storms that ripped through Virginia Friday claimed at least six lives across the commonwealth and left thousands without power.  It could be several days before power is restored to those affected.
If you'd like to make a donation to the relief effort, please bring supplies to the Romney for President Headquarters located at 3811 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750 in Arlington tomorrow between 10am and 7pm.
We will distribute donations to various relief centers in the area.
Here's what we need:

• Bottled Water
• Non-perishable food items, such as beef jerky, granola bars, peanut butter, etc.

Bring your supply donations to our headquarters tomorrow and we'll ensure it gets to your fellow Virginians who are in need on Tuesday.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Sincerely,
Sara Craig
Virginia State Manager
P.S. We know that everyone wanting to help cannot make it to Arlington.  If you would like to donate to the Red Cross, please call 1-800-Red-Cross, or visit this link to make a donation online:
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=46f51a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

From the Obama Campaign Via Twitter:

Keep cool while you’re canvassing this summer, Our Vote Obama Tank Top is a stylish and fun way to show your support

While some may say that the Romney campaign may just be pandering to people who are dealing with an emergency, there is plenty of stories of how Romney has handled emergencies in the past.  One such story being the story of a co-worker's daughter who was kidnapped while out partying in New York.  He shut down Bain, flew the employees up to New York City, set up a nerve center, and canvassed the city with flyers until the girl was found and returned home to her anxious parents.

This is who Romney is.

Obama wants you to buy a T-shirt.

I don't know about you, but this says a great deal about the character of these two men to me.  You can decide for yourselves.

As an aside, I want to say a huge thank you to Iain's wife who took mercy on my sorry unairconditioned and no water self.  I am currently sitting in her sitting room and enjoying some cool air.  So thanks to her for putting up with me.