Aug 30, 2012

The Big Speech

I doubt you all watched Paul Ryan get on stage and talk about his 6 pack abs last night?

Oh, well, my local news guy couldn't stop talking about that. He's just so dreamy. Right?

A lot of words against the current administration, a showcase of a beautiful family, a small town boy done good, and a mother who was a business owner - you know, and a detailed discussion of his workout regimen. And his iPod playlist ("starts with AC/DC and ends with Zeppelin.")

There were a couple other little, er, misrepresentations we'll call them, in the rousing speech to get grandmas with goofy glasses and stupid little pins in their hats to be mildly excited about their ticket... and speaking of, if these are the dyed in wool delegates - the actual soul of the Republican party, shouldn't they be clamoring and banging on stuff every time there's an applause line? These people looked half dead or mildly annoyed to have to sit though all those speeches. They should hire actors, multi-ethnic actors, to fill in the seats. At least that way the Republicans can say with conviction that they've created jobs! Oh, sorry, off track a tad. Back to the fact checking...

US Credit Rating - Well, it was only one agency, S&P, that knocked the US down a peg.  And a lot of that had to do with Paul Ryan. He was part of the leadership that was going to refuse extending the debt ceiling. And when the dust settled - it happened anyway. And that triggered the issue no one is talking about: sequestration. No one thinks it's going to happen, since after the election, that's when it'll get solved. And that used car on Craigslist? A little old lady drove it to church on Sundays. Honest.

The GM Plant that all Ryan's graduating class went to work for? Well, how can you complain that some plants got bailouts and yours didn't? Second, it was closed before Inauguration day 2009. So, we'll chalk that one up to Nancy Pelosi's Congress then?

The bi-partisan Bowles-Simpson Debt Commission - Yeah, Mr. Obama didn't do anything they said to do, but Paul Ryan also voted against their findings. And, so did the pannel's House Republicans - following Paul's lead.

Helping the poor and Medicare are still being debated - but, let's be honest, does either party really know what the hell they're doing with those two issues. Except sticking their hands, and their cousin's hands into the well of money that's supposed to help these people?

I'm beginning to believe that when a Republican talks of "recovery" and "jobs" they're talking directly and honestly -- but about their fraternity brothers and unemployable cousins. They want THEIR jobs back. And that would be a RECOVERY.

Aug 24, 2012

A Lot of Balls, or, The Dirty Cheater Comes Clean

USADA to ban Armstrong for life, strip all 7 Tour de France titles

After a decade of "outrunning" accusations that he had doped during his celebrated cycling career, Lance Armstrong, one of the most well-known and accomplished athletes in history, finally "threw in the towel", tarnishing his legacy by ending his fight against charges that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

Armstrong, who "won" the Tour de France an unprecedented seven straight times, said on Thursday night that he would not continue to contest the charges levied against him by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which contended that he doped and was one of the ringleaders of systematic doping on his Tour-winning teams.

Armstrong’s decision, according to the World Anti-Doping Code, means he will be stripped of his seven Tour titles, the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Olympics and all other titles, awards and money he won from August 1998 forward. It also means he will be barred for life from competing, coaching or having any official role with any Olympic sport or other sport that follows the World Anti-Doping Code.

Folks, it would have only been worse if he were betting on his performance.

How's that Australian Gun Ban Working Out?



It has now been over 10 years since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own Government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The statistics for the years following the ban are now in:

Accidental gun deaths are 300% higher than the pre-1997 ban rate The assault rate has increased 800% since 1991, and increased 200% since the 1997 gun ban.

Robbery and armed robbery have increase 20% from the pre-97 ban rate. From immediately after the ban was instituted in 1997 through 2002, the robbery and armed robbery rate was up 200% over the pre-ban rates.

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 171 percent.

Amazingly - when law-abiding citizens turned in their gun collections, guess who didn't? The bad guys. Now, fearing nothing, the bad guys are doing pretty much anything they want. They know their victims are unarmed. Actually, are the citizens nothing more than subjects at this point? Or the subjugated?
"The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental."~ John Steinbeck

Aug 23, 2012

Scientific Creation




When Good Intentions Meet Reality