Note: I'm using the title "terrorist" more often now, thanks to Joe Biden who referred to fiscal conservatives championing the cause of smaller government as such. Earlier we were just "Brown Shirts" (by Brian Baird). Baird was replaced by a Republican in 2010. Let's hope we can say the same for Joe Biden in 2012.
A very small spur to the economy has been the reduction in employee social security contributions. This in turn puts incremental money in the pockets of consumers. Though consumer spending was mildly stimulated, this spur is moot if there are no new jobs created. We have learned it's been moot largely because the points of job creation (ie employers) were not directly stimulated.
What should have happened is a benefit to hiring. A big one. By immediately lowering the burden to job creation, you immediately get more jobs. Just like when I am hungry, I immediately find something to eat, I don't randomly throw seeds around in my garden and hope something happens.
Why not put a 12 month holiday on the employer portion of FICA for net new jobs created? A whopping 5% (actually more like 12-15%) are not contributing to the FICA rip off now. So it could not be worse. Of course, if my idea is wrong, it costs America nothing for having tried. This should of course be tied to extending the age of retirement by x, else the Ponzi scheme we know as social security and medicare will collapse even faster.
This plan won't happen anytime soon, if ever, because the man-child and blame layer in chief needs his vacation time after doing a rolling campaign tour for his re election on the tax payers dime.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Fight the Good Fight
Win or lose, sometimes it's just enough to fight the good fight. Win or lose, it's enough to be the man in the arena. It's enough to not shrink from an unfair, rigged fight and go down swinging if David doesn't bring down the giant this time. Even when the days are dark and it seems corruption is everywhere in this fallen world, keep fighting the good fight. For those of you that were around for the days of hair bands, 100+ decibel arena rock and big stage shows, here's one for ya. This one from arguably the most underrated guitar players in the history if the instrument; Rik Emmett (check out his later solo work). This '80's classic from the "other" power trio from north of the border. Turn up the speakers, expand the picture to fill the screen, kick back and enjoy. If you're not singing or air guitarin' by the end of this video, you've lost heart or are in desperate need of one. Triumph - Fight the good fight. You know what you've got to do.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Seattle-ite nails it
Conservatives in Seattle (and Olympia) are a brave lot. Putting a conservative bumper sticker on your car in the city of "co exist" is an invite to have your car keyed, tires slashed or an angry confrontation with someone who is not comfortable enough with their own politics to allow you to have yours.
That's why I got a good laugh from this one from Seattle sent to Legal Insurrection.
Given that a liberal is really a conservative who has not grown up yet, I'm very happy that Obama has helped a lot of Americans grow up, even though 23% of them view fiscal conservatives (aka the Tea party) as terrorists.
That's why I got a good laugh from this one from Seattle sent to Legal Insurrection.
Given that a liberal is really a conservative who has not grown up yet, I'm very happy that Obama has helped a lot of Americans grow up, even though 23% of them view fiscal conservatives (aka the Tea party) as terrorists.
Monday, August 08, 2011
The Japan effect, or happy Monday
Japan has been flat since the mid 90's. Take our current downturn and extend it by 10-15 years; that's what Japan has.
Couple that recession with low birth rates. Low birth rates mean fewer workers paying into social programs that support retirees. In the US those programs are social security and medicare, which are already bankrupt at today's socio economic demographics. Once upon a time those funds were raided to support the growing government beast and now they are literally empty hence the danger of the credit default last week. Fast forward 10 years and this equation cannot balance. While they can try and raise tax rates to support this welfare state, that stops working when you run out of rich people putting their chips on the table. The cause of a recession is by nature a lack of rich of people putting their chips on the table.
I'm not in the Armageddon prediction business, but an insurance policy against this scenario is merited.
If the middle east hits us with an actual energy crisis, this current mess goes into meltdown mode pretty fast. Obama's energy policy of caulk and tire pressure gauges really hasn't put us in a good position to whether any global energy crisis.
On the optimistic note, I still look at the current wall street sell off as a buying opportunity. Now is exactly the environment to buy with covered calls. I believe in America, I believe we will throw the current politicians out of office and get government out of the way of our economic engine.
Couple that recession with low birth rates. Low birth rates mean fewer workers paying into social programs that support retirees. In the US those programs are social security and medicare, which are already bankrupt at today's socio economic demographics. Once upon a time those funds were raided to support the growing government beast and now they are literally empty hence the danger of the credit default last week. Fast forward 10 years and this equation cannot balance. While they can try and raise tax rates to support this welfare state, that stops working when you run out of rich people putting their chips on the table. The cause of a recession is by nature a lack of rich of people putting their chips on the table.
I'm not in the Armageddon prediction business, but an insurance policy against this scenario is merited.
If the middle east hits us with an actual energy crisis, this current mess goes into meltdown mode pretty fast. Obama's energy policy of caulk and tire pressure gauges really hasn't put us in a good position to whether any global energy crisis.
On the optimistic note, I still look at the current wall street sell off as a buying opportunity. Now is exactly the environment to buy with covered calls. I believe in America, I believe we will throw the current politicians out of office and get government out of the way of our economic engine.
Thursday, August 04, 2011
If you had zero confidence in Obama's abilities
I heard Obama was asked to leave the room during the debt limit discussion, however this has still been the biggest job killing president in my life time and that includes Jimmy Carter.
However if you thought a catastrophic blizzard was going to hit and you stocked up on generators and gas, you'd be sitting pretty when the disaster hit. So with the stock market erasing nearly all gains for 2011, I'm feeling rather smug.
To the contrary, half of all jobs created since Obama took office were in Texas. This bodes well for Perry. I don't like his lax policies on illegal immigration, but evidence suggests he's one heck of a general manager. I'm optimistic on the long term prospects.
However if you thought a catastrophic blizzard was going to hit and you stocked up on generators and gas, you'd be sitting pretty when the disaster hit. So with the stock market erasing nearly all gains for 2011, I'm feeling rather smug.
To the contrary, half of all jobs created since Obama took office were in Texas. This bodes well for Perry. I don't like his lax policies on illegal immigration, but evidence suggests he's one heck of a general manager. I'm optimistic on the long term prospects.
Thank you Ann...
A few weeks back I lambasted Ann Coulter's article which proposed police charge men for time used for DV calls/investigations. This week Ann lays out a pretty good argument of why that is a bad idea: False allegations.
The topic is rape, but this sort of BS is exactly what surfaces during custody battles. An accusation runs up tens of thousands in attorney bills and clouds credibility even when proven false. As Rush Limbaugh points out, it's not the truth of the accusation that matters, it's the seriousness of the charge.
As with custody battles, the example Ann uses in her article (as with the Duke Lacrosse accuser) there is absolutely no penalty for flinging these accusations.
While I am glad that both of these venues are a spectator sport for me, I am by nature a male and potentially subject to the discrimination. Not to mention that having watched the legislative process surrounding VAWA, DV, and custody battles, the champions in government on the other side of these issues are genuinely the worst of the worst in terms of parasites within government (ie they are all about BIGGER government). Facts, statistics, and the constitution do not matter to these people so I am all about fighting them in a legislative arena and in the public eye.
What Ann did not point out was the converse which includes the following case: Rep David Wu, accused of an unwanted sexual encounter with an underage girl he had intercourse with. Is it just me, or is the media really bending over backwards to not use the word rape in that description? By definition, sex with an underage person is rape. If the statutory rape was consensual and the unwanted encounter was later (but not intercourse), you'd think the public would want to know the lurid details of what a drunken democrat in a tiger costume does that constitutes an unwanted sexual encounter. Note, since Wu resigned, the proof was likely substantial, so where the hell is justice?
The topic is rape, but this sort of BS is exactly what surfaces during custody battles. An accusation runs up tens of thousands in attorney bills and clouds credibility even when proven false. As Rush Limbaugh points out, it's not the truth of the accusation that matters, it's the seriousness of the charge.
As with custody battles, the example Ann uses in her article (as with the Duke Lacrosse accuser) there is absolutely no penalty for flinging these accusations.
While I am glad that both of these venues are a spectator sport for me, I am by nature a male and potentially subject to the discrimination. Not to mention that having watched the legislative process surrounding VAWA, DV, and custody battles, the champions in government on the other side of these issues are genuinely the worst of the worst in terms of parasites within government (ie they are all about BIGGER government). Facts, statistics, and the constitution do not matter to these people so I am all about fighting them in a legislative arena and in the public eye.
What Ann did not point out was the converse which includes the following case: Rep David Wu, accused of an unwanted sexual encounter with an underage girl he had intercourse with. Is it just me, or is the media really bending over backwards to not use the word rape in that description? By definition, sex with an underage person is rape. If the statutory rape was consensual and the unwanted encounter was later (but not intercourse), you'd think the public would want to know the lurid details of what a drunken democrat in a tiger costume does that constitutes an unwanted sexual encounter. Note, since Wu resigned, the proof was likely substantial, so where the hell is justice?
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Body found near trail in Lacey--- :-(
This one is a major bummer. Doesn't sound like the Chehalis Western Trail, but is in the same line up of violence against women we've been seeing. Recall about a year ago, out by Tenino, a woman was killed while on the trail by herself. Though a nice place to walk and unwind these trails are a haven for predators.
This begs the question about all the VAWA money congress pours into the states. The money seems to find its way into the divorce industry, (because every ex husband is wife beater in the eyes of family court and custody battles) but doesn't seem to do anything to address the creeps that will attack a total stranger.
How about we cut off the government spigot to the divorce industry in the name of VAWA and just tell women to start packing more pepper spray and handguns?
This begs the question about all the VAWA money congress pours into the states. The money seems to find its way into the divorce industry, (because every ex husband is wife beater in the eyes of family court and custody battles) but doesn't seem to do anything to address the creeps that will attack a total stranger.
How about we cut off the government spigot to the divorce industry in the name of VAWA and just tell women to start packing more pepper spray and handguns?
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