The Audacity of Hype

According to Webster’s:

racism:
1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

It amazes me that people can be such blatant idiots. While reading up on current event this evening on CNN.com, I stumbled across an article which was a transcript of an interview with Dave Matthews, the front man for the DMB. Like most in the contemporary music scene, he is a flaming liberal and had this to say:

“CNN: President Carter said he thinks that a lot of the animosity directed toward President Obama is race related.

Dave Matthews: Of course it is! I found there's a fairly blatant racism in America that's already there, and I don't think I noticed it when I lived here as a kid. But when I went back to South Africa, and then it's sort of thrust in your face, and then came back here -- I just see it everywhere. There's a good population of people in this country that are terrified of the president only because he's black, even if they don't say it. And I think a lot of them, behind closed doors, do say it.”

There is probably a greater population in the country who is terrified of the man in the Oval Office because he is a Marxist and a racist who blatantly stated in his campaign that he felt Anglo-Christian’s where simply “bitter” and that is why they cling to guns and religion. Never mind the fact that he condemned a decorated Cambridge, MA police sergeant for “acting stupidly,” when he arrested a black Harvard professor who intentionally and unforgivably berated him for simply doing his job. Lord knows that that men and women that serve and protect us should only follow protocol with those of their same race because otherwise they may well be classified as stupid and racist in a prime time news conference by the man in the Oval Office.

Further proof of Obama’s racist leanings can be found in a quote from his own book. In “Dreams from My Father” Obama wrote:  "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race." Obama’s mother, after all, was a white women. The point is not to illustrate that we have elected a man with a mask of post-racial ideals but a dark underbelly of hate to the office of President, rather it is to demonstrate that he is a bold faced liar. Hmm, sounds a lot like Jimmy Carter…

Socialist: One who practices socialism.

Socialism: 1: Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods,

2a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property, 

2b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state,

3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done.

His socialist tendencies have also been well documented. As part of his new healthcare initiative, he proposes a “public option” for healthcare with premiums that would be 10-20% lower than those of private insurers. In an economy that is already struggling, all private industry must make a profit and none can be expected to compete effectively with a government that neither needs to make a profit or be accountable for it’s spending. Eventually the private insurers will be forced to fold and then all that would be left is the public, government owned and administered, option. Sounds an awful lot like number 1.

Let us not forget the famous conversation with “Joe the Plumber” during the campaign when he expressed a desire to “spread the wealth around.” Number 3… Further, he was ranked by the National Journal as the most liberal member in the Senate. The People's Weekly World, official newspaper of the Communist Party of the USA, editorialized in favor of Obama, calling his a "transformative candidacy that would advance progressive politics for the long term."

“The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money."
                                    —Margaret Thatcher

I hope that in the long run this country isn’t left in the cold due to the unsustainable policies and spending proposals that this idiot propagates. To take a page out of His Highness’s book, the American people, sans about 58,000,000 of us, “acted stupidly” in electing this man.

Stay Safe,

An Ode to Nothing

I have really been slacking on the blog for a while now, in fact, ever since I vowed to return to blogosphere. I’m not really sure why that is, nor do I really have the ambition to find out.

Lack of ambition seems to be a common problem these days. Lack of motivation to do anything is a contagious disease I suppose. In fact, it very well may be the next pandemic.

With no desire to do much of anything, including continue this post, I leave you to ponder the complexities of listlessness, or rather, simply do nothing.

Stay Safe,

In Remembrance – September 11, 2001

Eight years ago the worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States took place in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

Religious extremists who sought to change the way of life for every American failed in their mission to paralyze the nation and cause a deep fissure in the ideological foundation of freedom. Rather, they seemed to spark a “quiet, unyielding anger.” This anger drove the nation to unite once again for freedom and justice. The resolve gained allowed us to recover as a nation stronger for the ideal.

Remember the 2,998 victims that died, pray continually for the families, and above all, don’t forget how that day made you feel, what it made you think, and how it changed your life.

With a heavy heart, a thoughtful mind, and a prayerful soul,

Stay Safe.

Past the Impasse

With the times as bleak as they look, it simply amazes me that the Democrat led (131 democrats / 56 republicans) Connecticut General Assembly passed House Bill 6802 which effectively ended the longest budget standoff in Connecticut History. Lasting months, this budget standoff even lasted longer than one 18 years ago that resulted in the passage of the State Income Tax.

With the passage of the this mockery of concession, the state has imposed a 10% Corporation Surcharge on all companies with greater than $100 million in gross revenue, thus enforcing a minimum $10 million dollar annual tax on the largest employers in the state. According to the 2008 CNBC “Top States for Business” rankings,  CT ranked 34th in the country for overall ease of doing business. By imposing yet another tax hurdle on companies who employ the resident, we are once again heading for a economic crash by driving out corporations.

In addition to the negative effect of the restrictive business tariffs that the budget imposes, the state further penalizes workers and businesses by raising almost all license and certification fees by:

1. increasing fees to at least $15;
2. doubling fees under $150;
3. increasing fees between $150 and $1,000 by 25%; and
4. adding $ 250 to fees of $1,000 or more.

These fee increases not only include occupational licenses issued by the Department of Public Health, but also permits and licenses issued by other state agencies including the DPS, DEP, Dept of Agriculture, State Consumer Protection. This in effect will double the cost of licensure for employers of skilled worker who bear the burden of maintaining said state required licenses.

Perhaps the most egregious and repulsive inclusion in the license increase is the doubling of the state fee to carry a firearm / hunt and fish. These are a requirement to exercise your Second Amendment rights in the state, and as it stands after the passage of this bill, they continue to hold the taxpaying, law abiding, hard working gun owners of the state hostage for $140 dollars, and then an additional $70 dollars every five years. All this, as a state fee, to exercise a federally granted right.

Also consider that the estate tax threshold has been increased to $3.5 million, up from $2 million. Effectively, this meaning that no tax liability applies until the $3.5 million dollar threshold is reached, and now, after that the tax paid is incremental. The budget further imposes a punitive income tax hike on high earning workers, and stalls the personal exemption for $13,000 dollars for the next three years, effectively compounding the effects of inflation on the wallets of all citizens. Meanwhile, the state sales tax is set to decrease by 0.5%, while the state plans to impose an additional $1 per pack punitive sales tax on cigarettes.

This budget simply is not a viable solution to the current economic problems facing the state. The democrats have yet again have shown their insatiable aptitude for increasing the tax burden of the citizenry without any meaningful spending cuts. Of the $2.8 billion dollars, $2.5 billion of it was smoke and mirrors of shifting potential expenses and costs. With bloated state government and everybody's overwhelming desire to have others pay for them, it won’t be long until we become the Peoples Democratic Republic of Connecticut. Emperor Obama will be so proud.

Stay Safe,

The Day the Splatter Died

Jackson Pollock was one the most influential painters of the early 20th century, and one of the most tragic as well. Pushed deeper and deeper into alcoholism by increasing media attention and demand for new works, he died in an alcohol related car crash less than a mile from his home. Some speculate that he actually committed suicide. Sadly, Mr. Pollock died at the age of 44 on August 11, 1956 after taking more than a year hiatus from painting.

Pollock was one the the original action painters, who defied convention by laying unstreched canvas on the floor and painting while walking around it. This allowed him more freedom and in fact, more artistic license since he was able to apply paint in any way he chose. While his paintings seem random to some viewers, he denied that any of them where by accident and that he had a specific vision for each one before he started painting.

Another interesting aspect of his work is that Pollock sometimes incorporated himself into his painting, as well as outside materials including sand, broken glass, and cigarette butts. As seen on the left, he usually let the painting paint itself with him as its instrument. He was never afraid to ruin a painting because he believed that as long as he was “connected” with the work itself, it would come out fine.

Because of his abstract style and seemingly random pieces, he alas drew praise from some critics and stark rebuke from others. I believe that he was one of the great masters of the 20th century. This was proven by rights when in 2006 when one his paintings became the most expensive ever sold for the sum of $140,000,000.00.

Rest in Peace.

Stay Safe,