Happy VD!

Laughed until milk came out my nose!!!

Because Common Sense Just DOESN'T Work...

Obama, today, had to step in like a stern parent and place a cap of $500,000 in salary to executives of companies receiving bailout money. I guess Obama heard we, the public, didn't really like that these companies gave out twenty BILLION dollars in bonuses.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Wednesday imposed a $500,000 cap on senior executive pay for the most distressed financial institutions receiving taxpayer bailout money and promised new steps to end a system of "executives being rewarded for failure."

Obama announced the unusual government intervention into corporate America at the White House, with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner at his side. The president said the executive-pay limits are a first step, to be followed by the unveiling next week of a sweeping new framework for spending what remains of the $700 billion financial industry bailout that Congress created last year.

The pay limit comes amid a national outcry over huge bonuses to executives who head companies that seek taxpayer dollars to remain afloat. The demand for limits was reinforced by revelations that Wall Street firms paid more than $18 billion in bonuses in 2008 amid the economic downturn and the massive infusion of taxpayer dollars.

The limit would apply to top-paid executives at the most distressed financial institutions that are negotiating bailout agreements with the federal government. It also would apply to other banks that receive aid, but they could get around the limits by publicizing to shareholders plans to exceed the salary cap.

Unfortunately, I don't think the president went far enough because

The limits would not apply retroactively to any bank that received money from the first half of the $700 bailout allocated by Congress. For example, the restriction would not apply to such firms as American International Group Inc., Bank of America Corp., and Citigroup Inc., that already have received such help.

That's really a shame, because, in truth, these executives all, without exception, should have been fired, or asked to leave their positions, or, better yet, them being fired should have been a condition of receiving bailout money.

On the OTHER hand, Obama and his administration are placing a whole slew of new restrictions on companies:

Other new requirements on "exceptional assistance" will include:

_The expansion to 20, from five, the number of executives who would face reduced bonuses and incentives if they are found to have knowingly provided inaccurate information related to company financial statements or performance measurements.

_An increase in the ban on golden parachutes from a firm's top five senior executives to its top 10. The next 25 would be prohibited from golden parachutes that exceed one year's compensation.

_A requirement that boards of directors adopt policies on spending such as corporate jets, renovations and entertainment.

The administration also will propose long-term compensation restrictions even for companies that don't receive government assistance, Obama said.

Those proposals include:

• Requiring top executives at financial institutions to hold stock for several years before they can cash out.

• Requiring nonbinding "say on pay" resolutions — that is, giving shareholders more say on executive compensation.

• A Treasury-sponsored conference on a long-term overhaul of executive compensation

Compensation experts in the private sector have warned that intrusions into the internal decisions of financial institutions could discourage participation in the rescue program and slow down the financial sector's recovery. They also argue that it could set a precedent for government regulation that undermines performance-based pay.

"One of the big questions is whether it will make it more difficult to recruit and retain executives at these companies," said Claudia Allen, chair of corporate governance at the Chicago-based law firm of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg.

The $500,000 cap "is a very tight limit," she said.

Timothy J. Bartl, vice president and general counsel for the Center On Executive Compensation, said the president's actions are a unique situation given the government's role bailing out troubled institutions.

"We do not view it as something that ought to be extended beyond this circumstance," he said.

On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers had been pushing for even stricter caps.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., have proposed that no employee of an institution that receives money under the $700 billion federal bailout can receive more than $400,000 in total compensation until it pays the money back. The figure is equivalent to the salary of the president of the United States.

Even some Republicans, angered by company decisions to pay bonuses and buy airplanes while receiving government help, have few qualms about restrictions.
"In ordinary situations where the taxpayers' money is not involved, we shouldn't set executive pay," said Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee.

"But where you've got federal money involved, taxpayers' money involved, TARP money involved, and the way they have spent it, with no accountability, is getting close to being criminal."

And the companies and their officials are just not happy.

Oh, well. Tough shit. Neither are we, the taxpayers, from whom you've stolen so much.

Banks - We All HATE Them!!!

And why? Because when they went to government crying they needed a bailout for fucking up the economy, they went and wasted tons of that money. AIG employees went to spas. Wells Fargo arranged a Vegas getaway (later cancelled, but supposedly they still have to pay), and PNC bought itself another bank with 3/4 of the bailout money they received.

In other words the banks are really pissing off the taxpayers, and the lawmakers in Congress are starting to feel the pinch:

Even lawmakers who helped craft the bailout have been frustrated that some bank executives were taking big bonuses and scheduling junkets. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said banks "have to understand they live in a new world and the old ways of doing business aren't acceptable."

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., said banks were acting "stupid" and making it harder for lawmakers to defend them.

"People really hate you," he said, imploring banks to do everything possible to avoid offending people. "And they're starting to hate us just for hanging out with you."

Gee, Barney, ya THINK? We're pissed at the banks? REALLY?! How the hell did you guess?

Protectionism? You BET!

Top EU diplomat to Washington, John Bruton, today warned that the protectionism clause in the stimulus package before the Senate, which states funds in the package may not be used for any project

unless all of the iron, steel and manufactured goods used in the projects are produced in the United States,

would cause worldwide economic problems and make the world economy even worse than it already is.

I'm sorry, but along with the banking screw-ups of the last eight years, "free world trade" and the outsourcing of millions of jobs to other countries is the single other cause of the depression the AMERICAN economy and people are currently experiencing. Therefore, protectionism should ABSOLUTELY be included in the stimulus package, which is aimed at creating jobs IN America FOR AMERICANS. It stands to follow, therefore, that demanding any materials used in a project funded by the stimulus should most certainly be manufactured in the United States. After all, using American made materials and resources will only serve to boost the AMERICAN economy.

It's about time the United States started protecting its citizens and its own economy, and not worry about the economies of other countries.

Back to Israel

I'm thinking maybe I'll move a bit of the focus of this blog to Israel and the injustice the media and the world does our homeland on a regular basis. Also, I've been thinking quite a bit about home of late. In fact, I had a dream last week in which I was visiting Israel and was crying in the dream about not living there. I awoke from the dream in actual tears. Unfortunately, Aliyah is not currently an option, but who knows? Perhaps someday, maybe sooner than later, we'll get to make that leap.

In any case, I read this fascinating article from HonestReporting, a media watchdog that monitors for anti-Israel reporting in the media. If I'm not mistaken, they're the ones who broke the story that the Jenin "Massacre" was, in fact, anything BUT a massacre. You can read about the Jenin "Massacre" of 2002 here, here, and here. In any case, it seems, despite media claims and those made by the UN, Israel did NOT bomb, accidentally or otherwise, the UNRWA school in Gaza. But, as usual, the UN and the media jumped the gun and blasted and condemned Israel for attacks on civilian locations.

Did Israel Shell a UN School? The Truth Exposed

Canada's Globe & Mail finds out what really happened.

In war, the saying goes, "the first victim is the truth." But an in-depth investigative report by the Canadian Globe and Mail's Middle East correspondent, Patrick Martin proved to be the exception to the rule.

Martin’s front-page report investigated the Israeli shelling of Hamas terrorists near a UN school that led to the tragic deaths of 43 civilians. His conclusion: the facts don't support the accepted story that the school itself was shelled.

According to Martin:

Physical evidence and interviews with several eyewitnesses, including a teacher who was in the schoolyard at the time of the shelling, make it clear: While a few people were injured from shrapnel landing inside the white-and-blue-walled UNRWA compound, no one in the compound was killed. The 43 people who died in the incident were all outside, on the street, where all three mortar shells landed.

Stories of one or more shells landing inside the schoolyard were inaccurate.

While the killing of 43 civilians on the street may itself be grounds for investigation, it falls short of the act of shooting into a schoolyard crowded with refuge-seekers.

Martin's report confirms the underreported Israeli accounts that the IDF accurately returned fire to the location from which it was being shelled by Hamas terrorists.

 

Some of Martin's key findings include:

• There were no dead in the UN school, only some injured according to physical evidence and interviews with several eyewitnesses
• Three Israeli mortar shells landed outside the school's compound, not inside
• Incorrect public pronouncements by the UN helped allow "the misconception to linger"

The fact that people were milling around the area where Hamas was firing rockets is not Israel's fault, but rather points out that Hamas fired from an area frequented by civilians, engaging in what former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls a double war crime: "Attacking [Israeli] civilians and hiding behind [Palestinian] civilians."

At the time, however, John Ging, UNRWA's operations director in Gaza, condemned the attack as "horrific" and suggested Israel knew it was targeting a UN facility.

"We have provided the GPS co-ordinates of every single one of our locations," he told the BBC. "They are clearly marked with UN insignia, flags flying, lights shining on the flags at night. It's very clear that these are United Nations installations."

Later, in the Globe and Mail investigation, Ging:

acknowledged in an interview this week that all three Israeli mortar shells landed outside the school and that "no one was killed in the school."

"I told the Israelis that none of the shells landed in the school," he said.

Political impact

We are often asked if media reports such as the Globe & Mail's or even our own can have an impact. The answer is an unequivocal yes. Already, one European Member of Parliament, Paul van Buitenen has submitted a parliamentary question based on the Globe & Mail's investigation. The MEP points out that UNRWA's John Ging admits in the article that Israel didn't attack the school but blames the confusion on the Israelis.

Van Buitenen goes on to say that considering the fact that the EU is UNRWA's single largest donor and that it wrongly condemned Israel for attacking the UN school:

• Is the EU prepared to apologize to Israel for wrongly condemning it without checking the facts on the ground?
• Is the EU prepared to investigate how it was possible that Mr. Ging apparently spread misleading information concerning the supposed attack on this UNRWA school and whether this was politically motivated?

We commend the Globe and Mail for its investigative report and Mr. van Buitenen for his follow-up in the European Parliament. Please commend reporter Martin and the Globe and Mail for helping let the truth emerge about the shelling near the UN school. Please send letters to the Globe and Mail at: letters@globeandmail.com

Also write to your local media outlet if it was responsible for publishing the original allegations.

This communique was adapted from HonestReporting Canada. Click on the image below to find out more and subscribe.

Phil!!!

Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow!!! Six more weeks of winter! Because, you know, it WOULDN'T continue if he HADN'T seen his shadow, right? 

Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, winter to continue

AP – Ben Hughes, handler of the weather-predicting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, holds Phil in the air after …

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – The world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting this already long winter will last for six more weeks.

Punxsutawney Phil emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses, many dressed in black-and-gold to celebrate thePittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl victory the night before.

"There's significant buzz from the Steelers win and quite a few Terrible Towels floating from the crowd," said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism in Pennsylvania.

The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, a borough of about 6,100 residents some 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced the forecast in a short proclamation, in which Phil acknowledged the Steelers' 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.

Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn't seen it 15 times, and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

Rowley said the Groundhog Day festivities is Pennsylvania's largest tourist gathering in the winter. And if Phil's forecast proves correct it should bring even more tourists to the state.

"It's six more weeks of skiing," Rowley said.

Republicans Elect Steele as First Black Chairman

Republicans elect Steele as first black chairman.

Well. Welcome to the 21st century. Interestingly, this man is not even an RNC member. Wonder how THAT works?

Iraqi Shoe Hurler Inspires Art in Saddam Hometown

If I'd been drinking something when I read this, whatever it was I might have been drinking would have ended up all over my computer and keyboard!

Iraqi Shoe Hurler Inspires Art in Saddam Hometown

Iraqi Shoe Hurler Inspires Art in Saddam Hometown

Where You Won't Shop In 2009 - Forbes.com

I found this very revealing, very to the point article at Forbes. It predicts the closing of many stores of many chains, and the possible complete bankruptcy of some. Where You Won't Shop In 2009 - Forbes.com

The last paragraph is the most fascinating, because, as surprisingly as that may seem to some, I AGREE with it:

[Howard] Davidowitz, [chairman of New York-based retail consultant and investment bank Davidowitz and Associates], doesn't think a huge government stimulus will help. Better to let things bottom out naturally before regrouping. "Obama's plan will make it worse," he says. "We got into this by borrowing and stimulating, now he wants to borrow and stimulate more."

I couldn't agree more. I'm no expert, but I think this idea of "stimulating" and "bailing out" has fallen flat on its face, as I predicted in many earlier posts. It's just not helping. It's time for the government to either stop being Socialist for the wealthy but Capitalist for the rest of us. These bailouts are an incredibly bad idea, have been from the start, and will continue to be until the end. It's one thing I with which I STRONGLY disagree with President Obama, just as strongly as I disagreed with this bailout business with Governor Bush.

Explanation of Hell

Sent by a friend, and, true or not (frankly, who cares?), it's HILARIOUS!!! 

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid term. 

 

The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well : 

 

 

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?  

 

 

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.   

 

 

One student, however, wrote the following:  

 

 

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. 

  

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. 

 

This gives two possibilities:

 

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 

 

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell,then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. 

 

So which is it?

 

If we accept the postulate given to me by Marilyn during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Marilyn kept shouting "Oh my God." 

 

 

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+. 

We'll NEVER Know Dick

Thank God. So long, Dick!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

You Don't Know Dick - Exit Interview

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Hillary...

... Did NOT look happy yesterday. She probably still believes yesterday should have been her day, and she's royally pissed off it wasn't. I also think the unhappy look on her face was the realization that had SHE been elected, she never would have gotten anywhere near the crowd or the attention at HER inauguration that Obama received at his. I don't think she LIKED that realization.

Oh, well. Time to move on, Hillary. Get to work as Secretary of State and God speed.

I Really Enjoyed this Benediction

Especially the end!



Say Amen! AMEN! Say Amen! AMEN! And AMEN! AMEN!!!

Getting the Country Back on Track

Well, thank GOD. George Walker Bush is no longer the president. This man stole two elections, the first using Florida, the second, Ohio. He tore this country apart. He was divisive and partisan as no president has ever been. He was a fool, a blunderer, and a liar. He ripped the Constitution to shreds. He mass murdered thousands of American, first by ignoring intelligence about al Qaeda planning an attack on US soil and then by going to war against Iraq using false pretenses to obtain his desire. There were no WMDs and he KNEW there were none. By going to war illegally against Iraq, he caused the deaths of over four thousand American troops. It was as though he himself pulled the trigger and killed each and every one of those soldiers. He destroyed our economy by allowing his party to run rampant, de-regulate EVERYTHING, and destroy our banking industry, our housing industry, and our manufacturing industry. He and his party allowed companies to ship hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas, all in the name of the Almighty Dollar and "Free Market." The man is a criminal and I hope he will be prosecuted for every crime he committed. Frankly, I hope they fry his ass.

But now, he's no longer president. We now have a new president, one who ran a campaign based on hope and renewal. Now it's time to put Bush behind us. It's time to get to work making this country great again, removing the Bush/Republican party tarnish of the last fourteen years.

No matter how hard we work, it'll take a lot longer than a few days, months, or even years to repair the damage Bush and his party have wrought. We need to be patient. Obama is human. He WILL make mistakes. But he will do far more good than bad and I think, given the chance, he will lead this country back to greatness.

Here's hoping and working for a wonderful new era of American society. One based on ALL of us participating, not just the privileged few.

Please, God...

Gene Robinson kicks off the inaugural celebrations:



He says it all, especially the part about remembering Obama's a human being, not a Messiah, and that not everything will be fixed in a few days or even a few months.

Remember, it took eight years for this mess to become what it is.

Myopic

Apparently, I'm myopic because I hate Bush and what he's done to this country, from ignoring intelligence reports about al Qaeda planning an attack on American soil to the economic meltdown and everything in between. Therefore, I'm intolerant and narrow-minded.

Hmm. Let's see. I'm myopic because Bush completely fucked up this country and its standing in the world. I'm optimistic (cautiously so) that Obama and his team will work hard to fix Bush's screw-ups, end the wars successfully and swiftly, and try to make right what went terribly wrong during the last eight years.

Or is it because Bush has been SUCH a GREAT friend to Israel and OBVIOUSLY Obama the Muslim is going to be SUCH a HORRIBLE ENEMY to Israel. Yeah. That must be it.

That makes ME myopic.

Oy.

Bush Takes Credit, Blames Clinton

While listening to the radio this morning, the hosts of the morning show on the station I listen to in the, well, mornings, mentioned that Bush said in speeches this weekend that HIS administration has laid the groundwork for economic recovery early in Obama's presidency.

So, if OBAMA actually comes up with solutions, Bush will take credit for laying the groundwork for those solutions, and if Obama DOESN'T come up with solutions, Bush will be able to say (or THINKS he'll be able to say) that Obama screwed up the work BUSH had done.

Then, on top of all that, Bush blamed CLINTON and HIS administration for laying the groundwork for the depression we're currently experiencing. In other words, NONE of the policies and deregulations of the past eight years are in any way to blame for all the fuck-ups and Bush is COMPLETELY innocent of any of this...

What was interesting is the person who mentioned this and ridiculed Bush was the Republican on the show...

"Not As Quick On My Feet..."

Yeah. No shit, Idiot.

Bad Bush! BAD BUSH!!! Of: Some of Bush's "Mistakes"

Here are some of the Idiot's hi-lights (from the Telegraph)...

1) No WMDs

Mr Bush built his entire case for war on the claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. However, he chose to ignore conflicting evidence and forever undermined not only his presidency, but the reputation of US intelligence agencies and his country in much of the world.

2) "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job"

Mr Bush could not control the weather, but he had control in naming the director of FEMA, the agency in charge of disaster mitigation. His appointee, Mike Brown, was woefully underprepared and failed to facilitate proper aid to the stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina. Despite his tragic miscues, Mr Bush famously told his pall "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

3) No Post-War Plan for Iraq

The outgoing president achieved his goal of ousting Saddam Hussein but had little planned for a destabilised post-Saddam Iraq. After six years, thousands of military casualties, an untold amount of Iraqi civilian deaths, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, the war is still not over.

4) Permitting Torture

By stating that the Geneva Convention did not apply to "enemy combatants," Mr Bush paved the way for waterboarding, attack dogs, and other draconian interrogation tactics that will forever be associated with his presidency.

5) Ignoring Pre-9/11 Terror Memo

Just weeks before 9/11, while spending a holiday at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr Bush received a memo from the CIA entitled, "Bin Laden Determined To Strike in US". While the President cannot respond to every single threat presented to the country, the timing and nature of this particular warning will forever blight his legacy.

6) "Mission Accomplished"

Mr Bush's bombastic declaration of victory in Iraq while aboard an aircraft carrier in May 2003 was premature to say the least: the vast majority of war casualties have occurred since the unfurling of the "mission accomplished" banner. He has admitted this was one of his biggest mistakes.

7) Entering Iraq without a UN mandate.

After months of deliberation, the UN Security Council could not come to an agreement over the proposed invasion of Iraq. Mr Bush impatiently led a "coalition of the willing" into the country and his decision is still considered by the UN to be illegal.

8) Insisting there was a link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda

Mr Bush aimed to strengthen his case for war by linking the perpetrators of 9/11 to Saddam Hussein. As of today there is little to no evidence supporting his claim.

9) Failing to capture Osama bin Laden

After 9/11, Mr Bush's primary goal was to capture al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. More than seven years have passed and the only evidence of Bin Laden is a series of grainy video tapes taunting Mr Bush and the United States.

10) Abandoning the Kyoto Protocol

In 2001, Mr Bush refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that requires participating countries to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. He cited its effect on the economy, but the auto industry is already on the brink and global climate change is a real problem. Even merely as a sign of intent, his signature would have been helpful.

11) Refusing to let Katrina ruin his holiday

Hurricane Katrina hit towards the end of a long summer holiday for Mr Bush. His immediate response was not to view the damage personally, but at five miles high through the window of Air Force One on his way back to Washington.

12) Underestimating the cost of the war

Like a contractor's ever-inflating estimates of a home renovation, Mr Bush's original $50-$60 billion price tag on the Iraq war sounds like a steal now. The current cost is closer to $600 billion.

13) Lack of body armour for US troops

Due to the budget constraints of an expensive war, many US troops lacked proper armour for the challenges in Iraq. There have been reports of families turning to eBay to purchase protective gear for their sons and daughters stationed in the Middle East.

14) Failure to include Louisiana's coastal parishes in state of emergency plan

On August 27, 2005, two days before Hurricane Katrina hit, President Bush declared a state of emergency for parts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Not included on that list were the coastal areas of Louisiana that included New Orleans, the city hit hardest by Katrina.

15) Tax cuts for the wealthy

Believing wealthy Americans would take their fortunes to tax shelters, Mr Bush granted large tax cuts to keep their cash in the US. Critics contend it disproved the trickle down theory, as the economy headed into recession.

16) Losing focus on Afghanistan

The early campaign in Afghanistan was relatively successful. Rather than continuing the effort there however, Mr Bush quickly switched focus to Iraq. Many, including President-Elect Barack Obama, believe that a greater presence in Afghanistan would be more effective in the war on terror.

17) Limiting stem cell research

One of President Bush's earliest decisions was to restrict the research of embryonic stem cells. These types of studies have shown tremendous results in lab rats (such as reversing the course of Parkinson's in the rodents). Humans will have to wait for his policy to be annulled before seeing any benefits.

18) Appointment and backing of Alberto Gonzales

Mr Bush appointed an old Texan friend Alberto Gonzales as his Attorney General after the resignation of John Ashcroft. Widely criticised as a sycophantic foil to "Dubya", Mr Gonzales oversaw questionable US attorney dismissals and the NSA's warrantless wiretapping before eventually resigning. Along with Mike Brown, Alberto Gonzales is an example of Mr Bush's perceived penchant for surrounding himself with "yes men" rather than qualified individuals.

19) Awarding lucrative Iraq reconstruction contracts to Halliburton

Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's old employer, received a large reconstruction contract in Iraq shortly after the onset of the war. Rumours of it not having to bid are unfounded, but claims of a conflict of interest remain. In addition, their exportation of the country's oil has been a largely unsuccessful endeavour.

20) Warrantless Wiretapping

Shortly after 9/11, President Bush authorised the warrantless wiretapping of certain telephone calls for the sake of national security. Eavesdropping would often top most Presidents' list of reprehensible acts but Mr Bush, supported by Congress, contended that it helped keep America safe.

How Stupid Are the Palestinians?

Well, Israel killed 1,300 of them, while ten Israelis died (some by "friendly fire"). And yet:

"VICTORY"

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Gaza-based Hamas administration claimed a "popular victory" against Israel. 

Um. Ok. Sure. Kind of like how Saddam Hussein won Desert Storm in 1991.

When only one of them is left standing, will he still say they "won" the war?

While I'm on the subject, I can't believe Israel is AGAIN falling for the cease fire ruse. How many times do they have to be fooled until they take of this terrorist problem once and for all?

An Homage to Our Fearless Criminal...

Enjoy. Thanks, Idiot, for a wonderful eight years. Let's hope, in all sincerity, we never hear from you, your puppet-master, Cheney, or any other Bush EVER again.

Awesome...

Found this online. Translation: "Forgiving Hezbollah is God's job. Our job is to arrange the meeting..." Attributed to General Norman Schwarzkopf.

Same applies to Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PLO, and all the other little terrorist "organizations" out there...

"I'm SO Sorry for Your Loss..."

That's a line I've getting since my father died over three weeks ago. That, and "Hamakom."

Frankly, I'm sick of it. As most of my friends know, I had a rather... complicated relationship with my father. And that's putting it nicely. Even gently. Honestly, I hated the guy. He fucked up everything he touched. He even almost screwed up my marriage before it ever began. His shenanigans in my family are legendary. I thank God every day my wife outsmarted him and did NOT let him screw up our marriage.

I don't even know where to start. Most recent? Earliest "screw you" event I remember? I guess I'll start with the most recent shining moments of Yaakov Aharon.

My mom. He screwed her over most of all. Forty-five years of pure hell, verbal, and sometimes physical, abuse, and certainly psychological abuse. He even cheated on her at one point sometime in the 1970s, after I was born. If only she had left him then. He messed her up so completely that she really is not functional enough to take of herself financially. She has no idea how to pay bills, what to pay, and how to go about managing her money.

On top of that, my schmuck father actually CANCELED his life insurance policy about two years ago. I only found out about it WAY too late, about four or five months ago. He insisted on paying over a hundred dollars per month for cable, over fifty for high speed internet access, and about eighty for cell phone service. But he couldn't be bothered to pay two hundred dollars for his life insurance policy because "I couldn't afford it." So. How did this leave my mother? Fucked up financially, that's how. She should now have $157,500 sitting in her bank account. Instead she has about $400. And all she's going to get for the rest of her life in $1264 (plus a 2.5% "cost of living" increase every year). She'll be able to survive on this, but that's pretty much it. Survive. Not live comfortably.

Way to go Yaakov.

But wait there's more. He also managed to screw someone, or rather an organization, AFTER he died. I told him quite bluntly a few months ago to make sure any post-death needs are taken care of BEFORE he passed on. I knew he had no plot and no money to deal what needed to be dealt with after his death. He said it was all taken care of with his rabbi. Well, guess what. It wasn't. There is now a bill at the Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society) of Los Angeles for about $4000. A close family friend called me about raising money to pay the bill. I told her I had no money and was simply not responsible. Period. The man should NEVER have canceled his life insurance policy. She asked me about asking my rabbi about raising the money. Problem is, the rabbi here is having trouble raising a lousy $300 or $400 to get someone in desperate need a decent pair of tefilin, so raising $4000 is out of the question.

Heh, Oh, well. I guess Yaakov managed to screw the Chevra Kadisha too. Way to go again, Yaakov.

Oh, by the way. He died owing me $4000. $4000 I was going to use last year to pay my 2007 taxes. Taxes I currently owe the IRS. And, since we made very little money this year, taxes that will be paid by what should have been a sizable refund upon which we were greatly depending.

Thanks, Yaakov.

He screwed some of his best friends. The most recent were someone here in my town who lent him $2000. Do you think Yaakov paid him back? Hell, no. And this caused Shalom Bayis (peace in the home) issues with the guy's wife to the point where she basically ordered him not to speak to my father any longer. Do you think my dad paid him back when he made about $55,000 in one shot in mid-2007? Hell, no. He decided to renovate his house, instead, and waste about $30,000 on that. Guess what's happening to the house in about three months? You guessed it! It's going back to the bank. Screwed a friend, screwed the bank. Good going, Yaakov!

When he sold his first house in Las Vegas (the one he never should have sold to move out to the Midwest for ten months to be near me), he sold it to one of his oldest friends, pretty much the ONLY one he managed to retain consistently for about thirty years. Now, while the friend never should have bought the house (at the height of the market, too), Yaakov, dear old dad, never should have sold it to him, knowing the guy's financial situation and inability to hold on to the house (and he didn't for more than a couple years - he lost it, it went into foreclosure). They didn't speak to each other until pretty recently, and the relationship was never close again.

Speaking of houses. He bought one in 1991. It ruined him financially. It was right before the recession. He had a variable rate mortgage. When it ruined him, he blamed my mother and friends he claimed "pushed" him into buying the house. Except HE was the one who signed the papers and handed over a down-payment, not my mother, not his friends, not the realtor. All he had to do was say no. He didn't. He blamed everyone but himself.

More house stuff. Back in the eighties, we moved to a town called Emmanuel. It's on the West Bank in Israel. My father bought a condo there. He had co-signers on the loan. One was a dear and close friend. They were our neighbors in Rechovot and convinced my father to move to the brand new, all religious town of Emmanuel. We did and Gershon, poor Gershon, co-signed on the loan. His mistake. Nearly three years later, my father decided we were moving back to the States. Do you think he put the condo up for sale? No. Do you think he continued to pay the mortgage? No. He simply shucked all responsibility and walked away. I heard later that Gershon got so depressed because he was essentially left with the mortgage that he almost killed himself. That's what my father did to people. Really great guy, Yaakov Aharon. Really great. Thank God someone came along and bought the condo before it was too late.

He treated me like crap. He treated my sister that way too. Everything in his life was about him, not his family. He made and wasted more money than anyone I know. He always HAD to buy chachkes. He could never save money. He fucked my education, and my sister's as well. What a guy. Great guy.

And he had (and still has) so many people fooled. I couldn't believe how many people were at the funeral crying over this person. It was astonishing. He really had many people fooled.

And again. He left my mother hanging high and dry.

I have to say Kaddish for this man I essentially hated. I feel like a hypocrite. I don't really know if I can continue. I really don't want to. The reason I have done so thus far is because I am a halacha following Jew. Whether this continues after shloshim (the first thirty days after the burial) is questionable, at best, at this time.

I'm sure I'll have more to say later.

What Really Happened In The Middle East - Terrorism Awareness Project

Great lesson on anti-Jewish terrorism in the Middle East and on why the Arabs are REALLY waging an endless war against us:What Really Happened In The Middle East - Terrorism Awareness Project

Let's Have Someone Attack YOUR Country and See How YOU Feel About It...

Secretary-General of the UN:

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was heading to the region for a week of talks with leaders in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Syria aimed at ending the bloodshed.

"My message is simple, direct, and to the point: the fighting must stop. To both sides, I say: Just stop now," Ban told reporters before his departure.

Say, Ban. How about North Korea lob a few missiles at your home village of Eumseong (where you were born), or Chungju (where you were raised) in South Korea or at Seoul. Wouldn't you say retaliate with all you've got? Hmm? Asshole.

My Sentiments Exactly

Especially the last paragraph...

The Bush Nightmare is Over.

Happy to Comply?

Hamas "Member of Parliament" Fathi Hammad, bragging about the Hamas use of human shields. Translation by MEMRI. 

Fathi Hammad: "[The enemies of Allah] do not know that the Palestinian people has developed its [methods] of death and death-seeking. For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry, at which women excel, and so do all the people living on this land. The elderly excel at this, and so do the mujahideen and the children. This is why they have formed human shields of the women, the children, the elderly, and the mujahideen, in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It is as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: "We desire death like you desire life."

Um. We're happy to comply? Well, at least to, that's the correct response. After all, how long to we, as Jews, have to take THEIR abuse? Rockets, suicide bombings in marketplaces, schools, and restaurants, stabbing attacks, and shootings? Frankly, I think it's time for Israel simply not to care about where Hamas terrorists are hiding. If it's behind children, women, and the elderly, tough luck. The casualties are on Hamas, NOT Israel. We've taken enough abuse.

Crisis in the Senate

Captain Funk-a-Dunk? Sue/not sue? Caroline?

This is a GREAT clip!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Crisis in the Senate - Deliberative Disorder

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Democrats ALWAYS raise taxes and NEVER cut them!

NOT!!!s

All those naysayers were wrong, I guess...

Gaza Ground Offensive

As I said earlier, wipe them the hell out. All of them. Don't let even one terrorist or potential terrorist live.

But Olmert here is the biggest joke:

In his first public comments on the operation, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet on Sunday that he was well aware of the risks, but that Israel could not allow its civilians to continue to be targeted by rockets from Gaza.

All of a sudden, Olmert's concerned with the safety of Israeli civilians. So, what happened a year ago, when Hamas was bombing the hell out of Sderot and even reaching Ashkelon? Then it WASN'T important enough to keep Israeli citizens safe?

What a Schmuck.

Then, there's the international "condemnation" of Israel's offensive. I understand the Arab world's condemnation. I'm even cool with it, even the though the Arab world itself is full of hypocrisy. After all, they're always screaming about the poverty rampant in Gaza, but they provide very little money to help alleviate the situation, even though they can certainly afford it.

However, the rest of the international "condemnation" is just ridiculous. What other country on the face of this planet would tolerate what Israel has tolerated over the last eight years? If a terrorist-launched rocket hit the empty Nevada desert in the middle of the night, the US would respond swiftly, decisively, and overwhelmingly. So would any other country that had the ability to respond to such an attack.

Israel, apparently, does not have that right. Well, world, screw you. Jews have just as much right to defend themselves as anyone else. You don't like it? Well, as I said, screw you.

Casualties in Gaza

Quote from an article today:

Diplomats said the deadliest conflict in the Gaza Strip in four decades could get even bloodier after days of air strikes that have killed at least 410 Palestinians, about a quarter of whom, U.N. figures showed, were civilians, and wounded more than 1,700.

So, about 100 civilian casualties. Know what I say? Tough shit. There are ALWAYS civilian casualties in war. Did anyone really condemn the United States when there were civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq? No. Korea? Vietnam? No. How about the Holocaust while it was happening? And the "we didn't know" excuse is bullshit. The world knew and the world ignored. The Red Cross knew. They ignored too. And what we got were SIX MILLION Jewish casualties. And they weren't even involved in the war. They were casualties merely because the had the wrong parentage.

Civilian casualties happen in war. There's really nothing anyone can do about it. In truth, Israel has been as careful as possible to limit civilian casualties. And are the terrorists anywhere near as careful? Hell, no. Quite the opposite, in fact. They SPECIFICALLY target civilians and children.

Civilian casualties? Tough shit. If the civilian population, which is quite large and does not want all this conflict, actually rose up and rebelled against Hamas and the other terrorist organizations, none of this would be happening. Unfortunately, Hamas and their cronies rule with an iron fist and absolute fear, just like any other military dictatorship, and the large majority of the population finds itself seemingly helpless.