Just Some Stuff

The presumption of malfeasance

2011-04-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

Again and again

Over and over

No redemption or chance for explanation

Instant conviction

Contemptuous rage

The Despiser was right

From the Beginning

It was just a matter of Time

With apologies to Clint

2009-08-13T14:48:00.001-07:00

A man's got to know his limitations, without limiting himself.

More silliness

2009-07-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

back and forth

up and down

No franchise for you! .................. Uh well yes franchise for you.

And after all that effort we are back where we started.

Government run business at its finest

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gBPaHA8wyvhZsKWPW8Uxp30QpfqgD99A16502

Hey maybe we could get them to run health care!

It is time

2009-05-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

What do tea parties, expensive hair do's, fake tans, corny slogans, and millions upon millions of wasted dollars, indignant 10th amendment followers, majority party members who have a minority party governor and a freshly deceased majority party senator have in common?

Oh come on, we have discussed this before (and by discussed I mean Me brow beating you into submission to my ideas)

The answer of course is that we should repeal the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution.

States would regain their voice in the federal government.
candidates for the Senate would no longer need to pretend to care about those pesky constituents.
Senate elections would cost a tank of gas (or enough to get the candidate to the state capitol) I am intentionally leaving out the cost of bribes for the members of their state congress. But hey it would certainly cost less to bribe a hundred or so people as opposed to millions.

When a senator finally keels over and we have to pry the key to the Senators only private privy from his cold, dead fingers we can hold a special election to fill his slot. All it takes is the state congress convening a joint session and all those wanting to fill the slot get to spend an hour pleading their case. It would take a day maybe a week tops. Boom new senator (and no governor tempted to sell any #!#&%%!!! precious things.)

And while we're tweaking amendments we could slip in a 12 year max term limit: 2 terms in the senate, 6 in the house.

reminder

2009-05-08T08:30:00.001-07:00

Just
Another
Socialist
Puke

JASPer: One who is Just Another Socialist Puke

They just keep pulling me back in...

2009-05-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

I have tried to avoid this, but the demand is irresistable.

For those who cannot figure it out for themselves, here it is.

I was right.

The JASPer is indeed a self absorbed JASPer.

Someone who would spend 20 billion of today's dollars to "potentially" save up to 19 billion over the next 20 years.

Someone who has trouble with simple math.

Someone who can lie through his teeth.

Someone who loudly and publically eschews violence, yet mark these words, will initiate savagery that might even wake us up.

Big Ado about Poo Poo

2009-03-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Allow me to summarize.

AIG made some risky decisions.

They gambled and lost.

Government gave them a few hundred billion dollars (which gov doesn't actually have, so must borrow from your grandchildren)

AIG (the ones who wrote the contracts that define the conditions under which bonuses are issued even when their job performance is poo poo) used some of it to give the guys who made these poor decisions huge bonuses.

Government is now "Upset, Outraged, and otherwise Incontinent"

What exactly did Government expect?

UPDATE: here is another view http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2009/03/some-reality-for-the-reality-based.html

And another: Gov knew about the bonuses all along http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/20/video-congress-geithner-knew-about-bonuses-on-march-3rd/

It just keeps going!!!
Geithner asked Dodd to change his bill to allow bonuses. Matches? what matches??
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/19/video-demint-calls-on-geithner-to-resign/

Pure Genius!!!

2009-02-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

Oh you magnificent bastard, you!!!

I had been going down that same old knee jerk reaction road when the light finally went on.

Obama really does have a plan.

He is going to balance the budget and pay for the stimulus with cash. Real earned wealth.

He is going to keep nominating people for government posts, wait for them to pay their back taxes, throw them under the bus, and then repeat.

He could even fire most of the IRS.

PURE GENIUS

Reminiscences

2009-01-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

Ah to sit back and sip mint julips in the twilight of your career.

Such fond memories of the last 8 years.

Let's list the Bush Republican/limited government accomplishments:

Free drugs to anyone who can waddle across the 64 year 365 day border. (Oh who are we kidding, free drugs to all the 64+ bedriddens as well.)

Gave stirring fiscal leadership to a Republican house and senate. (and gave us a seamless segue into a socialist paradise.)

Not even a finger lifted to stop the spending. Veto? what does that mean?

No Child Left Behind the unenforced national border

Let's not forget Harriet Myers!

Crafted the following gem:"I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system to make sure the economy doesn't collapse."

Bailout mania!!!

The bar has truly been raised. The breadth and depth of his monumental failure, the abject and utter waste of such an opportunity leaves me stunned and numb.

Honestly, can you imagine anyone else damaging the republican/limited gov brand any further?

I'm back!

2008-12-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

Well not exactly, but I did manage over 30 minutes of torture.

Fortunately I had my pillaging horns on to set the proper tone.

JASPer report #1 Stake in the ground

2008-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

I was going to read through Obama's website and record all the things he said he is going to do.

After the hundredth "Obama will invest in ..." I decided that it would end up a bit wordy.

So I will just list a few things (selected with completely unbiased editorial license) that stand out.

He will give 95% of us a tax cut, for sure those making under 250,000.

He will appoint justices who will administer "social justice"

Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud (I am sure he will start with his ACORN friends)

He will not take your guns (Update here. He will take your "assault weapons", but that is all. I sure hope there aren't any more updates.)

He respects hunting and hunters

He really likes disabled people and will give them jobs, money, higher education, healthcare, and lollypops for life.

He wants to screen all infants for physical and mental conditions.

He is extremely, perhaps even really strongly opposed to hate crime commiters.

Editor's note: After each category there is a "Barack Obama's Record" section. I would report on each one, but I don't feel like typing "I was a community organizer" 24 times

He will jumpstart the economy by taking 50 billion (this number may need to be adjusted after he takes office) dollars from us and then giving it to people he thinks need it more than the ones who earned it.

He will simplify tax filings for the middle class.

There are apparently no entrepeneurs left so he will have to invest some more (of the money he took from those who earned it) in government run business incubators.

There follows a raft of "investments." He is even going to invest in science. Are they on NYSE or NASDAQ?

He will make it so you can unionize without having to go through one of those silly anonymous voting thingies. He will even send over a couple nice guys to help you fill out the card!

And if you don't like your job you don't have to show up until they give you a raise! And they can't fire you (double sweet)

Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
He calls them green collar jobs.

He likes cap and trade. So if you think up a great new business idea all you have to do is find the money to start the business and then find some more to buy the rights to turn on the lights at your new business from a pre existing business. I sure hope those kind hearted pre-existing businesses don't feel threatened by your new ideas!

Ethics
He doesn't like lobbyists. He will shine the light on them and all that pork barrel spending. Good thing he got his wife's employer some grants before he started all this reform stuff.
Conflicts of interest are also history. That's why he dismissed Jim Johnson from his VP selection committee and why he appointed Rahm Emanuel (former Freddie Mac board member) to be his Chief of Staff and may be considering Jamie Gorelick for AG. (Jamie was Vice Chair of Fannie Mae along with Franklin Raines (who Obama does not talk to anymore) when there was a small fooforah about losing 9 billion dollars.)

Hold on...

I have to catch my breath.

Who am I kidding. If you are silly enough to have read all this you know he is

Just Another Socialist Puke.

He feels it is moral to take (by force i.e. taxes) from someone who has earned and give it to someone else.

Let's see how it goes.

OK, one last quote that shows his core principles.

"Americans work harder than the people of any other wealthy nation. We are willing to tolerate more economic instability and are willing to take more personal risks to get ahead, But we can only compete if our government makes the investments that give us a fighting chance - and if we know our families have some net beneath which they cannot fall."

Good to know that we are smart and hard working, but that we can't succeed without the gov. I think he needs to get a real job.

Dude you're huge!

2008-11-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

I did 20 calf raises with my left leg.

With absolutely no help from the right leg.

CrippleCamping or Following Dr.'s orders

2008-10-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Twas at the physician's the other day for a 6 month. Right looks good, left pretty good, NO jogging!

Next stop was PT. She says looks good, but you need to do some walking on uneven surfaces, preferably carrying some extra weight.

HMMMMMMMMMMM, walking on an uneven surface, carrying weight...

what could I possibly do to accomplish that???

Well, your ever resourceful ninny, never one to question authority or shirk my medicinal duty, set out to achieve inner peace and healing.

I loaded up the backpack with some essentials, then upon finding that it didn't weigh quite enough proceeded to fill it full of totally useless yet amazingly heavy crap.

After driving aimlessly for a while I found an idyllic site.

complete with wildlife

After trudging up my medically approved path for a ways I decided to seek lodging.

Looking down I realized that I was not the only one who thought this a likely napping spot.

As night fell I realized the wisdom of my heavy load when I reclined on a solid 3" of air mattress comfort.

Whilst dining on blueberry pastry I contemplated the starry starry night.

The morning broke clear and cool.......... and quiet as a tomb. Not a sound. Nothing.

22 deer (all does) and 7 elk (not a spike amongst them)later I decided to call it a night. But first, just for fun, one last look.

Family of five heading south (the truck was north). Looks like a calf, a cow, a bull, what about those other two?

What the hay, I love re-habbing in the dark.

I take off at a fast CrippleWaddle (look for it at the '12 games) only in closing the distance I find myself lower and looking up they are now no longer visible and neither is anything else. Ah well, more uneven surface with weight for me.

It was no fluke

2008-09-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Mile 1 - 18:15 mile 2 - 35:38

Partway through I was focusing on rolling off the left foot. It was still jerky and not smooth. Suddenly, I regained control of my foot muscles and pushed with the ball of my foot and the toes and ... butter!!

Weakness is still my name, but progress will not be turned away at the door.

Just a little wishful thinking - Why couldn't have Fred Thompson gained a little more traction?!!

Thompson\Palin seems like a much better fit.

I wish I still had stitches to burst

2008-08-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Biden for Veep

ahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaha

hahahahhhahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Oh nuts, I just burst a scar

And the records keep falling

2008-08-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Mile in 18:42 and the two mile in 36:03. I focused on rolling off my left foot. The calf is still too weak to keep up with the right, but it is getting a little less jerky. (All this without "smelling salts" in my jog bra.)

Cripplelimpics

2008-08-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

With my warmup done there is nothing left, but the short walk to the line. Reflecting momentarily on how I had arrived here, the gun catches me off guard. I bolt like a startled rabbit.

I marvel at the length and smoothness of my stride, gaining confidence with every passing yard. I am really moving. I pass 400 yards, then 800 meters, then doubt assails with monster truck force, "Have I gone out too fast? Oh shit what if Trickett-Snickett beats me! And Wild-Man-Tob-Riner!! Or worst of all some silly frog named Alaigne-Elaine might knock me off the podium completely!!!

I head into the sweeping right hander, oh you know the one, the one with the 5' plus thistles and their 1.5" spines lining the road. They call me with their feral siren song, their lilting voices almost painfully, achingly seductive.

NO! I will not fall into your puncturous embrace today. No, my destiny calls me, drives me, whips me into a frenzy of speed.

I focus, smooth, keep the pace, when a strange musty, dusty, yet strangely tasty smell permeates the air, mmmm I reach for bat-belt canister number 2 (strawberry kiwi hazel nut Goo), no not quite right ah yes #5 my last 3 ounces of Rudy's. I recognize it now, just some bone on bone action. I holster the Rudy's knowing I will need it for the final straightaway. There will be no wimpy Deena Kastor excuse today.

With my left quad starting to protest I wonder if I can truly break the record, sub 28:47 miles don't just grow on trees.

Coming into the last 400, Mariachi blaring from the lumber yard day laborer's boom box, I refuse to succumb to the pain.

With supreme will I force myself to power through the last 12 meters. There is no look right or left, no chest thumping Hitler youth/Star Trek universal sign of triumph.

I cross the line in 20:50.

I have lopped off 8 minutes and 3 seconds from the all time mile record!!!

I am dazed and confused, yet a thought pierces my fog, "the clock is still running. I could go for the 2 mile record as well. (Plus if I stop now I would have to hitchhike back to the office)"

I realize that I have been maintaining this pace for so long that my legs are on auto pilot. I am still moving. As I start up the hill I feel dizzy, my concentration wavers and I stoop to pick up a discarded 500mL Dasani bottle.

WHY CAN"T WE RESPECT THE EARTH!!!!!!

The top of the hill is reached as I founder in a pond of pain, wow that horse really is hu...

I lean into the final turn, I see the finish, I lean for every last tenth, and I am done, the deed has been done (the full big block - 2 miles in 40:12.28), I have broken the mile record twice in the same race, the parking lot erupts in a thunderous caucophony of adoration, "Get out of the middle of the road you idiot!"

Oh, I know what you're saying. I'd have to be an idiot to put my face on the jumbo pack of fruit roll up cakes for less than 7 figures.

The Secret of Youth, Vitality, and Healing

2008-07-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Is a pair of flame crutch covers.

2008-06-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when disillusionment can no longer be held at bay and reality must be confronted and the awesome blandness of mundaneity opens its seemingly all encompassing maw to completely engulf, surround, and blight all light and joy.

Realization of the pathetic futility, the utter despicableness of quixotic hope, the stark smallness of a life boiled down to its true essence.

When looking back and looking forward gives the same view, dust and ash, no accomplishment and no prospect, ineffectual and impotent. Nothing changes and no one cares, each stupid little ant moving its little piece of nothing back and forth while preening peacocks belch forth their inconsequentiality in all the latest flourescent flavors.

When hate and rage and love and kindness and purpose and meaning are found to come from the same glop of arid, oozing, putrid ephemerality.

Yes. That is today's lesson.

A nice sunday morning

2008-04-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

Last sunday as I lay cozily in bed, wallowing in self pity, I hear Yahoo #1 exclaim, "#2 has a bloody nose!" Curse those pudgy little fingers. So I jump up and run to the living room. Well, actually I worm my way to the edge of the bed, ease myself into my wheelchair, raise the leg supports, and roll into the living room 5 minutes later. I arrive at the scene, yes it was a scene. Blood splattered all over the floor, pillow cases, and clothes. #2 looks up at me, pushes his chubby little hands in my face, asks me to wash them. Both 1 and 2 are amazingly calm. Fortunately, Grandpa is there and the cleanup doesn't take long.

"No, it is not dry yet, take your finger out!"

I have been unable to walk for almost 4 weeks now with the prospect of several more weeks ahead of me.

I have thought of many things.

I really, really want to walk with my spouse and yahoos.
Some things really are more important than others.
There are some very nice people in this world.
There are more than just a few nerves in the human foot.

what comes after "boggles the mind"?

2008-04-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Presidential aspirant Obama (can you get that at an oxygen bar?) called for a "diplomatic surge"

Please, no really, please stop!
I am going to split my stitches.

Apparently I have become distracted from my promised coverage of The Race

2008-03-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

Uh heh heh... heh heh, I said race.

Well, regardless I have allowed the spectacle to thoroughly engross me and neglect my duties.

I just have one question: If we evolved from animals, does that mean that PMS is an advancement?

Just in from Vegas

2008-02-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

That place really puts a damper on my normally optimistic view of humanity.

A bit of fresh mountain sweetness

2008-01-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

Any holder of public office who makes policy decisions based on contributions should be shot.

Molech is not dead

2007-11-30T07:46:00.000-08:00

"Because they were so loud, the machines – which fed into public drains – were switched on only during the early hours of the day to avoid drawing attention to the illegal arrangement, police sources said. Officers gathering evidence at the clinics this week have been testing the machines and drains for traces of DNA, which may be matched with that of past clients, according to reports."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2971379.ece

Our favorite Lawyer (Sorry Winder)

2007-11-30T07:27:00.000-08:00

You know just the other day I was thinking, “What if I suddenly become a blithering idiot, lose any last bit of dignity, and develop an overwhelming desire to stay at home all day sucking my thumb?”

Thankfully, John Edwards has the answer!

'If a person did not meet his or her monthly financial obligation for a set period of time (perhaps a year, perhaps longer) the Edwards plan would empower the federal government to garnish an individual's wages for purposes of collecting "back premiums with interest and collection costs." '

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/edwards-garnish.html

A sidetrack on the First Companion hopeful

2007-11-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/ap_po/on_deadline_bill_clinton_1

"Even though I approved of Afghanistan and opposed Iraq from the beginning, I still resent that I was not asked or given the opportunity to support those soldiers,"

*************************************************
Please do not read this. It is not important. Move along.

Seriously, it is just pure propaganda!

"I supported the President when he asked the Congress for authority to stand up against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," said Clinton in 2003 while delivering commencement remarks at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss.

"So, you're sitting there as President, you're reeling in the aftermath of [September 11], so, yeah, you want to go get bin Laden and do Afghanistan and all that. But you also have to say, well, my first responsibility now is to try everything possible to make sure that this terrorist network and other terrorist networks cannot reach chemical and biological weapons or small amounts of fissile material. I've got to do that. That's why I supported the Iraq thing." ("His Side Of The Story," Time, 6/28/04)

"'Saddam is gone and good riddance,' former President Bill Clinton said yesterday. Clinton also said Bush should not be faulted if banned weapons of mass destruction aren't found. 'I don't think you can criticize the President for trying to act on the belief that they have a substantial amount of chemical and biological stock. ... That is what I was always told.'" (Joel Siegel, "W Fought A Good Fight, Clinton Says," [New York] Daily News, 4/16/03)

I told you not to!
*************************************************

Having served as president I am sure he knows that there is an office in the federal government that has paid government employees whose job it is to take donations.
But I guess that is a bit much to ask from a man who wrote off the donation of his used silk boxers on his taxes.

Come to think of it why don’t some of these guilt ridden liberals start campaigning for us to pay more than our “fair share” and lead by example?

I am sure that Bill sending in a check for a million or two would lead to a stampede of charity. We could pay off the national debt!

Hey, an even easier idea would be for all these people that fret having too much money to just stop paying their lawyers to find tax breaks. I am a genius!

I mean in a time of war isn’t it our patriotic duty?

Ahh it finally came to me. Don't you remember back when then president Clinton made a big spectacle of a young boy who had earned some money donating it to the US to help reduce the deficit? And Clinton accepted it on our behalf. What a slimy bastard. He took some kids lawn mowing money and yet he can't spare some of his millions?

Wes Pruden of the Washington Times

2007-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

"Now we're up to our hips in alligators and global-warming fanatics. We can't predict a hurricane next week, but Al Gore can predict doom 40 years from next Christmas, and a lot of people take him seriously. "

The presidential follies

2007-11-27T09:42:00.001-08:00

I know, I know, I know.

You've all been waiting patiently (well most of you) for me to weigh in on The Race.

Having been inundated with pleas, demands, and several rather rude requests I will acquiesce and give you what you so desire.

Akshelly, you already know where I stand.

I am for the person who has read the Constitution and will actually govern in accordance with it.

STOP booing!!!

So which of the candidates best matches my concept of limited government?

At this time I will only comment on candidates and their positions on specific issues.

So let's dive in shall we?

Consider Fred Thompson. From his website:

"The U.S. tax code is broken and a burden on U.S. taxpayers and businesses, large and small. Today’s tax code is particularly hostile to savings and investment, and it shows. To make matters worse, its complexity is a drag on our productivity and economic growth. Moreover, taxpayers spend billions of dollars and untold hours each year filling out complicated tax returns, just so they can send more money to Washington, much of it for wasteful programs and the pet projects of special interests. We need lower taxes, and we need to let taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned dollars—they know best where and how to spend them. And we need to make the system simpler and fairer for all. To ensure America’s long term prosperity and economic security, I am committed to:
Fundamental tax reform built on the principles of simplicity, fairness, and growth.
A new tax code that gets the government out of our citizens’ pocketbooks, while enhancing U.S. competitiveness abroad.
Dissolution of the IRS as we know it. "

Well now! This bit of prose (which obligates him to do nothing if actually elected) does indeed give me the warm fuzzies.

Counterpoint:
"Fundamental tax reform built on the principles of simplicity, fairness, and growth."
This word is not very reassuring. What I think 'fairness' means and what politicians think it means has never been the same. It is most often a code word for (in my opinion) 'unfair'.

If he means that he wants us all to be assessed taxes at the same percentage without differing rates just because I cross some arbitrary tax boundary where I suddenly am, in some officious idiot's mind, making "too much money" or defining 57,349,231.67 different exemptions which I must pay someone to wade through just to find my "proper" tax bill or setting up tax breaks/incentives to engage in activity that some collection of pimpous, balloon headed, morons thinks is swell (whose only qualifications in life are that they are really good at begging for money and have no ethical foundation whatsoever), then I would support his position.

and yes pimpous is a word. See pompous + pimp

The Black Plague has been averted. Please take your pitchforks and go home

2007-11-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

Like any good monopoly, government education in Utah rose to the occasion and defeated a modest attempt at introducing competition into the education industry.

It is not about quality education. It is about control.

It is not about possible tax increases. It is about control.

And for all those who didn't vote, go home and spank yourself.

S-CHIP

2007-09-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

I oppose federal involvement in health care.

I don't think taking money by force (taxation) and giving it to others (SCHIP, Medicaid, Medicare, welfare, Pell grants, etc, etc etc) is the proper role of government.

If gov has the power to do these things then they have the power to take all your money to do their "good works."

If gov makes all the decsions then the world has been wasted.

Same old stuff, different wrapper

2007-08-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

My company recently sent out a brochure about our health plan.

Among other gems it says, "we can all get the most from our health care by taking increased responsibility for maintaining and managing our health and that of our families. It is focused on preventive care and wellness, and encourages us to take greater control over how health care dollars are spent."

It goes on and on about how we need to be efficient with our health dollars yet the insurance plan gives us no incentive to do so.

The only way people will think frugally about health care is if they are spending their own hard earned cash on it.

It reminds me of Senator Bennett's (R-UT) Healthy Americans Act. This large piece of poo would force insurance companies to provide "affordable, guaranteed private health coverage that makes them (US citizens) healthier and can never be taken away."

Did you read that closely?!?

Did Bennett really say that!!!

affordable - guaranteed - private - can never be taken away

IS HE REALLY THAT STUPID???

This man is in the US Senate.

He has the power to do things to all 300+ million of us (minus those 435 geniuses in Congress who are exempt from their own SS)

p.s. SS is an acronym. The second S stands for Shoveling.

Some light reading

2007-06-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Decided to relax a bit and let the mind wander...

over to http://bennett.senate.gov/index.cfm

and found that Bob "I will only serve one term if elected" Bennett has a new bill he is promoting.

It is S.334 Healthy Americans Act (Introduced in Senate).

It can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c110query.html just search for "S.334 Healthy Americans Act"

Bob says that this bill "... will provide all Americans with health care that is portable, permanent, and subject to market forces."

Wow! Sounds better than eating free funeral potatoes at the reading of your rich uncle's will.

I made it to Sec 102.(b) which is titled "Penalty for Failure To Purchase Coverage"

Wow again!

Hey Bob, exactly which market has penalties for not buying the product your selling?????

I am trying really hard to come up with some more pithy critique, but I will have to settle for...

Bob, you are just another socialist puke.

p.s. I hear Mitt is looking for a lap dog.

Just a reminder

2007-06-06T13:01:00.001-07:00

Bob "I will only serve one term if elected" Bennett is on his third term in the senate!

You can't have it because I put it out of reach

2007-02-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bill that would require health insurers to cover more of the costs of treating mental health conditions moved forward in Congress on Wednesday with wide backing from employers and insurers.
The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 cleared the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and now goes to the full Senate for a vote.
"The bill requires health insurance plans that offer mental health coverage to provide that coverage on par with financial and treatment coverage offered for other physical illnesses like heart disease, diabetes or asthma," Republican New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici's office said in a statement."

Need I repeat that Pete is a Republican.

So they force insurance companies to cover all types of conditions real and imagined and in the next breathe whine that there are millions of uninsured in the land of the free.

And we elect idiots like this.

Again.

And again.

For 35 years.

A small update. I visited Mr. Domenici's website (http://domenici.senate.gov/legislation/legislation.cfm)

What an egomaniac.

And such a principled Republican. He brags on and on about how much money he takes from others and gives (yes he personally hands out this cash and receives the gratitude and adulation) to people he deems worthy (and who cough cough contribute to his campaigns)

Presumption of Malfeasance

2006-12-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

This one will take some more thought.

I had a visit

2006-12-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

The other night I was visited by an alien.

He had a question for me.

What is the difference between politicians and beauty queens?

hmmm...

They both spout inane phrases that neither they nor us believe,
and yet we breathelessly follow what they say they are going to do.
They spend their lives trying to appear to be doing what they think other people think they should be doing.
They both have uniforms tested over time to achieve their desired results.
They are able to smile and wave for hours at a time.
can memorize useless trivia and regurgitate at will
they have speech coaches
speech writers
choreographers
gallons of product
do no real work
nor anything of substance
are as deep as an insect wading pool

and they screw those who voted for them.

Well I guess that should satisfy all the SETI deniers.

Lost dreams

2006-11-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

When Mr. Thune defeated what's his name for a SD senate seat I was happy and full of optimism.

It appears my naivete knows no bounds.

Mr. Thune is just another power porker. A disgusting shill for those not interested in working for a living.

Citizens against government waste gave him the signal honor of Porker of the month.
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=news_porkerofthemonth

What did you expect?

2006-11-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

The Democrats won!

And

The Democrats lost! Well the democrats who call themselves Republicans.

Really Mr. Hastert what else did you expect?

Billions in earmarks.

Federal intervention in schools. Is there any state in the union that needs federal help to teach Kindergarten? First grade? Even Rhode Island and Wyoming can handle 12th grade on their own!

Free drugs if you happen to be over 65. Here is a clue. If you are going to be a socialist, calling yourself a republican is not going to help you get elected.

To the Republican leadership in the House: You are morons.

Mitt Romney (just another socialist pretending he isn't)

2006-04-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Governor Romney has just announced that if a resident of Massachusetts does not buy health insurance that person will be fined. What if that person does not pay the fine? Will the fine get larger? If that is not paid will the person be put in jail? What if the person resists? Will they force him to jail? What if they strenuously resist? Will they shoot him?

Hmmm police as the final solution in health care.

Why do government "solutions" involve coercion?

His justification for all this nonsense is that the federal government FORCES hospital emergency rooms to take patients.

My political calculus

2006-02-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

Take the latest bill/law/executive power/judicial ruling, now invision your worst nightmare of a president/judge/bureaucrat wielding this law/power/precedent/weapon. Does that scare you? If so fight to defeat it before it becomes entrenched. If it is already law/precedent fight to remove it.

Dennis Hastert endorses earmarks

2006-01-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

Dennis Hastert (Republican and Speaker of the House) endorses earmarks. There I said it again. It is even more repulsive the second time. It appears we have succeeded in eradicating shame from the US.

2005-12-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

Some observations on physical phenomena that have parallels in my life.

The hardest thing is flying straight and level.

You have more control when you are holding an edge.

It is so sad

2005-11-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

Mr. Bush should have led. He has shown that he can. It is just that he has very few real principles. Really, free drugs for all (if you happen to be 65 or older), free pork for all even Democrats, free borders, free free free well except no freedom to speak your political mind close to an election, and no consequences for all this free stuff. Ridiculous.

It would be extremely easy to do better than this man has done. Is there anyone out there who has the guts to do it?

Vive la France (at least for a little while)

2005-11-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

The world really is becoming polarized.

2005-10-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

If you think you have something to lose.

You do.

Is it true that Harreit Miers was part of Bush's nominee search team?

2005-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

I find it so utterly tawdry when "I searched the world over and the best person I could find was... MYSELF"

Again, if this is true what kind of a moron tasks a person to find candidates knowing that same person may be a candidate?

Dear Mr. Bush

2005-10-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

The more I think about it the more disgusted I become.

To quote Mr. Wales, "Don't piss on my back and tell me it's rainin' boy."

Bush does not = Hitler, Bush = Souter

2005-10-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

"I have known Harriet Miers for years and years. She shares my judicial philosophy." George Bush said something like that. That does not inspire confidence. Bush presides over a party that cannot understand a budget. Bush thinks federal control over education is a good thing. He thinks federal aid for local disasters is ok. He thinks that when people turn 65 they have the right to force those younger to pay for their drugs. Bush signed a highway bill stuffed with 6,373 earmarks that have no place in national legislation. Bush signed the McCain-Feingold law which undermines the 1st Amendment.

This man has never actually read the Constitution.

Really, what did you expect?

The medical "system"

2005-10-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was at a doctor's office. He has a handout for his patients. It points out that if the patient has insurance the patient is the consumer of the insuror's product.

If I am a consumer of medical insurance then why is the system so messed up? Shouldn't market forces work to keep things in balance?

Here is one flaw in Medical legislation in the US. Most employers have tax incentives to provide medical insurance. I as an employee cannot easily afford to ignore this benefit and choose the insurance company that works best for me. Or to dump my company's insurance if they screw up or if they offend me, or if they start supporting some cause I find idiotic. I.E. I stick with them even though I would rather try another company. And they know this.

Compassionate Conservatism = trying to have it both ways and failing

2005-09-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

I just saw the Florida Attorney General on tv. He was vowing to prosecute gasoline station owners for "gouging" during times of emergency. He said that "when people are fleeing a storm they don't need to be gouged." He then said that he still wants the market to operate. Hmmm. If people are fleeing a dangerous storm why should the station owner stay and sell gas at a government enforced price? Why should he take the risk? If a driver has a load of gas and he cannot sell it for a greater profit in a storm zone why would he bother taking it there? If he does take the risk and deliver it to the storm zone and sell it at pre storm prices out of principle then I applaud him, but let him make that decision.

This forced morality hurts more than it helps.

2005-09-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have aspirations. Life is more than ranting and gnashing about the world's ever expanding busybody class, crassly pointing out the perpetual whiners, and poking holes in the bloated Self Important Ones.

I wish to be well enough off to tour the world finding excellent food and writing about it here for all to see.

I bet Bush the first feels stupid for lending his name to the snake who now trashes his son. Oh well, he really should have known better.

Case in point

2005-08-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

To me this exemplifies what is wrong with the US.

Ellsworth Air Force Base is the second largest employer in SD... after the state government.

(I guess I really don't need to continue.)

Mr. Thune campaigned on the issue that he as a Republican close to the Republican president would be able to keep the base from being closed.

Mr. Daschle campaigned on the same issue, that he as minority leader would be able to keep the base from closure.

Many people agree that it is not needed. It was on the BRAC list.

Mr. Thune pulled every stunt he could to save it and eventually succeeded.

There it is. A "principled" Republican pulled out all the stops to retain a boondoggle.

I was very happy to see Mr. Daschle go, but I don't think much has really changed.

Prove me wrong

2005-07-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

One of the saddest commentaries on our squalid little mudscratching society is our insistence on joining a team. And then defending it at the expense of any principle we might have once held.

Private Property

2005-06-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

John Paul Stevens should not be on the Supreme Court.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/23/AR2005062300783_pf.html

New London officials "were not confronted with the need to remove blight in the Fort Trumbull area, but their determination that the area was sufficiently distressed to justify a program of economic rejuvenation is entitled to our deference," Stevens wrote. "The City has carefully formulated an economic development plan that it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community, including--but by no means limited to--new jobs and increased tax revenue."

According to Mr. Stevens if someone wants to tear down your house so that they can build a business on your property all they have to do is "carefully formulate" a plan that the city council will buy and presto! You have lost your home, so that someone else can make money. Welcome to America!

If some corrupt bureaucrat in your city decides that your neighborhood is "sufficiently distressed" (Please don't try to understand this technical term it is only comprehensible by great legal minds and you peasants might hurt yourselves trying) they can force you to leave.

This means that everything in this country is for sale, even if you don't want to sell it.

This is truly ground breaking. This will not go unopposed.

Only inside the beltway

2005-05-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

"Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have completed at least 5 years of service, or at any age after completing at least 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on the number of years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of salary."

That means that if you are elected to the Senate for one term you will receive a pension. For 5 years of "service."

Do you know of any other job where you get a pension after only 5 years?

Vote Republican and save the world

2005-05-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is what Bush’s moronic “good intentions” have gotten us. This is what a Republican majority has done for us. Gives me great hope for the future.

"If we can't pass this legislation and Medicare moves forward and funds recreational sex drugs for seniors, then what couldn't we fund with the taxpayers' dollars?"

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050517-122422-2678r.htm

If social security is such a great thing...

2005-05-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

why are we forced to participate in it?

Congress is not a career

2005-04-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Sign of the times

2005-03-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

I think there is a tipping point when people spend more time worrying about others' business than their own. I believe we passed this many years ago.

A step in the right direction

2005-02-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

To begin righting this ship I consider these steps to be the minimum.

1. Repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments
2. Apportion the federal budget from the States according to Congressional representation.
3. Pass a new Amendment limiting Congress to 12 years max in the House and 12 years max in the Senate.
4. Abolish federal "welfare" and let the States handle it.

It is time

2005-02-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

Social Security is a pyramid scheme.

It is time to change this. Any money taken by government is gone. There is no lockbox. There is no trust fund. Congress has spent it all.

I find it extremely offensive that some bureaucratic moron in DC thinks I am too stupid to prepare for my own retirement.

They are currently debating whether I should be allowed to invest a portion of MY money in certain investments THEY approve. These idiots need to drink their own Kool-Aid.

How long are we going to put up with this nonsense?

Charity

2005-02-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

How can money taken by force and given to those who have not earned it and do nothing to earn it be called charity? Are the givers of this "charity" ever thanked by the receivers?

Earmarks

2005-01-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

Earmarks are the most vile perversion of the US government.

some hope

2004-12-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

I am so thoroughly happy for Mr. Thune of South Dakota and Mr. Coburn of Oklahoma.

Is it just me?

2004-11-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

I thought that turn signals were for indicating your intent to turn before it becomes obvious.

Seniority

2004-11-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

Why do we confer power on people just because they have been around longer than others? Congress has the tradition of giving chairmanships to Senators who have been in office the longest. I wonder who started that? So states that want to send new, bright, energetic, principled people as their representatives can forget about ever having their man as a chairman. "Yeah, but I would rather have a crumb from an unprincipled chairman than the best efforts of a newbie." Again, I wonder who started this policy? I suggest we end all aspects of the incumbent protection program. In fact I endorse term limits: 6 terms in the House and 2 terms in the Senate with absolutely no pension plans.

Technicians and Innovators

2004-10-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

In all fields of endeavor there are varying degrees of proficiency. I like to make two general classifications: Technician and Innovator.

Technicians are those who have some on the job training/education/shooling and have developed a set of tools with which they ply their trade. I oversimplify this as matrices of varying complexity. A trite example would be a doctor who takes his patients symptoms and looks in his matrix of what he has seen works best/learned in medical school/the pharmaceutical rep said, "worked just super duper" and prescribes a treatment.
An advanced technician collects data on the success of his matrix and tries to improve it.

Innovators are those who have mastered all the base material and understand the entire system. They have read all the books, articles, news old and current, everything they can get their hands on that even remotely applies. He reads articles that he knows are very similar to the one he re-read for the 15th time last night just with the hope that it might shine the light on one of the obscure corners of his understanding.

Again the doctor example. He understands the complex relationships between the organs, bones, nerves, chemistry, electrical fields, medications, patient's will power, current physical and mental condition, etc. He can see the true problem and therefore also can see the better solutions.

Innovators create entirely new tools and make connections previously unseen. Sadly, the ratio of technicians to innovators is extremely high. I cannot claim to be among the latter.

Why Iraq?

2004-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

When Bush announced that we would go to Afghanistan I understood why.

Then we were told about the Axis of Evil (N. Korea, Iran, Syria)
I believe these guys have established themselves as willing and able to create mischief.

But the next step was Iraq. Not much apparent logic here. Unless there is evidence that is not being shared with us mortals.

When the Oklahoma City bombing first happened they searched for John Doe #2 who was described as middle eastern. I even remember a black US citizen who was mistakenly pulled over. Then the search for JD #2 stopped. With no explanation.
Nichols went to the Phillipines at the same time Ramzi Yousef was there.

TWA 800. This was no accident.

I would really like to read the "true" story now rather than wait 30 years, because I am pretty sure we CAN handle the truth.

Update: Here is something understandable. http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040927-084818-8434r.htm

Whiny rich liberals

2004-09-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Kerry said, "she was embarrassed to receive tax cuts advocated by Bush and supports her husband's efforts to roll them back for higher incomes and use those funds for education, health care and deficit reduction."

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2004/09/20/daily58.html

If she is so worried about those programs why doesn't she just give her own money to those programs?

Sadly, I doubt that will happen. I think what they really want is to tell us what we must do with our money.

These people seem to spend a lot of time worrying about what other people do.

POTUS

2004-09-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

We can do better than George Bush, much better. Unfortunately, Mr. Kerry is not that man.

Gratitude

2004-09-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you heard someone who has been on welfare and then been taken off it (for whatever reason) say thanks for the months/years of help?

Who would they say thanks to?

Dept of Ed

2004-08-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

Does the principal of an elementary school in Arizona really need 43 (could be more now) billion dollars of bureaucracy in Washington DC to run her school well?

The Olympics (can I use that word without paying some kind of fee?)

2004-08-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Isn't it just a business, a traveling freak show that they keep trying to peddle off as some kind of pseudo sacred world cultural event that brings us all together in harmony and brotherly communion as they pass the plate? It has evolved into a huge scam intended to make a few people rich, mostly has been athletes who couldn't parley their 15 minutes into lots of cash.

But to be honest, I do enjoy watching some of the events.

personal observation

2004-08-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

The times I get the most angry, if I stop and think honestly, I find that it is because I am at fault.

Unions

2004-07-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

If they know how to treat employees well and make a profit then why don't they go out and start their own business?

Oh and there is one other small problem, corruption

A thought I have had for a long time.

2004-07-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

There is nothing worse than when expectation crashes into reality.

A saying of mine

2004-06-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

In a violent world I feel obligated to understand the tools of violence: Government, Laws, Treaties, Arms, zoning boards, licensing boards, etc.

USO 3 - 17 EREK MOA Scale Reticle

2004-06-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Working with the USO 3 - 17 30mm tube EREK knob MOA Scale Reticle with Ergo parallax on the objective and a 4" sunshade. The EREK knob has 90 .5 moa clicks per rev. It can only turn a little over 1 rev so it is virtually just one turn. This is fine with me as that allows me to know where I am at at all times. I hate getting lost on which rev I am on. I was told that it has 90 moa of total travel available. You just need to choose where along that 90 minutes you want the EREK to be. I choose to zero at 100 yards. It is sitting on a Badger 20 MOA steel rail which is on a Rem 700 300 WM with Rock 5r tube. With 210 JLKs on top of 73.5 gr of H4831sc those 45 moa can take you a long way.

Initial thoughts. This is a big scope. The ergo parallax spins the entire objective so the butler creek flip ups hit the barrel. Not so good.
Took a few to get centered at 100. 3 more @460yds for 3.6" gr.
3 more @860 yielded an 8.75" gr. Ouch! But then I realized that there was some mirage and they were almost perfectly vertical.
Went another round after the clouds came back and 2.8" @460 and 3.3" @860. Better

I like the .5 moa elevation clicks.
I can't ever seem to get the parallax adjusted out.
But the good news is that the eye relief is such that I think it forces you to be pretty well centered. The eye relief is constant. It is not very far but good enough even for a WM.
Preliminary opinion is nice, but not perfect. More later as I get to know her better.

Update on parallax. Having used almost all the travel in the ocular parallax at 700+ yards is found at the 75 yard setting on the objective.

Update: Sent it back. They fixed it. Now the parallax numbers on the objective are right on.

Initial thoughts

2004-06-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is hard maintaining the facade of civility. Once in a while that inexhaustible well of bile just spews forth and... POW I've got the meter maid in a headlock.