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Update on Previous Post

Already the dominoes are falling.
 
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Let Your Voices be Heard and Say NO, to the Bailout.

Allow me a minute to take the reader down memory lane.

Do you all remember the Amnesty Bill that President Bush and the Congress were trying to force down our throats? And yes, I recall that our current nominee for USPOTUS supported it. However, he (hopefully) says he has learned from the experience.

Nevertheless, I recall the public outcry, rage, and anger. I remember the grass roots movement that gradually swelled into a general rallying point which in turn eventually led, via many letters, faxes, phone calls, bloggers and other outlets to an almost unanimous voice of the people to our elite leaders in congress that basically told them; vote for this and it will be one of your last votes as a politician. In fact, you will not even win a race for dogcatcher in a one-dog town, ever again.

The people spoke as one, the politicos heard and listened.

Surely, we can do this again.

While I admire and respect President Bush on his handling of foreign affairs, I was none to keen on his domestic fiscal policies. I noted that he has been warning of this meltdown for a long time, but nobody on either side of the political fence listened. However, now that this meltdown has happened he is proposing a 700 Billion dollar bailout. This my friends is outrageous.

In an article at the Wall Street Journal, Andy Kessler, actually supports this insanity. Now Mr. Kessler certainly knows more about Wall Street and is certainly more qualified than I am in explaining his reasons. While I will not go into the full article (which can be read here), I did in particular make note of a couple of comments that cause me to seriously doubt the effectiveness of such a fiscal policy.

First of all Mr. Kessler states;

“So the U.S. will be stuck with a portfolio in the trillions of dollars in bad loans and last-to-be-paid derivatives. Where is the trade in that?”

Well yeah, where is the trade off? The taxpayer no matter what is still picking up the tab. And there is no assurance that this will work. Zero, zilch, zippo, nada, period.

Secondly, Mr. Kessler goes on to say, why it could possibly work;

“Well…unlike any hedge fund, the Treasury and the Federal Reserve get to cheat.”

Translation; we are the government we make our own rules. We are above the laws that require us to do what we want the private sector to do. Remember here also that I had pointed out in a couple of posts back that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac did not have to report to shareholders any troubles that they might be experiencing.

Thirdly, Mr. Kessler explains how the Feds can accomplish this act of smoke and mirrors.

“It's not without risk, but the Feds, with lots of levers, can and will pump capital into the U.S. economy to get it moving again. Future heads of Treasury and the Federal Reserve will be growth advocates -- in effect, ‘talking their book.’”

In fairness I ask the reader to make note that Mr. Kessler does say it is not without risk. But he seems to dismiss this risk by continuing onward in how the Feds can make this happen. This is all well and good, but again in my previous comments about this disaster I stated that both Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, owned approximately 90% of all mortgages in the United States. (As an aside, if a private company had done the same there would have been anti-trust suit lawyers lining the rails of every federal courthouse in America to sue, and break this up). Additionally this sounds less like a temporary Federal takeover and more like a permanent Federal nationalization attempt of the financial industry.

I ask the reader to recall that both programs were quasi-government run companies to begin with in the first place. We on God’s green earth would we want to trust them to administer a bailout plan that does not have;

a) The full confidence and backing of the American electorate

b) Not the best of odds in fully succeeding

c) Allows for foreign banks to recoup losses as well

d) Opens a Pandora’s Box to bailouts to every major corporation in the US, (talk about your corporate welfare programs)

e) Leads to possible nationalization of other industries. (Herein I seem to recall “Whacky Macky” Maxine waters verbal hiccup about socialize, um scratch that, taking over, no, scratch that about running, yeah that’s it running the oil industry)

So here is my summation. Here is our rallying cry. NO BAILOUTS! NO AMNESTY for the financial industry. Let the (blue chips) fall where they may, but allow the market who in time will correct itself to work.

Write, call, fax, post blogs, post commentary on blogs. Write to the editor of your local newspaper. Email national websites. Let the politicos in DC know we the people hold their political futures in our hands, and we are angry and to quote that movie;

“We’re not going to take it anymore!”

WE CAN DO THIS!

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Backburner News Entry 24

In an article published in Russia today a commission known as PACE is traveling to the former province of Georgia, South Ossetia to;
 
"...assess the damage and meet people on the ground. {Then} They will sum up their findings in a report be released on Monday."
 
Well all I can say, is that if this investigation is coming out of Europe, don't hold your breath about it pointing a finger at the agressor nation aka the Evil Empire.
 
The below qoute made me almost spit out my ice tea.
 
"It was the Soviet power that guaranteed peace and people came back to their homes."
 
If this isn't a message that the Evil Empire is making a comeback I don't know what else might be considered one.  Addtionally perhaps the word peace is mispelled, and should instead read "piece"?
 
One would think that people who had lived with the spector of MAD for some fifty years, and witnessed their fellow Europeans enslaved would know better.
 
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Backburner News Entre23

For those of us who may have forgotten the war on terror is indeed a global one.
 
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Backburner News Entry 22

It's a shame that there wasn't an accidental "errant" shot. A hit would do a lot more to discourage these folks.
 
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A Tongue in Cheek Plan for Fixing the Economy

I received this in an e-mail today and I wish I could take credit for this idea. It is apparently written by a Mr. T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic.

Although I am not so certain it would work, it sounds a lot better to me than giving it to those who created this mess (on both sides of the political isle) in the first place. If nothing else it will give you a good chuckle.

I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in

a We Deserve It Dividend.

To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000

bonfire U.S. Citizens 18+.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman

and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a

We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax-free.

So let us assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.

That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.

Nevertheless, it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife have $595,000.00.

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans – what a great boost to new graduates

Put away money for college – it will be there

Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car – create jobs

Invest in the market – capital drives growth

Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks

who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company

that is cutting back. In addition, of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it...instead of trickling out

a puny $1000.00 ( “vote buy” ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG – liquidate it.

Sell off its parts.

Let American General go back to being American General.

Sell off the real estate.

Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

Here’s my rationale.We deserve it and AIG doesn’t.

Sure it’s a crazy idea that can “never work.”

However, can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!

How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion

We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC .

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned

instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

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And You Still Don't Believe in a Libreal Bias?

In a piece at MSNBC.COM, we find a report by the NY Times about a McCain aide receiving payments from Freddie Mac. Ok fair enough I am relatively certain that there are probably no wrong doings in this arrangement. Nevertheless, it does not put a nice light on the McCain campaign.

But what is not reported, nor is even mentioned by this tool of the MSM is how the current financial mess has come about in the first place.

To quote Doug Patten of GOPUSA.COM;

“It was largely created out of a misguided need (mostly by Democrats) to feel as though America was actually doing something to help the poor own their own homes. This may be a worthwhile goal, but when people who have absolutely no hope of paying back loans are approved to buy a home… Over the last decade, Democrats like U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-MA, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-CN, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, have insisted that these ridiculous loans be made. Former Attorney General Janet Reno, carrying out the wishes of her boss, threatened legal action against any institution that discriminated or "redlined." …As Bill Clinton's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Cuomo was up to his eyeballs pushing the sub-prime mortgages that started these dominoes tipping in the first place. “

The point of all of this is to show the constant reporting of the MSM of anything that might be of questionable actions no matter how larger or small, by either Conservatives or Republicans is front-page news. However, we find the crickets chirping when it comes to the failings of the Sociolibrocrats.

Witness again one Congressman Rangel who has been somewhat in the news lately, (translation by mostly conservative bloggers), who has been accused of not paying taxes on income earned and other financial manipulations.

And where is the MSN? Once again, I hear the crickets chirping.

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Backburner News Entry 21

Update on the previous post.  In an article at Reuters the Evil Empire has stated that it's new laws do not redraw their boundry on the artic circle and have denied accusations of such an action.  Sure and pigs fly.
 
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Backburner News Entry 20

Jane's has an interesting piece about the new cold war; literally cold.  The compeptition between the nations that border the Artic circle is heating up. (pun intended).  According to the report there is an untold wealth of resources that have been hiding there for the last serveral hundred years, give or take a hundred.  I would imagine that that wealth would include oil.
 
However consider this point. The sociolibracrats have alreayd put forth their energy policy, aka the drill here, but not there, not here, not anywhere except where there isn't any oil that can easily be recovered, plan. So even if there are tons of various types of untapped resources we won't have to worry about sharing them with anyone, because we won't really be going after them in the first place. 
 
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Govenor Palin Pulls No Punches.

In a speech that was supposed to have been given at a rally in front of the UN headquarters Governor Palin to coin an old prase "socked it to" President Ahmadinejad of Iran.
 
'"Senator McCain has made a solemn commitment that I strongly endorse: Never again will we risk another Holocaust," her speech says. "And this is not a wish, a request, or a plea to Israel's enemies. This is a promise that the United States and Israel will honor, against any enemy who cares to test us."'
 
I am sure the left will start their toxic comments very shortly as they have never met an enemy they didn't like, unless you count conservatives. 
 
Herein is the full text of her what would have been a great speech. For someone whose critics constantly portray her as having little expirience of foreign affairs, Governor Palin has exhibited a wonderful example of knowing evil when she sees it.
 
I would call this the Teddy Roosevelt school of foreign policy; speak softly and carry a big stick. And I personally will add here, USE IT too when it becomes neccessary.
 
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Backburner News Entry 19

There is actually two items in BBN 19.  Both are from articles in the NY Sun dated September 21 and September 22 respectively.
 
The former is about a possible terror attack by Al Qaeda prior to this year's USPOTUS election ala October suprise. My only thought is, and all readers should keep this in mind;  If it occurs on this soil or against American citizens just remember my new phrase WWOD? (What Would Obama Do). Click  here for full article.
 
The latter piece is about a new 527 group being formed by a former aide to of all people John Edwards.  I really love the next to last paragraph.
 
"So-called 527 groups are known by the section of the tax code under which they are organized. Unlike political parties and campaigns, 527 groups can take multi-million-dollar donations. However, such groups not permitted to engage in "express advocacy," the legal term for direct appeals for or against a candidate."
As if rules ever applied to the sociolibrocrat pary.  Read full story here.
 
 
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The End of an ERA and a Flood of Memories

Dear Reader;
 
As you all probably know I now live in a small city in Kentucky, but it wasn't always so. I am a former New Yorker and am still a rabid NY Yankees fan.  Yesterday they played their final game in the famed " house that Ruth built" and it moved and saddened me at the same time. 
 
The game itself had no real value as they have no hopes of making the playoffs this year, (the first time in over a decade), but after the final out, the team showed its loyalty to its fans by coming out and taking a lap around the field waving their caps in appreciation to all the support over the years from the greatest fans in sports history. 
 
I am looking forward to them playing in the new stadium next year, and I hope to get back perhaps next summer to see it for myself.  And yet out of all the memories I have taken with me to my new adoptive home state Yankee stadium most certainly stands amongst the top the top of the list.
 
I remember my dad taking me to so many games over the years and we always brought our own lunch and drinks, (in a time when you could without having to wait to have your bag check inside and out), and we'd sit in the cheap seats most of the time. In fact, I do believe that general admission was a whopping 0.75 cents.  The bleachers were a half dollar. I'd would bring my glove all the time even though I probably knew deep inside I'd' not catch a foul ball or a homer, but it was something you thought about when taking the IRT subway line to "the stadium".

The last game my dad and I attended together was somewhere around the mid 70's.  I honestly cannot recall if it had been prior to or after the renovations, where the Yankees were forced to play at Shea for two seasons. For me in retrospect it is now a sad memory, for during that time I was as most of my peers a rebel of sorts and at odds with my dad on a number of current issues of the day. However, I was slowly coming around to see his point of view and it is to him that I attribute my beginning of a conservative stance in life. But I digress.
 
My personal favorite memories of Yankee Stadium were the "Bat days".  Back then you got a real bat, (not like those current little things they give away now) with a current player's name etched in at the top.  I had two of them; one Bobby Richardson, the other Tom Tresh.  I can still hear those bats being pounded on the floor of the stadium during times when a rally was needed, or the last out was about to occur. It literally rocked the place as you could feel the vibrations from some 50,000 bats hitting the concrete in unison. Sadly, for me both bats, over the years succumbed to several moves and were lost. 

Over the last couple of years, I had taken my youngest to see a couple of games and she too is now a Yankee fan. And while I must say it is doubtful that she will ever be as big a fan as I have been, she still enjoyed going to the big show.  As such, I know I have created some memories for her to have as she gets older.
 
I know that there are many of you reading this that have very similar memories of Yankee Stadium and I invite you to share them with not only me but the rest of the readers as well.
 
The YES network has a wonderful series that they have put together containing comments by various people about their memories of Yankee Stadium.  I invite all of you to click on the link, and relive some of your own greatest recollections of one of baseball's most historic and hallowed places.
 
Finally I extend my thanks to the NY Yankees for being a wonderful part of my childhood, and to having continually brought so many emotions; joy, frustration, sadness, and excitement, into my life and for this I will be ever grateful.
 
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Backburner News Entry 18

Two items from Stategypage.com. The first is about how the US Military was researching the development of a laser type weapon as early as the 1960's-1970's, but was scrapped... for being too cruel. The second piece is about the next generation bomber heir apparent the B-3.
 
Read both articles here and here
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Further Down a Slippery Slope

For those of us that believe in the sanctity of a human life the use of embryonic stem cells is a definate no-no. 

However it seems that there are those in this world that just can't seem to get the idea that life, GOD given life is, not only a blessing, but something that should not be toyed around with in any way, shape or form.  And as such continually go down a road wherein they start to beleive themselves as creators of life. 
 
In an article dated September 17, 2008, Reuters reports that the Austrailian government has given the go-ahead and issued a licence to Sydney IVF, an in virtro fertilization firm.
 
While the licence bans human cloning for the purpose of reproduction, (for now) it is this quote from the article that bothers me a great deal.
 
"An Australian ban on the research, known as therapeutic cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer, was lifted in December 2006 after a rare conscience vote, (italics mine), in the national parliament."
 
So what is a conscience vote? I have no idea, but somehow it troubles me to the point of wondering how long it might be before the conscience of the Austrailian National Parliment decides to allow human reprpoductive cloning.
 
Oh, how debase is the mind of man, that he should decide that he wants to play Creator and God?
 
 
 
 
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Backburner News Entry 17

The real war on drugs taking place in Columbia is beind successfully waged.  FARC, is begining to crumble and is steadily losing ground.  However it is not all a bed of roses, as much of the Narco-terrorists are seeking refuge in neighboring countries such as Venezuela. 

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