The Complacency of the Consistent Complainer

There are so many things wrong in America today that picking out just the top three would appear impossible.

Of course we can say the economy but what exactly do we mean?

The wealthy are doing great.  Banks and Wall St. firms are handing out record bonuses.  So the rank of the economy on that list would certainly appear subjective.

Well there is a tremendously high ‘un’ or under employment problem in America, right?

Again it depends on who is asked after all the Republican Party and their duped followers, many of whom are themselves unemployed would argue that jobs exist for those willing to do the hard work.  And then the discussion will devolve into a fight about illegal aliens taking jobs away from Americans.  The argument is old and false and the numbers would prove it if only the fear mongers would listen.

The two party system in Washington appears to have outlived it’s usefulness as one side’s winning strategy of ‘just say no’ to anything and everything the other side proposes has moved them to the brink of taking majority control of the government.

Surely when this happens the other side will wake up, I have no idea why they are sleeping now but…  And once the Democratic alarm clock kicks into gear some bright young man or woman on the left side of the aisle will forge a plan to do exactly the same thing.

The nation will go from left to right and DC from Democratic to Republican and back again ad infinitum.

Sooner or later the rest of the world will stop looking to us as the intelligent leaders of the free world and merely a nuisance.

So what should we do?  Do we get together and form a few more parties?  One such party was in fact formed out of the chaos that is the Congress today but unfortunately it was usurped by the Republicans and the ‘right.’

Some of the ideas of the Tea Party are good but the people chosen to deliver them are for the most part idiots or evil geniuses.

The agenda of that quasi autonomous group is unclear but rooted in the Republican rhetoric of smaller government, whatever that means.

So the people who are most affected by the power grab in DC become more and more frustrated and turn to the only thing they know how to do, complain.

And we all know there is plenty to complain about.

Unfortunately we have become accustomed to airing our views over the internet in the form of blogs, such as this one.  I guess we mistakenly feel that someone will sit up and take note but that will never happen.

The agenda of those in power is to stay there, not to make our problems go away.  If they actually did what we elected them to do we might enjoy peace and prosperity.  But how can you run for office without promoting fear?

Any student of politics, the art of the possible will notice that most if not all of our leaders say one thing on the campaign trail and do other things in office.  Some even vote against their own proposals just to piss off the other side.  These days they are commonly known as Republicans but that may change.

So the blogging continues and the complaints mount.  And we are happy to complain and have someone else read our thoughts and agree with us.  That has become our goal for we believe if enough people agree with us we can form a movement and perhaps bring about real change.

We are idealistic, we are deluded.

We have been defeated and we have become complacent.

But we will continue to complain since we have no other choice.

Nero would have been a Republican Congressman

With the world watching as aggressive dictators and fanatical megalomaniacs masquerading as religious Jihad purists continue to ply their trade of world domination some peace-loving intelligent leaders have gotten together to work out some semblance of sanity.

President Obama and his Russian counterpart have worked long and hard on a treaty that could effectively be the start of something good.  The Start Treaty or Strategic Arms reduction Treaty is a plan that should be viewed as a good thing unless of course your only agenda is to make the President look bad regardless of the consequences.

And consequences there will be!

But this should not come as a shock to anyone since the only thing on the minds, and I use that term loosely of the Republican leadership and their advisors is to get rid of TGDNITWH!  I’m sure that by now everyone is familiar with that disgusting acronym but in case you have been living alongside Bin Laden in a cave somewhere here’s a hint – That God Damned --- In the White House.

Enough of a hint?

So while the nuclear (or nuk-you-lar for you Bushies out there) threat hangs over our heads and the possibility of fire and destruction still exists the Republican Nero’s fiddle around with their plan to take back DC.

But one wonders what they would do when and if they do gain control of all parts of our government.  After all they have done nothing but obstruct for so long I doubt they would even know how to govern.

And therein lay the real danger.

While they have stars in their eyes and delusions of grandeur the citizens of America roam the land looking for jobs.  The world moves on without us.

We have already ceded our workforce to Asian lands and quietly become a laughing stock to much of humanity as we head toward third world status.

But the real threat is much closer and far more immediate.

One more election and this country will become a true Oligarchy.  And our electorate is so naive they don't get it!

The wealthy already own most of our politicians.  Now all they need is to place their puppets in all the seats of power.  That together with an already favorable Supreme Court thanks to their past puppet President and his handlers will complete the plan.

While most of the little people debate the efficacy of allowing billionaires to keep all their money by way of tax gifts in the hopes they will use a small portion of that wealth to hire us back they are looking beyond us to a world without boundaries.

The next election could determine the fate of three hundred million Americans.  And the only jobs that will be available if the above scenario comes to pass will involve the words, “Fries with that?”

Of by & for Some of the People

There is no doubt that we have a financial problem in this country.  Luckily we have great minds working on ways to solve the problem in a fair and equitable manner.
Or do we?
It all depends on who is the 'we' of which I speak.
It is no secret that the wealthiest American individuals and corporations have the largest voice and the most ears of our government into which they can whisper.  And Congressmen and women tend to lend an ear when that influential group wishes to bend one!
But the President appointed a bi-partisan commission to look into the deficit problem.  And the hope is that with both sides of the Congressional aisle represented we will get a fair picture of what is needed to ensure we do not fall back to the edge of the 2008 abyss.
Cuts in spending and increases in taxes are not only possible but in many cases necessary.
The way we live, spend and save going forward will have to be altered some.  But those alterations will work and be accepted if they are woven into the fabric of society fairly and from top to bottom.
That means we will all have to make some sacrifices, ALL!
But unfortunately it seems as though the initial report from the deficit commission is placing more of the burden on the middle and lower classes of the country and actually helping the wealthier out.
For example here are some of the proposals:
1 - Changes to Social Security include raising the retirement age and lowering the yearly COLA (cost of living adjustment.)  Also there will be a raise in the threshold amount on income payments.
These changes will not cost the wealthy or our leaders in Congress one penny.
2 - Taxes will be altered so that some popular credits and deductions will be lost such as the child care credit or the mortgage deduction.
Obviously the wealthy do not bother with mortgages and child care is usually taken care of by a team of well paid nannies.
2A - Tax rates will be lowered for all individuals from 35 to 23 and from 35 to 26 for corporations who will also be rewarded for sending jobs overseas by getting a complete tax holiday on all profits realized on out of country profits.
There seems to be no mention of the fact that the tax break for the wealthy and the multi-national corporations  will actually cost the country around $700,000,000,000 over the course of the gift.  All that while the lower and middle class tax payers will each be receiving a few dollars back on April 15th.
3 - Eliminate the tax free status of employer provided health plans.  This will push individuals into seeking out less expensive and cost conscious plans.
Seriously?  Take more money out of the workers' pockets and then ask them to start shopping around for better health plans?  The insurance companies will have orgasms over this one before the ink dries.
There are more ideas in the report such as reducing Medicare payouts and limiting the amount that can be awarded on malpractice suits.  Most tend to be favoring the idea that the middle class must bear the burden and brunt of any financial fix.
So what ever happened to across the board pain?
Where is the tax burden for the wealthy?
I find no mention of the bonuses banks handed out to their executives and board members using money they stole from tax payers.  I see no regulations on how high the insurance companies can raise rates before the convenient 4 year plan to reform goes into effect.
If we are going to have a workable fix then I repeat we must all be involved!
Everyone says NIMBY.  So why is it only the wealthy get to keep their back yards intact?
Let's face it  theirs is way bigger than the average and when it comes to taxes, SIZE MATTERS!

It's Just Another Day

It's Wednesday, one of seven days in the week sometimes called hump day by those who feel the need to label things. There are 51 days left in 2010 or for you retailers 23 days until Hanukkah and 44 until Christmas.
Time marches on relentlessly toward the future until it becomes the present and then the past making each day but a footnote in the annals of history.
But there are some days that should be remembered and noted and perhaps even celebrated.  One such day shows up tomorrow, Veteran's Day.
There will be parades and the obligatory politician marching in them, waving to the crowds and saying just the right words tailored for the occasion and written by just the right speech writer.
A couple of these men and women may have actually been in the Armed Forces but not many. Most will have been able to get out of serving their country for various reasons or for various amounts of money but all will pour praise over the brave men and women who felt the need to serve.
And they deserve that praise, not just tomorrow but all year.  And while speeches and parades are nice ways to show our appreciation it is more important that we never forget them.
How many of you know the following?

According to VA documents obtained exclusively by Veterans for Common Sense under the Freedom of Information Act, VA has treated one million new veteran patients who deployed to the Gulf War - the period of war that began August 2, 1990 and continues through the present in Iraq and Afghanistan.  297,000 deployed Gulf War veteran patients, 1990 - 1991

108,000 deployed Gulf War veteran patients, 1992 - 2002

594,000 deployed Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran patients, 2001 - present

The number of new, first-time patients from these two wars treated by VA rises 10,000 per month.

So what can one person do?

Plenty!

Sol @ 92½

My dad's name is Sol and he is nearing his 93rd birthday.
He served in the Navy and was stationed in the Pacific during WWII.  He has never forgotten that time or the brave people who fought alongside him.
Every Wednesday for the past umpteen years, health permitting my dad has driven to the St. Albans Community Living Center, a hospital operated by the Veteran's Administration. He volunteers his time to talk with the wounded veterans and take them down for services should they wish, or lunch or basically just be there for them.
In the past he would pick up one of his friends and drive over to a local supermarket for bananas and such to distribute among the patients.  Unfortunately his friend recently passed away and he no longer has anyone to sit in the car while he shops so he now drives straight to the center without groceries.
But he still goes and brings cheer and support every week nevertheless.
My dad is there as I write this and I am sure the lives he is quietly touching are all the happier that he is.
Throughout my life with my dad whenever it was his birthday, especially a special one we celebrated it as a family.  But he would always say, "It's just a number, just another day."
However when he turned 90 those of us who love him and are thrilled to still have him with us threw him a nice party, photos of which still appear on the right side of this blog.  And naturally we are hoping for many more numbers to come.
I do not know the men and women he will be visiting today or exactly what he will be doing or saying to them when he does.  He may not even know them, but I'm guessing they won't think today is just another day!
Oh no!  Today is the day Sol visits.
So tomorrow may be just another day to most but not to those who served and fought for America.  We must thank those who are still with us and the families of those who are not.
And to all the Sols of the world I say thank you and I salute you!

Wishing and Hoping and...

There is an old saying that we must be careful what we wish for lest we get it!
The Republicans have attained half of what they wished for in that they have control of the House of Representatives.  Only their stupidity in having total fools run in a few of the Senate races stopped them from realizing their entire wet dream - control of both houses.
The second part of their agenda can now go forward with an increased confidence in that they have chosen the winning path.  That goal is to ensure President Obama does not win a second term and they have made that their job one!
Of course the rest of America wishes them to focus on a different job one, that of getting more jobs for others but since when does a leopard change its spots?
But hidden within the race to the top for the party that has become synonymous with blockage is the responsibility of actually having to govern the country, or at least chip in.  And that may turn out to be a bigger pitfall than they had bargained for.
You see the Republican rhetoric has revolved around replacing the Democrats for so long that they have forgotten what it means to actually do the job they so coveted.  And many of the lies and false complaints they fed their partisan commentators for propagation across the right wing networks will come back to haunt them!
For example every time one of them wished to make Majority Speaker Nancy Pelosi look bad for spending too much money while doing her job they pointed out that she was using a private jet!  They said she would galavant around the country on this expensive tax payer luxury and waste our money left and right.
But the truth is the House's majority speaker being third in line for the Presidency has by law a Secret Service entourage and the use of an official United States Jet aircraft.  And even so Ms. Pelosi often eschewed the use of it when she felt it unnecessary.
Now Republican John Boehner will become the speaker and with the title all the incumbent perks.
And rest assured John of Orange will not only use the thing to fly everywhere but may have his tanning bed placed on board for those nasty 2 hour flights he will take to the golf course.
And of course the right wing media picked up on a phony and unsubstantiated story out of India of all places that President Obama was throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars on a trip to Asia this week as another example of his wasteful spending.
The numbers are of course a lie and with the possible exception of a woman who seems to be incredibly stupid, Michelle Bachmann, they all know it.  But even if the numbers were correct would we not wish to have our President safe while making trips to foreign lands and staying in hotels which were  bombed by terrorists earlier this year?
Would they have wanted Bush to go without security?
Well maybe in his case but not generally.
So do we expect the Democrats to point out the new speakers' wasteful use of taxpayer cash?  Of course not!
The Democrats didn't even announce all the good things they did during their all too brief hold on the majority of Congress and the White House.  In fact many of these modest morons ran away from their accomplishments as though they were ashamed of finally doing the right thing for the average American citizen.
All the tremendous spending that the Republicans claimed the Democrats did and always do will now be scrutinized and stopped now that the other party has control, right?
Not on your life!
Most of the wasteful spending is in Defense!  Mr. Boehner and his friends are even greater lovers of that industry than you can imagine.  So do not expect a penny to be pulled from any defense program.  In fact most of them want the wars to continue and grow so that defense contractors may make even more money!
Social Security and Medicare are hot button issues and the Republicans will never tell you what they have in mind, basically because they don't have anything in mind!  Oh they will continue to call it 'entitlements;' as if that's a bad word.
But let's face it, we work all our lives and some of our money goes into Social Security.  Are we not ENTITLED to get that money back?
There are a few other programs and initiatives that cost money but they fall far from the expense of the major ones so let's not dwell on them now.
So enough specifics for the time being.
As we head toward the end of November let's talk turkey.
The next session of the House of Representatives will open with the Republicans in charge.  They will have a Senate that is just slightly and precariously leaning toward the Democratic side of the aisle.  They may also be greeted by a conciliatory President fresh from a self proclaimed whooping at the polls.
So I ask the new leaders, "What up?"
Are you going to continue to block any repair of the country in your search for the Holy Grail, total domination in DC?
Will you waste time trying to repeal a health care bill that should in fact be made stronger?
Will you look into reining in Wall Street and the large banking institutions just a bit so that they don't do again what they did under President Bush?
Remember, the 2012 election season starts now and the people are already asking, "Hey Mr. Boehner, where are the jobs?"

Post 2010 Election Thoughts

Now that the smoke has cleared and we have a slightly clearer picture of the political landscape in America we should all take a step back and reflect on what just happened.

The facts are that the Republican Party now has control of the House of Representatives and they managed to shorten the gap between the Democratic majority and themselves in the Senate.

The same party who stood lock step against all things Obama and thereby brought the government nearly to a halt was rewarded for their lack of leadership by gaining that majority in the House of Representatives and that nearly 50-50 standoff point in the Senate.

The only thing that prevented them from gaining the majority in the Senate was the inherent lack of intelligence and substance in a few of their Tea Party candidates.

But just why did they make those gains in Congress?

What was the impetus that brought the party that wanted nothing to do with governing nearly into the driver’s seat of government?

Well for one thing it had nothing to do with their abilities behind the wheel.

We have seen over and over again the disaster that befalls the economy when they are the drivers.

The deficit that they so often point to as way too high is basically their baby!

One need only look at the facts (not to be confused with Fox which has no use for facts) to see that the deficit goes up whenever the Republicans are in charge.

So how could we as a nation vote them back into a majority position just two years after they left the economy in shambles?

The above doesn’t say much for the educational system in America.  Or maybe it defines it!

In order to measure ‘good’ we must have ‘bad’ and the same thing goes for smart.

The Republicans have to be quite smart and very good at doing what they do best or they would not be in the cat bird seat so soon after Bush slinked out of the White House.

They were able to twist the facts around and convince the electorate with their typical brand of fear mongering and racism that the Democrats could not get the job done.  And even though the job was to undo all the damage done by them it worked.

They now state unequivocally that their next task is to rid the White House of their nemesis President Obama.

Really?

That is job one for the Republicans?

I can think of at least a couple of other things we could do first but…

So we are giving the keys back to the group of people who should instead be called out for DUI – Driving Under the Influence of the wealthy.

And to continue the analogy just a step further note that their back seat driver, the Tea Party now has a substantial voice in the party.

But what’s done is done and we must move on lest we stagnate and fall into an economic Japan-like rut for the next decade or so.

There are so many first things that must be addressed since there are just so many problems in urgent need of attention.  But I believe we can all agree that unemployment has to be placed among the top priorities going forward.

But how can we force companies to hire people if they see no benefit in doing so?  After all they have found ways to reduce the workforce and ship jobs out of the country without penalty or tariff restrictions up to now.  And the Republicans always say they are for fewer restrictions on business so that will not change.

We can’t just force them to double the workforce in America but we can give them incentives to do so.

We can make it easier for them to pay the bills with tax breaks for hiring new workers.  But we must not extrapolate that last sentence to include all businesses.

This aid must be only for the so-called small business group, and only those who truly are small for they traditionally hire the most workers in the country.

Large corporations masquerade as small in order to game the system and reap the benefits meant for their smaller cousins.  We have to make sure they are not able to do so in the future.

For example Halliburton and many other impersonal multi-national corporations have found ways to get themselves categorized as ‘small’ by using creative accounting or sub-chapter S rules.

We cannot stop them from trying but if we institute real tough penalties along the order of double their one year profits in fines when caught they just may tone down their fraudulent behavior.  Of course if they are so arrogant as to continue their practices then we will reap the benefits when they are caught.

And if we are really serious about deficit reduction the best place to start is by abolishing the Bush Tax gift to the wealthy.

These well off people, many of whom made their money legitimately and thereby deserve every penny must be held to the same standards as the rest of us!  I personally pay taxes at a higher rate than many Wall Street men who last year made more than one billion dollars!

If these people who are spending millions of dollars in ads and possible bribes to convince politicians that they need an extension of that Bush tax gift were to get their wish the deficit would increase by over $700,000,000,000!

Just how much money do they really need to live out the rest of their lives comfortably?

I am not advocating a financial blood letting but rather a letting the sun shine in approach.

Much of the money these people would be paying in taxes would not be missed by them.  They would only be paying their fair share like the rest of us.

And that would help the economy and perhaps allow the consumer, the people who pay for the products these wealthy business owners produce, to go back into the stores with cash to spend.

So here’s the thing, the Republicans told many lies and distorted every truth they could find.

Over the last decade or so they made a mockery of the electoral process.  They can boast more than one genius among them with uncanny abilities to steal elections using dirty tricks and underhanded ploys.

But no matter how they got here the fact is they are back in the game.

It is now put up or shut up time.

The electorate they trained to lose interest in any issue ten seconds after it is introduced is now asking you, “What have you done for me lately?”

Hey Mr. Boehner, where are the jobs and how come that deficit is rising?

What If?

The traditional fights between the Republicans and the Democrats have been stepped up by more than just a notch with the addition of many new factors.  The most obvious new addition to the perennial fray is the so-called Tea Party.
This outlandish outlander of out and out idiots being run not-so-surreptitiously by the far right faction of the Republican Party has added a new level of hate into the mix.
Complete the boiling cauldron by placing it over the fire of a 24/7 media blitz of anything deemed deliciously 'tabloid-al' and you have a the makings of a Nationwide free-for-all.  So which group is on your side?
We can try to go back in time blaming one side or the other as the cause of it all but will find it as hard to do so as it is in the Israeli-Palestinian mess.
Someone will blame the current economic disaster on the Bush administration and they would basically be right.  But then the counterpoint will say that for a period of time the Congress was in the hands of the Democrats.
But Clinton left Bush a surplus that he and Darth Cheney handed over to their billionaire friends thus turning it into a mass deficit.
And the arguments on both sides will continue back in time for a while until we can finally blame the real culprits for our current Congressional quagmire, I cannot tell a lie, it's George Washington and his colonial friends!
That's right the good old founding fathers are to blame for all the woes we wearily wade through today.
And certainly we can blame them for the real Tea Party.
You remember that from your history classes, right?
The one in Boston Harbor?
In the 1770's?
I hope that event still appears in the textbooks coming out of Texas these days.
But what if the Democrats were to pull some of the dirty nasty tactics that have caught the attention of the dirt-happy media?
Suppose the Democrats hired some evil but sadly creative genius ala Andrew Breitbart and his group of equally disgusting and misguided fools?
Were this to happen we might be subjected to a new digitally pieced together video such as:
Mitch McConnell and John Boehner stating categorically that their main objective after stealing back the majority in Congress is to "get rid of that N in the White House.  The White House should be just that, WHITE!"
Does anyone really believe in this day and age that it is not possible to find enough available footage to cut and splice and copy and paste actual statements by those two to say this?  Hell, they probably actually said that exact statement often while in their own homes!  And using the proverbial technophobic joke, "Of course it can be done Why a 9 year old can do it!  Run out and find me a 9 year old!"
So what is the solution?
As long as the prize for the most dastardly dirty trick is political power and thus scads of new money and security for life nothing will change.  And with new exciting discoveries in technology the tricks will become more ingenious.
So how do we get out of this loop?
It will take time and cooler heads.
Unfortunately the way we are going we just don't much of either!

Today's Eclectic Compendium

These are the issues that are hitting my hot button today (sorry Ed.)

The business world and Republicans still blaming Obama administration for the uncertainty about rising health care costs.  They claim that is the reason for not hiring new workers.  But if anyone is to blame for raising rates and bilking the public shouldn’t it be the actual companies who are doing the dastardly deed?  Let’s face it the insurance industry is reaping record rewards by raping the consumer.  The Obama administration merely tried to stop them from their upward trend but had to do so without the help of the Republicans who branded his efforts as anti-American and claimed he just wanted to kill grandma!

It has finally been revealed that BP knew exactly what it was getting into when it used tainted and low quality cement on their oil rigs.  While it should come as no surprise that a company took shortcuts on their way to increase profits it should be noted that the “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” attitude of this renegade corporation is actually the norm.  Many companies knowingly produce inferior products only removing them from the shelf after being caught or sued by those adversely affected.

In a side issue the plastic additive BPA has now been linked to a lower sperm count in males.

At this point I would suggest that any new company leave the initials BP out of their name.  Just saying…

Quick economics lesson for the mathematically challenged Tea Party members on Long Island and elsewhere, LIPA is seeking to have their taxes lowered as a way to reduce the rates they must charge customers for electricity.  That sounds great, right?  Who doesn’t wish to have their monthly bill lowered?

But the fact remains that the taxes paid by LIPA and other utilities goes to funding local town functions such as the schools and mundane other necessities of life.

So as a result of lowering the taxes on LIPA we may end up paying them a slightly lower monthly amount but will then pay a far greater amount in town and school tax.

The bottom line is it costs money to run a government be it local Statewide or National!
Merely shifting around the pain and pleasure does no good.  At the end of the day (I still hate that phrase) we the tax paying public are footing the bills and end up with less money in our pockets.

Tighten up all budgets, get rid of fluff, stop political patronage, and get all political houses in order.  There is quite enough money floating around to do so!

Staying on Long Island a local Republican, Fran Becker who is running for Congress against Carolyn McCarthy stated today that he is surging.  As far as the upcoming election the polls say otherwise so if he is surging it must be in a different way.
Therefore all I can say is hey Fran we’re not interested in your sex life.

A report came out about the wonderfully brave men and women who serve in our country's armed forces around the world.  It stated that most of these soldiers found nothing wrong with working alongside openly gay human beings.
The report also went on to say that the feelings did not carry over into the Semper Fi sect as many Marines told the pollsters that they would quit if gays were allowed to serve.
Way to go guys!  That's protecting the American way of life!  Who would want a gay or lesbian soldier protecting them and watching their back when the enemy was about to shoot them?  We'd all rather die, right?
Pathetic!  Pick up your medals as you leave guys!  America thanks you for your service.

In a story that can be good and bad and then good and then bad again according to the news dentists have come up with an interesting idea.  They intend to keep our children’s teeth healthy by limiting their candy intake.  They are offering to buy back any candy collected during Halloween at the rate of $1 per pound.  As a result kids will make money while keeping their teeth in good shape.  They will also not have that unhealthy surge of sugar the day after the spooky celebration.

So just what will happen to all that chocolate and gooey caramel?  The dentists plan on doing what American drug companies have been doing for years when they sent drugs the FDA could not approve to foreign countries.  They will be shipping the unwanted candy overseas.  But not to worry, no American children will be harmed in the ensuing cavity bonanza.

The Saudis are now advising the owners of that downtown Manhattan property to move their Mosque away from the 9-11 memorial area.  They say they do not wish to cause any more pain and suffering.  But they also add that the Mosque would be too close to the already established bars and strip clubs that pepper the area.  Is it just me or was that a slap at normal and money making American businesses?

And speaking of business as usual in Somalia two children were executed for being spies by the ruling class yesterday.  The 15 and 18 year olds were sentenced and then moments later shot by firing squad without a chance of appealing the obviously ridiculous ruling.  It seems that in that country the only requirements needed to be judge and executioner is one must be male and know the Quran.  Done!
What that country needs is a Sadie Hawkins Day where the women get to run things for 24 hours.  Hey guys - drop your pants and pray the women have bad aim!  Of course with targets as large as yours it's doubtful they will.

Hey folks, did you know that there was another tsunami?  This one was near the other one and devastated towns, businesses and lives as well.  But only 1,000 people were killed or missing so far and it didn’t happen on Christmas and we are going through a momentous election period so you may not have heard about it.  Oh, and I believe no Americans were killed during the event.

And finally it has been pointed out that many of the Tea Party candidates are running for office because they claim to hear the voice of the people!
Unfortunately all too many of them are actually only hearing voices!