Poised & Poisonous

Venom lives on after the body in which it resided is gone or so it seems.

The country has finally been able to get rid of an insidious form of cancer known as Bush but can it rid itself of Bush’s Brain? Karl Rove, I cannot bring myself to use the polite Mr. in front of the disgusting creature’s name is still working behind the scenes in our political arena.

The KR virus invaded the Republican body a while ago and took hold of more than just W’s brain. It set the body Republic on a comprehensive and cohesive course of action aimed at destroying any non-infected organism in its way. It’s four year mission, to seek out and destroy new ideas; to boldly go where all other Republican Conservatives have attempted to go in recent years. In other words KR wishes to destroy the Democrats and specifically President Obama.

The stimulus package offered up by the President and his advisors may not be the best plan but it is a plan and it is a beginning. Its aim is to jump start the economy. There are many different ways to do this and many different views on how to implement each of those ways. But rather than offer to work with the Democrats and try to help the citizens of America the KR virus says “obstruct and destroy.” And as when the virus was firmly implanted in Bush the entire Republican Party rose with one voice to vote down any possibility of help for the stimulus package. This remarkable achievement should be viewed with awe but also dissected for what it really is - the virus is fighting for its life. It is amazing how every single Republican in government no matter where they are in the country says the same thing at the same time and uses the same talking points. One would think they were all being controlled by one mind, Hmmmm. I can't even get my family to agree on what to eat for dinner.

The fact that for the past 8 years KR and its tendrils had control of the country while it bled the economy dry does not matter to the obstructionists. The only thing a parasite like KR wants and needs is to keep itself alive. But like all parasites it cannot survive outside the body. If the body dies so does the parasite. KR needs America to live on but it does not need the little people and that is why it does not wish to see the government waste money on the poor and middle class.

Health care; are you kidding?

Extended unemployment insurance; are you kidding?

Tax cuts for the rich; now that’s a plan!

And the KR machine is moving full speed ahead with reports on Fox News (loosely used term in their case) and editorials in the Wall St. Journal, a recently acquired Fox Conservative rag. The journal used to be fairly objective once even though it leaned more toward business than the individual but is slowly losing stature.

And I am not even going to mention the most disgusting piece of crap since dysentery (although I will show its face) because he gets far too much coverage as it is. If this moron were to drop dead I would hold the contents of my bladder for a week just to empty it on his grave. This is the true face of the Republican Party now and poster child for planned parenthood and controlled abortion. When asked about President Obama this nothing but a dangerous radio talk show host said, "I hope he Fails." For those of you unfamiliar with this total waste of life its name is Rush Lamebrain and it is equally as dangerous as KR and in case he is too stupid to understand it if the President fails we all fail!

When KR was able to steal the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections with clever fraud and aplomb the Democrats graciously stepped aside. Mr. Gore’s now famous line of self introduction shows this point when he says, “Hi, I’m Al Gore. I used to be the next President of the United States.” He could have fought the horrendously ugly Florida Secretary of State, and I do not mean just her looks and the phony Right Wing leaning Supreme Court decision and ended up in the Oval Office but he chose the less divisive path. Our nation's loss but the global climate's gain?

Some left siding groups found signs of those frauds and noted that they included voter registration irregularities. The KR virus is turning this argument around by asking why there are no complaints now. And the Journal used a photo of 8 African Americans voting in Georgia to prove their point. (I would love to have been a fly in the newsroom when they were joking about possible captions for the photo.) The simple answer is that the irregularities were stopped and you do not complain about a cancer once it is gone!

The bottom line is simple. The country is in the process of curing itself after suffering the throes of the virus. The recovery will take time but our leaders must be vigilant lest we have a relapse. We cannot allow KR back into the body. We are on life support as it is. The best cure is to identify it and see it for what it really is a self serving worm that must be eradicated. The body is gone, now get rid of the abnormal brain.

Piece of Mine!

Follow up to the story below - 15 minutes just saved me a lot more than the "Down under rodent" could have.

I actually switched away from Geico.

Well technically I no longer had a Geico policy since it was sold to Travelers a few years ago. And just like those mortgages that became toxic and started all the economic problems in this country my new policy hit the road to the heights. The payments kept increasing and increasing until they were almost out of sight. And every year the new higher rate policy was accompanied by a letter of thanks from the crooks at the underwriting concern.

Isn't it a shame that you can spend hours doing research and due diligence to pick out a company you wish to deal with only to have that company deal you away to a third party on a whim? And then that third company starts raping you as they rake you over the coals?

This should serve as a wake up call to everyone. Do not get complacent. Check your policies on a regular basis and do not be afraid of change. Change is good. (Got that red states?)

After I put out the word that I was being buried under the monetary mountain of monotonous increases Merrimac came to the rescue. Actually I sought them out based on a suggestion from a frugal friend.

And fifteen minutes later I had a $2,000 savings and a satisfied smile. (The total savings actually includes money off my "Umbrella" policy.)

Next stop - a fifteen minute talk with AT&T - Using their 800 number of course.

Peace of Mind?

Back in 1984 I accepted a rate increase from Geico that allowed me the pleasure of paying them $400 for my Homeowners Insurance. Since that time they have had to pay out only one claim and that was for a lightning strike to the side of my house. This freak incident did not cost the company much and they handled it with professionalism and speed.
As a result I have stayed with Geico for all my insurance needs.

But several years later Geico sold my policy to the wonderful people at Travelers Insurance. You may know them from their rather stupid commercial featuring a British sounding idiot and a huge red umbrella.

During the years since Geico gave away my policy I have endured yearly absurd increases while Travelers has endured no claims from my property. In fact the only time Travelers spends any money with regards to my policy is when they send me the yearly notice of appreciation for paying the new higher rape amount on time.

However this year's letter held a slightly different message. My policy is being canceled due to losses incurred by the assholes elsewhere. They seem to have had a great many claims up and down the Eastern Seaboard due to hurricanes. Obviously those claims were mostly down but they cannot take any chances, after all they are not in business to lose money and pay out any claims.

So as a result of having lost some money on those Southern claims they may not be able to afford AIG type parties and hookers for the executive on weekends.

They just woke up to a scary reality - when you sell insurance you may, MAY have to pay back some of that money once in awhile.
I know, I know. It was quite a shock to me as well.

Anyway they have given me the right to allow them to offer me a new policy at a much higher rate that will have similar coverage to the older less expensive policy. Similar is a cute word, no? I am certain the new policy will cover anything up to but not including the actual house itself.

The increase will be around 8% and bring my premiums up to $3,000. If I choose to accept this fraud they will send me a new bill and a soft mat with instructions on how to kneel properly. IF however I opt out they will wipe off my incredibly expensive account from their system.

Naturally I had to accept the new terms but only for as long as it takes to find a new company to cover my home. And I shall do so, even if they are merely one penny lower. In fact I may switch even if they are the same price!

If anyone is reading this would you please send me your thoughts on a good replacement for the bastards at Travelers. You may also choose to have your favorite agent contact me by way of this blog.

Obviously we must all have homeowners insurance because we need the peace of mind that comes from knowing we have a large company behind us that will be able to step up to the plate when and if the terrible time comes and say, "Sorry, that's not covered,"

Shut Up and Get to Work

I have extra free time on my hands as a result of the economy and other reasons I will not mention here. As a result of this I have been able to follow the wonderful financial news more closely than before. One thing is clear, the game is afoot.
For at least 8 years the Republicans held sway over everything that went on in this country and we watched our nation's world-wide popularity plummet. In the past that would not have mattered but the world is in fact flat and in the current economy it matters greatly. When Mr. Bush, the great decider whose popularity numbers should have been in the negative range wanted to get something done his cronies took out the old rubber stamp and gave the approval. And in the end I believe we can all see where those policies have brought us.
(In the interest of fair and balanced reporting Mr. Bush's approval rating while it was the lowest of any President ever and deservedly so was still in the positive range. Would someone please find the people outside of Haliburton and some of his family members who approved of him and ask them what the hell they were thinking?)
Now the Bushies will of course point the fingers elsewhere because that is what children or idiots who have no intelligent response always do. "Oh, yeah? Well you started it!"
And in keeping with the partisan stupidity that we cannot afford out come the morons on the right with their supposedly loyal opposition stance. I hear a concerted effort every day to undermone the Democrats and state that the stimulus package is all wrong and if they would just listen to us (the Republicans) we could get the country back on track.
But we were on that track for 8 years and the economy got de-railed!
Under the Bushies we sent more jobs out of the country than ever before; there was more corporate greed and less oversight than ever before yet the government was getting larger at every turn. And they were into our lives and pockets and bedrooms. In fact one of the few areas they did not spend on was scientific studies that could cure diseases killing millions of people in this country and the world because the absolute jackass would not allow funding of stem cell research based on religious views!
I am not saying that Mr. Obama and the democrats have the silver bullet or magic wand to cure all that ails the country but they will certainly not be able to focus on the problem if they have to parry such childish nay-saying from the other side of the aisle.
And the electorate should not put up with it.
Too many of us are without jobs while too many senators and representatives should be without them. These fat cats have to remember that they produce no product and are in place solely to help the citizens of the country in any way possible. Their job is to make our lives better. And right now they are doing a real shitty job!
If they can perform they can stay but if all they can do is point fingers elsewhere and complain about the other guy then it is time for them to leave.
And by the way, they leave with huge pensions; health care for themselves and their families for life and a bright future retirement filled with paid public appearances and freebies at every turn assuming they actually retire and do not enter the lobby arena.
The Republicans took a dump on the streets of this country and now that the Democrats are in charge they hold their noses and point at the mess demanding it be cleaned up.

THE A-B-Cs of Bailouts - A Primer

Years ago Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks. He calmly answered, “Because that’s where the money is.” Well ever since then the banks have been returning the favor.

First the bankers attempted to ruin our economy through greed and stupidity. Our government felt that a strong economy must have banks around to loan money to businesses. Thus was born T-A-R-P - the Troubled Assets Relief Program.

But I believe the alphabet has far more to offer than just that 'A' in TARP.

Here are the A-B-Cs of my proposal:

T-B-R-P – Toxic Budget Relief Program.

New York’s Governor Paterson is adding another fee onto the already absurd rates we pay LIPA & National Grid (formerly Keyspan, formerly Multi-Span; formerly Brooklyn Union Gas) because there is a 15.4 Billion dollar State budget deficit. Don't reward failure with TARP; distribute some of the cash to the States in need under a TBRP?

T-C-R-P – Troubled Consumer Relief Program.

Energy prices are still trending higher; banks are reluctant to loan money; consumers are strapped with ‘passed along’ increases. Print a few hundred million dollars to distribute to the consumers on Main Street as a temporary allowance under TCRP.

T-D-R-P – Tax Dumb Relief Program.

A record number of Americans have lost their jobs. They are collecting tiny amounts of unemployment insurance money, BUT they are forced to pay tax on that money. This dumb idea allows less spending and thereby stalls the economy further. Suspend this tax under TDRP?

I could go on and I am certain you could as well but I have one more that I believe fits the current situation.

T-W-E-R-P – Tremendously Weary Economically Raped People

Through no fault of our own we on the ground have suffered the loss of our nest eggs and retirement funds, not to mention our jobs and in many cases our future.

The debates in DC continue as they have for many years. One side says help big business in the belief of a trickle down theory while the other side says a quick aid to the middle class would work better.

Our country reveres and hates the wealthy but allows them to make the decisions that determine our lives. We are weary of waiting and need action now.

Giving money to banks without strings did not work before and never will. We appear to have finally figured that out when the Big 3 Detroit idiots jetted in for cash. But allowing business to continue its merry way in the future without learning from the mistakes and pain we are currently going through is absurd.

From the early 1940s until the 1980s the average CEO compensation was approximately 30 times that of his worker. In 2004 that multiple had jumped to around 120 with some CEOs actually pulling over 800 times as much as their employees! Since then the number has fallen but it's still well over 100 times the average worker. In other words if the company is in manufacturing and the average worker is making $65,000 per year the CEO is taking between $6.5 and $52 Million!!!

And that is just the money from this company. This CEO most likely sits on the board of directors of many other companies pulling in bonuses and options from their bottom lines as well. These disgustingly wealthy people also control huge lobbying concerns that work behind the scenes in Washington to see that nothing stops their gravy train. Hopefully the current administration will go through with the promise to CHANGE this practice.

There is no way we should allow a CEO to make such obscene amounts of cash but in a free society we have no choice. However when the same CEO begs the Senate for aid because his greed and stupidity caused a meltdown we can and should hold his feet to the fire. Our tax payer money will fix the company but they personally get nothing in return. But the price for remaining free from prosecution is they must divest themselves of all stock and stock options at a zero price. The result will put an immediate amount back into the company they so dearly wish to help.

See? It’s a win-win Mr. CEO and you may live off the cash you salted away all those years.

You may call it the T-A-B-C-R-P (Take All the Bastards Cash Relief Program.)

To once again reference Mr. Sutton we should start our healing process by squeezing these greedy CEOs because, "That’s where the money is!"

1-20-2009

It is January 20th 2009.

The date is not that significant except that it marks the 80th day since I was thrown away by the company I had worked for since 1993.

Oh yeah, and that other thing is happening today!

I will not write anything about the DC event because I do not believe I have to. The media anointed this man God of all things America a long time ago and today is just a formality. The crowning event has been anticipated by so many people that if you were to sit back and look at it rationally it would make you laugh.

This morning I turned on the news to see if there was anything important I needed to know and was hit with all the channels offering, "Breaking News." "The Obama family was about to leave their temporary residence for a trip to St. John's church for services!"
I assume that I tuned in too late to see the earlier breaking news, "Obama family finishes their showers and toilet duties and gets dressed."

Don't get me wrong I do not wish him ill. And I hope that I can say that I am finally proud of the country after he leaves office having fixed all of our problems. And I am not skeptical of his abilities just fed up with the spoon feeding by the media of all things Obama.

He will be a very good President because he knows how to preach to the public while hiring the right people to get the jobs we need done, done.

Between him and Mr. Biden (For whom I have great respect - now get rid of those inane tolls on US 95 Joe) I know they will be a good team. But frankly Ronald McDonald and the HamBurglar would be a better duo than W and his bastard unfeeling asshole of a hitman Cheney. (Was that too harsh?)

I will be continuing my search for future employment and financial well being today. I will just not be able to do it while watching anything financial on the tube. And as of the writing of this it seems that I am not alone as the Dow; Nasdaq; and S&P are all down between 2 and 3 %. (They all ended down between 4 & 6% - Great!)

Four score years ago it was 1929, a year that will live in infamy (Sorry Franklin) with the stock market crash of the century. I can only hope that we are going to bookend that time with a period of prosperity starting soon.

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what they did TO you and why. Then ask them to stop and go forward.
Can we do it?
"Yes We Can."
And let us all say, Amen.

Many Sides of the Same Thought

Sometimes it is impossible to fathom that others do not see things the way we do.
For example when there is a terrible accident and someone is killed most people will be saddened but there are some who will take delight for reasons of their own. It is often said that there are two sides to every story and while that is usually true I fell there are many more than two.

There is also the side formed by propaganda especially when the state controls the news media.

For example read the lead article in today's Iran Daily and find out how the current Gaza strife is actually the fault of the U.S. Also note that the Iran news mongrels feel that Israel is not going to attack on Tuesday because that would take away from the inauguration in DC. You see the world revolves around Gaza and the Iranis want to make sure that everything is taken in the context of the war THEY STARTED AND CONTINUE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. Of course they do not admit to that but...

However another side to this sad tale of ongoing persecution and by this I mean the persecution of Israelis read this most interesting and thoughtful yet provocative piece by assistant editor Jonathan Mark in "The Jewish Week."

I must thank the "Newseum Organization" for their incredible website that allows you to view and read the front pages of just about every newspaper in the world. After viewing the paper of your choice just link to that publication's web-site for more of the same.

The Other Side of the Story

As reported in the Canadian Goose Gazette:
Several of our finest scouts from the border brigade were killed today when a large metallic object flew straight into their path. It is believed that the silver beast was flying south probably to escape the cold. Unfortunately this cowardly and unnecessary act has had far reaching consequences for our community.
But the disaster could have been much worse.
The victims, the La Guardia Geese Group (The "L Triple G") were guarding the grounds around the local nursery when they were struck. Quick thinking on their part allowed them to push the offending object far enough off course so as to avert damage to any of the goslings below even while they were giving their own lives with the effort.
Witnesses credit these few for averting a major disaster as the silvery winged object turned away and landed in a river. We hope and pray that none of our fish brethren were injured as a result.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families of the loved ones. Services will be held for our brave fellows at all the major parks on Long Island.
Show your support by dropping gifts all along the grounds of your choice.

(PS - This reporter wishes to thank the writers of SNL for taking this story and airing it on their network. I will return the favor and goose them if I ever get the chance.)