Thoughts and opinions from the Rocky Mountains
From The Examiner:
The nation’s largest banks are refusing to say how they’re spending billions of dollars in taxpayer money.
So, I was under the impression the main point of “The Bailout” was to get credit flowing again. However, I suspect most banks either paid off some debts or are hoarding the money to buy smaller banks that collapse (Once you’re a certain size, the government can’t let you fail, right? RIGHT?). Not exactly a good return on my money.
From ABC News:
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wanted President-elect Barack Obama “to put something together…something big” in exchange for going along with Obama’s choice to fill his vacant U.S. Senate seat, according to a FBI affidavit unsealed following the governor’s stunning arrest.
Seems the “honorable” Governor wanted to be Secretary of Health in exchange for doing what Obama wanted. Why, oh why, don’t people have faith in the Government?
From the AP (via Yahoo!):
An alarming half-million American jobs vanished virtually in a flash last month, the worst mass layoffs in over a third of a century, as economic carnage spread ever faster and the nation hurtled toward what could be the hardest hard times since the Great Depression.
Yep, it’s getting worse.
From Forbes:
An analyst expects the downturn to lead consumers to drop the music player, even as sales of iPhones soar.
Admittedly, One analyst doesn’t prove anything…regardless of what he knows about Apple. However, non-necessities will probably drop in sales next year. So, could this be the end for the iPod? If so, what else will follow?
From CNN:
Former Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin sharply questioned expanding the federal economic bailout plan Thursday during her first extended remarks since the end of the presidential campaign.
Now that she’s out of a campagn that kept trying to force her to be a moderate, it’l be interesting to see what role Palin plays in trying to rejuvenate the Republican party.
From FoxNews.com
Minnesota is becoming to 2008 politics what Florida was in 2000 or Washington State in 2004 — a real mess. The outcome will determine whether Democrats get 58 members of the U.S. Senate, giving them an effective filibuster-proof vote on many issues.
Yes, folks, the downfall of the Republic is may well involve Al “Stuart Smalley” Franken. My beef isn’t with him getting into office, but with sudden discoveries of missing ballots. This may all be kosher, but it just doesn’t feel right to me. Weren’t several ballots found in someone’s car? How is that allowable?
So, I’m little late on this, but I think my window on timeliness is still there.
Anyway, back in the middle of October, a first-grade class was taken to see its female teacher marry a woman. This was a school-sponsored trip that the principal defended:
“It really is what we call a teachable moment,” Jaroflow said, noting the historic significance of same-sex marriage and related civil rights issues. “I think I’m well within the parameters.”
If you want more of the back story on this, the link to the San Francisco Chronicle story is above, and here’s a segment from Kelly’s Court on Fox News:
Considering that I don’t have kids, nor do I know much of anything about teaching, I emailed a friend that’s a teacher at a local Elementary School (I want to say she teaches 1st grade, but I’m not 100% sure on that). Here a little snippet of what she had to say:
The purpose is not informative. Teaching the concept of “different” families isn’t the same as joining in celebration with one. This would have caused conflicted feelings in kids who are taught different values at home, because the bride(s) is someone they are in relationship with and her personal feelings are being demonstrated right in front of them. That is NOT objective teaching. And…right in the middle of the “political battle” for same sex marriage??
Now, I’ll be up front and say that I believe marriage should be between a man and woman, and that homosexuality is a sin. HOWEVER, I also feel that what happens between two consenting adults is none of my business, and that all sin is equal in the eyes of God. If you don’t mind, I’m going to deal with the plank in my own eye before I pick some pet sin to rally against. It’s not my place to hate anyone for their lifestyle (well, unless it’s something really bad).
Rallying against homosexuality ain’t my thing, but rallying against a school indoctrinating students is. It is up to the school system to educate kids, but it is up to the parents to teach them values. Like my friend mentioned, Prop 8, a measure to ban gay marriage in California, was on the table at the time (it passed, in case you’re wondering). I’d be curious to know the principal’s stance on that. Let’s face it, you send kids to a teacher’s wedding where they see this person they really like so happy, then mama votes yes on Prop 8 and has to explain why they don’t want Ms. so-and-so to be happy. What parent want to deal with that? Also, how do you tell your kid they aren’t allowed to go on a field trip with everyone else? Heck, field trips are the best part of school! Another question: when my previously-mentioned friend eventually gets married, I have no doubt she’ll have a ceremony that features a boat-load of Christianity. What would happen if her class took a field trip to watch it?
Schools can get away with stuff like this because there are a lot of parents out there that have left the raising of their kids up to public schools. Schools should teach, not indoctrinate children on how to view certain controversial issues. Parent’s should influence their child’s worldview, not leave it up to a teacher (that person is a teacher, not a nanny). If you’re going to be a parent, then you need to take all of the responsibility that goes with it.
Well, this is it. In about 13 hours, all the polls will be closed. Barring another 2000-esque debacle, we should know our next President in 12 to 18 hours.
I’m 33 years old, and this is the first election I’m voting in. I have no good excuse; I guess it’s just a mix of apathy and laziness that I finally grew out of about a year ago (the friends I keep also provided a little kick in the butt).
Things I’ve learned as a first-time voter:
1) The system sucks. No, not capitalism or the government laid out in the Constitution, but the system that allows elected officials to care more for themselves and their buddies than they do for the people that elected them. I think there’s a revolution of sorts coming, and those in power won’t like it!
2) Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to vote. I have at least one friend whose reason for voting Obama boils down to a “man crush.” While I think Obama is the worst possible option, I support peoples’ right to vote for him. But seriously, at least do a little research and have a good reason!
3) Neal Boortz is right: “I believe that the principal difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is that the Democrats just want to grow our Imperial Federal Government a bit faster than the Republicans do.” At the end of the day, what’s truly hurting the Republican party is that they’ve become, with some exceptions, “Democrats Lite.”
So, I’m on my way to locate some school that’s allegedly in my neighborhood and vote; you should do the same (well, other than finding that school in my neighborhood; I suspect they’d just send you away if you don’t live around here).
Oh, my prediction? Well, yesterday I made the statement that Sarah Palin is probably the next Republican President. However, the polls are close, possibly skewed, and have enough of a margin of error that it’s really anyone’s game. I’m calling McCain in an upset, thus defeating the looming socialist nightmare.
From FoxNews.com:
“My sister is smart, runs every one of my campaigns; is beautiful; graduated with honors from college; is homecoming queen. But she’s a … she is what I call a ‘girl-boy’ growing up, you know what I mean?”
“And I tell you what? Girl-girls are tougher than girl-boys,” he said. “But there’s one important thing I noticed.The great thing about marrying into a family with five sisters, there’s always one that loves you. ‘Cause you can count on splitting them a bit. You know what I mean?
Just think, should Obama win, we get 4 years of these types of statements! He’s the Democrats’ Dan Quayle!
This should scare the crap out of anyone even considering voting for this guy, but it probably won’t…
HT: LGF
Barack Obama’s aunt, a Kenyan woman who has been living in public housing in Boston, is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago, The Associated Press has learned.
Honestly, while she is here illegally, the fact that she’s in Boston probably washes Barack’s hands of any involvement. The part I find more concerning is that she’s living in public housing while her millionaire nephew lives in a large house in Illinois. Between her and Obama’s brother, I have to ask: Does the man who’s most likely our next President care about anyone other than himself? If he can ignore family, what’s he going to do for a bunch of strangers?
From 2001:
If he wins, we’re in for a rough 4 years!
A federal judge in Denver has resigned after being linked to a ring of high-priced call girls and accused of soliciting a prostitute to lie about his relationship with her.
You know, I’m of the opinion that what happens between two consenting adults is really none of my business. So, the issue here isn’t what he did as much as his lack of integrity. Integrity is a good thing in any official, whether elected or appointed, and it’s the lack of it that’s causing us so much trouble nowadays.
Stock prices are sharply lower at midday on Wall Street.
Specifically, here’s the problem:
Investors were fixated on worrisome corporate earnings reports that are raising fears of a deep and painful recession.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last several weeks, it’s that the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 are hardly a good source to measure economic health. While trading definitely plays a big role in the economy, the folks on Wall Street seem driven more by emotion than solid economic indicators most days.
Keep an eye on your bank, the government, and the unemployment rate. Don’t let the ridiculous fluctuations in trading screw with your head.
The now infamous “Joe the Plumber” was recently on Mike Huckabee’s show on Fox News:
More clips below the fold
[Read more...]
Sarah Palin was on Saturday Night Live this week. Here are a few clips:
Philip Berg doesn’t think so:
Here’s the FactCheck.org article referenced in the video.
Considering that Obama has a history of getting his opposition disqualified, I have no problem with anyone doing the same to him. However, this birth certificate mess won’t lead to anything. Like it or not, he’s a citizen.
Honestly, even if he’s not a citizen, he’ll hold off as long as possible providing documents. So, then we get President Joe Biden. Not exactly a better alternative.
