Category Archives: Politics

I Stimulated The Economy

Below is a photo of my “Family Truckster” (Chevy Chase/ Vacation reference).

A 2004 with 150,000 miles on it.

For me, a vehicle is just transportation.  I don’t try to make a statement with it or any attempt for it to be an “image”.

I never “needed” a pickup for my job that I have today (I had a pickup supplied by the construction company I worked for years ago) but it has been very useful to have when I did any home improvement projects or to pick up “curb treasure” for my wife, carry my bicycle around or just to toss the fishing poles in.  You’d be surprised to see how many tables, dressers, chairs, cabinets etc we’ve found that we’ve either resold or repainted that have come via curbside.

Truckster

Below is my new car that I traded The Truckster in for.

I really didn’t want to have to buy a new vehicle, but it was time.   In this  Obama Economy, my money is tight, really tight.  This will be the second year in a row that there will not be merit raises.  The Truckster got about 19 MPG and I knew (because I am compulsive about tracking my expenses) that I spent quite a bit of money on gasoline, but The Truckster was paid for and it didn’t really make too much sense for me to trade better mileage for a car payment.  We haven’t had a car payment in our household for over 6 years.  But I needed new tires and it was going to need brakes sometime this year and I just couldn’t be sure that The Truckster wasn’t going to go “Bluesmobile” on me at any moment flying down the tollway !

Car_001

The only way I could make this deal work is if I save a lot of money on gas.  The Chevy Cruze is rated to get 38 MPG on the highway.  60 of the 66 miles I drive daily are on the tollway and is a small blessing considering how much I would have been spending on gas if I had “city” driving instead.  Worst case scenario, if the new car “only” gets 30 MPG, I should still be saving about $100-$125 a month in gas costs and that is a third of the car payment.

Now, being the notorious cheap bastard that I am, I have in the past year and a half cut out as much as I can from the family budget, and it’s still going to be a stretch to “find” the rest of the money for the car payment.  Several good things are that we do not have any credit card debt and I can at least count on not having any major repair bill on The Truckster.

Well, I’ve had the car now for two weeks and have driven to work 10 times.  I got gas after the first five trips to work, but since I wasn’t sure how much gas the dealer had put in, I couldn’t be sure how accurate the numbers were going to be but it did figure to be 33 MPG which I thought was good, but considering I drive the optimal conditions for achieving the highest EPA rating, I thought that it should have been better. (Phew, feel like I pulled a Hemingway with that run on sentence!!)  The wife did make about 50 miles of city driving trips that surely lowered the MPG.

Below are some calculations on the second tank of gas.  This time there were very few superfluous miles added on.

Gas_001

Bottom line is that I got over 36 MPG and saved $33 !!

Very, very happy about that.

My biggest long term concern was going to be how comfortable the seat is.  I am a full figured gentleman and some 17 years ago had a L5 Microdiscectomy.  I feel best when I can sit back /thighs/legs all being at 90 degrees and the bench seat in The Truckster was great for that.  But as it has turned out so far, I have been able to adjust the bucket seat in the car so that it has not been an issue.

I also have to say that I am very impressed with what has been done in the past 30 years with small car engines.  This car has a 1.4 liter engine, and it is not lacking in the “giddy up, go” department.  This was the last 1.4 liter car that I drove:

Little dead chevette

Little dead chevette

My mother came home one day in 1978 with a used 1977 Chevette. The only thing worse than a 1977 Chevette was a used 1977 Chevette.  This actually isn’t the worst car that my mother brought home.  She out did herself with a 1980 Chevy Citation.

Well, I guess Disney is off the list for this year.

60 more payments and it’s all mine !!

Mr. Blutarsky – 0.0

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Now, you may have to wonder how future Senator Blutarsky could be in college for seven years with a 0.0 GPA.

Obviously he had federal funding:

Chicago State to repay $312,000 in federal financial aid

Nearly 129 students who failed to meet standards were given grants, loan

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-10/news/ct-met-chicago-state-financial-aid-20130309_1_financial-aid-chicago-state-university-university-president-wayne-watson

Chicago State University has to repay nearly $312,000 in federal financial aid given to students who were allowed to stay enrolled even though they were failing.

The South Side public university had a policy that students with a GPA below 1.8 were to be dismissed “for poor scholarship,” but the Tribune reported in 2011 that students with grades as low as 0.0 were allowed to register for classes, in part to boost enrollment.

Chicago State has been fined $311,963 by the U.S. Department of Education for federal grants and loans given to 129 students from 2008 to 2011 who did not meet the university’s academic standards, according to an Education Department report obtained by the Tribune.

Those students “should have been withdrawn from the institution,” and the university therefore is liable for not enforcing its academic policies and paving the road for students to receive the aid, the Education Department found.

Between 2008 and 2011, 129 students were below Chicago State academic standards (and the government allows  the discretion of the school to determine the standards).  Those students received $613,616 in aid.  OK, let’s do the simple math………  That’s less than $5,000 per student, but it sure adds up for Chicago State.

According to Democrats, there is nothing to cut from the budget.

Pee Wee Vs. Elmo

I managed to take a few extra days off around Christmas and New Year’s, while flipping through the television channels, I made the mistake of stopping on a PBS station.  I unfortunately heard that whiney, annoying, high pitched Elmo voice.  I thought it to be very strange that I was hearing that voice because I recalled that Kevin Clash, voice for the whiney annoying Elmo, had been accused of an, ahem, “inappropriate relationship” with a young man:

http://www.tmz.com/2012/11/12/elmo-kevin-clash-sex-sesame-street-underage-boy-allegations/

“Kevin Clash — the man known as the voice of Elmo — has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Street in the wake of allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy, TMZ has learned … allegations Clash adamantly denies.

We’ve learned … Sesame Workshop lawyers recently met with a 23-year-old man who claims he and Clash began a sexual relationship 7 years ago … when he was 16 and Clash was 45. “

Eventually, that escalated to:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/elmo-hit-underage-sex-allegation-article-1.1208359

“A new lawsuit says puppeteer Kevin Clash seduced his third underage victim in a posh Manhattan love nest decorated with furry Elmo dolls and celebrity photos.

Clash, 52, plied the 16-year-old aspiring model with liquor and sweet talk after they met on a gay chat line in 2000, alleged the lawsuit filed Tuesday. It was the third time Clash has been hit with underage sex allegations in two weeks.”


Uh,oh, a pattern is developing

I was really quite surprised that with the Elmo character being associated with possible criminal activity, that the character was still being used.

Now, just for fun, let’s compare that to another “similar” issue:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000607/bio

“Now a genuine comedy-circuit star, he became a frequent guest of David Letterman and a favorite at Caroline’s in New York. In 1984, he sold out Carnegie Hall. He later auditioned for the cast of “Saturday Night Live” (1975), but when that didn’t turn out as planned, he started writing a feature-length screenplay for Pee-Wee to star in, and asked friend Tim Burton to direct. Released to wildly divergent reviews, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), followed its star cross-country in a madcap search for his beloved, stolen bike. The $7 million picture ended up grossing $45 million. That following year, CBS which had been losing children’s audiences to cable programming, was interested in finding something to shore up its Saturday Morning lineup. The network company signed him to act/produce and to direct its live-action children’s program called “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” (1986). They doled out an eye-popping budget of $325,000 per episode – the same price as a prime- time sitcom. Reubens received complete creative control, albeit with three minor exceptions. During its five-year-run on CBS, he never appeared in general as himself. He even granted printed interviews in full Pee-Wee regalia.

The image of Pee-Wee was broken on July 26, 1991. On his summer vacation, Reubens was visiting his parents in Sarasota and sought escape from boredom by catching a showing of the X-rated film, Nurse Nancy. He fell victim to a police sting operation and was arrested for sex charges when detectives allegedly saw him playing with his private parts. He was released on $219 bail and nobody realized what had happened until somebody recognized him beneath his long hair and goatee. The media went berserk: ‘Kids show star arrested for indecent exposure’. Because of his behavior, CBS dropped the Playhouse and related merchandise was released from its shelves. He agreed to pay a $50 fine plus $85 in court costs to Sarasota County, and he produced a 30 second public service message for the Partnership For Drug-Free America commercial. As part of the deal, the county sealed all legal papers relating to the actor’s arrest and didn’t leave Reubens with a criminal record. The scandal marked the virtual death of Pee-Wee Herman. Reubens appeared as his favorite character for the last time at that Autumn’s MTV Music Video Awards. The enthusiastic reception was not surprising, as he had received 15 thousand supportive letters during his arrest. Regardless, he had recently made a promise not to play Pee-Wee anymore and used his arrest as a chance to portray other roles.”

The key part of that is what I remember the best.

“The media went berserk: ‘Kids show star arrested for indecent exposure’.”

I can remember a memory wipe of Pee-Wee that would have made Stalin or Mao proud.

All video tapes were pulled off the market; all Pee-Wee toys were disappeared from stores, an incredibly successful television show ended.

For what??  Masturbating in an ADULT MOVIE THEATER????

OK,  It’s not an activity that (a) I would suggest, (b) recommend, or (c) participate in, but let’s put it in context and compare to what Kevin Clash is accused of doing….

HAVING SEX WITH A MINOR !!!!!

For Christ’s sake, he works for a CHILDREN’S show.

And not just a children’s show, but one of the most respected and highly valued (by those who care)

So why is the Elmo character still on the air and being sold in stores?

http://hotnewsandphotos.com/?p=13215

“As it turns out Kevin Clash resigning from Sesame Street hasn’t appeared to hurt Elmo toy and video sales in the least.

In a quick and information study TMZ reached out to 20 retailers across the country to find out of Elmo was pulled from the shelves or if sales slowed following the Kevin Clash resignation and claims of sexual misconducted by a second man.

Not only were stores not pulling the Elmo toys and videos from their shelves, they in many cases didn’t have any in stock because of super high demand ahead of Christmas.

In fact employess in Florida, Texas, South Carolina and New York were largely unaware of the Kevin Clash controversy.”

Unaware??
Really??
It couldn’t be that Elmo is the golden jewel in the Sesame Street crown and if they did remove the character it would cost the left wing PBS propaganda machine millions of dollars. eh?
Amazing as to what liberals can get themselves worked into a tizzy about.

And shocking what they don’t.

Felony Jail Time for The Godfather???

We can alwyas hope…..

http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/16359472-452/emanuel-downplays-eavesdrop-act.html

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, at a Monday news conference, didn’t like questions about whether his press office had recorded reporters’ conversations without first seeking their consent.
That’s a big no-no under the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, one of the toughest two-party consent laws in the country.

One woman, Annabel Melongo, spent 20 months in Cook County Jail before a judge finally freed her.

Her crime: She had recorded a couple of phone calls with a court clerk. We’re talking felony, folks.

Emanuel, invoking “Will” Shakespeare, dismissed such bothersome questions about his press office doing the same as “much ado about nothing.”

“Much ado about nothing”
Yep, nothing to see here, just another Democrat getting a pass..

CONGRATULATIONS OBAMATRONS !!!!

You now own it.
You own:

Taxamegeddon on January 1st
An exploding and expanding budget deficit
The stagnant economy
America as a welfare state
A Senate that hasn’t passed a budget in 4 years (and won’t for another 4 years)

These and many other good things are what you now own. Put your big boy underwear on and stop complaining that it’s someone else’s fault.

My free advice to Congressional Republicans:
DON’T WORK WITH THE DEMOCRATS !!!!!!

Oppose them on everything. We see what happens with “bipartisanship” and working with Democrats gets for America.

Become the biggest and baddest bastards on the face of the planet with the Benghazi investigation, up to and including impeachment !!!!!

Tea Party, I think we need to vote in 2014 like our lives depend on it.

Democrats Take Advantage of the Mentally Ill Voters

It would be far too easy to make the obvious joke about the DNC taking advantage of mentally ill voters…………….

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/11/01/1214384.aspx?sac=fo.local


Jimmy Green’s stepdaughter had never voted before. The 57-year-old is mentally disabled, and Green said she doesn’t understand the concept of casting a ballot.

But this week, she called her parents to say she had voted for President Obama. The care home in Fayetteville where she lives registered its residents to vote and drove them to the polls, Green said.

“My concern is that somebody told her who to vote for,” he said. “She didn’t even know there’s two different parties.”

Complaints of uncomprehending voters being ferried to cast ballots surface every election. And in a presidential race as close as this year’s, with huge levels of early voting, any perceived irregularity is falling under intense scrutiny.

But federal and state laws are very clear – there is no competency test for voting.

“The law specifically says that anyone with a disability is allowed to have assistance from anyone that they choose,” said Terri Robertson, director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections. “As long as they can communicate to us in some way that they need assistance and who they wish to have assistance from, the law allows it.”

My story about this:
I was an election judge in my city in the 2000 federal election. In the middle of the afternoon a group of about 15 young boys and girls (18-24 years old) were lead in and lined up to vote. One by one they were lead to the election judge stations to check in and each one had a brand new state issued ID. After “signing” in, they were each lead to the voting booth by their helpers and voted (with a lot of assistance from the helpers). These kids had no idea as to what they were doing or why they were there.

From the story above:

“The law specifically says that anyone with a disability is allowed to have assistance from anyone that they choose,” said Terri Robertson, director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections. “As long as they can communicate to us in some way that they need assistance and who they wish to have assistance from, the law allows it.”

In my situation, I would call it fraud. The kids had no way of asking for assistance to vote.

Using the mentally ill to get votes……

Stay classy Democrats

Danica Patrick Crashes Herself

WARNING !!!!

If you are a feminista, a feminazi, a man with low testosterone and/0r small testicles, you may incorrectly interpret this post as sexist.

“Danica Patrick Crashes Herself”

That’s a redundant statement.

Danica Patrick Crashes Herself And Landon Cassill At Kansas City

“Danica Patrick let her frustration with Landon Cassill get the worst of her as she wrecked both hers and Cassill’s stock cars during Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.

Patrick drove into turn one at lap 155 right on Cassill’s rear bumper. She maintained contact with him through the turn, moving him up the track, reports Yahoo! News.

While her message was certainly delivered, the GoDaddy.com driver got more than she bargained for, sending both cars into a spin. When Patrick attempted to correct the spin, she backed up into the wall, ending her day.”

Now, when you read Danica’s Wiki bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_Patrick

You can see that she has only won one race in her career and that was because the leader ran out of gas. ( OK, like my freshman football coach said”I don’t care if we beat Sister Mary’s House of the Poor, A win is a win”)

My question is, If Danica looked liked Martina Navratilova or Billie Jean King but didn’t win…………. would anyone have any interest in her??