Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Just a Reminder to My Democrat Friends...

On this day in 1865, the U.S. Congress
passed the 13th Amendment.


"On January 31, 1865, the House resumed discussion before a standing-room-only crowd in the galleries above the floor. When the vote was taken that day, the Thirteenth Amendment achieved a two-vote margin above the needed two-thirds majority, 119-56. The galleries erupted in boisterous applause, which was then joined by congressman on the House floor. In the final vote, all 86 Republicans had voted in favor of the Thirteenth Amendment, along with 15 Democrats, 14 Unconditional Unionists, and 4 Union men; opposition came from 50 Democrats and 6 Union men." .....Harper Weekly


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Educational Crash Course #103

Another Installment of Diogenes'
 Public Service Educational Series:


"Creative Writing"

Next in Series: Selecting the Proper Prom Gown 
with Barney Frank


CLASS DISMISSED!
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Sunday, January 29, 2012

First Lady Helps Boost Lingerie Sales

The Telegraph  - Michelle Obama – better known for shopping at more modestly-priced High Street stores – along with the Queen of Qatar, Sheikha Mozah, closed off part of Madison Avenue to spend time in the luxury lingerie shop. Their purchases contributed to a market-spanking 12.5% lift in sales.

Agent Provocateur, which is styled on vintage Hollywood glamour, sells handmade Calais lace corsets that sell for up to £900 ($1400) which could ruffle the feathers of more than just President Barack Obama in an election year.....

[snip]

$50,000 in one shopping spree? Must have been paying by the inch....

Read More 


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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Obama Gets Oscar Nod

Barack Obama Gets Late Academy Nomination
For Performance in
"The State Of The Union"

Middle Finger News Sevice - President Barack Obama has received a late Academy Award nomination for "Best performance by an Actor in a Leading Role" for his work in The State Of The Union. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the late addition to the list of nominations early last night at a dinner for the nominees.

"We understand this falls outside the normal process for nominations," said Academy spokesperson Harlet Snottenberg, "but his performance was so absolutely stunning, we just couldn't let the opportunity pass to recognize that."

Obama's Oscar nod becomes the first for a sitting president and expands a political landscape that has already seen former Vice President Al Gore's award for his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.

"All that talk about reaching across the aisle, him killing Osama bin Laden, class warfare and taxes, energy and saving the earth after Bush - I absolutely believed it all," said former Hollywood Reporter editorial director Scoops Burns. "I haven't seen a performance that convincing since I Did Not Have Sexual Relations With That Woman in 1998."

Academy regulations dictate that each category only have five nominees, so in order to allow for the addition of President Obama to the Best Actor field, one of the other nominees had to be removed. The Academy was quick to rescind  George Clooney's  nomination for The 'Descendants' to make room.

"Oh, yeah, George - we were just kidding anyway," said Snottenberg. "You know, we do that now and then, throw someone in there who doesn't stand a snowball's chance of winning. Spices it up a bit. Gets people talking. Besides, no one saw that stinker of yours anyway."

Ms. Snottenberg would not confirm a report that the Academy had considered nominating Vice President Joe Biden for "Best Performance in a Comedy Supporting Role". All she would say is "after serious consultations we realized he's not acting."

Thanks IOTW for the Linkage
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Friday, January 27, 2012

It's Fishnet Friday

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Looks like Mr."Fair Share"own people owe $833,000 in back taxes"

When Obama whines that everyone must pay their “fair share,” he must not mean those working in his administration. Obama has had a tendency to hire those who refuse to pay their fair share. How embarrassing this must be for President Obama, whose major speech theme so far this campaign season has been that every single American, no matter how rich, should pay their "fair share" of taxes. And according to Andrew Malcolm of IBD, a new report just out from the Internal Revenue Service reveals that 36 of President Obama's executive office staff owe the country $833,970 in back taxes.

Previous reports have shown how well-paid Obama's White House staff is, with 457 aides pulling down more than $37 million last year. That's up seven workers and nearly $4 million from the Bush administration's last year.

The biggest tax offenders also include employees of the U.S. Senate who help write the laws imposed on everyone else. They owe $2.1 million.

The country's chief law enforcement agency, the Department of Justice, has 2,069 employees who are nearly $17 million behind in taxes. Like Operation Fast and Furious, Attorney General Eric Holder has apparently missed them too.
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Obama SOTU Speech Registers at 8th Grade Reading Level

Although the media would love to present Barack Obama as seven times brainier than George W. Bush, Byron Tau of Politico reports : "President Obama's 2012 State of the Union address again rated at an 8th grade comprehension level on the Flesch-Kincaid readability test — the third lowest score of any State of the Union address since 1934. Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades lower than the 10.7 grade average for the other 67 addresses written by his 12 predecessors."  
 
Maude Behar of The View called the speech Reaganesque!
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Fuzzy's Own Thoughts on SOTU Address

"Another SOTU, another pack of lies, distortions, lofty fascist promises, horrifying power grabs, brand new bureaucracies, crazy additions to an already insane tax code, and almost laughable catch phrases. I didn't tweet it, but I took copious notes for this, my third, post-SOTU rant. My notes, however, are littered with things like "asshat" (once all in caps and underscored twice for emphasis), so I'll try--after a good night's sleep--to organize this post around my key impressions and leave out the expletives. You know, mostly."


Read More.....

http://fuzislippers.blogspot.com/
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

What He Said vs. What He Meant



WHAT HE SAID: For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

WHAT HE MEANT: I’m commander in chief, and I’ve done a damn good job at it, despite what those presidential pretenders in the other party are saying. And I’m talking about this in the first eight sentences of my speech, so even people who are rushing to change the channel will remember that I took down bin Laden and got us out of Iraq.

WHAT HE SAID: These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces. ... They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together. Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example.

WHAT HE MEANT: Grow up already, Congress!


WHAT HE SAID: Think about the America within our reach … An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

WHAT HE MEANT: Our country needs to return to the value of fairness and the durability of GM trucks, which were once marketed under the slogan “Built to last.” And by the way, I saved GM.


WHAT HE SAID: Let’s remember how we got here … In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect.

WHAT HE MEANT: I inherited this mess, so don’t blame me.


WHAT HE SAID: In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s.

WHAT HE MEANT: I did not make the recession worse. It’s just the opposite -- my policies are helping end it. So don’t believe anything you hear from Mitt Romney.


WHAT HE SAID: I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.

WHAT HE MEANT: Remember those recess appointments I made to two agencies you absolutely hate, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board? The ones you are probably going to challenge in court? There’s going to be more of that unless you cut deals with me, and there will be vetoes if you try to turn my administration into George W. Bush’s third term.

WHAT HE SAID: On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. ... Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number one automaker.

WHAT HE MEANT: Did I mention that I saved GM and the whole car industry? Oh, the “some” who said let it die? One of them was Mitt Romney.


WHAT HE SAID: We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration – and it’s made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. ... Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China.

WHAT HE MEANT: I’m tough on China. Remember that the next time Republicans bash me in a debate for letting China eat our lunch.


WHAT HE SAID: We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money… So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down.

WHAT HE MEANT: I’m on your side, middle-class families. Now that Rick Perry is out of the presidential race, I can own what could have been one of his signature issues.


WHAT HE SAID: I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office. The opponents of action are out of excuses… if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people ..”

WHAT HE MEANT: Have I mentioned that I’m tough? I’ve cracked down big time on illegal immigration. But I have a heart – especially when it comes to kids brought here illegally by their parents. And with Rick Perry out of the race, I’m going to own not only this issue but the Hispanic vote in November.


WHAT HE SAID: Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs.

WHAT HE MEANT: I dare you Republicans to oppose this agenda. And have I mentioned that I love capitalism?


WHAT HE SAID: Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.

WHAT HE MEANT: Solyndra, schmolyndra. Success and failure are all part of capitalism. Which we love. Right, Gov. Romney?


WHAT HE SAID: Rules to prevent financial fraud, or toxic dumping, or faulty medical devices, don’t destroy the free market. They make the free market work better. There is no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly. In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his. I’ve ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense.

WHAT HE MEANT: I love the free market and I want it to work! And I don’t love regulations! Just like the Republicans. So moderates and independents, you don’t have to flee me. I get it. I really do.


WHAT HE SAID: But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago … I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny you coverage, or charge women differently from men. And I will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play by its own set of rules.

WHAT HE MEANT: Have I mentioned I’m on your side? All this free market stuff can only go so far. So liberals and progressives, you don’t have to flee me. I get it. I really do.


WHAT HE SAID: We need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awful lot of members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes. Tax reform should follow the Buffett rule: If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes.

WHAT HE MEANT: You may remember that Mitt Romney makes more than $20 million a year and pays a 15 percent tax rate. You may not know that under Newt Gingrich’s plan, Romney would pay no taxes at all! Have I mentioned that polls show two-thirds of the public agrees with me on this issue?

WHAT HE SAID: Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better.

WHAT HE MEANT: Do you really want a president who is chomping at the bit to start a war against Iran? Then vote for a Republican. I might start that war, but I might not.

WHAT HE SAID: America is back. Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about. … America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs. And as long as I’m president, I intend to keep it that way.

WHAT HE MEANT: I am not a wimp or a failure on the world stage, or an apologist for America, or a manager of our decline. And I don’t lead from behind. So all that stuff you’re hearing in these endless GOP debates? Forget about it.

Transcript source: nationaljournal.com
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Nancy Pelosi Claims She has Dirt on Newt

Supposedly Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has some real dirt to dish on Gringrich. Something to maybe keep him from be elected, or just blowing smoke? We'll have to wait and see......
From Real Clear Politics:
John King, CNN: "Because of your history with Speaker Gingrich, what goes through your mind when you think of the possibility, which is more real today than it was a week or a month ago, that he would be the Republican nominee and that you could come back here next January or next February with a President Gingrich?"
Rep. Nancy Pelosi: "Let me just say this. That will never happen."
King: "Why?"
Pelosi: "He's not going to be President of the United States. That's not going to happen. Let me just make my prediction and stand by it, it isn't going to happen."
King: "Why are you so sure?"
Pelosi: "There is something I know. The Republicans, if they choose to nominate him that's their prerogative. I don't even think that's going to happen."
[snip]
Well, Nancy does know a lot of congressional secrets:

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