I think Tiger is screwed.

There aren't that many certainties in life, but here are two. Hot women get away with more than ugly ones and guys with "I'd like to have a beer with that guy" personalities get away with more than assholes. Tiger is an asshole. He has gotten away with it up until now because he's a great golfer and the media has bent over backwards to cover for him. He throws tantrums like a 3-year old on the golf course and the mental midgets at ESPN say it's "Tiger being Tiger". You can bet that the media will be a whole lot less forgiving now, and that means Tiger is screwed. Think about it. This guy makes 90% of his money from endorsement contracts, but he's always been too arrogant to even stay 20 minutes after a tournament to do a simple interview. And while other PGA pros like Phil Mickelson walk along the ropes and sign autographs, Tiger walks down the middle of the fairway and looks down his nose at the fans who pay is $100 million+ salary.

How many times in the '90s did you hear someone say "I don't agree with Bill Clinton but I think he'd be a cool guy to have a beer with"? It helped Clinton get through the Monica thing. There is something to be said for being seen as a decent guy...even if you're not...and Tiger is no Bill Clinton. The guy is a great golfer, his dad groomed him for that. But he's not much of a man, and I think men and women will agree with that, even if for different reasons. Maybe dad should have spent a little more time teaching his son lessons about humility and honesty, and less about pursuing the next conquest. But what do I know?

Time For Him To Go, By Any Means Necessary

So our Community Organizer in Chief will once again go in front of his teleprompter and give a speech. This one is intended to make us believe that he actually cares about winning the war in Afghanistan...the same war he said he "didn't feel comfortable with victory in" just a few short months ago. After dragging his feet for several months regarding a troop surge in Afghanistan, our glorious leader has now decided it's the right thing to do. His generals told him that months ago, but now that the great military mind of Obama has agreed we're going to send more troops. And while I agree with the surge, I question the timing. Dear Leader spent several months "thinking" about it, but now it's so important that it can't wait until after Christmas? Thousands of soldiers will be deployed in the next two weeks...before a Christmas that for some will be their last...so that The One can claim that he's "doing something" in Afghanistan. I would love to believe that this is just another example of Obama's complete incompetence, but I don't. No, this is deliberate. The military leaked a story about requesting more troops in Afghanistan to force their Community Organizer in Chief to man up and do something, and now it's payback time. Obama is telling his generals "fine, here's your troops and they're being deployed before Christmas". Just his way of giving the middle finger to the military one more time. If I'm right about that it makes him the biggest piece of shit to ever hold that office, and that's saying something. But trust me, I'm right. This pile of monkey dung has to go, and 2012 isn't soon enough. The Republicans will win back control of congress in 2010, and their first order of business should be to remove this idiot from office. They could simply declare him "unfit to serve" and remove him. I know there is no constitutional authority for that, but what the hell? The democrats don't have any constitutional authority for any of the BS they're doing, why should Republicans play by different rules? Remove this asshole by any means necessary...and I mean ANY! If he doesn't like it let him file a lawsuit like everyone else does. If you can't tell, this isn't about politics for me anymore. If Bush or Reagan had abused our military this way I would say the same things about them. But they didn't, and wouldn't...because they weren't raised by a communist to hate their country the way this pile of shit was. It's time for him to go, and 2012 is way to long to wait.

My Economic Stimulus Plan

I think I've come up with a way to truly stimulate the economy, and make America a much stronger country at the same time. And my plan only costs $500 billion - half the cost of Obama's failed stimulus plan - and mine is guaranteed to work. It's time to increase our exports, and we should start with liberals. I'm really not joking, stay with me on this and I'll explain how it works.

Barack Obama received approximately 62 million votes in the last election. I'm going to be generous and assume that at least 12 million of those people now realise their mistake and would like a do-over. That leaves around 50 million "true believers" who hate their country and the principles it was built on as much as Chairman Obama does. These are the people ruining this country, and it's time for them to go. These people's thinking is more in line with Joseph Stalin than Thomas Jefferson. Of course when Stalin needed to get rid of 50 million people he just had them rounded up and shot. I'm offering something a little more attractive. How about $10,000 and a plane ticket? Seriously, these people are constantly telling us how much better things are in places like Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, and France. Hell, Michael Moore has made a career out of it. I say we help them live in a country that they prefer over this one.

For $500 billion we could export our most expensive commodity - our home grown neo-coms - to countries where they will fit in and be happy, since they aren't happy here. And I believe my plan would be "deficit neutral" since most of the people we are exporting are no doubt receiving some type of government assistance. Think about it. We can drastically reduce the number of government employees, Marxist college professors, career college students, and welfare recipients. Shouldn't take long to recoup our investment. And unions will be all but defunct here when their members are all living somewhere else, talk about "economic stimulus"!

I know you think I'm joking, but I'm really half serious about this. If you offered the people who hate this country enough to hand it over to a Marxist community organizer $10k and a ticket to the socialist utopia of their choice, more than a few would take it. Of course they will be required to give up their U.S. citizenship and agree not to return, but that shouldn't be an issue for these people.

Getting rid of the America haters and their families for good is more than worth the price. We can take back our country and get back to the prosperity that we deserve. And with 50 million fewer liberals, we won't have to worry about another Barack Hussein Obama being elected anytime soon. I say we all suggest my plan to our members of Congress and hope one of them will have the guts to actually propose it. Just the proposal in Congress might wake some people up.

Unfit To Serve

Today is Thanksgiving, and one of the things I am most thankful for is my freedom. I didn't earn it, it was given to me by those who were willing to fight and die for it. Today I will exercise that freedom by spending time with my family, eating too much, and watching football just like most of you. And while we do that, there will be other Americans standing guard and protecting that freedom. They deserve our thanks today and everyday.

Three of those people are Navy SEALS who are now facing a court marshal brought about by pressure from the Obama administration. What was their crime? Torturing a prisoner? Not following orders? No, their crime was punching a known terrorist in the mouth and giving him a bloody lip. And not just any terrorist, the one who earlier killed four American troops in Iraq, hung their bodies in the street, and set them on fire. Yeah, I guess the SEALS should have used more restraint. Obama seems to think so, he pressured Sec. of Defense Gates to court marshal the three. To "send a message" to the world that our soldiers don't abuse prisoners. And to score points with the radical left who hate the military in his own country.

I want you to think about something. Imagine being given orders by a superior that might involve killing another person. Now imagine not knowing if that superior would back you up if you followed that order. Think that could be a problem? That is what every member of our military is now faced with, especially those on the front lines like SEALS, Rangers, and other Special Operation units. Barack Hussein Obama, for political reasons, has guaranteed that some of these soldiers will die. I promise you they will, because when they're faced with that life and death decision - "Do I shoot? - some of them will hesitate. Some of them will try to exercise too much caution when engaging the enemy. They wont have confidence that their leaders will back them up. It will happen, if it hasn't already. We'll never know when it happens or how often. But every one of those deaths is the direct result of 53% of America voting for an unaccomplished man-child without ever thinking that their community organizer might not be fit to serve as Commander in Chief of the armed forces. This incompetent fool is now directly responsible for future battlefield deaths due to a total lack of leadership. It's not me saying that, it's several high ranking military officers saying it. And the fact that some of them were even willing to call a national radio show and criticize their Commander in Chief is proof of how bad things have gotten in the military.

I've always tried to be tolerant of other points of view, and we can disagree on health care, gun control, pretty much anything and still be friends. But I draw the line at the military. Those people volunteer to do things that you and I wouldn't have the stomach for. They make very little money, are away from their families for months or years, and risk their lives to protect ours. All they ask in return is that we support them. Not necessarily the wars they fight, but THEM. So if you think it's Ok for their Commander in Chief to throw them under the bus for his own political gain then I guess we won't be friends. That's where I draw the line.

I hope when we're with our families this holiday season we'll all take a couple minutes to think about those who aren't with theirs, and about how they're being treated by this idiot President. They deserve better, remember that next time you vote.

The Best Speech (N)Ever Given

The following is a speech that was never given, by a small business owner who doesn't exist. But this speech should be given by every business owner/manager to all of their employees. Someone has to educate people, and if the schools can't do it maybe it's time for employers to take the lead. This is long, but it's probably a better economics lesson that you ever got in college.

-I would like to start by thanking you for attending this meeting, though it's not like you had much of a choice. After all, attendance was mandatory. I'm also glad many of you accepted my invitation to your family members to be here as well. I have a few remarks to make to all of you, and then we'll retire to the ballroom for a great lunch and some employee awards.I felt that this meeting was important enough to close all 12 of our tire and automotive shops today so that you could be here. To reassure you, everybody is being paid for the day --- except me. Since our stores are closed we're making no money. That economic loss is mine to sustain. Carrington Automotive has 157 full time employees and around 30 additional part-timers. All of you are here. I thank you for that.When you walked into this auditorium you were handed a rather thick 78-page document. Many of you have already taken a peek. You were probably surprised to see that it's my personal tax return for 2008. Those of you who are adept at reading these tax returns will see that last year my taxable income was $534,000.00. Now I'm sure this seems rather high to many of you. So ... let's talk about this tax return. Carrington Automotive Enterprises is what we call a Sub-S - a Subchapter S corporation. The name comes from a particular part of our tax code. Sub-S status means that the income from all 12 of our stores is reported on my personal tax return. Businesses that report their income on the owner's personal tax return are referred to as "small businesses." So, you see now that this $534,000 is really the total taxable income - the total combined profit from all 12 of our stores. That works out to an average of a bit over $44,000 per store.Why did I feel it important for you to see my actual 2008 tax return? Well, there's a lot of rhetoric being thrown around today about taxes, small businesses and rich people. To the people in charge in Washington right now I'm a wealthy American making over a half-million dollars a year. Most Americans would agree: I'm just another rich guy; after all ... I had over a half-million in income last year, right? In this room we know that the reality is that I'm a small business owner who runs 12 retail establishments and employs 187 people. Now here's something that shouldn't surprise you, but it will: Just under 100 percent ... make that 99.7 percent of all employers in this countries are small businesses, just like ours. Every one of these businesses reports their income on a personal income tax return. You need to understand that small businesses like ours are responsible for about 80 percent of all private sector jobs in this country, and about 70 percent of all jobs that have been created over the past year. You also need to know that when you hear some politician talking about rich people who earn over $200,000 or $500,000 a year, they're talking about the people who create the jobs. The people who are now running the show in Washington have been talking for months about raising taxes on wealthy Americans. I already know that in two years my federal income taxes are going to go up by about 4.5 percent. That happens when Obama and the Democrats allow the Bush tax cuts to expire. When my taxes climb by 4.5 percent the Democrats will be on television saying that this really isn't a tax increase. They'll explain that the Bush tax cuts have expired .. nothing more. Here at Carrington we'll know that almost 5% has been taken right off of our bottom line. And that means it will be coming off your bottom line.Numbers are boring, I know ... but let's talk a bit more about that $534,000. That's the money that was left last year from company revenues after I paid all of the salaries and expenses of running this business. Now I could have kept every penny of that for myself, but that would have left us with nothing to grow our business, to attract new customers and to hire new employees. You're aware that we've been talking about opening new stores in Virginia Beach and Newport News. To do that I will have to buy or lease property, construct a building and purchase inventory. I also have to hire additional people to work in those stores. These people wouldn't immediately be earning their pay. So, where do you think the money for all of this comes from? Right out of our profits .. right out of that $534,000. I need to advertise to bring customers in, especially in these tough times. Where do you think that money comes from? Oh sure, I can count it as an expense when I file my next income tax return .. but for right now that comes from either current revenues or last year's profits. Revenues right now aren't all that hot ... so do the math. A good effective advertising campaign might cost us more than $300,000. Is this all starting to come together for you now? Right now the Democrats are pushing a nationalized health care plan that, depending on who's doing the talking, will add anywhere from another two percent to an additional 4.6 percent to my taxes. If I add a few more stores, which I would like to do, and if the economy improves, my taxable income ... our business income ... could go over one million dollars! If that happens the Democrats have yet another tax waiting, another five percent plus! I've really lost tract of all of the new government programs the Democrats and President Obama are proposing that they claim they will be able to finance with new taxes on what they call "wealthy Americans." And while we're talking about health care, let me explain something else to you. I understand that possibly your biggest complaint with our company is that we don't provide you with health insurance. That is because as your employer I believe that it is my responsibility to provide you with a safe workplace and a fair wage and to do all that I can to preserve and grow this company that provides us all with income. I no more have a responsibility to provide you with health insurance than I do with life, auto or homeowner's insurance. As you know, I have periodically invited agents for health insurance companies here to provide you with information on private health insurance plans. The Democrats are proposing to levy yet another tax against Carrington in the amount of 8 percent of my payroll as a penalty for not providing you with health insurance. You should know that if they do this I will be reducing every person's salary or hourly wage by that same 8 percent. This will not be done to put any more money in my pocket. It will be done to make sure that I don't suffer financially from the Democrat's efforts to place our healthcare under the control of the federal government. It is your health, not mine. It is your healthcare, not mine. These are your expenses, not mine. If you think I'm wrong about all this, I would sure love to hear your reasoning. Try to understand what I'm telling you here. Those people that Obama and the Democrats call "wealthy Americans" are, in very large part, America's small business owners. I'm one of them. You have the evidence, and surely you don't think that the owner of a bunch of tire stores is anything special. That $534,000 figure on my income tax return puts me squarely in Democrat crosshairs when it comes to tax increases. Let's be clear about this ... crystal clear. Any federal tax increase on me is going to cost you money, not me. Any new taxes on Carrington Automotive will be new taxes that you, or the people I don't hire to staff the new stores I won't be building, will be paying. Do you understand what I'm telling you? You've heard about things rolling downhill, right? Fine .. then you need to know that taxes, like that other stuff, roll downhill. Now you and I may understand that you are not among those that the Democrats call "wealthy Americans," but when this "tax the rich" thing comes down you are going to be standing at the bottom of the mud slide, if you get my drift. That's life in the big city, my friends ... where elections have consequences. You know our economy is very weak right now. I've pledged to get us through this without layoffs or cuts in your wages and benefits. It's too bad the politicians can't get us through this without attacking our profits. To insure our survival I have to take a substantial portion of that $534,000 and set it aside for unexpected expenses and a worsening economy. Trouble is, the government is eyeing that money too ... and they have the guns. If they want it, they can take it. I don't want to make this too long. There's a great lunch waiting for us all. But you need to understand what's happening here. I've worked hard for 23 years to create this business. There were many years where I couldn't take a penny in income because every dollar was being dedicated to expanding the business. There were tough times when it took every dollar of revenues to replenish our inventory and cover your paychecks. During those times I earned nothing. If you want to see those tax returns, just let me know. OK .. I know I'm repeating myself here. I don't hire stupid people, and you are probably getting it now. So let me just ramble for a few more minutes. Most Americans don't realize that when the Democrats talk about raising taxes on people making more than $250 thousand a year, they're talking about raising taxes on small businesses. The U.S. Treasury Department says that six out of every ten individuals in this country with incomes of more than $280,000 are actually small business owners. About one-half of the income in this country that would be subject to these increased taxes is from small businesses like ours. Depending on how many of these wonderful new taxes the Democrats manage to pass, this company could see its tax burden increase by as much as $60,000. Perhaps more.I know a lot of you voted for President Obama. A lot of you voted for Democrats across the board. Whether you voted out of support for some specific policies, or because you liked his slogans, you need to learn one very valuable lesson from this election. Elections have consequences. You might have thought it would be cool to have a president who looks like you; or a president who is young, has a buff bod, and speaks eloquently when there's a teleprompter in the neighborhood. Maybe you liked his promises to tax the rich. Maybe you believed his promise not to raise taxes on people earning less than a certain amount. Maybe you actually bought into his promise to cut taxes on millions of Americans who actually don't pay income taxes in the first place. Whatever the reason .. your vote had consequences; and here they are. Bottom line? I'm not taking this hit alone. As soon as the Democrats manage to get their tax increases on the books, I'm going to take steps to make sure that my family isn't affected. When you own the business, that is what you're allowed to do. I built this business over a period of 23 years, and I'm not going to see my family suffer because we have a president and a congress who think that wealth is distributed rather than earned. Any additional taxes, of whatever description, that President Obama and the Democrats inflict on this business will come straight out of any funds I have set aside for expansion or pay and benefit increases. Any plans I might have had to hire additional employees for new stores will be put aside. Any plans for raises for the people I now have working for me will be shelved. Year-end bonuses might well be eliminated. That may sound rough, but that's the reality. You're going to continue to hear a lot of anti-wealth rhetoric out there from the media and from the left. You can chose to believe what you wish .. .but when it comes to Carrington Automotive you will know the truth. The books are open to any of you at any time. I have nothing to hide. I would hope that other small business owners out there would hold meetings like this one, but I know it won't happen that often. One of the lessons to be learned here is that taxes ... all taxes ... and all regulatory costs that are placed on businesses anywhere in this country, will eventually be passed right on down to individuals; individuals such as yourself. This hasn't been about admonishing anyone and it hasn't been about issuing threats. This is part of the education you should have received in the government schools, but didn't. Class is now dismissed.

America's "Entitlement" Culture

I was at the local Walmart today, working not shopping, and I noticed something disturbing. I must have seen 8 or 9 women of the 400+ pound variety riding around in those motorized wheelchairs/scooters that they have for the handicapped. Did I miss something? When did being a fat, lazy slob with no self respect become a "handicap"? And one of these women was there with her daughter, who was also 400 pounds and also riding a wheelchair. WTF? I'm just guessing that if one of these beauty queens were to drive past some 80 year old, passed out on the floor because there were no wheelchairs available, they wouldn't even feel guilty. No, they're "entitled" to that wheelchair. Just like they're entitled to their food stamps, their subsidized housing, their handicapped parking places, etc, etc. What the hell happened to our great country? When I was growing up I can honestly say I never knew anyone who was overweight who wasn't at least trying to lose a few pounds. And I couldn't imagine seeing any of my friends or family cruising through a grocery store in a wheelchair they didn't truly need. We've become a country where a certain percentage of the population seem to think they are entitled to anything they want simply because they breath American air. These are the people who gave us the housing crisis by purchasing $300k homes on $30k incomes...because they "deserved them". They're the people who voted for "hope and change" because Mr. Hope told them it wasn't their fault they couldn't pay that mortgage. And now you and I get to provide for their health insurance too...guess we weren't doing enough before. I have a lot of answers to a lot of our problems, but I'm afraid I don't know how to fix our "entitlement culture". But I'm still working on it.

Thank You Veterans...Past and Present

I'll start by saying that it's a travesty that Veteran's Day is celebrated on a Wednesday while Labor Day is on a Monday, giving us a three day weekend to celebrate...the Labor Movement? How the hell did that happen? But I digress. This day isn't about me, it isn't about our politicians (thought they will all use it for their photo ops), and it isn't about the American people who all too often take their freedoms for granted. No, this day is about you. I'm not even going to comment on your Commander And Chief today, though my fingers are now bleeding for having typed that. But it's not about him. It's about all of you. I can sit here in suburbia with my heat set at 70 and a beer in my hand, posting things on the Internet, without any worries because of you. I can take my family out to a restaurant this weekend without worrying about a suicide bomber blowing the place up because of you. I can go to my nice, safe, well paying job tomorrow because of all of you. So tonight I'm just going to say thank you and leave it at that. It's not enough, but it's all I've got. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Dictators and Tyrants

Throughout human history mankind has been ruled by dictators and tyrants. There have been a few exceptions. Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, pre-Julius Ceasar (they were a republic like us before Ceasar), and in recent decades the entire western world...thanks to the United States and our willingness to use our military power to protect the freedom of others around the world. In every case, the free societies eventually gave way to dictators and tyrants. Greece, a true democracy, eventually gave way to mob-rule as all democracies do. And eventually they were taken over by the Spartans (also Greeks, but totalitarians) who were in-turn conquered by the Romans. The Romans were a republic where the people chose their leaders democratically for a few hundred years. But little by little, the people wanted their government to do more so they could spend their time drinking wine and pursuing various pleasures that did not include working. So along came Ceasar, promising "hope" and "change". Within a few short years, Ceasar - with the backing of the Roman people - reduced the Senate to a powerless group of "representatives" who's only real purpose was to make people believe they still had a voice in government. Ceasar ruled Rome as a dictator, as did his predecessors. Eventually the once mighty Roman Empire decayed from within, due to sloth and immorality, to the point that they wouldn't actually be conquered - at least not all at once- but would simply cease to function as a unified country or culture.

And in the past century most of Europe has traded the freedom and liberty that we helped them win (to say the least) for varying degrees of socialism and communism. The socialists have conquered Western Europe without firing a shot, just as Eastern Europe is emerging from half a century of communist rule. Guess our friends in England, France and Spain are slow learners. Maybe if the folks in West Berlin could have seen what was happening on the other side of that wall for 40+ years they would have been more reluctant to embrace the teachings of Marx and Lenin. Oh well, don't be surprised if they ask us to come to their rescue for a 3rd. time sooner or later. Maybe next time we should just sit it out. If we're even still a world power by then.

I apologise for the Cliff Notes version of the decline of former empires. Just wondering if any of this sounds vaguely similar to what we've been seeing here in the U.S. lately? Something to think about. Especially since the head of the National Endowment for the Arts recently compared Barack Obama to Julius Ceasar - and he meant it as a compliment.

Thomas Sowell Spells It Out...Perfectly

The following is an article written by Thomas Sowell, and sums up the current situation in D.C. better than I ever could. And before any of you Obamabots start claiming "more right-wing racist propaganda", be aware that Thomas Sowell is black...and may be one of the smartest political minds of our generation.


Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many "czars" appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent?
Did you think that another "czar" would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers — that is, to create a situation where some newspapers' survival would depend on the government liking what they publish?
Did you imagine that anyone would even be talking about having a panel of so-called "experts" deciding who could and could not get life-saving medical treatments?
Scary as that is from a medical standpoint, it is also chilling from the standpoint of freedom. If you have a mother who needs a heart operation or a child with some dire medical condition, how free would you feel to speak out against an administration that has the power to make life and death decisions about your loved ones?
Does any of this sound like America?

How about a federal agency giving school children material to enlist them on the side of the president? Merely being assigned to sing his praises in class is apparently not enough.
How much of America would be left if the federal government continued on this path? President Obama has already floated the idea of a national police force, something we have done without for more than two centuries.
We already have local police forces all across the country and military forces for national defense, as well as the FBI for federal crimes and the National Guard for local emergencies. What would be the role of a national police force created by Barack Obama, with all its leaders appointed by him? It would seem more like the brown shirts of dictators than like anything American.
How far the President will go depends of course on how much resistance he meets. But the direction in which he is trying to go tells us more than all his rhetoric or media spin.
Barack Obama has not only said that he is out to "change the United States of America," the people he has been associated with for years have expressed in words and deeds their hostility to the values, the principles and the people of this country.
Jeremiah Wright said it with words: "G0d damn America!" Bill Ayers said it with bombs that he planted. Community activist goons have said it with their contempt for the rights of other people.
Among the people appointed as czars by President Obama have been people who have praised enemy dictators like Mao, who have seen the public schools as places to promote sexual practices contrary to the values of most Americans, to a captive audience of children.
Those who say that the Obama administration should have investigated those people more thoroughly before appointing them are missing the point completely. Why should we assume that Barack Obama didn't know what such people were like, when he has been associating with precisely these kinds of people for decades before he reached the White House?
Nothing is more consistent with his lifelong patterns than putting such people in government — people who reject American values, resent Americans in general and successful Americans in particular, as well as resenting America's influence in the world.
Any miscalculation on his part would be in not thinking that others would discover what these stealth appointees were like. Had it not been for the Fox News Channel, these stealth appointees might have remained unexposed for what they are. Fox News is now high on the administration's enemies list.
Nothing so epitomizes President Obama's own contempt for American values and traditions like trying to ram two bills through Congress in his first year — each bill more than a thousand pages long — too fast for either of them to be read, much less discussed. That he succeeded only the first time says that some people are starting to wake up. Whether enough people will wake up in time to keep America from being dismantled, piece by piece, is another question — and the biggest question for this generation.
-Thomas Sowell

America Has Become a Country of Mediocrity

Let me be clear, I love my country and feel blessed to have been born here. But something has happened in the past 39 years that just pisses me off. Somehow the greatest nation in the history of mankind has degenerated into a nation of slackers. Think about it. Look at the company you work for. If you show up everyday on time and do your job you're probably in the top 10-20% of employees, right? I know that's the case with my company, at least in the non-commission based positions. How many times have you paid good money for an average meal at a restaurant? How many times have you suffered through poor service at the same restaurant? How many times have you been talked down to by your child's $40k per year school teacher? How many times have you mailed something only to have it lost? But we seem to have been conditioned to just accept mediocrity...even be happy with it. How many times have we all said "it could have been worse" when we were unhappy with the performance of someone we were paying to do a job or provide a service? What happened?

The United States used to be a country where excellence was rewarded, where a college dropout could become a billionaire...if he had the right idea and the willingness to work for it. Now it's a country where high school dropouts buy lottery tickets hoping to pay off the mortgage on their mobile home. Hell, we just elected a President who's resume wouldn't get him a night manager job at a Taco Bell.

I can't imagine what my grandfather would think of all this if he were alive today. And for once I don't have a very good answer as to how to fix it. But we better find a way to fix it, because we're still the last bastion of "hope" left on the planet. And if we're willing to accept becoming another England or France, then eventually freedom and liberty will disappear from the planet for another few hundred years. Let's try and not let that happen. Maybe we should start with our own children. Just a thought.

Newt Get's It Right

Quote of the year..."As an American I am not so shocked that Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize without any accomplishments to his name, but that America gave him the White House based on the same credentials." - - Newt Gingrich

Well said Newt, we can do better...now we just need to convince the other 53%.

Brad Paisley Shows Class at White House

I have a little more respect for Brad Paisley after watching this video. The guy shares my political views for the most part, but was still able to perform in front of Zero and wife at the White House with class and dignity. Not sure I could have pulled it off. Watch Barry's facial expressions...was he enjoying the performance or wondering "who invited this cracker into my living room?" Priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCvUy540I7o&feature=channel

Don't Take My Word For It!

Think I'm making this stuff up about Obamacare? Why not listen to a congressman who has actually read the bill? This video is Rep. Mike Rogers from Michigan telling the world what is actually in the bill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc It's a few minutes long but very educational.

Death panels, rationing of care, waiting lists, the destruction of the health insurance industry...it's all in the bill. This guy is part of the body that wrote it, I'll take his word for it before Obama's.

We need a few more guys like this in Congress, who will take on President Zero and not worry about what the media thinks.

I'm Not Always Right

Yeah, the title of this post probably shocked some of you. But it's true. Sometimes, every ten or fifteen years, I'm actually wrong. (A quick look at some of my ex-girlfriends will prove that.) It happened this week, so I guess I'm golden for the next ten years. What was I wrong about? Barack Hussein Obama (mmm,mmm,mmm). I have known from day one that Obama was a socialist and a stateist, even liberals would have a hard time arguing that one. But while conservative pundits and radio hosts called him a communist and claimed that he "resented American exceptionalism", I was the one conservative voice who defended him. Sadly to my own embarrassment. I have never wanted to believe that someone who truly hated the principles that the United States was built on could be elected to the nation's highest office. I was wrong, and today that is clear. And while the intellectual "have nots" among us are no doubt cheering President Zero's decision to dictate what the executives of private businesses earn, it offends the holy hell out of me. I can't believe I defended this communist piece of monkey dung. And no, that's not a racial statement...just an accurate one! The idea that this douche bag thinks that the American people (those execs are also American people) serve at his pleasure rather than the other way around shows the true arrogance of this idiot. Presidents are servants of the people, not rulers of them. So all you I.Q. challenged success haters can go ahead and cheer your dear leader on for "sticking it to the man". But if you decide to turn off the Michael Moore movie and pick up pretty much any book about the Soviet Union you might be shocked to find out who Obama really intends to "stick it to". And it won't be Warren Buffet or Oprah Winfrey. Look in the mirror, dumb ass.

Moron Healthcare (or more on healthcare)

Those who know me know that I have a little bit of "skin in the game" (sorry for the Obamaism, seemed to fit) when it comes to the socialized health care debate. First, my wife works for the country's largest evil health insurance company and I would love to see her keep her job. It supports my excessive golf habit quite nicely. Second, I have had some first-hand experience with our health care system that most people my age probably haven't had. I have experienced the birth of two beautiful children, which is not unusual. I have also experienced the tragic death of one of them, which thankfully is unusual...at least it is in this country. Doctors, as well as everyone else in the medical profession, are constantly demonized by the media for the money they earn as part of a typical liberal class warfare agenda. Never mind the years of education they endure or the fact that they see things everyday that would drive most of us "normal" people to the brink of insanity.
March 28, 2005 was by far the longest day of my life. I spent 12+ hours in the infant ICU at Toledo Children's Hospital as a team of doctors and nurses, lead by Doctor Barnett, worked non-stop to try and save my son Parker's life. Everyone in that ICU knew from the outset that it was hopeless...except for my wife and I...but not one of them stopped working for even a minute. Oh, did I mention that Doctor Barnett was scheduled to leave at noon that day after a 12 hour shift? Or that he was still there at 11 P.M. when Parker passed away? And I know I didn't mention anything about a government bureaucrat deciding whether or not my son, who's condition was admittedly hopeless, deserved the hours of care he received...that's because there wasn't one. But there will be under Obamacare, and I feel sorry...more sorry than I otherwise would...for the next family who has to endure what we went through. There is simply no place for government bureaucrats in a hospital, especially dealing in matters of life and death. The fact that some of my friends and many in my own family supported and voted for Barack Obama has hurt me more than they know. And while I can give anyone a pass for exercising bad judgement now and then, I have my limits. Anyone who chooses to vote for or support Barack Hussein Obama in 2012, or anyone else of his mindset when it come to health care, will no longer be considered a friend or a part of my family...at least not one that I would care to spend time around. Harsh? Probably, but I think I've earned it. Anyone want to disagree?

Srorts Media Now Runs The NFL

Let me start by saying that I'm not a real huge fan of Rush Limbaugh, in fact I find him pompous and self-absorbed. But I respect his talent and intellect. The guy has made enough money talking on the radio to be a co-owner of an NFL team, and they aren't cheap...we're talking $1B to start. The guy is a fan of the sport, and I believe those are the guys that make the best owners. It's about winning for guys like that, not just turning a profit every year. The Detroit Lions would benefit from just such an owner. But apparently the sports media, meaning ESPN, now runs the NFL. Last week a few "sports commentators" led by Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser created a controversy where there was none in an attempt to boost their own pathetic ratings. Michael Wilbon knowingly quoted Limbaugh saying something he never said in a cheap attempt to create controversy and draw attention to his floundering TV show. And like flys on sh!t, the rest of the ESPN gang jumped on the bandwagon. And since nothing draws a crowd like a crowd, the rest of the media was all over the story the next day. End result: Limbaugh was dropped by the group and will probably never achieve his lifelong dream of owning an NFL team...over something he never said. The guy has talked on the radio for 3 hours a day for 20 years, so ask yourself this; if he's a racist why did Wilbon have to make something up? They should have been able to find plenty of real quotes, shouldn't they? These so-called sports commentators are so obsessed with race it's a joke. These are the same clowns who, after 6 years in the league, were still saying that Michael Vick would revolutionize the sport as soon as he learned how to throw. How has that worked out? And I don't remember Wilbon, Tony Kornholer, or Collin Couldntgetlaidbya Cowherd saying a word when gangster rapper and former crack dealer Jay-Z became co-owner of the New Jersey Nets. But I guess Jay-Z isn't as "controversial" as Rush. Or is it something else?

Why Michigan Will Not Win A Championship Under RichRod

I should have titled this post "Be Careful What You Wish For". I've listened to Michigan football fans whine for years about the need to change the offense. They pointed at Florida, Texas, LSU, and of course West Virginia and said "let's try that!" Well Michigan fans, how's that working out? Sure, we won a few early games but only one in the Big Ten and that was a squeaker against lowly Indiana. And we're seeing what happens to QBs who like to run in this league, they get hurt...often. This is not a knock on Rodriguez as much as his style of offense and his unwillingness to adjust it when needed. Fans always seem to think they know more than the coach, especially when their team is struggling. But the truth is the Big Ten is what it is for a reason. That reason? How about weather? The Big Ten is the only BCS conference where all of the teams have the potential for cold, wet, nasty weather for over half the season. The weather turned bad a few weeks ago around here, and Michigan's offense started to struggle and their starting QB is hurt. And what do the SEC, Big 12, ACC, and Pac 10 all have in common? Their dominant teams all play in good weather for most of the season. It's a lot easier to spread out the offense and throw the ball 50 times per game when it's sunny and 70 degrees. You can build your offense for speed rather than power when you play most of your games in those conditions. But an inch of snow turns a fast, undersized player into just an undersized player. That's why Big Ten teams are built more for power than speed. It isn't always as exciting to watch, and it can be a disadvantage in Bowl games when we face smaller but much faster opponents...as our record indicates. But when it's 3rd and 4 at the Big House in November, I would much rather have a 230 lb. tailback carrying the ball behind a huge offensive line than a 185 lb. QB trying to roll outside for the first down. Especially if the weather's bad. And it usually is.

I would love to be wrong about all this. Nothing would make me happier than to see Michigan win another National Championship. Let's hope Al Gore is right about global warming, or we might be waiting a long time.

This is like something out of 1984

The Senate is set to vote on "health care reform", i.e. Obamacare. 70% of America opposes it, yet our "representatives" will pass it because - well, they just know what's good for us. And The One has gone all-in on this one, using whatever political capital he had, saying that "healthcare reform is key to America's economic recovery and cannot wait". So they will vote this week, and a bill will be signed into law before the end of 2009. Because it's too important to wait. Of course if you do your homework, as I have (my how things have changed since high school) you will also find that the plan doesn't actually start until 2013. But it's too important to wait, too important too allow Obama's subjects to even read the bill. 2013, one year after Obama's alleged re-election. Must be really important to "America's economic recovery". Wouldn't want to rush into anything, right Barry? If Obama really thought Obamacare were going to succeed, don't you think he would want to implement it before the 2012 election? But I'm sure he has his reasons, after all he knows so much more than we do...just ask him.

Welcome to the world as it should be...but isn't

Welcome to The World According To Chance...strap yourself in, there WILL be more to follow!