Memorial Day

Advice To New Graduates (recycled)

[I wrote this a few years and now I re-cycle it annually around graduaion time]

Dear Michele, Christine & Gabe:

Before I wrote this, I looked in a dictionary for the definition of the word "commencement". The dictionary states commencement refers to "the act or process of bringing or being brought into existence; inauguration, inception, incipience, initiation, leadoff, birth, dawn, genesis, start".

Therefore, commencement suggests your lives are just beginning (and that is true in some respects). And by calling graduation ceremonies a "commencement", our institutions of higher learning have sorta decreed you can't really take that first step until they have conferred a degree on you. That's somewhat presumptuous but I guess by promoting the necessity and value of a degree, the schools can make a buck too. And there is no law against that.

Essentially, I wish you two things: interesting people and interesting places. By that, I hope you find, see and keep both of those close to you for all your years. If you do that, you will lead rich, rewarding and fulfilling lives. And try very hard to understand the primary goal in life is to get very old. I know you won't agree with that statement right now but believe me you will one day. Put more simply, it is exhilarating to be both available and sufficiently lucid to give the eulogy at a friend's funeral.

I know it is hard to resist the urge to follow the crowd. But do try to be your own person- so don't routinely and rigidly adopt all of the latest fads and trends. Find music, books and other hobbies you enjoy and make time for them. Endeavor to be a leader to others. Christine, you are a born leader. And there is much evidence you were born with the ringleader gene. That's the mischievous cousin of the leader gene. And that is a good thing- you love life and you show it.

Each of you should try to stand up for what you believe is right even:
· When your opinion is unpopular
· When it's not the easiest path to take and
· When you have not been right about anything in a very long time (cause the law of averages says everyone is right sooner or later).

You will be a part of many groups and organizations in the next 60-70 years. Don't just go along for the ride. Give your best effort. Develop a reputation as an impact player. You can do that by making a strong personal impression and offering your support to the group's goals (i.e unforgettable PARTAYS, improve annual sales, beat the Villa Gorillas every other year).

Never stop learning and never stop asking questions (there are almost no dumb questions). Set out to identify mentors and role models from whom you can learn valuable life and career lessons. A good mentor will be happy to freely give you career and life advice for years to come. Strive to be a role model yourself. Be generous to others with your time and knowledge. No one can leave much of true value in this world except those gifts you plant in the hearts and minds of those you leave behind.

Be open-minded and learn to think for yourself. Don't be afraid to question the prevailing wisdom or latest news story. For example, a national news program recently ran a story that "the exercise done on Infomercials accounted for more than 50% of the total exercise done in America". That "news" story first originated as a spoof in a satirical magazine. The news network picked it up as "real news". I cringed and laughed when I heard it and wondered if any of you (had you worked on that program) would have thought to question the ridiculous premise. I believe each of you would have (Especially Gabe since he reads the magazine though until now he probably thought its "news" stories were legit).

Take very good care of yourself both physically and mentally. There is a time to party and a time to "not party". Try to learn the difference way before you turn forty (so you can still run for President).

You only get one chance in this world and life is much better when you are fit and ready to take advantage of all it offers. Make strenuous exercise a regular part of your routine and add a large helping of mental exercise and challenges to keep the mind in top shape. If you smoke, quit.

With regards to your career, as you know there is a secret to success. Unfortunately, it is a secret so I can't share it with you. So, you will have to settle for my own priceless advice:

1-NO MARKETABLE SKILL= ZERO JOB OPPORTUNITIES= NO MONEY
2- MARKETABLE SKILL = JOB OPPORTUNITIES= PAYCHECK= REGULAR PARTAY
3- LOTTA MARKETABLE SKILLS= MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES= MORE MONEY= REALLY BIG PARTAY

So what does that mean you ask? Just this. Be smart and work hard. Pick some marketable skills and develop those skills. Regularly polish, hone and improve those skills with practice and repetition. Enhance your skills with regular study and learning and MAYBE you will always have a job and make money. Ideally you will choose skills (as I said that are marketable) in jobs and professions where:
· You enjoy the work (i.e. barfly, world philosopher, expert recounter of Seinfeld episodes, social director for former dorm mates)
· It is in demand by employers and customers and
· You are good at it and like it.


It would be great if you could find a career that has all three of the above criteria, But you will survive and likely thrive even if you choose skills that only have two of the above criteria. And remember, there are no guarantees in life and life can be unfair. That's just the way it is. Bitching about bad breaks won't help. It will just make you very unpleasant to be around.

Be confident in your abilities and self-worth. Be persistent in pursuing what you want.

Michele- with your focus and drive you could achieve anything you set your sights on. So set your sights high!

Gabe, you could do anything. You just have to convince yourself you CAN do anything instead of finding reasons for why you can't do something.

Remember you are most fortunate to have been born in this country. Though not without its faults, it is the greatest country on Earth. Always honor and respect the elderly though I know it is especially hard when they don't wear their hearing aids. Always value and cherish your family even when they ask a bazillion questions about your latest escapade.

Remember where you came from, respect traditions, and perhaps start your own traditions. Stay informed about current events - it makes you a more interesting person and give you a big edge on your peers. Be faithful to your core values and beliefs, your religion, your lover and one day your spouse.

You will make mistakes. Most mistakes are minor and can be fixed. However, try to avoid the really big mistakes (i.e always wear your seat belt). Observe other people and try to learn (and maybe get a good laugh) from their big mistakes.

But you also have to take risks in life. Without risk, there is little reward. Just do your homework before you take those risks.

Set priorities and establish goals and objectives- it makes life a bit more interesting to look back and see how you did. And try to recognize the difference between what is important and what is not.

You each have what it takes to be very happy and very successful. Keep that in mind and let the fun begin. Just know I'll be watching you. Love and all the best to each of you,

U.T.

Happy Mother's Day To.......

To all the wonderful, strong women I know and love. Like you know who and my two sisters and my nieces and my late mother and my father's mother and my favorite blogger, Ann Althouse, and many more.

I rode my bike past this statue about 500 times I bet. But today, it was Mother's Day, and I noticed this statue - really noticed it for the first time. It shows a colonial era pioneer (?) , perhaps she is an Indian woman, and she is brandishing an ax while protecting two children. She may be standing on a wolf she has killed in battle (it is hard to say exactly).

Anyhow, the statue spoke to me today or maybe I was just looking for a reason to rest after after taking a spill on my bike (damn women cyclists heh) and ripping a half-dollar piece of skin from my knee. The statue said here is a tough independent American woman. That is the way I like them and IMO that is the way the best American woman prefer to be seen! [she ain't bragging about doing 120% at her job].

FYI -the sculptor was John Joseph Boyle (1852-1917) He did this piece around 1877. Here is more info about him:

Raised in Philadelphia and born in New York City, sculptor John Boyle was descended from Irish stonecutters. When his father died, he quit school and worked as a stone carver and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy with Thomas Eakins. With money that he had saved, he then went to Paris from 1877 to 1880, and enrolled in the Ecole des Beaux Arts. During this time, to support himself, he painted portraits in Paris and also took decorative commissions in London.

Make Congress Critters Pay

With regard to the Chrysler and the GM deals, many say the administration has set a new precedent for government by disregarding contracts.

If so, why don't we penalize Congress members who have been in office for years and played a part in destroying the economy and our federal treasury?

I suggest we reduce their pensions by 2% for every year they have been in Congress. For example, Arlen Specter has been in Congress for 29 years. Under my plan, if he retired today, Specter's pension would be cut by 58% (29 years x 2%).

Sounds reasonable to me!

Hit Bottom Yet? No Way

The MSM meme seems to be that the recession is bottoming out. Hmm. I read yesterday the US Postal service volume was down almost 15% in the 1st quarter of 2009.

That tells me we have a long way to go before we hit the bottom of the recession. My overriding observation is the Obama administration has not done much to restore the confidence of the average American and especially the small business owner.

Very few are planning to expand their business and evn fewer are starting new businesses.

Goodbye To Our Family Hero

May God Bless Michael Gullotti!

Dr. Michael J. Gullotti, M.D., died on Tuesday, after a long illness with Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Gullotti was sixty years and is survived by his beloved wife, Judith Ann (nee Lynch), his daughters, Michele (Christopher) Jeffries, Christine Gullotti, Stephanie Gullotti , his son David Gullotti, one granddaughter Danielle, a brother Glenn (Joan) Gullotti, and a sister Sandra Costantino. He will live on in the world through the patience, humility, and most importantly, unconditional love he instilled in his family.

He was the son of Vincent and Elvera Gullotti and was born and raised in a rowhome in South Philadelphia. As the edlest child, Dr. Gullotti learned life lessons from his father, who started out as a tailor and went to school at night to become an accountant.

Dr. Gullotti was a graduate of the class of 1966 of Bishop Neumann High School. He worked his way through Villanova University, which he attended on scholarship, and then attended Thomas Jefferson Medical School and graduated in the class of 1974. He paid for both his undergraduate and medical degree by working jobs at the Bellevue Stratford on Broad Street and for Greyhound bus services. To this day, he could quote exact traveling distances and times to various U.S. cities.

Dr. Gullotti went on to become a highly respected cardiologist, treated patients in his private practice and also at Methodist Hospital and Thomas Jefferson Hospital. He met his wife at Thomas Jefferson Hospital, who also worked there as a nurse.

He was devoted to his family, friends, patients and community and was always viewed as the family hero. There was no favor or request that Dr. Gullotti would refuse. Whether making a house call to a sick & elderly person or driving twenty miles after a long shift at the hospital to personally deliver a congratulatory gift basket , Dr. Gullotti was always available and happy to serve.

Dr. Gullotti's promising medical career and his cherished role as family hero was cut short due to Multiple Sclerosis. He retired from medicine in 1993. He was an avid fan of Star Trek movies, collecting Nutcrackers, and ensuring that his kids never left home without some cookies as a travel snack.

The family requests Mass cards or a donation to the National MS Society or to the Thomas Jefferson Medical College.

Separated At Birth

Philadelphia's Mayor Michael Nutter and a doctored up Osama Bin Laden picture. I had never noticed the resemblance before. It helps explain why the mayor is trying to destroy the city.

Best Graph Ever!

Click on my post title to see the best graph ever. It depicts the $100 Million Obama wants his cabinet to cut from govt spending and compares that to total spending. Too too funny. FYI to my Obamabot friends: Obama is an innumerate which I think means he sucks bad at math and arithmetic.

Little Big Horn in The Bronx!

The Indians slaughtered the Yankee dogs the other night. And they did it after sneaking into the Yankee's own compound. The Yankee women, children and old men watched helplessly as the Indians methodically annihilated the Yankees. There is no word yet if Trooper York, the great great great illegitimate grandson of General Custer, survived the bloodshed.

There is an unconfirmed rumor York may have survived but then drank himself to death as he was so despondent and embarrassed at the poor Yankee performance.

Back In The Saddle

Yeehah! Winter is gone and bike weather is back! Did about 25 miles this morning and am still breathing - I view that as a good sign.

Harry Kalas

Harry Kalas, the longtime Phillies announcer, Notre Dame football announcer, and voice of NFL Films died suddenly today. He lived the American dream which was his childhood dream to be a bigtime sports announcer.

Read the news from one of my favorite local bloggers:

http://supportyourlocalgunfighter.com/2009/04/legendary-phillies-voice-harry-kalas-dies/

TEA PARTY SIGN

TEA PARTY PHILADELPHIA, PA APRIL 15, 2009

AMERICA MUST GET BACK TO THE BASICS:

THE BEST GOVERNMENT IS A SMALL GOVERNMENT PROVIDE A SECURE DEFENSE Never forget SEPTEMBER 11TH ENFORCE OUR CURRENT LAWS ENSURE THIS CONTINUES TO BE THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY ASSIST THE INFIRM MAINTAIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE & Stop squandering our tax money on other stuff RESPECT & HELP OUR SENIOR CITIZENS FUND A MANHATTAN PROJECT TO FIND NEW ENERGY SOURCES & TECHNOLOGIES And drill now for American oil STOP WITH THE NEW SOCIAL PROGRAMS AT LEAST UNTIL: We Fix Medicare or End it We Fix Social Security or End it

The Media Worships Diversity......

.....so here is a picture of the Board of Directors of The Associated Press taken right out of its annual report [will they make me take it down heh].

What I want to know is why are there no Irishmen in this group? Haha.

$2 Bucks An Hour

That's about what the fed, state and locals governments spend per American per hour 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

It does not matter whether you are sleeping, eating, in church, at work, on vacation, retired, or unemployed, watching TV or in the bathroom. You do not have to worry cause the wheels of government are turning (Ka'ching) and someone is making sure they are spending that $2 per hour for you.

If Obama gets his way, that $2 will increase to $3 per hour in the next 8-10 years!

[Jeez $2 per hour is about $50 a day or $1,500 per month which is more than the average social security benefit check!]

Sound Fair & Equitable To You?

This is a glimpse of our future. A grim future where income and wealth is re-distributed at the whim of the political class. Today, the Pennsylvania governor, Eddie Rendell, disclosed how he plans to whack up some of the Stimulus money. The governor announced he is using $449 Million in federal stimulus funds for the school districts in the five-county Philadelphia area. Here is how the governor is doling out the money:

• Philadelphia has 38% of the area population & will get $361 Million or 82% of the funds.
• The other four counties (Bucks, Montgomery, Chester & Delaware) have 62% of the area population & will get only $88 Million or 18% of the money.
• Sound fair & equitable to you?
• Hell, I could ask why not give some of the stimulus to parochial and private schools too? Afterall, everyone is suffering in this recession right?
• Let's take my analysis about one step further:
• Philadelphia gets $1, 805 per public school student (I estimated population at 200,000 including charter schools funded by School Reform Commission).
• The other four counties get about $265 per student (I estimated student population at 330,000).

Timmy Tax

Happy Anniversary To Me

Celebrated 12 years on the same job on Thursday. My boss asked me how I could remenber the exact date. I told him "That is because every year on this date, I think about quitting"! Heh.

Big Deer in the yard behind mine

Just took this picture of a big deer in the yard just behind mine. There was more than one deer back there but when I went to get a "moving picture" of this one, they all ran off and I could not get clear shot. I may have to buy a rifle to slow these babies down when I want to take their picture. Heh.

FEDERAL SPENDING

	FEDERAL SPENDING	FY 1961	FY 2001	FY 2008	FY 2009	FY 2010
		In Billions	In Billions	In Billions	In Billions	In Billions
	Department				Budget	Obama 's 1st
1	Pensions	$ 12.8	$ 481	$ 668	$ 767.9	$ -
						$ -
3	Health care	$ 2.0	$ 390	$ 681	$ 712.7	$ -
4	Education	$ 1.7	$ 63	$ 105	$ 99.9	$ -
5	Defense	$ 57.0	$ 366	$ 729	$ 805.0	$ -
6	Welfare	$ 3.2	$ 183	$ 271	$ 283.1	$ -
7	Protection	$ 4.0	$ 30	$ 46	$ 51.1	$ -
8	Transportation	$ 4.4	$ 54	$ 80	$ 83.9	$ -
9	General govt.	$ 0.8	$ 14	$ 20	$ 21.5	$ -
10	Other	$ 8.4	$ 74	$ 90	$ 22.4	$ -
11	Interest	$ 7.5	$ 206	$ 244	$ 260.2	$ -
12	Balance	$ 3.0			$ (0.5)	$ -
13	Stimulus	$ -			$ -	$ -
14	All other	$ -
15	TOTAL	$ 104.8	$ 1,861	$ 2,934	$ 3,107	$ -

I posted this chart in anticipation of the big budget/ economics speech tonight. It will be interesting to see how high spending will go under Barack.

I would bet it will reach $4.5 Trillion per year by FY2013 [before adding stimulus spending]. That is a 75% increase over Bush's last budget of FY 2009 [which was before the economic panic that led to the bank & AIG & Fannie & Freddie bailouts].

Source of data: www.usgovernmentspending.com

Uncle Sam Saves Fast Eddie Rendell's Butt

Governor Ed Rendell fattened Pennsylvania state spending by 42% since he became governor. Inflation was only 18% during this same time. He has also increased the state's long-term debt by a few billion or so.

Yet he is considered a good governor by the MSM. They regularly kiss his butt by "cutting & pasting" the governor's press releases into "news items". Due to the state's big spending, when the national economy collapsed, the state was also in big trouble because of Fast Eddie's big spending.

But amazingly, now the federal govt and Uncle Sam rides to the rescue and will give all the states bailout billions. That includes profligate states like Pennsylvania which will get $8 Billion or more.

So it is fair to say Uncle Sam is pulling Governor Fast Eddie's ample butt out of the fiscal fire.

Bush Was Called A Chimp Once or Twice

Hattip to Chip Ahoy, a commenter on Althouse. Someday, I will learn how to rotate the picture so it is upright. For now, I believe you can click on the picture then rotate it to it is upright.

Bite Me Mr. President I am Exhausted Too....

.....cause I just shoveled the longest driveway in my life. I need my stimulus. Heh.

Good Arguments Against National Health Insurance

I saw this on the New Republic blog. It was a comment by someone named "Sven" rebutting liberal wheenie Jonathan Cohn's article calling for single-payer health insurance here in the USA. IMO, Sven made some great points:

Sven's comment follows:

"You have it dead wrong. My high school debate team covered the topic: the US should adopt the French health care model.

First, the polls, an overwhelming majority of Americans want universal coverage.

Second, a similar majority wants the government out.

First, costs: here are the major items explaining the difference in French and US costs: (a) doctor and nurse salaries-30%; (b) drugs-10% (France negotiates lower prices); and (c) torts-25% (malpractice premiums and defensive medicine).

Second, the US could match EU prices on drugs-they all negotiate lower prices, but, first, all drug maker profits and RD expenditures would be wiped out and EU countries delay use of emerging, important and life saving drugs.

Third, most of the developed countries who have "national" health care absolutely ration care.

Fourth, the 45 million uninsured is a canard:
1/3 of them qualify for Medicaid and simply don't appy,
1/3 make $50,000 a year, with employers paying 75% of the premiums and simply don't secure coverage (10% of the Japanese-which has non-profit insurance companies-don't secure coverage either) and
1/3 are immigrants (which many countries don't cover anyway).

Fifth, EU countries impose an employer tax of 13% to cover the population-do that here and unemployment will skyrocket.

Sixth, the EU model of tax and spend is horrible-their economic growth is lower than the US and their unemployment rates are higher than the US. OECD studies confirm that progressive income taxes (the more progressive the worse results) significantly depress growth and jobs. It's harder than you think.

The GOP aren't slaves to big business-they just see what happens when you advance the nanny state.

Study what happened in India when they moved to a free market economy. There was and is a reason Americans don't buy your nationalized health care model-it doesn't work and it's not good for them."

Why Is Obama Doing This?

"White House may put hold on offshore drilling plan
Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:46am

WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama may order a hold on a proposal issued in the final days of the Bush administration to expand offshore drilling in previously banned areas, an Interior Department official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Shortly after being sworn in on Tuesday, Obama ordered all federal agencies and departments to halt pending regulations until they can be reviewed by incoming staff.

An Interior official said the department is waiting for clarification from the White House on whether a proposed draft of a five-year plan to lease areas in the Atlantic and Pacific waters for oil and natural gas drilling can go forward.

The preliminary plan would authorize 31 energy exploration lease sales between 2010 and 2015 for tracts along the east coast and off the coasts of Alaska and California.

Both presidential and congressional bans on drilling in most U.S. waters ended last year.

Separately, the Interior official said the department's plan to develop oil shale fields in the western United States may also be stopped by Obama's order. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe and Tom Doggett) "

Good Luck To Our New President.....

.......please don't screw up our country with your nanny-state mentality. Freedom and opportunity are the keys to our prosperity.

This is my favorite Obama family picture. They ar a beautiful family! God bless them and The United States of America!

Danny Ozark

Andy Reid is the Philadelphia Eagle's version of Danny Ozark. Ozark was a nice man who managed the Phillies back in the 1970's and could never get them to the World Series. The team finally fired Ozark. His replacement and the team won the 1980 World Series with almost the same players except they added Pete Rose (not an inconsequential addition I must admit).

It is time for the fat man, Andy Reid, to go.

EAGLES!

ZING!

Below is a zinger of a quote in Salon Magazine from Camille Paglia about Katie Couric:

"And let me take this opportunity to say that of all the innumerable print and broadcast journalists who have interviewed me in the U.S. and abroad since I arrived on the scene nearly 20 years ago, Katie Couric was definitively the stupidest. As a guest on NBC's "Today" show during my 1992 book tour, I was astounded by Couric's small, humorless, agenda-ridden mind, still registered in that pinched, tinny monotone that makes me rush across the room to change stations whenever her banal mini-editorials blare out at 5 p.m. on the CBS radio network. And of course I would never spoil my dinner by tuning into Couric's TV evening news show. That sallow, wizened, drum-tight, cosmetic mummification look is not an appetite enhancer outside of Manhattan or L.A. There's many a moose in Alaska with greater charm and pizazz."

Did It Cost The Giants When.....

.....their two top coach coordinators had job interviews this past week??

Steve Spagnola, the Giant's defensive coordinator, and Kevin Gilbride, the offensive coordinator, each had a job interview this past week for a head coaching vacancy. The Jets interviewed Spagnola and the Raiders interviewed Gilbride.

I don't care who you are, that has to affect your preparation in advance of a big game. Hey if it did, it helped my Eagles win. But when I am Emperor, those kinds of distractions will be outlawed.

[This post is for by blogging friend, Trooper York who is a dieheard Giants fan. Troop feel free to use this if you decide to make an irate call to WFAN. Heh]

Macy Gray & ON HOW LIFE IS

This girl Macy Gray can really sing. No big news of course since she has been a big star for a while. But now from this day forward she has my imprimatur and it is on the internets!

This afternoon, I have been listening to her album all afternoon on my new Bose sound system. The album is called "On How Life Is". I highly recommend it. It will make you want to dance.

Easter Comes Early Sometimes

My Favorite Eagles Picture & One I Don't Like

Happy New Year From the Borgata in Atlantic City from "Rocky" aka my Preppy Name

Sorry I deleted my own preppy name .

What's" Your Preppy Name?

Merry Christmas To All (FYI -this is my 175th blog post in 2008)

I try to do 176 blog posts a year. Weird I know but I did 176 my first year and coincidentally did 176 the 2nd year so I took it as a sign. Heh. Not really but now that is my yearly quota since I joined the Amalgamated Union of Bloggers. Plus every union member gets a neat uniform that looks a little like pajamas!

Merry Christmas to all!

Mr. Dikshit

Some Good news for a change! Our federal deficit just decreased by $300 Million. A rich internet gambling entrepreneur named Mr. Dikshit (I am not making this up) has agreed to pay a $300 Million fine to us. [see actual story below].

Rich Internet gambling entrepreneur pleads guilty ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — A co-founder of an Internet gambling company and one of the world's richest people pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal crime and agreed to forfeit $300 million as part of a cooperation deal.
A smiling Anurag Dikshit, of the British colony of Gibraltar, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to charges that he used the Internet to transmit interstate and foreign wagering information. The 37-year-old is the co-founder of PartyGaming, a Gibraltar online gambling company that offered casino and poker games and catered to a U.S. audience.
Dikshit, a citizen of India, said 85 percent of the company's revenue was derived from U.S. customers. Dikshit signed a cooperation agreement and prosecutors indicated they may eventually submit a letter to the judge asking for leniency at sentencing. The charge of violating the federal wire act carries a potential prison term of up to two years in prison.

Dikshit and defense lawyer Mark Pomerantz declined to comment. Prosecutors said in a release that Dikshit developed a proprietary software platform and directed the company's computer operations from 1998 through October 2006, when he also was PartyGaming principal shareholder. At sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 16, 2010, Dikshit could face up to two years in prison.

Bail was set at $15 million, though Dikshit was not required to post any cash or property.
Judge Jed S. Rakoff questioned what would cause him to return for future court dates. But prosecutors and Pomerantz agreed that Dikshit had demonstrated his desire to cooperate, in part by already paying $100 million to the U.S. Treasury and pledging to pay another $100 million within three months and the last installment of $100 million by Sept. 30.

"Mr. Dikshit decided to come to the United States to enter the plea under his own volition. He's been interviewed in Europe. We believe Mr. Dikshit is dedicated to following through," Pomerantz said. Last year, Dikshit was listed No. 618 on Forbes magazine's ranking of the world's richest people with a net worth of $1.6 billion.

How About Them Cowgirls!

I am on the mailing list from The Mirage. Note to self : Must see a rodeo someday!

Woo Woo

Jennifer Aniston will be on the cover of GQ and I will buy the magazine. That is a nice tie huh!

The Great Train Robbery of 2008

The bailout is getting wild. It is over a trillion bucks pledged by taxpayers to bail out everything from AIG to The Big 3 to Fannie & Freddie Mae to Citicorp.

[Next thing you know Moe, Larry and Curly will show up looking for a bailout for their plumbing business. What a classic episode that was "A Plumbing We Will Go". If you saw it, you know they needed a real bailout] Click here for You Tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77tktvV577w

Seriously, I am beginning to believe this whole thing is the greatest scam and heist of all time. Today, Drudge had a headline that the federal guarantees were up to almost $8 Trillion bucks.

Hell, if you added up every homeowner's mortgage balance in the USA, it would only be about $15 Trillion. Are we paying off the home mortgages for half of the country? If so, count me in - I want mine paid off too!

Happy Thanksgiving

Twas the night before the Friday before Thanksgiving and I was putting out the trash. When what to my wonder and surprise, it was snowing! So I took some pictures for you to enjoy!

Aunt Zeituni and Where Your Tax Money Goes

I heard Senator Obama's Aunt Zeituni is an illegal immigrant who has been living in govt-funded public housing for 4-5 years. So I wondered how much taxpayers fork out for public housing here in the Philadelphia area. Here is the scoop below; the info is right from their website:

"The Philadelphia Housing Authority, also known as PHA, is the biggest landlord in Pennsylvania. We develop, acquire, lease and operate affordable housing for city residents with limited incomes. Our funding comes primarily from the federal government.

We house about 84,000 people in 13,400 housing units in the City of Philadelphia and we employ 1,150 people to deliver services to our clients. Our budget totals $347 million.It’s our policy to serve our customers without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, having AIDS, physical handicap, or disability."

Let me do the math for you. They spend $25,900 per unit year after year after year! [How much is your mortgage payment?] Yet I assume the same stinking lazy asses get free public housing year after year after year.

Look at it this way- every three years the taxpayers send the PHA One Billion dollars to house these 13,400 families. That is $78,000 per unit over three years. The average home in Philadelphia could be bought for about $150,000!

This is a great example that shows why the taxpayer is going broke!

People Wear Blinders

Great comment on Althouse's blog. The commenter was responding to an Obama supporter who wished the Republicans would give Obama a chance. Here is the comment:

"Once again: Where have you been the past eight years? Do you read blogs? Have you ever heard this guy Keith Olbermann? Jack Cafferty? Half the columnists at the NY Times? You reap what you sow. "