Move over birthers, here come the skinners

If a debate is held and no one shows up, do the trees know or care?  The first Republican presidential debate is scheduled for this Thursday on Faux News and none of the major candidates are planning on attending.  Hmmm two hours of silence on Faux News, now THAT’s worth tuning in for.
In a related story, at this rate the potential GOP presidential debaters may include Joe ‘The Plumber’, Bristol Palin, Strom Thurmond’s corpse, and Ted Nugent.
In a little covered news story yesterday, the Treasury Department has granted exemptions to foreign exchange derivatives traded via over-the counter (OTC) swaps.  This loophole in the Dodd-Frank financial reform law was lauded by the banking industry.  Why do I have the sinking suspicion that investment banks JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, et al are already figuring out how to take advantage of this loophole for their own proprietary businesses?  Start the clock on the next financial crisis, I am betting 2018.
Watching Rocky II, did you ever notice that Mickey went from Irish in Rocky I and II and to Jewish in Rocky III?  The conversion scene must have been cut.
All this birther shit is an embarrassment and a joke.  I wonder when we elect our first Jewish President if the ‘skinners’ will require proof of circumcision.
Corporate profits are at an all-time high, S&P 500 is nearly back to pre-Lehmann Brothers collapse highs, US debt is still the safest investment out there, and yet inflation is increasing, unemployment is still too high, commodity prices are surging, economy is sluggish, our debt continues to grow, and future financial commitments are increasing.  Are we headed to a 1970’s style stagflation?  Is this the new normal:  US companies, like Caterpillar, hiring outside the US?  Will US corporations keep beating their tax bill?  Will the US Military being used as a modern day British navy and army to support the East India Trading Company? Will US Oil Industry making sure we stay addicted to oil?  We are in strange times: in China the government runs the corporations and in the US the corporations run the government.
Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz imploded in his Nationwide Tour debut, shooting a 15-over 87 and missing the cut by 27 strokes at the South Georgia Classic in Valdosta. Smoltz started with an 84 and was even worse in the second round, and his 27-over total of 171 was nine strokes worse that any of the other 147 golfers who completed both rounds.  Perhaps Smoltzie should try bass fishing.

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