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Showing posts from October, 2011

Friday Night Twenty Questions

Twenty Questions 1)       Does everyone stop the microwave seconds before the timer times out figuring a few more seconds won’t matter? 2)       Does it matter if you don’t wait for the oven to reach preheat temp before putting that Thanksgiving turkey in the oven? 3)       What happens when Congressional approval rating drops below the margin of error of the poll? 4)       Was Steve Forbes the vampire king in Lost Boys? 5)       On Halloween does John Boehner become a Jack O'Lantern? 6)       How many of us are really missing the NBA? 7)       Why does the Big Ten Conference have 12 teams, but the Big 12 have only 10 teams? 8)       If the Rangers win the World Series will George W. Bush or Rick Perry take the credit? 9)       Do you think Mitt Romney ever watched CatDog? 10)    In light of the big problems we face, is it wrong to still get pissed about DirecTV dropping FX? 11)    Is it me or do we have 20x the meetings we used to have because of email? 12)    Do you think Herman

Best of Diggapedia

Because I am obviously as big and famous as Jon Stewart, I will be submitting some Best of Diggapedia Posts over the next two weeks while I am travelling.  However, stay tuned as new posts may appear during my travels. 

From 1920 to 2011: Occupying Wall Street

Class warfare, income disparity, unfair wages, fat cats, organized labor busting, series of economic shocks, recessions originating out of the financial community, hatred against immigrants, an unpopular war, war profiteers, a Democrat in the White House.   Sounds like the last few years?   Of course it does, but we are referencing the years from 1918 -1920 that culminated in the detonation of a bomb outside the JP Morgan Bank at 12:01pm on September 16, 1920. The blast killed 38 and seriously injured 143, and was never solved. Now I am not proposing, implying, insinuating, promoting, or inspiring similar attacks today.   What am I saying is the Occupy Wall Street movement is spreading and building momentum like a flywheel driven by some of the very same reasons that lead to that terror attack ninety years ago.   I honestly do not believe that the current incarnation ends with homespun terror, I think this movement is unwilling and incapable of such dire and desperate actions.   Noneth

Breaking News: The Best TV Shows are on Cable Premium TV

Here is a Digganalysis of the fall television season.   If a show does not appear it probably means it is not in the rotation because I also have a day job. Prime Cut (new): Homeland, American Horror Story Prime Cut (returning): Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Walking Dead Damn Terrific (new): Suburbgatory Damn Terrific (returning): Sons of Anarchy, Modern Family, Real Time with Bill Maher, Hung, How to Make it in America Too Soon to Tell: Boss, Once Upon a Time Still Good: Mike and Molly, Fringe Guilty Pleasure (new): Revenge, Two Broke Girls, Whitney (It’s good for at least two good lines per show), The League, Archer Fading Fast (returning): Law & Order: SVU, Big Bang Theory, Survivor Didn’t Make the Cut: Person of Interest, Up All Night, Free Agents, Enlightened, Prime Suspect, Strike Back, Apocalypse Is Here: Jersey Shore, Real Housewives of (fill in the blank) New Show Idea: America’s Top Hoarding Swamp People in a Storage War

Just a few minor corrections for Senator Rubio's 'Official' Biography

Top Ten Corrections from Marco Rubio’s Biography 10. His parents didn’t leave Cuba with Michael Corleone. 9. He didn’t grow up in the same neighborhood as Tony Montana. 8. His father did not play an astronaut on I Dream of Jeanie 7. His sister didn’t babysit Eilan Gonzalez. 6. His grandfather was not a butcher at the Bay of Pigs Pork Store. 5. He didn’t play a young drug dealer in Season Five if Miami Vice. 4. He wasn’t a utility infielder for the Florida Marlins. 3.   He didn’t win the 1981 Miami-Dade Scripps Spelling Bee. 2. He didn’t kill an alligator with a Swiss army knife. 1. He didn’t invent #OccupyMiami

Unicorns and Leprechauns: A Quick Analysis of the Rick Perry Tax Plan

Cain’s 9-9-9 has been replaced by Perry’s Cut-Balance-Grow.   Disclaimer: I am not an economist and I am not a frequent guest at Holiday Inn Express. Perry wants a 20% flat tax rate for all Americans across the board with zero progression.   Of course he would give Americans the option of filing against their current rate with current deductions. Doesn’t sound flat to me, sounds progressive and now overly complex.   Does this mean those that currently aren’t making enough to hit the minimum threshold will still pay no income tax?   Perry Plan also stipulates that families with incomes less than $500,000 can also retain their deductions for mortgage interest, charitable donations, and state and local tax exemptions if they chose the flat tax route.   Wait there’s more.   Perry will lower the corporate tax rate to 20% from 35% while phasing out corporate loopholes and special interest tax breaks.   The plan will also allow companies to repatriate their offshore earnings, estimated at $1.

Scary thoughts so close to Halloween

One Week from Halloween, here are some truly scary thoughts: 1)       President McCain has ordered the deployment of the 6 th fleet to the Eastern Mediterranean in preparation of possible combat missions against pro al-Assad Syrian forces. 2)       Secretary of State John Bolton announced at the U.N. that only countries who sign a pledge to America will receive aid from the United States. 3)       Supreme Court Justice Nominee John Ashcroft is expected to get to sufficient Republican votes to get confirmed replacing the retiring Justice Ginsburg. 4)       While appearing on Fox News Sunday, National Security Advisor Liz Cheney told host Bristol Palin that Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al Qaeda have become the new axis of evil. 5)       Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Blankfein, ex CEO of Goldman Sachs, announced that the White House will back the repeal of The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. 6)       Vice President Palin was in her home state of Alaska to announce t

House GOP: Don't Drink The Water or Breathe The Air

The GOP-Controlled House of Representatives list of legislative job-creating successes: The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act The Energy Tax Prevention Act Disapproval of FCC’s Net Neutrality Regulations The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act Consumer Financial Protection and Soundness Improvement Act Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act EPA Regulatory Relief Act Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act What House Republicans have come up with is a series of bills that sound like good ideas such as the Consumer Financial Protection and Soundness Improvement Act.   How bad can something be that improves consumer financial protection right?   Wrong.   Very Wrong.   This bill removes the legitimacy and enforcement power of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau.   In other words, let the banking industry continue to have unfettered and unconstrained power through fine print to

Top Ten Pieces of Bullshit

This Week’s Top Ten Myths, Untruths, and Flat Out Lies That Get Diggaduh Diggapissed. 10. Players do not have sophomore slumps and they don’t make rookie mistakes.   The sophomore slump is a statistical correction called regression to the mean.   And rookies make the same mistakes they made in college and they make the same mistakes as veterans. 9. Republicans insist on calling millionaires Small Business Owners and that they are job creators.   Problem is the millionaire surtax is a marginal rate increase for income over $1million if filing as a person.   If you file as a business, you get taxed on earnings not income.   Not the same thing. 8. Millionaires are job creators.   Hedge fund managers and private equity executives create jobs?   If that is the case can someone tell me how many jobs John Paulson and Mitt Romney (while at Bain Capital) created?   Didn’t think so. 7. Mitt Romney insisting that corporations are people. This week Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan Ch

Avis Tries Harder, what should Hertz Do?

No matter what Hertz tries, they get sued. The current story out of Seattle is garnering the headlines, but the story is more complicated than that.     The recent firing of 26 Muslim employees at the Seattle Sea-Tac Airport for refusing to clock out for breaks so they can pray as drawn the ire of many.   Teamsters Local 117 has filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and is filing religious discrimination charges with the EEOC. Hertz had suspended 34 employees in September for failing to punch out during prayers. Eight were reinstated after signing an agreement to clock out by the Thursday deadline. Further, Hertz had provided space at the Sea-Tac location for the employees to pray in private. In 2007 and again in 2009 Hertz was sued by non-Muslims because at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hertz was allowing its Muslim employees to take breaks without clocking out in order to pray.   In 2009 Katie Barkley and Shirley Harris,

Tonight on the Game Show Network: Name Your Bagger

Name that Bagger.   Match the Candidate with the Bagger.   There are no wrong answers. Candidate *.Bagger A)      Michele Bachmann 1)       Tea.Bagger B)       Rick Santorum 2)       Douche.Bagger C)       Newt Gingrich 3)       Garbage.Bagger D)      Mitt Romney 4)       Flea.Bagger E)       Jon Huntsman 5)       Body.Bagger F)       Herman Cain 6)       Dirt.Bagger G)      Rick Perry 7)       Nut.Bagger The corrupt immoral Arizona Maricopa County Sheriff's Office announced that Captain Joel Fox was fired on Thursday and now joins disgraced deputies Dave Hendershott and Larry Black as recently deposed senior leaders in ‘America’s Sheriff’ Joe Arpaio’s staff.   I may be going out on a limb here, but if your top three commanders resign in disgrace or get fired due to corruption investigations, you may be the problem. Marco Rubio, Lindsay Graham, and John McCain just couldn’t give President Obama any credit for the success of the Libyan mission.    Coupled with the flip fl

Simchat Torah Thursday Tidbits

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Should the BCS ratings system switch places with Moody’s Fitch and S&P?   Each probably couldn’t do any worse than the other.   Imagine Italian creditworthiness versus Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl.   Vegas sets the bond spreads at 398 base points. Bin Laden al-Awlaki, Gadhafi, not bad for an anti-colonial Democrat apologist.   He has Emmitt Smith cool.   Scores the touchdown and doesn’t do the whole Terrell Owens celebration but simply makes the play and hands the football to the ref.   Cool class. AMC’s Walking Dead pulls in 7.3Million viewers and 4.8million in the 18-49 age demographic.   The show featuring zombies, no not Michele Bachman, may succeed where Howard Hughes failed: killing Pan Am. Someone please explain Michelle Malkin, Dana Perino, and Dana Loesch.   GOP doesn't have plan/details all they have is ideology. When did liberal become a bad thing? Isn't progressive heading in the right direction? What do SoCons, NeoCons, LiberCons, PaleCons have in common?

Part II of the Diggapedia Long Term Plan

Vision We aspire to be a nation of optimistic educated, healthy citizens free of unnecessary regulations, corporatist cronyism, bigotry, excessive debt, and government encroachment into our lives while unequivocally maintaining ourselves as the world’s greatest nation. Here is the second installment of our Long Term Plan addressing plans for immigration, tax reform, social liberty, and the military.   Some of the items may be controversial and unappealing to liberals, but the fact is we can’t solve our future debt issues without some changes to social programs. 1.        We shall establish a pathway for undocumented residents to achieve citizenship within 4 years. a.        All citizens will have identification cards b.       English comprehension will be mandatory c.        Felony convictions will result in deportation d.       Conservatives will cry ‘amnesty’ I say that the vast majority of the undocumented are established in the community and are good citizens why not give them a pa

Recap of the CNN GOP debate

Sound bites from last night’s GOP Presidential Debate ·          Mitt Romney: “I’m rubber you’re glue whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.” ·          Rick Perry: “I’m not touching you.” ·          Michele Bachmann: “Quit looking at me.” ·          Herman Cain: “Your mama is so fat…” ·          Rick Santorum: “No fair, it’s my turn.” ·          Ron Paul: “When’s recess?” ·          Rick Perry: “When’s nap time?” ·          Mitt Romney: “Mr. Cooper they’re picking on me.” ·          Anderson Cooper: “Ricky go stand in the corner.” ·          Newt Gingrich: “Do I have to climb the rope in gym class?” ·          Michele Bachmann: “I don’t have cooties.” ·          Rick Santorum: “A sphincter says what?” ·          Mitt Romney: “What?” ·          Newt Gingrich: “I know you are, but what am I?”

Popular political applications of the new iPhone 4S Siri:

Herman Cain: “What the hell is 9-9-9?” Michele Bachmann: “Was the Battle of Saratoga fought in Florida?” Jon Huntsman: “Why don’t republican primary voters like me?” Sarah Palin: “Is refudiate a word?” Rick Perry: “Where is the closest Toastmasters International location?” Herman Cain: “Would an electrical fence require 110V or 220V?” Mitt Romney: “Who is Buzz Lightyear and why do people keep calling me that?” Rick Santorum: “Google Santorum” Michele Bachmann: “Am I more popular than Sarah Palin?” Newt Gingrich: “Where is closest Buffalo Wild Wings?” Ron Paul: “Siri?   Siri who?” John Boehner: “Where is the closest tanning booth pub?” Eric Cantor: “Siri why did you say I sound like a whiney toad?” Anthony Weiner: “Hey Siri, like what you see?” George W. Bush: “I said nuculur.   Honestly, why can’t this thing understand me?” Rick Perry “When was the American Revolution?” Dick Cheney: “Siri, where are the WMD’s?” Newt Gingrich: “Does this phone make my ass look big?”

Arizona has poll position in the Gran Prix Race to the Bottom

Here is just a sampling of the Arizona legislation during the last two sessions: ·          SB1070, the sweeping anti-immigration bill that put Arizona at ground zero of the current debate.   The law, signed by Governor Brewer in 2010, has not gone into effect pending court review of the law’s constitutionality. ·          A bill banning teachers with heavy accents from teaching in public school system. ·          A bill requiring school teachers and administrators to determine the immigration status of all students.   ·          A bill requiring hospitals and other medical care facilities to determine the immigration status of all those seeking care ·          A bill allowing guns on university campuses and other public property ·          A law removing the need to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon. ·          A law allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons into bars.   (bar owner has option to ban guns) ·          A bill requiring all presidential candidates to provide a b

Part I of the Diggapedia Long Term Plan

Our problem isn’t China.   It’s us.   Our name is the United States of America and we have a problem.   The problem is we lost our way and our vision.   Now I am not proposing we hire a high paid consultant to help us craft a mission statement, what I am saying is that this country needs to describe what good looks like, where do we want to be in twelve years and   then create the plan to get there using SMART (Specific-Measurable-Actionable-Realistic-Timely) goals.   Now the defeatists will say that we can’t do that because of election cycles, politics, and partisanship.   Bullshit.   Lincoln did it in 1960, Roosevelt during the Great Depression, Kennedy set our nation on a trajectory in 1960, Reagan did so in 1980, and we need to do it again.   Ed Harris portraying Gene Krantz in Apollo 13 uttered the famous words “Failure is not an option.”   Amen brother. So let’s get down to it.   Vision: We aspire to be a nation of optimistic educated, healthy citizens free of unnecessary regula