Diggapedia

John Shadegg (R-AZ) was on Morning Joe this morning arguing that unemployment benefits are not stimulative to the economy because unemployed hoard their checks.  He doubled down on his nonsense by saying that maintaining lower taxes for the richest 2% in the country creates jobs.  With all due respect (read: very little) Congressman, the nonpartisan CBO issued the analysis below that clearly shows the biggest driver to increase employment is increasing aid to the unemployed and that income tax reductions are the least effective.  Why?  Unemployed spend their unemployment checks, while the rich spend no more if their tax rates are 35% or 39%.   The good news: Shadegg is retiring.

The video is 12 minutes long but you need to watch AC slam Representative Berman (R-TX).  Are all Texas Congressmen Douche Bags?  Delay, Berman, Gohmert, Barton?  Cooper Shellacks Berman Tell you what Governor Perry: I am begging you to secede.

Not since the Manhattan Project tests of the 1940’s has there been a bigger bomb in the desert than this year’s Arizona Cardinals.   Two years removed from a near Super Bowl victory, they now make the Lions and Bills look good.   Kurt Warner couldn’t help this defense, and worse this even goes beyond the powers of Bristol “Middle Finger” Palin.

1.       In light of the recent disclosure of the confidential information, I need to come clean about this column.   I almost named this blog DiggiLeaks, but figured it was too close to DiggiCraps.   2.       Mixed emotions about the Chargers-Colts game Sunday night.   I love seeing Marbles Manning and the Dolts struggle, but the Chargers and Rivers scare the crap out of me.   On the plus side, I sleep better knowing they are coached by Norv Turner aka Marty. Schottenheimer 2.0. 3.       The not so shocking revelation in the WikiLeaks memos was the unanimous feelings from Arab states hoping that the US and/or Israel would bomb Iran.   Tell you what King Abdullah et al, give us your oil, find a home for the Palestinians, and allow human rights in your kingdoms, and we’ll consider it.   Heck we might even throw in a mosque in NYC. 4.       I have always cring...

-         76 year old Michigan grandmother Bea Leach bagged a five-point buck last week.   Word out of Wasilla, Alaska is Sarah Palin has added Ms. Leach to her short list of potential vice presidential candidates for 2012. -         George W. Bush makes no apologies for the tough decision he had to make during his presidency in his memoir ‘Decision Points’.   In all interviews he has offered no regrets or assessments of the results.   Perhaps his follow-up should be titled ‘Truth and Consequences’. -         Clearly investing in additional border security has paid off.   Last week U.S. Border Patrol was able to apprehend and arrest Willie Nelson of possession of marijuana.   It seems the border guard smelled marijuana smoke when he boarded the tour bus in Texas.   -         Let’s Make a Deal starts in Washington this w...

It's a great day for America: -         Hanukah, Chanukah, Chanukkah, Channukah, Hannukah, Hanuka, Hanukka, Hanaka, and Hanika are different spellings for חנוכה   .   So don’t despair my gentile friends, all spellings and pronunciations are welcome.   Now, I hope I get a harmonica and be sure to smoke your medical marijuanica.   Friendly reminder that Chanukah starts on December 1 st this year. -         Black Eyed Peas will be the halftime entertainment at this year’s Super Bowl.   Initially I was dismayed that they were chosen but upon further review I am very happy to watch Fergie for 15 minutes.   After all, Up With People were chosen a record four times (Super Bowls X, XIV, XVI, and XX).   Just keep the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber away; unless they are on the field during the game and not during halftime. -         Prince Chunk ...

What no Cranberry Sauce? -         South Korea’s defense minster Kim Tae-young resigned just days after the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island by North Korea (Sarah, they’re the bad Korea).   Makes you wonder how the hell Rumsfeld held onto his position for nearly six years. -         As much as I enjoy Modern Family, it still comes up short when compared to Arrested Development, which can be seen on IFC.   Liza Minnelli playing vertigo-inflicted Lucille Two was priceless. -         In a Thanksgiving tradition, President Obama spared a turkey at the White House on Wednesday.     Joe Biden could not be reached for comment. -         Big week coming up in Washington as the lame duck congress comes back to work.   Tuesday hearings on DADT repeal, START ratification, and on Wednesday the Deficit Reduction Commission holds it vote. ...

I am thankful for: Google for turning a social media savvy-less simpleton like me into a blogger-in-training Jon Stewart, Craig Ferguson, and Jimmy Fallon for making television funny AMC for taking a chance on The Walking Dead…check out this week’s Entertainment Weekly Limbaugh, Hannity, Malkin, and Beck for providing me with so much material The Palins…the golden goose of blogger material Golfing on Thanksgiving morning Thanksgiving; Where Americans overindulge in food and drink get into family fights…True American Exceptionalism Sarcasm, irony, satire, and parody Christmas music playing in stores in September…see above. Living in a country where:   if I don’t like what I am watching I can change the channel, if I don’t like what I am listening to I can change the station, and if I don’t like what I am reading on line I can click. Independent documentary movies and the small theaters that still play them And finally, I am thankful for my beautiful wife Mrs. Diggapedia and all of m...

The Palins:   The Gift That Just Keeps Giving David Letterman, Katie Couric, Michelle Obama, Meghan McCain, Lisa Murkowski, Elizabeth Edwards, Frank Murkowski, Barbara Bush, and Maureen Dowd…a short list of the people Sarah ‘Half Term’ Palin has publicly feuded with recently.   Dave Shultz, Bob Probert, Roberto Duran, and Chuck Liddell have nothing on the Gorilla from Wasilla when it comes to building a substantial body of fighting work.   Seriously, she has been involved in more grudge matches than Ric Flair. Then there is All-American Daughter Bristol: “Going out there and winning this would mean a lot,” Bristol told the Dancing with the Stars audience during a clip package on the finale. “It would be like a big middle finger to all the people out there that hate my mom and hate me.”   Nice. Half Term Palin on the Korean flare up “ But obviously, we’ve got to stand with our North Korean allies. We’re bound to by treaty –-“…I am going to give her a break here. ...

Palinapalooza Update: -         Sarah’s Infomercial/Public Service Announcement/Campaign Ad/Alaskan Chamber of Commerce Promotion on TLC lost 40% of its audience from its 5million strong debut last week.   Of the 3million viewers only 885,000 were from the desirable 18-49 demographic, making the median age 57.  I think ABC called this phenomenon 'Flash Forward'. -         Sarah Half Term herself has graced the valley of the sun this evening as she is kicking off her book tour at the Barnes and Nobles at the Desert Ridge Center in Phoenix.   I heard she is using the Crayola 64 box to sign the books.   Suck it NYC, LA, and San Fran as she isn’t even stopping in your Lamestream Media cities.      Palin isn’t always wrong, she was correct in predicting that death panels would be established as we began rationing healthcare.   What she didn’t know was that the death panels would be e...

Constantly bringing you the wide world of the absurd. NFL’s NFC west standings and results: Seattle 5-5: last game 34-19 loss to New Orleans St. Louis 4-6: last game 34-17 loss to Atlanta Arizona 3-7: last game 31-13 loss to KC San Francisco 3-7: last game 21-0 loss to Tampa Bay -         This division is the ACC of NCAA football, the Fox of late night TV, the MSNBC of cable news, the Massachusetts GOP of politics, the Brussels Sprouts of vegetables, and the M. Night Shyamalan of movie turkeys. 100,000 Latinos moved out of AZ and Governor Phyllis Diller Brewer says her SB1070 is doing what it was design to do: force illegal immigrants out of the country.   Two issues here: (1) the low voltage light bulb in her brain believes all Latinos are illegal immigrants and (2) when a state loses citizens it is never good for its economy. Only 33% of boys born in the US in 2009 were circumcised.   I think the NFL is taking this helmet to helmet conta...

 Coffee has kicked  in so let's get this ranting started: -         John Kyl (R-AZ), the #2 Republican in the Senate, will not allow the START Treaty to come to a vote until next year when the chances of rejection are higher.   So Kyl and company are siding with our enemies in North Korea and Iran?   In a way yes.   This treaty is necessary to get Russia on board with our strategy against North Korea and Iran, without it, we extend an environment that enables the rogue states to pursue nuclear aspirations.   Look at this weekend’s news that North Korea has rapidly built a new enrichment facility. -         Listening Bobby Jindal this morning on Meet The Press:   Why don’t you stay in Louisiana and figure out to get safe drinking water to New Orleans. -         Racial profiling is a necessary tool in screening for terrorists.   I said it.  ...

Looks like international liquidity to help prop up the Irish banks will likely be finalized next week.  While reviewing the terms of the bail out, Irish PM Brian Cowen shrugged and quipped "It's all Greek to me".  In all seriousness, I have a deep affinity for the land of Ireland and its people.  After cutting services and raising taxes on its 4.5Million citizens, its cost of borrowing increasing, and it's banks seeing a continued outflow of capital, the country has been brought to its knees; the Celtic Tiger has been de-clawed.  The European powers will try to tie Ireland's corporate tax rate (a European low of 12.5%) as a condition of the loan, and in the process tear out another piece of sovereignty in the EU (a right Irish voters insisted on during the Lisbon Treaty negotiations last year). Perhaps they should have reached out to Tony Soprano for better terms.

Thanks to Boardwalk Empire for bringing this tremendous track back. Love it.

College football at Wrigley is like hockey at Fenway Park: a novel idea, but let's not call it historic.  Further, because of the park dimensions, both teams' offenses will advance the ball in the same direction because of a safety issue at one of the end zones.   Heck playing neighborhood football at Mattulina Park (The Heights) we incorporated losers walk and barnyard rules, but us 10 year olds always managed to figure out how use the whole field.

This PSA is more like a POS. Things to come to mind: 1) Bristol's acting is only outdone by her dancing skills. 2) These two clowns doing an abstinence PSA is like Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan doing a PSA for addiction, Marion Jones and Mark McGwire for performance enhancing drugs, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley for gambling addiction, and Jeff Skilling and Bernie Maddoff for business ethics. 3) Situation has fallen on much bigger grenades and land mines. Bristol Palin and The Situation Make Awkward Safe Sex PSA - Terra

Theories from the dark side: 1) William Hung was before his time 2) Bristol Palin and Sanjaya Malakar...talentless talent show contestants who prove that it's all BS...both were past their expiration dates 3) Conspiracy Theory: Some Tea Party tech wizard figured out how to reprogram their campaign phones so that instead of robo-calling households, it flooded the DWTS phone banks with Bristol votes 4) Arnold Rothstein would be envious of this fix. 5) Do you think John McCain wishes he had picked Bristol instead of Sarah for his running mate? 6) I haven't seen this many brain dead people vote since the Kennedy-Nixon 1960 election (Chicago vote tally). 7) I bet you will see Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty, and any other GOP presidential hopeful try to get their kids onto the 2012 season of DWTS.

10) Newly elected conservative congressman Dr. Andy Harris, a physician from Maryland who ran on a strictly anti-Obamacare message wants to know why he has to wait 28 days for his GOVERNMENT provided healthcare coverage to kick in.   28 days?   How about 90 days, 180 days, or never   for many private sector people?   Here’s a suggestion to Dr. Harris, sign up for Cobra in the meantime.   Congratulations Doctongressman you have made the Diggapedia top ten list and you haven’t even started serving yet.   9) To: Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY), spare us the false outrage about your ethics investigation:   20 terms and 11 ethics violations.   Hit the bricks and I don’t want to hear from the Black Congressional Caucus that this was race-based.   As chairman of the House ways and means committee, you failed and need to be censured. 8)   If you want a balanced scholarly look at the origins of the Israeli-Arab-Palestine troubles pick up Benny ...

-         Big controversy over the new airport scanning machines and the new pat down methods.   People everywhere are asking “Do I want increased security or my privacy protected?” I ask “Does this new scanner make my ass look big?” -         Speaking of these new security measures, how do they exactly improve cargo security?   How would this have prevented the toner cartridge bomb scare from two weeks ago? -         After one meeting with the 13 freshman GOP senators, minority leader Mitch McConnell pulled a quick 180 and now says he will support the banning of all earmarks.   Folded like origami.   -         Why do most right wing commentators come across has mean lying self-loathing sob’s while most left wing commentators come across as nasty petty self loathing d-bags?   Rachel Maddow excluded. -    ...

Tonight is the premier of Sarah Palin's Alaska on The Learning Channel (talk about irony).  I wonder if her travels include the governors mansion which she moved out of after quitting mid term, the location where abstinence advocate daughter Bristol got knocked up, and scenic views of Russia (must be near her house). 

- Courtesy of Sister Sue: The Wakefield (Mass) Track and Field Team is taking a lot of flak for its new team tee shirts that simply say WTF; reminds me of my Little League days playing for Braintree Savings Bank when our hats said BS. - The Chandler (AZ) City Hall posted restrooms signs warning people not to drink out of toilets and urinals.   Seriously?   Have people been bobbing for apples in Chandler’s public restrooms? - The NFL will likely push for an 18 game regular season schedule, an increase of 2 games from today’s schedule.   You know who is the happiest about this potential change:   Csonka, Shula, Griese, and the rest of the ’72 unbeaten Dolphins. - Citizens of Oklahoma unanimously passed a law that bars Oklahoma courts from considering Islamic or Shariah law.   This rise in Islamophobia is being stoked by demagoguery and ignorance.   How can Sharia law be considered in an Oklahoma court of law that operates under the Oklahoma State Constitution...

On July 28, 1948 President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981:  "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin." 62 years ago President Truman had the guts, common sense, convictions, and humanity to do the right thing.  17 years before the civil rights act President Truman made the military the leader in equal rights.  Now in 2010 when the nation's majority understands that gays and lesbians should not be discriminated against, the military lags behind.  Here we go: President Obama: Show some Trumanesque courage and sign the executive order repealing the law and allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly.  You say you can't to it because Congress passed the DADT law and only Congress and the Courts can overturn it.  Not true.  Since DADT went into effect ...

On September 29th, as part of its sanctions package, the US banned the import of Persian rugs from Iran.  In related news Aladdin was spotted test driving a Prius in Santa Monica.

Proposition 203, the legalization of medical marijuana, is headed for passage.  So have I ever told you about my glaucoma and severe anxiety disorder?  When's Avatar on?

During a recent interview with Matt Lauer, George W. Bush said: PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: That's -- "he's a racist." And I didn't appreciate it then. I don't appreciate it now. It's one thing to say, "I don't appreciate the way he's handled his business." It's another thing to say, "This man's a racist." I resent it, it's not true, and it was one of the most disgusting moments in my Presidency. Mr. Bush is correct, that was a terrible and inaccurate statement made by West.  However, calling it "...one of the most disgusting moments in my Presidency.", is equally insulting and disgusting.  Compared to: failure to listen to 9/11 threats, invading Iraq, thousands of US servicemen killed and wounded, thousands of Iraqi citizens killed, financial deregulation, Katrina response, Abu Grhaib, politicizing Pat Tillman, economic meltdown, Russian emergence, excessive deficit spending, Gitmo, and enabling the petr...

It seems Fox has told the producers of the Simpsons that they will no longer allow the iconic cartoon to show neither Bart's nor Homer's bare butts.  One can only hope this war on asses at Fox will include O'Reilly, Hannity, Rove, Hume, Palin, Huckabee, etc.

-         Latest weight loss breakthrough: The basics of weight loss are simple: Eat less. Move more.   And that’s why America is getting more obese by the day. -         Murrah High School coach Marlon Dorsey has since been suspended for violently paddling his students' backsides, saying he was trying to "save these young men."   In 1992 Indiana coach Bobby Knight mock whipped a black player, Calbert Cheney, making national headlines and resulting in protests by civil rights leaders.   Will there be any civil rights protests against Mr. Dorsey? -         Passengers on the Carnival Splendor have been sharing their horror stories from their 72 hour ordeal.   "It was gross when the toilets weren't working. What can you do?" Harlan said.   Really?   Speaking on behalf of the citizens of New Orleans: man the f__k up bitch. -      ...

Glenn Beck is a steaming pile of dog crap.  Oooops sorry, Mrs. Diggapedia told me that's an insult to steaming piles of dog crap.  His attack on George Soros is his latest example of power envy passive bigotry: "[Soros] used to go around with this anti-Semite and deliver papers to the Jews and confiscate their property and then ship them off. And George Soros was part of it. He would help confiscate the stuff. It was frightening. Here's a Jewish boy helping send the Jews to the death camps. And I am certainly not saying that George Soros enjoyed that, even had a choice. I mean, he's 14 years old. He was surviving. So I'm not making a judgment. That's between him and God. [...] George Soros is -- many people would call him an anti-Semite. I will not. I don't know enough about all of his positions on Jews." All I'm saying is Glenn Beck smells like a springtime fragrance and looks like a vaginal bulb syringe with a long nozzle having lateral holes...

1) Lou Dobbs to join Fox Business News.  Shocking.  What will be his 1st story: Illegal Immigrants devalue the dollar. 2) Cal-Maine Foods Inc. recalled 288,000 eggs.  Do the hens who laid the bad eggs get reprimanded? 3) The armed services internal assessment on repealing don't ask don't tell concluded that repeal carries little risk, with more than 70 percent of troops saying that allowing gays to serve openly would have positive, mixed or no results, according to an official familiar with the report's findings.  OK Senators Webb and McCain, put up or shut up.  Vote to repeal. 4) After 72 hours at sea without electricity, Carnival Cruise Line's Splendor has been finally towed back to port.  When reached for comment ship's bartender Isaac Washington simply gave his signature two handed pistol salute followed by a "Right On". 5) I am on pace to save over $1,000 per year by no longer stopping at Starbucks for my morning quad grande nonfat latte....

Co-chairmen Simpson and Bowles released some of the Deficit Commission's plans to reduce our deficit.  Needless to say it contains some very unpopular elements.  Start the music and let's watch the politicians dance.  Interestingly, some of this bloggers ideas are actually included.  Key items: 1) $.15 increase in gas tax 2) Cuts in farm subsidies, foreign aid, and defense spending 3) Increase retirement age to 69 by 2075...not gonna worry about that one. 4) Social Security and Medicare benefits reductions and a progressive system to reduce benefits for the better off. 5) Health care costs reductions 6) A three-year freeze in the pay of most federal employees and a 10 percent cut in the federal work force. 7) Eliminating all congressional pet projects or earmarks. 8) For individuals and families, the proposal would eliminate a host of popular tax credits and deductions, including the child tax credit and the mortgage interest deduction. However, it woul...

1)       Tonight is results night on DWTS or when Mrs. Diggapedia does her impression of Mr. Diggapedia watching football.   For instance last week I discovered that DWTS   judge Carrie Ann Inaba has a middle name that rhymes with trucking, at least that’s what I thought I heard being yelled from the other room. 2)       While chowing down an awesome Whopper today at the DFW airport (save your condemnations I was hungry and weak) I noticed that on the fountain drink machine they  had recommended soft drink/food pairings.   They actually have a soda pop sommelier.   Brilliant. 3)       Latest brilliance from Dolphin linebacker Channing Crowder "Like they didn't see Chad Henne get hit twice when he slid. Yeah, a little Stevie Wonder and Anne Frank."   Asked what the Anne Frank reference meant, Crowder said "Who was that? Is that the blind girl? Helen Keller ... I don't know who the f--...