Diggapedia

So what happens when the irresistible force meets the immovable object?   In the case of the nation’s capital you end up with leviathan like legislation or watered down solutions.   In the case of the former we have Sarbanes-Oxley, the Affordable Healthcare Act, and the Dodd-Frank Banking Regulation laws that are so complex they lose effectiveness.   In the case of the latter you end up the American Reinvestment Act or what appears to be the coming debt ceiling/deficit reduction bill that end up being so watered down they are not effective; which brings me to the latest efforts to avoid default, higher interest rates, loss of AAA rating, and loss of faith in the U.S. Government.   We have the required “vote” to implement a balanced budget amendment.   This piece of the deal is an appeasement to the Tea Party that in the end will end up like 99.99% of all New Years’ resolutions: never going to be implemented.   Never mind the fact that to get the Constitutio...

Outspoken freshman Tea Party Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL) has loved to bash President Obama and Democrats about spending.   He is famous for saying: “I won't place one more dollar of debt upon the backs of my kids and grandkids unless we structurally reform the way this town spends money.” How noble.   Unfortunately a man is measured by his deeds, not by his words.   It seems according to a court filing made public Tea Party darling Walsh paid only limited child support between November of 2005 and March of 2008, and stopped paying altogether after that point. Unpaid obligations and interest combine to $115,294, the filing claims.   Walsh apparently also loaned his campaign $33,500 but did not have funds to pay for his children’s food, clothing, and care.   Further, Joe has paid himself back at least $14,200 for the loans he gave himself. Again, he failed to make any child support payments to Laura from these returned loan proceeds.   I guess Life’s Been Go...

For whom the bell tolls.   Looks like Tiger Woods has a new caddie, long time high school friend Bryon Bell will carry Woods’ woods next week at the Bridgestone Invitational.   Bell has caddied for Woods three times in the past resulting in a win and two seconds.   Bell presently serves as President of Tiger Woods Design; whatever the heck that is. Not so Happy Meals.   Umpire Jerry Meals’ call during the 19 th inning of Tuesday night’s Pirates-Braves game may have been the worse call of all time.   While that call was terrible, the cries for instant replay for plays at bases are premature and represent a kneejerk reaction.   Pats picked up Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco on the cheap today.   While many scratched their heads about adding these ‘troubled’ players, if anyone can get these guys in line and on board it’s Kraft, Brady, and Belichick.   How great is the Boston sports scene?   Bruins win the Stanley Cup, Sox are in first, an...

I love HBO for putting on documentaries every Monday during the summer.   Do yourself   a favor and check them out.   Hot Coffee was a disturbing look at how citizens civil suit opportunities have been throttled by big business backed legislation. 40% of this weekend’s Comic Con attendees were female.   So perhaps I was wrong when I called it the world’s biggest collection of virgins, when in fact it may be actually a whole new Big Bang Theory. Breaking Bad returned last weekend with a bang.   AMC and HBO are so far ahead of the other networks in terms of quality original programming. Entourage’s final season starts this evening and sad to say that the show had jumped the shark with ridiculous story lines.   To prove my point, this season features Andrew Dice Clay.   Wow, was Fabio not available?   Story from USA Today: you are more likely to die on the job than get fired if you are a government employee thus making the performance review process...

Republicans go on about how we don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.   Really? Income tax revenues as a percentage of GDP in 2010 were 9.58%, the last time it was that low was 1950.   The highest point was 2000, you know the Clinton era, when the tax revenues as a percentage of GDP hit 14.67%.   As for Business tax revenues as a percentage of GDP, during the Clinton era, this measure ranged from 3.21% to 5.19% while averaging over 4% for his entire administration.   Meanwhile from 2001 through 2010, the Bush years and the post great recession years, the same metric hasn’t exceeded 4% in 7 of 10 years.   In other words, supply side economics doesn’t work. Republicans like to say that they will do whatever it takes to defend the “Full Faith and Credit” of the United States, but that doesn’t jive with The Tea Party wing of their caucus who think not raising the debt ceiling is no big deal because the government can still pay its creditors, sold...

Who said it: Congress consistently brings the Government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the Federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility – two things that set us apart from much of the world. A.       Barack Obama B.       Ben Bernanke C.       Alan Greenspan D.       Ronald Reagan E.        Bill Clinton The answer is (D).   Yes, the same man who Conservatives hail as their champion against Big Government, actually said it the above during a radio address on September 26, 1987....

Failure to get our nation’s debt issues under control with a credible plan could risk its AAA bond rating from the major rating agencies.   But it isn’t just the nation that could see a rating hit, five states: Maryland, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia have been warned by Moody's Investors Service that they could also lose their ratings.   Is it coincidental that four out of five (Maryland is the exception) of the states in question are governed by Republicans?   In related news four out of five dentists are also Republicans. Looks like retired decorated Lt. Colonel turned U.S. Republican Freshman Congressman Allen West has quickly learned not to waste a good fund raising opportunity.   This week’s tiff with fellow Floridian and Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz is being used by West to raise campaign donations for a 2012 re-election campaign.   I find it equally amusing that a retired Army officer felt so threatened by a nice Jewish girl that...

Hats off to Wendi Deng Murdoch for her lightning quick reaction and right cross to the punk who pied her husband, Rupert, the 80 year old besieged chairman of NewsCorp.   The 42 year old ninja clearly showed that Mr. Murdoch Is not only a savvy business man, HE IS 80 AND SHE IS 42.   Every time I hear Eric Cantor’s voice I think of Mr. Haney from Green Acres.   And when I hear it I can appreciate the debilitating migraines that Balloon Head Bachmann experiences.   Speaking of Batshit, it seems her security team roughed up ABC’s reporter Brian Ross as he pursued the GOP contender in an effort to get further clarification of reports that her migraines have left her incapacitated on frequent occasions.   I wasn’t there, so it is difficult to say if Ross went all Paparazzi on her, but it is safe to say her base will rally for her and the intelligent people will say “She’s still a dolt.” Cantor and the rest of his ilk in the House will pass the “Cut, Cap, and Balance...

Watched Marco Rubio’s appearance on Face The Nation and I was not impressed; his silly comment that people would rather do business with ‘Communist China’ than the US was pure folly, and maybe in time he will become wiser.   In the meantime child, let the adults have the conversation and you can sit at the child’s table with Ryan and Cantor.   If tax reform in the form of lowering tax rates while eliminating tax breaks creates increased tax revenue is it a tax increase?   I bet Red Rover Red Rover send Grover Norquist right over would say so. If entitlement reform that improves the solvency of Medicare and Social Security includes benefit cuts, higher premiums, and minimum age changes ‘end these programs as we know them’?   I bet Bernie Sanders would say so. Congratulations to Darren Clarke and his victory at the British Open, his first major.    Also, nice showing by the Americans after placing five of their countrymen in the top ten. The distortions of th...

I am the first to eliminate voter fraud and I believe that you must have government provided identification in order to vote.   But this latest bull crap from Republican controlled legislatures and governorships in Florida, Maine, and elsewhere is a chad too far.   Claiming to be trying to stamp out voter fraud, these Republicans are pushing legislation that is excessive.   Take Florida, where bill HB 1355, reduced the length of the sunshine state's early voting period and stopped voters from being able to change their address at the polls.   From personal experience I can tell you that polling stations face significant numbers of address and registration issues.   Heck, we’ve been living in the same house for 10 years and have resided in two towns with three different zip codes.   I gave up voting at the polling station when I was told I my ballot would be deemed provisional.   The law forces third-party voter registration groups to turn in voter r...

Latest from Arizona: Pineapple Head Russell Pearce, the bigoted Republican Senate Leader has been recalled and will face an election in three months.   Since Pearce represents one of the most conservative Mormon districts in Arizona it is unlikely Pearce will face any real challenge with such a short period to the special election.   Then there is Anthem Republican state senator Lori Klein who pointed a loaded handgun at a reporter in the legislative building.   Both serious no no’s and equal parts illegal and stupid.   First thought that came to mind was the line from Judge Flatt in the 1994 underrated ‘Nobody’s Fool’: Ollie, you know my feelings about arming morons: you arm one, you've got to arm them all, otherwise it wouldn't be good sport .   And finally there is the latest public health news.   As reported by KPHO: A new report finds high rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea among the arrestee population of America’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Maricopa Cou...

McDain’s Restaurant serving cocktails and fine casual dining, but it won’t be serving children under six.   The Monroeville, PA. establishment’s owner Mike Vuick seems to have the public on his side.   A poll on the website of a Pittsburgh TV news channel found 64% supported the under-six ban, compared with 26% who said it was a bad idea. About 10% said they didn't care. More than 10,000 people voted.   By the way, McDain’s is home to the $19.99 Filet Mignon and Lobster Tail combination and a free bucket of balls.   That’s right, free balls….McDain’s includes a driving range. Turn out the lights the party’s over.   Or is it?   Republican Congressmen led by Texan Joe Barton (he of apologizing to BP fame last year) keep pushing to repeal the 2007 Energy Act signed by fellow Texan GEORGE W. BUSH.     To listen to Republicans, these newfangled curly fluorescent light bulbs are being pushed by an overreaching government that's forcing people to buy hea...

So now the Republicans are against tax reform.   They will scuttle the Bowles-Simpson deficit reduction plan for pure politics.   And this is what I mean when I say I hate the politics of politics.   In the 80’s we had President Reagan and Speaker O’Neill, and irrespective of where you resided on the ideological spectrum, these two men were Americans first and politicians second; shame on you Boehner, Cantor, McConnell, and the rest.   Calling you pieces of crap is an insult to dung. Just watched the USA-Brazil Womens World Cup Quarterfinal and I remain as convinced as ever that FIFA is the most corrupt and incompetent sports organization in the world.   Secondly, watching a Brazilian player, Erika, writhe on the ground get taken off by stretcher, and then sprint back on the pitch is an embarrassment.   That being said, I sat glued to the TV and screamed when Abby scored the tying goal from the tremendous cross from Rapinoe, when Hope Solo made the one save...

Rupert Murdoch’s vile tabloid News of the World will end its 168 year run in Sunday as a result of a heinous phone hacking scandal involving the Royal Family, a murdered 13 year old girl who had been missing, war widows, and terror victims.   4,000 instances of phone hacking have been reported by Scotland Yard.   The paper that once employed Sir Winston Churchill will come to an end and before it’s over it may cause significant harm to the government of Prime Minister David Cameron as a former aide has been arrested as part of the tabloid’s criminal acts.   Hey Anita Bryant, same sex marriage is now legal in New York.   Love, enlightened society. Honestly, I do not know why anyone would want to be President.   Our economy is stuck in the mud, revolutions and uprisings in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, and Yemen, Eurozone nations going insolvent, Pakistan imploding, 10 year wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, nuclear aspiring Iran, and simmering territorial battle in th...

Back on June 13, this blogger shared his deficit reduction plan: “I came up with a 65%/35% split between spending cuts and tax increases and came up with $300Billion in deficit reductions.   Big hits were felt in Defense, non-Medicare Health, Medicare, Civilian Retirement, Aid to Low-Income Families, and Social Security.   Those that had their budgets maintained or increased included: education, transportation, children’s healthcare, and military servicemen medical benefits.   Tax increases will be felt across the board of individuals and many corporate loopholes will be closed.   Are these cuts staggering?   Hell yeah.   Would they solve our financial problems?   Tough to say, with these deep cuts a double dip recession could ensue which would further reduce revenues.   The point of my budget was to demonstrate that to be intellectually honest our politicians are going to have to piss EVERYBODY off.”   Today, details of President Obama’s pla...

Jury selection is underway in the Roger Clemens perjury trial where a litany of past baseball greats including Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, and Palmeiro, all with checkered PED pasts, are expected to testify.     If you thought getting 12 jurors for the Casey Anthony trial was difficult, try getting 12 unbiased jurors with no opinion of one of baseball’s most polarizing players. Pyeongchang, South Korea gets 2012 Winter Olympics.   Leading to scores of reporters struggling to correctly pronounce the host city, screams of fix as the South Koreans push and shove their way to short track speed skating gold, and taped delay broadcasts with ratings on par with NHL games as Americans learn of results through that recent development:   The Internet. California Governor Jerry Brown is weighing a bill that will require public schools to teach the history and accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. His decision could be significant because California is t...

We are 1 month away from when the Government of the United States of America will either increase its debt ceiling or default on its debt.   I emphasized Government, because the United States of America does not lack the means to restructure its debt, raise capital, issue new debt, cut spending, invest strategically, devalue its currency, etc.   The Government of the United States of America lacks the political will to do the right thing; and why is that?   We have all seen or have been directly involved in an argument or debate when both sides were 100% convinced they were in the right.   Now take that ‘he said/she said’ and multiply it by 14 trillion because both sides are convinced they are right and both sides believe public opinion is on its side.   But what if there actually aren’t two sides.   What if there are three and ½ side: The Democrats, the old guard Republicans, the new Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, and the President.   Presum...