A daughter's wedding and a week later, a death in the family. 'Nuff said?

You know I love that organic cooking
I always ask for more
And they call me Mr Natural
On down to the health food store
I only eat good sea salt
White sugar don't touch my lips
And my friends is always begging me
To take them on macrobiotic trips
Yes, they are

Oh, but at night I take out my strong box
That I keep under lock and key
And I take it off to my closet
Where nobody else can see
I open that door so slowly
Take a peek up north and south
Then I pull out a Hostess Twinkie^TM
And I pop it in my mouth

Yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me

Well, at lunchtime you can always find me
At the Whole Earth^TM Vitamin Bar
Just sucking on my plain white yogurt
From my hand thrown pottery jar
And sippin' a little hand pressed cider
With a carrot stick for dessert
And wiping my face in a natural way
On the sleeve of my peasant shirt
Oh, yeah

Ah, but when that clock strikes midnight
And I'm all by myself
I work that combination on my secret hideaway shelf
And I pull out some Fritos^TM corn chips
Dr Pepper and an ole Moon Pie^TM
Then I sit back in glorious expectation
Of a genuine junk food high

Oh yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
Oh, but at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me

My friends down at the commune
They think I'm pretty neat
Oh, I don't know nothing about arts and crafts
But I give 'em all something to eat
I'm a friend to old Euell Gibbons^TM
And I only eat home grown spice
I got a John Keats autographed Grecian urn
Filled up with my brown rice
Yes, I do

Oh, folks but lately I have been spotted
With a Big Mac^TM on my breath
Stumbling into a Colonel Sanders^TM
With a face as white as death
I'm afraid someday they'll find me
Just stretched out on my bed
With a handful of Pringles^TM potato chips
And a Ding Dong^TM by my head

In the daytime I'm Mr Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good Lord^TM have pity on me

©1976 - Larry Groce

Labels: Euell Gibbons, grecian, groce, john keats, junk food, junk food junkie, macrobiotic, mr natural, organic, vitamin

Since we're in a frivolous mood ("frivolous" is NOT one of the 7 Dwarves):

Name Santa's "Eight Tiny Reindeer¹." No fair looking it up.

¹The expression "Eight Tiny Reindeer" appears in W. Clement Stone's 1823 epic poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas.")

"Eight Tiny Reindeer" is nowhere to be found in Robert L. May's 1939 ad campaign for the Montgomery Ward^TM department store chain: "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer^TM." Nor is it in the song performed by Gene Autry and thousands more singers, nor in the TV specials, nor in the many parodies.

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, (and) Blitzen

Labels: clement stone, Eight Tiny Reindeer, Red Nosed Reindeer, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer

What if there was a vote to decide if $13.5 billion in tax breaks for oil companies should go into oil alternatives, like solar and wind? What would you want your Senator to do?

Well, as you probably guessed, there was such a vote. We needed 60 votes to prevail, and 59 of them were in. But John McCain ducked the vote.¹

As a result, instead of powering millions of homes with clean energy and building next-generation solar technology, we're giving ExxonMobil and other companies billions in tax breaks at a time when they're already making record profits.

This vote is political dynamite. And if we all pitch in, we can make sure voters know about McCain's give-away to big oil. And it's a twofer—we'll run the ad in the battleground state of North Carolina to help remind voters that Senator Elizabeth Dole, who's up for re-election, voted for big oil tax breaks, too.

Check out the ad.

The ad links Republican support for oil tax breaks with the campaign contributions they're taking from the oil companies.

Exposing their favors for big oil can puncture Republican promises to help people hurting from high gas prices.

Our ad can help defeat McCain, win a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and promote real solutions to the energy crisis. Can you help put this ad on the air?

This is near the top of the list of critical issues facing America today. I sent a donation. Will you?

Source:
¹ "Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007," U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote, December 13, 2007

Labels: alternative energy, big oil, Exxon, george w. mccain, john mc bush, john mccain, record profits, renewable energy, tax break

So you ask yourself "Self, why does someone obsessed with politics want to talk about 7 vertically-challenged guys who live together and have a who-knows-what relationship with each other and with a pretty lady?"

There is a political angle.

Every time John McCain appears on TV I think of that Silly 7. I don't know if he has allergies, and he's certainly no 'Doc,' but I ask myself "which other dwarf will be popping out of the Geezer's chest today?"

• Sleepy? He's been photographed snoozing through important business in the Senate.
• Happy? Well, he laughs at his own jokes, but little else. He is a dark person, one who sees only malevolence in the world. It's hard to be happy when you distill everything down to us vs. them.
  
• Dopey? [ Nah, too easy ]
  
• Grumpy? Probably.
• Bashful? Not likely. McCain certainly is never bashful - especially about avoiding reality and those pesky facts.

Mavericky? Not since he declared his candidacy for Prez.

Pandery? Bet on it. In fact, bet on a two-fer where pandery joins forces with one of the frightful five of the silly seven.

Labels: 7 dwarfs, 7dwarves, george w. mccain, john mc bush, malevolent, mccain, pander

Without looking it up, name the 7 Dwarves¹.

¹The plural form dwarfs has been traced to the 17th century. The alternative plural dwarves has been recorded in the early 18th century, but was not generally accepted until used by philologist J. R. R. Tolkien in his fantasy novel The Hobbit." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf

Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey, Grumpy, Doc, and Bashful

Labels: 7dwarf, 7dwarves, dwarf, dwarves, snow white

Labels: al queda, recruit

In case you haven't been paying attention, the hue and cry for drilling offshore now is based on half-truths, misconceptions, and outright lies.

FACT: expanded drilling will nothing to improve gasoline prices until several years from now.

FACT: even when the added supply of oil actually hits the pipeline, it will be a tiny portion of the oil bought and sold in the USA - too small to have any significant impact on prices.

FACT: there is no reason to believe that the 'new' oil will enter the US markets. It will be sold to the highest bidder (so much for helping lower gasoline prices).

FACT: even the die-hard apologists have admitted that conservation will impact consumption - and prices - immediately and significantly. The tire pressure/tune-up tactic can produce immediate results that will absolutely reduce costs for Jane and John Public.

And the biggest current reason for ignoring new drilling as a panacea for energy costs: All the new drilling that the oil industry demands will not impact - after many years - our oil supplies much. Wild-ass guesstimates range in the 6%-10% range. More cautious estimates are that offshore and ANWAR drilling would increase supplies less than 2%.

Do the math. And then consider that the US Government https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/us.html tells us that 12.6% of oil produced in the US is exported. Forget all the new drilling crap - all of the oil that we think we need is being produced already - but it's being sent overseas. Keep that oil in the USA and the world's oil producers will be at our door begging us to buy more from them.

Add in sound conservation and re-opening previously abandoned wells.... oil prices will tumble, and we will once again be dealing from a position of strength. It sucks to have a bunch of 3rd-rate humans having us over (metaphorically speaking) a barrel - an oil barrel. We need to have Americans take back America from Big Oil.

Labels: anwar, big oil, cia, offshore, oil exports, oil production

Labels: al queda, recruit

The USA uses one-quarter of the world’s oil. We possess less than 3 percent of the world's petroleum reserves.

The oil industry and its apologists have managed to convince a lot of people that
accelerating the pumping of those 3% will somehow improve our oil supply problems
the place to do that accelerating is in areas currently NOT available for drilling & pumping

Those positions are full of errors in fact and in logic

• With accelerated production of "new" oil, those 3% of world reserves will disappear faster. The time and resources applied to developing that oil would be much better used creating new long-term solutions
• As billionaire oil man T. Boone Pickens says, "we can't drill our way out of this problem."
• Most of that 3% is NOT in contested regions like ANWAR and "offshore." Nearly all of the 3% is in areas currently in production and in the 68,000,000 acres already leased by oil companies, but not yet used.
• refineries are already operating at nearly 100% of capacity; if there were spare capacity, then when a refinery shuts down for maintenance, some other refinery would use its excess capacity to refine the oil that is supposedly 'backing up in the pipeline'; that doesn't happen - instead, prices rise because of diminished supply
• We are sitting on oil reserves that dwarf that 3% mentioned before.
  

Our number 1 source of petrol is CONSERVATION. There are hundreds of ways to 'create' oil by simply using less. Every barrel not used now is

• one more barrel available for the future
• one more barrel's contribution to favoring the consumer in the supply/demand arena.

There is another untapped reserve that is not counted in that 3%: in decades past oil was cheap. It was so cheap ("how cheap was it?") that oil producers capped wells that were too costly to operate when oil was selling for 1/10th of today's prices. Those "old" wells might not be as productive as newer wells might be - go heavy on the 'might'. So what's the problem? Why aren't those 'old' wells being raced into back into production?

It's not for purposes of production and marketing that many of those wells sit idle. The real reasons have to do with accounting and taxes. Consider the tax and subsidy implications. It would be hard to get Congress to subsidize existing wells. There are huge subsidies (cash, building infrastructure such as roads and utilities) for new constructon. The equipment used to operate the old wells - all of their depreciation write-offs were taken decades ago. With new wells whose productivity is not documented, oil companies can play fast and loose with tax rules regarding resource depletion and equipment depreciation. With old wells, the depletion rates are well known, and don't account for much.

It's the bean-counters who are holding back the supply of existing oil.

And there is the biggest reserve of all: use of alternatives.

• Alternative energy sources and their contributions to preserving our oil supply are well known.
• There are also the possibilities of non-fuel alternatives to the non-fuel uses of petroleum. For example, prior to WWII, Henry Ford was producing auto body parts out of plastics made from soy products. Nowadays, oil-based plastic auto body parts are commonplace. Imagine putting Americans to work and boosting farm production by growing auto bodies....
  

My point: drilling in areas that are currently out-of-bounds is worse than useless. We need to be drilling and pumping ideas.

Labels: alternatives, anwar, drilling, offshore, oil, reserves

Boredom in action.

The TV political pundits and so-called 'news' broadcasters would spend days and days analyzing this to death and come up concluding that he's an elitist, unpatriotic, uppity Negro.

Labels: barack, bush, disrespect, elitist, flag, Negro, obama, unpatriotic, uppity

America First
Merle Haggard (2005)

Why don't we liberate these United States
We're the ones who need it the worst
Let the rest of the world help us for a change
And let's rebuild America first

Our highways and bridges are falling apart
Who's blessed and who has been cursed
There's things to be done all over the world
But let's rebuild America first

Who's on the hill and who's watching the valley
Who's in charge of it all
God bless the Army and God bless our liberty
Dadgum the rest of it all

Yeah, men in position but backing away
Freedom is stuck in reverse
Let's get out of Iraq and get back on the track
And let's rebuild America first

Why don't we liberate these United States
We're the ones who need it the most
You think I'm blowing smoke
Boys it ain't no joke
I make twenty trips a year from coast to coast

©2005 Merle Haggard

Labels: America First, get back on track, get out of Iraq, liberate, Merle Haggard, rebuild America

Cavalry or Calvary?

Cavalry (n)

• Nowadays: A highly mobile army unit using vehicular transport, such as light armor and helicopters.
• Historically: Troops trained to fight on horseback.
  

Calvary (n)

• A hill outside ancient Jerusalem where crucifixions were, um, executed.
• Among its most famous crucufixees was Jesus of Nazareth
• this hill is also known as Golgotha

Get It Right, Wouldja?

Labels: calvary, cavalry

"So partly the reason the U.S. has the leadership we have today [ Oct. 18, 2000 ]is that about 20 years ago, we had a high degree of humility. That is, we looked at Japan and sort of said, 'Wow, is their model superior, is there something about our model that could be strong.' And all these great things benefited from that approach.

If during this period we don't retain at least some of that humility and look at what other countries are doing and learn from them, then our relative dominance will shrink faster than it should."

-- Bill Gates, Digital Dividends Conference, Seattle, Oct. 18, 2000.

Labels: bill gates, humility

For John McCain:

Cut wasteful government spending: elect me, and all State Dinners will be Early Bird Specials at the Country Table Buffet.

For Barack Obama:
Inspiring Americans since 2006.

For Ron Paul:
I'm against everything except the things I'm for.

For Ralph Nader:
Help me help the right-wing screw America one more time (until 2012).

For Bob Barr (Libertarian):
Let the free market choose: George W. Barr or Bob Bush.

Labels: barr, Bob Bush, early bird special, George W. Barr, libertarian, nader, ron paul

At this point McCain's candidacy boils down to

• Damn, we are so desperate.
• I'm not Obama.
• No, really, I'm still a "maverick" (rhymes with "panderer").
• I haven't a clue. Not one single clue.
• Please protect me from myself.
• Old? I'm not so old - HEY! Look over there: it's an immigrant (or military faggot, or liberal, or whatever he needs as a diversion)
  
• I have nothing to hide.... except my past, present, and future.
• I did not say what you say I said. Your video and transcripts and eye witnesses are all wrong.
• My memory is,um.... what was I saying?
• Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!

Labels: campaign, george w. mccain, john mc bush, mccain, mccain moment, memory

As you read this, keep in mind that I have no quarrel with exploring for new oil and gas. My argument is with those who flat-out lie about the urgency of opening up more land and water to exploration and production.

The oil that might be produced from now-restricted sources would not impact gasoline prices in the near term - near meaning 10-12 years.

It also bothers me that all of the screaming and gnashing of teeth is a canard whose purpose is to divert attention from the best real sources of energy:

1. Conservation. As one small example, universally inflating tires properly and carefully tuning engines WILL save 4x as much petroleum as can be produced by opening up ALL restricted offshore drilling in the USA. Who agrees? The US Department of Energy, the US Department of Transportation, REPUBLICAN Governor of Florida Charlie Crist, REPUBLICAN Governor of California Arnold Schwartzenager, those leftist pinkos at NASCAR, and the anti-progress commies at the American Petroleum Institute- and thousands of actual experts (even many of those who are owned and operated by the oil industry). Total cost: $0 (you were going to get that tune-up anyway).
2. There are thousands of other little things that people can do every day to conserve energy. Total cost: $0.
3. There are hundreds of bigger things that people can do to conserve energy. Total cost: $some. But insulating buildings, using energy-efficent electrical products, orienting houses to take advantage of free sunshine, and so on.... all have short pay-back periods.
   
4. Reopening old oil wells that were capped back when it cost to much to extract the oil that sold for $10-$15 per barrel. That supply dwarfs the supply in the proven reservesin our offshore zones. And ANWAR's small reserves don't even register on any scale that metters. Cost to the consumer: $0. Cost to the oil industry: much less than the cost of new development.
5. Alternative energy sources: Oilman T. Boone Pickens and billionaires like Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett are all investing in the growing alternative energy industries.... especially wind power.
   
6. Alternative energy sources: In Germany, ALL new houses have built-in energy-producing equipment (mostly solar, in gray, gloomy Germany!). Sure it costs something, but the payback is under 10 years... and German law (and US law) require power distribution companies to buy unused home-produced energy that is fed into the grid. That shortens that payback period.
7. Alternative energy sources: Who holds most of the US patents and produces most of the equipment for solar-to-electricity production - and have been in the industry for 0ver 30 years? Atlantic-Richfield (ARCO)
   
8. Alternative energy sources: Bio-fuels (no, not that boondoggle corn-based ethanol). Ethanol from carbohydate-rich plants. Soy (even Henry Ford and Rudolph Diesel promoted soy oil). Pond Scum: one of the most promising sources being researched is algae. Think about it: today's oil is not based on dinosaurs; it's based on ancient algae and plankton. Grow algae, but don't bother to wait millions of years to harvest the carbon in those plants; scrape it out of your now-useless backyard pool and sell it to the next Exxon. Then go back and grow more.
   

Opening up new oilfields will not produce any usuable petroleum for 7-10 years, and supplies would have a negligble effect on gasoline prices only after 12-15 years. That's 12-15 years better devoted to developing energy sources which are better, cleaner, cheaper.

Considering the awesome business opportunities that await entrepreneurs, why is our government policy focused on promoting old-school oil and all but destroying alternatives? Do I really have to tell you? More significantly, why don't oil companies use their massive resources to corner the market on new energy sources AND extend the profitable life of their oil assets?

The reason is short-term thinking and greed. The people who fund big projects no longer consider the long run. They want it all now! The gimme generation is worried about next quarter's stock price and next quarter's bonuses. Screw you and your children and children's children. The gimme guys died with the most toys, and the future gets to clean up their messes.

What ever happened to taking responsibility for one's actions?

Labels: algae, alternative energy, bio-fuel, biofuel, entrepreneur, ethanol, personal responsibility, profit, responsibility, solar, soy, wind

The oil and gas industry has, on federal land leases, a large amount of unused acreage and unused drilling permits. Yet, they are using high energy prices and other scare tactics as excuses to open up even more areas to drilling.

During the Bush Administration, the federally-owned acreage leased to oil/gas companies has more than doubled - from 22,015,222 in 2001 to 44,479,478. Currently the oil/gas industry has 11,629,625 acres - 26% of the total - in production. Between 2003 and 2007 the additional amount of federally-owned acreage leased each year more than doubled, from 2,064,289 to 4,634,736.

Much of that acreage goes untouched. In 2007, the industry started work on 29% of Colorado acreage on which they received permits to drill. In Utah, the industry started work on 65% acreage on which they received permits to drill.

The number of permits issued each year has more than doubled, from 3439 permits approved in 2001 to 35,106 in 2007 ( a record high). In 2007, the industry drilled using 75% of those new permits, meaning that going into 2008 the industry had a large number of yet unused permits.

Huge amount of unused land leases. An ever-growing backlog of unused permits. And the industry threatens dire consequences if they can't have more immediately.

Source:
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Written responses from Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to questions submitted for the hearing record by Rep. Maurice Hinchey, oversight hearing on the FY 2008 Department of the Interior budget proposal, March 1, 2007

Even if none of that mattered: there is a 5-year backlog of offshore drilling rigs waiting to be built.

And even if that didn't matter:

There are liars who will tell you that offshore drilling is safe; so safe that 2005's big hurricanes had no impact or oil spills. Ask those liars to explain this:

Dennis Knizley looks out on an oil rig beached just off of Dauphin Island, Ala., Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 30, 2005, a day after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the island and brought the enormous structure a few hundred yards from shore. (AP Photo/Birmingham Post-Herald, Jan-Michael Stump)

That's far from being a lone example.

"The hurricanes totally destroyed 113 oil rigs, according to the government's Minerals Management Service, and damaged 457 pipelines. The resulting oil spills were large enough to be seen from space, according to several reports.

A review by the Houston Chronicle reported that the two storms in the summer of 2005 caused 595 oil spills that released an estimated 9 million gallons of oil into the gulf, much of that from oil storage facilities on the shores. The government said there were a total of 146 small oil spills in federal waters caused by the storms."

Isn't that like a kid

1. simultaneously asking for 2nds and 3rds and 4ths at dinner
2. demanding an immediate serving of dessert
3. insisting that no one ever cooks for him?

Labels: big oil, blm, bureau of land management, Department of the Interior, exploration, gasoline price, House Appropriations Subcommittee, Maurice Hinchey, millions of acres, offshore drilling, permits

A Two-fer

Elect me and I'll be the first rich old white guy to beat one of them dark-skinned people.

Don't elect me and I'll be the first rich old white guy to NOT beat one of them dark-skinned people.

And that, my friends, is the real Straight Talk.

Labels: bush lite, george w. mccain, john mc bush, john mccain, oval office, rich old white guy, straight talk

"Play it again Sam"

Bogey didn't say that in his great 1942 film, Casablanca.

He did say 'Play it, Sam'.

Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa) had this conversation with the story's piano player 'Sam' (played by Dooley Wilson):

Ilsa: "Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake."
Sam: "I don't know what you mean, Miss Ilsa."
Ilsa: "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'"
Sam: "Oh, I can't remember it, Miss Ilsa. I'm a little rusty on it."
Ilsa: "I'll hum it for you. Da-dy-da-dy-da-dum, da-dy-da-dee-da-dum...
Ilsa: Sing it, Sam."
Sam: [singing] "You must remember this / A kiss is still a kiss / A sigh is just a sigh / The fundamental things apply / As time goes by. / And when two lovers woo, / They still say, 'I love you' / On that you can rely / No matter what the future brings-..."
Rick: [rushing up] "Sam, I thought I told you never to play-..."
[Sees Ilsa. Sam closes the piano and rolls it away]

That exchange is followed by

Rick: "You know what I want to hear."
Sam: "No, I don't."
Rick: "You played it for her, you can play it for me!"
Sam: "Well, I don't think I can remember..."
Rick: "If she can stand it, I can! Play it!"

Get It Right, Wouldja?

Since I'm rambling on about the movie, which is set in 1942 North Africa, there are many truly memorable lines worth repeating here.

A German Army officer talking with a French police official:
Major Strasser: "You give him credit for too much cleverness. My impression was that he's just another blundering American."
Captain Renault: "We mustn't underestimate American blundering. I was with them when they blundered into Berlin in 1918." (Zing!)

Bogey's character, Rick:
"There are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade."

Famous Casablanca quotes that are not misquotes:
"I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.Here's looking at you, kid." (Bogart to Bergman)
"I'm the only cause I'm interested in." (Bogart, on his disdain for 'causes')
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine." (Bogart, lamenting the appearance of Bergman)
Captain Renault: "Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects."
Rick(Bogart's character): "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." (That line was improved by Bogart)

A common misconception:
The movie's title always was "Casablanca". Many claim it was going to be called "Everybody Comes to Rick's". The script was based on an unproduced play of that name, hence the confusion.

Any true aficianado of this movie should read Goofs in Casablanca

Labels: casablanca, play it again sam, play it sam, the usual suspects

A newsletter to which I subscribe recently asked "When is the last time you remember a balanced budget, or a surplus of money in the Government? I don’t know about you, but it hasn’t been in any of my 37 years on this Earth."

Ah, how quickly memories can fade.

Actually, the federal budget was balanced not long ago. It happened when that commie pinko fag junkie skirt chasing Bill Clinton was in office.

Clinton handed off a balanced budget to the "fiscally responsible" W (R-lying sack of s$%&). Clinton also signed into law the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Given those, and the fact the republicans constantly strut and preen about their fiscal superiority (that used to include me), how did we wind up with budget deficits that are increasing at astonishing rates?

Look at the 'leadership.'

While it's true that only Congress can appropriate money to be spent, the President

1. Sets provides the leadership that "sets the tone" for government
2. Submits budget proposals to Congress
3. Can veto any bill, including spending bills
4. Actually orders the spending of the dollars designated by Congress; only Congress can authorize spending specific sums on specific budget items, but the President can refuse to spend the amount designated by Congress. If you have trouble with that last item, keep in mind that the current president has gutted many federal agencies by not spending the money allocated by Congress. Examples: EPA, Food & Drug Administration, Customs, Coast Guard, FEMA
   

The national debt has continued to increase, even during the pre-Bush balanced budgets. Blame interest on the existing national debt. The interest expense paid on the National Debt is the third largest expense in the federal budget. Only Defense expense and the combined expenses of social services and agriculture are higher (some lump together social & ag because both categories involve subsides).

Reducing the National Debt is usually a good thing, and increasing the National Debt is usually a bad thing. Which major party does a better job of managing the National Debt? I'd have to go with the party whose rate of debt increase is the lowest and whose rate of decrease is the greatest. Which major party wins on this? Your answer is probably wrong.


In post-WWII America National Debt increases occur under Republican leadership, and decrease (dramatically) on the Democrats' watch.

Exceptions:

1. The slight decline in the Nixon/Ford years. Note that the rampant inflation of the money supply and the resulting devaluation of the dollar enabled Nix-ord the pay down the debt with cheaper dollars.
2. The slower decline (still a decline) under Carter. Skyrocketing interest rates raised the cost of existing debt and the somewhat "small" new debt.
   
   For those reasons, neither of those exceptions actually defies the trend of who handles YOUR money better.
   
   The Democrats suck, but the Republicans suck more.
   
   
3. The moderate Republican Eisenhower continued the trend started by the Democrat Truman. Good on him.

The only truly fiscally responsible Republican in modern times was Eisenhower. He also had the best defense policy- the old Republican concept of "speak softly, carry a big stick."

There is a graph that parallels the above is the rate of growth in, and hard-number growth in, the number of non-defense Federal employees. Democrats DECREASE the size of government, while Republicans INCREASE the size of the Federal government. Couple that with the generally-accepted notion that what the government does, it does better (for whatever that is worth) under Democrats. Democrats= smaller government AND more efficient government. Naturally, now that I need it, I can't find it. When I do find that graph, I'll repost this so that you can see the similarity.

Whodathunkit?

Now you know one of the reasons that I am a Recovering Republican: I discovered reality.

PS: none of this means that I am some kind of born-again Democrat. It merely means that I left Republican orthodoxy and fantasy behind. Would I ever go back? Maybe if there is a 2nd-coming of Ike.

Labels: balanced budget, Bill Clinton, eisenhower, Fiscal Responsibility, ideology, ike, national debt, problem with reality, recovering republican, smaller government

I can guarantee you that I won't get a &%$#Job from any White House intern... or from Larry Craig or Mark Foley or Ted Haggard or any army queers who did or didn't tell.

Let's face it: or anyone else....

That, my friends, is the real straight talk.

Labels: blow job, bush lite, don't tell, dont ask, george w. mccain, john mc bush, john mccain, larry craig, mark foley, oral, oval office, queer, straight talk, ted haggard, white house intern