Global Warming is Real

This picture proves that global warming is real.

It hit 266 degrees Fahrenheit in Salt Lake City today.

NFL Fantasy Football - Pick Me

You be the judge how much of this is real or computer graphics.

Advertising from the Past: Lane Bryant

Who needs self-esteem when you can have a free fashion book for chubbies? Also, proving that advertising weight representation has always been screwed up, the girl pictured is totally not chubby.

Tax Breaks?

In the campaign, Obama promised to give a tax break to 95% of Americans. He said if you make under $250,000, you would not see your tax increase by a single dime, not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, nothing.

Now he's saying that he hopes middle-income Americans won't have to pay for more than 1/3 of the cost of his new, "improved" healthcare. (That's probably going to be $1 trillion over 10 years.)

Management

"Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done."

--Peter F. Drucker

Health Care Gamble

The proposed health care reform is a huge gamble and versions of it have never worked in any state that's tried it.

Rather than gamble the whole country's health care (and 1/6 of the US economy) on what we think will work, why not do a 3-year trial in one state to prove its success and get the kinks worked out before we do it nationwide?

Do What You Love

"The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it put your whole soul into it - every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have."
--John D. Rockefeller III

IT Solutions

The problem with information technology solutions is that we tend to think of them as "solutions." They are almost never the full solution. They often fail because they don't address the business/personal problem.

If the technology solution doesn't also engage the business process solution, then whole effort will fail.

Also, remember that some solutions cause more problems.

House Chair Counts Votes How He Wishes

See the video below where Representative Jack Murtha, 8th most senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives, presides in the House one day and is seen pushing through a vote by counting the votes how he wishes. At the end, he arrogantly states that "the Chair's decision is not subject to question."

Basketball Ranch Shots

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Think to Thank

"There is a truism associated with all types of human strength: 'Use it or lose it.' When not used, muscles weaken, skills deteriorate, and faith disappears. President Thomas S. Monson...stated: 'Think to thank. In these three words is the finest capsule course for a happy marriage, a formula for enduring friendship, and a pattern for personal happiness.'”

--James E. Faust, “Gratitude As a Saving Principle,” Ensign, Dec 1996, 2

Eating Too Much

"So I would clean the plate, four, five, six times a day, because somehow I thought that would keep the kids from starving in Europe. But, I was wrong, they kept starving and I got fat"

--Allan Sherman

Be Thankful

Random people on the streets of New York City share a variety of grateful responses to one simple question: What are you thankful for?

Now That's a Pizza!

Wave of Debt Payments Facing US Government

Read this New York Times article about the national debt.

• The national debt is now $12 trillion.
  
• The interest payments on that debt will exceed $700 billion a year in 2019, up from $202 billion this year, even if annual budget deficits shrink drastically, which they won't.
• That extra $500 billion a year in interest payments is more than the combined federal budgets this year for education, energy, homeland security and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• "The United States’ long-term budget crisis is becoming too big to postpone.

$300 Million Bribe

What happens when you are a Democrat on the fence about Obama health care? You become the new recipient of $300 million windfall!

Mary Landrieu of Louisiana was one of three Democratic senators that Harry Reid needed to win over to begin the debate. So a new provision got written into the health care bill that gives a 50% boost in federal Medicaid money for Louisiana--a $300 million dollar windfall just for Ms. Landrieu's state. And funny thing: she voted for the debate to begin.

Of course, the bill doesn't specifically say that Louisiana is the only state to get the extra money, but the bill painstakingly spells out specific provisions for a state to get the money: must have been declared a disaster area in the past 7 years, etc. Oddly, Louisiana is the only state that meets all the qualifications. You can read all the provisions beginning on page 432 of the bill.

That is the sad state of affairs of politics today. Congress is not voting on the merits of the bill, only on "what's in it for me." Senator Mary Landrieu sold out her country and proved that while she may be easy, she's certainly not cheap.

Tip to Avoid the Flu

Here is a video with good health tips on staying healthy through this flu season.

Please do not kill this plant

Form-fitting Shoes

Happiness

"Happiness is a direction, not a place."

--Syndey J. Harris

Great Advertising

To Err is Human

"To err is human, but to arr is pirate."

-- Benjamin Dabel

A Speech for Our President

Dear President Obama,

I have written a speech for you. Would you please consider delivering it to the American people?

Thanks.

My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed.

Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on list 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

Then every year thereafter, it'll go to our social security system to get it back in the black in 20 years.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world hell holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China.

I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well.

I have instructed the mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded, and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers, and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York.

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on list 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on list 2. Its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra thousand tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put them. Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty -- starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska, which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to list 2 above: pick a country and move there.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "darn tootin." At least until we get our vexing problems solved at home. If we don't solve them immediately, our entire country will collapse. Then who will the nations of the earth turn to for help?

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. To the nations on list 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on list 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America. Thank you and good night.

Our Finest Hour

"To every man there comes … that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a special thing unique to him and fitted to his talent. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour."
-- Winston Churchill

(Thanks to Connor Boyack)

Government Health Care Plan

New estimates show that the government-run option in the Senate health care bill would cover less than 1.5% of the population.

Why are we spending $848 billion to "reform" health care when it

• Will improve access to health care for 1.5% of the population.
• Will decrease access to health care for 98.5% of the population. (Because the new government plans will eventually replace all private plans, and give lower rationed care than we have today.)
• Will drastically decrease the quality of health care.
• Won't decrease costs.

Again, I ask, what's the purpose of a public option? What's the purpose of this health care "reform" anyway?

The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is that government simply just wants more control of our lives. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Cost of New Health Care Bill

Harry Reid is pretending the new health care bill will cut the deficit. He says it will cost $850 billion and reduce the deficit by $130 billion over 10 years--not really a great deal in my opinion. But even at that, most on Capitol Hill disagree with these numbers.

Obama himself admits healthcare reform will be deficit-neutral over the next decade.

In addition, there will be a host of new taxes for all kinds of things--hidden costs no one is counting.

The New York Post is warning that New York's top earners could face a 57% tax bracket, forcing many small business owners to lay off more employees.

Health Care Bill = New Taxes

Senate health care bill has plethora of new taxes. If this passes, it will change this economy as we know it.

Mammograms

The American Cancer Society recommends that women get mammograms once a year after age 40.

"No so," says the federal government. No mammograms before 50, then only every other year, and no self-exams. What? We can't tell women what to do with their bodies (pregnancy and abortion) but we can tell them not to do self exams?

Obamacare will recommend mammograms at age 50 under guidelines and will not pay for it outside guidelines. That means if you want a mammogram before you're 50, you'll have to cough up the whole $600 or so out of your pocket, because the government program won't pay for it, and there won't be private insurance to cover it.

Welcome to socialized medicine. You get what the government says--nothing more and nothing less.

Be Wise

"It’s so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don’t say it." -- David Monsen

Senate to Vote on Health Care Bill Saturday

The Senate leadership is pushing for a vote on the health care bill on Saturday, and they'll probably get the 60 votes needed.

Every Democrat in the Senate is going to vote to proceed to it. Whether or not they will get the final 60 votes to close out all of the debate, we'll see.

Learn more at Glenn Beck: The 2,000 pages that will destroy America.

Obama Very Sympathetic Towards Muslims

What's a Trillion?

Trillion is the new billion. No longer is government spending talked about in terms of a billion--a mere ten digits. With the recent flurry of government spending, we are going to need another three zeros to make sense of it all. One trillion dollars is a number that few people can comprehend, let alone your standard nine digit calculator. So what does one trillion dollars look like?

$98 Billion in Fraud and Error

The White House Office of Management and Budget reports the federal government wasted $98 billion in 2009 in improper payments or outright fraud.

That's 98,000 millions.

Shark Sign

Sign at an Australian beach:

"The shark prevention net was dismantled for maintenance on 1 November 2004. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."

237 Millionaires in Congress

A news report shows 237 members of Congress are millionaires. That’s 44% of Congress, compared to about 1% of Americans overall.

Who says they are out of touch with America? They are just like us.

Your top 5:
1. Darrell Issa: net worth about $251 million (R-Calif.)
2. Jane Harman (D-Calif.): net worth about $244.7 million
3. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.): net worth about $214.5 million
4. Mark Warner (D-Va.): net worth about $209.7 million
5. John Kerry (D-Mass.): net worth about $208.8 million (much of which he earned off his PowerPoint movie and speaking engagements on the hoax of global warming)

Evergreen and Same-Sex Attraction

I wholeheartedly endorse the work that Evergreen International does. If you're considering a charitable contribution this year, please consider donating to Evergreen, which is a non-profit organization that provides resources to those who wish to diminish same sex attraction (same-gender attraction) and overcome homosexual behavior. It is a resource to individuals, families, counselors, and religious leaders.



Evergreen Mission Statement:

Evergreen is founded on the belief that the atonement of Jesus Christ enables every soul the opportunity to turn away from all sins or conditions that obstruct their temporal and eternal happiness and potential.

Evergreen attests that individuals can overcome homosexual behavior and can diminish same-sex attraction, and is committed to assisting individuals who wish to do so.

Evergreen provides education, guidance, and support to those involved in the transition from homosexuality, and is available as a resource to family, friends, professional counselors, religious leaders, and all others involved in assisting individuals who desire to change.

Evergreen sustains the doctrines and standards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without reservation or exception, but is not affiliated with the Church. Evergreen welcomes all people who wish to participate in the pursuit of these goals.

Surround Yourself

“Always surround yourself with people who are even more talented and competent than you.” -- Stephen M.R. Covey, Speed of Trust"

Need Moral Politicians

"We are involved in an intense battle. It is a battle between right and wrong, between truth and error, between the design of the Almighty on the one hand and that of Lucifer on the other. For that reason, we desperately need moral men and women who stand on principle, to be involved in the political process. Otherwise..., we abdicate power to those whose designs are almost entirely selfish." -- Gordon B. Hinckley

Pencil Sculptures

Check out some really cool sculptures made entirely of pencils. Here's just one:

Federal Spending Growing Faster Than Federal Revenue

Since 1965, federal tax revenues and spending have soared. Revenues have increased by more than $1.5 trillion, and spending is up by $3.3 trillion. In 2009, federal revenue will drop, while federal spending is expected to increase by nearly $1 trillion.

Total Federal Tax Revenue and Spending in Inflation-Adjusted Dollars


Source: The Heritage Foundation

Random Quotes

• Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.


• When in doubt, just take the next small step.


• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone,


• Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch


• Pay off your credit cards, then cut them up.


• You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.


• Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.


• Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.


• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.


• Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.


• It’s OK to let your children see you cry.


• Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.


• If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.


• Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.


• Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.


• Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.


• Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.


• It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.


• When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.


• Burn the candles and use the nice towels. Don’t save them for a special occasion. Today is special.


• Over prepare, then go with the flow.


• Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.


• No one is in charge of your happiness but you.


• Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”


• Forgive everyone for everything.


• What other people think of you is none of your business.


• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.


• Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.


• Believe in miracles. Notice the small ones each day.


• God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.


• Your children get only one childhood.


• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.


• The best is yet to come.


• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.


• Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Obama's Czars

Here's a list of President Obama's czars.

Maxine's Wisdoms

• My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.


• I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.


• Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them.


• You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me


• Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.


• Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.


• Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.


• NyQuil, the stuffy, sneezy, why-the-heck-is-the-room-spinning medicine.


• The gene pool could use a little chlorine.


• Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.


• Being 'over the hill' is much better than being under it!


• Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew up.


• A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.


• He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless DEAD.


• A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.


• The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson.
  
  
  
  

Bring Out Your Dead

"Of course we are concerned about people voting if they are dead."

--New York board of elections official George Stanton, on a report that showed the state's voter database might contain as many as 77,000 dead voters, 2,600 of whom were listed as having voted after they were dead.

How Good Can You Get?

"Oh, I'm 110% now, but I have a long way to go."

--North Carolina women's basketball player Ivory Latta, when asked how she was recovering from an injury

Environmentalists

If the environmentalists really cared about the environment, they would move all their offices from America to China. In Beijing, you can't even see the end of the block because of the pollution. In American cities, you often see big open blue skies.

If they really cared, they would go to the countries and places where pollution is the worst. Seems like what they really don't like is people, capitalism, big business, and industry.

What a Store

Sign outside a store in Windsor, Maine:

HUSSEY'S

Maine's Largest General Store

Guns, Bibles

Wedding Gowns

Cold Beer

The Power & Danger of Iconography

This video clip definately has a political bent, but even if you don't agree with his politics, he makes very interesting points about how to sell your messages with icons.

He explains that Barack Obama ran an unprecedented presidential campaign utilizing the power of design. However, his iconic emblem--the ever present "O"--holds more power than even Obama knows. Bill Whittle points out the dangers of branding an ideology with an icon and how, perhaps, the powerful symbol will be used against the very man it built up. http://www.pjtv.com

Congress Surpasses Constitutional Limits on Federal Government

This past weekend we witnessed a gruesome abuse of power as Congress passed dangerous health care legislation that represents a clear and blunt attack on our rights and liberties as Americans, clearly surpassing the Constitutional limits on federal power.

Never in history has the US government attempted to require citizens to directly purchase a product created by the government--especially one that will cost a minimum of $15,000 per family per year.

The Constitution limits federal government power to 18 specific things (Article 1 Section 8) and goes on to say (in the 10th Amendment) that ALL other powers are reserved to the states, or to the people. Period. Read more.

Consider the following:

1. This is the largest power-grab in the history of our Republic.
2. This gives the federal government access to the most private details of your life.
3. This information will be used to further government power.
4. This will end political activism by all but the most die-hard folks with nothing to lose.
5. This will open the door to all sorts of other restrictions on liberty.

If you think all incumbent congressmen who supported this monstrosity of a bill should be removed from office, please read and sign the pledge.

Dumb Criminal

Biggest Expansion of Government Since the New Deal

The Wall Street Journal reports how "Speaker Nancy Pelosi defied policy logic and public opinion late Saturday night, ramming through the House a nearly 2,000-page health-care leviathan that counts as the biggest expansion of the federal government since the New Deal."

"The vote was 220 to 215, with 39 House Democrats joining all but one Republican in opposition. Mrs. Pelosi had to cajole and bribe her way to the magic 218, and the list of her promises must be stacked to the ceiling."

The WSJ reports that this bill is "a breathtaking display of illiberal ambition, intended to make the middle class more dependent on government through the umbilical cord of "universal health care." It creates a vast new entitlement, financed by European levels of taxation on business and individuals. The 20% corner of Medicare open to private competition is slashed, while fiscally strapped states are saddled with new Medicaid burdens. The insurance industry will have to vet every policy with Washington, which will regulate who it must cover, what it can offer, and how much it can charge."

Teabag, Anti-Americans

The New York Times reports that during a private pep talk to Democrats, President Obama referred to people who oppose the health care bill as "teabag, anti-government people."

Redistribution of Wealth

President Obama talks a lot about the "redistribution of wealth" as way to achieve political and economic justice in society.

Just because he thinks it's immoral that rich people have lots of money, where does our constitution give him the right to rob from the rich and give to the poor? His response is that "the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society."

Therefore, he persists since the Supreme Court has never explicitly said it's not constitutional. He's exploring every opportunity to tax the rich and give handouts to the poor. Obama's Regulatory Czar, Cass Sunstein, are talking about crafting a new Bill of Rights. They want to remove like the old fashioned rights like owning a handgun and add progressive rights like the right to have a job, the right to own a house, and the right to health care.

Obama: "I think [one of] the tragedies of the civil rights movement was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change." He wants "coalitions of power" (like unions, ACORN, and other organizations) that can "bring about redistributive change." Learn more.

You may remember that the redistribution of wealth and social justice are fundamental concepts of Marxism. Is this where we want to head this country?

Be Careful with Children and Hand Sanitizer

Ingestion of hand sanitizer by children can result in alcohol poisoning. Read more about it on Snopes.

Nick Vujicic

You think you have problems? Watch this video of Nick Vujicic, a man who has no arms and no legs. He's not discouraged. Don't you get discouraged either.

This first video is segment 1 of 4--well worth watching.



Search for Nick Vujicic on YouTube and find other great motivational videos.

Your Environment

"You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success--or are they holding you back?" --Clement Stone

Health Care Criminals

Speaker Pelosi's government takeover of health care (H.R. 3962) requires all Americans to purchase a minimum health care insurance plan. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this basic required plan will cost the average family $15,000 a year by 2016.

Failure to purchase this insurance will result in a substantial fine. Failure to pay the fine can constitute “felony willful evasion” which is punishable by a $250,000 fine and up to five years in prison. (H.R. 3962, §7201).

“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.”

“If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…”

“Criminal penalties: "
"Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year."

"Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.” [page 3]

H.R. 3962 will create 111 new boards, bureaucracies, commissions, and programs.

People of Public Transit

I recently blogged about peopleofwalmart.com that shows the stranger part of our communities that shops at WalMart. Check out peopleofpublictransit.com for the weird people photographed on public transit. Below are a few samples:

Kick Them All Out

The 2 most corrupting influences in government are the special interest lobbyists and the career politicians. There are currently 15 members of congress under investigation by the congressional ethics committees, or under investigation, indictment, or conviction by law enforcement authorities.

Politicians need to learn that they work for us--the people they supposedly represent. They are not an elite ruling class that is above the law.

We must hold our leaders to the same standard as the public. Congress should live by the same rules as citizens. No special deals like a congressional bank that offers unlimited overdraft privileges and free loans. No special health care for them--they should live by the same rules as the people do.

The only way to stop the backroom deals, pork spending, and political abuses is to fire them all and start over. Then impose serious term limits.

My advice: Re-elect No One -- No Exceptions! See KickThemAllOut.com

GM Government Motors

GM (General Motors) has lost more than $80 billion in the past 4 years.

Then in a smart financial move, the US government stepped in with $50 billion in aid and transformed GM into Government Motors.

Government Motors had planed to sell Opel, to focus on profitable regions, like Latin America and Asia. But now, the German government has given GM another $2.2 billion dollars, so they'll instead hang on to Opel and upgrade their manufacturing plant in Europe.

More US taxpayer money down the drain and more jobs shifted overseas.

But, who know? Maybe they'll come up with some really great new designs like those below.

Disorder in the Court

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
_________________________ ___________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: getting laid
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
W ITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________________

And the best for last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law..

CNN Poll: Half the country disagrees with Obama on issues

A new CNN poll shows that for the first time people mostly disagree with Obama on the issues.

And notice the trend downward in the CNN report.

Britains Got Talent 2008 © Human Slinky video audition

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Thou shalt not steal, unless you hire a congressman to do it.

Cash for Clunkers

In yet another example of our tax dollars hard at work, a report comes out detailing how about $1 billion of the $3 billion “cash for clunkers” program went to drivers swapping trucks for trucks or SUVs that often had gas mileage less than 20 mpg, and sometimes with gas mileage worse than the vehicles they traded in.

Apologizing

"I never apologize. I'm sorry, but that's just the way I am." -- David Monsen

Health Care Reform Scam

The health care reform bill is a total scam.

• 1,900 pages of fine print to describe favors, earmarks, and pork barrel spending (some of which has nothing to do with health care). What do the congressmen stand to gain from all this? Pet projects for their friends who helped put them into office? Under-the-table deals? Helping special interest groups? Remember, 21 legislators are currently under investigation for corruption. The the number of FBI agents focusing on public corruption jumped by more than 56% in the past several years -- from 451 agents in fiscal 2001 to 705 in fiscal 2008.
• The bill has caps on what doctors can make, but no caps on what trial lawyers can make off medical lawsuits, which are a big reason for high health care costs today.
• Remember that for every dollar spent on health care, 0.6 percent goes towards health insurance costs. The health insurance companies are making a very modest profit. And for every $1 spent on health care, all the "evil CEOs" account for 0.0005 percent. So why does this bill target health care insurers and providers with controls and regulations? The government's real desire has nothing to do with reducing the cost of health care. It's about the government wanting to run insurers out of business so they can control this huge part of our economy--similar to how they've taken over car companies, banks, and soon other industries.
• It's also about putting a few more million people on the health care welfare rolls to buy their votes.
• I'm sure the politicians will just squeal with delight to be able to control people by telling them which insurance they can't have, and which they must have, and dictating who gets treatment and who has to wait. Of course, if you're too old, you won't get any because the young people are more valuable.
  
• You think it's hard now trying to convince someone in your health insurance company that they should change a policy or grant you an exception? At least today, they listen and actually make some changes that benefit us as employees. Do you think some bureaucrats in Washington on the death panels will care one bit about your personal situation?
  
• They say the health care bill will cost $1-2 trillion. Just wait. It'll be double or triple that.

All we really need in health care reform are some simple steps (which are not in the current bill), like tort reform, allowing consumers to buy insurance across state lines, and small employers allowed to pool resources to buy coverage at the same price as large companies.

This is the scariest legislation this administration has cooked up yet. It is potentially very damaging to our freedoms and American way of life.

Is the Stimulus Stimulating Jobs?

The White House reports that 650,000 jobs were “created or saved” because of the $787 billion stimulus spending package. Joe Biden claims it may be as many as 1 million. Really?

The administration said it "scrubbed" the report for 3 weeks before they released it Friday. Sounds like they “scrubbed” the numbers, all right. Today’s USAToday reports the following:

• The federal government sent Bob Bray $26,174 in stimulus aid to fix a fence and replace the roofs on public apartments in Blooming Grove, TX, a town of fewer than 900 people. He hired five roofers and an inspector to do the job. He reported to the government 6 temporary jobs were created, but the government report shows it created 450 jobs.
• A $15,355 grant to the Plymouth, Conn., police department to buy new computers claims to have created or saved 108 jobs.
• The Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, which employs about 500 people in its Head Start preschool program, got $1.3 million in funding and reported creating or saving 935 jobs. The group used the stimulus money to give a 1.84% pay raise to its employees and pay for other needs such as playground equipment and teacher training.
• Teach for America, which helps place recent graduates in teaching jobs in urban and rural districts, reported that a $2 million grant created or saved 1,425 jobs. They used the money to pay part of the salaries of 125 employees.

In just these 4 examples, the government claims to have "created or saved" 2,918 jobs for over $3.3 million. My count is 6 jobs. That's $550,000 for each temporary job it created. That's government efficiency!

Work

"I get to work an hour before everyone else so I can 'work.' Then I spend the rest of the day just putting out fires and getting NO work done." - WARREN BUFFET

Help Oust Senator Harry Reid

MormonTimes.com reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will have a tough time getting re-elected.

If you live in Nevada, you can help oust this out-of-touch, extreme liberal senator who is driving Nevada and the USA into bankruptcy.

Gangster Government

My Grade Schools

Wow, I'm old. The 2 grade schools I went to are both gone. One was Granger Elementary, which today has a Costco store sitting on it.

The other was Brigham City Elementary, where they are going to build the new temple.

An Inconvient Film

The film Not Evil Just Wrong (see trailer here) is a new documentary that exposes the dangers of global warming hysteria. It helps thinking people recognize the gross exaggerations and flat-out lies in Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

A large number of scientists are seeing through the political tactics of some of the alarmists.

Some mainstream media is finally doing some balanced reporting on climate change:



Learn more from An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems

Solutions Cause Problems

Sometimes solutions cause more problems. And sometimes the causes of problems are solutions.

In the early 1950s the Dayak people in Borneo had Malaria. The World Health Organization had a solution: spray DDT all over. And they did. The mosquitoes died and the Malaria declined. So far, so good. However, there were side effects. House roofs started falling down on people’s heads because the DDT had also killed tiny parasitic wasps that had previously controlled the thatch-eating caterpillars which munched up the roofs.

So the colonial government gave people sheet metal roofs, but then the noise of the tropical rain on the tin roofs at night kept people awake. Meanwhile, the DDT-poisoned bugs were eaten by geckos, which were eaten by cats. As the DDT built up in the food chain, it killed the cats. Without the cats, the rats flourished and multiplied and soon the World Health Organization was threatened with outbreaks of Typhus and the Plague.

Consequently, they had to organize Operation Cat Drop, parachuting large numbers of live cats into Borneo.

This true story (although I haven't verified all the facts completely) serves as a guiding parable. The story shows that if you don’t understand how things are connected, solutions may cause additional problems. Many problems are caused by ourselves.