The Times, They Are A-Changin'

 My, my, how the news broadcasters change their tune with the political winds.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdScVerrBU

I will type this very slowly so those of you who attended public school can keep up:

The reason that everything costs more today is simple:  the Federal Government is printing new money by the truckload, creating an oversupply.  Too many dollars makes the value of those dollars dilute:  the become worth less and less as far as purchassing goes.
Of course, the plan is to pay back the gazillions (trillions just doesn't cut it anymore) of debt to our dear friends, the Communist Chinese with diluted dollars seems like a good one, until you factor in the economic chaos that hyper-inflation wreaks on a nation's economy.  Go to any coin and stamp store, and you can purchase a Zimbabwe (Africa) 100-billion dollar bill for about 50 cents.  You may even get change in ten-billion Zimbabwe "Dollar" bills.
But this administration is woefully, or perhaps willfully ignorant of history such as Hungary's hyper-inflation in the post-war 1940's, and even of American history, such as the Carter era's skyrocketed prices which took us decades of restricted spending to overcome.  "Jimmah" is a fine, honorable man, but was worse than a cardboard carrot as President.

Only in the collective mindset of this current administration is it possible to borrow the nation's way out of debt.  It doesn't work in your home, it doesn't work in your business, and it doesn't work period.

Invest in precious metals, such as gold, silver, brass and copper-jacketed lead.  You'll need the first two to buy a loaf of bread, and you'll need the latter two to keep your bread.

Hat tip: L.C.N.

Big Oil Fantasies, or Snake Oil Realities?

President Obama, our community agitator in chief, urged Congress on Tuesday to take “immediate action” to end tax subsidies for oil and gas companies, and to roll back more than $4 billion “in unwarranted tax breaks” which exist only in Mr. O's twisted universe, that private universe where facts are, shall we politely say, malleable.

Chevron (CVX) made out a check for $1.3 billion in income taxes this quarter. Add in the $4.0 billion paid out in assorted other taxes (VAT, excise, "other taxes") and you get a eye-popping $5.3 billion given out to various government entities. That's an incredible 74% of its income before all tax expenses.

So, for the quarter, $1.8 billion to the shareholders, and $5.3 billion for government. Doesn't seem fair, does it? That's not any different from previous periods. For the full 2008 year, CVX paid out $19 billion in income taxes and $21 billion in "other taxes" leaving a net profit of $24 billion, a clobbering 63% in taxes.

Oddly, last year (2010) General Electric (GE) paid out a mind-numbing ZERO in federal income taxes.  Zero,  based on only 16 billion dollars revenue, after "writing off" capital costs and foreign taxes paid, among other "tax breaks."  Guess it pays to have friends in the White House.

I guess a 63 percent tax bite is "not a fair share" in BarryO's universe.  Whadda Putz!

Re: Flight 1561 and Alligators

"Maybe they'll need a moat," Obama said, mocking calls for real border security. "Maybe they want alligators in the moat."

So how, despite a massive transportation and homeland security apparatus, did Rageh al-Murisi get into this country and get on a plane? He had no keys, no luggage, $47 cash, two curious posted checks totaling $13,000, and a trove of expired and current state IDs from New York and California — where relatives said he had not notified them that he was coming. He is young, male, brought no family with him, had no job or other discernible income, and hails from the terror-coddling nation of Yemen. Yes, the same Yemen that is Osama bin Laden’s ancestral home, harbors al-Qaida operatives who are burning the “torch of jihad,” and is deemed a“special interest country” whose citizens warrant increased scrutiny by DHS when they cross the border illegally.**


Meanwhile, the TSA continues its effectiveness by searching a baby for bombs.  Makes perfect sense, no?

**hat tip: Miclellemalkin.com                                                                                                                    

Bib Laden Photo Released!!

Finally, succumbing to the clamors of millions of Americans,  the Obama administration released the final and conclusive photograph of Usama (nee Osama) bin Laden:

hat tip:  Holly G.

Oxy-morons du Jour

Danielisright.blogspot.com posted the following picture, as he is more focused on the issue of criminal aliens defrauding America, with particular emphasis on Oregon.  I found the picture mildly amusing, abysmally poor spelling aside, inasmuch as the people in the picture are freely admitting that they are not in the U.S.A. legally yet feel a "need to drive to work," thereby stealing a job (and possibly a Social Security number) from a now- unemployed U.S. citizen. They profess that they are "safety conscious," except when driving unlicensed and uninsured, or intoxicated.  Further, it appears that some  are patently obviously English-language deficient, thereby unable to comprehend "Do Not Enter" unless also signed as "No Entrade.  Perhaps "precaución: cuesta empinada por delante" or "No hay aparcamiento."   Can multi-lingual street signs be far behind?    

Of course, our state government of spineless, fawning appeasers will find some means of ignoring the admitted violations of Federal immigration laws and will freely grant a license to drive to all of the persons pictured except the uniformed police officers, who doubtless will be required to provide proof-of-citizenship in order to replace their ball-point pens.

NOTE: No one has a "RIGHT" to a "License."  A license is a fully revocable permit issued by the state or other governing body, such as my "Concealed Handgun License;" a permission which I regularly exercise, and which permission may be revoked, for just cause, at any time.  A RIGHT is given by God, at least according to that old fuddy-duddy Declaration of Independence, and ensured by a lawful government.  Just FYI, there is a difference.  A government does not, indeed it cannot, bestow RIGHTS upon its citizens, it merely protects them, or at least did until recently.

Concurrently, Waterfront Park in Portland is being utilized to celebrate that star-spangled traditional American holiday, Cinco de Mayo, which, as you all know, celebrates the Mexican army's near-miraculous victory over their French occupiers at Puebla, and has nothing to do with Mexican independence nor the United States whatsoever:  it remains a sort of separatist "Mexican Pride" event, along the same lines as the racist Kwanzaa and the Muslim's Eid-al Fatr, except for the Corona beer dispensaries and the margarita bars.  Nothing says "Brown Pride" like encouraging public drunkenness.

So before we force an illegal alien felon to "Brake the Law" as shown below, perhaps we should all walk a mile in his huaraches as he innocently defrauds his employer, the State of Oregon, the Federal Government, the IRS, Social Security and Medicaid programs, and Aid to Families in Need(formerly known as "welfare).  And please remember, it's for the children.

Self-Explanatory: Econ 101 "Dumbed Down"

In the 27 months of the Obama administration, there have been spectacular rises in the prices of gasoline ($1.83 per gallon to almost $4), oil ($41 per barrel to over $90), gold ($853 per ounce to $1,500), corn ($3.56 per bushel to $6.33), and sugar ($13.37 per pound to $35.39). The real median household income has declined by $300, to under $50,000; the number of food-stamp recipients has increased from 32 million to 43 million; the number of people officially in poverty has increased by 10 percent, to 44 million (more people than the whole populations of Poland or Spain); the ranks of the long-term unemployed have increased from 2.6 million to 6.4 million; and the U.S.’s position in the rankings of economic freedom of the world’scountries has declined from fifth to ninth.*

How's THAT for "Change?"  

Are we there yet?  Can I drive?

*NationalReview, Conrad Black

Bernanke Explains Quantitative Easing