RANT: Something to “celebrate” on Independence Day

Friday, July 4, 2014

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/07/the-final-trip-home-of-pfc-aaron-toppen/100768/

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The Final Trip Home of Pfc. Aaron ToppenJul 2, 2014 | 17
On June 9, 2014, during a security operation in southern Afghanistan, a unit of U.S. and Afghan soldiers was hit by a friendly fire airstrike, killing five Americans and one Afghan. One of the Americans was 19-year-old Private First Class Aaron Toppen, of Mokena, Illinois. A series of memorials and transfers then began, to return his body home to the U.S. for burial — a sequence of events carried out some 2,200 times since the start of the war in Afghanistan. Once his remains arrived in Chicago, Getty Images photographer Scott Olson stayed with the family through the processions, visitations, services, and burial, documenting the final journey of one of the most recent soldiers to have died in Afghanistan. Pfc. Toppen, who had always wanted to join the Army, signed on last July, and had only arrived in Afghanistan this March. 

*** end quote ***

Bring all the girls and boys home now!

Put them on “border duty”.

Ours!

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RANT: Ahmed Abu Khatallah aka “political theater”

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Suspect in Benghazi Attacks Pleads Not Guilty
Ahmed Abu Khatallah pleaded not guilty to U.S. allegations that he helped carry out the 2012 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that led to the deaths of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

At a hearing on Saturday afternoon, lawyers for the Justice Department said they intend to bring a superseding charge, which could result in Mr. Khatallah being eligible for the death penalty.

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Anyone else think this is “political theater”?

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RANT: Give me my $1600?

Thursday, June 26, 2014

http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-proposes-500-million-to-aid-syrian-rebels-1403813486?mod=djemalertNEWS

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Obama Proposes $500 Million to Aid Syrian Rebels
Program to Train and Equip Moderate Opposition Would Expand U.S. Role in Civil War

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Argh!

Like “we” have a ½ BILLION to blow.

Give every taxpayer, (.5 * 10 ** 9 / 300 * 10 **6 = 500 / 300 * 10 ** 2 = 1.6 * 10 ** 2) 1600 $ back?

sigh!

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RANT: Yesterday’s graduation ceremony

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Yesterday, I went to a graduation ceremony.

No, not mine. Thankfully so. 

A Gooferment High Skrule graduated almost 300 children.

There were so many things I could talk about.

OBSERVATIONS

  • The Gooferment bureaucrats speaking flowery phrases.
  • The lack of the crowd to follow a few simple rules for the enjoyment of others.
  • The Gooferment fire truck that broke those rules for certain individuals.
  • The flag with the fringe.
  • Numerous speakers extolling how “special” the graduates were. (Aren’t at least half below average?  “Well, that’s the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.”)
  • The propaganda about how much the collective had accomplished in the last four years.
  • The large number of Gooferment bureaucrats earning big bucks with similar sounding titles.
  • The complete lack of acknowledgement to the Taxpayer who are all robbed to pay for this “education”.
  • The Pledge and the National Anthem. With some silent protests.
  • The pandering to a returning vet who’s cousin was graduating. And the dias encouraging the fire truck to break their own rules on decorum.
  • The calling out the six youngsters who were going into the military. (I was filled with sadness at that!)
  • The decorated mortar boards where members of the graduating collective tried to express their individuality.
  • The young faces who are so naïve.
  • The valedictorian taking a selfie. 
  • The strange behavior of one politician when the mayor gave a speech. (He walked off the dais and faced away towards one of the bleachers. Maybe he was her security. But why that direction. Very strange.)

CONCLUSIONS

  • The complete lack of candor by the adults to the children about the “facts of life”. They are faced with a terrible economy, a staggering national debt, and a political elite that are out of touch and out of control.
  • The inability of people to control themselves. Behaviors I would expect at a football game. Attire that I wouldn’t allow at a garage sale. And, language by young women that even a sailor wouldn’t use in mixed company.
  • The inability of Gooferment to do anything right was reinforced. Names were mispronounced. Songs were amateur. And, the band was out of tune. 
  • The traffic in the area was messed up by the Gooferment scheduling two graduations of nearby high schools on the same night.

  • AND finally, my recognition that I am old and crotchety. Sadly burdened with paradigms and memes that will not allow me to “go with the flow”. Probably because I see where “going with the flow” as brought us to.

Dona Nobis Pacem

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RANT: Gooferment program defrauded

Thursday, June 12, 2014

2014-Jun-10

Taxpayers Face Big Tab for Unusual Doctor Billings

More than 2,300 providers earned $500,000 or more from Medicare in 2012 from a single procedure or service, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.

A closer look at a few of the doctors who make most of their money from just a few procedures reveals that they are operating outside their areas of expertise or deviating from standard medical practice.

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What a surprise! A Gooferment program that is defrauded?

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!” Captain Renault in Casablanca

I’m shocked that there is corruption going on!

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RANTING: Does anyone remember?

Friday, June 6, 2014

6 June 2014  – D Day, WWII

http://youtu.be/eEIqdcHbc8I

Normandy Speech: Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary

President Reagan’s Address at the Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, D-day at Point-du-Hoc – 6/6/84.

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RANT: Taxpayer cost?

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

And I wonder what this cost the taxpayers?

Donald Sterling Agrees to Sell L.A. Clippers, Drop Lawsuit

Donald Sterling, the L.A. Clipper’s embattled owner, has agreed to sell the basketball team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and is dropping a lawsuit against the NBA, his lawyer said.

Mr. Sterling initially vowed to fight a deal struck last week by his wife, Shelly Sterling, to sell the team to Mr. Ballmer for $2 billion. The NBA in April set out to force him from the league after racist comments he made became public in a recording.

The league’s board of governors must approve any sale.

 

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RANT: Good for NewEgg.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

http://blog.newegg.com/patent-trolls-learn-mess-newegg/

When Will Patent Trolls Learn Not to Mess with Newegg?
By Ivan B. on May 22, 2014 in Newegg News
Lee Cheng wins again.

*** begin quote ***
Lee Cheng wins again.

It’s no secret that Newegg is adamantly against patent trolls and everything they stand for. Not only are we not shy in proclaiming this to the world, we even sell t-shirts that show our disgust for these “companies” that think it’s OK to extort legitimate businesses. You would think that patent trolls would take the hint, yet there are still those that want to mess with Newegg.

*** and ***

“At Newegg, we’ve always believed paying off extortionists only encourages more extortion, and there had to be a negative consequence of suing Newegg without just cause. We insisted on seeking a return of our legal fees from Site Update Solutions.

*** and ***

We care too much about our loyal customers to subject them to paying these trolls.

Don’t settle.

*** end quote ***

Good for NewEgg.

Everyone should stop “settling”.

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RANT: War in the Middle East

Monday, May 26, 2014

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2014/05/war-is-peace-freedom-is-slavery-and-ignorance-is-strength/

War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, and Ignorance Is Strength
by Washingtons Blog – May 14th, 2014, 1:30am

American Public Turns Anti-War … Warmongers Desperately Reply, “But War Is GOOD for Us!”

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In reality, security experts – conservative hawks and liberal doves alike – agree that waging war in the Middle East weakens national security and increases terrorism. See this, this, this, this, this, this and this. So it doesn’t make us safer.

*** end quote ***

So when do the Sheeple wake up?

Never!

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RANT: Gooferment is a walking disaster

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/05/20/are-all-veterans-now/

We are all veterans now
By Wayne Allyn RootPublished May 20, 2014FoxNews.com

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We didn’t know government employees kept secret waiting lists to cover up the long delays — even though they knew patients had life-threatening illnesses. That sounds like murder to me.

What a surprise! Conservatives like Sarah Palin and I screamed about “death panels” and “death by rationing” under ObamaCare years ago.

Government is a walking disaster. Government screws up everything it touches, while losing billions of dollars in other people’s money.

How could putting government in charge of health care for 330 million Americans possibly work out?

All the wars in America’s history have cost about $7 trillion. Yet the war on poverty has cost $20 trillion and counting (adjusted for inflation)…and poverty is still at a record high. What a massive failure and waste of taxpayer money.

The Federal Reserve has one main job — to protect the value of our dollar. Yet the dollar has lost 98% of its value since the Fed was founded.

The same government that brought you failing post offices, failing trains, and pretty much failing everything else is now in charge of your health care (as well as 17% of the U.S. economy).

*** end quote ***

What can I possibly say or do to wake people up?

Argh!

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