Ryan

15 days in and here is what we have from Big Ears Barry:

- 4 Cabinet nominees with tax problems... yet Obama has demagogued up a storm about "tax dodgers" and "tax havens"

- Pork laden and corporate welfare $900 billion monstrosity with no concern for the crowding out effect during a time of a financial drought. And of course the worst performing corporations and municipalities get the most money. Way to reward success.

- Nationalization of financial industry


Of course we're still dropping missiles into Pakistan. That anti-unilateral military promise went out the window with his swearing in.

Today Obama declared debate was over on the 'stimulus' package. This guy hasn't even addressed any of the negative aspects of the 'stimulus' beyond the long term debt (duh). Some debate.

If he was assassinated tomorrow I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over him.

But the Republicans are worse - they're supposed to be opposing this type of stuff. Now that's a party with no ideals what-so-ever. What these false conservatives don't seem to realize is that cutting taxes with out cutting spending doesn't shrink the size of government one bit. In fact when you take into account the increased financing burden what you are dealing with is actually a larger government and more government spending. But the Republican voters are brain dead yokels who are susceptible to even the most blatant fear mongering. Self critique is impossible for those people.

Current official estimates: $1.6 trillion deficit for 2009. What happens when you remove $1.6 trillion (more like $2+ trillion) in potential investments from the private market at a time when companies find it increasingly difficult to secure funding? Something tells me that's an issue that not even 10% of the legislature has considered.

Why are people so obsessed with racism? Enough already, cry on someone else's shoulder. Seriously, everytime someone says "he's a racist", "she's a racist", "you're a racist" - I don't care. If I actually am racist then I shouldn't have to change my beliefs to appeal to your sensibilities, and if I'm not racist then you're just being a whiny over sensitive douche.

You can hate me all you want, I'm not going to villify you for it. I don't care if you hate me because of my skin color, my political beliefs, my style of clothing, my car, my gender, my income level, etc. None of those reasons for hatred makes you a bad person.

I've had neo-nazi friends, I have black friends, my family is jewish, I don't believe in god, none of that shit matters. As long as you don't hate kittens or want to take my rights away you're alright in my book.

And really, many of my friends do want to take my rights away. Gun rights, property rights, etc. I might be offended by that, but I'm sure they have thier reasons and I certainly don't blacklist them for it.

So in summary, the worst part about 'racism' is hearing some group think sycophant whine about it. And yes, sometimes racist beliefs are accurate so don't poison the well of debate.

I'm gonna wait until the gunshow to buy, I don't want to go through the governments permission system. It's insulting, the government should have no knowledge of whether I own a gun or not.

It's amazing the level of fear some people have towards guns, they think all hell will break loose if take the nanny's watchful gaze goes off of guns. I think it comes from ignorance. My California friends think that everyone in Texas is a gun slinger. The reality is that you have no idea who carries. Why? Because everyone who carries is extremely responsible. They don't flash thier guns, play with thier guns, drop thier guns, threaten people with thier guns, or even wear outfits which reveal thier guns. Most CCW folks are squares, they carry for either crime prevention or American tradition. A week here and those gunaphobes will realize they were just being silly. This isn't the wild west.

New roommate! Moving in on the 6th. She seems really cool. The one moving out we are still staying friends with, he's only moving a few blocks south. We're having an interhouse BBQ.

Got a date later this week, my first one after a long intentional hiatus.

The former NBA referee facing prison after admitting to gambling on games claims the controversial Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals was fixed to ensure the Los Angeles Lakers would beat the Kings.

In a letter to the sentencing court attempting to show his level of cooperation in hopes of receiving a lighter jail term, Tim Donaghy alleges two of that game's three referees were "company men" who used "manipulation" to extend the series to a deciding seventh game. The team that lost Game 6 had two players "ejected," the letter claims, and later lost the series.

Donaghy does not specify the teams or the referees. But Lakers-Kings was the only 2002 series to go seven games. And while no Kings were ejected, Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard did foul out as Shaquille O'Neal attempted 17 free throws.
Click here to find out more!

"Referees A, F, and G were officiating a playoff series between the Team 5 and Team 6 in May of 2002," the letter states, using placeholders instead of names. "It was the sixth game of a seven-game series, and a Team 5 victory that night would have ended the series. However, Tim learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be 'company men,' always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's best interest to add another game to the series."

The letter goes on to say the two referees heavily favored Team 6, ignoring blatant fouls committed by its players and calling "made-up" fouls against Team 5, giving Team 6 more free-throw chances.

"The referees' favoring of Team 6 led to that team's victory that night and Team 6 came back from behind to win the series," the letter states.

The referees - a highly rated crew of veterans Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney and Ted Bernhardt - called the Kings for 31 fouls in the game that sent the Lakers to the line for 40 attempts, including 27 in the decisive fourth quarter of the 106-102 L.A. win. Three of the Kings' fouls were intentional to stop the clock and get the ball back over the final 19.8 seconds. The Kings, by comparison, shot 25 free throws the entire game on 24 Lakers fouls.

Read more on this story in Wednesday's editions of The Bee.

I think it's time for me to stop watching basketball. This is fucking bullshit. Small market teams always get fucked in the ass, but this is beyond what I was expecting. FUCK THE NBA.

And this is just going to be swept under the rug, because even addressing it would be too big news for the NBA to handle.

Didn't expect cut off saws to produce so many sparks. I freaked out when I first used it. The guard only catches half of them, too. The rest go flying back and under what ever object they hit. Which in this case is my warehouse wall. Which makes me nervous.


Nerd power:





.357 revolver, because my needs aren't great (no this isn't me):







If you elect me to be President, all of your wildest dreams will come true.

All Democrats: