Tuesday, June 22, 2010

YouCut, WeCut, call the whole thing off

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's kinda laughing this week at a topic he'd made fun of a few weeks back, that being Minority Leader Eric Cantor's "YouCut" idea.

The idea is simple and good by using American Idol/Dancing with the Stars style of text/Internet voting to get rid of certain legislation that costs taxpayers "X" amount of money by telling the voter how much can be saved(over a gross amount of years) in a NCAA March Madness style bracket system. Five pieces of legislation go up every week and the winner moves on till there's one winner that will be presented by Mr. Cantor to the House to be voted upon.

So far, it's another shell game that's losing it's luster. The "YouCut" program is not producing the results as expected and even the CATO Institute is even panning it as a dud. I was shocked to hear the CATO Institute give negative reviews of a Republican idea, as they have usually backed a large majority of their ideals.

CATO's Tad DeHaven points out how those proposed "YouCut" propositions lead to nothing but minuscule cuts or "chump change" of only 0.017% of an already $10 trillion debt.

But Big Poppa also noticed that the majority of the legislation bracketed on "YouCut" are either Democratic or Bipartisan pieces of legislation. And those proposed of Republican nature are minuscule in monetary value.

For instance, June 22's "YouCut" installment, the National Drug Intelligence Center was listed, a program of duplicity to 1974's El Paso Intelligence Center. NDIC's birth was brought forth by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, was highly regarded by many but no one wanted it. Pennsylvania's John Murtha simply added it to the Department of Defense Appropriation Act of 1993, yet the Defense Department had no control over it.

Neither EPIC or NDIC have truly lived up to their potential, but no one truly wants to kill the programs either. Proof, in 2005 President George W. Bush listed NDIC to be disbanded, yet no one touched it, even though Republicans had total control of government. Instead, Congress voted to slash it's yearly funding from $40 million to $17 million

Now Mr. Cantor's "YouCut" states by killing the program $440 million will be saved over a 10 year period.

Rep. Thadues McCotter (R-MI) is coming out against Mr. Cantor and the so called status quo of "United Republicans in Congress." Rep. McCotter was on FOX News this past week, explaining his disbelief in "YouCut."

Rep. McCotter, who heads the Republican Policy Committee, said his committee should be disbanded, for it costs the taxpayers over $350,000 yearly. As well as slash other Republican backed funding by saying "....We spend over a million on the whip’s office; we spend millions on the leader’s office. We can make a small, significant step to return it."

So in the words of legendary wrestler Ric Flair "if you talk the talk, you better walk the walk bucko.. Woooo!"

Over the past year, Republicans have given into gimmicks (Mount Vernon Statement) to draw interest from the public that they are the party of "Savings" and true Conservatives. Yet there are only 10 Republicans that are complete Conservatives.

The Contract with America was successful in 1994 even though it never lived up to it's full potential, but it had a (full) Conservative youth movement in Congress that pushed it. The freshmen Republican class of 1994 were the ones that pushed the Contract, they were the true full Conservatives in Congress.

By 1996, either Social Conservatives like Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum or Fiscal Conservatives like E. Clay Shaw, Jr. were splitting ideals of Conservatism.

Simply kill the side show gimmicks and game show theatrics. If you want to get the people involved in the process, do your job right and stop the shell games.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Incoherent Rudy G and other dribble

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa took a few days off to enjoy the summer humidity and a few tall cool ones these past few days. During that time, my DVR exploded with recorded shows and my email hit maximum overload.

1. Spam Political Email
How lazy have people become on their "FWD: Political Spam" lately? Extremely lazy. Have people lost any original thought on conspiracy or controversy to put into a Spam email? I think many have or Glenn Beck has sucked the thoughts out of peoples head like Jim Carrey's version of the Riddler.

I have received so much FWD: Political Spam and have gotten tired of debunking the issues. Yes, people feel it's their American duty to forward on these emails, some believing them as truth because "Aunt Millie wouldn't lie to me" or "Well Tom is very political savvy so it must be true" or maybe some just feel the need to keep the crap going.

The latest was titled "Lee Iacocco's 'Where have all the Leaders gone?'" and is just a recycled piece from 2007. Excerpts from his then latest book and his attack on the Bush Administration have turned into recycled FWD: Political Spam with people cut/pasting the Obama Administration. Come on people, get some original thought.


2. "If I was in office..."
Speaking of original thought, or lack there of, what up with Mayor Rudy G. last week?

Mayor Rudy G. visited the set of MSNBC's Morning Joe (Big Poppa's fav morning show) and spewed such inarticulate nonsense. Word to Mayor Rudy G. "You had no original thought in the 2008 election, so please don't say 'Well if I was in office...'" Woulda coulda shoulda doesn't get the oil spill contained and cleaned.

Big Poppa is getting tired of all these retread politicians talking about how they would fix it or who they spoke to, but never mentioning who these oil experts are that they spoke too. Is it a secret? If so, why a secret? Because you spoke to no one or someone who is insignificant to the matter. I give co-host Mika Brezinzki credit for questioning Mayor Rudy G on "his experts" and "what would you do?" action which turned out incoherent.

Mayor Rudy G., thank you for your actions during 9/11, but if you didn't live in the past, you may have won a Presidential Primary


3. Oil Skimmers
Every political and celebrity talkie seems to love to say "Get the skimmers down there!!" or "Where are the skimmers?" or "We need more oil bouys!," yet do any of these talkies have a clue.

Oil bouys can only contain what is on the surface! Oil can float under the oil bouys, there for the containment is minimal.

The beloved Oil Skimmer boats are a minimal containment issue as well. One of the Oil Skimmers we've seen on tv is a Weir Skimmer, which let's the water flow thru, but contains the oil. Problem being the Weir Skimmer can only hold about 1,500 gallons, working for about 3 hours. Yet, the Oil Spill flow is estimated at 60,000 gallons a day. So even if 40 Weir Skimmers were in place, there are still theplumes rising to the surface. So even if they ran 24 hours, they would still be doing little until the flow stops!

4. Where's the Shamwoo! guy at?
I like how CNN and FOX are having a frenzy of people on set saying they know how to clean up the Oil Spill. Don't get Big Poppa wrong, I think it's incredible how this disaster has given people inspiration to be creative. But there's a difference between Crude oil and Mobil 1 motor oil from Pep Boys. So all these inventions are using a product that is lighter then the Crude we see on tv. It may work the first time, but not the second.

Well that's enough incoherent dribble from Big Poppa. The peanut bowl was taken away to help skim some oil from the deep fryer in the back room and no one paid the political tab. Cheapskates!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Quick thought: 6 degrees of Gore and "W"

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

After watching England vs. USA in the World Cup today and maybe a few too many Sam Adams Longshots, Big Poppa came to a "6 degrees" conclusion

OK, so the rumors ran mad the other week when the Gore's announced their divorce after 40 years. There was even an email running around blaming Pres George W Bush for causing the Gore's divorce. Many however write the notion off as crazy. However, yes, Big Poppa has figured it all out.

11/7/2000 - George W. Bush defeats Al Gore is the Presidential Election

1/4/2006 - George W Bush's favorite college team, Texas Longhorns, defeats the USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl to be the #1 college team in the nation. Texas starting QB Vince Young goes on to be the #1 draft pick of the Tennessee Titans.

Al Gore born and raised in Tennessee and still lives there

6/2/2010- Al and Tipper Gore announce their seperation after 40 years of marriage

6/10/2010- National Enquirer and other media outlets realize news that Al Gore is dating a 23 year old Tennessee Titans cheerleader named Lesslye Perry. And has been for about 5 months or so...

There ya' go... Pay the political tab and fill the damn peanut bowl deadbeats!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

A few thoughts for June 9, 2010

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's taking notes today, maybe because he's waiting to see how buoyant his plastic water bottle raft will be due to all this rain in his home town!!!

1. "Clean Election">Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer is in another fight this week. This time it's a federal judge on the 9th Supreme Court circuit. Arizona's "Clean Election" law was taken to the Supreme Court and the Court ruled against it.

The law sounds pretty simple, those candidates that use publicly funded campaign money will receive payments to help their campaign match dollar for dollar against privately or self funded candidates. At this time Gov Brewer was looking for a public transaction close to $2 million to help her campaign, but the Supreme Court put a hold on that transaction.

Her opponent, Buzz Mills, has spent close to $2.3 million to date. Many privately/self funded candidates are saying the "Clean Election" law limits their voice, due to the fact if they spend more then their publicly funded opponent will receive more public assistance, therefore forcing them to spend less for their voice to be heard.

So Gov Brewer is getting the shaft until the Supreme Court decides to hear the case come this August.So until then, Gov Brewer is gonna have to prove even harder through her work as the current Governor to make her case for re-election.

Who says we don't need Election Finance Reform, whether it be state or federal?

2. Drill Babies turn silent
Funny how the "Drill Baby Drill" voices are now calling for more Federal Government intrusion into oil company corruption.

Former Gov Palin, spoke many times during the 2008 campaign on how safe offshore drilling was, is leading the verbal charge to clean up "oily corruption." And others that led the "Drill Baby Drill" mantra have silenced themselves as well.

And many of these "D.B.D's" who fought against intrusive federal government into big business are calling for the federal government to do the opposite and go after these companies.

Florida Senate Candidate Marco Rubio & Louisana Gov Bobby Jindall, once the darlings of the "Smaller Less Intrusive Fed Government" are calling for the opposite. As Gov Jindall said last week "well this is when we need big government to get involved" and Minnesota's Michelle Bachmann calling for Pres Obama to "use his executive authority to “commandeer” boats in the Gulf region to “deal with that oil plume as it was coming up in the water.”

It always amazes me how those who were once against something are for it once they see an opportunity for free press exposure.

3. Plumes what plumes?
Speaking of opportunities, it's nice to see BP trying to save face and hiring some 8,000+ residents of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida on temporary "Ready Alert Clean Up" status. These folks are being hired as temporary workers for $18/hour to be ready to go clean up the beaches, marches, etc. in their areas. Talk about a Public Relations move.

Now BP admits there might be plumes of oil underneath the waters. Really? Seriously?
BP's new cap is taking in only 14,000 gallons of oil, but that's only 20% of what is escaping from the leaking head. BP's trying to capture more,so it can sell it, but the fines from the Government could be close to $4,300/barrel lost!! That's somewhere near $10 billion to date owed in fines. Not to mention the lawsuits to come and clean up bills. But don't worry, BP will survive this catastrophe as they have done since the Prudhoe Bay & Texas City accidents over the past 10 years.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Guf beaches are fine & Limbaugh gets married?

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

Well Big Poppa's happy to get his two bar stools back. Al Gore would be proud, got the bar stools retrofitted so that the heat from my double wide butt can be generated into energy to keep the beer ice cold. My little contribution to Mother Nature or as I call her "Al's Mistress"

1. Come to Alabama & get a free tar ball t-shirt

Oh Gov. Haley Barbour, you my friend are not a good PR person for your state. Now don't get Big Poppa wrong, I like Gov. Barbour enough that I thought he had a strong chance to run for President in 2008. I guess he likes to be one of those "behind the scene" types, but McCain/Barbour 2008 sounded good to me.

So on Sunday, good 'ol Haley hit the talk show circus and visited Fox News, where he proclaimed "Alabama's beaches are fine and the tar balls are no big deal." WTF? Haley you been sipping the moonshine again?

There's an oil slick the size of Florida a mile off Alabama's coastline and Haley states the beaches are fine. Didn't Mayor Vaughn say the same thing about the giant great white shark to Sheriff Brody in the movie Jaws?

As Haley said "you can pick the tar balls up and throw them in a bag" is a great way to get people to the beach and wear those t-shirts "all I got was this lousy t-shirt and a bag of tar balls."

As the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida met with Pres. Obama to discuss clean up efforts, Haley decided to stay home and do some PR work to get bodies into his state. This is not the first time Haley skipped out on Pres Obama. Haley does make the concerted effort to attend the daily conference call on the oil spill with BP and the Coast Guard.

I think Haley has been listening to Limbaugh to long. Limbaugh stated "it's not a disaster and the Gulf will clean itself up." Can anyone tell me the last time Limbaugh made a trip to Prince William Sound since the Exxon Valdez disaster?

To date, they are still finding pockets of Exxon Valdez oil as far as 450 miles away. I do believe Limbaugh has a sweet palace next to the water in Miami, what will happen when the BP oil comes around and hits his beach. Will Limbaugh claim it doesn't exist?

Projections show that the oil spill will eventually wrap around Florida and move up the Atlantic coastline, with some of it making it's way to "Jolly 'ol England" as well. How fitting if it finds the BP execs mansion some how.

2. The World has flipped
Ok, I'm confused.. The Gore's split after 40 years together, the Clinton's are still together and Rush Limbaugh married for the 4th time. It's like a trivial political Bermuda triangle.

The Gore's split has everyone running for a conspiracy theory. Did someone cheat? Was John Edwards involved? Some are even blaming Pres "W" on the divorce.

Statistics show many baby boomers are divorcing well into their early 60's, more for the fact that many of those couples had been together since their Senior years in high school.

Talking with old friends about the divorce, many joked that "you know Al invented divorce before the Internet" which was funny. I reminded everyone about how Tipper brought us the PMRC in the mid-80's to fight over song lyrics in heavy metal music. Thanks to Tipper, many bands sold millions more albums and became millionaires, but I blame her for bringing then Twisted Sister's Dee Snyder to capital hill. Since then, Dee Snyder hasn't shut up, won't go away and Ted Nugent became a political force.

Oh! good luck Rush on #4... wait for every 10 years the Gore's were together, Rush had a divorce. And to quote Bill Maher "the asked not to throw rice at the Limbaugh wedding but Viagra instead"

3. Jon Stewart mixes fact
Now I like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He is able to point out the obvious as too what many are thinking and not be partisan. He hits both sides, but his attack on Pres Obama and how he is handling the BP Oil Spill is off mark.

Yes, everyone has heard Pres Obama state the BP Oil Spill is a major priority, but business of the President cannot come to a halt for this matter. There are presidential duties that must be done, yet Stewart put a montage of clips together that made it seem as if Pres Obama doesn't care.

Yes, Pres Obama should be worried and concerned about the Oil Spill, but business cannot stop for any President. President Bush still worked all his priorities along side handling the days after 9/11. A business does not shut down when one shipment does not arrive when there are other shipments to work through.

Everyone wants to see Pres Obama stand up, kick and scream, through a tantrum, but why? I do not recall any of the past four presidents do any of that during a crisis. Pres Bush was calm when he he visited Ground Zero. Pres Bush was calm when speaking to the workers at Ground Zero. He didn't yell and blurt explenatives. He remained posed and presidential, as is Pres Obama during this crisis.

All of this sounds like a rambling blog this day and I apologize. I think the heat generating from the retrofitted bar stools has caused my carbon footprint to cloud the bar. Fill the tire recycled peanut bowl and pay the political tab.