Monday, December 19, 2011

The K-Car that saved the Reagan Presidency

One of the things I hate most is when a politician uses someone’s name in vain to prove something that they are not. Many of the Conservative Talkers and Republicans love to state “I’m a Reagan Conservative; I follow the principles of Reagan.”

I’m not about to knock our 40th President around, I generally like Ronald Reagan, but I’m tired of the golden pedestal many put him on, they’ve embellished and rewritten his legacy more and more as time moves on, as if he did everything alone and he alone brought the US back to greatness.

Reagan knew one thing going into his presidency, he needed to work with the Democrats to get any type of prosperity rolling again in the US.

The 1970’s took the US into the doldrums when dinosaur industries of Steel and Coal died, oil embargos caused ripple effects through the Big 3 of Detroit, a once mighty military was crumbling after a decade and a half of involvement in Vietnam, unemployment hovered around 7.8% and everyday there was fear of a nuclear attack from USSR.

Reagan had an advantage in the fact that the technical innovations of the 1970’s were set to take a huge step forward thanks to competition, consumption, and affordability.

The Con-talkers will always tell us that is was Reagan’s determination and tax cuts that saved the US, but Reagan spent huge amounts of money on rebuilding our military. Reagan had spent so much the triple the US deficit and his spending caused the Soviets to eventually cry “Uncle.”

The other fact of the Reagan tax cuts that many Con-talkers speak highly of is that they didn’t last long and Reagan knew he had to raise taxes to raise revenue, actually raising taxes several times during his 2 terms.
But affordable technological innovations saved the US more than Reagan’s friendly persona and faux tax cuts. Consumerism ran rampant as technology exploded in the 1980’s, opening new industries from computers to automotive to everyday convenience.

It was more than “Keeping up with the Jones,” it was more like “Keeping up with the Jones, Smiths, Does, etc.”

Much of that technology was being development or was on the market in the late 1970’s, yet not affordable to the mass US population. Video Cassette Recorders (VCR), home gaming systems, personal computer and cable television took hold of consumer minds and checkbooks.

The growth of Cable television created regional cable providers, thus job creation. Americans were tired of only getting 3-4 regular channels and cable television offered 20-30 channels that included Home Box Office (HBO) and other movie channels. Smaller channels soon followed such as MTV and ESPN.

But with cable television expanding viewership, it also expanded merchandising opportunities as well. Saturday morning cartoons were filled with vibrant colors and sugary sweet cereal advertising. Smurfs, Justice League, Cabbage Patch Kids and G.I.Joe merchandise grew and as it grew so did the realm of the of Toy R’ Us and Kay-Bee Toys stores.

As the toy stores grew so did another “want” or “must have,” the home gaming system.

Home gaming systems like Atari and Intellivision were making their way into homes. Gaming development start-up companies were popping up all along the West Coast; some survived and died before the doors even opened. It was a new sector and the growth was unlimited at that point. Parents and their children tossed aside the Monopoly board game and cozy up on the couch to challenge Mario Bros nightly.

The Video Cassette Recorders (VCR) was a product of the 1970’s, but they became more affordable in the 1980’s with the help of Hollywood, as they saw a tsunami of money rush to them as people were buying their favorite movies for obscene amounts of money. But it was the entrepreneur spirit that started the small Ma & Pa corner rental video store, which also became an outlet the pornography industry as well.

The Music industry as well worked with innovations and started to move away from the Platinum album and produce more on Cassette tapes. The cheaper to produce and smaller Cassette tape had people running to local music stores so they could have their “music on the go” for their vehicles and Walkmans.

You can’t talk about the 1980’s without mentioning Apple and Steve Jobs. Jobs’ dream of a home computer in every home came to life in the beginning of the decade. Soon IBM, Commodore and Texas Instruments were building cheaper computers for anyone to buy.

Gas was around $1.19/gallon and foreign carmakers Honda, Datsun and Toyota saw their sales triple as Detroit just couldn’t put together a respectful product. The Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega were deplorable vehicles of the 1970’s, but Americans bought them because many were still skeptical of foreign brands.

Ford eventually gave us the Escort, which became one of the best selling cars of the decade.

Chrysler took a different route and created a new genre of vehicle, the mini-van.

Many Automotive experts will tell you that the Mini-van saved Chrysler from certain doom, that’s partially true. The Mini-van brought people into the Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth show rooms, but when the consumer realized they couldn’t afford it, they turned to the odd shape Omni/Horizon and boring K-Car model, so boring was the K-car that it didn’t have a real name.

With all this new technology spewing out and families traveling about, well they needed places to eat on the fly and McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut and so on saw their industry explode.

Just as a Reagan Presidency thrived under technological innovations, so did the Clinton Presidency with the advancement of the Dot.Com boom.

As we listen to all the GOP candidates and even Pres “O” talk about “bringing America back to greatness” one has to wonder where the next Innovation or industrial sector boom will come from?

The majority of experts keep pointing to the Energy sector with the drilling of Natural Gas deposits throughout the Nation. But how long will that last and at what cost to the communities that are currently thriving under this sector?

One thing is definite, Reagan's 2 terms fielded oppurtunity in just about every sector of business, but tax cuts were only a portion of the growth. Unemployment through his terms average 8.5% and even rose as high as 10.5% after he signed his first tax cut.

The faux Con-talker historians need to revise their notes and give credit to the innovators and risk-takers that today are missed, as well as the growth of Government during his tenure.

That’s it, jump in your faux wood grain mini-van and pick me up a Happy Meal along the way, because it tastes better with a Guinness and thus, time to pay the political tab.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Ignorance reigns supreme or the art of "Tebowing?"

As I’ve stated many times, I love sports; football, hockey, racing and so on. And in this day and age of Multi-Media sources, sports can be found anywhere and everywhere. And like regular Media, Sports media will pound the viewer into submission with constant video reels of a particular athlete or game situation.

This all leads me to Denver Quarterback, Tim Tebow.

On Dec 7, FoxNews.com posted an article by Jen Engel titled “What If Tim Tebow Were a Muslim?” In this article Ms. Engel plays the Religious persecution card and I am tired of it, Christians are not being persecuted in the US because of their religion.


As Ms Engel states in her article, “Imagine for a second, the Denver Broncos quarterback is a devout follower of Islam, sincere and principled in his beliefs and thus bowed toward Mecca to celebrate touchdowns. Now imagine if Detroit Lions player Stephen Tulluch and Tony Scheffler mockingly bowed toward Mecca, too, after tackling him for a loss or scoring a touchdown, just like what happened in October. I know what would happen. All hell would break loose

Let’s correct a few things from that paragraph. First, Stephen Tulloch sacked Tebow, then placed a hand on Tebow’s back and performed “Tebowing,” which is an act of prayer in a kneeling position and after doing so Tulloch and Tebow laughed about the pose to which Tulloch even apologized.


Secondly, the actual “hell” to which she states would be from the Denver fans for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play was completed.

Another point that should be made, to which Ms. Engel forgets, is that acts of Christianity are the only religious acts performed in any American professional sport.

Many MLBers kiss a crucifix before stepping up to bat. Many NFLers make the sign of the cross before the next play. Boxers pray in their respected corners before the bell rings. Hell, NASCAR performs a prayer live on TV before the race, as seen on FOX, TBS, ABC and ESPN, without complaint.

When was the last time we saw a Jewish player wear a Kippah under his helmet instead of an Under Armor skull cap?

When’s the last time we saw a Hockey coach pull out a Voodoo Doll that resembled the other team’s goalie and hex him?

And what if Willie Mays Hays did get Cerano a live chicken in the movie Major League? Would Cleveland have won the fictional World Series? Cleveland still sucks in professional and fictional sports regardless.

We can blame ESPN and Pop Culture for the Tim Tebow hatred that is country-wide and not because of his religion.

Ever since Tim Tebow was drafted by Denver in 2010, the ESPN analysts have regurgitated the notion that “he will never be a #1 QB in the NFL. He doesn’t have the skills.” This notion goes to the style of offense Tebow captained at the University of Florida, a style of offense that has not seen a QB become successful in the NFL to date.

Yet let’s be clear, as he was at Florida, Tebow is a proven leader, players will follow him and help him succeed, for if he succeeds so will they. His success this year in Denver has been a team effort, not because Tebow has a divine light shown upon him.

Denver’s mediocre defense has pushed themselves to play well past their limit. The coaching staff has reconstructed the offensive playbook, simplified it so it’s easier for Tebow to learn. After all isn’t that the job of a coach, to teach to help succeed

Yet after scoring a touchdown, Tebow kneels down and prays for about 15-20 seconds and this is where the problem lies for many.

The 15-20 seconds of prayer is practically a delay of game penalty in football because Tebow does this in the field of play. Personally I hate all performances after a touchdown because it is buffoonery.

Players become overly excited and perform some ill designed routine after a touchdown too which, the referee may or may not throw a flag for delay of game and/or unsportsmanlike conduct. It’s the referee’s decision in doing so.

I couldn’t imagine NFL Referee Ed Hochuli throwing a flag for “Tebowing.” One could only imagine the hate mail sent to the NFL Office calling for the firing of Mr. Hochuli.

NFL Fans have witnessed enough touchdown stupidity from the likes of Terrell Owens and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson that in comparison “Tebowing” is calm, responsible and tame.

The act of “Tebowing” has become a national success or national fodder depending on your liking. Recently Olympian Lindsey Von performed a “Tebow” after winning her downhill run.


No one cares if Denver fans are buying Tebow jerseys and having “JESUS” embroiled on the back. It’s making the NFL loads of cash and able to sell those ugly orange uniforms that prior to Tim Tebow, only hunters were buying to wear in the woods for safety.


Imagine if people bought Ben Roethlisberger jerseys with “Rapist” embroiled across the back or Michael Vick jerseys with "Dog Killer?"

What does that say about our society?

Would we be talking about “Tebowing” if he were a Muslim or Wiccan or Jewish? And if he were, would some radical religious person be persecuting Tebow for indoctrinating our children to his religion?

What makes the whole Tim Tebow story an afterschool TV special for Fox News is the timing, its Christmas time.

Happy freakin’ Holidays to everyone!

It’s the time of year when, you guessed it, Fox News constantly reminds us of the fictional “War on Christmas” and how “Happy Holidays” is a slap in the face of Jesus. No, what’s a slap in the face of Jesus is the commercialism of his birth.

I don’t recall there being a Macy’s section in the New Testament or a midnight prayer at St. Joseph’s on the Mount with a Christmas hymn of “… oh come ye oh come ye to K-K-Mart.”

What we should be doing is teaching our children about the different religious customs concerning Christmas. How do our Jewish neighbors celebrate compared to our Christian neighbors? Is there anything common between the two? How about those of Muslim faith, how do they compare to another faith in custom?

Without understanding, ignorance reigns supreme!

No, instead Media would rather run stories on how Christians are being persecuted and made to tolerate hearing “Happy Holidays” from that bastard underpaid Wal-Mart greeter.

Ever think about how other religions feel about having to hear Bing Cosby or Harry Connick sing Christmas carols during the holiday in the office?
Personally, I like the Twisted Sister version of 12 Days of Christmas instead of Dominic the Donkey!!

“Sleigh bells ring (HIC), are you listening (HIC), the Guinness has run dry (BURP), time to get a new one. I’m spinning around, making my way, to ‘Tebow’ above the toilet, oh yeah”

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/12/07/what-if-tim-tebow-were-muslim/

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The Newt/Trump Bromance Endorsement; Go Get The Gimp!

The “Bromance” Endorsement

There’s a time during a campaign when a candidate looks to receive endorsements from various entities, such as another politician or a Media source. But in today’s world that’s not enough, it’s now a game of “who will or who won’t?” when it’s rumored an endorsement is coming.




Which brings us from this past weekend’s latest political “Bromance” between Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump. Once again, Trump knows how to put the spotlight on him and prove what a pompous ass he truly is.

With Herman Cain dropping out of the GOP Presidential campaign, Gingrich has been able to jump over Willard Mitt Romney in the polls to 1st place, outpacing Willard by 10 points in some polls! That’s pretty damn good, but alas it’s only December 2011, we’ve got a whole month before primaries begin.

But Cain’s announcement was stomp on by Trump’s arrogance and the Media’s love to follow him, as Trump spent the weekend in NYC with Gingrich in the most nightmarish of “Bromance” booty calls.

All the GOP candidates are vying for Trump’s endorsement, because, well as Trump puts it “I have a lot of people following me, because they love me and I’m rich.”

But why is Trump’s endorsement so newsworthy anyway?

After his foreplay last March of a possible Presidential run, people are flocking to him. Pop culture has overtaken the political landscape thanks to pathetic Media we tune into daily.

Since the 2008 campaign, the Media has drooled over Palin and Obama’s every move, leaving the National Enquirer (of all things in print) to be the leader in the John Edwards scandal that destroyed his political career.

Where were you on that one Hannity? You complained the Media didn’t vet Obama enough, yet you should be thanking the National Enquirer for doing the job on Edwards!

So now the Media has gone through their Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain media trysts and like a pack of junkies they run to Trump. Trump and the Media are making a mockery of the political process.

So Trump gets to moderate the Newsmax.com debate on the ION Channel. WTF is the ION Channel?

I don’t think I even get that channel through Verizon.Sounds more like a cable provider conspiracy for people to buy a channel they would never watch the other 364 days of the year. Kind of like the Current Channel, you know the Al Gore channel that made big news by hiring Keith Olbermann only to see his ratings drop each and every day after he debuted.

The whole political endorsement is a pathetic charade. Seriously, who cares if the New Hampshire Union Leader Newspaper endorsed Newt Gingrich the other week?

Will it increase their subscriptions? Probably not, because newspaper circulation has reduced tremendously every month because we’d rather read the news on our iPhone, iPad or desktop during our lunch break.

But for Gingrich to bend over for the Trump booty call of an endorsement only proves that once again Pop Culture thrives in how many Americans go about their lives.

If Snooki came out tomorrow and said “I really like Michelle Bachmann because, you know, she’s like a lady and, um, kinda’ smart and um OH LOOK SQUIRELL!” Most people will stake a Bachmann campaign poster in their front yard.

The political endorsement is a bigger joke. It has no meaning except that when the other candidates drop out, that they prove they are just a bunch of spineless goo. It’s both disturbing and disgusting.

They spend months, targeting the horrors of their opponents Economic and Foreign policies, only after dropping out to endorse the #1 candidate as the true leader the country needs, even after they spat so much venom against them!

So either they were lying about the #1 contender the whole time or lying about themselves, but to endorse afterwards is pathetic.

In 2008, John Edwards proved the kind of gutless turd he actually was. Edwards saw the writing on the wall and knew it was time to drop out and he had a decent legion of followers. Edwards called up the Obama campaign, offered his endorsement and his legion in return for the Attorney General position once Obama won. Obama balked at the notion and Edwards still gave Obama his endorsement.

Then there’s Mike Huckabee, former Governor now turned FOX Commentator. In 2008, Huckabee came from nowhere to become the #2 contender for the GOP hopefuls. Today, the Media wants to know whom he plans to endorse. Huckabee had a simple answer for them, “no one.”

Huckabee has the right idea, don’t endorse.

Trump was crying on Hannity’s radio show Monday afternoon that it’s unfair that if someone had a TV or Radio show, that they would have to give up their show if they wanted to run for office. Trump never mentioned he was talking about himself. NBC said “Trump can leave and we can find anyone to replace him on the Apprentice” back in March, which in turn Trump shut up about a possible run.

Apparently Trump is missing that fact that it’s the sponsors and advertisers that pay the bills and they are not paying for you or anyone else to get free airtime for a 3 hour radio campaign 5 days a week.




The fact of the Gingrich/Trump “Bromance” puts the Newsmax.com debate further into default, for favoritism will happen. Trump should be cut from the debate now because he cannot be taken serious to ask decisive questions.

Trump has already proven he can’t be taken serious for his attacks on both Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul, saying “they are not serious contenders to win the presidency anyway.”

Yet, Michelle Bachmann who practically answers every Economic and National Defense question with “repeal Obamacare and we’ll be solvent again” is a serious contender? Me thinks the aerosal hair spray can put a hole in Trump’s skull.

The political endorsement by either politician or Media is dead. This is not the 1950’s America anymore.

This is 2011 America, we need to put all the candidates in a house on the beach and let them compete weekly for our votes and then at the end, they all go into the basement where Trump sits in his favorite “Gimp” leather outfit to announce the next “Presidential Apprentice.”

Hey who put the ball-gag on my Guinness?! Pay your political tab

Friday, December 2, 2011

Newsmax offers Trump to spice up GOP debate, let the Idiocracy begin

Oh good gravy! Oh my gravy!

I need to send a huge “thank you” card to Newsmax for giving out an early Christmas comical offering with the announcement that their Dec 27 GOP sponsored debate will be moderated by non-other than Donald “Whore” Trump.




Somewhere Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert are screaming because the news came on a day when they don’t record their shows and will have to give this nugget to Bill Myer, Craig Ferguson and other late night talk show hosts to ridicule.

Although Newsmax missed out, if they truly wanted to ramp up the stupidity to Level 11, they could’ve added Richard Branson (Virgin), Mark Cuban (NBA Mavericks Owner), Snooki (Jersey Shore) and, um, I don’t know, maybe Vince McMahon (WWE) to the table as well.

Now that would be an awesome spectacle because not one single candidate would be able to answer one freakin’ question.

This is the biggest mockery to the American Political system, next Stephen Colbert’s attempt to be on the South Carolina presidential ballot in 2008 and Donald Trump’s “whore” Tour last March.

Top tier GOP candidate Newt Gingrich has complained during the gazillion debates we’ve had so far, that the Moderators and Media are trying to ply some game show mentality to the debates and yet now, they’ve finally done so.

So the question for the”Newtster” is “Will you decline the invite to the Dec 27 debate?” Because, well if he doesn’t, he looks more like the laughing cow costume on Let’s Make A Deal.

The one candidate that could use more airtime, Jon Huntsman, has already turned the invitation down.

Over the past week, Huntsman has been gaining in the polls, finally hitting double digits, but this is not a disastrous move for him. Huntsman is the only consistent Conservative amongst this bunch of has-been wanna-be’s candidates.

But Huntsman’s rise is only because the Media’s beloved Bachmann, Perry and Cain have nosedived in the last 4 months.

Soon Rick Santorum’s star will rise as well after the Iowa Caucus.

Yet Trump’s involvement is more joke than anything. Newsmax has given Trump full disclosure of the questions, that’s right Trump is running the show.

I expect many people to tune in, because about 30% of America is in love with the blowhole from New York. Trump, always one to give himself credit when none should be rewarded, will bring in ratings to this debate, only because we can expect lots of;

“I’m a successful businessman (never telling of the 3 bankruptcies between 1985 & 1997 of Trump Casino)… I’m worth millions… I know the Chinese personally… Yes, I destroyed the USFL in 1986… I have a (semi) successful TV show called Celebrity Apprentice that premieres on Feb 12, 2012… I have a great relation with the blacks… My clothing line is made in Myanmar sold through Macy’s… Did I say I was rich and have gold plated faucets on my Boeing 757… Elvis lives in my Penthouse… Willard Romney I have better hair than you… I own lots of golf courses... Did I tell you the Celebrity Apprentice premieres on Feb 12?”

America cannot take this serious for this is a mockery of the candidates to express their ideas of their possible Presidency.

Why not hire Drew Carey to do the lead in for the candidates? Might as well, you’ve already helped dumb-down America even more with the hiring of Trump, why not put a comedian up there as well.

How can the Republican Party actually think this is a good thing? Trump is a joke, he is a blowhard, and I cannot see Trump actually letting any one of the candidates give a complete answer for he enjoys listening to himself more than anyone in the room.

However, I do believe this is a vetting process for Trump as many of the candidates have been kissing Trump’s wrinkled ass looking to get his endorsement. So really Trump shouldn’t even be involved.

A better idea would to have former candidates like Mike Huckabee moderate, since he has more credibility than Trump.

Or better yet, why not hire political commentators like Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity to moderate? At least that would be interesting to have someone from the Far Left and Far Right press the candidates for clarity.

The one thing missing that would make this even worse would be to have Trump sit in front of the candidates on a gold red velvet throne with a large trap door lever next to him. If he doesn’t like an answer, he pulls the lever and the candidate drops below the stage.

Then again, NBC is bringing back Fear Factor. That would be a great way to vet the GOP candidates with Joe Rogan saying "Let’s see who survives water-boarding to move on to the next round when we put you balls in the mechanical vice."

Thank you Newsmax! You’ve actually turned the American Political system into a live version of the movie Idiocracy.




At last, the Guinness has run dry. Pay your political tab or ask Herman Cain for monetary help, at least you might feel some love from Herman.