It begins with doubt and it ends with?

It's too easy to pick apart bad plans, so I will do my best to avoid talking about Obama today.

Instead, I'm going to switch gears a bit and try to help some of you see that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel we appear to be traversing right now.

Some say that there is significant economic evidence that the Great Depression might have been avoided but for the "panic" that swept over the country (and the world) after the 1929 stock market crash. According to them, what should have been no more than a deep recession altered our world forever because of the prevailing "thoughts of doubt and fear."

Frankly, it's pretty difficult to not be afraid when you see runs on the banks and can't even get to the money -- your money -- that you worked so hard for with your own blood, sweat and tears.

Today, the FDIC "insurance" in place at most banks and many credit unions means you should be able to reach some (if not all) of your money.

I'm not going to go into why that might not mean much in about 2 to 4 years time. I'll leave that to another post.

Instead, I want to share the emotional process that can drag you under the wheels of that eighteen-wheeler bearing down on you called fear... because once you understand the process, you understand how to stop it.

• It begins with a thought of doubt,


• which causes an emotion of fear,


• which manifests itself physically as anxiety.

Anxiety robs us of our power, our energy and our purpose. Severe anxiety can even undermine our health.

And it's all brought on by a thought of doubt.

Now, I'm not going to tell you not to doubt the things you believe have this country heading in the wrong direction. Don't lie to yourself.

What I am going to tell you is simply this -- BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

A little secret here -- two things can erase fear:
1. Love, and
2. Faith

I'm going to focus on Faith.

Author and personal coaching expert, Vic Johnson once said this on the subject of faith:

Fear and Faith are directly opposite views of the future and they cannot co-exist. My Faith is in a Creator who has given me dominion over all things. Your Faith may be elsewhere, but know this: Faith and fear cannot be present at the same time.

Keep your Faith close to your heart. BELIEVE in YOURSELF! You have inner resources that you might not even realize exist.

You can't control a slot machine. You can't control the stock markets. You can't control what your Government is doing.

But you can control how you think... and you can control how you feel.

Keep the Faith. Believe in yourself.

When you feel like your world is crashing down around you and that you are crashing down with it... believe in yourself... have faith, and get back up. Take a few minutes now to watch this short video and share it with someone you care about today...

BO Health in the Midst of an Urgent Crisis

No more excuses with wailing violins playing in the background.

It's getting rather pathetic, don't you think?

Seems I'm not alone in thinking Obama needs to "$h*+ or get off the pot."

President Clinton discovered during his first term that The Bond Market in fact controlled his agenda, not the other way around. He was forced to abandon his audacious health care agenda when the bond market threw up all over it.

President Obama is in a much more precarious situation, in that this is not just about whether he can execute his agenda or not - it is about whether we will have an economy (and likely a republic) left in another year or so, and if he does not pull the cotton out of his ears in the very near future the answer will be "no", as we are approaching a point where we will suffer enough damage to the capital markets that a replay[sic] of at least the 1930s - if not the 1870s - will become inevitable.

Be warned Mr. President - we are on the precipice of a tipping point from which you and our economy cannot recover for a decade or more, if at all.

Protecting those who have stolen the wealth of millions of Americans, along with their homes and jobs, is going to become singularly unpopular in very short order.

Yes, George W. Bush was responsible (along with President Clinton before him and the Congress over the last 20 years) for the economic and market conditions that got us here. I've said that repeatedly.

You, however, are personally responsible for refusing to address the issues and continuing to foment and cause what is now turning into an all out economic and market collapse. [link]

We all know he "did a little blow" in his younger days. Kinda makes you think there might be more than a few brain cells fried in that head of his as he continues to ignore the obvious while pushing forward with his health agenda.

Speaking of the dumb, errrr (clears throat) Dem health agenda...

Being legally immigrated here from Canada moving here after marrying the man I love, I'm sitting here scratching my head every time I hear the misinformation being spread about how the Canadian health care system really works.

Like, for example, where in the world did you get the idea that it is run by the Canadian Federal government?!?

Google "OHIP" ...even wikipedia has better info on how it works than most of what you are hearing in the media and from your Federal Government. (Although, since wiki can be changed often by almost any source... who knows if it's still accurate since I last read their page 2 hours ago.)

My point is this -- the province of Ontario runs its own health care plan -- NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. And it is funded by the residents AND businesses AND (small by comparison) transfer payments from the Federal Government.

They are quite explicit as to what the "emergency and preventative" health plan covers (practically all necessary medical attention -- as determined necessary by your doctor, not the government) and what it does NOT cover (like cosmetic surgery such as face lifts, breast enhancements, and the like, ok?) ...and for what it doesn't cover, there are very affordable supplemental insurance plans (like for chiropractic care, eye care, dental, prescription drugs, etc.).

I really get a kick out of all those American media types saying -- "Oh, but you have to go to a participating doctor."

Think about how stupid that sounds.

Really...

Think about it.

I mean it.

Seriously....

Now, I ask you, what doctor in his or her right mind running a clinic and/or working in a hospital in the province of Ontario would choose to NOT participate?

How much business do you think...

Never mind. I'm guessing you know where that question was going, anyway, right?

Sheesh. Stupid stupid stupid reporting, is all I can say.

Then I look at what Obama is trying to do here in America, and I'm ready to vomit. Man oh man oh man... your health care system could become totally trashed if some of his idealism makes it into application.

I already knew he didn't have a clue about business.

It shows -- bright and clear.

Now I'm getting to see how pathetic his (or is it his advisers??) knowledge is with respect to health care.

You wanna start somewhere?

Here's your first step -- CLEAN UP THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY FIRST.

They are the entities currently dictating how long you can stay in a hospital room before you get the boot, regardless of whether or not your pneumonia is healed.

They are the group deciding how long you should be allowed to remain on life support -- and yes, age plays a factor.

If you're over the age of 75 here in the great U S of A, I believe it's around 4 days before your doctor will come up to your family and tell them maybe it's time to pull the plug. I personally know of at least 5 senior citizens here in our region who are scared to death to land in the hospital on any kind of life support -- be it a ventilator, kidney machine or other -- just in case they reach that 4-day time limit ...and possibly get euthanized against their will.

I could be wrong. Maybe the age is lower than 75.

The point is this, the health insurance companies are also the group currently charging hundreds of thousands of dollars to doctors, clinics, etc. for malpractice insurance.

Ask any doctor... any clinic... how much they pay for this INSURANCE.

Before you can make any progress forward with respect to any kind of government health care system in this country -- YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST clean up the health insurance industry.

And another thing.

Health care in Canada is PROVINCIALLY run, and only federally assisted through transfer payments from the federal coffers. Minimum standards are set... naturally. And you have to go through some pretty rigorous education and training before you can practice medicine.

But the care -- and treatment -- is between doctor and patient.

Not dictated by Government.
Not dictated by insurance companies.

How it's paid? Like I said, there are some things not covered under your provincially run health care plan. (see above again) I checked my husband's health plan and notice the similarities.

The waiting list for non-essential surgeries can be quite long. (Just as the same can be said for here in the USA.)

But the KEY WORD is NON-ESSENTIAL.

And, as here, the waiting list for transplants can be long because, just as it can be here, donors can be in short supply.

Now, you might be thinking there is no competition in the health care system, right?

Heh, heh, heh...

Here's a test for you. Search "cancer clinics Canada" in google and see how many results you get. And don't forget how much smaller the population is up there compared with here.

But, back to the INSURANCE issue.

Down here in the USA, insurance companies make out like bandits. They have all kinds of different insurances for the clinics, the hospitals, the doctors, the nurses, etc. (malpractice just being one of them) ...and then they also rake it in from group policies by unions clear across the country ...and they also rake it in from private individuals.

So, they take a HUGE chunk of change from both sides of the industry: the providers and the patients.

And would you look at those "deductables" inching ever higher and higher.

And how much does insurance cover versus how much you have to take out of your own pocket for, say, having a baby down here in the USA?

If I do a straight comparison, preventative health care is FAR BETTER in Canada than in the USA, but I'm sure there are plenty who would disagree with me on that. Go ahead. You won't change my mind. I've lived and seen the difference.

When Obama rolls out the full details of his so-called "nationalized" health care plan, take a really close look at who stands to make some really big bucks off the entire deal -- and who stands to lose.

Where will all the money go?

I'm not going to mention names here. This post is already too long for a Friday post.

But when it comes to dopes of all kinds, I'm scratching my head wondering just how long BO "did a little blow" during his school years.

And I'm wondering what percentage of the population has done the same in this country if they haven't figured any of this out yet.

One thing is for certain, there are a heck of a lot of us who HAVE figured out that BO isn't all that great at prioritizing.

And if he doesn't get his priorities straight -- and FAST -- health care of any kind is going to take a backseat. Most people will be more concerned about putting food on the table.

Did Obama Give China USA Collateral?

Back on Feb. 11, 2009, there was a brief Bloomberg news story published which emphasized the growing discontent China has been feeling with respect to buying USA Treasuries so we can fund our ballooning debt.

Read: "China Needs U.S. Guarantees for Treasuries, Yu Says"

Indeed, the discontent from China against the USA has been growing since the global economic meltdown first began, and made worse by careless comments tossed out by Geithner.

Read about China's REAL reaction, as reported by the UK Telegraph regarding Geithner's comments:

Turning a corner in the labyrinthine corridors of the Davos nerve-centre, I ran smack into Chinese premier Wen Jiabao - followed by a regiment of retainers and senior offices in full regalia...

...Mr Jiabao smiled at me benignly, but he is not in a good mood. Indeed, he is fuming over the remarks by US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner that China was "manipulating" its currency to gain market share. Reports were circulating this afternoon in Davos that Mr Jiabao erupted into a tirade after lunch at the mere mention of Mr Geithner's name.

Mr Geithner - the first US Treasury chief who can actually speak Chinese, and Japanese, nota bene - is clearly operating under instructions from President Barack Obama. If his resolve fails, Hillary Clinton is there at Foggy Bottom (State Department) to renew the broadside against Beijing - at least judging by her Sinophobe reflexes in the campaign. [link]

So, it probably isn't much of a surprise that Hillary Clinton's first mission in her new appointment by Obama as Secretary of State would be a quick trip to China and other parts of Asia.

The real surprise now, after Obama's Secretary completes her visit, is the new tone with respect to continued purchase of USA Treasuries by China. Watch the video through this link and pay close attention to what is said near the end of the interview: Li Wei Says China to Likely Keep Buying U.S. Treasuries

Now the BIG question -- Did Obama give China some kind of USA collateral in order to change the tone?

There is a rumor flying around the blogosphere referring to "eminent domain" that has alarmists freaking out right now.

On a personal note...

We know one farmer's son who got shoved off his farm (a farm that had been in the family for years) because he complained too much about a certain shooting range that was parked practically on his doorstep by the State Government. It's a traumatic example how the Government can use eminent domain like a knife, slicing into the heartland whenever it pleases in the name of their idea of "the common good" ...and there are several more such heartbreaking stories across this nation.

But would the Federal Government actually mortgage our future in order to bankroll it's pork stuffed spending sprees?

There are some in California who think it's already happening. Check out this video to learn more about what is happening there.

Could this be why the number of States has risen from 4 to 8 (with a possible 20 more to follow soon) who are making moves to reclaim sovereignty based on the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution?

Read: Lawmakers in 20 states move to reclaim sovereignty
Obama's $1 trillion deficit-spending 'stimulus plan' seen as last straw

What's up, America? Why are so many States now scrambling to "protect themselves" from their Federal Government?

If it hasn't got you scratching your head, it should.

But here's another little tidbit that hasn't yet made a splash in the mainstream media.

While Obama plans to bloat the Federal Government payroll with his so-called Stimulus and trim back what he considers "unnecessary military spending" ...China has far different plans with their latest stimulus announcement.

Read: China Plans to Boost 2009 Military Spending by 14.9%

The REAL stimulus will not be coming from Governments, however...

Another Bloomberg news story declares today that, "Cheap Oil Beats Obama as Economic Stimulus: Chart of the Day"

March 4 (Bloomberg) -- The cheapest oil in five years, a sign of the global recession, may deliver the biggest boost in purchasing power since at least 1980, Longview Economics said.

The CHART OF THE DAY shows oil spending will be about 2 percent of worldwide gross domestic production in 2009, down from 4.9 percent in 2008, Longview Chief Executive Officer Chris Watling said in March 2 report. Assuming an average price of $41.90 this year, the world is poised to save $1.72 trillion on oil compared with last year, Watling estimates.

“It’s a savings which is approximately three times larger than the entire announced 2009 fiscal stimulus of China and the western economies combined,” Watling said. “The savings from the fall in the price of oil will go straight into consumers’ and businesses’ pockets, will not be impeded by bureaucracy and will happen, unlike parts of the fiscal stimulus, which are likely to be delayed.” [link]

Unfortunately for us here in the USA, Obama's energy policies will make darn sure we don't get a chance to enjoy the low-priced-energy-stimulus that the rest of the world will be taking advantage of in the months (and years?) to come.

In fact, here in Indiana, Obama's attack on the coal industry is about to be a heavy punch to the pocket book when electricity prices skyrocket as the new cap and trade clamps down on all of us.

Our new solar panels will be ordered in May.

When are you ordering yours?

Who is Winning Obama's War?

Clayton Makepeace, one of the few brilliant copywriters I know whom has the courage to step up and tell you exactly what is on his mind, asks this important question:

What will you say when your kids or grandkids ask, "What did YOU do to fight back when Obama destroyed my chance for a prosperous life?" [link]

Now that Obama has made himself quite clear, declaring class warfare on the nation he now governs, and is working so hard to rebuild this country in his own image... I'm sitting here, sipping my third cold cup of coffee for the day (after working non-stop since 6:30 a.m. today) and watching the DOW tank.

And I ponder this...
Who is winning Obama's war?

Just so you know, I predicted the DOW would be bopped if BO became P. I saw this coming from his campaign trail, and I can pretty much predict where it's going next.

I remember telling a friend of mine to "get out of stocks" immediately after the election results were announced. He listened. Saved a small fortune.

I told him this is what was going to happen...

The DOW would fall to between 6500 to 6200. Then there will be a brief rally. Everyone will think we've finally hit the bottom. And it will look like everything is finally shoring up, that the crisis is over.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Dems crowing, hootin' and hollarin' that they fixed everything... that it will be because of the massive amounts of money they've thrown at the problems. They'll be strutting about, gleefully exclaiming, "I told you so."

That's when the "stupid money" will start pouring in.

The rally will be brief.

It will be a relief to millions of people.

But it will be short-lived.

Then everything will fall off a cliff. It will slide to about 3800, plus or minus a few hundred.

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an investment adviser. I am NOT a tax advisor. Everything in this post is simply my personal and humble opinion/analysis. If you want investment advice and/or tax advice, talk to a professional, if you can find one you trust.

With that said, back to what Clayton asked (see above), here are a few things you can do.

1. Tell Obama’s handlers exactly what you think at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

2. Get your senator's e-mail and let him/her know what you think, to:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

3. And finally, share your opinions with Pelosi and your personal representative by going to:
http://www.house.gov/

HOW ABOUT THAT "STIMULUS?"

And on a final note, to all of you out there thinking you're going to get a super tax break on your paychecks soon thanks to Obama, I got this from a tax expert I trust. Here's the "breakdown" on the so-called stimulus...

If you are a W-2 employee who receives a paycheck that is subject to withholding, you will receive your 'stimulus' in your paychecks -- your employer should begin withholding 6.25% less beginning from your salary on or about April 1, 2009.

Your tax credit will be calculated at a rate of 6.25% of earned income, but it will "phase out" if your adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 (and it's dead-gone if your income is $95,000) and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly (unless you're combined income is over $190,000 - then you're S.O.L.).

Don't expect to get too stimulated. 6.25% means a pay raise of only $62.50 (about 2 bucks a day) per $1,000 in wages. Once those little increases add up to $400 for an individual (or $800 for married couple), it's back to the former wage level.

Taxpayers who do not have taxes withheld by an employer during the year can claim the credit on their 2009 tax return.

Happy Square Root Day!
(3x3=9 03-03-09)

How to Raise $3.94 Trillion

When you hear about the new Obama Budget that hit the wires today which forecasts record outlays for the current fiscal year of $3.94 trillion (up 32 percent from a year ago)... don't think it stops there.

The Obama administration also plans to spend $3.55 trillion in fiscal 2010, beginning Oct. 1 thru Sept. 30/10, with the deficit narrowing to $1.17 trillion (down from this year's record deficit expected to be at $1.75 trillion with this new budget).

“While we must add to our deficits in the short term to provide immediate relief to families and get our economy moving, it is only by restoring fiscal discipline over the long run that we can produce sustained growth and shared prosperity,” Obama said today before the budget was released. [link]

Now then, how do you raise that kind of money?

Taxes - no surprise there - seems to be their BIGGEST push. And, as many predicted, it isn't only the rich he's going after...

The budget proposes to raise taxes on couples earning more than $250,000 a year, generating $636 billion over the next decade. To do so, Obama proposes raising the top two marginal income tax rates to 39.6 percent and 36 percent, limiting itemized tax deductions and increasing taxes on capital gains to 20 percent from the current 15 percent.

Keep that little 5 percent capital gains increase in mind, folks.

Think it's hitting just the rich?

If you answered yes, then you need a wee bit more schooling in the arts of economics.

When the breadlines lengthen as more and more jobs disappear with this move, you'll probably see our B.O.B. leaders exclaim, "...we-ell, that's part of the 30% we told you would probably fail."

Keep in mind, this is just the FEDERAL budget.

Who knows what kind of tax increases you can expect in a trickle-down effect that will hit you at the State and local levels in what I believe will soon become the biggest tax grabs in the history of this nation's independence.

Before you start nicknaming me "Chicken Little" here's a little Bar Stool Economics I've been saving for all of you.

You may have seen this before, but even so, it is worth a revisit as we struggle to survive the Obama years...

Bar Stool Economics

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

“Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.” Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes, so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men – the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his “fair share”?

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink their beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before and the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that's right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!”

“That's true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University of Georgia
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

Another American Tea Party

Is there a New American Tea Party coming to a city near you?

After Press Secretary Gibbs shot down CNBC'S Rick Santelli's rant from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange trading floor last Thursday, the rant flew round the world hitting major news outlets over this past weekend.

If you missed it on SquawkBox, here you go:



It seems that Santelli's rant has struck a nerve with certain politicians, and surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) hit home with many taxpayers here at home. Tea Party websites have been springing up all over the place, and from the expected (and the most unexpected) sources.

TCOP (Top Conservatives on Twitter) are coordinating simultaneous nationwide rallies and demonstrations for this Friday at noon ET in Chicago, Washington D.C., Fayetteville, N.C., Pittsburgh, Penn., San Diego, Calif., Fort Worth, Texas, Tulsa, Okla., Oklahoma City, Orlando, Fla., Omaha, Neb., Atlanta, Ga., and elsewhere in Missouri. More cities are joining in every day. [link to source]

I like the way the Orlando Tea Party website summed up the bailout protest being held in their area on March 21, 2009:

This will be a peaceful rally to unite our voices and express the love that we have for our great nation and the principles it was founded on. We want to make our politicians hear loud and clear that we are tired of the bailouts, the wasteful Washington spending and the push towards the socialization of this country! We want less government! We want to decide where our hard earned money goes instead of the elitist politicians in Washington taking it and using it to buy votes, doling it out to special interest groups and pork barrel projects! We want our constitutional rights preserved and protected, not trampled on! [link]

For a swelling list of cities, activities and more you can check out the TCOT Report through this link.

The Other Side of the Fence -- The Grass is Always Greener?
Just what are they smoking over there?

If you missed the Gibbs response to Santelli's rant, you can see it on YouTube through this link.

I found it amusing to watch Gibbs hold up the few sheets of paper (about 4 or 5 pages?) and wave it around as if it was to suggest the Bill/Plan was so simple. It probably is less convoluted than the 1,073-page Stimulack Bill for $789.5 billion (which some analysts have now calculated it actually adds up to more than $3.27 Trillion when all is said and done).

I guess it's a "save-the-trees" thing for bailouts now, because the draft for this foreclosure/housing/or-whatever-u-call-it (worth a mere $275 billion they say -- really?) bailout is actually available in pdf form, too... unlike the Big Bomb Obama signed and tossed at us taxpayers last week.

After watching the above Gibbs response clip, you might be curious... "Well, what is this plan that looks no bigger than about 4 or 5 pages?"

As Gibbs said, you can download it online from the White House website:
- link to Q & A
- link to "examples" sheet

Oh -- that's not the Bill you say?

Yeah... I couldn't find it either.

But the Q&A says it will be there around March 4... after it's signed.

Maybe a draft version is available (or will be after I post this). If you find it, feel free to post a link to it here in the comments.

So, I'm settling back, getting ready to watch Obama's first address to Congress and wondering;
- how many times will he say the word crisis?
- how many times will he say he/they won?
- how many times will he use the word necessary and/or need?
- and will he yet again say that the majority of the American public voted for all of this?

I've taken NLP courses. He's pretty good at it. I'm really curious to see how much of it he applies to his speech tonight.

Part of me feels sorry for him. Really.

Part of me is just plain disappointed in him.

Will he pound another nail in our financial economy -- the cross we all bear now -- or will he attempt to raise some spirits tonight?

I wonder...

Exposing Secrets in the Stimulack

I don't want to be an alarmist, but it's pretty hard not to be alarmed when you find the RATS they snuck into the Stimulus Spending Bill.

Beginning with the RAT Board...

When Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, a longtime champion of inspectors general, read the words “conduct or refrain from conducting,” alarm bells went off. The language means that the board — whose chairman will be appointed by the president — can reach deep inside a federal agency and tell an inspector general to lay off some particularly sensitive subject. Or, conversely, it can tell the inspector general to go after a tempting political target. [link]

Thanks to Lou (from Canada) for forwarding this article to me. I had no idea the language was snuck into this Bill. It's unfortunate that not a single Senator had time to read through the entire Bill before voting on it.

And today, BO announced Biden will be overseeing the Bill.

Is anyone else out there alarmed by all of this?

Nancy Pelosi - The Most Hated Woman in America?

About The Soon-To-Be Most Hated Woman in America

When the Obama Stimulus joke fails, Nancy Pelosi, also known as Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi, current Speaker of the House, the San Francisco democrat representing California's 8th District, will then officially become the Most Hated Woman in America.

Nancy Pelosi and husband Paul (see Washington Times EXCLUSIVE: Pelosi paid husband with PAC funds - October 1, 2008) have five children, Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul, and Alexandra. Nancy was a stay-at-home mother, beginning political volunteer work when her youngest began school and elected to Congress when her youngest was a senior in high school.

In case you weren't aware, Ms. Nancy Pelosi has been working on the title of "Most Hated Woman in America" for quite some time, in many parts of the globe. And her success at being "most hated" both in and out of the beltway has been duly noted by many, as this trip down memory lane might well reveal:

Nancy Pelosi: The worst Speaker in History (October 02, 2008 - American Thinker)

Here is how she handled the most crucial vote of her term, one that will definitely go into the books and one that may well serve as a benchmark for her speakership:

• She delayed the process in the hope of stampeding the GOP into voting her way.
  
• She allowed her cronies to stuff the thing full of every variety of pork imaginable.
  
• She attempted to stick in a provision handing over 2 billion to ACORN, a crypto-revolutionary nut cult.
  
• She announced the bill publicly in the tones of a Caesar proclaiming victory over the Gauls. (Making Steny Hoyer and Barney Frank look like complete idiots in the process -- no great accomplishment there, granted.)
  
• She used the vote itself as an opportunity to insult and inflame the opposition. (Which she was depending on to vote it through.)
  
• And then she had it blow up in her face the first thing Monday, voted down by the members of her own party.

Nancy Pelosi History | A Pattern of Self Interest and Failed Leadership (from the website "Impeach Nancy Pelosi")

Nancy Pelosi wasted no time promoting her ego. Immediately following the commencement ceremony as the new speaker of the house, the California Congresswoman declared herself "the most powerful woman in America" according to a report from the Washington Times. A related article in the Times, went on to describe how Pelosi was quite full of herself at an event titled a "women's tea." "All right, let's hear it for the power," she screamed as the jubilant applause continued.

Pelosi’s Pork Ladden Congress: A Culture of Deception (Dec 19, 2007 - The Conservative Post)

When the liberal Democrats won control of the House and Senate in 2006, Bug-eyes (aka Nancy Pelosi) promised the most ethical Congress ever.... One year later, and liberal Democrats are about as far from those predictions as they can possibly get. Under Bug-eyes leadership, the Democrats have gotten essentially nothing done. They have essentially wasted the taxpayer’s dollars all year long, attempting to hijack the role of Commander and Chief, while they tried their hardest to lose the war on terror.

The libs have been grossly derelict in their responsibility to pass 13 different funding bills to ensure the government continues to function in 2008, and they have held hostage desperately needed funding for our troops fighting al Qaeda overseas.

So it comes as no surprise, as the deadline for shutting down the government looms, that the do-nothing-but-harm Pelosi congress rammed through a massive 3,500 page omnibus funding bill that contains at least 8,000 earmarks… 8,000 earmarks that Pelosi, in all of her post election hubris, vowed would never come back. Put another way, Pelosi’s most ethical congress nearly quadrupled the wasteful spending earmarks over 2007.

What is Nancy Pelosi really up to? (China/People's Daily Online - April 14, 2008)

Ms. Nancy Pelosi seems to object to whatever China does. This time, China is greeting the incoming grand event of the Beijing Olympic Games with an enthusiastic, nationwide attention, and the country is striving to run an Olympics with the highest national standards required to show achievements of the three-decade reform and opening-up that was launched in the late 1970s, and the entirely-new concepts on international cooperation and a shared glory. But the US House speaker seems quite resentful of this.

This US House Speaker reproached (the IOCC) for having given China the chance to host the Olympic Games. In her view, China still has a lot of drawbacks, so the country is not entitled to host the Olympics. But Speaker Pelosi did not think that the hosting of Beijing Olympic games represents not only the affirmation of the international community on China's three-decade reform and opening up, but also the legitimate rights and interests for a big nation with one fifth of the global population in a century since the birth of Olympic Games.

And there are many more:

• Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Lori Blast Pelosi's deception
  
• Nancy Pelosi quote - is she nuts?
  
• Speaker Pelosi - $5.6 Trillion Surplus Political Deception Explained
  
• Paul Pelosi, Jr., the fresh green prince of San Francisco
  

There are more. I tried my best to pick the "lighter" language items; a difficult job when researching her.

It's not surprising BO dances and jumps to what Pelosi dictates, if you know anything about the "Pelosi 100" that many say helped him get where he is now:
The Money Trail: Putting on the Ritz, VIP Treatment for Big Money Democrats (Aug. 27, 2008 ABC News)

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) created the "Pelosi 100" for people "who contribute and raise $100,000 in personal funds," according to documents obtained by ABC...

Federal election laws permit individuals to contribute a maximum of $2,300 per candidate but contributors say the Democrats show how to work around the limit.

"They present us an entire menu and it can involve a million dollars or more spread around various candidates and committees around the country," said one wealthy lawyer who did not want his name used for fear he would be cut off from the VIP program.

In case you also didn't know, Nancy Pelosi's father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., was a Roosevelt Democrat and three-term mayor of Baltimore, the first Italian American to hold that office.

It comes as no surprise then, that the so-called Stimulus Plan Pelosi and her cronies crafted, and then crammed through Congress, runs so parallel to the Roosevelt "New Deal" that most historians agree lengthened and deepened the Great Depression here in the USA.

As economist Henry Hazlitt wrote back in 1946, New Deal programs prevented the creation of the types of jobs which have the multiplier effect of successful businesses. Creating "work" prevented innovation and new jobs that would create other jobs. [link]

The Parallels Between BO and FDR

Believing that government played a key role in restarting growth, FDR, within his first 100 days as president, created an alphabet soup of new agencies that mandated actions or controlled public spending and impacted private capital flow within the U.S. economy. (The parallels between BO and FDR don't end there. Click here for more.)

Like FDR, both BO and Pelosi seem to truly believe they are doing the right thing with this so-called Stimulus Bill (or Recovery Bill, or Relief Bill, or whatever other sugar-coated name they wish to call it in the months ahead).

The truly frightening aspect in this case is that, while both believe they are doing what is best for this country, this time we happen to already be under a mountain of debt... unlike when FDR first stepped into office.

We don't have the luxury of being debt-free this time around.

If we end up with near 25% unemployment by the end of this year (BO's first year in office) like in FDR's first year -- get ready for something far worse than a mere repeat of the Great Depression.

If there is one thing you can draw from history, a lesson not learned is doomed to be repeated... and the more often the lessons need to be repeated, the harder the lessons become.

Mark my words, we all will be shaking in our boots if that 25% unemployment figure draws too close from this point forward.

And I truly believe it will... and that breaks my heart because I care so very very much for this beautiful, awesome country. I hate seeing it brought to its knees from within. When we lose our triple AAA rating... *shudder* ...I can't even...

Note -- I said when -- not if...

When the USA was Under Dictatorship Rule

I'm wondering if the NRA membership drive will roll out next.

No, I'm not talking about the National Rifle Association. I'm talking about Roosevelt's preposterous National Industrial Recovery Act (NRA) that buried the USA, preventing a vast majority of the country's businesses from being anywhere near competitive in markets, and which included exemptions for price-fixing (antitrust laws).

Touted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as "the most important and far-reaching ever enacted by the American Congress," the National (Industrial) Recovery Act (NRA) was passed by Congress on June 16, 1933. That New Deal law was designed to promote recovery and reform, encourage collective bargaining for unions, set up maximum work hours (and sometimes prices) and minimum wages, and forbid child labor in industry.

For a short time, Title I of the famous NRA prescribed the drafting and establishment of a code system of fair competition for every sort of industry. Those codes had the force of law and were exempt from antitrust provisions. [link]

Companies that refused to sign on could not buy nor sell their wares and services to the Government. (Hmmmmm... sounding like the salary cap thing buried somewhere after page 800 in the Stimulus Bill?)

Since it appears that our new "wet behind the ears" President BO, takes his cue from Pelosi's group, handing financial powers in the Trillions of dollars to them while claiming to foster bipartisanship through his other hand, those who voted for him are about to see how CHANGE can go horrendously wrong when leaders care more about themselves and their own ideals, image and adulation, than they do about their Country and the people whom they serve.

Why should BO care?

BO will still get his entitlements, as will Pelosi, long after they are gone from the beltway.

The real question remaining is, will BO earn himself the title of "The Most Hated Man In America" by the time he is done with us all?

He's managed to earn that title within certain groups already when he carelessly commanded that the bombing of the USA Cole trials be stopped.

He further angered sectors of the public with his "I won" rhetoric... although I'm guessing, many of those sectors already harbored a certain amount of dislike toward him. Since gaining office, he seems to go out of his way on more than 4 occasions to jab at them, insult them and poke fun of them whenever he gets a photo op chance. And he calls that bipartisanship... drawing the country together... WTF? Is he trying to guilt them into agreeing with him? If he is, then his messiah complex runs far deeper than even he realizes.

It's too late to do anything now. BO will sign the Bill. All the rest of us can do now is duck and run for cover. Save your cash. Save all you can. You're oh so going to need it.

I predict the DOW will fall to about 6500 points before making a brief rally that will appear like we're in recovery, before it slides off a cliff crashing down to about 4800... possibly even as low as 3800.

If you think a small percentage of the population needs help now, just wait until you see how many will be needing a rescue about 6 to 9 years from now -- if we make it that far as a country.

For the record, I am NOT, nor will I ever be a registered Republican.

And no, I am NOT, nor will I ever be a registered Democrat.

An Angry Mop

For regular readers of this blog, you might recall the little sing-song phrase our son came up with a few short years ago after attending (with us) a BZA meeting that, in my humble opinion, carelessly trampled on the rights of citizens throughout this area.

He (our son) was only 3 yrs. old at the time.

In a sweet child-like voice, he sat at his computer singing over and over:

"An angry mop! An angry mop! An angry mop!"

You see, he had overheard the phrase "an angry mob" at the meeting and with childlike innocence and glee, converted the phrase into a cartoon that stuck in his head... creating the small song that has lingered in my mind ever since.

I bring it up today because I'm thinking that's what we may need soon...

It will take "an angry mop" to clean up the mess.

You see, few taxpayers realize the full extent of the pledges our Government has made to supposedly fix the financial system and jump start the economy. We hear numbers like $1 or $2 Trillion here, $838 Billion there. What's the tally, really?

According to a recent Bloomberg story: We're on the hook for $9.7 trillion!

And that's before Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's vague plan for the remaining TARP funds and new TALF plan.

To give you some idea of what $9.7 Trillion could do:

The $9.7 trillion in pledges would be enough to send a $1,430 check to every man, woman and child alive in the world. It's 13 times what the U.S. has spent so far on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Congressional Budget Office data, and is almost enough to pay off every home mortgage loan in the U.S., calculated at $10.5 trillion by the Federal Reserve. [link]

Think about it.

Seriously.

Just think about it for a minute.

Now...

You and I both know what happens when you use your credit card too much, or you need to borrow funds to pay for that emergency that came out of the blue, or...

We can't keep robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Eventually, even friends and family can't help.

Sooner or later, we have to pay for it.

The payment for this latest Stimulus Spending Bill will begin in approximately 10 years -- long after the current administration is gone. In addition, the deficits it creates during its term(s?) will be added to the balance. They have this endless pot (pit?) to pull from and don't really have to worry about paying for any of it.

Because, as they've reminded us several times over the past several weeks, they won.

"We won." the President says.

"We won." Pelosi says.

"We won." Several other Dems and their PR reps gleefully exclaim.

"We won." Millions of voters cried out with tears streaming down their faces.

Who lost?

The Republicans?

Get a grip, people.

For those of you getting your water from the watershed below Mattoon, Illinois... in about 30 years or less, you might have acid running through your pipes and into your homes thanks to this new Bill that shovels $2 Billion into that particular project that I've already called to your attention.

You don't want to listen? Then it's your problem.

It's not gonna happen?

Yeah. Okay... Guess you don't recall the small vibrations felt throughout the State after the teeny earthquake of late. Some of us discovered the fault line running through this region... and we care -- a lot -- about what could happen 1.3 miles underground.

Some don't care.

That's what makes those of us who really do care so frustrated, and yes, even angry.

Reminds me of another song.

"We didn't start the fire."

But, when the time comes, we're all going to be working really hard to put it out.

Maybe we shouldn't care, either?

Maybe we should just step right up and take a sip of that thar' koolaide y'all bin drinkin' lately.

Senator Schumer says the American people don't care about the pork built into the Bill.

I'd hate to make a man like that right.

So I guess this little work at home mom will just have to stand by, ready and waiting, with her mop.

Because there's going to be one hellacious mess to clean up.

Change you can really believe in.

Most Governments would like us to believe that they are the answer to world peace (and everything else?).

It's not our Governments that will make this possible some day.

This wonderful video, shot on location around the world with singers/musicians performing the very same song -- then carefully edited together -- paints the picture that can, and some day will, change the world.



You see, the truth is...

It's you.

It's me.

It's all of us.

That's the only change you can really believe in.

Have a super week ahead.

PS: Don't let them sell out our childrens' future.