I am a: Glock Model 22 in 40 cal

What kind of handgun are YOU?

What do you make of this crap?

Before becoming Mr. Obama’s top economic adviser, Lawrence H. Summers liked to tell a hypothetical story to distill the trend. The increase in inequality, Mr. Summers would say, meant that each family in the bottom 80 percent of the income distribution was effectively sending a $10,000 check, every year, to the top 1 percent of earners.

....Mr. Obama’s budget reflects that sensibility. Budget experts were still sorting through the details on Thursday, but it appeared that various tax cuts and credits aimed at the middle class and the poor would increase the take-home pay of the median household by roughly $800.

"A Bold Plan Sweeps Away Reagan Ideas" by David Leonhardt, New York Times, Feb. 26, 2009.

How Fast Can you Type?

83 words

Typingtest

Two Nice Things That Happened Recently

All the negativity that's heaving and gasping around us sometimes overshadows the simplest and nicest things.

A couple of days ago a patron called to see if he could renew his interlibrary loan. It was due in just two days, and I didn't know if the lending library would be able to respond that quickly. He was upset and didn't want to "ruin his reputation" with the library, because he was so impressed with the ILL service we offered. "This is what makes America great!" he exclaimed in a foreign accent I could not identify.

Today a young-sounding gentleman called looking for the old 1950's sci-fi movie, "The Fly" which starred the great Vincent Price and David Hedison. We did not have the DVD in our system and since we do not ILL media at all, I checked Amazon, finding out that he could either view the old movie online for a small fee, download it and watch it (not sure how that works), or buy it, along with "The Return of the Fly" for about $15.00.

He was extremely happy to hear that. Of course I don't know why he wanted to watch this particular movie, nor does it matter but it seemed important to him. I was glad I thought of Amazon's Video on Demand, where I have watched a few films. In addition, if you're a Netflix subscriber, there are hundreds of not thousands of movies available to watchfor free online.

Technology is a burden sometimes but there is a huge positive side to it, making so many things available for little or no cost. As a movie buff, I'm thrilled to have so many options, particularly at night when I can't sleep or if I'm feeling a little blah, a movie can pick me right up.

I loved the reaction of the ILL patron, who thought that ILL service was just great. Many people are astonished to learn that libraries across the country and indeed, many around the world, are willing to lend their materials outside their own systems. Recently, we received transcripts of some interviews of President Eisenhower from the Eisenhower library in Kansas. No problem! They were even willing for the patron to take the materials outside the library.

Interlibrary loan is a fundamental service in almost all libraries. ILL service is interesting and challenging to me, although our operation is very small. We process about 200 loans a month and lend our materials about half that many times. We are able to obtain microfilm of old newspapers (very popular with genealogists), out of print fiction, research materials, magazine articles. It's that great cooperative spirit of libraries that I love, and that so very many people are either unaware of, or - the flip side - take tremendous advantage of.

National Library Week is just around the corner. Use your library!

Gun Control

(Ht: Bookworm Room)

Will The United States attend Durban II Conference?

Bookworm Room has a good article about the Obama Administration's decision to attend at least the planning sessions for the Durban II conference, even though Canada has made the decision to boycott Durban II.

According to Anne Bayefsky, the Obama team spoke volumes by their silence even as the Palestinan delegation presented a proposed new paragraph into the agenda calling for "international legal obligations" on "the wall" -- with no acknowledgement of the deadly attacks from the opposition on Israel.

Obama's team was also silent when Iran objected to inclusion of anti-Holocaust denial language:

The Obama team was not only silent on the new "Israel is racist" language, it also said nothing when faced with Holocaust denial. Negotiators from the European Union suggested on Wednesday a new provision to "condemn without reservation any denial of the Holocaust and urges all states to reject denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full, or in part, or any activities to this end." Iran--whose president is a Holocaust-denier--immediately objected and insisted that the proposal be "bracketed" or put in dispute. The move blocked the adoption of the proposal and ensured another battle over the reality of the Holocaust in April--at these supposedly "anti-racism" meetings. After Iran objected, the chair looked around the room, expecting a response. He said: "Is there any delegation wishing to comment on this new proposal by the European Union? It doesn't seem the case. We move on." U.S. delegates said nothing, even after the prompt.

Bayefsky, Anne. "Obama Administration Sacrifices Israel. Feb. 22, 2009.



The U. S. delegation insists they have not made a decision whether to attend Durban II. Is this just another way of voting "Present"?

You have to ask why this administration has such a hard time taking a stand on anythign other than spending our money.

Every Step You Take, Every Move You Make

They say they won't do it, but the very idea that they even *thought* about it makes my skin crawl.

I doubt this was really about taxing people, but ultimately about being able to track every driver in the U.S., for whatever reason their tiny little stone hearts desired.

Mark my words.

Don't Spend It All In One Place

What are you going to do with your Obama payroll tax cut?

From the Federal Register, January 27, 2009

I'm afraid I missed this on the evening news:

Presidential Determination No. 2009-15 of January 27, 2009

Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related To Gaza
Memorandum for the Secretary of State
By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (the ``Act''), as amended (22 U.S.C. 2601), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the Act, that it is important to the national interest to furnish assistance under the Act in an amount not to exceed $20.3 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the purpose of meeting unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs, including by contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and payment of administrative expenses of Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State, related to humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza.You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.


(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, January 27, 2009
[FR Doc. E9-2488
Filed 2-3-09; 8:45 am]
Billing code 4710-10-P

(emphasis MINE)

(HT: Big Gay Al's Big Gay (Gun) Blog)

Cease Fire

Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town

Will Althouse Come to Marietta?

Marietta in the Spring - not a bad place to be. Will Althouse make a stop here on her summer road trip?

Oh please do! We can visit the Gone With The Wind Museum, have lunch at on the Square
She can stay at
Stanley House, where DD#1 had her bat mitzvah luncheon.

Please do come, Althouse!

Total Debt Passed on to our Grandchildren: $1.14 TRILLION

Veronique de Rugy spells it out for us.

The pork laden payoff touted as Economic Stimulus, or H.R. 1 - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , which mr. Obama plans to sign tomorrow, will lay a $1.14 trillion dollar debt at the feet of generations to come.

Words like "billion" and "trillion" are being thrown around like so much popcorn and indeed, that's what your money will be worth when all is said and done.

Read what The Heritage Foundation has to say:

In addition to being the single most expensive bill ever proposed, this measure calls for a massive expansion of the federal government's reach into the day-to-day life of virtually every citizen, business and civic organization in the nation. That, in itself, should be the subject of an extensive public conversation and thoughtful debate. Instead, we have seen Congressional leaders schedule snap votes on a 1,434-page bill that no one—repeat, no one—has had a chance to read in its entirety, much less digest and deliberate.

The headlines at Yahoo say this is only the beginning. Indeed - what else does Mr. Obama have in store for us? If you believe government is the answer to all our problems, if you don't mind Big Brother's hand in too much that you do, if you don't have the resources, character, or initiative to be master of your own life, then I guess this "stimulus" is the answer. If you are independent, are willing to take risks and either reap the rewards or suffer the consequences, if you don't whine when things don't go your way, or solutions to your problems don't fall out of the skay, you should be outraged, scared sh*tless, and up in arms. Because this is only the top of a very slippery slope.

I maintain that this is the goal of this administration, to make as many Americans as dependent on government as possible, thereby insuring that their party remains in power to further denigrate this great country.

I remain hopeful that this extreme, radical agenda will envigorate the TRUE conservatives in this country. This is America, and we are not done.

edited: Here's an interesting graphic on the stimulus spending both over time, and how the wealth will be spread around money will be divvied up.

(ht: Laura at Southernxyl.

And now for a little comic relief

It's been a little morose around here lately so here's a diversion. Or rather, here's a post in keeping with why I started this rag in the first place.

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher.

I remember seeing Debbie Reynolds (As a female born in the 1950's, naturally I'm named for her) on the Tonight Show after the first Star Wars movie, which I saw numerous times back when you had to go to a theater to see a movie. She said how pleased she was to be known as Carrie Fisher's mother.

Then Carrie Fisher grew up and began writing books. I wonder if Debbie is still as happy?

Actually, in Wishful Drinking, Fisher writes lovingly of her mother (most of the time), how she and her brother loved her so much, they would quietly sneak into her bedroom while she slept to be closer to her, Carrie sleeping on the rug next to the bed and Todd on the sofa.

Fisher's memoir, an expanded version of her one woman show, is full of hilarious observations of the movie star life, of marriages and divorce and the absurdity of celebrity. You must remember the scandalous affair between Eddie Fisher and Liz Taylor? How the popular singer ditched his sweet, lovelywife Debbie for the steamy, sexy raven-hair, violet-eyed Elizabeth? (Imagine Fisher as Brad Pitt, Debbie as Jennifer Anniston and Taylor as Angelina Jolie for those of you too young to remember, Fisher says). This was after Mike Todd's tragic death (whom some believe was Liz's only true love). Fisher writes that her father "flew to Elizabeth's side, gradually working his way to her front." LOL!

This sort-of-memoir (Fisher calls it a really long personals ad) is extremely funny, even when Fisher also writes about her own problems with depression and addiction. Within that lifestyle, I am in awe of anyone who manages not to become depressed or addicted. My hat is off to her for living to write about it and entertain the rest of us. I found myself forcing my family to listen to parts of it while I read out loud.

I truly enjoyed this brief but scathing expose of the celebrity life.

Response from Senator Isakson

I wrote to Senators Isakson and Chambliss regarding the so-called stimulus package rammed through Congress by the Democrats. Here is his response. The emphasis is mine:

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R.1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. I appreciate your thoughts and the opportunity to respond.

When President Obama took office he called on Congress to pass a second economic stimulus. The House of Representatives first took up the bill, and it passed by a vote of 244-188. The House-passed stimulus bill is a non-starter for me, as it does not address the core problems that created the current economic crisis and devotes far too much money to programs that will not provide the needed stimulus our economy needs.

Similar concerns arose as the Senate began to amend the House-passed stimulus bill. I worked tirelessly to improve the legislation in a bi-partisan way that was beneficial to the American taxpayer, address the root causes of the problem, and provided tangible stimulus to our economy. In this spirit, I offered an amendment that Sen. Lieberman (I-CT) cosponsored that would provide a tax credit in the amount of $15,000 or 10 percent of the purchase price (whichever is less), with the option to utilize all in one year or spread out over two years. The tax credit would be available to all purchasers of any home from date of enactment for one full year. Buyers must occupy the homes for two years as their principle residences, and taxpayers are able to claim the credit against the 2008 tax return. I was pleased that the Isakson-Lieberman amendment won unanimous support on the Senate floor. I am certain that this tax credit provides positive stimulus for qualified homebuyers to purchase homes and will also invigorate credit markets once again.

During Senate debate numerous Republican alternatives were offered - alternatives that put money directly in the pockets of the American people. I supported these amendments as I feel the American people know how to spend their money more effectively than the government does and will provide the best stimulus to the economy. As the cost and burden on current taxpayers and future generations continued to sky rocket and support for the legislation began to wane, several members worked together to craft a compromise. The compromise, led by Senators Collins (R-ME) and Nelson (D-NE), removed $140 billion in spending from the near trillion dollar bill. Even with the Collins-Nelson agreement, and the reduction in spending, this economic stimulus package devotes too much money to programs that will not provide the stimulus our economy so desperately needs, and too little money to infrastructure and incentives for investment. At a cost of nearly $100,000 in debt for every American family and as the bill primarily spends money on programs that are not stimulative, I could not support the Democratic stimulus bill H.R. 1. Despite my efforts to create a more bipartisan and effective piece of legislation, the stimulus passed the Senate by a vote of 60 to 38 on February 13, 2009.

Unfortunately, during Conference negotiations between the House and Senate on the final stimulus bill, the Isakson-Lieberman homebuyer tax credit that previously won unanimous Senate approval was removed. Instead, the Democrats leading negotiations allowed little Republican input and modified the previously passed first-time homebuyer tax credit from the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, H.R.3221. In its place, the Democrats inserted a dramatically watered down incentive, which passed the Senate on February 13, 2009, and did the following: it extended the availability of their credit for homes purchased before December 1, 2009; it retained the credit recapture if the house is sold within three years of purchase; it eliminated the repayment obligation for taxpayers that purchased homes after January 1, 2009, it increased the maximum value of the credit to $8,000, and it removed the prohibition on financing by mortgage revenue bonds. In addition, the credit phases out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $75,000 ($150,000 in the case of a joint return). Finally, the credit contained in the stimulus bill unfortunately was only for first-time homebuyers purchasing a single-family type home.

As our nation continues to struggle through the current economic crisis it is important to stay focused on the recovery aspects. I believe the key to returning stability to the economy lies within the housing market. We must find a way to keep people in their homes, stabilize foreclosures and return consumer confidence to the marketplace. Once stability comes back to the housing market, you will see investors and small business begin to reinvesting in job creating activities, which will put hard working Americans back to work. I am committed to taking the necessary steps to work with my Senate colleagues to make this come to pass. Our nation has always demonstrated a strong resiliency and I am confident we will once again bounce back stronger than ever, where hard working Americans are at the front lines of economic prosperity.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please visit my webpage at http://isakson.senate.gov/ for more information on the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

Saturday night, it's raining, and I've taken refuge in a cafe and a glass of whiskey.

(HT: Laura)

Milton Friedman on Donahue

This must have been taped back in the 1970's from the looks of Phil Donahue (and his hair style). This is brilliant. And also of interest is Donahue's rapt attention at what Friedman is actually saying. I don't like Donahue but as someone pointed out, can you see the hosts of what passes for this kind of TV show now (The Daily Show, Bill Maher, The (blech) View)sitting quietly for this long, actually LISTENING to what their guest is saying? Nah, I didn't think so.

My Heroes

If you don't already, you should read Althouse every day. Maybe like I do, all day. All Althouse, All the Time.

Althouse is incredibly fair and intelligent (she is a law professor--I know, it doesn't always follow but in her case, it does), but her gang of commenters is the best on the Internet. She's a darn good photographer,too.

She doesn't need my endorsement, but if you want some really good conversation and hilarity, go pay her a visit.

My friend Norma is always spot on with well written, intelligent posts, sometimes political and sometimes not. Well, she was a librarian, what do you expect other than precise, well researched articles?

Then there's Herman Cain. I knew about Herman but it was after hearing him speak at a meeting of the Jewish Republicans right before the election that I felt I'd met someone truly special. He inspires confidence, has tremendous energy and common sense, and is totally unimpressed with Obama. If you want to talk about Hope, Herman is the one who restores MY hope for America.

Obama's ratings

Obama by the numbers.

It will be interesting to follow this in days to come.

Is it significant that Obama's numbers have not fallen more significantly because of the ill advised cabinet appointees? The fact that these numbers remain as high as they do are bothersome to me. These bad decisions should reflect on the president. Am I wrong in thinking this is just residual obamamania and that this man just can do no wrong with a large percentage of the population?

Hello, Darlin'.

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies with Run Glaze.

A Wonderful New Site

New to me, that is. From Laura I learned about Quid Plura, the blog of writer Jeff Sypeck. He won me over with the declaration that the official country singer of Quid Plura is Roger Miller.

Angry, yes; but not for the reason Frank thinks

“There’s deeply rooted anger on the part of the average American,” the Massachusetts Democrat said at a Washington news conference today. (via Mark Steyn @ NRO)

"Commissar" Barney Frank is speaking about passing legislation that would put caps on executive pay "that now apply to banks receiving federal assistance" (Mark Steyn @ NRO).

Operative words: "for now."

You know what? I'm not really angry about executive pay. It's kind of disgusting but there are bigger fish to fry. Like that bloated bottom feeder, Barney Frank.

Barney, baby, I'm angry but not at unethical bank executives.

Baby, I'm angry at YOU. And your comrades in arms. I'm angry at your part in this horrible situation and your refusal to accept responsibility; at your part in the so-called stimulus quagmire that's going to ruin this country, mire us in debt, take our hard earned tax dollars and had them out like Monopoly money.

Yeah, I'm angry Barney. Angry at you and the whole unscrupulous, unethical, dishonest bunch of liars and gamblers and thieves populating Washington D.C. right now.

I'd like to run all of you out of town.

Nice Leader We've Got There

Glad to see Mr. O focusing on what's important and not getting distracted by trivial, petty things.

via Gateway Pundit.

Change is hard, President declares

"Change is Hard", President declared in an interview with Katie Couric. Afterwards, Couric and Harry Smith sympathetically painted him as the "anti-Bush." Spinning Obama's admission of failure and bad judgement in his choice of appointees into a positive declaration of his good character, the Couric states: 'You know, President Obama reiterated that he thought Tom Daschle was the right man for the job, it was an honest mistake' (HT: Newsbusters.

What was the mistake? Daschle's tax evasion or Obama's selection of Daschle in the first place?

One expected her to add "Poor baby!"

"Prior to the discussion with Couric, correspondent Bill Plante reported on Daschle’s withdrawal: 'The president is basically trying to turn the page by saying that it was his fault, that he and his top advisers just didn't get it when it came to how the public would perceive the Daschle tax problem.'

So are they saying that Obama and his people *knew* that Daschle had tax problems? That statement implies, at least to me, that Team O figured they could get away with Daschle's nomination and that his failure to pay his taxes didn't matter to Americans.


It mattered to me.

Fourteen years ago, my husband was starting up a small business when we were audited. I was working part time, and we had two small children. We were audited and spent two years protesting, trying to get information from the IRS as to why. We never got a definitive answer, and paid the IRS $2000 at at time when we were struggling financially, starting up a business, raising two small kids, and doing whatever we needed to keep them out of day care. We lived in a rental house and often shared one car. One car - that we paid for. It was not a gift.

Yet Daschle's $100,000 is no big deal to Americans?

What does it say about this administration, when not just one but several nominees for major cabinet positions have ethics issues? Daschle would have made major policy decisions that would have (and still may) affect the lives of generations of Americans. The current administration, the "Anti-Bush" administration, thought it was no big deal. They thought we wouldn't care.
This won't be the last time Team O tries to slip something by us.




I like this post at NRO: " Moreover, because [Obama is] a product of Chicago politics, and isn’t a reformer, nor a real change agent, he seems to be inherently incapable of recognizing unethical behavior at his core."

Get Rid of the Whole Bunch

More "arrogance and greed" - but not from Wall Street.

So we're supposed to cut back, Wall STreet Executives, who actually do a job and earn their pay, get blasted by Obama for taking bonuses, unemployment is growing, along with foreclosures and bankruptcies, it's the "worst" economy since the Great Depression - and CONGRESS (who takes your money and gives it away) voted themselves another $93,000 to help stimulate the economy. Petty cash. Well, the cost of stamps does keep going up! That's a lotta stamps.

Maybe while Obama is "cracking down" on executive bonuses, he can clean up his own house..and senate.

This is more disgraceful hypocrisy from the people WE elected. You get what you deserve, friends.

Another $100,000 in taxes? Not a problem.

Not for Tom Daschle. With Mr. Obama and Democrats standing firmly behind their man, his confirmation to head up the Department of Health and Human SErvices and eventually push universal health care on the American people, his confirmation is probably assured. But not without a few "bumps in the road", which is how Democrats see his tax problems.

A democratic insider says that another $100,000 in taxes is not a big deal.

It's the principle of the thing, stupid.

Things have become so corrupt in Washington, it's difficult to find any politician who *has* paid their taxes. So we settle - as we too often do -- for the lesser of many evils.

Instead of governing and serving the people as they are supposed to do, politicians have become - not all but too many -- the most self-serving bunch of opportunists on earth.