Torture

"In torture, he confessed to being a hermaphrodite, a CIA spy, a Buddhist Monk, a Catholic Bishop and the son of the king of Cambodia. He was actually just a school teacher whose crime was that he once spoke French."

An interesting perspective to read for those who believe we should do whatever is necessary to fight the "war on terror."

Where do you hide the money clip in a diaper?

From the www.washingtonpost.com

"Elrick Williams's toddler niece Carlyn may be one of the youngest contributors to this year's presidential campaign. The 2-year-old gave $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "

"So did her sister and brother, Imara, 13, and Ishmael, 9, and her cousins Chan and Alexis, both 13. Altogether, according to newly released campaign finance reports, the extended family of Williams, a wealthy Chicago financier, handed over nearly a dozen checks in March for the maximum allowed under federal law to Obama."

"Although campaign finance laws set a limit of $2,300 per donor per campaign, they do not explicitly bar donors based on age. And young donors abound in the fundraising reports filed by presidential contenders this year. "

"Just how much campaign cash is coming from children is uncertain -- the FEC does not require donors to provide their age. But the amount written by those identifying themselves as students on contribution forms has risen dramatically this year, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. During the first six months of the 2000 presidential campaign, students gave $338,464. In 2004, that rose to $538,936. This year, the amount has nearly quadrupled, to $1,967,111."

This is just another reason why campaign finance laws do not work and will not work. Americans wish to contribute to campaigns in excess of campaign finance law and they will find ways to do it.

The Federal Election Commission was created in 1975 to enforce federal campaign laws. These laws can be found here. Take a look on your lunch break and see how far you get through 234 pages. These laws include necessary things like rules for administering federal elections, but a large portion is dedicated to the financing of federal elections.

The finance portion include such distinctions as an individual may only contribute $2300.00 to each individual candidate per election per year, $28,500.00 to a national party per year, but he/she may make "unlimited independent expenditures." An independent expenditure is "an expenditure for a communication which expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate and which is made independently from the candidate's campaign."

First of all, the wealthy will always be disproportionally represented among those who contribute money to political candidates. Poor people do not have 5 dollars, let alone 2300 to contribute to a candidate.

Second of all, our government is based on popular support, which means candidates are elected by 51 percent of voters: Bill Gate's vote does not count anymore than mine and any candidate must at least attract a majority of the people to hold office. Sure a large amount of money is important for campaigning, but an unattractive, and therefore unelectable candidate, is still unattractive and unelectable (READ: the money follows the attractive candidate and not the candidate following the money).

Third of all, our large, Republican style of government ensures that no one group or one person can have too much of an impact on an election. A million dollars is chump change in American politics. There are probably tens of thousands of groups and individuals who can contribute this much. These groups, which politicians are quick to accept money from but also quick to point out as the problem, actually function as a check on each other.

Last of all, I am still not convinced that these laws are not unconstitutional: political speech is the most sacred of all rights.

The Bank Swarm

"In the 1990s, a period of mergers in the financial industry, many banks promoted online services and closed branches. But industry studies showed that customers wanted personal contact when managing their money, and banks began opening more branches in a surge fueled by new players such as Commerce, which models itself as a retail store. "

As a result "the number of branches in the District [of Columbia] has jumped nearly 20 percent, from 193 to 230;" in Chicago "branches have increased by 50 percent since 2002;" Manhattan has seen "a 41 percent rise."

First of all, I personally feel that banking will move further and further into cyberspace in the next few generations, which will consequently make the brick and mortar branch increasingly obsolete and costly. I think we are already seeing this phenomenon take place with the explosion of online banks and online only accounts. INGDirect and HSBC are driving conventional banks, that may have been more hesistant or resistant to move online, to offer online only style accounts.

Although there is still a large base that grew up with their local bank branch, knew its employees and sought the advice of these bankers, the newest generation has a limited recollection of using bank branches and therefore less attachment. This generation places more emphasis on convenience and speed and less emphasis on personal touch or a human face. Add to this the overall trend towards self-management of financial portfolios as information is readily available to all and the need for a personal banker who has an office in your neighborhood is less important.

Second of all, I dont agree that the overpopulating of bank branches is a problem: one, banks want to make money just like retail and commercial interests and therefore locate in areas with growth opportunity in general - if anything, the increase in bank branches to an area should serve as a harbinger of prosperity; two, the concentrating of bank branches increases competition, which means higher deposit rates and lower loan rates; three, like all things driven by market forces, the number of bank branches will ultimately be reeled in by acquisitions/mergers, competition and good old supply and demand.

I'd like to bone, but my mom cant drive me to your house.

"PORTLAND, Maine -- Pupils at a city middle school will be able to get birth control pills and patches at their student health center after the local school board approved the proposal Wednesday evening."

"The plan, offered by city health officials, makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in grades 6 through 8, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. "

"Condoms have been available since 2002 to King students who have parental permission to be treated at its student health center."

I remember the kids who went to the nurse's office during my tenure in middle school and we used to laugh at them because the remedy for every affliction was to lie down on a cot and place a bright, yellow sponge on the forehead. You have lupus? Just lie down and place this damp, yellow sponge on your forehead. At the extreme was the hyperactive kid who went to the nurse after lunch time for some tranquilizer to keep him from driving the teacher crazy. Now while being treated for a tummy ache, you can get Delores to hook you up with some rubbers for that wild weekend of sex on your racecar bed. If you use the condoms while at school can you go back for a pack of cigarettes?

Also, what does parental permission mean in this context? Do students need permission to see the nurse and once there they can inquire about condoms or is parental permission needed before nurses can give out condoms? i cant imagine its the latter because I cant imagine a parent agreeing to that service.

I guess if kids are having sex then its best to make sure they will do so in a safe manner. It also makes sense to promote healthy habits while children are young. But it begs the question is there nothing that can be done about this phenomenon? Do parents have to accept the reality that their 11 year old will be having sex? Can parents exercise some authority and also teach their kids healthy habits? Can schools teach sex education without inciting a Kids Incorporated orgy?!!

Damn you Zach and Cody!!

Broken Arrow, Eh. Spells Trouble Dontcha Know.

"The Air Force has decided to relieve at least five of its officers of command and is considering filing criminal charges in connection with the Aug. 29 "Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-armed cruise missiles were mistakenly flown from North Dakota to Louisiana, two senior Air Force officials said yesterday. "

"the problem originated at Minot (Air Force Base in North Dakota) when a pylon carrying six nuclear-armed cruise missiles was mistaken for one carrying unarmed missiles."

"The warheads were airborne for more than three hours and sat for long periods on runways at both air bases without a special guard."

We better get on the phone and call Christian Slater because I smell a plot by John Travolta to steal these weapons.

Immigration showdown

"Prince William County supervisors early this morning voted to move forward with a nationally watched plan to crack down on illegal immigrants by increasing local police enforcement and restricting certain public services. "

"The measures approved yesterday improve cooperation with federal immigration authorities and direct police to check the immigration status of anyone accused of breaking the law if the officer suspects that person is an illegal immigrant. They also would deny certain county services to illegal immigrants, including drug counseling, some elderly services, and business licenses. "

"But for hours yesterday afternoon and deep into the night, the podium belonged to residents, highlighting how visceral the issue has become. The list of speakers grew longer after the workday ended, as scores of Hispanic immigrants arrived to urge the supervisors to vote no, many speaking through translators. Children of immigrants, standing on stools, asked board members not to hurt their parents."

"Others pointed out that illegal immigrants are breaking the law. 'Where do you get off demanding services, rights and mandatory citizenship?' said Manassas resident Robert Stephens, addressing the large crowd of Hispanic residents. 'Who invited you? You cry for your rights? You have none.'"

Wow. Just like high gas prices, our country needs a stimulus like what is happening in localities like Prince William to encourage discussion about immigration policy and spur the Federal government to act.

Local governments should do everything they can to effectively police themselves. I dont believe asking one's immigration status is a violation of one's rights. I dont agree, however, with the gentleman quoted above saying that illegal immigrants have no rights. All human beings have rights and should be treated with a certain dignity. However, I agree that they have no claim to services provided by local governments.

I think many people involved in this debate have a heart and feel empathetic to the plight of illegal immigrants, but this should not obscure the fact that our nation functions according to the rule of law and that we have - however convoluted and asinine -- immigration laws and regulations. What we dont have are effective boundaries to complement these laws.

Unfortunately, many law abiding residents of our country are forgotten during this debate. There are many productive, valuable members of our society that leave every year because their visas expire or their attempt at citizenship falls short. Some of these people have to leave family members behind, move to Windsor, Ontario and work at a car manufacturing plant because their 12 year attempt at citizenship fails. If they can do it, so can everyone else who is here illegally.

Altria Earnings

"Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) today announced third-quarter diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.24, up $0.19 or 18.1% versus the prior year, including favorable tax items of $0.05 per share and charges of $0.02 per share for asset impairment, exit and implementation costs, as well as other items detailed on the attached Schedule 7."

"'In the third quarter, we continued to witness improvement in our business fundamentals, which generated robust earnings growth,' said Louis C. Camilleri, chairman and chief executive officer of Altria Group, Inc. 'In addition, we took numerous steps to accelerate our growth by investing behind product innovation and announcing our intention to pursue a further restructuring of our company.'"

From Altria's website -- www.altria.com:

PM USA tobacco marketshare: 50.6%
PM USA third quarter revenue: $4 Billion, which is up 3.2% from Q3 2006
PM USA third quarter cigarette shipment volume: 47.1 Billion units, which is down 1% from Q3 2006

PM International third quarter revenue: $5.9 Billion, which is up 9.3% from Q3 2006
PM International third quarter cigarette shipment volume: 217.2 Billion units, which is up 0.6% from Q3 2006 (taking into account an aquisition in Pakistan). If we want to be picky and not count this acquisition, volume was actually down 4 billion units or 1.9%. If you want the country break down, you will need to read the entire earnings statement from their website.

In related Altria news:

"During the third quarter of 2007 Altria Group, Inc. increased its regular quarterly dividend by 8.7% to $0.75 per common share, which represents an annualized rate of $3.00 per common share."

Banks Create Money For a Fund to Bail Themselves Out

From The economist.com

"On Monday October 15th three of the largest banks launched the first big effort by the private sector to alleviate the [credit] crisis. Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America unveiled an agreement in principle for a fund, expected to be worth up to $100 billion, that would buy highly rated assets from troubled SIVs (structured investment vehicles). Other financial institutions are said to be considering joining. Although no government money will be available, America’s Treasury played an important role in the talks that led to the fund’s creation. The authorities worry that “disorderly” markets could drag down the economy."

This is still of course a temporary solution. The banks can create a false demand and trade each others junk for as long as they want. Eventually though, they will have to open up their books and show just what the assets are truly made of (or aren't made of), that will be the true day of reckoning. However when banks, who control and create the money supply, can form a $100 Billion fund to create a false market that day may be far in the distance.

The last part of the article is the best (emphasis added):

"Even those who support the fund admit that it is, at best, a temporary solution. As one banker puts it, it is about buying time so that the real problems facing the debt markets can be sorted out. In the case of asset-backed commercial paper, the two biggest are the inherently unstable structure of SIVs and their lack of transparency. Not only do they sit off their creators’ balance sheets but they do not even have to publish their holdings. Only when these underlying issues are addressed is confidence likely to return."

Lets see, when should we let everyone know that billions of dollars of assets are worth nothing, yet they have been the invisible profits that made up the last 5 years of earnings?

Phlegm

"Australian athletes have announced they will arrive in Beijing as late as possible because of concerns that the air quality might hinder their performance. Two weeks ago, two Ethiopian middle-distance running champions announced they would forgo some events because of the "disgusting weather and air pollution." New Zealand and American athletes say they will wear face masks if necessary. Even Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, warned that some endurance sports might be postponed if the pollution gets too bad."

"For athletes unaccustomed to Beijing's pollution, the assault can feel like 'an invisible wet rag that chokes your lungs,' Cassmassi said."

Yum.

Me Gusta El Amero!

Transcript From The Larry King Show:

"KING: E-mail from Mrs. Gonzalez in Elizabeth, New Jersey. "Mr. Fox, I would like to know how you feel about the possibility of having a Latin America united with one currency?"

FOX: Long term, very long term. What we propose together, President Bush and myself, it's ALCA, which is a trade union for all of the Americas. And everything was running fluently until Hugo Chavez came. He decided to isolate himself. He decided to combat the idea and destroy the idea...

KING: It's going to be like the euro dollar, you mean?

FOX: Well, that would be long, long term. I think the processes to go, first step into is trading agreement. And then further on, a new vision, like we are trying to do with NAFTA."

Many people show skeptisim on the formation of a North American Union which much like the European Union would be created by the formation of several North American countries. However, I think it is interesting that the outspoken former President of Mexico has come out and practically admitted that Mexico, the United States and others had at least been in talks of creating a unified currency. Whether an internet conspiracy or not, I think the conversation between Larry King and President Fox is at least somewhat telling. I guess only time will tell...

This Week in Congress Wasting Tax Payer Money

"A House committee rejected warnings from the Bush administration yesterday and approved a resolution condemning Turkey for committing genocide against Armenians during World War I, an act the White House said could jeopardize military operations in the Middle East."

"Mr. Bush spoke in a hastily arranged statement to reporters. 'We all deeply regret the tragic suffering of the Armenian people that began in 1915," he said. But 'this resolution is not the right response to these historic mass killings.'"

Armenia; Turkey; 1915; genocide. That sounds like it would make for a stirring debate in.... Armenia ... or .... Turkey ... in ... ohhh .... 1916. Even history class.

Why do our elected representatives spend time in 2007 debating a resolution condemning the genocide of Armenians at the hands of the Turks in 1915? I can see if maybe there was nothing going on in the US Capitol. Its a slow day; why not condemn genocide. Kinda makes sense. Makes it seem like we are doing something; kinda like that confused/pensive face that is made at work when the boss walks by. I'm thinking so hard I must be working. You cant think this hard and not be working.

The Federal government has slowly usurped all power from the states and sucked the life out of federalism and yet they still want more to do. What a bunch of over-achievers!

I think that Representative Hoyer from the glorious state of Maryland says it all:

"House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, said the resolution 'was about another government at another time, and should not be perceived ... as a reflection on the present government, the Turkish people or their present posture.'"

Exactly.

Put some spinners on that Hummer!

"The Army is offering cash bonuses of up to $35,000 to retain young officers serving in key specialties -- including military intelligence, infantry and aviation -- in an unprecedented bid to forestall a critical shortage of officer ranks that have been hit hard by frequent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Army officials said that lengthy and repeated war-zone tours -- the top reason younger officers leave the service -- plus the need for thousands of new officers as the Army moves forward with expansion plans have contributed to a projected shortfall of about 3,000 captains and majors for every year through 2013."

Wow. This makes me even more upset that I am red/green color deficient.

"According to Army data, the overall attrition rate for captains averaged 12.2 percent from 1999 to 2007."

This seems like a really low number. If only one in every ten Army Captains chooses to leave the Army each year, that doesnt seem like chaos (I am assuming I've interpreted this number correctly). I guess the attrition rate could have been much lower until the past year or so as the war in Iraq dragged on and this could skew what may be a much higher rate now.

I wonder if this dilemma has made anyone in important positions question the Iraq war? I doubt it.

White House Leaks Al-Qaeda Tape Early, Ruins Years of Intelligence Work

From washingtonpost.com:

"A small private intelligence company that monitors Islamic terrorist groups obtained a new Osama bin Laden video ahead of its official release last month, and around 10 a.m. on Sept. 7, it notified the Bush administration of its secret acquisition. It gave two senior officials access on the condition that the officials not reveal they had it until the al-Qaeda release.

Within 20 minutes, a range of intelligence agencies had begun downloading it from the company's Web site. By midafternoon that day, the video and a transcript of its audio track had been leaked from within the Bush administration to cable television news and broadcast worldwide.

The founder of the company, the SITE Intelligence Group, says this premature disclosure tipped al-Qaeda to a security breach and destroyed a years-long surveillance operation that the company has used to intercept and pass along secret messages, videos and advance warnings of suicide bombings from the terrorist group's communications network."

Are we even surprised at this type of stuff anymore?

Take it back before I tell my mom on you!

You tell 'em!

Interesting

"A day of global protests against Myanmar's junta began in cities across Asia Saturday, after the military regime admitted detaining hundreds of Buddhist monks when troops turned their guns on pro-democracy demonstrators last week."

"Hoping to send a message to the generals that the world is still watching the situation, rights group Amnesty International organized marches in more than two dozen Asian, European and North American cities."

Interesting how democracy movements can come from within .....

A subtle impression in Iraq

While many Iraqis worry that the US has imperialist aspirations with their country, these sentiments should soon be alleviated by the building of our embassy in Baghdad.

It's Friday! How about a Paris Hilton Story?

I can't post the video because work recently outlawed all streaming video, but check out the clip of Paris Hilton on Letterman. It is very uncomfortable and funny. He relentlessly questions her about her brief stint in jail and she gets pissed that he wont let it go.

Thank you Dave Letterman for having the balls to treat Paris Hilton for what she is: a joke!

Edit: Franz I will help you out.

Video of The Day: History of Blackwater

Via the Dailyshow, here is a humorous video of the history of Blackwater. Sorry, there is no embedded link.

Lets all make sweet, passionate love to freedom.

I was up late last night watching video of Ron Paul on YouTube and I must say that I think I've found who should be the next President of the United States. You notice I say "should be" because the US electorate is too stupid and easily distracted like Homer Simpson to pay attention long enough to what he is saying to recognize the merit. Unfortunately for Ron Paul's chances of winning the Republican nomination, he does not scream "America is Great!" and "I love the United States" and "We did not cause September 11, 2001; we were attacked because we love freedom!"

Speaking of us not causing September 11th, I was struck by Rudy Giuliani's response to Ron Paul in the FoxNews Republican Nominee debate at the University of South Carolina. For those who have not read or heard it:

"MR. GOLER: Congressman, you don't think that changed with the 9/11 attacks, sir?

REP. PAUL: What changed?

MR. GOLER: The non-interventionist policies.

REP. PAUL: No. Non-intervention was a major contributing factor. Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there; we've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the Middle East -- I think Reagan was right.
We don't understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics. So right now we're building an embassy in Iraq that's bigger than the Vatican. We're building 14 permanent bases. What would we say here if China was doing this in our country or in the Gulf of Mexico? We would be objecting. We need to look at what we do from the perspective of what would happen if somebody else did it to us. (Applause.)

MR. GOLER: Are you suggesting we invited the 9/11 attack, sir?

REP. PAUL: I'm suggesting that we listen to the people who attacked us and the reason they did it, and they are delighted that we're over there because Osama bin Laden has said, "I am glad you're over on our sand because we can target you so much easier." They have already now since that time -- (bell rings) -- have killed 3,400 of our men, and I don't think it was necessary.

MR. GIULIANI: Wendell, may I comment on that? That's really an extraordinary statement. That's an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of September 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I've heard that before, and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th. (Applause, cheers.)
And I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that. (Applause.)

MR. GOLER: Congressman?

REP. PAUL: I believe very sincerely that the CIA is correct when they teach and talk about blowback. When we went into Iran in 1953 and installed the shah, yes, there was blowback. A reaction to that was the taking of our hostages and that persists. And if we ignore that, we ignore that at our own risk. If we think that we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem.
They don't come here to attack us because we're rich and we're free. They come and they attack us because we're over there. I mean, what would we think if we were -- if other foreign countries were doing that to us?"
(Council on Foreign Relations: www.cfr.org)

First, every American who was not killed in the attacks on 9/11 "lived through them." Giuliani is not special in that sense. He happened to be Mayor of New York. Congratulations. This makes you no different from every other candidate on stage who wasn't killed.

Second, this is a debate. Who has ever heard of someone engaged in a debate ordering another participant to "withdraw his comment" and "tell us that he didnt really mean it." Last time I checked the debate was not held in a middle school girls bathroom. He said it. He meant it. Now respond to the argument with your own argument based on some sort of logical reasoning. It is not an argument to express astonishment and demand the other side retract their argument.

Third, why is it so deplorable to say that the US may have done something to incite 9/11? Especially considering, as Ron Paul points out, that Osama Bin Laden has told us that he was incited to attack the US because of our policies and not because we are fat, freedom lovers.

Its painful to listen to this garbage.

huh?

I am not a Rudy Giuliani hater; in fact, I like a lot of what he says. But this snippet from an inteview with Larry Kudlow that I've borrowed from www.realclearpolitics.com is funny:

While elaborating on a response to Kudlow's question about taxess, Giuliani begins to argue in favor of expanded nuclear energy.

"GIULIANI: Nuclear power is dangerous, so is every other form of power, but nobody's died from nuclear power."

I like the idea of expanded nuclear energy too, but this statement is a little ridiculous considering what most people understand about the conclusion of World War II and Chernobyl.

I guess he could argue that he was speaking specifically about using nuclear fuel to generate energy for powering everything but bombs. But it could also be argued that nuclear power -- whatever one means by power-- is what produces an atomic explosion, which is, after all, nothing more than the same nuclear reaction used to produce energy but allowed to reach a supercritical state.

Even if after going cross-eyed from that argument, we concede that he was speaking strictly of using nuclear fuel to produce energy that will be used to power things and not destroy people, I believe that people were killed in the explosion that occured at Chernobyl and many more as a side effect of the radiation.

Hello? Is this Osama?

"Former president Bill Clinton has emerged as a clear asset in his wife's campaign for the White House, with Americans offering high ratings to his eight years in office and a solid majority saying they would be comfortable with him as first spouse, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

The Washington Post/ABC News Poll:

If the 2008 presidential election were held today and the candidates were Giuliani, the Republican, and Clinton, the Democrat, for whom would you vote?

All: Clinton - 51%, Giuliani - 43%
Dems: Clinton - 88%, Giuliani - 9%
Ind: Clinton - 48%, Giuliani - 44%
Reps: Clinton - 10%, Giuliani - 88%

This is not entirely surprising because Giuliani is seen as a one trick pony. Clinton at least comes across as a multi-faceted candidate; Giuliani cannot escape his infamous performance on September 11. This situation is not alleviated by Giuliani either, who continuously alludes to his national security and terrorism credentials.

This is unfortunate too because Giuliani has some good ideas on the economy: less taxes and less government spending and a school voucher system.

Kinda funny from realclearpolitics.com:

"KUDLOW: Do you invest in the Stock Market?
GIULIANI: No, I don't. I don't invest in the Stock Market. I did it a long, long time ago when I was really young and I got involved in all the investigations and all the prosecutions and I felt it was better if I didn't make individual investments. So I'm invested in funds, but not in individual--not in individual stocks."

Easily Diversifying Through Foreign Currencies: Everbank.com

I recently looked at Everbank.com because of there foreign currency CD and deposit accounts. I was most interested in the Euro simply because it has strengthened rapidly over the last few years versus the Dollar. There are no fees to invest and the deposit account only has a $2,500 minimum but does not earn any interest. The Euro CD account pays anywhere from 2.5 - 3% but has a minimum investment of $10,000. Both of these accounts are FDIC insured.

Looking at what my current high yield savings account (4.3% APY) and then at the yearly return of the Euro versus the Dollar (currently at 11%) it seems that I could earn much more in a Euro deposit account and hedge against any further drop in the US dollar. Of course this would have to take into account a that the US dollar will continue to drop versus the Euro. This however, may be imminent with another FED target rate cut before or at the next meeting.

For anyone looking to invest in liquid foreign currency accounts, I suggest lookting at Everbank. As of now they are the only US bank that I know of that lets individuals deposit money in foreign currency accounts.

Note: As of this writing I do not currently have money deposited with Everbank but may do so in the near future.

I support the troops the bestest!

"Most Americans oppose fully funding President Bush's $190 billion request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan"

Washington Post/ABC News Poll:

Question: Do you think the Congress should approve $190 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the next year or reduce the amount?

43% said to "Reduce sharply"
27% said to "Approve all money"
23% said to "Reduce somewhat"
3% said to "Approve no money"
3% had "No opinion"

"Part of the displeasure with Congress stems from the stalemate between Democrats and the White House over Iraq policy. Most Americans do not believe Congress has gone far enough in opposing the war, with liberal Democrats especially critical of their party's failure to force the president into a significant change in policy."

We really need to have a dialogue about what it means to support our military. It is unfair that the military is manipulated by all sides to support whatever position is important: removing the funding for the troops means you are against the troops because you wont give them the necessary equipment to fight; funding the troops means that you are against the troops because you are keeping them in a war zone.

What about the merits of continuing the actual war?!!

As with almost every issue that our Congress-people attempt to debate, the argument is reduced to a fight over semantics. Why not stop dancing around the subject and just come out with it?! If you support the war, say so and vote to fund the war. If you do not support the war, say so and vote to stop funding the war. Put your money where your mouth is and stop hiding behind this troop support rhetoric.

The issue is the war and not the troops. You must either support the war or not. All Americans support their military. It is nonsense to vote in favor of funding of the war because you support the troops, but then speak out against the merit of the war. Please stop pretending that this is a credible distinction that helps you save face.

The military will go off and fight wherever the President or Congress sends them (yes congress used to make decisions about declaring war; a long, long time ago). They don't wait for a gauge of troop support before they leave for war. They go. The least our representatives in government can do is debate the merits of the war we sent them to fight and stop bickering over who supports them the most.

Newspaper Demographics

Via Nynerd.com:

Newspaper Demographics

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don’t really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.

5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the country — if they could find the time — and if they didn’t have to leave Southern California to do it.

6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a poor job of it , thank you very much.

7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t too sure who’s running the country and don’t really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.

8. The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who’s running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.

9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.

10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure there is a country or that anyone is running it; but if so, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to be illegal aliens from any other country or galaxy, provided of course, that they are not Republicans.

11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.

12. The Oregonian is read by people who have recently caught a fish and need something in which to wrap it.

Did George Washington enjoy cereal and muffins for breakfast?

Why is it called a Continental Breakfast?

Rate Cut What!!!

"Citigroup Inc. estimated Monday that its third-quarter profit will drop 60 percent, as the nation's largest bank took losses of more than $3 billion after writing down securities backed by underperforming mortgages and loans tied to corporate buyouts."

"Citigroup's announcement was the latest disappointment resulting from this year's problems in the mortgage industry and financial markets. Earlier Monday, Swiss bank UBS AG said it will post a third-quarter loss of up to $690 million partly due to losses linked to U.S. subprime mortgages. And on Friday, federal regulators shut down a small online bank called NetBank Inc. that failed because loan defaults."

Bad news for subprime borrowers: you may have to wait longer than expected to buy that house you can't afford.

EQUILIBRIUM! Its a wonderful thing!