Oh Snap!

The UN atomic watchdog pressed Iran Monday to disprove allegations of past nuclear weapons work, saying Tehran should not be concerned about divulging sensitive information because its confidential.

Iran cannot simply dismiss all the charges as "fabricated," the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, told a meeting of the body's 35-member board.

Tehran must "clarify the extent to which the documentation is factually correct and where, as it asserts, such information may have been fabricated or relates to non-nuclear purposes," ElBaradei said on the first day of a week-long board meeting.

Neither could the Islamic republic hide behind the argument that in order to respond to the accusations, it would have to divulge information pertinent to its national security, the IAEA chief said.

Even the IAEA is saying that Iran is probably after nuclear weapons. Russia and China have no other choice then to admit that this is indeed the case. If Russia and China veto UN sanctions, then the only choice left is either broad sanctions outside of the UN, or a military strike by Israel.

Either way isn't going to bode well for Iran.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Transition And Travel

Ok, I've spoken to my web guy, and we should be transitioning the website to Wordpress very soon.  You should see the new changes in the next few days.

Also, I am traveling to Dallas, Texas for business, so I won't be posting until Thursday.  Sorry guys, you'll have to just wait it out until your next fix. :)

 

Travis

I Hate Being Right

Especially when being right means that people die:

Pakistani investigators are hunting an Al-Qaeda cell based in Islamabad that is believed to have carried out the bombing of the Marriott Hotel, security officials said Monday.

Investigators said they believed the attackers constructed the massive 600-kilo (1,300 pound) truck bomb at a safe house in the capital, since all lorries entering the heavily-guarded city are searched at checkpoints.

Dramatic footage of Saturday night's attack showed the attacker failed to get through a barrier when he crashed his explosives-laden truck into the hotel's security gates. At least 60 people were killed.

"Our focus at the moment is to track down the network in Islamabad which must have facilitated the movement and construction of the bomb," a senior official involved in the investigation told AFP.

Whether it was Al-Qaeda or not, we warned you, I WARNED YOU, that failure to do anything would result in more attacks and an emboldened enemy.  You failed to heed our warnings, pushed back against us when we went after them, and now 60 people are dead because of your lack of spine.

Maybe next time you'll listen?  Or are more people going to need to die before you do?

 

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I Feel So Dirty

But here it goes:  Democrats are right.

<shudder>

Ok, I'm back.  Here's WHY they are right:

The Bush administration's proposed $700 billion financial rescue took fuller shape on Monday as Senate Democrats circulated a counter proposal that would require the government to receive an ownership stake in the companies it helps.

The proposal, offered up by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., would require companies who sell assets to Uncle Sam to give the government shares in the company, according to a draft obtained by CNN.

The Senate Democrats' proposal would also require the government to come up with "a systematic approach for preventing foreclosures and ensuring long-term, sustainable homeownership through loan modifications and use of the HOPE for Homeowners Program" on the mortgages it buys in the bailout.

Now, this is being proposed by Christopher Dodd, so anything out of this guy's mouth is suspect.  However, I do agree that if we taxpayers are footing the bill, we should get a cut of the proceeds.  There's nothing wrong with a company asking for help, but any investor, the government included, would ask for something in return.

IF, and this is a big IF, it works, great.  I want my taxes lowered accordingly when we cash out.  It's not likely to happen of course, but I'm tired of being treated like a damned piggy bank.  I want something tangible for my tax dollars, instead of watching it get pissed away with wasteful spending.

 

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Welcome

A young teenage girl was about to finish her first year of college. She considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat but her father was a rather staunch Republican.

One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to taxes and welfare programs. He stopped her and asked her how she was doing in school.

She answered that she had a 4.0 GPA but it was really tough. She had to study all the time, never had time to go out and party. She didn't have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have many college friends because of spending all her time studying.

He asked, "How is your friend Mary." She replied that Mary was barely getting by. She had a 2.0 GPA, never studied, but was very popular on campus, went to all the parties all the time. Why she often didn't show up for classes because she was hung over.

Dad then asked his daughter why she didn't go to the Dean's office and ask why she couldn't take 1.0 off her 4.0 and give it to her friend who only had a 2.0. That way they would both have a 3.0 GPA.

The daughter angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair, I worked really hard for mine and Mary has done nothing".

The father slowly smiled and said, "Welcome to the Republican Party".

 

Travis

Politicians Are Retarded

The Bush administration asked Congress on Saturday for the power to buy $700 billion in toxic assets clogging the financial system and threatening the economy as negotiations began on the largest bailout since the Great Depression.

The rescue plan would give Washington broad authority to purchase bad mortgage-related assets from U.S. financial institutions for the next two years. It does not specify which institutions qualify or what, if anything, the government would get in return for the unprecedented infusion.

Democrats are pressing to require that the plan help more strapped borrowers stay in their homes and to condition the bailout on new limits on executive compensation.

Congressional aides and administration officials are working through the weekend to fill in the details of the proposal. The White House hoped for a deal with Congress by the time markets opened Monday; top lawmakers say they would push to enact the plan as early as the coming week.

"We're going to work with Congress to get a bill done quickly," President Bush said at the White House. Without discussing specifics, he said, "This is a big package because it was a big problem."

The proposal is a mere three pages long, but it gives sweeping powers to the government to dispense gigantic sums of taxpayer dollars in a program that would be sheltered from court review.

"It's a rather brief bill with a lot of money," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the Banking Committee chairman. "We understand the importance of the anticipation in the markets, but we also know that what we're doing is going to have consequences for decades to come. There's not a second act to this—we've got to get this right."

Lawmakers digesting the eye-popping cost and searching for specifics voiced concerns that the proposal offers no help for struggling homeowners or safeguards for taxpayers' money.

The government must bail out the financial system "because if we don't, it will have a tremendous impact on American consumers, homeowners, taxpayers and the rest," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in San Francisco.

But, she added, "We cannot deal with this unless this bailout helps families stay in their homes."

They don't deserve to stay in their FUCKING HOMES NANCY!  Jesus you are one of the dumbest politicians I have every seen in my entire life.  You want the government to bail these companies out?  Fine, but I want assets for my money.  I want people to either pay their mortgage, like the promised when they bought the place, or I want to become part owner of the home I'M PAYING FOR!

$700 billion dollars is $2,300 for every man, woman, and child in America.  Can any of you afford an additional $200 a month in expenses per person in your home?

Let these people fail.  Let these people who bought homes sell them and move out into an apartment.  This is a bullshit idea, and it's only a bandaid for a bigger problem.  What are we getting for our money?  What consequences are these lenders and homeowners facing for their bad business decisions?  "Too big to fail" means "too big to exist".  I'm sick of paying for everyone else.  I pay my fair share, plus more.  I pay taxes that some of you may never pay.  I pay more in taxes then my neighbor makes in a year.  Where's my "bail out"?

When is Nancy going to care about making MY MORTGAGE PAYMENT?  Heads up politicians:  Every, single one of you that votes for this is going to be publicly outed by me and I will vote against any one who votes for this.  You vote for this, you obviously have no brain in your head and you are not fit to lead.

We'll start at the top:  Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and anyone, including Republicans, else.

 

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Poor Management

Please meet poor idea.

The current financial crisis facing our country has been caused by the extreme right-wing economic policies pursued by the Bush administration.  These policies, which include huge tax breaks for the rich, unfettered free trade and the wholesale deregulation of commerce, have resulted in a massive redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the very wealthy. 

The middle class has really been under assault.  Since President Bush has been in office, nearly 6 million Americans have slipped into poverty, median family income for working Americans has declined by more than $2,000, more than 7 million Americans have lost their health insurance, over 4 million have lost their pensions, foreclosures are at an all time high, total consumer debt has more than doubled, and we have a national debt of over $9.7 trillion dollars.

While the middle class collapses, the richest people in this country have made out like bandits and have not had it so good since the 1920s.  The top 0.1 percent now earn more money than the bottom 50 percent of Americans, and the top 1 percent own more wealth than the bottom 90 percent.

But they also pay 90% of the taxes.

In my view, we need to go forward in addressing this financial crisis by insisting on four basic principles:

(1) The people who can best afford to pay and the people who have benefited most from Bush’s economic policies are the people who should provide the funds for the bailout.  It would be immoral to ask the middle class, the people whose standard of living has declined under Bush, to pay for this bailout while the rich, once again, avoid their responsibilities.  Further, if the government is going to save companies from bankruptcy, the taxpayers of this country should be rewarded for assuming the risk by sharing in the gains that result from this government bailout.

Specifically, to pay for the bailout, which is estimated to cost up to $1 trillion, the government should:

a)  Impose a five-year, 10 percent surtax on income over $1 million a year for couples and over $500,000 for single taxpayers.  That would raise more than $300 billion in revenue;

Reduce spending?  Nah, even with the majority of the top financial minds in America saying that spending needs to be curbed, obviously the problem lies in that there needs to be more taxes.  Of course!  It all makes sense now!

Travis

Thank You, Mr. Biden

So I’m watching the O’Reilly Factor the other day, as I do every day and the news clip of Joe Biden was playing where he alluded to the fact that it is our patriotic duty to pay higher taxes. In other words, by contributing to income re-distribution we will become patriots? Hmmm? I thought that was Communism? Damn, for my entire life I was lied to and was told that Communism was bad. I feel truly enlightened now that the Democrats have finally shed light on all the misinformation I was fed over the years. Wow, you mean the whole twenty five years I was in the Navy, that my shipmates and I sailed dangerously close to communist Russia in order to rid the world of oppressive communism for nothing? You mean my Commanders were lying to me when I was trained to defend our country from the Communist Soviet Union, North Korea, Cuba, and China? Whew, I feel so much better now that the Democratic vice Presidential candidate is the smartest politician in the United States. Those damn Republicans had it wrong all these years I guess. And here I was a believer.

I don’t consider myself a political or economic scholar but, I do know that I came from less than modest means and after many years of hard work and dedication to the service of my country, I became successful. I understand that for some, success is hard and an arduous task. And that for others, misfortune can happen beyond individual control. However, with every opportunity the United States government, civic organizations, charities, foundations, religious organizations and community volunteers make available, there is no reason for anyone to be in need of a percentage of every individual Americans paycheck. If you think that Americans are going to sit by and let some left-wing Washington ass kisser take their hard earned money in order to appease the progressive factions of their party, then Joe Biden is not the smartest Politian in America, he’s the dumbest. If the citizens of the United States let this monstrosity happen by electing two of the hardest lefties in the nation’s history as President and vice President, then we got what we deserved. Not only am I clinging to my guns and religion, but my hard earned cash too Joe.

Navy Chief

United Stated Navy. Retired.

The Bluff

Obama:  I will meet with Iranian leaders!

Ahmadinejad:  Ok.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad put Barack Obama on the spot Thursday, offering to debate with both U.S. presidential candidates when he arrives at the United Nations next week for its annual summit.

The fiery Iranian leader, who provoked a storm of controversy when he visited last year, said he would debate global issues at a public forum in UN headquarters if the candidates agreed.

Obama said early in his campaign that, as president, he would be prepared to meet the leaders of U.S. foes such as Iran and Syria.

The statement sparked a sharp rebuke from Republican candidate John McCain, who argued it showed the Illinois senator's inexperience in knowing how to deal with recalcitrant leaders on the world stage.

Leading UN powers have been in a standoff with Iran over that country's refusal to roll back its nuclear ambitions, which the United States and its allies believe are aimed at producing a nuclear bomb.

Your move Obama.

 

Travis

FINALLY!

Teachers and parents in Dallas, Texas, are angry about new grading policies that they say are dumbing down the district and pushing students through the system who haven't earned it.

Students who fail a test in Dallas this year get to retake it, with the failed score tossed out.

One of the most contentious of the policies allows a student who fails a test to retake it, with the lower score being tossed out.

"Instead of setting high expectations and the high standards and holding them to that, we seem to be wanting to lower the bar and give them an excuse not to succeed," said Dale Kaiser, president of the National Education Association, the teachers union.

Dallas Independent School District officials refused multiple interview requests from CNN. But in interviews with CNN affiliates and in documents outlining the grading policy, district officials say the goal of the grading system is to emphasize learning, not failure.

"This is not about giving anybody any sort of free ride. What this is about is giving students a second chance to be successful," John Dahlander, a spokesman for the school district, told CNN-affiliate WFAA.

The policy allowing failed test scores to be thrown out is just one of several changes to the grading policy that went into effect at the start of this school year.

Other grading policies include:

• For elementary and middle school students, only homework grades "that raise a student's average" will be recorded.

• Students must be given one opportunity to turn in homework assignments that weren't finished on time.

• Parents must be contacted before a teacher records a zero in the grade book.

"I think it's ridiculous," said parent Bobbie Wilhite. "It's tough out there once you get out of high school. We're already namby-pamby enough for our kids."

Finally, I'm not the only one noticing that kids these days are being hand held throughout their lives, and are totally unprepared for the real world.

"only home grades that raise the average" are recorded?  What kind of bullshit line of thinking is that?  Does your boss only think of things when doing your annual review that make you look better?  Of course, not, he/she looks at the whole picture.  Then they decide on how much your raise should be accordingly.  Don't like it?  Get another job or work harder.

What the fuck are parents needing to be told for their kid getting a zero?  Why are they allowed to turn in an assignment late?  We were allowed that, but you automatically lost a percentage of your grade every day it was late, sometimes even by the hour.  After I believe it was 3 days, you shouldn't even bother, because even if the paper was perfect, you still failed.

It's a rough world people, and when you coddle your kids, you are telling them that it's ok to hide under mommy's skirt and she'll protect you at all times.  When mommy retires or dies, then they will have a meltdown sometime in the future, I guarantee it.

It's time to go back to the old ways.  Kids got out of line?  They got swatted by the teacher or principal.  Don't show up?  You get detention.  Homework not up to snuff?  You fail.  Fail enough times, you repeat the grade.  You will grow up and know how to think and act properly, I promise you that if these things are reenacted.

Want to know what the real world is like?  Here you go:

It's just not as intense, but the rules are the same.  First time, every time.  Watch your team mates back.  Work hard and you will be rewarded.

 

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com