Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Election 2008: Over Just Yet?

The votes are in and it looks like Obama has won. But the electors have still not yet finished their deliberations. If something were to arise...

Remember my blog about Obama's questionable citizenship? Well it's actually becoming an issue. Philip J. Berg's case against Obama was dismissed because the court said he did not have adequate standing. Now Alan Keyes has filed a lawsuit in California questioning Obama's eligibility to be president. Other cases have been raised in Ohio, Connecticut,Washington, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Hawaii, and there were reports of other cases being developed in Utah, Wyoming,Florida, New York, North Carolina, Texas, California and Virginia. Why is this not national news? Like it or not, our media has a very strong left-wing bias. To be honest, I'm having a tough time understanding how an issue like this has gone on for so long. All Obama has to due is produce the paperwork. It should be available to the public anyway, and it would be a sure way to win at least eight law suits. Unless he isn't a citizen.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Moving foward.

The election is over. Barack is done talking. Its time for him to be tested. I pray he passes. We, as American citizens, have elected for significant change. I hope Barack can take us in the right direction. Change can be for better or worse. Let's make sure its for better.

McCain's Concession Speech

They say the best way to discover the character of somebody is to watch how they take a loss. Issues aside, I thought McCain demonstrated a phenomenal character. I truly believe McCain to be first and foremost a servant to his country. He has been in service of this country for some fifty years and I believe he has continually viewed it as his duty and a priviledge. There can be no denying that his heart is in the right place and that he always wanted what was best for America.

McCain, you've served this nation with dignity and honor your entire life. Give yourself a break. Enjoy your family and your time with them. God knows you've earned it more than anyone.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Polls: reliable?

I had been thinking: how reliable are the polls we see on tv, etc? While he is ahead, Obama's numbers consistently remain within the 46%-49% range. He may have more than McCain, but that doesn't mean he has a majority. There is a lot of undecided voters out there who have the capability to sway the election significantly. I believe that the election will result in either a close win for McCain or a landslide for Obama. I hope its the former.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

McCain coming here?

I just heard that McCain is coming to GJ on Tuesday. FMHS is the only school in session that particular day. Sorry teachers, but I probably won't be there. Who would've thought that both Palin and McCain would be stopping in little ole' GJ during this election season? I'm down with it.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

America's Tax System in Relative Terms: Beer

This does a good job accurately portraying the American tax system. Honestly, I don't think it's necessary to tax the rich even more. They pay just enough. More, they may leave America and not pay at all. Less, we wouldn't have as much money. I think things ar okay. Tell me what you think of this portrayal of the system, and try to find any kinks or problems with it.

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 his 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 I!'
'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, Lorraine, 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.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
-taken from an e-mail from a friend

Polls, etc.

Obama is doing fantastic in the polls. McCain is catching up, but its doubtful he will overtake him. These next couple of years will be interesting with a Democratic Executive and Legislative. Nothing ever good comes when a single party controls both the Presidency and Congress, be they Democrat or Republican. Expect to see alot of bills passed within the first two years as Obama begins his administration of change. Whether that change will be for the best or worst, nobody knows. I hope we won't have to learn the hard way.