The view from my office

This just in: Green Eggs and Ham was written when his publisher challenged Dr. Seuss to write a story using only 50 words.

Elsewhere...

The GOP Path to Prosperity is part Smoke and Mirrors and part...a good idea.

The GOP is acting as if their attack on Medicare is the only part of their budget plan that people disagree with. There are actually three parts: (1) rework Medicare, (2) reduce spending wherever possible and (3) lower the tax rate another 10%.

Here is where I stand: (1) Go ahead and rework Medicare, but don't do it with a voucher that will be of no value by the time I get there. Instead, raise the age limit to qualify. Raise it slowly. This is fair since we are now healthier and living longer than when this was first put in place. (2) Everyone wants to reduce spending. The Democrats want to keep government oversight which costs money. Like I have said before, watch the money-changers but let manufacturing do its job. (3) The top income tax rate needs to be back at 70%. I know that seems high but that is where it was in the 70's. Right now, the rich pay less than 20% on their income while you and I pay 35%. We are paying a higher rate on a smaller amount. Any budget that cuts taxes for the rich - again - needs to be tossed out along with those that propose it. By the way, GOP sweetheart Cain, is calling for the elimination of Capital Gains taxes. This is a tax most often applies to the rich in place of income tax. He is a big believer that someday, a job will be created through tax cuts.

Is it just me or is Galaxy Quest a pretty good movie?

Michelle Bachman has found her soapbox. She wants to eliminate ObamaCare. I want it fixed. However, every time she chants to repeal it, I hear the following, "If elected, I will make sure every 18 to 26-year-old in this country will suddenly find themselves cast off from their parents health insurance policy."

Onward...

Have you heard of Lulzsec? This is the hacker group that is hacking into everything from Xbox accounts to senate emails. They actually have hotlines set up where you can request a hack. There are phone numbers you can call. And yet, no one seems to know where these people are. I actually applaud them. They are basically saying the internet is not secure. They are pointing out a situation that we'd all rather ignore. However, when China wants to shut down our power grids, we'd better be ready to sleep in the dark - or start getting serious about security.

The AARP is okay with taking a look at Social Security. I am okay with looking at it. I am also okay with fixing it so it will be there when I need it. When Social Security was first set up, they anticipate us using it for a couple of years and then dying of old age. Today, we just live too long. I think they need to raise the eligibility age.

For you techies: The Chromebook sucks. This is a cheap laptop that relies on "the cloud" to be functional. Few apps and spotty, high-speed internet make this thing more of a doorstop than a computer. Additionally, you have to pay for data transfer which makes this "cheap" computer suddenly very expensive. Someday, maybe five years from now, we will all have high-speed internet with unlimited downloading ability. Until that time, give this a pass.

The Navy had its Rail-Gun project terminated. I can see why. It's very expensive and there is not certainty that it will work. However, a rail gun is really cool. Imagine shooting a pellet at a target a thousand miles away with such speed and precision that they can knock and ICBM out of the sky as it's lifting off.

All of the best Science Fiction books have rail guns in them.

Who is Tiger Woods?

Did you see that Clarence Clemons from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band last Saturday? This guy was great. By the way, the Boss is now 61! Makes me feel old. He was 25 when he wrote Born to Run. Check out Clarence in the video at the end of this blog.

Trouble brewing...

Microsoft bought Skype and now 8 of Skype executives have left the building. Microsoft better not screw this company up.

A quote for the day: "The expenses of government, having for their object the interest of all, should be borne by everyone, and the more a man enjoys the advantages of society, the more he ought to hold himself honored in contributing to those expenses." Anne Robert Jacques Turgot (a French economist from the 18th century)

There are Republican tax evaders and Democrat regulators afoot. I must run to help save the world from our elected leaders.

Up, up and away...

jim

The View from my back porch

This just in:  Time-traveling Sea Monkeys Make Bad Mates.

This is an actual headline from Wired.com.  Apparently, a sea monkey can stay in its egg if the environment is ... unsound.  They can stay there for decades.  But, if you wake one of these old timers up and then allow it to mate with one from the current era, the one from the current era will have his or her lifespan shortened by 12%.

What's amazing about this is (1) someone did the study and (2) someone else published the results. Amazing...but not important

Here is a funny picture I found online (funny but not important):

Sorry I didn't post yesterday.  I was busy standing on runways with my thumb out.  Sometimes this actually works.  Once, in Wyoming, I was late to the airport.  I waved at the plane as it was heading towards the runway.  The pilot actually came back and got me.  Yesterday I was 2 for 2 on successful standbys.  Home by 5pm instead of midnight.  But that's not important.

Elsewhere...

A guy was arrested for refusing to pull up his pants on an airplane.  Apparently, they were looking too cool to be pulled up.  The pilot asked him to get off the plane and when the guy refused...busted.  (cool but not important)

There is a new fear in congress.  In the rush to point fingers at each other for every small transgression, they suddenly realized that they have significantly lowered the bar for which they can be chastised.  At one time, you had to do something really, really bad.  Now if you break wind with gusto during a debate, they will take an immediate vote to see if you should be cast out of the chamber.  The fear is that they can't behave in a way that meets their own standards. (interesting but not important)

Here is a link to a site where a guy tabulated the latest sex scandal by political party.  In the end, can't we just say this is a "guy" thing and not a Democrat or Republican thing?  I'd much rather see them working on laws to curb gang violence than discussing Twitter issues.  (funny but not important)

Breaking news:  The reason Saudi women cannot drive is not because it's against the law. Apparently, the local religious leaders warn that women, not with their husbands, will hook up with other men.  Simply put, they can't be trusted.  Why don't they just tether them to the kitchen or Bedroom.  This seems to be very akin to keeping a pet, not a spouse.  (amazing but not all that important)

The United Nations took a vote and are now in favor of wagging their fingers at Gay Discrimination.  That ought to bring about a bunch of change - not.  (a weak, and unimportant effort)

This is semi-important:  70 countries were surveyed as to how their educations systems ranked.  The United States ranks 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math.  This marks a continued drop for us amongst other countries the world.

We rank poorly because we fund poorly.  We fund poorly because the rich do not pay their fair share of taxes.

This brings us to what is really important: The Economy

As I have said many times before, Congress is not qualified to make decisions about the economy.  Even if they were qualified, they have no motivation to make things better.  Every poll that I see tells me that the GOP "might" win if the economy stays down.  They will "definitely" lose if the economy improves.  They have no interest in seeing an improvement so they actively work against all efforts to do just that.

I have assembled a panel to discuss a couple of issues.  Here are our panel members:

Alan Greenspan: Former head of the Federal Reserve with a PhD in Economics

Ben Bernanke: Current head of the Federal Reserve with a PhD in Economics

Robert Reich: Former Harvard professor of Economics.  Former secretary of Labor.  Studied economics at Oxford as a Rhode Scholar.

John Boehner: Congressman with an undergraduate degree in Business (too 7 years to finish)

Me: Superhero

Topic #1:  Should we borrow money to give tax breaks to the rich? I say no.  Alan Greenspan agrees with me.  Boehner says it's a good idea.

Topic #2: Should we use the Debt Ceiling as a political tool?  I say no.  Ben Bernake agrees with me.  Boehner says it's a good idea.

Topic #3:  What happens when you lower the tax rate for the rich.  I say the rich get richer and the middle class disappears.  Robert Reich agrees with me. Boehner says lowering the tax rate creates jobs.  When I ask him when, he says, "Sometime later..."

So there you have it.  The Republican party's "plan for prosperity" is not supported by anyone with any knowledge of economics.  You must watch this following video.  Once you have seen it, pass it on to someone else.  If everyone in our country saw and understood what was being said here, there would be a revolution.

THIS IS IMPORTANT!

You to can help save the world.  Pass this video along.

Up, up and away...

jim