BloggeRhythms 5/7/2013

Nearing the huge possibilities potentially arising from the upcoming congressional investigation into the “truths” of what actually took place in Benghazi, I’m impatiently waiting while simultaneously trying not to get my hopes up too high.

 

And that’s because, when politicians are involved facts and reality often become distorted. Debating games and misleading diversions are frequently introduced to camouflage matters so that responsible party’s can escape retribution and/or evade ramifications of totally unacceptable job performance.

 

However, while certainly hoping that those actually guilty of gross mismanagement, and perhaps even the loss of the lives of the four fallen U.S. citizens, are finally held accountable, I'd also like to see an additional result.

 

Because if this investigation is handled properly by the inquirers, I believe it will point out what happens when responsible individuals are totally unqualified for the jobs they hold, right up to and including the Secretary of State.

 

And then, beyond that, considering the importance of the nation’s international security there needs to be a way to take pure politics out of the equation. Because at present, including the POTUS, its glaringly obvious that this inexperienced group of continually electioneering politicos have absolutely no idea about what they’re doing regarding foreign threats to us.

 

In that particular regard, including Boston, we now have two dramatic illustrations of what happens when leadership’s first thought is how to handle the politics of tragic occurrences instead of immediately taking swift and appropriate action.

 

However, what we’re now seeing is that if doing the right thing refutes ridiculous, untrue and embarrassing presidential statements, then every attempt will be made to cover-up or distort the facts of the matter. And, whereas politicizing matters significantly lowers the nation’s capability to defend itself properly, perhaps this week’s investigation will put us back on the right track toward reality. Instead of letting our enemies utilize our present misguidance to blatantly harm us here and abroad as they choose.

 

That’s it for today folks.

 

Adios

BloggeRhythms 5/6/2013

I’ve posted many entry's over time regarding Hillary, who’s leveraged being the boss’ wife to a whole new level entirely. Most of my more recent thoughts centered on her never, to  my knowledge, accomplishing a single worthwhile or important thing on her own, yet retaining consideration as a potential presidential candidate.

 

Then last week, when it appeared that the Benghazi issue was soon to  finally be reviewed in Congress, I mentioned that perhaps now, the whole truth will come out, although the “whistle-blower’s” story’s had yet to surface. And, right after that, I wrote of my disbelief regarding Nancy Pelosi’s opining that “Hillary 'Would Be the Most Qualified Person to Enter the White House in Modern History,” listing several key examples in response, completely refuting Pelosi’s ridiculous statement.

 

I mention this again today because if I’d waited a few days before posting the preceding thoughts, I could have saved myself a few pages of keystrokes due to the following. 

 

This morning, I came across an article by James Rosen and Chad Pergram on Fox News.com containing a paragraph which, I think, pretty much sums up Hillary’s approach when things she’s responsible for go awry. And to get the full effect, I think you have to read it the way I did, with an open mind, just absorbing the words across the page, as follows:

  

“Clinton testified about Benghazi for the first and only time in January of this year, shortly before leaving office. She had long delayed her testimony, at first because she cited the need for the ARB to complete its report, and then because she suffered a series of untimely health problems that included a stomach virus, a concussion sustained during a fall at home, and a blood clot near her brain, from which she has since recovered. However, Clinton was never interviewed by the ARB she convened.”

 

Now, as I read the list of excuses for evading this important issue, given by the then Secretary of State of the United Sates of America, no-less, it came across to me as similar to a child’s solemn testimony that the dog ate her homework.

 

And what’s worse than that is her apparent incredibly low opinion of the intellect of others which seems to me similar to her husband’s when he infantily defined what comprises sex. And as for me, I would think  both of these supposedly intellectually gifted people could each come up with scenarios far better than the one’s they ultimately chose.

 

However, the point is, I think that regardless of the word’s used, the alibi’s illustrate the competency of the individuals involved. And in Hillary’s case her responses reconfirm that on her own, not only was she unqualified for the critically important positions she'd gained by nepotism, when tested under fire, even her excuses demonstrated no significant, impressive nor creative skill at all.

 

That’s it for today folks.

 

Adios

BloggeRhythms 5/5/2013

According to Jonathan Stempel and Jennifer Ablan of Reuters: “Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. on Friday said quarterly profit rose nearly 51 percent on a solid performance in insurance and by many of its other businesses, as well as gains from investments and derivatives.”

They further report that, “Net income increased to $4.89 billion, or $2,977 per Class A share, from $3.25 billion, or $1,966 per share, a year earlier.” And that: “Book value per share, Buffett's preferred measure of growth, increased 5.5 percent from year end to $120,525 per Class A share, and Berkshire's cash stake grew over that period to $49.09 billion from $46.99 billion.”

I mention this because Warren Buffett’s one of my favorite subjects in regard to not only how government subtly buys support from high-profile figures, but also that even when you’re the third richest person in the world you can still be bought if the price is right. In Buffet’s case, if my memory serves,  he was quietly given sweetheart deals in preferred bank stocks, which may be why he continually promotes raising taxes on the “rich,” whom he claims don’t pay enough.

Seeing Berkshire’s results today, however, made me look back for articles I recall on the subject of Buffet and taxes, and found one from 08/29/11 in the Huffington Post, as follows: “Berkshire Hathaway, the eighth-largest pubic company in the world according to Forbes, openly admits to still owing taxes for years 2002 through 2004 and 2005 through 2009, according to the New York Post. The company says it expects to "resolve all adjustments proposed by the US Internal Revenue Service" within the next year.”

The piece goes on to say that, “But The Post doesn't focus on the issue of a major corporation not paying its correct amount in taxes in a timely manner. Instead, the newspaper criticizes Buffett's position that America's rich should be taxed at a higher rate, taking issue with Buffett's claim that he gave 17 percent of his income to the government in 2010. The Post contends that since the majority of his income comes from dividends and capital games -- taxed indirectly through the corporate income tax -- "his effective rate would really be well north of 40 percent for a big chunk of his income." 

 

And then the article concludes in a manner that I absolutely agree with, which is why I looked the subject up in the first place: "And if [Buffett's] firm wants to keep its tax bill low, well, that’s its right," The Post editors write. "But it would be nice if this 'pro-tax-hike' tycoon were a bit more honest about it."

So, here we have another example of those who continually comment on what’s right for others, while performing completely differently themselves, which is something I find incredibly repulsive. Because, I don’t give a good GD what Warren Buffet does in regard to his own or his businesses taxes and couldn’t care less about his beliefs and compunctions. My only desire is that whatever the case is, he simply keep his mouth shut about it.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

BloggeRhythms 5/4/2013

No matter how much cooperatively-sounding hot air the administration, and especially the incumbent himself continually spews, the truth remains that he heads the most overbearing, freedom strangling regulatory cadre that’s ever existed.

    

Fox News.com, posted a further proof of that economy-shrinking posture on their website today, as follows: “President Obama, in each of his last three State of the Union addresses, spoke urgently of the need to cut through the "red tape" in Washington. 

 

But regulatory costs for the American public and business community, it turns out, soared during his first term. A new report by the conservative Heritage Foundation estimates that annual regulatory costs increased during Obama's first four years by nearly $70 billion -- with more regulations in store for term two. 

 

"While historical records are incomplete, that magnitude of regulation is likely unmatched by any administration in the nation's history," the report said.”

 

What’s more, as the report goes on, the huge, economy-crippling costs and inane regulations  aren’t the whole story because: “The analysis by Heritage did not count every single regulation issued in Obama's first term, but looked at "major" regulations impacting the private sector. It came up with 131 over the past four years -- many of them environmental. In addition to the $70 billion in annual costs from those rules, the report estimated that new regulations from the first term led to roughly $12 billion in one-time "implementation costs."

 

So, here’s another case -as seen in the business-crippling effects of budget-breaking health care taxes and tripling costs of fuel for no valid reason- where there’s been a definitive decision to enact legislation and regulation without knowing a thing about the facts of the matter, while letting political pandering override the nation’s easily solvable financial problems.

 

Now, in conclusion I realize that to this administration which has run the national debt up to almost $17 trillion, $70 billion or more isn’t even a drop in the bucket. But, even though I’m not an economist or PHD in money-management, it still seems to me that just a little bit of forethought, common sense and application of even the most basic budgeting fundamentals might go a long way toward setting things right again. But for some reason, that kind of thinking never enters the picture anymore.    

     

That’s it for today folks.

 

Adios

BloggeRhythms 5/3/2013

I’d almost forgotten completely about Nancy Pelosi since she no longer does whatever it was she used to do before she got blown out of her post in Congress. However, today she was quoted in The Blog by Daniel Halper in The Weekly Standard, via Drudge on-line.

 

I mention her because much like her total ignorance of the horrendous health care tax details, likely to become the worst bill ever rammed through in the history of the nation, she sounded just as dumb today as when she said that if you want to know what’s in the bill’s 1990 pages, you’re going to have to read it yourself.

 

Her ridiculous comment today was: “Hillary 'Would Be the Most Qualified Person to Enter the White House in Modern History.”

 

Then she continued, “With all due respect to President Clinton when he went in, President Obama, and President Bush and everybody else.”

 

Next, she listed these credentials "She participated in the history as a first lady -- an active first lady -- saw first hand the challenges and urgency, the weight of the world on the shoulder of the president. As a senator, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, all of her work there representing in her own right the people of her state. And as secretary of state, just with such dignity, and making us all so proud, representing our country, our values, our strength throughout the world, in a way that I don't know that anybody can do because nobody has been first lady and senator and now secretary of state. So putting everything aside that she is a woman, she'd be the best qualified person we've seen -- with all due respect to President Clinton when he went in, President Obama, and President Bush and everybody else."

 

As for me though, I remember the Hillary years quite clearly and have a completely different opinion.

 

As I recall, while hanging around the White House trying to figure out how to get her own foot in the national politics door, she locked herself up in a room with Ira Magaziner and created a health care bill of her own that when finished was so ridiculous Bill told her to take the worthless pile of paperwork and stuff it. Furthermore, as first lady, she had no authority to address the subject in the first place.

 

Then after Bill narrowly avoided impeachment for lying to Congress they moved to New York where she carpet-bagged a senate seat she really had no earned right to at all. But when you’re the wife of a powerful Democrat ex-president in New York State, you can do pretty much what you want, whether you deserve the free rides it allows or not.

 

Now, although I’ve lived in New York my whole lifer, I really can’t remember what she did for the state because, frankly, I don’t recall her accomplishing anything at all. I do however, vaguely recollect thinking that her relocation here was simply a stepping stone to a national presence and for her, since she did zip in Arkansas, a much better place to crawl in under the door and gain some kind of national recognition.

 

Without going into much further detail of my recollection, I’ll move on to the present and her four years of taxer-paid travel to everywhere on the globe except where anything was needed that took experience or first-hand knowledge or training.

 

But, whatever the case, the real example of her job capabilities and international skills will likely all boil down to Benghazi which next week will be exposed by a Congressional investigative committee as a leadership failure.  Four citizen’s lives were lost due to incompetence, miscommunication, and total management starting right from the top of the State Department during her watch.

 

So, coming back to dimwit Pelosi, I‘ve got to wonder how someone can continually put partisan politics above all else, to the extent that she simply doesn’t care about how big a fool she continually makes of herself. I’d think that, sometime or other, even she would stop to consider what rational people likely think of her.

 

And while I doubt that she’ll ever change, either because she can’t or simply won’t, I think it’s remarkable that someone can be as continually wrong as she is and not have the self-respect to consider how incredibly poor her judgment is before continually shooting off her mouth.

 

That’s it for today folks.

 

Adios

 

BloggeRhythms 5/2/2013

Interesting day for those watching the wheels fall off the current administration. 

 

While hard evidence continues to build establishing a cover-up regarding the facts surrounding the poor judgment shown by leadership regarding Benghazi, and that Hillary was apparently at fault far more than touted by the White House, its becoming increasingly evident that the Boston terrorist attack was also handled incompetently, whereas the agencies involved are tripping all over each other due to politicizing efforts from the top.  

But, while these stories continue gathering momentum, another item caught my eye this morning, written by Michael Bathon & Kit Chellel of Bloomberg.com via Drudge.

According to the article, “Coda Holdings Inc., parent of the electric-car maker backed by billionaire Philip Falcone, filed for bankruptcy and will seek to sell its assets to a group led by a Fortress Investment Group LLC (FIG) unit for $25 million.”

What’s most interesting though, is: “Coda’s bankruptcy is at least the third by an electric vehicle-related company in just over a year. A123 Systems Inc. a battery supplier to Fisker Automotive Inc., another California-based maker of electric cars, filed for bankruptcy in October. Ener1 Inc., also a maker of batteries for electric cars, entered bankruptcy in January 2012.”

I mention these three wastes of time and money, spurred on by close-minded, backward-thinking environmentalists because of their timing in relation to a piece written by Barnini Chakraborty on Fox News.com, regarding energy source discoveries right here at home.

Mr. Chakraborty writes that “These world-class formations contain even more energy resource potential than previously understood, which is important information as we continue to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of oil.” newly confirmed Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Tuesday in a statement.

The article continues: “The new U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are 7.4 billion barrels of oil, 6.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 0.53 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin Province of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.”

So, for the past five years we’ve been paying foreigners thorough the nose, killing our economy and breaking the back of job growth and development while sitting on just about as much oil as exists in the Middle East. To me, this is so far beyond ridiculous and simple common sense that I can’t even begin to comprehend the inanity of it. 

 

But, the good news is, that as more and more examples of the administration’s domestic incapability's and flat-out economic and foreign policy ignorance continue to mount, even the dimmest-witted Democrats are beginning to see the light. And that means, with a little luck, we might even begin rebuilding the nation from what’s been left over despite the continuing leftist attempts to destroy it.

That’s it for today folks.

 

Adios

BloggeRhythms 5/2/2013

It’s déjà vu all over again with the ADP National Employment Report showing that “Private-sector hiring slowed again in April as companies added the fewest employees in seven months, the latest sign the economy is encountering a soft patch.” 

 

ADP wrote that: “Businesses added 119,000 employees to their payrolls last month, falling short of economists' expectations for a gain of 150,000 jobs. It was the smallest gain since last September.” 

 

Now, although the number's are no surprise to me, whereas the administration's purposefully blocked off every avenue to recovery there is, I found an interesting item by Jeff Cox, CNBC.com Senior Writer via Drudge, titled: 'Real' Jobless Rate Still Above 10% In Most States. 

 

According to Mr. Cox, “Two months from now, revised government estimates are likely to show that the economy is even bigger than the currently stated $15 trillion.”

 

However, what’s most fascinating is how and why the administration wants the revision done.   

 

”According to Michael Pento, founder of Pento Portfolio Strategies, “It shouldn't come as a surprise they are going to change the way this number is reported. [Because] "When GDP numbers are chronically bad -averaging just 1.45 percent in the last two quarters- and the labor force participation rate is perpetually falling, our government will do the same thing they did for the inflation data—tinker with the formula until you get the desired result." 

 

Samples of the “new math” include,  adding research and development spending, as well as the capital value of all books, movies, records, television programs and plays produced since 1929. 

 

While the raised revisions will, of course, increase the economy's size, they'll also skew the ratio of debt to GDP, an important element in determining government spending.  And Mr. Pento's last thoughts sadly contain the really disturbing truth of the matter: "The fact is that the U.S. economy isn't growing fast enough to significantly increase the revenue to the government, but our debt is still soaring. It's a shame they won't just implement real measures to grow the economy like reduce regulations, simplify the tax code and balance the budget."

 

There’s a considerable amount of interesting information in the article, so here’s a link: Real' Jobless Rate Still Above 10% In Most States 

 

And then, I had to include this next one, when I stopped laughing long enough to start typing again. 

 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, also via Drudge: “Al Gore Rocks Crowd With Global Warming Speech.” 

 

The article began by stating that “Al Gore, one of Hollywood's favorite sons because of his commitment to the environment, rocked a large crowd in Beverly Hills on Tuesday with an impassioned plea to solve the "climate change crisis," part of which is getting media right.” 

 

Then it continues: “But he was most animated, his voice pitching higher and lower and the volume steadily increasing, when he spoke of global warming. "This is for real. It is not made up. The scientists are not in a conspiracy to lie to us." Gore nearly shouted. 

 

Now, I’m not surprised that show-business types, most of whom have lower IQ’s than tree stumps, are awed by Gore, especially when sitting in Beverly Hills where the temperatures always around 75. But I would think that even they’d be capable of reading a paper or watching the news and comprehend that we’re not only in the midst of the second coldest spring ever on record, but its still snowing in parts of the nation. 

 

So, I have to repeat myself once more, whereas its appropriate and also because the image is perfect. 

 

What I said way back then was that AlGore reminds me of Saddam Hussein’s media spokesman who was broadcasting live from Baghdad, reporting that their side was winning the war and not to worry. And while he was still talking, U.S. Marines walked in, picked him up and carried him out by the ankles and elbows and threw him into a waiting van outside. 

 

And that, I believe. will be very similar to AlGore’s final scenario as he barks and bellows about global warming’s threat, while being buried up to his nose in an early May snowdrift. 

 

That’s it for today folks 

 

Adios