Whats Kept Me Away

(Photo Credit: ouramazingplanet.com)

Between that giant of a rain storm and my obligations this week, this blog has unfortunately taken a back seat since last week. But no need to worry, I have a few posts lined up for the weekend and I'll have them up as soon as I can type them up.

Taking a Break

For the weekend. Got some car and computer maintenance to take car of, along with some studying and of course, the Singapore GP!
I'll be back here on Monday. Until then, au revoir!

From The Party of 'NO!', To The Party of "Repeat and Recycle"

(Photo Credit: nydailynews.com)

  As far as I'm concerned the Pledge to America is the same rhetoric we've been hearing from the GOP when they're not criticizing everything that moves. While their messiah, dear old Regan, has said that the "Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: if it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” Their stance as of lately hasn't been any better: "If it moves, criticize it, if it keeps moving, call it something ridiculous and sensational, and if it stops moving, say the same thing we've been saying for decades." While I commend the party on releasing something other than criticism, you really do not bring anything new, or anything different to the table. It has been the same platform that has seen you voted in and ultimately out of office.

Stubborn little party you are.

The Inevitable Pledge to America

(Photo Credit: toothpastefordinner.com)

  Well, I did say a couple of days ago, that the GOP was still floundering around with no real agenda, and needed something voters could hold them to come election time. Today, two days after that post, we have the GOP's 'Pledge To America'. I'm personally thrilled by the fact that the GOP is finally doing something to be competitive. Will this be the necessary tool Republican candidates needed for the election? Maybe, maybe not. I'm still pretty undecided (I'll have a definitive answer in the morning), and the effect this will have can really go in any direction. But let me just point out some things the GOP dropped the ball on.

• First: The language on the economy seems fairly acceptable (this is coming from a Friedman and Keynes fan), except that the Bailouts weren't as big a failure as they make it seem. Sure, the oversight into Executive Bonuses was a flop (something I think was completely unacceptable on part of Congress), but as Fareed Zarkaria of Newsweek points out, the Bailouts worked. As painful as it was to see billions of dollars head to companies that ran themselves into the ground, it was absolutely necessary to avoid a situation that would have been 10x as worse as what we experienced a year and a half ago. Just because the Bailouts didn't spell out a booming recovery, doesn't mean you can consider it a failure.
• Also, Pre-Stimulus and Pre-Bailout spending levels wont be enough to drastically "Cut Government Spending." While you go on to list ways to further cut spending, I suggest you look towards the out of control and ballooning Intelligence Community and the equally ballooning Pentagon. Both of which are becoming increasingly inefficient in regards to the amount of money being thrown at them. Defense if vital, but not when it runs wild like this.

• Second, and continuing on with Defense spending, you focus quite A LOT on Iran in regards to National Security.  Sanctions, like some other high profile ones, do not work. Let me repeat, they do NOT, and have NOT worked. Iran has sufficiently found away around the sanctions, and has even positioned itself to benefit from them. Continuing on with them is useless. There is much more power and effectiveness in stripping Iran's pseudo-legitimacy in the region through efforts such as the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks. (That is a whole other discussion that I'll save for later) 

• Thirdly, is retaining 'traditional marriage' a part of your platform seriously something that is even remotely palatable? While social issues will take a backseat to the economy, your misguided and bigoted perspective is something that will not appeal to the country. As the court system in this country continues to disband laws that limit the freedoms of gays, don't you think it might be time to reevaluate that stance? This country has been at the forefront of personal liberty and pursuit, limiting those freedoms to a portion of society flies in complete contrast to everything you say about adhering to the Constitution's fundamentals on liberty and freedom. BS? I see and smell a whole lot!

  GOP, you're coalescing... Somewhat. But you still have some very misconstrued views about what should be done these days. Should you regain the majority, I want you to put your money where your mouth is and implement those economic policies on Day One. I'm holding you to it.  

Six Years Ago Today

  The world changed, and a show that I will never forget began its 6 year long journey. LOST you will be forever missed. Even though your ending was pretty unfulfilling, life goes on, and I thank you for the 6 seasons of mystery, suspense, and general WTF. You made the downtime I had over the summer much more exciting and entertaining. For that I say thank you

-Sincerely, Javs

P.S. In case anyone is interested, there's a pretty cool project over at Lost365.com 

Tom Ashbruck, Thank You!

I'm just going to let you readers, if there are any out there, listen to this round table Tom Ashbruck had on Islam in America a few days ago.
I am very happy someone set the record straight on Islam in this country.
So to you Tom, I say Thank You

Okay Christine O'Donnell, You Can Hate the Media

(Photo credit: topayingideas.com)

  Last night on FOX News' "The Sean Hannity Show", Delaware's GOP Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell renounced the national media saying "I'm not going to do any more national media because this is my focus: Delaware's my focus, and the local media's my focus..." Funny how she made this announcement on one of the largest national media outlets.
  Christine O'Donnell, as a public figure, is really starting to crack me up. First with those old PSA's on Sex-Ed and now with the allegations she practiced witch craft, I am really starting to get a kick out of her. Even though those events are pointless and add nothing to her role as a candidate, its just funny to see how more and more ridiculous these Tea-Party endorsed candidates get. I thought this hilarity would end after Palin, but Christine O'Donnell is sufficiently filling the void.

Video and Transcript from her appearance on the Heannity Show.