Brand Name Productions

Olympian Famiglietti Gets It All Wrong

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:34:10 GMT

I am watching the Olympics today and then Men's 3000m steeplechase came on. Beside that fact that the steeplechase has got to be one of the goofiest races to watch when held on a track (cool idea if you are running through the woods - but on a track with a man-made puddle in the middle of it, not so much), they also had an interview clip of American steeplechase runner Anthony Famiglietti talking about what it means to be a steeplechaser runner.

Famiglietti talks about how hard it is. How you have to push yourself through the pain. I agree with all of that. Any sport at the Olympic level requires mental and physical toughness. Famiglietti then goes on, however, to talk about how being a steeplechaser is the antithesis of the American Dream. That the American Dream is about sitting around being comfortable.

The sad fact is that many people today often confuse the American Dream with what passes for the American lifestyle. The American Dream is not about sitting around, eating cookies, and trying to find the most comfortable couch. The American Dream IS the steeplechase, Mr. Famiglietti. It's about working hard, pushing yourself to be better, and then reaping the rewards of that hard work.

Often times, the siren song of the modern day American lifestyle robs people of the American Dream. Once you get comfortable, it is often easier to stop working hard and coast on whatever success (or whatever handouts) you have if it has given you enough comfort to be satisfied. Unfortunately, many now think that the comforts of the American lifestyle are the American Dream and feel that living the American Dream is a measure of how comfortable you are.

Many people, especially on the left, will tell you that if you don't have the money to buy a big screen TV, you have been left out of the American Dream. If you can't afford a house or lose one because you are an idiot and got a mortgage you eventually couldn't pay, someone has stolen the American Dream from you. Bull sh*t.

The American Dream is the steeplechase. Work hard even when it hurts. Get back up when you fall. Don't stop until you cross the finish line. And when you win, enjoy the spoils of your hard work. The American Dream is that you have the freedom and opportunity to work as hard (or as little) as you want and to keep the results of that hard work and do whatever the heck you want with it - including buying a big screen TV to watch dudes run around a track in a funny little race called the steeplechase.

Europe Proves Itself Spineless Once Again

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:06:04 GMT

With the Russian invasion of Georgia, and anyone that calls it anything different is either a lair, an idiot, or both, shows what a spineless, self indulgent, head in the sand society Europe has become. Considering the centuries of warfare that covered the European continent, it is amazing how fast Europe has become a pack of ninnies incapable or unwilling to take care of their own backyard. From the Balkans to Georgia, Europe has shown it is more like a child unable to manage its own affairs than it is an adult worthy of being on the world stage.

Some may argue that the Russian-Georgia conflict is outside of the European sphere of influence and thus not a concern. If that were the case, then Europe should stop their finger pointing at U.S. actions that they disagree with that happen outside of Europe. Oh yes, many will claim that Europe's criticism (and that is putting it mildly) of the U.S. invasion of Iraq was in their interest because of oil. Well Pierre, don't look now, but Georgia plays a critical role in the world's oil supply as well.

Don't get me wrong, I think the current administration's foreign policy is a mess and the Iraqi war was a blunder of colossal proportions. But a mistakes that we are obligated to fix - adults clean up their messes. Europeans would have cut and run long ago - quit and taken their ball home, much like a child would do. And now, Russia is invading a country. Killing its citizens. Overturning a free society and its government. Yet Europe sits on the sidelines with hardly a protest.

The parallels to Hitler's Germany and the machinations it went through to "justify" its invasion of Czechoslovakia is scarily similar to the moves made by Russia in recent days. Putin may very well be a sane version of Hitler; minus the pogrom against the Jews. Time will tell and given the whimper coming from Western Europe, it would seem that it is once again willing to wait and find out rather than nip things in the bud today. Of course, the Europeans assume that if things get really bad, they can always run back to the skirt of the U.S. of A and let the Yanks put the "scary boogie man" back in the closet.

Jack Nicholson said it best, "I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way."

The Real Truth on Tire Inflation

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:52:32 GMT

While McCain was a bit of a dufus about how we about critiquing Obama's tire inflation comment, a much better explanation can be found here. http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/08/tire_pressure_1.asp

Earmarks Matter

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:07:48 GMT

Check out the graph here - nothing else needs to be said.

Something Both Republicans and Democrats Should Read

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:15:55 GMT

Regardless of which side of the aisle you place your loyalties, it is painfully evident that Congress is broken. Read this...

http://blog.heritage.org/2008/07/29/387-congressmen-agree-running-up-the-deficit-to-pay-for-pork-is-a-good-idea/

387 out of 435. That's 89% of the elected officials in the House of Representatives opted to put the American people and future generations of Americans into even more debt. The solution was easy - give up your pet projects for the greater good. That is the idea of being good stewards of the American taxpayer's money, and more importantly, the future of the American way of life. Instead, they protect themselves and their pet projects.

Send this link to your friends, family, anyone - Republican or Democrat. Yes, you MAY THINK your local representative is "one of the good ones" but statistically speaking, he or she likely isn't. It's time to send a message and send new blood to Washington.

The Next Time Someone in the Government Says "There is No Debate"

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:07:35 GMT

Just show them this...

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=e12b56cb-4c7b-4c21-bd4a-7afbc4ee72f3

The Federal Government's own committee's are hearing directly that there is indeed debate.

People Protesting in Support of Criminal Activity

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:57:05 GMT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25877398/

Let's just break this article down shall we...

About a thousand protesters descended on a small town in northeastern Iowa on Sunday, decrying the raid of a meatpacking plant that arrested nearly 400 residents and calling for a change in federal immigration policies.

"Residents" - hmmmm, weren't a large number of them also illegal immigrants? Why are people protesting the enforcement of the law? Do they protest speeding tickets? Also notice that not a single time, not once, are the words "illegal immigrants" used in this article.

Most of those arrested were Guatemalan and Mexican nationals who lived in the area.

I guess "nationals" is now spin speak for "illegal immigrants".

Some clutched banners and signs such as one that read, "United for immigrant and worker rights."

Hey, I am all for immigrant and worker rights - of course, that would be legal immigrant and legal worker rights.

Shouting into a portable microphone, he said the protesters wanted to stop the criminalization of people who come to the U.S. simply to make a living.

Immigration is about coming to this country to become a citizen. So if that is what you want, get in line. The United States is not the world's social welfare provider. If you sneak in, for whatever reasons, you have broken the law and are a criminal. There is a big difference between those that come in legally and those that don't. One group shows a respect for their new home and its laws and shows they have a certain morale code by which the run their lives. The others basically disregard the laws, say "to hell with the U.S., I gotta get mine" and show how they view abiding by the rule of law. I totally understand and sympathize with the plight that has driven many to that decision, but that does not mean they get a free pass from the law. I don't like to drive slow and am often running late, so should I be able to ignore the speed limit?

Claire Jamison, who said she'd traveled from Minneapolis, wore a hat emblazoned with a U.S. Border Patrol logo and held a sign reading "What would Jesus do? Obey the law."

Claire, you are the best!

"Agriprocessors doesn't have a position on immigration reform ... it's a business," Rubashkin said, emphasizing that he was not speaking on behalf of the company.

The same type of rationale used by drug dealers and organized crime. It's a business. Well, buddy, your company condoned and supported illegal activity, you should be in jail.

Resident Dave Hartley, 50, said he didn't fault protesters for coming to his town to make their point.

"It's not their fault," he said. "It just didn't need to get to this, to a boiling point. People knew what was going on in there, in Agriprocessors, and this could have been dealt with another way."

How would that be Dave? Amnesty? Tell them breaking the law is ok, all is forgive? Hmmmm... tell that to the three people murdered in cold blood in CA last week by an illegal immigrant that was handled "another way" instead of being deported the minute he was arrested years ago. Or maybe you meant strict employer penalties and the denial of social services to illegals to provide an incentive for them to leave (see Oklahoma and the huge success they have had so far)? Yeah, I am sure that is what you meant.

Voter Turnout Drives - Good or Bad?

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:53 GMT

From this article... For Obama, hurdles in expanding black vote

Remove the race aspects of this article, and just focus on the gist of the story. A key part of the presidential campaign (for both sides) focuses on trying to get people to register to vote that have otherwise shown little or no interest in doing so. While certainly every citizen has and deserves the right to vote (with valid ID proving they are who they say they are - an important step missed by the left), if you aren't willing to exercise that right yourself, I don't think you should be "nicely coerced" into doing so. You don't see people running around asking people to "come buy a gun with us to exercise our 2nd Amendment rights".

Granted, registering is one thing and voting is another, but its the totality of the process that makes me dislike the idea of these types of voter registration efforts. First, I come around and persuade you to register. Then I come back later, load you on a bus, drive you to a polling station, all the while doing everything I can to make sure you vote for my candidate. Essentially, I am manipulating the uneducated, disinterested, and possibly unbalanced (reports of registering homeless people are numerous - and no, not all homeless are unbalanced but a large percentage are) to get votes.

I have no problem with the busses if you come into a neighborhood and say, "Anyone registered to vote, I will take you to a polling station". At that point, folks have at least shown some interest in the political process, no matter how small (the exception being automatic voting registration via driver's license but that is an issue for a different time). Part of the right to vote, IMHO, is making an informed decision when exercising the right. Granted, that is hard to quantify, but not registering on your own and then waiting for someone to register you and drive you to a polling station pretty much seems to say you really don't give a damn.

Catching Up to Those Falling Behind

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:34:05 GMT

This MSNBC article discusses how girls are "catching up" to boys in math. Of course, considering the sad state of affairs in the U.S. educational system and the gap between American students and their international counterparts, claiming near parity between the sexes seems to miss the point. Catching up to the person in 54th place means you are still 52 places out of first. Not something to be proud of.

I'm still waiting on the study on why men are minorities in such female dominated professions as nursing, teaching, and exotic dancers.

Awesome Video - Al Needs a Reality Check, or Maybe Those that Listen To Him Do

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:13:55 GMT

http://anti-strib.blogspot.com/2008/07/too-good-not-to-share.html says it all

Idiot Congress Wants to RAISE gas taxes

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:07:41 GMT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25751775/page/2/

The gist of this is that Congress is looking at raising gas taxes to cover a shortfall in transportation funding. WTF?!?!!?! Granted, I think McCain's "Gas Tax Holiday" is complete and total pandering (points to Obama for calling him out on that), but to turn around and say that taxes need to be raised during the worst energy crisis this country has faced in a generation is ridiculous. It is a perfect illustration of the backass-ward thinking by those currently in control of Congress (uhhh, the Democrats for those of you not keeping score).

Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn), the complete idiot sent by the people of MN to congress...

"We'll put all things on the table," Oberstar said, but the gas tax "is the cornerstone. Nothing else will work without the underpinning of the higher user fee gas tax."

Please explain to me how a gas tax is the cornerstone of any solution? Why not funding cuts elsewhere? While the Republicans are a bunch of dips as well, at least Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. has half a clue when he says, "I'm not going to let the Senate spend all this money when nobody is looking, especially when we refuse to stop wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on earmarks." One person that looks at this in a sensible manner.

Any politician or party that does not approach funding with the same responsibilities the average citizen has to keeping their house a float (i.e., creating and maintaining a budget) should be considered unworthy of leading this country. Of course, Congress just buys of the idiots that can't a manage their own finances (mortgage bailouts anyone???) so I guess I am in the minority in thinking that way.

The Debate Has Only Just Begun

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:53:15 GMT

Stumbled across this little nugget...

http://anti-strib.blogspot.com/2008/07/50000-physicists-agree-with-us-jeff-is.html

So here is what will happen, based on "The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming"...

The climate change alarmists say that the APS is made up of physicists and not climatologists, so their "opinion" doesn't matter. This, of course, will completely ignore the MMGW crowd's past claims of scientific consensus due to IPCC peer review where the reviewers where almost all not climatologists! No need to explain how non-climatoligists opinions where very valid then but not valid now...

Pull Your Head Out

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:20:09 GMT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/washington/17pelosi.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1216321476-J5ahyAUH5y6DmWEUV5vMWQ

Breaking it down...

The Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969 and the steady push to tap the potential reserves off the state’s rugged coast had galvanized Californians and made opposition to offshore drilling part of the political DNA of up-and-coming figures like Ms. Pelosi.

So an event that happened almost 40 years ago is the sole frame of reference for Pelosi? I know, that is putting the proverbial "words into her mouth" since I am extracting that from someone else's paragraph, but Pelosi's bull-headed "be damned with what the American people think" seems to indicate that she has some kind of weird mental block.

“The president of the United States, with gas at $4 a gallon because of his failed energy policies, is now trying to say that is because I couldn’t drill offshore,” Ms. Pelosi said in an interview. “That is not the cause, and I am not going to let him get away with it.”

This is typical political speak. Let's not ignore that fact that for most of the past 40 years Congress (which actually creates and passes laws, Ms. Pelosi) has been controlled by Democrats. No good energy policy from that group since we are now seeing what happens when huge amounts of resources are barred from use by that very Congress. Pelosi, please tell me the sweeping energy policy that Bill Clinton put in place? Hmmmm, I thought so. Could Bush have advocate or pushed some kind of plan better than what we have now, sure. But to say its entirely his fault is just a way for you to try and pass the buck and duck the issue.

Backers of the drilling ban have pushed back furiously and appear to have bolstered some of their colleagues. Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat who has been fighting offshore drilling since the 1970s, has been cornering fellow senators to impress upon them the importance of the ban to Californians, comparing it to a mainstay of farm-state senators.

“This is our ethanol,” Mrs. Boxer said of protecting the coast from oil drilling.

First, I almost choked when I read "this is our ethanol"... only a dip would try and point to a program that has by all accounts made things worse (higher food prices, no discernable impact, billions of wasted dollars) as a justification for her position. Secondly, last I checked, Congress is supposed to represent the entire American public, not protect the "boogie man under the bed" fears of a single state that has for the past 30 years totally screwed up its own affairs.

In a private meeting last week, according to some in attendance, Ms. Pelosi told members of her leadership team that a decision to relent on the drilling ban would amount to capitulation to Republicans and the White House, and that she was having none of it.

That's the way to look at it Nancy - treat the whole energy crisis facing this country as some kind of personal affront if you do what the majority of Americans support. Both sides of the aisle act this way but Nancy sure likes to cry like a baby in public. I think I just saw her take her ball and go home...

Good Global Warming Read

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:00:31 GMT

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24036736-7583,00.html

I am sure there will be all sorts of counter-claims, denials, etc. but the idea that there is no debate over this is ludicrous. Too much missing information, leaps of faith, lack of good data, etc. to tell either way IMHO.

And I Thought Race Wasn't an Issue

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:38:26 GMT

From this MSNBNC article (emphasis mine)...

The campaign also views Mr. Obama’s half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who taught school for several years in the Bronx, as something of a trump card to be deployed at events for Hispanic voters. “She speaks fluent Spanish, with a Dominican accent, and looks Latina,” Mr. Figueroa said.

I find it interesting how it is often lamented that some white people (often portrayed as all white people) may have reservations about voting for Obama because of his race. I for one don't care if he was green if I liked his politics, but I don't, so I won't vote for him. Heck, I would vote for former Congressman J.C. Watts before I would vote for McCain. But I digress yet again...

Apparently, the Obama campaign thinks that having a spokesperson that looks Latina, even though she isn't, is a good thing when courting Hispanic voters. Hmmmmm, it seems that Obama's campaign thinks that having a racial affiliation, even a fake one, helps identify with said voters and make it more likely they will be receptive to your message. Basically, those voters are more likely to vote for a candidate if they feel some racial affinity for the candidate.

Interesting. If a white person said they felt more comfortable voting for McCain because he was white, cries of racist would follow so quickly and so loudly as to make that person a pariah. But is is seemingly ok for a minority to vote for a candidate purely because of racial affiliation. Obama won 80%+ of black votes in the Democratic primary in many states - sure seems like a lot of voting along racial lines. Why were there no calls for the end to reverse racism against Hillary????

Yet another example of "do as I say, not as I do"....

Where is the Outcry from Congress for an Ethics Investigation

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:02:38 GMT

Seriously, if this does not reek of impropriety, I am not sure what would. I'm not saying he is guilty, but there is enough smoke here that someone should at least be checking for fire.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25683281/

Being At the Top Hurts

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:42:30 GMT

CBO data shows that the top 1 percent of households in the United States paid almost 40 percent of all the federal income taxes collected in 2005. The top 20 percent of households paid over 86% of the federal income taxes collected. This is absolutely unreal.

Look at it this way, you go out to dinner with five friends and the bill comes. You have to pay 86% of the bill, a couple of those folks don't pay a dime, and the remaining two have to worry about picking up the remaining 14%. We'll leave tip out of it for now. ;-) How long do you think you will want to keep going out to dinner with those friends???

Republicans refused to reform the tax code when they had Congressional control, and the Democrats idea of reform is to shift the tax burden even higher up the income ladder. Heck, Obama thinks anyone making over $250K is in that ultra wealthy category and should have their taxes raised. Now, I don't make anywhere near that kind of money, but I know a couple people who do and they are extremely well off, but they bust their ass for that money as well. I wouldn't trade places with them because I don't want to work that hard! ;-)

I love this country, but if I was one of those top 1% persons and had the ability to move myself and/or my money somewhere else and get a better deal, it would sure seem tempting.

He's A Politician Like All The Rest Of Them

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:43:21 GMT

I laugh when I hear how people talk about how Barack Obama is different than any other politician this country has seen in quite some time. I do believe he is the greatest political orator that we have seen since Reagan. He is very different from Reagan in his style and delivery, but both have (had) the power to move people with words. That is not something that should be discounted when dealing with an American electorate that is basically under-educated and under-informed. I digress...

I have to restrain myself from laughing out loud when I hear Obama supporters say that Barack is different and not a typical politician. While there are numerous examples of him saying whatever needs to be said (McCain is no different), Obama lemmings don't seem to take notice for a microsecond. His whole Irag policy stance is case in point. Not only is the idea of immediate withdrawal strike one against his credentials as CiC (I think the Iraq war was wrong from the get go, and can see why people are against it, but immediate pull out is completely wrong for a host of reasons both political and morally - different discussion), but it is clear pandering to the Left and just the same old "say something but mean another" political maneuvering.

Samantha Power, who was a primary advisor in the Obama campaign prior to resigning over a Clinton flap, told the BBC, “He will, of course, not rely upon some plan that he’s crafted as a Presidential candidate or a U.S. senator. He will rely upon a plan — an operational plan — that he pulls together in consultation with people who are on the ground.” So basically, he has a) knowingly told people he will pull out of Irag all the while knowing he may not do that, and b) it is unlikely he will do that since I have not seen any reports by "people who are on the ground" that they think leaving Irag is the right thing to do.

So please don't tell me how different Barack is. He and McCain are different sides of the same politician coin.

I Don't Get the Point

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:53:12 GMT

MSNBC has an article on how the Democrats are attacking John McCain's military service and trying to portray his experience as nothing noteworthy when it comes to becoming President and CiC. I know about as much about McCain's military career as the next guy - Navy pilot and POW. Do either of those make him dramatically more qualified to be POTUS than Obama? Probably not as far as foreign policy goes. But the thing I don't understand about the Democrat's campaign is...

Unless you are just a dufus, you have to admit that being in uniform does provide a different experience and perspective about the role of the military as compared to someone that has never served. I was in the Air Force for six years in a non-combat role and I roll my eyes when I hear some people talk about the military. They don't get it. I think George W. has some misunderstandings about the role of the military as an instrument of national power also, so its not as if I am saying Republicans get it and Democrats don't. Much of W's administration has a very poor context from which to understand the military and it's usage since they never served. I think you have to give some kind of check mark in the positive column for McCain if you think understanding the military is important as Commander and Chief. It's one of the few positives I would give McCain since I personally can't stand the guy for all sorts of reasons.
If you portray McCain as inexperienced in foreign policy by discounting his military record (which is valid in many ways), why would you do that when it only shows how much more inexperienced you candidate is? McCain, for good, bad or indifferent, has spent many years on various Senate committees that provided some degree of understanding of the world stage. Obama has what??? Nothing worth comparing to McCain's experience. Why call out McCain when it SHOULD shine the flashlight on your candidates even weaker record? When Wesley Clark says about McCain,"He hasn’t been there and ordered the bombs to fall." what in the world do you think that means for Obama who hasn't even been around a bomb? McCain has at least experienced what it means to be an instrument of that bomb dropping order.

It will certainly be an ugly election. I think both candidates are two of the worst choices this country has had for President since Carter/Ford and the result could be scary for the country either way.

Kicking Off My Personal Blog

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:19:51 GMT

Well, I've decided to start a personal blog. Really just more a place to vent and comment on stuff I read or hear about. I don't suspect anyone to read it really, but somebody might and maybe even comment. I enjoy debating so feel free to agree, disagree, whatever. Then again, it reminds me of the old saying...

If you blog and nobody reads it, are you really blogging????