HOW BAD IS THE ECONOMY?

Berkshire net sinks; Buffett says economy in shambles
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE51R0US20090228

Warren Buffett is generally considered to be one of the worlds smartest businessman/investors. If his company, Berkshire-Hathaway is falling on hard times, can there be any question about how bad things are?

Quote from the article:
"For all of 2008, profit at Berkshire fell 62 percent to a six-year low of $4.99 billion, or $3,224 per share, from $13.21 billion, or $8,548. Revenue fell 9 percent to $107.8 billion."

Sounds like the BROTHERS GRIMM have taken to writing scarey economic stories.

GM down the toilet

GM Posts Loss of $30.9B for 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/26/AR2009022600849.html

General Motors is, supposedly, run by intelligent conservative businessmen.
Are these the same sort of businessman that the Repubbys want to run the government? Run the government like a business? Like General Motors? Like GM which is on the edge of total failure?

GIVE
ME
A
BREAK

Twitter

The president of the United States was addressing a joint session of the Congress with many dignitaries attending such as the Supreme Court Justices, Joint Chiefs of Staff, etc.

Some of the congressmen attending were "Twittering" during the speech.

May I say that anyone who would engage in such disrespectful activity while attending such an august occasion is nothing but a TWIT?

Did their mothers teach them no manners?

SHAME

BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?

The famous song of the Great Depression. Who will sing it now?

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Bobby Jindal

http://www.hueylong.com/

Huey Long must be rolling over in his grave.

ENERGY CZAR

I vote for T Boone Pickens to be energy czar. He has great ideas for renewable energy. Here is a man who became a billionaire in the oil business. He knows we can't continue down the well oiled slippery slope forever. We will be bankrupt.
T Boone's ideas for wind turbines and running big trucks on liquified natural gas seem very logical to me. We will be able to forgo billions of dollars worth of middle east oil every year.
When an oil man says it's time to find replacements for oil, I say it's time for us to listen very seriously.

HEAD OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Dr. Howard Dean for head of HHS. He is an MD and has extensive political experience. Who is more qualified?

CALIFORNIA GOING TO POT?

It has been proposed to legalize marijuana in California, put a stiff tax on it and the various paraphanalia involved.
BONG!!!!!
Will this raise enough money to balance the state budget? We will soon get the answer from a "smoke filled room".

WHERE IS THE OIL?

OIL!!!
We were supposed to get oil from Iraq which would pay the cost of the war.
WHERE IS THE OIL?
It sure would help the "Stimulus" thing.
As usual, the liars have won again.

durn

HAIKU FOR ROLAND

vultures circling
honorable senator
dead but not yet gone

Cheesey Cheeney the Chump

Cheney furious at Bush for not pardoning LibbyLos Angeles Times, CA - 7 hours ago

Poor Scooter. No pardon from Dubya. He may have to work for a living.
It is amazing the Dub worked up the cojones to stand up to Cheeney. Whodathunkit?

DISGRACEFUL

The esteemed Governor of California is going to start laying off innocent state workers because the legislative bird-brains are unable to vote for a budget.
Why should these workers and their families suffer because of the political incompetence of the governor and his pack of fools? This is so wrong. If they had any ethics and sense of justice, they would give up their excessive pay until they have done the job they were hired for.
When I worked for a living, the boss didn't want to hear any excuses about why the job was't done. Results were expected, or a layoff would follow. This is hard economics. No one should be above the rules, especially those who have taken responsibility to govern the state.
Stand and deliver, or get outta town.

THE LATE, GREAT STATE OF CALIFORNIA

When California Gov. Gray Davis was recalled in 2003, I recall that the State was in a lot better shape than it is now. So much for the infinite wisdom of the electorate.

Is it time for another recall? How about throwing out the whole lot this time?

DISGRACE

The Governor of the State of California, and the Legislature of the State of California are a disgrace to rational politics.

that's it

THE GOOSESTEP CONGRESS

Yesterday afternoon I watched the House vote on the Stimulus Bill. EVERY Republican voted NAY! May we assume that such unanimity could only came about by following the orders of their leader, Der Fuehrer Limbaugh?
Any student of history knows that severe economic problems in Germany after WW1 and the inability of the government to deal effectivly with the situation led to the rise in power of Adolf Hitler.
You can bet that Rush knows all about this and is playing the game with his loyal followers.
George Santanya said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Wake up, Repubbys. You are here to preserve Democracy, not destroy it. You took an oath to protect and preserve the Constitution of the United States.

MORE WHINING

the Repubbys are whining again today. The stimulus bill passed the House with all Repubbys voting NAY. They are whining that they had a better idea, but wern't listened to by the majority.
WELL DUH!!
These are the fools that got us into this mess. What rational person would believe that they have the answer to get us out?

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Republicans are such whiners.

thats it

"THE SINS OF THE FATHERS"

In many ancient writings the principle is expressed that coming generations will bear punishment for the sins of the present generation. We will find this to be true as this century moves on through the decades and the evils done by the 8 years of the Bush/Cheney administration come to full fruition. Already the ill effects are becoming painfully evident. Our economy is in tatters, and our stature in the world community is in decline.
If it wasn't so grim, the spectacle of so-called fiscal conservatives ranting and raving about the cost of the economic bailout would be ludicrously amusing. Where were these fools when the buSHITES were doubling the National Debt and ruining our image in the eyes of the civilized world? There are none so stupid as they who WILL NOT learn.
They deserve the scorn of their fellow citizens.

FINANCIAL DISASTER

The politicos and the bankers are meeting in a Congressional hearing this morning, discussing what happened, and what can be done to clean up this horrible mess.
If these folks (bankers and politicos) are smart enough to comprehend the problem and make decisions to correct it, how come they were so stupid and greedy as to get us into this situation in the first place?
There are many people out here in the great unwashed public, including this writer, without the benefit of highfalutin college degrees, who for years could see that continuing to pile up massive debt would only lead us down the road to financial hell.
Well, we are facing the Gates of Hell, and as Dante Alighieri said in his famous poem DIVINE COMEDY, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here."

THE TIMES

A former Klansman seeks redemption


http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/race/2009/02/elwin-wilsons-story-is-one-of-transformationthats-why-it-resonates-so-much-its-a-story-of-changing-ones-self-an.html

"The times they are achangin' "

BEWARE

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/world/europe/07russia.html?ref=asia

U.S. Can Ship Afghan Aid Through Russia, Kremlin Says
--------------------------------------------------------

Beware the offered hand wearing the black glove.

Obstruction

The Republicans in Congress seem bent on obstructing the "Stimlus Package" that Obama and the Democrats are trying to launch.

Could it be that the Repubbys are following the wishes of their leader, Rush Limbaugh? Rush has made it clear that he wants Obama to fail. I guess he doesn't care if the country also fails.

CHANGE

In the White House the words are: "Time for change".

In the street the words are: "Got any spare change?"

Caps on Crooks

President Wants Cap On Executive Pay
$500,000 Limit Proposed For Heads Of Companies Getting Government Help

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2009

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/04/politics/main4774418.shtml

Finally, we are getting some control over corporate welfare. ABOUT TIME!!