A friend of mine just emailed me the following.. so good I have to share!

Psalm 2009 – 2012

First Book of Democrat

Obama is a Shepherd,

I shall not want.

He leadeth me beside still factories.

He restorest my faith in the Republican Party

He guideth me in a path of unemployment…

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the bread line,

I shall not go hungry.

Obama has anointed my income with taxes,

My expenses runneth over my income,

Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me, all the days of my life.

And I will live forever, in a rented home.

But I am glad I am an American.

I am glad that I am free.

But, I wish I was a dog,

and Obama was a tree.

When is this insane cycle going to stop?  When will our government realize that it is flat broke?  When will they stop with the free flow of our money?

U.S. to Forgive Indonesian Debt in Exchange for Conservation Plan

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The United States will sign an agreement Tuesday to forgive nearly $30 million in Indonesian debt in return for the large Southeast Asian country agreeing to protect forests on Sumatra Island, which is home to endangered tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutan.

The deal is the largest so-called debt-for-nature swap the U.S. government has organized so far under the U.S. Tropical Forest Conservation Act and its first such pact with Indonesia, which has one of the fastest deforestation rates in the world, losing an area of forest the size of Switzerland annually.

Gee, I wonder if I could work out a similar plan?  I could agree to preserve nature in my backyard (ie not mow or week the “naturally occurring” vegetation), and they can forgive my mortgage?

Normal families have had to make sacrifices.  We trim our budgets of non-essentials when money gets tight.  Our government should act the same.  Instead, it is spending money like a drunk sailor on shore leave…

Lurking deep in the 1500 plus page Crap and Trade Bill, is a provision that will affect every single homeowner in the US>

And my idiotic traitor Congressman, Mike Castle (R[INO]- DE), voted for it.

In the future, when you have a contract for the sale of your house, you the seller will have to have a government inspector (presumably at your own cost) check your home to see if your windows, appliances, etc. are up the the new federal standards (the fed will force local gov to adopt the Fed building code, those locals that do not adopt the fed code will lose Fed funding – this is the same way that the gov “convinced” all states to adopt a 21 year drinking age…).  Those sellers whose homes do not meet standards will be required to make, and pay, the necessary upgrades.

So, the bill will suck out the remaining value of the house that you own.  It will force you to buy new windows, AC, oven, stove, refrigerator, etc.  Basically, it would take at least 20K from the seller, if they are trying to sell an older home.

Our government is killing us. 

I spent Friday calling and emailing my Congressman (yeah, that was worth it).  I spent this morning calling his office to tell them what an idiot he is.  They said that he wasn’t voting like a Dem.  And, that he did it to decrease our reliance on foreign oil.  I suggested that drilling for our own oil would reduce our dependency, and that he should have gone that way.  I then called the DE RNC to ask if they would be requesting that Castle announce his true party affiliation, so that the Republican could run an actual Republican.

They’re Coming To Take Me Away….

Be the best at your job.  Do everything right.  And yet the liberals still think your job belongs to someone else.

The court’s more liberal members joined Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dissent which she read from the bench. "The white firefighters who scored high on New Haven’s promotional exams understandably attract the court’s sympathy," she said. "But they had no vested right to promotion."

We’re not talking about a "vested right" here.  Because obviously her opinion is that less qualified people DO have a vested right.  This wasn’t a case of nepotism, or hiring a buddy for the job.  This is a case of the government discriminating against someone because of the circumstances of their birth. Doesn’t sound right does it?  But that’s OK, because remember, the liberal members of the court are your betters.

On the face, that should be a ridiculous question.  After all, haven’t the Dems and their cohorts excoriated Palin for having a ghost writer (or a collaborator) for her book?

But recent research has led many to believe that Obama, the messiah himself, might have had a ghostwriter for his “famous” Dreams From My Father book.

And that ghostwriter might be none other than Bill Ayers – the very same radical that Obama has repeatedly claimed to barely know.

Breakthrough on the Authorship of Obama’s ‘Dreams’

Within days of my [Jack Cashill] going public last September with the speculation that terrorist emeritus Bill Ayers helped Barack Obama write his acclaimed memoir, Dreams From My Father, I learned that I was not alone in that intuition.

This story has been around since September – months before the election – and was never picked up by any of the “free press”. 

Bill Ayers was no one’s ghostwriter.  The now overwhelming evidence strongly suggests that he used the frame of Obama’s life and finished it off with his own ideas, his own biases, his own experiences, his own passions, his own friends, even his own romances, all of this toned down just enough to keep Obama viable as a potential candidate. 

I would argue that Ayers played Cyrano to Obama’s Christian.  His personal history was too ugly for him to woo Roxane/America himself.  But Obama — “articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” as Joe Biden reminded us — could and did make America’s heart melt.

I see this as yet another item that the media SHOULD have investigated, before the election.  Its failure to do so ruined any chance of an honest and informed election process.  It will remain, with the controversy of Obama’s birth certificate, as an example of the failure of our “free press” during the 2008 election campaign.  These items should have been fully investigated prior to the election.  This speculation should have been confirmed or denied as soon as Obama became the Dem candidate.

Can a nation survive by continually rewarding mediocrity while punishing success?

I’m serious.  Does anyone have a link or an article that breaks down the bill?

This is what I have heard, but I haven’t been able to confirm or deny the veracity of the following:

• The bill tells you what lightbulbs (including wattage) you are allowed to use to illumine pictures or wall art.
• The bill states that you are not allowed to repair your appliances – that you have to go out a buy new, more efficient models.  The new appliances would not be made in America, because the manufacturers would not be able to meet the new crap and trade standards.
• The bill tacitly acknowledges the “possibility” of future price increases – it will actually cut a check to “poor” people for the increased energy costs (the check, of course, will be from tax payer dollars, presumably those non-poor people who work hard and who will be overwhelmed by the increasing costs of life).
• The bill will allow federal building codes to override local codes.
• The bill regulates hot tubs, TV’s, and appliances.
• The bill sends our money to other countries, so that those countries can develop “green” energy rules and limit deforestation.

If anyone has additional info – I’d love to hear from you.

Monica Conyers, wife of powerful Democratic congressman U.S. Rep. John Conyers, pleads guilty to conspiracy.

The one count of conspiring to commit bribery is punishable by up to five years in prison….

She has long been under suspicion in the Synagro Technologies bribery probe, not least because she had been a vocal opponent of the contract before suddenly switching her sentiments. She became the deciding voice in the city council’s 5-4 vote to approve the sludge-hauling deal in November 2007.

In both cases cited in the court documents today, Conyers was handed the cash in an envelope by a individual representing Rayford Jackson, a Detroit businessman doing work for Synagro who pleaded guilty to bribery earlier this month.

On one of those two occasions, Conyers was accompanied by an aide. Previous court documents indirectly identified former Conyers aide and political consultant Sam Riddle as having participated in the bribery scheme.

Culture of corruption.

Rep Conyers is considered to be one of the top libs in Congress.  He has been elected 22 times (another reason for term limits).

His record:  (from Wikipedia)

The United States National Health Insurance Act (Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) (HR 676), is a bill submitted to the United States House of Representatives by Representative John Conyers, Jr., D-MI, which, as of September 29, 2008, has 93 cosponsors. It was first introduced, with 25 cosponsors, in 2003,^[7] and reintroduced each session since then. The act calls for the creation of a universal single-payer health care system in the United States, in which the government would provide every resident health care free of charge. In order to eliminate disparate treatment between richer and poorer Americans, the Act would also prohibit private insurers from covering any treatment or procedure already covered by the Act. The bill is currently in the House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health.

Actually calls for a single payer health system.  Egad.  Prohibiting insurers to cover treatment covered in the Act….

In May, 2005, Conyers released What Went Wrong In Ohio: The Conyers Report On The 2004 Presidential Election, which discusses the voting irregularities in the state of Ohio during the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election. The evidence offered consists of statistical abnormalities in the differences between exit poll results and actual votes registered at those locations. The book also discusses reports of faulty electronic voting machines and the lack of credibility of those machines used to tally votes.

He was one of the 31 who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004.^[9]

He tried to take the voting rights from an entire state…

In addition (in Conyers’ words)

In January of 1989, I first introduced the bill H.R. 40, Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. I have re-introduced HR 40 every Congress since 1989, and will continue to do so until it’s passed into law.

I only listed a “short list” of Conyers’ legislation.  It is amazing that America has lasted as long as it has, with people like him running the country.

And he is not without his own ethics problems.

In letters sent separately to the House Ethics Committee, the FBI, and the US Attorney’s office by two former aides of Conyers, they alleged that Conyers used his staff to work on several local and state campaigns and forced them to baby-sit and chauffeur his children.^[12] In late December 2006, Conyers “accepted responsibility” for possibly violating House rules.

It is time to clean house in Washington.

As most people are now aware, Washington is talking about taxing your employee medical benefits.

Obama famously ridiculed McCain for suggesting such a thing.  And many voters actually believed that Obama would not allow such a thing (here is a hint – you know if Obama is lying if his lips are moving).

But, now that the American people laughingly chose to have the Democrats rule in all parts of government, the tax on the health benefits is on the table again.  It is needed to fund the Obamacare program.  So, they want to take from you, to pay for others.

Looking at the numbers of the “uninsured” – we find that most are actually illegals.  Another large number are people who could afford the healthcare that their employer offered, but who choose to spend the money on more important things (such as their big screen TV, hugely expensive car, ipods, etc.).  These are the “invincible” 20-somethings.  I, actually, have no problem with the invincibles.  I’ve been there myself.  I chose to go the route of cheap insurance with high deductibles myself, but I felt pretty invincible back then, and actually, given my medical expenses then, I was right.  I don’t believe that people should be forced to have health insurance.  It should be their choice.

It seems as though the Democrats heard complaints from their union thug supporters about the prospect of taxing health benefits.  So the Dems now are putting forth a solution

Unions’ Health Benefits May Avoid Tax Under Proposal

The U.S. Senate proposal to impose taxes for the first time on “gold-plated” health plans may bypass generous employee benefits negotiated by unions.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, the chief congressional advocate of taxing some employer-provided benefits to help pay for an overhaul of the U.S. health system, says any change should exempt perks secured in existing collective- bargaining agreements, which can be in place for as long as five years.

The exception, which could make the proposal more politically palatable to Democrats from heavily unionized states such as Michigan, is adding controversy to an already contentious debate. It would shield the 12.4 percent of American workers who belong to unions from being taxed while exposing some other middle-income workers to the levy.

“I can’t think of any other aspect of the individual income tax that treats benefits of different people differently because of who they work for,” said Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, a Washington research group that often criticizes Democrats’ economic proposals. Edwards said the carve-out “smacks of political favoritism.”

Baucus, a Montana Democrat, is proposing to tax Americans whose health insurance is valued at a higher rate than what is offered to federal employees. About 40 percent of insured Americans have costlier benefits, and Baucus has said he is trying to set the level at which taxes would be imposed high enough so fewer people are affected.

Taxing health benefits that are valued higher than those offered to Fed employees (gold plated benefits) – gee, I wonder, would those Fed benefits also consider the incredible insurance coverage currently enjoyed by these politicians who seem to thing that the private sector benefits are so outrageous?  From what I recall, Senate and House benefits also included hair cuts, laundry service, transportation, travel, etc….

Why are the American people sitting back a “taking it”?  Where is the outcry?  Are they all brain dead zombies?  I guess Ayers is right – get them in elementary school, and they will never have an individual thought.

It is official.  The Waxman Crap and Trade bill just passed.

And my Congressman, the highly questionable Mike Castle (R – that is a joke) voted for it.

What an idiot.

UPDATE:  The vote was very close.  If it weren’t for the turncoat Republicans it would not have passed. 

Democrats did not accept one amendment that the Reps put forth:

Defeated

• Mike J. Rogers (R-MI) offered an amendment that cancels the law unless China and India adopt similar standards.
• Roy Blunt (R-MO) offered an amendment that cancels the law if the average price of electricity in a residential sector increases by 10% or more. After defeat, he offered a second amendment that would cancel only Title III (the cap-and-trade scheme) of the law if residential electricity prices rise by 20%. After defeat of this measure, George Radanovich(R-CA) offered a similar amendment that would cancel only Title III if electricity prices in the residential sector rise by 100%. This measure was also defeated. In the hearing, Bart Stupak (D-MI) called into question the seriousness of these “message amendments.” He stated they are only offered to be used by the Republicans to spur sensational headlines about lack of sympathy by Democrats. Ranking Member Joe Barton (R-TX) responded that they were indeed “message amendments” to the American people in an attempt to convey that supporters of the bill care nothing about cost to the ratepayer.
• Lee Terry (R-NE) offered an amendment that cancels the law if average gas prices reach $5 per gallon.
• Fred Upton (R-MI) offered an amendment that suspends the law if the nation’s unemployment rate for the prior year reaches 15% as a result of the law.
• Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) offered an amendment requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‎ (EPA) to label energy bills, food, manufactured products and fuels with the price impact this law has on the item.
• Cliff Stearns (R-FL) offered an amendment to remove existing nuclear power from the baseline of the Renewable Electricity Standard. (Although nuclear power does not emit greenhouse gasses, this amendment would have potentially reduced the overall implementation of renewable energy under this act by around 20%, the amount of nuclear electricity generation in the United States).^[4]

(Wikipedia)  So much for negotiating and compromise.  That only happens when Reps are the majority.

Too funny – Patrick Kennedy left REHAB to vote for this.  Rehab???

Michelle Malkin has links on the vote.  Check her site out to see if your Congressman is as stupid as mine.  Michelle Malkin has updated her list here.

It seems as though our “elected leaders” have passed another nation killing bit of legislation WITHOUT EVEN READING IT.  Didn’t their mommies tell them to read all the small print before signing their name to anything?  Evidently 300 pages were added to the bill at 2 am, the day of the vote.  We deserve better than this.

Yes, I finally mowed the lawn.  Geez, it wasn’t that bad…

Do you ever look at some cars and or features and wonder.. what on earth were they thinking?

I found another fantastic Cars.com article.. but before I share that.. here are some of my scary-stupid or just scary-annoying choices..

Cup-Holders: On the basically insignificant scale.. for me one of my issues is simply cup holders.. they are often too small and at best could hold a 8-oz water bottle, perhaps a can of soda.. but I always travel with at minimum a 24-oz tumbler of water. MOST vehicles, at most will have no more than one cup holder than can fit such a container. I know I am not the only one who would have a huge beverage.. I think of the large sodas from fast food or a 7-11 Big Gulp.

And yet some cars boast the vast quantity of (useless) cup holders their car includes.. Like when I checked out the Honda Fit, I really liked that car, but was at a loss as to what I would do with my drink! It has 10 cup holders, rather 10 small water-bottle holders. They are hidden in the doors, on the dash, in the console, and some other odd locations.. not one handles more than a Dixie cup!

Seat-Belts: My other issue is with seat belts.. that annoying shoulder belt that can either cut off a boob, or neck.. definitely were not designed expecting a woman might possibly be even a passenger! Of course my first choice is to rip the darn things out (referring to the seat belts, not boobs.. but I guess either would work), and kill that ridiculous law!

Mood Lighting: some things don’t even have to be high tech or necessarily scary but just odd.. My new Kia Soul has a very bizarre feature.. it has a “mood lighting” button.. when you turn it on the speakers have lights that strobe to the music.. or to your cell phone as the person talks. Thankfully this can be turned off.. but just really a goofy item to be included on the car.. also kinda fun just for giggles. I would expect it would change colors, for “mood”, but it is just red light… oh well, perhaps their next version (grin). (or a modification).

Scary features.. I have always preferred less-is-more concept.. basically the less extras the less chance for potential problems. I steered clear of power features, was terrified of power windows.. and while I have come to terms with them since.. there is enough new technology that just either makes me gasp or simply shake my head…

There are several reasons I try to avoid hi-tech options like crazy.. one I grew up very simply with no tech at all.. and two when I was around any power equipment weird things happened….Suddenly I flash back to shop class in middle school.. when I would walk into the class all the power equipment would go crazy, I was not even near the machines, not touching them.. and the band saw blade would pop out and attack.. the jigsaw blade would snap.. it was like a horror movie… same thing happened in home-ec too… with the power sewing machines the needles would constantly pop and break.. and i was not using them either and it was not an isolated incident. I had to beg the teacher to let me just use hand tools.. finally he did. I will never know what caused it.. but naturally I have been extra sensitive about power anything since.

Would love to hear some of your “favorite” features, that either scare you or make absolutely no sense.

Now to the article…

Top 10 Scariest Features

By Kelsey Mays, Cars.com

We like heated seats and high-end stereos as much as the next car shopper, but some of today’s automotive features provoke more fright than delight.

Take GM’s left-hand steering-column stalk: Until recently, this stalk housed the cruise controls in the form of a tiny, three-position switch plus a secondary button. The same stalk also managed high-beam headlights, windshield wipers and turn signals. Twist something the wrong way and the car could turn into a five-passenger R2-D2.

With things like that in mind, we chose 10 not-so-delightful features in today’s cars, from chairs that perform pneumatic jujitsu on your back to owner’s manuals that could qualify for a summer reading list.

(more…)

South Carolina governor’s infidelity admission adds to an ever-growing list of woes for the out-of-power Republican Party as it looks to rebound against President Obama and Democrats.

What is it about these selfish idiots?  We expect hormonal teenage boys to have more self control than the politicians seem to have.

The governor of a state leaves the country, leaving his wife and 4 boys over the Father’s Day weekend, for a nooky run?  Has the man no self control?

As has already been suggested in the Senator Ensign affair (pun intended), such behavior opens a “leader” up to blackmail threats.  Who knows what votes may be bought or swayed if the politician has an affair in the closet.

And, the affair calls a politician’s character into question.  How can voters rely on him and his word, if he clearly breaks his vows?

Email from Gov. Sanford to “Maria”:

“My heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul,” Sanford wrote in one of the e-mails, dated last summer.

In another, dated July 10 at 12:24 a.m., he wrote, “You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light – but hey, that would be going into sexual details … “

Gag.

The Governor was crying during his conference.  Which begs the question:  was he crying in repentance, or was he crying because he was caught?  Somehow, I think it is the latter.  He told his wife about the affair months ago, yet he flies halfway across the world to see “Maria” again.  He doesn’t act like he is sorry.

Michelle Malkin has more here and here.

And another issue has arisen.  Did Sanford use the taxpayers’ dime to visit his mistress?

I have heard the arguments that it isn’t fair that Republicans are slammed for their affairs, while the Democrats largely slide.  There might be some truth in that.  You can’t put yourself out as a family guy candidate and then conduct an affair.  Maybe we expect better from Republicans. Maybe Republicans should be on their best behavior, because they know that they will be exposed and derided.  Frankly, I don’t care if the argument is true – a wrong act is a wrong act, period.

Previously, I discussed the then upcoming ABC Obama Infomercial.  It was last night.  I have to admit.  I missed it.  I had so many other important things to do, far outranking listening to Obama yet again discuss how the world will end if yet another hugely expensive program doesn’t pass.

I had to 1) read a Little House on the Prairie book to my daughter, 2) watch a rerun of Ghost Hunters, 3) pet my cat….

From what I’ve read, two doctors did get to “question” the messiah.  Wow.  Two dissenting questions in an hour long program.  “Fair and balanced” my butt.

For an excellent review of Obama’s commercial:  ABC ObamaCare Special Turns Into Presidential Filibuster.

While Obama had to field some difficult questions — from the audience and ABC — he faced no Republican critics of his proposals. The network also allowed him to dominate the program with long-winded and vague answers. Out of the 75 minutes the network dedicated over the two programs (commercials excluded), the president managed to take 60 percent of that time: 45 minutes to give 19 vague responses – not exactly the “dialogue” advertised by ABC:

A largely overlooked media story this week is the Obamamessiah packing the press corp (basically stacking the deck).

At this afternoon’s [June 23, 2009] news conference, President Obama fielded a pre-planned question asked by a planted questioner — from the Huffington Post.

“Since we’re on Iran,” the president said after the obligatory first question from the Associated Press’s Jennifer Loven, “I know Nico Pitney is here from the Huffington Post.”

Obama knew this because Pitney had sent what he called a “solicitation” to the White House. Obama aides agreed to call on the Huffington Post writer with the understanding that he would ask a question from an Iranian.

A news conference with pre approved questions, interesting.  I guess that this tactic is necessary, so that the teleprompter can be loaded with the right answers.

Another interesting media story has to do with poll numbers.

New York Times Poll Showing 72% Support for Obama’s Health Care Plan Was Stacked With Obama Supporters

So, the jury was rigged for this poll.  I have heard the 72% figure used in several media stories.  I must admit, the first time I heard it, my jaw hit the floor.  I could not believe that 72% of America want this piece of c*** legislation.  As it turns out, I was right.  They didn’t.

(CNSNews.com) – A New York Times/CBS News poll released Saturday that showed broad bipartisan support for President Obama’s health care reform, over-sampled Obama voters compared to McCain voters, critics say.
The poll, administered June 12-16, found that 72 percent of respondents favored the creation of a government health-insurance plan that would compete with private insurers.
It also said 50 percent of respondents thought the government would do a better job providing medical coverage than private insurers, up from 30 percent in 2007; and that 59 percent thought the government would be better at holding down costs, up from 47 percent two years ago.
But critics including pollster Kellyanne Conway say the results are inaccurate because they are heavily skewed toward those who voted for Obama in the 2008 presidential election…..

Out of 895 respondents, 24 percent were Republicans, 38 percent Democrats, and 38 percent were independents, according to a June 20 release from CBS News. While the release says the sampling was conducted at random, those numbers are significantly below the 32.6 percent who identify themselves as Republican according to a May survey from the nonpartisan Rasmussen Reports.
Similarly, the Times/CBS poll said 48 percent of respondents had voted for Obama, versus 25 percent for McCain, a nearly two-to-one advantage for Obama supporters.
Had those results been reflected in the November presidential election, Obama would have garnered 66 percent of the vote to McCain’s 34 percent, Conway, president & CEO of “the polling company,” told CNSNews.com.
“Was the vote 66-34? You tell me,” Conway said.
In 2008, Obama won 53 percent of the vote, McCain won 46 percent….

Conway said that the poll was skewed toward Democrats and Obama supporters because the Times and CBS made it so.
“Their original result was more in line (with other non-partisan polling for party identification) but they weighted those numbers,” Conway charged.
The random information gathered by the two media outlets originally saw fewer independents and Democrats, but their polling methodology saw those numbers shift at the expense of Republican representation. Conway called this a case of “a conclusion in search of evidence.”

Where does Obama’s sleight of hand fit into this story?  While all of us are focused on the healthcare plan debacle, the Employee Free Choice Act is pushing through Congress. 

There is a reason that so much is happening so fast with this administration.  It is impossible to keep track of everything that is happening.  This week, everyone is focused on the healthcare plan – the hand in front of us – so, what is in the hand hiding behind Obama’s back?  Card check?  Another industry takeover?  The firing of another whistleblower?  Another tax increase?

Changes to our immigration policy?

The White House shut out immigration enforcement voices from its illegal immigration summit. Sigh. The thing is, this is exactly the kind of railroading that would have occurred if John McCain had won the White House. From GOP Rep. Steve King’s office:

Congressman Steve King, the ranking member on the House Immigration Subcommittee, today reacted to this afternoon’s White House immigration summit. Despite serving as the top Republican on the House subcommittee that deals with immigration issues, Congressman King – along with other Republican enforcement first leaders – was not invited to attend the summit.

….“By not engaging with those who disagree with his pro-amnesty views, President Obama is holding an immigration summit that gives a cold shoulder to millions of Americans. As for me, I would much rather be on the outside of the White House speaking up for the Rule of Law than on the inside going through the motions.”

Note: A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 74 percent of Americans believe “that the government is not doing enough to keep illegal immigrants from entering the country.”

Cap and Trade?

Former Vice President Al Gore canceled plans to fly to Washington for a news conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday, and instead was working the phones from Tennessee to help push a landmark climate bill to passage.

OK, anytime that you see the name Al Gore, prepare to bend over.  More and more scientists are publicly questioning the myth of “global warming”, which is exactly why they have to force this thing through as quickly as possible.

Friday’s vote on the measure is expected to be close, but multiple sources on both sides of the aisle say they’re confident that the bill will pass — with some Republican votes — following a deal between House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson.

I want the names of the idiot turn coat Republicans that are willingly throwing away our country’s prosperity.

The speaker, President Barack Obama and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel were all telephoning undecided or wavering House members in both parties.

As part of their efforts, Obama added a last-minute Rose Garden event in which he was to make “brief remarks on the importance of passing a historic energy bill that will create new jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

The American Clean Energy and Security Act, better known as the Waxman-Markey bill, would cut greenhouse-gas while promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The measure, which is likely to have a tough go in the Senate, is a linchpin of Obama’s first-year agenda. A victory would give the White House momentum going into a vote on health care later this summer.

Is there a secret lefty bet on how quickly the Obamamessiah can ruin our country?  Has there ever been another President who has ruined so much, so quickly?  Or spent so much so quickly?

I am left wondering if our country will survive.

I am not a “007” fan.. never have been, never will be.. but I love cars.. so thought this might be fun to share.

No. 1: 1964 Aston Martin DB5

“Goldfinger," 1965

1964 Aston Martin DB5

Both agreed that nothing tops this Aston Martin. "The DB5 launched the era of space-aged gadgets that would become a hallmark of the series," Pfeiffer says, "much to the chagrin of Sean Connery, who felt the character of Bond was now overshadowed by the hardware." Dempsey concurs: "Cars have loomed large in films and TV for years, but none have had the panache of the car introduced by M in ‘Goldfinger.’ It had the audacious passenger ejection seat, oil slick dispenser, machine guns, a bulletproof rear barrier, tire slashing hubcaps and revolving license plates. I think it appealed to every male, from teenager to retiree."

Cute, Cute, Cute.. I would get this car! Plus the gadgets and weapons.. this one is the perfect vehicle! The tire slashing hubcaps would be a must have back in Delaware (grin).

(more…)

I found the following item and it just cracked me up so I had to share! The Top 10 Scariest Cars.. some due to mechanical, others for being death traps, or other amusing reasons..

Cars.com’s 2 choices for scary ugly.. the Pontiac Aztek & VW Thing.. for me looking at them side by side the Aztek wins this honor hands down.. the Thing while odd just can not compete with how insanely, hideously, atrociously, horrifying.. repulsive the Aztek was.

I do like there comments that the designers for the Thing went to Pontiac to design this monster.. but they must have completely lost their eye-sight at that point.

2005 Pontiac Aztek

Scary for: Onlookers

Well, now we know where the designers of the Volkswagen Thing went to work after VW canned their sorry butts. Take a good look at this vehicle — it’s a tribute to the art of unfortunate compromises. Someone at GM said "take a minivan, whack off a few corners and make something we can call a utility vehicle." The car itself was not bad — rather utilitarian, actually — but it pinned the needle on the visual pollution scale.

1974 Volkswagen Thing

Scary for: Onlookers

Just take a gander at this. No wonder they named it the Thing; it was styled by the same guy who invented the cookie sheet. Thankfully, they rusted quickly enough that few remain to invoke PTSD for former owners.

I will confess.. if I had an opportunity to buy a Thing.. I would.

Now since Cars.com was relatively kind to the Aztek.. I am curious to see how it actually rated.. here is what Consumer Reports has on the Aztek:

The Aztek, introduced as a 2001 model, is an SUV based on the Montana minivan. Like the Montana, it uses GM’s 3.4-liter, 185-hp V6, which is neither sprightly nor fuel-efficient. The Aztek is clearly aimed at the much-hyped "active lifestyle" crowd, with handy standard and optional features like removable plastic storage boxes, a removable center-console cooler, a slide-out cargo tray, and a tent that fits onto the rear of the vehicle. Negatives include poor rear visibility, clumsy handling, a stiff ride, a rear seat that’s too low, no rear wiper, and a split rear gate that’s awkward to operate. The Aztek was discontinued after the 2005 model year.

For reliability issues they were across the board, none of the years made above an overall “worse than average” reliability. So it was an ugly bomb! It may  have had some interesting storage concepts.. but it is quite an expensive storage item.

So an unreliable, problematic, and ugly vehicle.. gee why did it only last 4 years, rather how did it last 4 years?

Top 10 Scary Cars – Cars.com

I just posted on the Chrysler Fiat.. but have more to share.

My husband and I were talking about what the Chrysler Fiat results would be.. and today I was browsing Consumer Reports and found an article (from June 10th)  on exactly what is expected. 

As logic would dictate, changes won’t be immediate.. for the next year and half.. we will continue to see the same ole from Chrysler till everything gets lined up between Fiat & Chrysler. So new ‘11 Grand Cherokee & 300c, etc.

The First (US) Fiat.. will actually be the cute Fiat 500! So that is wonderful! Visited the site, you can customize with endless color, chrome bumpers/side views/accents, different color windows (pink, green, yellow, etc.. which I am sure won’t be permitted in the US), different instrument panels, different door handles, antique style radio (even an LP player, which is bizarre).. but really is fun.. I do like how much you can do with the customizing this cute little car, really is fun to play with.

BUT.. I am sure the Fiat 500 version that will come to American will be dulled down.. to the 4-6 basic boring colors (shades of white, shades of grey, black and maybe a blue & or red), a handful of basic feature packages, and options or aftermarket will be scarce at best.. that is just what I would sadly expect. I really do hope they will allow it to be customized with the retro options, colors inside and out.. it would hopefully bring a new group of buyers to Chrysler’s doors.

Another Consumer Report article reflects on the Fiats that visited the US back in the 70s and the ratings they had back then.. which were very poor. They note Fiat was referred to as “Fit it Again, Tony”. So has much changed in 30-some years? CR looked at the UK’s “Which?Car” survey that like CR reviews and rates vehicles. Sadly in their 2008 report Fiat ranked #35 out of 38. The bottom 3 were: Renault, Land Rover & Chrysler/Dodge.

So a US worst rated blends with a UK worst rated.. can they get worse?.. or will these two bad brands bring one another up?  I guess this will be a “too be seen”…

We were talking about how much/if Fiat and Chrysler would actually blend? I figured they would for several reasons, he did not for other reasons. He figured based on other European/US unions they kept things separate.. I said that was because it involved a higher European with a lower American company (though there still is some blending of those companies).. but that is not the case of Fiat & Chrysler since they are equally unreliable vehicles, both are from suffering companies, and Fiat has been desperate to be in the US market.. & Chrysler is desperate to survive.

Looks like my theory is on target.. The Caliber & Sebring could become the Punto.. (I just hope they don’t use the Punto name here.. too close to Pinto.. and I am sure many of us still see flames when we hear that name).

Fiat Punto…

Chrysler Sebring

Dodge Caliber

That is not to say they will take the looks of the Punto, but just under the hood etc. But still would be quite an image to see these Chrysler/Dodges being deflated into a Fiat. I am getting a Tom & Jerry cartoon flash back on that thought.

So I wonder will a poor quality UK company help the worst quality American company survive? Will the smaller more efficient Fiats help Chrysler.. or just muddy the brand? Or are most American’s too clueless to really think, realize, etc? (ok the last one we sadly know the answer).

People have chosen Chrysler in the past, not in search for efficient or reliable cars.. that is not what they ever have been known for.. really I have no clue why anyone would choose a Chrysler/Dodge or “Jeep”.. but enough people did choose them.. of course their current situation does prove no longer “enough” people are choosing them.

Will Chrysler pull out of a desperate situation Again? If they do, will they continue there same cycle of being near death every decade? Or will they FINALLY learn from their mistakes? all to be seen..

Here is the part of the CR article:

What are the new models to watch for?
Don’t expect changes to the Chrysler lineup for quite some time. It will continue to be skewed toward large vehicles, in the form of rear-drive, full-sized sedans and pickup trucks. Likewise, there is a lack of smaller, fuel-efficient models and hybrids. From Chrysler, the next models in the pipeline include the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, then 2011 Chrysler 300C—traditional, large vehicles.
The first new Fiat model expected in the U.S. since 1982 is the 500, or Cinquecento, due in about 18 months. Already a hit in Europe, the 500 is a small, two-door hatchback with retro styling and seating for four. Often compared to the Mini Cooper, the 500 is slightly smaller.
We have also heard that the next-generation Caliber may be based on the Fiat Punto, and that the next Sebring might also be based on a Fiat platform. These small European models would complement Chrysler’s existing product line, which is biased toward large cars and trucks.

I had grown up with manual cars, manual everything. Even in the house I grew up in my parents never used the heating system, we relied on heat occasionally from the wood stove, or hope for summer.. but then we would roast since there was no A/C. Their vehicles were no different, my parents explained “a/c” like the house was windows down, and heat was bring a jacket.

Conditioned to the concept the more you add the more can break.. since we always had GM vehicles.. and like most people brought up with them, they just expect everything breaks down, and you learn to fix them.. so i was on a quest for a manual vehicle, manual everything.

Even the early 90s,  I found this to be nearly impossible. A salesman at one shop let me know he had one behind the building, under a spotlight with the keys in the ignition.. take it please.

I found this article which talks about what is vanishing in vehicles..

Disappearing Automotive Features

By Bill Jackson, Cars.com

You probably remember them — maybe fondly, maybe not. The eight-track player. Manual windows. Locks you actually had to lift. As cars get more technically advanced, many of the features we once knew are heading to the dustbin of history.
After reviewing Cars.com’s vast data banks and scouring through automaker press kits, we’ve come up with a list of once-common features now on the way out. ..

(more…)

Looking at this next one.. I was trying to figure are they saving that person or is the blood from them killing that person? Looks like CPR from the other guy.. just a little vague.. but still works in either case.. Obama would stand by as Liberty is attacked.. or would stand back and not assist in saving Liberty.

  What are the only two things Obama Could & Would kill? free enterprise & a fly

Political Cartoons, Editorial News

I just caught an episode of Top Gear.. Love that Show!

They apparently have had Fiats on the show before, but I never realized it.. I honestly just figured they were using old 80s vehicles.. but nope they were actually current Fiat Models. What is with Fiat’s designers, are they all locked in a room and last saw daylight in 1980-something?

What made me realize the dated looking Fiats were new, was an episode of Top Gear I just watched where they showed remarkably adorable Fiat.. so I visited the Fiat site, and that is when I realized all the others that I swore were 20+ year old cars were actually current.. yike!

Now since Chrysler is being adopted, assisted, saved whatever you want to call it.. by Fiat (and the American tax-payers).. I wonder will the Fiat make a difference for the floundering company?  I wonder..

Let me add.. I love small cars, I think they are wonderful.. give me a reliable, efficient, cheap hatchback any day! But why would I buy a new car that looks 20 years old, when I could just save a wad of cash on a 20 year old car? Ok perhaps finding a 20+ year old hatchback is tough, so buying a new 80’s car is an easier way to go? But of all the decades automobiles have been around.. I found the 80s to be the decade with some of the most ugliest cars, most boring, least inspired.. with very few exceptions (if fact it will take awhile before I can even try to recall an exception).

Now when I mention the dated Fiat style, here is what came to mind.. Most of their cars look like variations on the old 80s Geo Metro.. just cheap, basic, boring.. blah.

In case you missed the 80s, or forgot what a Geo Metro was..

And here is one of the Fiats to give you an idea of what I am referring to.. Here is a Fiat 600

Perhaps it better matches the late 80’s Ford Festiva? Love the “splash” on the side (yick).

But they have some cute vehicles too.. Here is the Fiat on Top Gear that caught my attention, and I found really adorable..

Would I buy a Chrysler-Fiat? Very-Very likely no.. Though I was never impressed by Fiat before.. mixing with Chrysler just knocked them down a dozen or so pegs (out of a dozen pegs to begin with).

And, yet.. Fiat brings Chrysler up several pegs.. while I say no to a Chrysler-Fiat.. you could not pay me to take a Chrysler!