A useful link, family sports

Taxmageddon nicely highlights how solving the deficit spending issue is going to require sacrifices neither party can own up to.  Of course, the fiscal crisis resulting the from 2008 bank crisis called for deficit spending.  However, everything before that going back to the beginning of Reagan's budget busting tax rollsbacks, short of some 9/11 spending, were deficits of choice that came from irresponsible taxation/spending policies.
Generally silliness has been a recent theme: 

• Allen West, R FL, claimed there were about 78 to 81 communists in the Democratic party in Congress.  Suggesting that either the long departed McCarthy still has work to do or we're witnessing another Batshit-Crazy-Republican (BCR) moment inspired by too much Rush, Hannity, and Savage.  (Michael Savage is a secret favorite because for every 10 minutes of air time, he spends 9 minutes telling you he told you so.  He seems to hold the GOP mainstream in great contempt as well.  Actually he might hold everyone in great contempt.).  Clearly it was BCR moment barely met by commenta by Fox to CNN, because everyone knows that the GOP isn't expected to live in reality any more.
• Two weeks past it's peak, BCR Joe Arpaio's 12-months too late investigation into Obama's birth certificate was met only by silence in the GOP media for the most par.  Apparently Joe was so disconnected that he failed to realize "pressure" from Donald Trump has solved this mystery quite some time ago.  Donald triumphantly returned to Celebrity Apprentice which is a bit more than halfway through the current season. 
• Meanwhile, the Romney thought they had a seminal moment in their campaign with a part-time TV pundit and Democratic operative said Ann Romney had never worked a day in her life.  Ann was quickly rolled onto Fox to express her outrage.  The story generated as much sizzle as glass of recently poured soda.  The backlash may get worse, but when Mary Matilin finds the worst angle on the story that the Obama administration condemned the comments rather than stick up for Hilary Rosen, you know this isn't a hardly a seminal moment.  Mary, what should Obama has said? 

Bottom line:  Gender gap exists because the GOP position is that imposing restraints on access to birth control is a requirement of religious freedom.   OK, I now know that the attack on birth control is really a move on the part of the GOP to soften the defenses against attacks on access to abortions by moving the bar.  The idea being that women will give more on abortion in order to preserve more access to birth control.  It seems a bit of genius if hadn't backfired so thoroughly, however this kind of tactic has worked beautifully for the GOP over and over again.

In tune with happier times to come, Michigan, Alabama, and host of other schools held their spring football scrimmages.  Michigan's took place in the Big House to be followed by the U of M's first varsity lacrosse game against OSU.  Hoke's comments on the game can be found here.  OSU beat Michigan 12-9 with Michigan probably exceeding expectations.

The girls sporting events aren't quite over.  Thursday the youngest scored 2 goals and had several assists in a Middle School shellacking (11-0) of a county team, however her club team lost 2-1 in an important game (on a relative level) on Friday.  If they win today against the top team, they will win a share of the title for their division.  My HS student's team lost twice at the Legacy Tournament in Georgia, but she scored 2 goals and had 2 assists in the first of the games. 

Travels and Travails, a Deficit of Solutions

It has been quite a while since I have posted ... no doubt my two readers missed me deeply.

Travels and Travails

First, the dental travails:  I have an abscess that will end up costing me $2,000 in imaging and surgery to remove the abscess and fill the root.  I am experiencing mild discomfort most of the time, unless I bit down on something hard - then it is a bit more electrifying.  Since I've already had a root canal and crown on the tooth, I hate to have it pulled.  Also I already have a missing tooth on the opposing side which I am trying so I have a total no sides of my mouth that I can chew on.  I have another cracked molar and I am waiting on an implant.   All told this stuff will run me close $10,000.  

Second, I've been busy both working and playing.  Work has slowed down, but at least we managed to catch up some in the first quarter.  I played some of Mass Effect 3 - but I have not made it to the end - which is supposed to be stunningly bad.  We went to the Bahamas and stayed at the Atlantis resort.  The lazy river ride is highly recommended and it is the most expensive family resort I hope to ever go to.  Reduce the price by 33.3% and I think I'd be great with it, but ridiculous prices for food mean I'll probably never return.  There were huge yachts in the bay when we there:  Mi Sueno and Blue Moon were a couple, but there were quite a few.  Have no fear, I didn't get dloser than looking at them. 

Third, my girls are playing in lots of sporting events, so I am trying to attend as many as I can.

Politica

The political world has matured in a rather depressing way.  I think I am ready to start hoarding some cash in gold or different currencies.  There is a paucity of realism about the budget deficit which requires both raising revenue and cutting spending in numerous areas. 

On taxes, Obama is at least attempting to raise more revenue, if only in a relatively ineffective way.  Let's at least quickly dismss GOP argument that raising more revenue won't help the deficit because the Buffet Rule or rolling back the Bush tax cuts on the highest wage earners won't balance the budget.  Of course, it won't balance it, but raising revenue will reduce the deficit (unless you just spend that much more) because you have more revenue.  This concept is as idiotic as saying that producing more oil and gas in the US can't drive down energy prices because the world demand will use it up.  Sure - it won't create cheap gas - but having a greater supply will decrease it a bit.  (Proving liberals and conservatives will sometimes say just the stupidest stuff to suit their crazy biases).  But, Obama, where are the cuts?  One of the biggest areas Obama was looking to cut was health costs through the mandate and a centralized committee to dictate treatments and objective performance evaluations of therapies.  Let's call those imaginary cuts and likely inadeqauate though conceivable.

The GOP/Romney/Ryan budget certainly goes after some social programs while adding to military spending.  Sadly, it calls for significant revenue reduction.  Ryan calls for magical spending cuts in discetionary spending other than the military.  It is magical because none of it is specified, but it requires huge reductions in that spending.  Close you eyes and think of any time starting with Reagan when such spending was reduced (keep dreaming).  Take away the magical spending cuts and the Ryan budget continues to blow stuff away.

We have no path to the compromises that need to happen to make serious progress:  a willingness to raise revenue (its going to require raising taxes) combined with a willingness to make real cuts in (social and military) spending (not just centralizing health care). Some of the medicare stuff seems like a no brainer:  why did the government buy my Dad a mutliple thousand dollar wheel chair and powered wheel chair.  There were less expensive but functional models that could have been paid for AND then he could have paid for nicer ones if he wanted to.  Does this mean that all seniors have the same choices:  no.  But it does mean that all seniors have an option.  The Democrats need to take us there before we get more extreme plans. 

Final Thought

Sanctorum probably did his damage to Romney, but in the end, it was largely self inflicted.  When Romney used $100M of mostly negative advertising to torch is conservative opponents, he was alienating the hardcore base.   Combine that with an election year attempt to set women's rights back to the 1950s and ban birth control and the GOP has dug itself a pretty big hole. 

Hope that the Tea Party goes away and lets us have an older Bush Republican and Democrats get serious on cutting spending remains very slim.



 

Guns, Trayvon Martin, and Testosterone

The death of Trayvon Martin sounds very much like a murder.  If Zimmeran followed Martin and confronted him in any way, then Zimmerman provoked a confrontation and he can't hide behind a "stand your ground" law.  A hoodie and being african american isn't probable cause for anything.  It will be murder and quite possibly a hate crime.

The case now has the proper attention it deserves.  It will get the investigation it deserves.  If it turns out that the details we have heard turn out to be true, then some real house cleaning needs to take place, not just in Sandford but needs a discussion about the neglect of justice on a broader scale.  The belief in equality and fairness has been in retreat for some time, and the Martin case may well be a brick in that wall.

We all probably know people that have concealed gun permits (well at least I do, and I live in NC).  Other people I know have a gun ready at their house. Most of these people live in the country where, if you were to call the authorities, they would not arrive for a long time.  I fully understand that and, if I lived there, I would do the same thing.  Those people don't advertise it.  

If you live in the area I do, the dangerous areas are pretty clear and most people are very secure. Extreme crimes do occurr (Google Eve Carson), but not in public areas we circulate in.  Still, I know a guy that carries a gun.  This guy makes a point of telling people about it and makes a point of regularly broadcasting how no one better mess with him.  I avoid this guy for a couple of reasons:  blow-hards are really boring and annoying, and he represents an unnecessary danger.  A constant sabre rattling of what he is going to do if anyone gives him trouble is the kind of thing males typically do in High School.  It is testosterone fueled teenage bravado - which can be dangerous in High School - but give that same arrested personality a handgun and they immediately become a potentially source of an immediate and painful death.   Yes, the risk is remote, but so are many other risks that I don't engage because I have no reason to engage in.  Yes, some of the guys attracted to guns and probably the last people you'd like to have carrry a gun.

Guns have their place for personal defense, but guns are extremely potent weapons that can kill by-standers (I've never gotten a stray punch from a fist-fight except when I stepped in to break on up).  For that reason, crimes involving guns need to be tried aggressively and "stand your ground" defenses need to be treated with a critical light. 

The biggest issue is going to be the role of race in the Trayvon Martin case, but a gun likely moved the crime from an assaul to murder.

American Idol

[Wrote this on 3/21/12 - just forgot to post it]


The Home Front

I took my 86 year old Dad to Outback this evening.  The steaks were overdone, but given the volume for the cost, it is hard to complain too much about it (though my Father did fairly extensively and the manager offered to bring him a new one).
Now I am watching American Idol.  Last year's crop of singers was better on average by far and there are may be 2 contenders.  It is particularly light.

My middle child tried out for and made one of the NC teams that will be playing in the US Lacrosse National Tournament.  It may be too little too late for a DI school outside of being a walk-on, but I am proud of her effort none the less.  Of course, that means more travel.


MittMania

Mitt "Etch-a-Sketch" Romney needs only to spend another $100 million on commercials demolishing Sanctorum and he's in like flint.  His soul-less campaign for the Presidency will move on to Obama and we'll soon see $500 million of negative advertising.  Sanctorum is the last of the living dead, while Ron Paul and Newt are simply dead and forgotten.  Sanctorum is still running around like a rooster, but doesn't realize Mitt had chopped his head off some time ago. 

We're all Seamus to Mitt, as if you hadn't already figured this out yourself.  We're going to be strapped to the top of Cadillac as he races off to where ever it is he feels like going. 

Mitt is going to do whatever he wants once he gets elected and it is mostly going to be about taking care of this himself.


Obama's Pipeline is the Way

Watch the Obama administration move the Keystone pipeline through pretty soon.


MSNBC has Become too Foxy

On Hardball yesterday Chris Matthews simply couldn't admit that more domestic energy production would like to even marginally cheaper energy/gas prices in the US.  While I don't think something like the Keystone pipeline is going to make a meaningful difference in the prices we pay at the pump, but it is likely to have some psychological effect on speculators and reduce the cost of transporting fuels. 

Mundane (warm) week

The warm winter continues.  NASA continues to document the "hockey stick" of temperature increases for the world.  They are actually pretty nicely linear over the 70s (link from dailykos.com).  A strong trend over the last 40 years documenting a dramatic departure in the world temperatures.  Here is one of many links of the increased acidity of the world's oceans from the liberal watch dog wunderground.com (a joke).  I won't spend more time on this right now, except to say I am sure the Fab Four (apologies to the Beatles) will eventually get around to blaming the data on (your pick) A. What data, there is no warming, B. Obama, C. Educational Brainwashing, D. Taxes, or E. Obamacare.

Work slowed down dramatically, meaning no more relentless evening work.

That gave me time to see two Middle School soccer games.  My youngest daughter scored two goals in two games, but they team lost 2-1 and then 3-2.  She could perhaps have scored a couple more, but she was very happy with the efforts.

My oldest daughter turned 17, so I reminded her that meant she could see R rated movies without being questioned.  She's been the object of some bullying in a classic "mean girls" fashion by a gang of girls.  The circle is closing on them with the help of her true friends, us, and now a teacher.  There are multiple ways to deal with bullies, but it always involves calling them on it and making it clear that they'll pay for it if they continue.  One thing that never works is expecting bullies to care about the damage to do and expect them to change.

This immediately reminds me of the most important political news of the week:

While the GOP dramatically demonstrated that Rush Limbaugh is bigger than the GOP itself by failing to stand up for Sandra Fluke and women in general, some 40+ advertisers and many many Americans stood up to him and the mean girls ditto heads.  If you don't think we're dealing with a bunch of bullies, read this post by Sally Quinn on the Limbaugh fiasco.  Ignoring and pretending these guys are not both wrong and dangerous just encourages them to continue.

Of course, there was some good news on the economy. 

Obama needs to get on with approving the Keystone pipeline.  He should have done it right at the beginning of the year rather than just hand it to GOP as an election year issue.  The Obama adminstration already agreed to fund some related pipeline work, so the Keystone pipeline is going to happen.   The delay is clearly political, but I am not sure what their angle is.  (Of course, I am not a professional politician, so what do I know).  No, I don't think it will really help gas and energy prices in the US, but better our easy access than someone elses.  Plus, it is governmen spending that will generate jobs in the US - something the GOP also believes and which no one has yet to point of as a bit GOP hypocrisy (they usually say ANY government spending is a drag on the economy - even infrastructure).

Marriage limits and more driving

(Edited for various weird errors on 3/5)

Driven to tears (of boredom)

I drove up to Silver Springs today, but not until after stopping to see my son at GW.  He's off to see the Ann Coulter and Laurence O'Donnell fundraiser debate tonight.  I am envious.

Of course, my bad planning meant I didn't keep track of my schedule well enough, so I had to drive back into the city to eat at the America Eats Tavern.  I wasn't paying which would have negatively affected my take on the meal.  My salad and dessert were OK, but the main dish I had was Clam Chowder with Poached Cod and it was excellent.  

After which I drove 30 minutes back to the hotel.  In short, I drove over an hour extra because of lack of vision.


Shallow Meanderings

In my many hours of driving, I pondered for a while the fact that I found polygamy highly objectionable.  The Sister Wives show I endured a few times re-inforced my existing feelings on the topic heavily.  On the last episode I watched, the excessive self-important rooster, Cody, counseled a couple that couldn't bring themselves to bring another woman in their marriage.  It was all one could do to not scream at the TV for them to run as far away from Cody and his hens.  It was like sitting in a horror movie and yelling at the screen for the actors to watch out because Jason was about to make an appearance.  There was a fair amount of whining from them all about not being judged.  Not judged enough in my book - hopefully their kids will make better choices.

My main thought was that I fully understand that other people see gay marriages just as I view the polygamy.

It is no more likely they will be convinced that gay marriage is OK than it is I'll be convinced that polygamy is OK.  Having watched a few episodes of the show made me sad for the wives.


Super Tuesday Loons (oops Looms)

I wish we had another week before Super Tuesday so that Rick Sanctorum could blow another gasket about something.  As it is if he's been sufficiently quiet to not do himself any more damage.  He probably could have won Michigan before going on the contraception attack.

At least the week brought a massive dose of trouble for the GOP when Rush went off like an exploding asteroid further delivering a blow to GOP Presidency aspirations.  I still think Romney has a chance - but I have to stick by my earlier prediction.


Laters

Everyone have a fine week.

Its not a Fluke, BCPs used for a lot more than BC

Apparently nuance is lost on the a lot of paid professionals who write opinion columns (ignoring alone Rush).

What Ms Fluke was going to testify about was that a woman that had a medical condition that without treatment with birth control pills resulted in a cyst on her ovaries.  This required a surgical procedure to remove.  Ms Fluke was not advocating that we pay directly for her birth control so she could have sex. 

I have known of multiple woman that have used BCPs to help regulate the cycles in order avoid excessive bleeding and pain, help with acne, etc.  The use of hormone therapy had NOTHING to do with having sex. 

In other words, BCPs have medical uses far beyond birth control.  The Catholic Church should be sophisticated enough to recognize this. 

The focus on sex is purely an election year ploy or, worse, some odd GOP obsession with sex.

The opposition to Obama and Obamacare remains incoherent, because, like GOP tax cut fantasy's it is devoid of realistic options.  The status quo position ignores the 10s of millions without insurance.  Something simple things like making it possible for parents to keeping paying for insurance for their kids a few more years put millions of people back on insurance.  This is good for all of us.

If it were not abundantly clear before, it should be abundantly clear after the last couple of weeks that the GOP has regressed in the last four years. If you have any questions about this - just check how much worse their proposed budget plans are for the deficit compared to Obama's.  Let alone obsessing about women's sexuality.