What About The Little Guy?

As the financial meltdown continues apace, one thing we're bound to be seeing a lot of are articles like this one, inviting readers to join the pity party for the real victims -- all those former Master-of-the-Universe investment bankers whose investment portfolios have taken such a rude hit of late, and who are now forced to make such heartrending decisions as the following:

Who can they let go from the staff? Most would rather do without the nanny than without the cleaner. With any luck the cleaner likes children anyway and will help out in a pinch. If there is a cook, she goes before the nanny. The cleaner also knows how to roast a chicken and wash up. Forget the garden altogether - expect to see a lot of weeds as the crisis worsens - although the unemployed may take some comfort in doing the gardening themselves.

Oh noes!

Even more tragic are the breathless reports informing readers that "one tumbling titan after another" is being forced to give up his high-end mistress. "I can't afford her anymore!" they plaintively wail.

To which I say -- cry me a river, bitchez! You were the geniuses who engineered this fiasco, in spite of credible warnings that a financial disaster of epic proportions was in the making. If these dudes are, in effect, being killed by their own swords -- being economically wiped out by the insanely complex and wildly unsound investment strategies and financial instruments that they themselves invented, refined, and foisted on the rest of the world -- well, that would be poetic justice now, wouldn't it?

But they aren't the only ones who will be hurting, of course. My brother, a middle manager at Merrill Lynch with a mortgage to pay and a wife and three kids to support, is very worried about his job. And he's one of the lucky ones, given that the acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America has at least allowed that firm to survive.

And there's no question that the turmoil on Wall Street will be reflected on Main Street, as credit becomes harder to come by for businesses and individuals alike, and the entire economy contracts as a result.

As we've seen thus far, when it comes to the suffering of their buddies on Wall Street, Bush, Paulson, and company have been the milk of human kindness itself, engineering lavish, taxpayer-funded bailouts for Bear Sterns, Fannie, Freddie, and AIG. But when it comes to the suffering of middle Americans, that same milk abruptly turns dry, sour, and very curdled indeed. We've seen precious little help, for example, for individuals overwhelmed by debt and in danger of losing their homes. Yet, according to economist Noriel Roubini, the most effective way to deal with the current crisis would be a program that brings relief to distressed homeowners in danger of defaulting on their mortgages.

As you may know, Roubini is the "Dr. Doom" who was one of the few economists who saw the writing on the wall and predicted the current crisis. He studied of economic crises that took place in the 90s in places like Asia, Mexico, Brazil, and Russia, and saw that all those economies shared common weaknesses:

On the eve of the crises that befell them, he noticed, most had huge current-account deficits (meaning, basically, that they spent far more than they made), and they typically financed these deficits by borrowing from abroad in ways that exposed them to the national equivalent of bank runs. Most of these countries also had poorly regulated banking systems plagued by excessive borrowing and reckless lending. Corporate governance was often weak, with cronyism in abundance.

After analyzing the markets that collapsed in the '90s, Roubini set out to determine which country's economy would be the next to succumb to the same pressures. His surprising answer: the United States'.

At the time, Roubini's Cassandra-like warnings about the U.S. economy fell on deaf ears, but now they look all too prescient. As one of the few people who forecast the disaster that is now hitting U.S. markets like a tsunami, he has surely earned the right to be taken very seriously indeed.

And this is what he's saying: of all the fiscal tools available, "government purchase of distressed mortgages to provide debt relief to households " would be "the most important and effective to resolve this severe financial and economic crisis." Here's why: the root of the problem, he says, is that households are carrying too much debt. The actions taken so far to resolve the crisis -- tax rebates for households, and bail-outs of institutions like AIG and Freddie Mac, will not solve the problem, for the following reasons:

First, you cannot grow yourself out of a debt problem: when debt to disposable income is too high increasing the denominator with tax rebates is ineffective and only temporary; i.e. you need to reduce the nominator (the debt). Second, rescuing distressed institutions without reducing the debt problem of the borrowers does not resolve the fundamental insolvency of the debtor that limits its ability to consume and spend and thus drags the economy into a more severe economic contraction.

Since government purchase of mortgages at a discount would leave many distressed banks even more undercapitalized than they were in the first place, we may also need to create a public institution that would recapitalize those banks (an RFC-like agency, if you will). For more details about how a mortgage relief and public recapitalization program might work, read the whole post.

One point Roubini strongly emphasizes is that it's important for lawmakers to enact this kind of program as soon as possible. If we wait for a new president, the situation will only continue to rapidly deteriorate. Not only will this make a solution even more costly than it already is, but it will make what is already bound to be a severe recession even worse. Unless policymakers act soon, he warns, we may be facing a multi-year recession "like the one that afflicted Japan for a decade after the bursting of its real estate and equity bubble."

Now there's a scary thought.

The Fascist States Of America - Revisiting The RNC

Newly released footage, which was buried to avoid confiscation, shows riot cops arresting and abusing a giant group of people for nothing.


Now that we've had a few weeks to settle, a look back at Labor Day in the Twin Cities. Labor Day was of course also Day One of the Republican National Convention. Video was released today of an apparent mass arrest of utterly peaceful concert goers at the SEIU Labor Day concert.

My personal favorite moment in the tape is an off-camera exchange. Police in riot gear have surrounded loungers in a waterfront park. They announce, "Ladies and Gentlemen, You're Under Arrest" and you hear one young woman say incredulously "Are you serious?"

Yep, I'm afraid they are.

Here's the press release that came with the video, from the Glass Bead Collective:


BURIED TAPE REVEALS USE OF FORCE AND AN UNWARRANTED MASS ARREST OF BYSTANDERS DURING THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION


ST. PAUL, Minnesota (September 18, 2008) Video released today shows the indiscriminate arrest of a crowd of two hundred at the waterfront across from a concert on Harriet Island Regional Park during this month's Republican National Convention in St. Paul. The video includes multiple angles of the event as well as an interview with the cameraman who buried his footage and was one of almost two hundred people arrested for rioting without probable cause.


More than eight hundred people were arrested in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention. This video shows that at least twenty percent of the eight hundred plus arrested were seized without due cause.

American Greatness

The Party's Over - Revisited

It seems the wheels are coming off the “straight talk express” as the Republican Party desperately tries to shake the (R) that follows their names in an attempt to gain credibility with the American people.

But the damage is done and America remembers. We are a forgiving people and we realize that we all make mistakes, however how can anyone forgive the gaffes of this magnitude? The Republican party has always voted along party lines and have supported each other no matter how bone headed the policies are, inflicting more and more wounds to our country.

Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes.

Now the time has come to pay the piper. Accountability seems to be something foreign to the party of family values and now that it appears their day of reckoning is close at hand, they scurry like rats leaving a sinking ship. This is transparent in the campaign ads running for some candidates where their party affiliation is conveniently left out of the canned script.

They, for good reason, seem to be ashamed of their party. Yet they hold on tightly to the same Republican values. Barack Obama said you could put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig. That statement holds a great deal of truth when it comes to the Republicans.

Just take a trip back eight years in history and remember the arrests and convictions, remember the accusations, remember the corruption exposed and remember the scandals that not only shook their party, but shook the very foundation of America.

And the American people DO remember.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly Lost the War On Terror.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly Got Us Into Iraq.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly have allowed our great infrastructure to deteriorate into despotism that abandons the poor in wakes of disasters like Katrina.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly denied Americans better opportunities for Healthcare.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly fought increasing the Minimum Wage so that workers could afford to LIVE.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly got us into our current mortgage Crisis by allowing Banks to issue predatory loans.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly got us into our current economic Crisis by Feeding the Greed Of Wall Street.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly blocked attempts to work on Global Climate Change and denied its very existence in the face of science.

We Remember Republicans Singlehandedly got us into our Constitutional Crisis by turning a blind eye to Bush's power grab and then legalizing his crimes.

Yes, Republicans. America remembers all too well what you have done to our country.

I consider it my patriotic duty as an American citizen to make sure people remember. Let us not forget the Tom Delay’s of the world, the Larry Craig’s, the Scooter Libby’s. They are all serving out or soon will begin serving sentences for the crimes they have committed. But let us not forget the ones that still need to be held accountable for their criminal and treasonous actions. The George Bush’s, the Dick Cheney’s, the Rumsfeld’s, the Rice’s – the list goes on and on and on.

The “shock and awe” perpetrated by this administration against America cannot go unpunished. History will no doubt cast a shining light of discontent against them, showing Bush as the absolute worse President America has ever seen, but that is nowhere near enough. Criminal acts have been committed and justice must prevail to assure us all that the system still works. We cannot let these deeds go unpunished. We must hold these criminals accountable.

What message will it send to the rest of the world if we don’t?

It will make us accomplices to their crimes and just as guilty as them.

There is a lot at stake when we go to the polls in November, to cast our vote for the next President of the United States. We will tell the world that we either support the crimes against humanity of the last eight years or we want to correct our course as a nation and return once again to our former greatness.

What’s it going to be? Are you a criminal or a patriot?

I Am A Patriot

Allow me to pose a question to you.

For the last 5 plus years, America has been the invading force in Iraq that has cost taxpayers and future taxpayers unaccounted trillions of dollars despite the very vocal and vehement objections of the American citizens. The cost in lives, American, Iraqi and others affected by the occupation of a foreign land is equally as repulsive, but that will be the subject of another article.

This article is about the financial toll the Iraq war has had on the American taxpayer.

A recent study has found that 71% of Americans believe that the funding of the Iraq war is hurting our struggling economy. (source) That is 7 out of every 10 Americans object to what their country is doing in Iraq, to which Bush and the Republicans thumb their noses at us saying “So what. Do something about it”

Which is my question: What can we do about it?

The answer to that is really quite simple. Daring, but simple.

Refuse to pay for it. That is actually your patriotic duty as an American to not pay for it. More than half of the federal income tax collected by the U.S. Government goes to fund military operations with $200 Billion estimated for 2009. (source) Helping pay this makes you an accessory to the crimes being committed. Do you want to take part in criminal activity?

More and more, people are protesting this government by refusing to pay all or part of their federal income tax, and the numbers increase with every passing day. But there are certain steps you must take to prevent you from getting in hot water. You can do this legally, even with the guidance of the IRS using laws that they have written.

You must take the following steps:

• Decide what proportion of your taxes you will refuse to pay. This decision will impact your further choices.


• Reduce the federal tax money that is withheld from you during the year. Make adjustments so that you owe money at the end of the tax year and can then choose to refuse.


• File your Form 1040, including a letter to the IRS that explains why you chose to hold back some taxes.


• Decide how you wish to redirect your refused taxes. There are many options.


• Examine the risks and consequences for refusing to pay war tax. Some of them are potentially negative, and many are definitely positive.
  (An explanation of these steps, along with other good information about this subject can be found at: http://www.nwtrcc.org/ )

In order for a movement like this to succeed depends on how many people are doing (refusing to pay federal income tax) it. The more people that protest in this manner, the better. There is strength in numbers, as the old saying goes. This becomes evident when you see any gathering in protest of illegal immigrants. Seldom, if ever, is any arrest made.

Become courageous and take a stand for your country. Become a patriot.

Think of Paul Revere, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. If they would have just sat idly by and did nothing, America would be a far different nation than it is today. We would be under British rule and bow down to a King.

I, for one, will fight for the America that I love. What about you?

Economic Disaster

As yet another bank goes belly up and wall street crumbles in the aftermath, as the cost of gasoline skyrockets, as prices overall rise and wages remain stagnant, the GOP candidate for President delusional claims that the American economy is fundamentally strong.

This is a fine example of a candidate being out of touch with reality due to ignorance, dementia or both. One need only take a brief pulse of the people that are hardest hit by this floundering economy – the middle class – to see the harsh reality of a dire situation. The economic woes of America remind me of another Republican mess, the occupation of Iraq, in regards that there is no end in sight.

With the rapid pace of the rising cost of living, coupled with wages that have remained flat, how long will it be before the backs of the American worker are broke? One can look at facts and figures, statistics and graphs and the voices of the pundits and so called economic experts then point the finger of blame in every possible direction but that will do little to help a bad situation. In fact, it could make it worse. Even though we must realize where things started going awry and remember the mistakes made, we must focus on solutions. What can Joe Average American do to help turn things around?

Of course one thing you can do is exercise your power as a citizen and vote. Find a candidate that closely meets your ideals and go from there. Get involved in your community and become an activist. There’s an old adage that claims the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so make some noise and see what you can accomplish and change.

But at the same time, you need to get your financial house in order. To do this you need to objectively look at where you are, right now, financially. Think of it as if you are being asked for directions to your home. The first thing you would need to know is your guests starting point or where they are now. What are your cost of living expenses? What are your unsecured, credit card debts? Are you saving any money for the future or those rainy days?

Once you have all this information in front of you, and it may be painful to look at, you now have a starting point. Next, think of your destination. Set goals of where you want your finances to be in a week, month, year and beyond.

Set up a budget for yourself and your family and stick to it. What areas of spending can you cut back on? Can you pay off some of your higher interest credit cards?

Perhaps you need to increase your income. When people are in this position, they think of finding a part time job, which is not a bad idea, but maybe you should instead think of developing a part time business instead.

What is it that you love to do? What are you passionate about? What will you need to do to make some extra money sharing that passion with others?

We are living in turbulent economic times and if you are to make it through, you have to start thinking outside the box.

If You Enjoyed This Article Buy Fed Up A Damn Beer!

Why?

With about another fifty days, give or take, until America makes a choice on the direction they want their country to go in the next four years, I can’t help but feel a bit anxious about the repercussions of making the wrong choice.

It is abundantly clear to me that Barack Obama and Joe Biden will put America back on track again and their becoming the head of the executive branch will help heal the wounds our country has inflicted upon itself over the last eight years. What baffles me is that the GOP candidates have any supporters at all. With the damage they have done to America’s citizens and their Constitutional rights, I must question the mental health of anyone that calls themselves Republican.

Do you enjoy paying over $4.00 for a gallon of gas?

Do you enjoy being spied upon?

Do you enjoy police brutality?

Do you enjoy seeing American jobs being shipped overseas?

Do you enjoy paying for the senseless occupation of a foreign country?

Do you enjoy what our country has become?

Yet there are some of you that, for one reason or another, are thinking about voting Republican.

Are you out of your mind?

Let’s briefly compare the candidates from the two parties. On one side, we are being offered intelligence, diplomacy and hope from a former Constitutional law professor who has sacrificed his life for the betterment of society, along with his running mate that has a stellar history in dealing with international relations. Two people that are offering hope and change to a scared and tired citizenry.

On the other side, we are being offered a corrupt senator that is riding the POW train, insinuating that this should be considered a qualification for president. A senior citizen that has been showing signs of early dementia. An old man that refuses to disclose his complete medical records for America to see, which seems to have more relevance now since his VP selections only experience comes from bad parenting and a short term governing Alaska and in that short time has found herself the subject in at least three political scandals.

So why, in anyone’s right mind, would they even consider pulling the lever for the Republicans? They Republican ticket has shown their true colors and have proven to give America the same. They will take us, as a nation, down even further than the Bush administration has done and we might not be able to recover from that.

So it’s not a matter of “if” We Te People take back control of our country it’s a matter of when.
When will we realize that we’ve had enough?

Enough of the lies.

Enough of the deception.

Enough of the corruption.

America’s citizens find themselves on the precipice of two very different futures in the coming election. We have the power to control our destiny either way. What destiny do you want to leave for the generations to come? What type of America do you want to shape for your children?

And if the wrong choice is made, what will you say to them when they ask you why?

If You Enjoyed This Article Buy Fed Up A Damn Beer!

A Message From America's Next President

You'd be surprised by how many people you know who aren't registered to vote.

Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website.

Just forward this message. VoteforChange.com makes it easier than ever to register. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote.

You can also confirm your existing registration and apply to vote absentee.

Find your polling placeIf you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now.

This race is too important to stay home on Election Day. If you take the time to register and vote -- and make sure everyone you know is registered as well -- we'll be able to turn the tide of the past eight years. It's people just like you who will transform this nation.

Thanks,

Barack

Support The Troops?

Now that the RNC is, thankfully, over, I would like to make an observation while shaking my index finger in a scolding manner for those of you that are even thinking of voting Republican in the forthcoming election.

Especially those of you that are the “support the troops” variety.

The Republican sure did make every effort possible to give the faux appearance of being pro troop or pro veteran. I guess I should also shake my finger at the main stream media in attendance because they seemed to be in some intoxicated euphoria, hanging on every Republican lie, not challenging a single thing. Not saying, as I no doubt would, WTF are you guys talking about.

From what I did painstakingly see of the RNC confirmed my thoughts about a party going down for the third time, drowning in a cesspool of lies, perversions and criminal activity of their own making. But hearing all the support the troop’s rhetoric really seemed to infuriate veterans from wars past and present with offense after offense after offense.

As Joe Biden would say, their silence was deafening. The part that stuck out most in my mind was that the GOP candidate for President, you know the war hero, was one word mentioned about taking care of those that have served when they come home. Based on his record in voting for benefits for those that served, who could blame him.

But with exploding rates of cases of PTSD, suicide, homelessness, among other problems these American citizens face, it is a problem that must be addressed. Especially from our next President. But form the Republican candidate – not a single word was spoken.

Not one.

Which is not really that uncommon from Republicans. People that consider themselves Republican have committed many sins in regards to support the troops including Rush Limbaugh’s phony soldiers accusation against servicemen that disagreed with Bush’s tragic failed policies on Iraq and Afghanistan. Remember that outpouring of Republican support for the troops they say they love so much?

And who could forget their fake outrage when General Wesley Clark pointed out that being a POW does not qualify a person for Presidential duty or Donald Rumsfeld’s insulting “we go to war with the army we have” comment or the biggest insult to American troops: Walter Reed and the underfunding of Veterans Administration.

But it doesn’t end there. The straight talk express seems to speak with a forked tongue. Allow me to point out that:

• The Republican candidate voted against the Webb amendment calling for adequate troop rest between deployments.


• The Republican candidate voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.


• The Republican candidate voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.


• The Republican candidate voted to table an amendment by Senator Dodd that called for an additional $322,000,000 for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq.


• The Republican candidate urged other Senate members to table a vote (which never passed) to provide more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment in Iraq related to a shortage of helmets, tents, bullet-proof inserts, and tactical vests.


• The Republican candidate voted against increasing the amount available for medical care for veterans by $650,000,000.

When it comes to their claim to support the troops, the Republican candidate and his party are flat-out liars.

The message is simple - if you really support the troops, stop voting Republican and bring them home.

Buy Fed Up A Damn Beer!

Warning Signs - What Have We Learned From 9/11?

Remember.

Learn.

The latest book by Fed Up American takes a look back at the events that changed the course of America and the American way of life. Have we learned anything over the last seven years about our country, our constitution, our elected leaders and ourselves?

An interesting retrospect laid out in Fed Up American style and flair. I will happily send you a copy for a small donation ($1, $5, $10 – ANY DONATION AT ALL WOULD BE APPRECIATED) to help support my efforts as a Fed Up American.

Click on the link below and enter your donation amount as "unit price" and I will immediately email you a copy of this thought provoking book.

Link - What Have We Learned Since 9/11? - Link

Republicans Target Obama’s Base

In light of what the GOP is trying to pull off against the American people again in a Presidential election on the surface seems blatantly transparent to those of us with a semi functioning cerebral cortex but what is going on behind the scenes is what frightens me.

On the outside, with the smear campaigns and the personal attacks against Obama and Biden, with the selection of the least qualified but young and pretty VP candidate, with their refusal to campaign on issues, and all the other shock and awe tactics they have and have yet to employ, show how desperate the Republican party is and what depths they will sink to “win” another presidential election.

The Republicans have taken the election process and transformed it into something that barely resembles its former self, just as they have done with the Constitution. Republicans from coast to coast are trying to stack the deck against the Democrats by purging voters most likely to vote for Obama from the voting registrations.

Mainly targeting middle class, lower income and minority communities, they are pulling out all stops to minimize the votes that Obama is expected to receive. As evidenced by the Republican Party’s actions in Michigan. The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day.

State election rules allow parties to assign “election challengers” to polls to monitor the election. In addition to observing the poll workers, these volunteers can challenge the eligibility of any voter provided they “have a good reason to believe” that the person is not eligible to vote. One allowable reason is that the person is not a “true resident of the city or township.”

The rules further state that you can’t challenge people without a factual basis for doing so. I personally don’t think a foreclosure notice is sufficient basis for a challenge, because people often remain in their homes after foreclosure begins and sometimes are able to negotiate and refinance.

This pathetic strategy shows just how desperate the Republicans are.

They are scared of a President the caliber of Obama. Obama will hold these criminals accountable for their past transgressions and crimes against the American people and they are desperately trying to avoid sharing the same fate as lobbyist Jack Abramoff and other fallen Republican scoundrels.

I can see them all scurrying about, trying desperately to cling to that last bit of debris from their sinking Republican ship to avoid drowning in a sea of accountability for the crimes they have committed. They are all traitors and should be treated as such.

All elected officials are sworn to duty to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Republicans fall far short of that duty. As a matter of fact, they have gone out of their way to destroy the very document that represents the foundation of America, the same document that they were elected to defend and protect.

But the ultimate power does not rest in the hands of the Republicans. Nor do the Democrats hold all the cards. We The People have the power. We have the power to elect true American leaders into our governing positions from President all the way down to local townships.

We just need to exercise that power and take back control of what was once the greatest nation in the world.

My Latest Book!

What Have We Learned Since 9/11?


The latest book by Fed Up American takes a look back at the events that changed the course of America and the American way of life.

Have we learned anything over the last seven years about our country, our constitution, our elected leaders and ourselves?

An interesting retrospect laid out in Fed Up American style and flair.

I will happily send you a copy for a small donation ($1, $5, $10 – ANY DONATION AT ALL WOULD BE APPRECIATED) to help support my efforts as a Fed Up American.

Click on the link below and enter your donation amount as "unit price" and I will immediately email you a copy of this thought provoking book.

What Have We Learned Since 9/11?

Republican Distraction

The Republican strategy during this election has been a stroke of genius.

They know damn well that they can’t focus on issues or candidate integrity, so what’s left for them to do?

Shock and awe.

You all remember that catch phrase from the beginning of the Iraq debacle right? That’s the strategy where everything but the kitchen sink is thrown at the target with the intent to illicit feelings of “shock and awe.” Which is exactly what the GOP campaign is doing in their desperate attempt to deceive the American public into thinking that their candidates are the better choice.
However, reality paints a far different picture. One would have to be half blind and stupid to believe the rhetoric coming from the right and to be quite honest, I am offended as an American that they would think we are so stupid to fall for this pathetic gimmicky ploy.

But I have to give the devil his due. Looking around at the various political blogs and websites, I am disturbed to see the majority of the discussion about the Republican candidates and little about the Obama/Biden ticket, the true party of change.

But to ignore the things coming out of the GOP camp would be irresponsible. So what does an Obama supporter like me do to stay focused on the issues? Things like our disastrous economy, the occupation of Iraq, the skyrocketing price of fuel and escalating jobless statistics, just to name a few.

You see, the Republicans can’t focus on these issues because they are responsible for these problems. History of both GOP candidates proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt, despite the term of change they pirated from the Obama/Biden campaign. The only change the GOP ticket represents is a change in leadership with the same failed policies of the previous administration. The same continued stripping away of Constitutional rights in the name of the “war on terror.” The same fear tactics. The same lies and deceit.

The same.

The same.

The same.

Hasn’t the American citizens had enough of “the same”?

Hasn’t the American citizens had enough of the same substandard education for our children that represent our future? Haven’t we had enough of the same outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries that produce substandard goods? Haven’t we had enough of the uncontrolled and unmonitored funding of an illegal occupation of a once sovereign nation? Haven’t we had enough of $4 a gallon gas? Haven’t we had enough of slave wages offered to workers? Haven’t we had enough of increased taxation?

Haven’t we had enough?

So the next time you find yourself having a political conversation, and the subject turns to the GOP candidates, turn the tables and sing the praises of the real and true American candidates for the executive branch. Talk about Obama, Biden and the issues. Don’t be sidetracked by the distractions and spin coming from the right.

Keep your eye on the prize, as the old song goes, and do your part, as an American, to restore the greatness of this country and help elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden as our next President and Vice President of the United States.

The choice isn’t that difficult. If you like the way things have been over the last eight years, cast your vote toward the Republicans. But if you are broke, busted and disgusted by the travesty of the Bush administration and the criminal Republican Party, vote for change.

Vote Obama.

Was I Dreaming?

This morning I awoke to the story of a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout and takeover by the U.S. government, to which I had a couple of questions.

Concerns if you will.

As an American, I have witnessed record numbers of American families, friends, neighbors, family members and even strangers, lose their homes to foreclosure. You see, they became involved with one of Bush’s many failures. This one offered pretty much anyone with a pulse a low interest rate mortgage in an attempt at getting the American public to become homeowners.
On the surface, it sounded like a good plan. Get America back to being an ownership society. But, as is the norm in the Bush administration, greed and deception brought the American ownership illusion to a screeching halt.

First, there were the predatory lenders that had governmental blessing in their defrauding of the American public. Predatory mortgage lending practices have stripped borrowers of their home equity and families face foreclosure, destabilizing communities and our nation’s economy.
Speaking of the American economy, yet another Bush failure, we have witnessed rampant and runaway inflation while the America wage remained stagnant. Countless jobs have been lost to foreign lands and others have shut their doors because they just couldn’t afford to keep them open.

Then the rates on the mortgages adjusted.

The effect was doubled housing payments. Catching people unaware and/or unprepared. Much like Fannie and Freddie were caught off guard. The difference being that people had their homes foreclosed on while the lending institutions that preyed on them are bailed out financially.

Are you one of those American families that lost your home to foreclosure?

How does the government bailout of the banks make you feel?

Doesn’t it make you proud that you government turns its back on you but those poor bank executives get a free pass? Doesn’t it make you proud to be an American?

How does this make you feel? Are you Fed Up yet?

When did Americans surrender their power to the government? We were founded on the principle of a government by the people and for the people. Somewhere along the line, we gave that power up.

The American way of life has lulled us to sleep and the power was shifted to the elite, the rich and the politicians. Its time we take that power back. By using the things they fear the most.
Education.

Facts.

History.

THE VOTE!

Whether you vote or not, you are still sending a message to our elected leaders on how you feel about things. Voting one way or another sends a message of change. Not voting sends a message that you like that great big red, white and blue dildo being shoved up your ass, more and more each day.

The choice is ours. In November.

Shall we reclaim our country in the name of America or should we just allow things to remain the same?

There is only one choice for me.

The Fool On The Hill

Alternative Energy - Wind

Wind Energy Facts What do I need to know to purchase a residential wind turbine?

By Thom Watson

How do residential wind turbines work?
A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home's electrical system.

In a normal residential application, a home is served simultaneously by the wind turbine and a local utility. If the wind speeds are below cut-in speed (7-10 mph) there will be no output from the turbine and all of the needed power is purchased from the utility. As wind speeds increase, turbine output increases and the amount of power purchased from the utility is proportionately decreased. When the turbine produces more power than the house needs, the extra electricity is sold to the utility. All of this is done automatically. There are no batteries in a modern residential wind system.

Small wind systems for remote applications operate somewhat differently.

Will a small wind turbine save me money?
The wind turbine typically lowers your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent. It is not uncommon for wind turbine owners with total-electric homes to have monthly utility bills of only $8 to $15 for nine months of the year. In northern parts of the country where less air conditioning is used the bills can be very low year-round. The amount of money a small wind turbine saves you in the long run will depend upon its cost, the amount of electricity you use, the average wind speed at your site, and other factors.

What size turbine would I need for my home?
Homes use approximately 9,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year (about 780 kWh per month). Depending upon the average wind speed in the area, a wind turbine rated in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts would be required to make a significant contribution to meet this demand.

Who should consider buying a wind turbine?
A residential wind turbine can be a relatively large device and is not suitable for urban or small-lot suburban homes. Except for very small wind turbines (i.e., with rotors one meter or less in diameter) on very small towers, a property size of one acre or more is desirable.

The economics of a wind system are very sensitive to the average wind speed in the area, and to a lesser extent, the cost of purchasing electricity. As a general rule of thumb, if economics are a concern, a turbine owner should have at least a 10 mph average wind speed and be paying at least 10 cents/kWh for electricity.

Residential wind turbines have been installed in at least 47 of the 50 states, but the majority of the units have been installed in the Northeast and the Midwest.

Will it help the environment if I install a wind turbine at my home?
Yes. Wind turbines produce no pollution and by using wind power you will be offsetting pollution that would have been generated by your utility company. Over its life, a small residential wind turbine can offset approximately 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and other gases which cause climate change).

Don't I have to take wind measurements for a year or more?
For most residential systems the cost of taking wind measurements is not justified. Wind resource data published by the U.S. Department of Energy is sufficient for an experienced evaluator to predict wind turbine performance. In very hilly or mountainous areas, however, it may be best to collect wind data before purchasing a system to ensure that your site is not in a sheltered area.

Do wind turbines make noise or interfere with TV reception?
Small wind turbines do make some noise, but not enough to be found objectionable by most people. A typical residential wind system makes less noise than the average washing machine.

Wind turbines do not interfere with TV reception.

Will my utility allow me to hook up a wind generator?
Federal regulations (specifically, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, or PURPA) require utilities to connect with and purchase power from small (less than 80 MW) wind energy systems. A wind turbine manufacturer should be able to help arrange the required utility company approvals.

See State-by-State small wind information for lists of interconnection requirements for many U.S. states.

Will I have to change any of the wiring in my house?
No. A wind turbine is easily retrofitted to virtually any home without the need to change any wiring or appliances. In most cases, the utility will install a second utility meter to measure how much surplus electricity it is purchasing from the turbine owner.

What about towers?
An 80- to 120-foot tower is usually supplied along with the wind turbine. Towers this tall are necessary to raise the wind turbine above turbulence generated by obstacles on the ground and trees. Wind velocity and, therefore wind turbine performance, increases with altitude. Several different types of towers are available, depending upon which manufacturer you select. Each type has its advantages; the most economical type of tower is the guyed lattice tower, but a hinged tower can be easier for you to install yourself and provides easier access for maintenance.
How much does a wind system cost?
A small turbine can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $22,000 installed, depending upon size, application and service agreements with the manufacturer.

How reliable are wind turbines? Will I have to perform much maintenance?
Most small turbines have very few moving parts and do not require any regular maintenance. They are designed for a long life (up to 20 years) and operate completely automatically.

How do wind turbines perform as an investment?
The wind system will usually recoup its investment through utility savings within six to 15 years and after that the electricity it produces will be virtually free. Over the long term, a wind turbine is a good investment because a well-sited wind system increases property value, similar to any other home improvement. Many people buy wind systems in preparation for their retirement because they don't want to be subject to unpredictable increases in utility rates.

How would I have a wind turbine installed at my home?
Most dealers offer either complete turnkey (ready-to-operate) installations or the option to purchase direct from the factory and install the system yourself. The first option offers more customer support from the company. Self-installation offers significant savings and a hands-on understanding of the turbine. Prospective owners can discuss the options available with manufacturers to decide which method best suits their budget and technical skills.

What are the companies that sell wind turbines?
Small Wind Turbine Manufacturers List

See the AWEA Publications Catalog for books and videos. (c) 2008 Thom Watson

Fact Checking republicunt Lies

Sarah (eskimo skank) Palin and her idiot republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president.

By spreading outright lies and intentional mis-truths.

PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."

PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."
THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.

PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.
Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.
He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.

MCSHITSTAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.
THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.

MCSHITSTAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.
THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.

FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.

FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT (the nit wit) ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.

Whats With All The Old Farts?

Well, we're midway through the RNC in St. Paul, MN. and what a travesty it has been so far.

I admit that I am not watching all the coverage as I did with the DNC last week but what I have seen was enough to intensify the feeling of hope for our country that the dems gave me from Denver.

With the sounds of Barack Obama's speech still reverberating in my mind, I look at the poor republicunts trying to salvage the last few dying remnants of their party of fossils. I swear, the floor of the RNC reminds me of a bingo hall with senior citizen discount requests plaguing all the poor vendors trying to make a buck.

It is a more low key event than the DNC, where excitement jumped forth through every speaker, where historical speeches were made by Ted Kennedy, Bill Richardson, Al Gore Michelle Obama and of course the afore mentioned inspirational tome laid out by our next President, Barack Obama.

I actually felt some pity for these poor republican bastards, with their knowing eye's and body language that their efforts are all in vain. They know deep down that the ticket they are presenting are a joke and that the Obama/Biden ticket will destroy whats left of their soon to be extinct party.

But never underestimate the power of stupid people gathered in large groups. As Americans, we cannot let down our guard against a desperate enemy. The people attending the RNC do not appreciate and love the same America that I do. A nation where everyone is happy and prosperous. A nation that works and has worldwide respect.

The nation that we all once had. A nation we can all have once again.

America craves a change. A change that only one of the Presidential candidates promises. A change that the other fears.

Its time to bring our country back to its former greatness.

Elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden. America depends on it.

Welcome To The Fascist States Of America

I never really thought that this could happen in my lifetime – hell, not even in my children’s lifetime. I’ve seen it in the movies, read about it in books, witnessed it in other countries, heard the kook’s talk about it but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be living it.

During the political conventions in Denver and in St. Paul, we have been shown the militarization of heavily armed and armored federal, state and local law enforcement on the streets of America. Throwing civil liberties and constitutional rights of citizens out the window. Peaceful protestors being rounded up like cattle and interred in makeshift jail cells constructed in warehouses out of fencing for up to 36 hours without charges being filed against them.

But the minimal coverage this receives on the evening news paints a picture of police so polite they make an English bobby seem like Ebenezer Scrooge and the protests all quiet and with little audience. The media should be ashamed of their hack coverage of these events when reality paints such a different picture.

Sweeping home raids without cause and mass arrests at protests without provocation have turned the streets of two American cities into police zones the last two weeks, and as a Fed Up American, this pattern of police brutalizing American citizens is quite disturbing, to say the least.
This has been a clear disregard of our rights. A violation of our civil liberties.

Things guaranteed us by the foundation of American life – The Constitution of The United States.

As mass arrests were being made the crowd chanted “the whole world is watching”. Among the arrests was the incarceration of a 78 year old woman. A feeling of pride must have swept through the heart and mind of that brave cop, dressed in full riot gear, that wrestling and subdued this crazed criminal.

Perhaps the most noted arrest was of Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, the radio and TV broadcaster who has been a working journalist for close to 20 years, was arrested on the street and charged with “conspiracy to riot” while covering the protests outside the RNC.
What has our nation become when its citizens are herded and jailed for exercising their constitutional rights to peaceably assemble in protest? Why are we allowing America to turn fascist?

I understand that protests were planned in both Denver and St. Paul and I understand the police need to maintain control of the situation but I DO NOT understand when they provoke and intimidate peaceful, law abiding citizens with tactics reminiscent of Hitler’s Gestapo.

Are the police not meant to be “peace keepers”?

Violence for the sake of peace is like fucking for the sake of virginity. But unfortunately, those currently in charge of things think of the Constitution as a god damn piece of paper. The elite rule. But there is a change in the air. A paradigm shift.

And America will once again be ours. A nation steeped in pride. A shining beacon to the rest of the world.