Somebody Picked the Wrong Taxi

via Instapundit:

Help with medical expenses

Last fall we received a letter saying that because of the myriad of changes that HHS had ordered health insurance companies to make to individual policies that were purchased on the open insurance market, that our health insurance would be cancelled...and it was despite they lies presented by President Obama and Sen's Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski. "If you like your insurance, you can keep it, period."

 Because last year  was a pretty good year for me, we don't qualify for subsidies...so my insurance which had costs us $132 per month rose to $137 per week. We had the choice of paying that or the rent...

The problem now is that I have four fractured ribs...for no apparent reason.  I have no surface trauma that would indicate that the underlying musculature is damaged...but I have four fractured ribs.  At first, because I work as a cabinetmaker and I"m often lifting heavy sheets of plywood, etc, I thought that I had just strained my chest muscles.

On Tuesday night, when tried to sleep (I usually sleep on my stomach or side) every time I tried to move over, I kept feeling like bones were grinding and "snaping" against each other and would wake up in huge amounts of pain.  So, when I got up in  the morning and had trouble getting dressed...I had my wife take me to the hospital...where they took a series of chest and back x-rays.

From the start, the ER physician gave me the feeling that she thought I was faking it.  When they were preparing to release me, she had said I had just pulled muscles, etc, and should just take it easy...but as we were signing the paperwork for release, she rushed back into the room and said that after having looked at the x-rays, I had four fractured ribs on the right side of my chest! This visit is going to cost us about $3,000.00...with no insurance we have to pay for it out of pocket.  That's going to be a very large problem, as only I am working.

On Wednesday, I went to my family physician, an awesome doc named Rachel Benn...who because I NEVER go to the doctor's office was shocked to see me and worked me in (despite not having an appointment). She wants me to have a number of test done (blood work $450, bone scan $1,500, MRI, etc)...I can't afford to pay for all that and keep a roof over my our head.

It wouldn't be so bad, but Cheri hasn't been able to find even part-time work, so we're dependent upon my $22 hour cabinet making job...so I'm literally reduced to holding out a tin cup to try and raise money to pay for the tests Rachel wants me to have...so please, hit the tip jar to the right.

Libertarian Infighting: A new look...

How To Achieve Totalitarianism, Leftist Style

Born: Saul David Alinsky, January 30, 1909, Chicago, Illinois

Died: June 12, 1972, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Occupation: Community organizer, writer, political activist, socialist democrat.

Notable works: Reveille for Radicals (1946); Rules for Radicals (1971)

Saul David Alinsky (January 30, 1909-June 12, 1972) was an American community organizer and writer. He is generally considered to be the founder of modern community organizing. He is often noted for his book Rules for Radicals. From that book here are Saul's thoughts on how to create a social state:

There are 8 levels of control that must be obtained before you are able to create a social state. The first is the most important.

1) Healthcare – Control healthcare and you control the people

2) Poverty – Increase the Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.

3) Debt – Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.

4) Gun Control – Remove the ability to defend themselves from the Government. That way you are able to create a police state.

5) Welfare – Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income)

6) Education – Take control of what people read and listen to – take control of what children learn in school.

7) Religion – Remove the belief in God from the Government and schools.

8) Class Warfare – Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take (Tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.

Any of this sound familiar?

Tea Party Rally: 4/19/2014

At 10 AM, on April 19, 2014...the anniversary of the British attacks on American patriots at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony, I propose the the Tea Party Movement hold a spontaneous rally on the Mall before the capital building  in Washington, DC.

We have 9 days to organize this...so get cracking!

Mozilla Firefox

I loved Mozilla's internet explorer program, Firefox...but with the politically correct ousting of their CEO I have chosen to uninstall the program.  If you can't express your political beliefs and lose your job because of it, then I just can't use your product...so FUCK OFF Mozilla, your'e not worth my $$$...

AC-DC THUNDERSTRUCK!

Awesome!



via Independent Journal Review

I am a Ukrainian!

via Instapundit:

2nd Amendment Explained

'nough said...

Penn & Teller: Hypocrisy of Green Energy and Enviromentalism...

great video:



via Weaselzippers

CBO Refruits Claims of Factcheck on ObamaCare

 I wrote the following to factcheck.org about thier claims that the GOP was overstating the case against ObamaCare.  They were wrong.  The CBO has recently released a report (link below) stating that ObamaCare will actually be a major tax increase as well as cause significant losses in jobs in the near as well as long term.

Dear Sir,

Three years ago you said that ObamaCare wouldn't hurt America...here is what you said:

http://www.factcheck.org/2011/01/a-job-killing-law/

We find:

• Independent, nonpartisan experts project only a "small" or "minimal" impact on jobs, even before taking likely job gains in the health care and insurance industries into account.
• The House Republican leadership, in a report issued Jan. 6, badly misrepresents what the Congressional Budget Office has said about the law. In fact, CBO is among those saying the effect "will probably be small."
• The GOP also cites a study projecting a 1.6 million job loss — but fails to mention that the study refers to a hypothetical employer mandate that is not part of the new law.
• The same study cited by the GOP also predicts an offsetting gain of 890,000 jobs in hospitals, doctors’ offices and insurance companies — a factor not mentioned by the House leadership.

Now, the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan organization has found that:

"The nonpartisan agency found the reform law’s negative effects on the economy would be “substantially larger” than what it had previously anticipated.
It said the equivalent of 2.3 million workers would be lost by 2021, compared to its previous estimate of 800,000, and that 2.5 million workers would be lost by 2024. It also projected that labor force compensation would be reduced by 1 percent from 2017 to 2024 — twice its previous estimate — and that declining economic growth would add $1 trillion more to deficits."
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/197365-cbo-o-care-slowing-growth#ixzz2sOZyubWF

You said that Republicans were misstating the facts of the law...are you willing to retract that statement?

"When it comes to truth in labeling, House Republicans are getting off to a poor start with their constantly repeated references to the new health care law as "job-killing.""

It now appears that you were wrong. When will you issue a retraction?

Rich Vail

Pikesville, MD

"The task of weaning various people and groups from the national nipple will not be easy. The sound of whines, bawls, screams and invective will fill the air as the agony of withdrawal pangs finds voice." -Linda Bowles

I suspect that because in the blogging world, I'm a small fish and they will ignore me.

hat tip: Instapundit

For Honour, G-d & Country: I Fought For YOU!

Please watch in it's entirety...

Media Bias: Neil Cavuto Reveals Bias in Bridgegate & Benghazi Reporting

Here, nakedly, is the bias of the mainstream media on news that can injure a Conservative or soft pedal a Liberal Democrats.  Neil Cavuto has put together a video that shows the difference between how the media covers a Conservative and Liberals.  It's ugly...and plainly shows that the media has now become a propaganda arm of the Democratic party.



You decide.  Please spread this video far and wide.

HT: GatewayPundit.

Star Wars Walker...

here's video of a prototype of a Star Wars Imperial Walker...




Via Dark Roasted Blend.

Obama Has No Clothes: Afterburner with Bill Whittle

The exceptionally erudite expounds on a naked president:



via Ed Driscoll

Bastogne Celebrates "Nuts" Day, 2013.

Here's video of the parade in the Belgian town of Bastogne celebrating "Nuts Day", Dec, 26, 2013.



For those that don't know, "Nuts" was the answer that Brig Gen Anthony "Tony" McAullife, the acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division (The Screaming Eagles) sent to the German commander when he demanded the surrender of the important communications and road intersection of several major highways in eastern Belgium.  Bastognians have been celebrating this holiday for decades...while we ignore the heroism displayed by the 101st Airborne Division and Team SNAFU (remnants of the 28th Infantry Division of the Penn Nat Gd--"Bloody Bucket" or "Keystone Div.") and the CCB of the 10th Armored Division, CCR of the 9th Armored Division, 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion 35th and 158th Combat Engineer Battalions, 58th and 420th Armored Field Artillery Battalions, 755th and 969th Field Artillery Battalions of 8th Corps 

While the list looks impressive, you must keep in mind that there weren't full strength units.  Most often, they were individual platoons an companies that fell back from the Nazi onslaught. These men upon themselves, without out the aide of outside forces, held off the elements of 4 German Panzer Divisions for more than a week.

Hat tip For t he Record blog

Monkey Rejects Unequal Pay

Here's a great video of a Capuchin Monkey rejecting unequal pay:



via Paterico's Pontifications

Sen Jeanne Shaheen is a Liar

Here is the add that could well sink the Democratic party in general and Jeanne Shaheen in particular.



Remember, ObamaCare was passed without a single GOP vote...Democrats OWN this abortion, now ram it down their throats.

Why Americans are so Angry

Here's a deep insight from the comment thread on an article in the Economist...

J. Kemp Dec 7th, 19:32

There is an apparent lack of understanding among many in this thread about the nature of America's unique flavor of, and recipe for, corruption.

The way corruption works in America is through the providing of morally corrupt laws to those who purchase laws from federal and state legislatures. The purchasing is done most often through campaign finance transactions.
In other less developed countries, corruption is quite straightforward and easy to see as such. Old fashioned cash-for-deeds bribery is more prevalent in less developed nations.

In America corruption is a much more insidious game, which is worse because (i) it is almost always plausibly deniable by virtue of being cloaked in "laws", and (ii) it is impossible for the citizens to escape.

The American banking sector, telecoms companies, insurance companies, America's multiple for-profit prison industries and the major licensed professions: attorneys, physicians, financial services "professionals" (sic) and accountants are all major spenders on the purchasing of legislation which creates and protects their selfish economic opportunities at the expense of normal Americans who are not members of these law-buying clubs. America passes secret laws enabling its NSA to violate its citizens constitutional rights and has secret courts to approve these violations. America uses drones to murder targets -- but many innocents -- in ways which are clear violations of easily understood Geneva conventions on warfare and prohibiting crimes against humanity.

There is, in fact, a high level of cash-for-deeds corruption in America, for example, as set forth by the Yale Law Journal which formulates and estimate of over 1 million bribery transactions per year in the American judicial branch of government. There are also abundant indications of a high level of arrogance towards the citizens by members of government from local police and other local government employees, all the way up to national office holders in federal legislatures and other branches of government.

However the worst and most inescapable and deleterious form of corruption going on in America is when private interests (or certain parts of government) get deals from legislatures and get the laws they want so that they can economically enslave -- and/or imprison -- American citizens.

Americans are being bled out by these custom, gov-for-sale laws like animals at a slaughterhouse. This is angering Americans as well it should.

The key to understanding the uniquely American flavor of corruption is to understand that is most often WRAPPED IN LAWS which laws seek to legitimize morally corrupt treatment of America's citizens, often under the further cover of some noble motive.

American corruption is unique and innovative in its many disguises, but it is worse for the citizens than the forms of corruption found in other nations due to the fact that American corruption is, by design, inescapable for its citizens, a large portion of whom are exploited as economic slaves by those privileged industries and professions who are holding all the cards in the form of laws they purchased from America's corrupt legislatures.

If Obama Was a Republican...

George Washington on the 2nd Amendment

Of all the founding fathers, this man had the most to lose.  So, I believe his opinions on  the 2nd Amendment are pertinent to today's arguments on this most important of ALL the Bill of Rights.

The Griffon, Bush Gardens, Prague Czech Republic

this looks AWESOME!

Howard University, Wash, DC: I Thought ObamaCare Was Free?

Via Instapundit.com, Michelle Fields interviews students at Howard Univ. in Washington DC about ObamaCare.



The title is from the last line...a clearly clueless idiot, who mindlessly voted for Obama...weep for the future, for these morons are it...but to quote the great Robert Heinlein, "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch", or as he put it TANSTAAFL...someone has to pay for that free lunch eventually...

PicoBrew Zymatic: Automatic Beer Brewing Appliance

This is awesome.  I'd love to have one of these things.



The only real barrier to me brewing beer at home is the mess and hours sitting in front of a stove watching beer boil... here is their kick start page...I hope those of you who can afford to, will pledge. I do know that if they aren't too expensive, I'll be buying one of these, because I've always wanted to brew my own beer...just about as much as I'd love to have a still and make my own aged whiskey!

Hat Tip; Patterico's Pontifications

Winter Hunting: Fox Style!

From Lynda D., an amazing video:

Obama Pivots to the Economy...for the 11th Time!

Unfortunately, his record is dismal...and is only exceeded by that of FDR's extending the great depression by 7 more years...Here is what Obama has achieved economically:

• GOP.com put together this summary of Obama’s economic failures.
• “For The Second Consecutive Year, Neither The Official Poverty Rate Nor The Number Of People In Poverty At The National Level Were Statistically Different From The Previous Year’s Estimates.” (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2012,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/17/13)
• As Of 2012, There Are 46.5 Million Americans Living In Poverty. (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2012,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/17/13)
• Under Obama, The Poverty Rate Has Increased From 13.2 Percent To 15 Percent. (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2012,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/17/13; Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2008,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/09)
• Under Obama, 6.7 Million More Americans Have Fallen Into Poverty. (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2012,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/17/13; Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2008,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/09)
• Under Obama, The Gini Coefficient – Used To Measure The Degree Of Income Inequality – Has Increased From .466 To .477. (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2012,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/17/13; Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2008,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/09)
• From 2011 To 2012, Median Income Declined From $51,100 To $51,017. (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2012,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/17/13)
• Since Obama Took Office, The Average Duration Of Unemployment Has Nearly Doubled From 19.8 Weeks To 36.1 Weeks. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 12/4/13)
• The Unemployment Rate Has Fallen “Almost Entirely” Because Fewer People Are Looking For Jobs, Rather Than Due To People Actually Finding Jobs. “The unemployment rate has dropped almost entirely because of this decline in labor force participation. In other words, it has not fallen because people are finding jobs. It has fallen because fewer people are looking for jobs.” (Binyamin Appelbaum, “Labor Force Participation Is Not Coming Back,” The New York Times‘ Economix Blog, 7/18/13)
• 21.6 Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed Or Have Given Up Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 12/4/13)
• “Nearly Two-Thirds Of Jobs Lost During The Recession Paid Middle-Class Wages, According To The National Employment Law Project. Yet Only 22 Percent Of Jobs Created Under Obama Are Mid-Wage Occupations.” “Nearly two-thirds of jobs lost during the recession paid middle-class wages, according to the National Employment Law Project. Yet only 22 percent of jobs created under Obama are mid-wage occupations. That disparity is what Obama had in mind when he declared in his Inaugural Address, ‘We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work, when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship.’” (Ron Fournier, “Middle Class Falls, Wall Street Rises…And Washington Dithers,” National Journal, 5/31/13)
• Daniel Alpert, Managing Partner Of New York Investment Bank Westwood Capital, Says “We Have Become A Nation Of Hamburger Flippers, Wal-Mart Sales Associates, Barmaids, Checkout People And Other People Working At Very Low Wages.” “The majority of the jobs that have been created during the recovery have been low-paying jobs, worsening income inequality and keeping the economy sluggish. ‘Really we have become a nation of hamburger flippers, Wal-Mart sales associates, barmaids, checkout people and other people working at very low wages,’ Daniel Alpert, managing partner of New York investment bank Westwood Capital, told Yahoo Finance’s Daily Ticker. That’s why job growth is ‘not increasing consumption or the ability to go out and buy stuff.’” (Mark Gongloff, “July Jobs Report Masks Real Problems In U.S. Labor Market,” The Huffington Post, 8/2/13)
• There’s more….
• According To A July Chamber Of Commerce Poll, ObamaCare Now “Surpasses Economic Uncertainty As The Top Worry For Small Business Owners.” “Small business owners’ concern about the economy remained steady this quarter; however, their concern about the 2010 health care bill rose significantly in the past quarter and for the third quarter in a row (from 42% in January to 49% in June). Since June 2011, anxiety about the requirements of the law has increased by 10-points since and now surpasses economic uncertainty as the top worry for small business owners.” ( Harris Interactive/U.S. Chamber Of Commerce , 1304 Small Business Executives, MoE 2.5 %, 6/21/13-7/8/13)
• A Separate IFA Poll Shows That “Sixty-Four (64) Percent Of Business Decision-Makers In Franchise-Owned Businesses And 53 Percent Of Non-Franchisee-Owned Businesses Believe The ACA Will Have A Negative Impact On Their Businesses.” ( IFA/U.S. Chamber Of Commerce/Public Opinion Strategies , 414 Franchise-Owned And Non-Franchised Owned Businesses With 40 To 500 Employees, 11/13/13)
• “Twenty-Nine (29) Percent Of Franchise And 41 Percent Of Non-Franchise Businesses Are Already Seeing Health Care Costs Increase Due To The Law.” ( IFA/U.S. Chamber Of Commerce/Public Opinion Strategies , 414 Franchise-Owned And Non-Franchised Owned Businesses With 40 To 500 Employees, 11/13/13)
• The IFA Poll Shows That “The Employer Mandate Will Almost Double The Percentage Of Franchise-Owned Businesses And More Than Triple The Percentage Of Non-Franchise Businesses That Will Not Offer Health Care.” “Twenty-eight (28) percent of franchise and non-franchise businesses surveyed report that the employer mandate will mean they will drop coverage for their employees. In effect, among this segment of businesses, the employer mandate will almost double the percentage of franchise-owned businesses and more than triple the percentage of non-franchise businesses that will not offer health care.” ( IFA/U.S. Chamber Of Commerce/Public Opinion Strategies , 414 Franchise-Owned And Non-Franchised Owned Businesses With 40 To 500 Employees, 11/13/13)
• “Employers Around The Country Are Reducing Employee Hours Because They Can’t Afford ObamaCare. “Employers around the country, from fast-food franchises to colleges, have told NBC News that they will be cutting workers’ hours below 30 a week because they can’t afford to offer the health insurance mandated by the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.” (Lisa Myers and Carroll Ann Mears, “Businesses Claim ObamaCare Has Forced Them To Cut Employee Hours,” NBC News, 8/13/13)

As you can see, he's not done too well.  Eventually,  he's going to have to stop blaming Bush for all his economic woes...

HT  The Gateway Pundit

Pentatonix: Drummer Boy

I will admit that I absolutely despise this song...since the '70's with that horrid Christmas show (claymation I believe)...but this rendition is brilliant.

Obama's New Symbol

Organizing for America has a new symbol.  They think it will be more effective than their old one, even though it incorporates much of it...

Obama: The Lying King

Changing America...