Thoughts On A Sunday

Yesterday was BeezleBub's first day back at the farm after his week long post-school vacation down at the WP In-Laws. From now on most of his days will be filled with farm work, something he actually enjoys. At least he'll be inside one of the greenhouses today, staying out of the damp weather that has descended upon us yet again.

We've had all of two real days of summer weather this past week, with the rest of it resembling early to mid May: cool temps, lots of rain.

I don't think we'll make it out on to the lake today considering the forecast.

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You know America's screwed when even the Europeans are looking upon Obama's planned spending and social programs with alarm.

This proves to me that Obama and his advisors really haven't an effin' clue about how economies work and where all the money actually comes from.

(H/T Instapundit)

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On a related note, it appears Obama is ignoring the lessons of California, New York, and New Jersey, three states that tried living the tax and spend lifestyle, but in the end failed. Now Obama is espousing the same kind of tax and spend lifestyle for the entire nation. Does he really think he can pull off what others have tried and failed to do?

Of course he does. And he'll fail, just like they did. The only problem is that he'll take all of the rest of us with him when the US goes bankrupt.

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The Obama Administration is showing its arrogance towards our allies, particularly the Germans. As an article in Der Spiegel illustrates, the Germans don't have a very good impression of Obama or his staffers, and rightfully so.

(H/T Rachel Lucas)

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Barney Frank is still trying to sell the idea that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should loosen their lending standards for those wanting to buy condos. Isn't this how we got into trouble with the housing bubble to begin with?

A reminder: Definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting the results to be different this time.

I'd say that pretty well sums up Barney. It also applies to President Obama (see above).

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The TaxProf points us to a study that shows high taxes tend to cause small business bankruptcies. Seeing how my home state of New Hampshire has just imposed taxes on over 45,000 small businesses for the first time, I expect many of those barely holding on and making a small profit during these tough times will be forced into bankruptcy, courtesy of the state legislature.

Deb and I own a small business and with the taxes we will now have to pay we will see our small profit disappear. We'll be lucky if we break even unless Deb stops drawing a salary. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of owning a small business? It goes to show you that far too many legislators at state and federal level really don't understand where the money actually comes from, or that they really don't care.

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Is the honeymoon between Obama and the press over? It would appear so.

One job of journalists is, to borrow a horse racing phrase, to "call the turns" of developing news. Yesterday, the White House press corps called the end of the Obama honeymoon.

By peppering the President with forceful questions on Iran and other big topics and by challenging some of his slippery answers, reporters captured the changing tone in the country. Like the end of a real honeymoon, blind infatuation is giving way to a more accurate view of reality.

Not that there won't be members of the MSM that will still carry water for Obama, but for the most part members of the media won't be looking the other way or letting Obama get away with giving non-answer answers.

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Skip at GraniteGrok reminds us that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, particularly when it comes to socialism. That certainly hasn't stopped our Socialist-in-Chief from trying to make America into yet another socialist hell, much like the America in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

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Neoneocon gives us a preview of how well Obamacare will work and what it will actually cost by looking at how well RomneyCare (Obamacare Lite) is working in the People's Republic of Massachusetts.

We really don't want to go there, particularly in light of the problems with the UK's National Health Service and the over $3.6 billion in negligence claims filed against the NHS. Should we duplicate the NHS in the form of Obamacare, I would expect negligence claims would total in the hundreds of billions of dollars (we being the litigious society we are).

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How is it Obama thinks he'll get his way on Cap-and-Trade (Waxman-Markey)? It's simple.

He think's you're stupid.

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Obama is showing more of his socialist sympathies when he condemns the actions of the Honduran Army in ousting and exiling Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.

Zelaya was trying to force passage of a constitutional amendment that would made him President-For-Life, much like his left-wing socialist ally Hugo Chavez. The Honduran Supreme Court had already ruled Zelaya's actions illegal.

Wow, the Obama administration springs immediately into action to succor a wannabe Marxist dictator, yet Beloved Leader Barack couldn't find it in his heart to say a few "just words" when Iranians were dying in the streets under the thumb of the mullahs.

That's because he really doesn't believe in freedom for anyone but the elite, meaning him and his devoted followers.

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Rachel Lucas feels the same way I do about the outpouring of grief over the death of Michael Jackson.

It is pathetic how the media is fixating on Michael Jackson. Forget Iran, forget everything that truly matters to the future and well-being of millions if not billions of human beings. The King of Pop has died! OMG! Honestly it makes me want to throw up.

Imagine what could be accomplished in this world if all those people - who are out there on the streets, gathering at his house and the UCLA hospital, making signs and bringing flowers, crying, hugging each other, talking to the news - imagine if all those assholes used that time, energy, and emotion on things that actually matter.

Have you noticed how the reports and tributes to Jackson have blown just about everything else off TV? Maybe that's just what the Obama Administration wants because it takes the attention of the American people off what's going on in Congress and the White House.

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And that's the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where rainy weather has returned, NASCAR fans are departing, and where Monday is returning all too soon.