His recent rant at the Aspen Institute, as reported by HuffPo.
The mask of civility is slipping, the wheels are coming off. One feels for Tipper, to have endured this for so many years.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
London Riots Overnight, Thoughts And Prayers To Our Friends
The BBC coverage is looping here, and it is shocking.
The police are putting everything they have into controlling as much of the situation as they can. OS is searching Google Maps to see where the chaos is in relation to where his friends in London live and work. Some of it is in perilous proximity.
The reaction of the law-abiding citizens is one of of shock. There is a long tradition of civility in that society, and they seem at a loss to comprehend what has happened before their eyes. And, let's be clear--it's mainly black youths on the streets, taking advantage of the chaos to vent their spleen, and steal whatever isn't nailed down. This is not about politics or poverty--it is about depravity, pure and simple.
It can happen anywhere, and it can happen to us here. However, OS opines that, in many US cities and towns, looters breaking into stores encounter shop owners greeting them with shotguns as they enter. The bandits know it, and that knowledge serves to discourage rioters. It is one reason there was no looting in Nashville following last year's floods. The New Orleans police, by contrast, did all they could to disarm the law-abiding post-Katrina, and then were shocked to find looters at large.
Citizens in the UK are not allowed this means of defense of life and property. They are obliged to flee and wait for the police and fire department to arrive.
It is something to consider again in the UK, and to preserve in the US.
Thoughts and prayers to all ya'll, from your US cousins.
The police are putting everything they have into controlling as much of the situation as they can. OS is searching Google Maps to see where the chaos is in relation to where his friends in London live and work. Some of it is in perilous proximity.
The reaction of the law-abiding citizens is one of of shock. There is a long tradition of civility in that society, and they seem at a loss to comprehend what has happened before their eyes. And, let's be clear--it's mainly black youths on the streets, taking advantage of the chaos to vent their spleen, and steal whatever isn't nailed down. This is not about politics or poverty--it is about depravity, pure and simple.
It can happen anywhere, and it can happen to us here. However, OS opines that, in many US cities and towns, looters breaking into stores encounter shop owners greeting them with shotguns as they enter. The bandits know it, and that knowledge serves to discourage rioters. It is one reason there was no looting in Nashville following last year's floods. The New Orleans police, by contrast, did all they could to disarm the law-abiding post-Katrina, and then were shocked to find looters at large.
Citizens in the UK are not allowed this means of defense of life and property. They are obliged to flee and wait for the police and fire department to arrive.
It is something to consider again in the UK, and to preserve in the US.
Thoughts and prayers to all ya'll, from your US cousins.
Monday, August 8, 2011
That Worked Out Well, Did It Not?: The Obama Effect
Back in 2008, every time Henry Paulson appeared on TV to 'calm the markets', the markets would begin to tank ever more precipitously. OS privately called it 'The Paulson Effect', and was too naive to short the market. (Now no longer...)
Obama has assumed Paulson's mantle. As soon as he read his teleprompter remarks, and stalked out like the petulant child he is, the selling began in earnest.
OS went back to his work, and listened to Bach. He checked in again shortly after the markets closed, and spontaneously exclaimed an expletive he will refrain from repeating in print.
Just for the record, the Dow closed down 634.76 points, the S&P down 79.92, gold broke an all-time high, and silver is retracing to its earlier highs.
OS's liberal friends want to blame it all on the Tea Party, and ignore that the Dems were routed last November.
He gently reminds them that any country with over 50 trillion of unfunded obligations, and borrows .40 over every dollar it currently spends, is on the path to tragedy.
Not even the Fed can stop this sell-off. We've all learned too much, and are less susceptible to being stampeded, since 2008. The markets, both in equities and bonds, have a long way to go to align themselves with reality. OS thinks reality is Dow 7500 and S&P 600.
Disclosures: Short the S&P, long gold, long silver. Paying debts off as quickly as his little fingers can write checks, and has been for quite a while now. Looking to plant gardens and install livestock on his acreage for next spring. Renewing his hunting license.
Obama has assumed Paulson's mantle. As soon as he read his teleprompter remarks, and stalked out like the petulant child he is, the selling began in earnest.
OS went back to his work, and listened to Bach. He checked in again shortly after the markets closed, and spontaneously exclaimed an expletive he will refrain from repeating in print.
Just for the record, the Dow closed down 634.76 points, the S&P down 79.92, gold broke an all-time high, and silver is retracing to its earlier highs.
OS's liberal friends want to blame it all on the Tea Party, and ignore that the Dems were routed last November.
He gently reminds them that any country with over 50 trillion of unfunded obligations, and borrows .40 over every dollar it currently spends, is on the path to tragedy.
Not even the Fed can stop this sell-off. We've all learned too much, and are less susceptible to being stampeded, since 2008. The markets, both in equities and bonds, have a long way to go to align themselves with reality. OS thinks reality is Dow 7500 and S&P 600.
Disclosures: Short the S&P, long gold, long silver. Paying debts off as quickly as his little fingers can write checks, and has been for quite a while now. Looking to plant gardens and install livestock on his acreage for next spring. Renewing his hunting license.
Previewing The President's Remarks, 8 August 2011
Himself will be mounting the podium soon, but the teleprompters must be prepared first.
Dustin Hoffman has been brought back to coach TheOne, so here's the last minute preps:
OK, Barry, whatever the Flip you do, Stay With The Teleprompter!
Do not, under any circumstance, go off script.
Look at me Barry! Try to concentrate! Geeeez!!!! Not the time for a cigarette, Barry! No, Barry, you can't go play golf today! No, Barry, you can't play basketball, either. You have a speech to make! (Ohmygod...)
Remember, it Bush's fault. It's Boehner's fault. It's the Tea Party's fault. It's God's fault for timing the earthquake in Japan like He did. NoNoNoNo, scratch that one, we don't believe in God except when we need His endorsement.
It's the fault of S&P--they're all racists, and have been secretly taken over by Tea Party zombies! That's a good one!
It's all the fault of that Zionist Cantor!
They can't do math, and we're in the process of correcting them. Gino and Vito are on the way now to 'splain things to them.
Fannie and Freddie don't matter, so don't even begin to talk about Fannie and Freddie.
Intone jobzjobzjobzjobz....growthgrowthrowthgrowth....
It's because we can't raise taxes! That's a good one, and blame it on the Tea Party!
Remember, whatever you say, It's Not Your Fault! None of it! Only YOU know what's best for the country. Only YOU know the WillOfTheAmericanPeople!
(Geeeeeez, who decided to put this guy in office? What were they thinking?)
OK, here we go!
Dustin Hoffman has been brought back to coach TheOne, so here's the last minute preps:
OK, Barry, whatever the Flip you do, Stay With The Teleprompter!
Do not, under any circumstance, go off script.
Look at me Barry! Try to concentrate! Geeeez!!!! Not the time for a cigarette, Barry! No, Barry, you can't go play golf today! No, Barry, you can't play basketball, either. You have a speech to make! (Ohmygod...)
Remember, it Bush's fault. It's Boehner's fault. It's the Tea Party's fault. It's God's fault for timing the earthquake in Japan like He did. NoNoNoNo, scratch that one, we don't believe in God except when we need His endorsement.
It's the fault of S&P--they're all racists, and have been secretly taken over by Tea Party zombies! That's a good one!
It's all the fault of that Zionist Cantor!
They can't do math, and we're in the process of correcting them. Gino and Vito are on the way now to 'splain things to them.
Fannie and Freddie don't matter, so don't even begin to talk about Fannie and Freddie.
Intone jobzjobzjobzjobz....growthgrowthrowthgrowth....
It's because we can't raise taxes! That's a good one, and blame it on the Tea Party!
Remember, whatever you say, It's Not Your Fault! None of it! Only YOU know what's best for the country. Only YOU know the WillOfTheAmericanPeople!
(Geeeeeez, who decided to put this guy in office? What were they thinking?)
OK, here we go!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Jesse's Café Américain: It's the Unfunded Wars and the Financial Fraud, and the Unwillingness to Reform
Jesse's Café Américain: It's the Unfunded Wars and the Financial Fraud, and the unwillingness to reform.
As so often is the case, Jesse hits the nail on the head.
As so often is the case, Jesse hits the nail on the head.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Quote Of The Day From A Former Obama Supporter
OldSouth, following his morning walk (under orders to lose weight, grumble, grumble), tossed his sweaty clothes into the washer, failing to remove his mobile phone.
In case any of his readers are curious on the subject, mobile phones do not respond well to washing machines.
So, off to the mobile phone store he goes, to pick up a replacement, whilst removing egg from his grizzled face. He got a lunch with the saintly Mrs. OS out of the deal, so all was not lost.
A SweetYoungThing expertly got him situated, and while his new phone was being activated, OS overheard a conversation between a couple in their 70's and the next sales rep down the counter. It was good-natured, but it was easy to tell these folks were old-school-from-the-country folks. At one point, in deciding what to purchase, and how to pay, the wife blurted out jokingly 'I'll have to make sure Mr. Obama sent me my Social Security check!'. It was a giggle for everyone.
A minute or so later, she sidles up to OS and remarks, 'You know, I voted for Obama last time!' OS inquires, 'Are you happy with that decision, ma'am?'
Her answer: 'Is anyone?'
Heaven bless her, she gets it. Here's hoping the GOP gives her a candidate worth leaving the house to vote for.
In case any of his readers are curious on the subject, mobile phones do not respond well to washing machines.
So, off to the mobile phone store he goes, to pick up a replacement, whilst removing egg from his grizzled face. He got a lunch with the saintly Mrs. OS out of the deal, so all was not lost.
A SweetYoungThing expertly got him situated, and while his new phone was being activated, OS overheard a conversation between a couple in their 70's and the next sales rep down the counter. It was good-natured, but it was easy to tell these folks were old-school-from-the-country folks. At one point, in deciding what to purchase, and how to pay, the wife blurted out jokingly 'I'll have to make sure Mr. Obama sent me my Social Security check!'. It was a giggle for everyone.
A minute or so later, she sidles up to OS and remarks, 'You know, I voted for Obama last time!' OS inquires, 'Are you happy with that decision, ma'am?'
Her answer: 'Is anyone?'
Heaven bless her, she gets it. Here's hoping the GOP gives her a candidate worth leaving the house to vote for.
Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Yes We Can (Lose our AAA Credit rating)!
How appropriate, on the day that Obama's economics home-boy Austan Goolsbee heads back to his tenured life in academia, that S & P announces they've had enough BS from this administration to last them for quite a while thank-yew-ver'uh-much.
(Reuters) - The United States lost its top-notch AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor's on Friday in an unprecedented reversal of fortune for the world's largest economy.
S&P cut the long-term U.S. credit rating by one notch to AA-plus on concerns about the government's budget deficits and rising debt burden. The move is likely to raise borrowing costs eventually for the American government, companies and consumers.
"The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics," S&P said in a statement.
We are committing crimes against our grandchildren by allowing the government to live so far beyond its means. Somebody, somewhere, sometime, is gunna hafta pay alllll this money back, and it appears it will fall to our children and theirs. They will curse our memory for it.
And of course, true to form, the Obama administration chose to attack the reputation of S & P in response. It's The Chicago Way, baby!
(Reuters) - The United States lost its top-notch AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor's on Friday in an unprecedented reversal of fortune for the world's largest economy.
S&P cut the long-term U.S. credit rating by one notch to AA-plus on concerns about the government's budget deficits and rising debt burden. The move is likely to raise borrowing costs eventually for the American government, companies and consumers.
"The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics," S&P said in a statement.
We are committing crimes against our grandchildren by allowing the government to live so far beyond its means. Somebody, somewhere, sometime, is gunna hafta pay alllll this money back, and it appears it will fall to our children and theirs. They will curse our memory for it.
And of course, true to form, the Obama administration chose to attack the reputation of S & P in response. It's The Chicago Way, baby!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Undoubtedly, The Slaughter In Syria Will Be Blamed On Israel...
Wait for it, it will happen.
The latest figures of the Arab army of Assad slaughtering Arab civilians in Hama now stands about 2000. Hillary decided the threshold of caring had been breached, and decided to say disapproving things about the situation.
The BBC report is here, complete with (univerified) footage.
OS would wish to gently remind his readers that, if allowed to prevail in the Middle East, all of Palestine will be run by people like Assad, and much worse.
The latest figures of the Arab army of Assad slaughtering Arab civilians in Hama now stands about 2000. Hillary decided the threshold of caring had been breached, and decided to say disapproving things about the situation.
The BBC report is here, complete with (univerified) footage.
OS would wish to gently remind his readers that, if allowed to prevail in the Middle East, all of Palestine will be run by people like Assad, and much worse.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Barack Obama's Birthday Present To The United States: Debt to GDP now 100%
It warms the heart, don't it?
It's the Big-Five-Oh for The Beloved Leader, and he never fails to celebrate the really big occasions, like putting the country as much in debt as it produces, with more of the same baked into the projections for years to come--and that's after The Deal, which simply slowed the speed of the runaway truck of our culture headed off the cliff. It'll be comforting to know that we're only going over the edge at 60 mph as opposed to 62 mph, dont'cha-know!
He did look in good form last night, did he not, with that winning smile and the young lady in her LittleBlackDress who breathlessly let The One just how much she admired Him. Betcha MizzMichelle loved that moment! Rather like Miss Monroe singing that memorable version of 'Happy Birthday' to JFK all those years ago...
After all, to have achieved a life goal of crashing a culture by age fifty, it's no small thing. And to hear a room full of donors cheering you for the occasion, well, that's just icing on the ole' birthday cake...
As OS hits 'publish', the Dow's down about 300, S&P down about 35, gold up about 7.
Happy birthday, Mr. President!
It's the Big-Five-Oh for The Beloved Leader, and he never fails to celebrate the really big occasions, like putting the country as much in debt as it produces, with more of the same baked into the projections for years to come--and that's after The Deal, which simply slowed the speed of the runaway truck of our culture headed off the cliff. It'll be comforting to know that we're only going over the edge at 60 mph as opposed to 62 mph, dont'cha-know!
He did look in good form last night, did he not, with that winning smile and the young lady in her LittleBlackDress who breathlessly let The One just how much she admired Him. Betcha MizzMichelle loved that moment! Rather like Miss Monroe singing that memorable version of 'Happy Birthday' to JFK all those years ago...
After all, to have achieved a life goal of crashing a culture by age fifty, it's no small thing. And to hear a room full of donors cheering you for the occasion, well, that's just icing on the ole' birthday cake...
As OS hits 'publish', the Dow's down about 300, S&P down about 35, gold up about 7.
Happy birthday, Mr. President!
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