Music Monday-Big and Rich "That's Why I Pray"

One day last week I was driving home from work listening to the Sean Hannity radio program. This particular afternoon, one of his guests was John Rich from the country duo Big & Rich. During the show, they played the new single from the duo. The thing about Big & Rich is that they run the gamut from rowdy and tacky songs to deep, meaningful songs.  That's Why I Pray falls in the latter.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.   PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Herman Cain's 999 Plan

Image by Gage Skidmore via FlickrI first heard of Herman Cain in 2007 when Neal Boortz's book "Somebody's Gotta Say It" came out.  I read Boort's book and started listening to his radio show on the internet in my office.  Cain was a frequent guest and substitute host on Boortz's show.

Herman Cain has been a big proponent of the FairTax as advocated by Boortz.  In the past, I have generally been a supporter of the FairTax plan, though I do have some questions regarding some of the assumptions and the transition to the FairTax.  Cain's support of the FairTax is one of the reasons he intrigues me as a potential Presidential candidate.

Under the FairTax, all payroll (FICA) and federal income tax withholding is eliminated, along with eliminating the IRS.  You get to keep your entire paycheck.  You also get a prebate each month based on the size of your household.  Taxes are collected through a national consumption tax of 23% embedded in the cost of all goods.  It is designed to be revenue neutral.

During the recent GOP Presidential debates, Herman Cain has introduced his 999 plan to help the economy.  The plan imposes a 9% income tax on everybody, a 9% tax on business, and a 9% national sales tax.  It eliminates  the payroll tax for everybody.  Cain's 999 plan is designed to be a transition to the FairTax by, as he put it, bringing the supporters of the FairTax together with the supporters of the Flat Tax.

I heard Cain yesterday on the Sean Hannity radio program discussing the meat of his plan.  On the surface, I liked the general premise, however, the more I think about it, the more questions that I have.  I would like to see some sort of calculator similar to the FairTax calculator to ascertain whether or not the plan would negatively impact me financially.  I always do a little better under the FairTax than under the current system.

With the elimination of the payroll tax and the flat 9% rate on income, I would lower my combined tax burden considerably.  The remaining question would be whether or not the new 9% sales tax would in the end cause my total tax burden to increase or not.  It could be close.  Still, Cain is one of the few people out there with specific plans and proposals as opposed to making general statements of "we need to reform the tax code." 

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Osama bin Laden Death Photos

Image via WikipediaSince the news broke late Sunday night that US Special Ops forces had broken into a compound and killed Osama bin Laden, the speculation has been whether or not the Obama administration would release photos of the SOB's corpse to prove that bin Laden was dead.  Word came from the administration today that the photos will not be released.

Due to the military burying his body at sea in accordance with Islamic tradition, there are those that are apt to subscribe to conspiracy theories who will not believe that bin Laden is dead without seeing photos of the body.  Of course those that subscribe to conspiracy theories could also argue that any released photos were photoshopped.

The administration, for their part said that they do not want to release the photos because they are graphic and gruesome.  Their feeling is that by releasing the photos that it could inflame the passions of the Islamic extremists and lead to action on their part.  The counterargument to that would be that putting a bullet through his brain would also incite them.

I am an avowed conservative.  I listen to talk radio.  One of the programs that I usually listen to is Sean Hannity's because it is on during my commute home.  Most of the time, I find my self in agreement with his positions.  Today, during the hour I drove home, Hannity basically decried the decision by the President's decision to not release the photos, and the decision to bury bin Laden at sea in accordance with Islamic tradition.

It is not so much Hannity's position that the photos should be released that I disagree with, but rather my view that he is being somewhat hypocritical in regards to his position regarding "inciting the radical Islamists."  Previously, he had interviewed Pastor Terry Jones who held a Koran burning.  Hannity criticized Jones because he had burned the Koran despite the warnings from General David Petreaus that such actions would incite the extremists to vengeance.

Meanwhile, he criticizes the Obama administration because they are not releasing photos of bin Laden for that very same reason.  I understand that General Petreaus is a hero to conservatives like Hannity and to myself.  For the most part, there has been precious little that Barack Obama has done as President that I and most conservatives agree with.  For me it has been the killing of bin Laden, and the killing of a fly during an interview. It just seems inconsistent to me to support Pereaus in this case and not Obama.

I personally have no desire to see the photos.  I tend not to subscribe to conspiracies.  I understand the desire of some to see them.  There are high profile conservatives that do not think the photos should be released, and those that think they should.  Which side of the fence do you fall on in regards to the decision to not release the photos? Do you think that Sean Hannity's position is inconsistent, and is he just looking to find any fault with President Obama? 

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Donald Trump for President

Image via WikipediaI am not a fan of Donald Trump.  He obviously is a very successful business man, but his personality just rubs me the wrong way.  The Donald has been making the rounds and making it clear that he is considering a run to be a Republican nominee to face Barack Obama in 2012 for the presidency.  To date, polls are showing Trump performing well among the other possible candidates for the GOP. 

As I said, I have never been a big fan of Trump.  The idea that this man could be considered a serious contender for the Republican nominee for president makes my skin crawl.  Things that I have heard him say in the past had led me to believe that he tended to lean more to the liberal side of the spectrum than in towards the conservative side.

During my commutes to and from work during the week, I usually listen to WMAL 630 talk radio.  In the evening, I catch a good bit of the last hour of Sean Hannity's radio show, and depending on how bad traffic is, the start of the Mark Levin show.  On Friday nights, when I am out delivering pizza, I get to hear more of Levin's show.

On last night's show, Levin spent a great deal of time talking about Trump and the idea of him running as a Republican.  Levin's research and analysis further cemented my belief that Trump can not be the Republican nominee.  It started with a list of candidates that Trump had made campaign contributions to.  You would not think that somebody who proclaims to be a Republican would be making donations to the campaigns of Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, and Anthony Weiner, but he did.

Levin also played several sound bites of Trump spouting his praise of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi, and his criticisms of George W. Bush.  Trump has expressed his support for universal health care.  Mark Levin has posted a summary of the things he spoke about last night on his Facebook page called "Donald Chump and his Spin."  It really shows that Trump is all about Trump and is not what the Republican Party needs. 

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Time for a News Blackout

Image via Wikipedia

Image via WikipediaI am tired.  Exhausted really.  There are a couple of reasons.  Part of it is because for most of the past 20 years, I have worked two jobs.  Not complaining, but you do what you have to do to pay the bills and put some food on the table.  Another part would be dealing with the difficulties of the issues with my son.

Prior to getting into blogging, I was probably your typical American.  I watched the local nightly news, checked out a few websites to be informed of things that interested me, but for the most part didn't get into the details of the happenings in DC.  As long as I was working and doing OK, it just wasn't that important to me.

As I got into blogging, and started looking for subjects to right about.  I had gotten tired of listening to the local sports talk radio station and found a fairly balanced talk radio show in the mornings, that featured three local reporters with both liberal and conservative commentators.  The station eventually switched over from commentary to only Federal news.

I then started listening to WMAL630 with Fred Grandy in the morning.  They were definitely my conservative, but my political views were more conservative to begin with.  It is there that I would also listen to Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.  Frequently, I will hear stories on this station, not always political, that would inspire a particular blog post.

Politically, I consider myself to be a Libertarian, though I am registered as a Republican.  Most of my views would be considered conservative and while I definitely do not always agree with the Republicans, especially on social issues, I do fine myself more in agreement with the GOP, especially when compared with the Democrats.

In addition to WMAL630, I found myself watching a lot of Fox News channel in the evenings.  In particular, The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity, and On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.  In recent months though, I find myself tiring of it, especially O'Reilly and On the Record. Plus several of the more liberal leaning guests on all the shows have a tendency to raise my blood pressure.  It has gotten to the point where I have been considering a self imposed news blackout of sorts.

The idea of the news blackout has really come to a head this past week with all of the hand wringing on both sides of the political spectrum in regards to the deal that Barack Obama announced regarding the extension of the Bush era tax rates.  I actually wanted to give the President some credit for the bipartisan agreement, but he couldn't go without attacking those that don't agree with him.  Of course the more left members of the Democrats and the more right members of the GOP are all attacking the agreement.

For the entire week, I have been listening to Mark Levin blasting the agreement.  He has gone on and on about how the GOP should be holding out for even more concessions from the Democrats, even if it means waiting until they take control of the House in January.  Hannity has been picking up on the theme of holding out, even if it takes a month or two to get a deal and how it would be an "interesting game of chicken."  I actually turned off Levin as he started his opening monologue last night and switched to music in the car.

While philosophically, I am in agreement with their position, the practicality of it leaves me scratching my head.  If the tax rates are left to expire, then folks that are living pay check to pay check currently will really be struggling when the tax withholding goes up on January 1.  It is funny that the very people who want a prolonged battle with the Democrats are the same ones that can afford to have a little extra money withheld from their paychecks.

Meanwhile the Democrats continue their class warfare battle.  They are all up in arms about the tax rates being extended for everybody, especially the evil rich.  They are even more irate at the proposal to have a break in the estate tax. I have never understood the logic of an estate tax.  A man or woman can work hard all their life, pay taxes on everything they earn, and save for their children.  Then when they die, the government wants to confiscate property that had already been taxed.

So now, I say a pox on both their houses.  I am not sure I am going to completely go on a news blackout, but I may cut back considerably.  Plus it is time for the holidays.  Over the next two weeks, I am considering running a 12 Days of Christmas theme where I will post a Christmas related post for 12 straight days, culminating on Christmas day.

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Don't Touch My Junk

Flying has never been one of my favorite things to do.  Even before 9/11, I just didn't like flying.  It wasn't that I was particularly nervous or afraid of flying, it was more just the amount of time spent at the airport waiting for my flight.  Plus, let's face it, planes are just loud, cramped, and generally uncomfortable.

I still remember my first flight.  It was a flight from Maryland to California for an assessment center to test for a promotion with the company I was working for at the time.  The person sitting next to me was a wreck.  She was holding on to her armrests, white knuckled the whole way up.  When we got in the air, she turned to me and apologized for how nervous she was.  I asked her if it was her first flight.  Turns out it wasn't. Had I known that, I might have been a little more nervous that I was.

Of course, since 9/11, flying has gotten considerably more complicated.  I remember when my wife and son could sit with me at the gate until my flight took off or meet me when I landed.  Now you need a ticket to get close.  Every year, security has gotten tighter and tighter, until we have gotten to where we are today.  Now we have scanners that essentially can take a nude photo of you or you can be subject to the now infamous new patdown policy from the TSA Agents.

 

I fully understand the uproar out there over the new screening procedures.  Nude photo or groped by a stranger?  Not much of a choice.  I wouldn't want either of those options either.  Having said that, on those occasions where I have to travel for business, if I have to choose one or the other, I would probably opt for the scanner.  Though it might be fun to tell the agent "a little more to the left please" while they are performing the patdown.

As I said, I understand the outrage.  However, at the same time, I do not understand the logic of some, like this one lady I heard call in to Sean Hannity's radio program.  She felt that people should not stand for these new procedures and should boycott the airports.  The sad thing with this narrow mindedness is that would have no impact on the TSA.  It would only impact the airlines, retail shops, restaurants, and the workers that are employed at the airports.  It would only harm those folks.

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More Dirty Obamacare Deals?

Image via Wikipedia

So, I am driving home from work this evening listening to talk radio.  I caught the last half hour of the Sean Hannity show, and the first half hour of the Mark Levin show.  Levin started his program off by announcing that Barack Obama would be meeting tonight with ten Democrat members of Congress who had previously voted against the health care bill.  Levin was announcing that he would have the names and numbers of those ten members of Congress posted on his website. 

He encouraged listeners to participate in a "Levin Surge" and to call those members to encourage them to vote against health care.  During his announcement of the "Levin Surge," he interrupted his opening statements by discussing an article on the WeeklyStandard.com website announcing that the White House had nominated Scott Matheson of Utah to be a judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Court.

So, who is Scott Matheson and what does he have to do with Obama meeting with ten Democrat members of Congress to try to persuade them to change their vote on Obamacare?  It just so happens that one of those ten members of Congress is Jim Matheson (D-UT.)  Matheson previously voted against the bill in committee and against the bill when it came to a vote before the entire House.  Now, Matheson is reportedly undecided.
 
It would appear that Scott Matheson is well qualified to be a judge.  It could just be a coincidence, however, given the nature of all of the special deals that have been made to procure votes to get passage of the bill thus far, the timing of his nomination is curious.  In politics, I don't believe in coincidences.  The majority of people oppose this bill because of all the shady deals, but the powers that be just don't care what we think.

Oh, and speaking of the health care bill.  Obama announced today that he was going to incorporate a couple ideas that the Republicans had put forth in the health care summit last week.  I don't know if he actually thinks that will help it any or not.  I mean, if you serve somebody a bowl of shit, and then sprinkle some sugar on it, you are still pretty much left with a bowl of shit.

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Looking For Love...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I heard about Roxxxy on the Sean Hannity radio program of all places when I was driving home from work last night.  Roxxxy is the latest in sex toys, but she is not your run of the mill blow up doll.  Roxxxy is a robot and is set to retail for $7000-$9000.  She (?) was introduced to the world at the recent Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas last Saturday.

She is a life sized, anatomically correct robot fitted with artificial intelligence who can interact with users in simple conversation.  There are sensors throughout the robot that can sense when it is being touched.  A touch of the hand brings a response of how she enjoys holding hands.

The company that has produced Roxxxy is called True Companion.  She can be customized with one of five "girlfriend" personalities, like Wild Wendy or Frigid Farrah, though why anyone would want to spend 7 grand for a frigid sex robot is beyond me.  While she can talk and be customized, she can't move so she has to be carried everywhere.  Since she weighs 120lb, not an easy task.

About the only practical use that I could think of for Roxxxy, at least for me, is to have her in the passenger seat of my car (fully clothed) so that I can use the HOV2 lane to avoid the bumper to bumper traffic.  Though to be honest, it might be a better choice than the vacuum at a car wash.

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