Preview: State of the Union 2012

The president delivers the State of the Union speech tomorrow.  Typically, the speech is the way a president can take credit for the good things that have happened during the past year, and reset the agenda for the next year.  Rarely do these speeches mean anything, or change anyone's behavior.  Every four years the speech occurs while the president and most of congress are working to get re-elected.  In these years, the speeches sound a lot like a campaign speeches.  That is what we can expect tomorrow night.

Obama will continue his shameless attempt at class warfare.  He will claim the rich do not pay their fair share, without defining what a fair share is or mentioning that the top 50% of wage-earners pay 98% of the federal income tax.  The complicit media will not call him out on it.  His democrat supporters will stand and cheer for the obvious lies. 

Am I becoming a pessimist?  I think so.  A couple of months ago, -T and I watch a Redbox movie entitled "Atlas Shrugged".  The movie is a remake of a book published in 1957, but amazingly synchronized with modern times.  The premise of the book is that successful people must be free to create, and must be rewarded for their efforts.  The "capitalist " cannot be a slave to government or society or his will to succeed will diminish.  Destruction of a profit motive through excessive taxation and regulation will ultimately convince the capitalist to "shrug", give up, or go where his value is appreciated.

On Tuesday, Obama will continue to instill reliance on the federal government through welfare, extended unemployment, food stamps and other government programs.  Many of those who now rely on those programs will support Obama because they do not see how they can survive without them.  This is exactly where Obama wants them.  He must generate the feeling of class warfare to ensure entitlement-reliant citizens will vote for him instead of the republicans who support the successful capitalists.

Atlas Shrugged ends with the successful capitalists disappearing.  The mystery is solved when it is found they are not abducted, but were merely given a chance to become successful in a world without government coercion.  They willing choose the alternative.

How close is America to seeing its best and brightest shrug?  I believe it is very close.  Entrepreneurs voluntarily move overseas or use foreign labor to avoid an over-regulating, over-taxing federal government.  An Obama second term could become the tipping point where others will simply give up and let the feds take care of them, leading to a recession/depression like hasn't been seen before.

Bizarre

This winter the weather has been nothing short of bizarre.  The good kind of bizarre.  While Midland, Texas digs out of another snowfall, KC and many cities in the north and west have recorded little to no snow.  Storm after storm have hit the southern US, while much of the rest of the nation has been warm and dry.

The only thing more bizarre than the weather has been the weathermen.  Last Wednesday evening, the KC area was brushed by a small winter storm that hit St Louis and Chicago with quite a bit of snow.  The local weathermen did not predict any significant snow accumulation for KC.  Regardless, during the 10:00 PM news, they had colleagues stationed across KC reporting on the flurries that were just beginning.

The next part I just couldn't make up.  One meteorologist was doing a live shot from the parking lot of the local station with a yard stick in his hand measuring the snowfall. The quote was "Yes, Krista, it looks like we have about a tenth of an inch of snow".  It really is getting bizarre.  In the spring we see live reports of it raining.  Now, a dusting of snow get a live shot.  Real BREAKING NEWS!

Occupy This

I have remained interested in the Occupy movement, mostly because I like to watch slow motion train wrecks.  I find the lull in activity humorous.  Obviously, winter has throttled the participation.  They want to protest, but only when it is comfortable.  They must have moved back to their parent's basement to play video games until Spring.

The movement was doomed to failure when the first doper drop out described the movement essentially as a college student welfare plan.  He wanted his student loans forgiven because large Wall Street firms were bailed out by the federal government.  It made no sense then, and still doesn't. 

I am fascinated by their requests for hand outs because their perceived greed by corporate leaders.  Doesn't that make the Occupy movement greedy?  If they covet the possession of those who have more than they, isn't that a form of greed?  They want what others have even though they haven't accomplished a thing to claim that right.  Does that make the 99% guilty of greed?  I think it does.

But as Michael Douglas said in the movie Wall Street, "Greed is good".  Good greed is what motivates us to accomplish things we can be rewarded for.  There is no reason to be ashamed of good greed.  As long as greed remains within the bounds of civility and the law, it is a force that delivers value into the marketplace.  Bad greed is the desire to acquire something undeserved.  Bad greed describes the Occupy Movement very well.

KC Chiefs 2011 and 2012

It's time to wrap up the 2011 Chiefs schedule and look forward to 2012.  Being a man of character, I will admit that I was wrong.  I had picked the Chiefs for a 4 win season.  They won 7.  Even the smart-a kid from Memphis who picked 6 wins was more accurate.  That hurts.  Not as much as his UK Wildcats squeaking by the KU Jayhawks in the college basketball opener, but it hurt nonetheless.

One tendency for the Chiefs every year is they always lose a couple games to teams they should beat, and beat a couple teams they should lose to.  2011 was no surprise in that regard, however the fact they missed the playoffs by one blocked field goal was a gigantic surprise - a fact that shows just how weak the AFC West division is.

During the first half of the season, the KC Chiefs were a dreadful team.  During this stretch they had neither an offense nor a defense.  I predicted that Matt Cassell and Todd Haley wouldn't see the end of the season and was right on both.  I expected Matt to be benched, and he might have been if not for a hand injury that ended his season early.  Todd Haley was canned with 3 games left in the season largely due to his Tyler Palko experiment.  During the second half of the season, the Chiefs showed no apparent offense, but a defense that might be developing into an exceptional one.

The emergence of Justin Houston was key to getting pressure on the quarterback, something that did not happen during the first 8 games.  Derrick Johnson also developed into one of the best linebackers in the game.  Add Tamba Hali, and you have a very good linebacking nucleus that should be strong for many years to come.  The defensive backfield was also strong despite the loss of Eric Berry.  Based on the last 4 games, the Brandons are looking like shut down corners.

Haley's departure couldn't have happened at a better time for Romeo Crennel.  Romeo immediately changed starting quarterbacks and pulled off the upset of the season when KC beat the undefeated Green Bay Packers.   Not only was this a shock to the entire NFL, it also gave hope to playoff contenders that Green Bay could be beat.  Since the game we haven't heard "best team in history" mentioned again.  Crennel appears to be the new Chiefs head coach, based on a 2-1 record to end the season.  He was very close to 3-0 as the Chiefs should have beaten Oakland in game 15.

So how will a Crennel-led team fare in 2012?   I am optimistic.  The harshest schedule in franchise history is behind us, and the 2012 schedule looks fair, almost easy in comparison.  At home the Chiefs will face 4 playoff teams in their 8 opponents; Denver, Oakland, San Diego, Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.  They will do no worse than 4 wins and could win 6 at home in 2012.  Away they play Denver, Oakland, San Diego, Buffalo, Cleveland, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay.  I see the Chiefs winning at least 4 and possibly 5 on the road next year.  That would put them in the 8-8 to 11-5 range.  Remember that 8 wins was good enough in the AFC West this year, so the Chiefs have a legitimate shot at the division title next year.

DS of the Week - Velda Lisette Pettit

Have you ever noticed that most liberals like to use all of their names?  I think that is strange.  I know that when any called me Frank Thomas Bryant, I was in trouble.  Nobody uses their middle name unless they are a liberal.  Take Velda Lisette Pettit from Lone Jack Missouri.  I am going to assume that Velda is a woman.  I am guessing on gender, but real confident on ideology.  She is a lib.  The evidence follows.

Obama support lacking

The president has started campaigning for re-election in 2012, but those opposing him started the “one-term president” campaign as soon as he won the 2008 election.

His inauguration was barely over when all the political factions started viciously attacking him. Lawmakers on the far right in Congress sat on their hands obstructing any efforts to try to stop the rolling snowball economy the Bush administration left. These flag-wearing Americans did absolutely nothing to halt the loss of jobs or create new ones.

I’m sure the people working for GM and the other big auto companies are glad they have jobs. Yes, Ford managed to stay afloat with their own money.

Unlike the Bush administration’s bailout of Wall Street and the big banks, where taxpayers’ money was loaned with no strings attached, the Obama administration insisted that there would be an accounting of these taxpayer dollars.

It has been said that government does not create jobs. That is wrong. Government creates jobs because the private sector will not.

Velda Lisette Pettit
Lone Jack

Let's take Velda's points one at a time.  First, she claims that Obama's opponents began working to ensure he was a one term president as soon as he was inaugurated.  True.  I think that was because Obama was the first ever media anointed, un-vetted president.  Velda, remember how the media claimed he was the most intelligent man ever to run for the office?  How his credentials prepared him for this destiny, even though the republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin, had more relevant experience than Barack had?  And they trashed Sarah as unqualified. You are right we on the right started working to ensure he was a one term president.  He has done more damage in 3 years than any other person to hold the office.  And we are just holding him to his own words.  Barry said that if he hadn't turned the economy by 2011, he would be a one term president.  I hope he is right.


Velda's second point was that republicans sat on their hands as the economy tanked and did nothing to stop the loss of jobs.  True, sort of.  Obama had both houses of congress during his first 2 years, and everything he wanted congress to do was done.  He got his stimulus through.  Same with Obamacare and financial reforms.  Velda, he got everything he wanted and look at the results?  And who are the obstructionists now?  The republican led house has sent 22 job producing bills and a budget to the democrat controlled senate who have tabled each.  And you have the nerve to claim republicans are the obstructionists? 

Just to be clear Velda, are you referring to the Bush Wall Street bailout that  Obama wanted and voted for?  Doesn't your messiah own a little of your criticism too? 

Finally, nobody says government doesn't create jobs.  They do, and they create too many.  Without private sector jobs, there isn't the revenue needed to pay for government jobs.  It is part of the recipe for running up the record Obama deficits.  The private sector will create jobs.  They will do it right after the socialist Obama leaves office.  Get a clue Velda, you are the DS of the week.

Read more here: http://blogs.kansascity.com/unfettered_letters/#storylink=cpy

May 28th, 2012

Nope.  It's not the next end of the world date, at least I don't think it is.  What is 5/28/2012?  What is the significance?  This week marks the start of the Dog Days of Winter.  The holidays were fun and filled with vacations and 3 day weekends.  But that is now over.  The next couple of months promises the worst environment of the year.  Snow, wind, cold, political commercials.  There won't be relief until 5/28/2012, Memorial Day.  It seems sort of unfair to follow the best time of the year with such a long drought of things to look forward to.


I guess its best to look for the silver linings, such as the days are now getting longer.  And it is also a blessing that we are not this guy:

For Apple users, try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GXUphyeOjko