PETA Is Out to Lunch

So, pizza is considered a vegetable, by act of Congress, due to the tomato sauce. Minor detail that tomatoes are actually a fruit. Never mind pizza includes cheese, a dairy product, and, usually, pepperoni, a meat. Heck, even turkey bacon is part of vegetarian cuisine in some circles.

Apparently, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) didn’t get the memo. With Thanksgiving approaching, PETA requested Turkey, Texas, change its name to Tofurkey, a vegan alternative. Seriously? Change the name of a town because it was an animal some people consider vegetarian? But, wait! There’s more!

Lest you thought it couldn’t get any lamer, never underestimate the crusading pomposity of the lunatic fringe. With the changes in status for pizza and turkey, PETA must be running out of issues to champion that have any degree of significance. Not to be relegated to irrelevance, however, PETA began chastising Mario for his Tanuki suit. According to PETA, Nintendo’s popular video game encourages kids to wear fur or something. Get a life, you fruit cakes.

Tanooki [sic] may be just a “suit” in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki [sic], Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.

Update:

25 Nov 2011

And the madness spreads, or so it would seem.

The Incredibly Inconsistent, Opportunistic Rev. Al Sharpton

Frankly, I’m amazed Rev. Al sharpton waited 24 days before showing up at Occupy Wall Street. Reminiscent of Underdog, Sharpton’s motto is, “When opportunism knocks, I am not slow. It’s hip, hip, hip, and away I go.” Keepin’ It Real, Sharpton’s radio show, broadcast Monday afternoon from Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan. During his show, Sharpton exclaimed common cause with the causeless protest:

We [Sharpton and his show] are here today because we agree 1% should not be controlling the [nation’s] wealth. These [demonstrators] are regular people trying to feed their families, trying to pay their rent and mortgages, trying to survive.

Can I get a fact check on aisle 1, please? While there’s no question the 1% hold a disproportionate share of wealth, 66.6% of US wealth was held by the remaining 99% of the population in 2004, according to the Federal Reserve. Where do you suppose Rev. Sharpton falls in the net worth band? While he’s surely not in the despicable 1%, Rev. Sharpton’s $5 million net worth puts him in the top 10%, I’m sure. The same Federal Reserve data said the top 10% of the population held 69.5% of 2004 wealth. I’m thinking Rev. Al is not one of us regular people.

Russell Simmons, co-founder of the Def Jam hip-hop record label, joined Rev. Sharpton for his radio broadcast from Zuccotti Park. Simmons, reputedly worth $500 million, is not a regular guy, either. Sharpton has a TV show, too. Why not put Occupy Wall Street on his TV show? As the Gothamist put it, “Is he saying that the protesters have faces for radio?”

Maybe Gothamist isn’t so far off the mark. Rev. Al Sharpton, and others of his ilk, can’t wrap their heads around Herman Cain not being an angry, race-baiting black liberal like the good Reverend himself. Maybe Sharpton is nervous because Republican Presidential candidate Cain has been steadily rising in the polls. Cain is the epitomy of the American dream, having become successful by will and effort. Cain threatens Sharpton’s powerbase and relevance, which exists largely on the basis of racial devisiveness and a continuing victim meme. And that might be the very reason Cain made the remark about African Americans being brainwashed into voting for Democrats.

From Keepin’ It Real‘s Friday (07 October) show, Rev. Al Sharpton said of Cain:

If Herman Cain were to come on my show radio or TV, I would say to him how could anyone in their right mind that grew up in the South and saw what they saw, or stand up there and act like anybody and that is unemployed and that is not rich did it to themselves starting with your momma. I could have understood someone with Barack Obama’s background having that kind of confusion. So, I would only assume that he is either socially ignorant or playing games to get votes. Cause he couldn’t possibly have grown up and come to that conclusion unless he was one or the other.

Senate Candidate Mike McCalister Abuses His Military Career

Visit Florida GOP Senate candidate Mike McCalister’s campaign website. Do you see any of his political views? No. Do you see any of his stands on the issues? No. Do you see he was a Colonel? Why, yes! That seems to be the only thing his website is about. He’s a Colonel. In fact, the website’s title is “Colonel Mike McCalister for Senate”. There’s no “about the candidate” section, but there is a “Meet the Colonel” tab that does nothing but justify the “facts” of COL (Ret) McCalister’s 33 year career in the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and a few years on active duty. In short, this guy’s entire campaign is based on his being a retired Colonel. While I respect his service, it doesn’t automatically translate into credentials for elected office.

Not much of a platform, but ok. Unfortunately, it seems the Colonel has embellished his record, implying he participated in “black ops” when, in fact, he was a desk jockey. McCalister thinks he’s a superior operator when, in fact, he was just a staff officer.

While every officer knows they are entitled to their own political views, they also know they cannot use their military position to support those views. In particular, it’s clearly against regulations to wear the uniform—retired or not—to political events. Yet, COL Mike McCalister did so, wearing his Mess Dress Blues to a fundraiser in February. Any claim by him that he didn’t know any better is inexcusable; a Colonel should know better or research the regulations to know what is permissible.

COL McCalister (“Ret”) says he’s waiting for DoD approval to post copies of his Officer Evaluation Reports (OERs). Dude, they’re your OERs; you don’t need DoD approval to post them. Along the same lines, the award citations on your website are not the official citations presented with your claimed Legion of Merit and Defense Meritorious Service Medals. How about copies of the actual citations accompanying the presentation of the medals? You know, the ones with the signature of the awarding authority.

Hello, Florida voters: can it be any more obvious this guy is only about padding his resume and personal gain? Even worse, it seems McCalister is not a serious candidate, playing on public goodwill toward the military for nefarious and, as yet, undisclosed purposes. Is that why he’s got absolutely no political positions regarding any issues on his website?

This guy casts a bad name on military officers from all branches and components of the services. His underhandedness and self-aggrandizement makes me sick. It’s time to “terminate the Colonel’s command.”

Take Action: Contact Mike McCalister’s campaign and tell him what you think of his embellishment.
 

Just When it Seemed There Was Hope, Michigan Voters Get Stupid Again

In the last election, Michigan voters turned out US Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D), gave newcomer Rick Snyder (R) the governor’s office instead of several seasoned politicos, and changed the state legislative landscape. Despite reelecting all but one US Congressional incumbent in the general election (throw out the incumbents, but mine’s ok), it seemed like Michigan voters might actually be starting to think for themselves. Could it be they’re no longer interested in superfluous hype? Will they really hold elected officials accountable to do their jobs?

Alas, probably not. Did I mention, Michigan voters returned 10 of 11 incumbents to Congress? The reason for this rant is polls show Mitt Romney leading Republican challengers in Michigan. Seriously? Just because he was born in the state and his father served as Michigan governor January 1963 to January 1969 doesn’t mean Mitt should be Michigan’s favorite son. He left the state in 1965 and hasn’t been back for any appreciable time since. That’s 46 years—more than 2/3 of his 64 years and all his adult life!

George Romney had been an auto company executive, but Mitt opposed the auto company bailout, calling for GM and Chrysler to go bankrupt instead. Still, even though Michigan jobs rely heavily on the auto industry, Romney stood in front of an auto plant and promised jobs in his 2008 presidential bid. So, which is it, Mitt? Pro automakers and Michigan jobs or not?

Then there’s that health care thing. Romney signed insurance mandates into law for Massachussetts but opposes Obama’s health care reform. How does that even make sense? The similarities are so coincidental, Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty calls health reform “Obamneycare”. He’s not the first to point out so-called Obamacare is patterned after the like-named Romneycare.

Why do voters in other states get it but those in Michigan don’t?

Previously on Mitt Romney:

• Romney to Supersize $12 Million Oceanfront Mansion
• Demolishing Romney’s Boyhood Home Metaphor for Gubernatorial Candidates?
• Romney Endorsement Just Chum in Michigan Guv Race

Romney to Supersize $12 Million Oceanfront Mansion

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney plans to replace his west coast mansion with one over 11,000 square feet in size. The two-story behemoth will be nearly four times the size of the current $12 million estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Romneys also own a $10 million home on Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, NH. Their townhouse outside of Boston is the Romneys’ official residence. Meanwhile, average homeowners just want to keep their house.

It seems the 3 bedroom, 3,000 square foot beachfront mansion is “inadequate for their needs”, according to a campaign official. The rationale? Five married sons and 16 grandchildren. As to why he bought the La Jolla CA house in the first place, Romney explained:

I wanted to be where I could hear the waves. As a boy, we spent summers on Lake Huron and I could hear the crashing waves at night. It was one of my favorite things in the world; being near the water and the waves was something I very badly wanted to experience again.

Uh, Mitt, then why not come back to Michigan? He’s the son of a Michigan governor (George W. Romney), but went into politics in Massachussetts. He doesn’t own any property in Michigan, chosing three other states instead. And, even though his father was the head of American Motors before getting into politics, Mitt opposed automaker bailouts, writing an op-ed titled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” in the New York Times.

In the 2008 primaries, Michigan voters bought Romney’s snake oil because they associated him with George Romney. But, it’s becoming clearer just what kind of charlatan Mitt is. wishy-washy on taxes. As Massachussetts Governor, Romney a healthcare bill very similar to the Federal bill he opposes. How does that work?

It should be obvious Romney has no clear vision nor commitment to a stand on the issues. Mitt’s only concern for Michigan is nostalgic voters casting their ballots for him based on his father’s reputation as Governor. As if that’s not enough, Romney’s campaign received $1 million from a shell company set up by a Bain Capital crony, Edward Conrad. Two other shell companies may also be investigated.

Exit question: Why won’t construction at La Jolla begin until after the campaign? Can you say taxpayer funded?
 

Previously on Mitt Romney:

• Demolishing Romney’s Boyhood Home Metaphor for Gubernatorial Candidates?
• Romney Endorsement Just Chum in Michigan Guv Race

Political Brinksmanship, the Debt Bubble, and Impending Anarchy

The recent refusal of either party to compromise on the debt ceiling issue, and the resulting lowering of the United States’ credit rating, should be proof enough of the dysfunctionality of our current Congress. People talk about debt reduction and deficit reduction as though they were one and the same, but they are two distinct issues. Every deficit adds to the debt. So, until the US stops spending more than it takes in, the national debt will continue to grow.

In theory, the debt reduction “Super Committee” will fix the national debt. In reality, it fixes nothing. It will not eliminate annual deficit spending. As a result, the national debt will continue to spiral out of control.

During his midwest bus tour, Pres. Obama actually called for more spending:

[T]he key is not to try to cut more out of programs for poor folks or programs for seniors. The key right now is to get a long-term plan for fiscal stability. And in the short term, we should actually make more investments that would put people to work and get the economy moving.

While many want to reign in entitlement spending, including Social Security and Medicare, new laws are actually expanding entitlement programs. Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan are the three pilot states, with the program expanding to all 50 states by the 2014-15 school year. It’s all part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The program will provide free meals to all students, regardless of ability to pay in districts where at least 40% of families are on public assistance.

The rise of dissent via social media has resulted in peaceful flashmobs becoming violent menaces to society. In the absence of proof positive, it appears social media definitely fueled the London riots.

What does this matter to us, as in the US? How about we don’t have a clue what’s going through these peoples’ minds? We don’t have a solution to their economic or political disenfranchisment.

The riots we saw play out in London and the greater UK may have involved thuggery and looting, but the driving force was much the same as the protests, riots, and uprisings we saw in the middle east in the first half of 2011. As in the middle east (specifically, Tunisia), the catalyst for the London riots involved a single person, in this case a teenager who was reportedly beaten by police. In response and looking for any reason to rebel and revolt, large masses of people, namely those living in poverty in the UK, organized and then headed for town squares, where the burned, pillaged and fought. While the London riots are being written off by many as nothing more than a bunch of vagrants and welfare recipients looking to loot small businesses, there is a strong likelihood that similar incidents will play out on the streets of America. In fact, it can be argued that this is what we are seeing already, as groups of teenagers and gangs are organizing via social networks and subsequently causing chaos, violence and looting. For now, like in London, we are seeing the poverty stricken segments of society losing it, and it is being downplayed strictly as criminal mob-driven behavior. But soon, as Michael suggests in the article below, more and more people will lose everything. And, as our favorite trend forecaster Gerald Celente has oft repeated, “when people lose everything, and they have nothing left to lose, they lose it.”

Jill Biden Visits Starving Somalis to Address Their Concerns

All the media hype has been about Jill Biden visiting a Somali refugee camp in Kenya. As it turns out, Dr. Jill’s husband, Vice President Joe Biden is clearly pictured as being there, too. The US officials are touring the most populous refugee camp in the world “to underscore the United States’ commitment to working with the governments and people of the region, and the international community, to assist the people of the Horn of Africa.” How do you suppose Somalis in the Dadaab camp felt about their VIP visit?

To be sure, hundreds of thousands of children may die in East Africa’s famine, perhaps up to 12.5 million total, according to the UN. Dr. Biden’s whole point is to bring awareness to the crisis and increase donations.

What I’m asking is for Americans reach out and help because the situation is dire. There is hope if people start to pay attention to this.

How do you suppose Dr. Biden got to the refugee camp in Kenya? Probably by C-32, the US Air Force designation for a Boeing 757 aircraft. The flight to and from cost taxpayers about $797,066, based on official costs of $25,547 and flight times of 15.6 hours. On top of that, add Secret service and protection costs, ground transportation, and lodging costs.

At a cost easily exceeding $1 million, can someone tell me how Jill Biden’s visit to a refugee camp is helping address the problem? Wouldn’t it just make more sense to provide direct aid to the Somalis? Just sayin’…
 

Seriously? North Korea Heads Non-proliferation Effort

Talk about the proverbial fox guarding the henhouse. North Korea assumed the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament today. The presidency rotates alphabetically among the 65 participating countries for 4-week terms. Ri Jang Gon—deputy to North Korean Ambassador to the UN in Geneva So Se Pyong, now chairing the Conference—had this to say to the body:

The DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] remains consistent in its support for total and complete elimination of nuclear weapons in the world and is fully committed to this goal.

Really? North Korea has proven that it’s not trustworthy. They are, obviously, actively pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities, to include missile delivery systems.

As the Council on Disarmament plenary session opened, Canada boycotted the session and no less than 28 groups protested. Not surprisingly, the North Koreans criticized Canada’s boycott. But, as U.N. Watch’s director Hillel Neuer said:

Allowing an international outlaw to oversee international arms control efforts is just plain wrong. North Korea is a ruthless regime that menaces its neighbors and starves its own people, and should not be granted the propaganda coup of heading a world body dedicated to peace.

While the propaganda point certainly has merit, this is really mostly meaningless. You see, it seems it’s time to recognize North Korea is part of the nuclear club.

It’s apparent the Conference on Disarmament hasn’t done anything substantive for years, maybe even a decade. Perhaps, as the UN considers budget cuts, they UN should consider eliminating the Conference on Disarmament.

Joe Walsh—Fiscal Responsibility, But Not for Me

Illinois freshman Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL-8) considers himself a fiscal conservative. He’s one of the so-called tea party Republicans. Walsh’s been blasting Pres. Obama and Democrats on the debt ceiling and just ended deficit stand-off. For the record, Walsh voted against raising the debt ceiling.

But, Walsh is not so fiscally responsible himself. Walsh has a history of foreclosures and tax liens. On top of that, Walsh owes over $117,000 in back child support, plus another $9,000 in expense obligations, and associated legal fees. Why is this guy sitting in Congress?

Here’s the vivid reality of Rep. Walsh’s failure to be fiscally responsible, according to Jeanne Dauray:

Rep. Walsh claims that he wants to curb federal spending to protect future generations of Americans. But this rings hallow in the face of recent disclosures that he’s failed to pay his own child support. Because my father never paid child support, I know firsthand how devastating it can be on families. Joe Walsh should be ashamed.

Rep. Walsh’s perspective on the debt ceiling seems to be just as flippant as his view on taking personal responsibility for his own obligations:

It’s almost comical to do a lot of these media interviews last week and this week because everybody is so atwitter about Aug. 2. I’m not. I want to get it right. And if it takes another week or two to get it right, I think as a country we’re going to be okay.

Easy to say when you don’t even pay your own personal obligations, Congressman. How about getting it right by your kids?

Really? I don’t think so.

No No-Bid Biden’s No-Bid Big Deal

During the run up to the 2008 election, candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden blasted no-bid Federal contracts over $25,000, largely to paint the huge Halliburton no-bid contracts of the Bush-Cheney administration in a bad light. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no supporter of Halliburton’s no-bid windfall, but some politicians mesh the no-bid portion with competitively bid parts, both of which were awarded legally. Given the pre-election Obama-Biden position on no-bid contracts, imagine my suprise at learning Vice President Biden is the beneficiary of a no-bid contract likely to bring him $66,000 of taxpayer money. By anyone’s math, that’s $41,000 more than the Democratic candidates promised would be the cap for no-bid, sometimes called sole-source, contracts.

Obviously, $41,000, or even $66,000, is not the point here, considering the current deficit and national debt. At issue is Biden’s hypocrisy in benefiting from a no-bid contract at any value. Biden has already made $13,000 since March on the deal. What’s even worse is the government agency Biden is charging rent to is his Secret Service protection detail. Granted, the cost of protecting US top officials is a legitimate public expense, but taxpayers are also footing the bill for the protectee’s charges to enjoy that protection. It doesn’t matter the $2,200 monthly rent is the same charged to the previous tennant.

After his mother, who originally occupied the cottage next to his waterfront residence, passed in 2010, Biden’s security detail decline his offer to rent the cottage. Granted, the logic of his Secret Service detail being next door to the VP’s personal residence is inescapable.

How would you feel, however, if you were part of that detail knowing the Secret Service is paying rent to the guy you might have to give your life for? You can tell a politician is lying when you see their lips move. And I’d say Joe Biden is not my idea of a public servant. Maybe he’ll write a check for the rent to the Bureau of the Public Debt. Naw! Otherwise, he would have let the Secret Service use the cottage at no charge and deducted the contribution or “business loss” on his taxes.