State of the Eco-Nomy

If Green Bay Isn't Careful...

...The Next Time They See This Combination Will Be In The Pro Bowl

Our Tax System Explained: Bar Stool Economics

Hey Norm! Let me tell you how the US tax system works.

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.' Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.

But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings). The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. 'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!' 'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I got' 'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics University of Georgia
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

I'm away this week.

The Dark Knight

Here it is Folks; My Favorite Comic

Hero and Villain are Back

Say! You look similar to your brother; don't you?

We should have called this movie "The Two Jakes".

Great! The Brokeback Humpty Hump wants to steal THAT from me too!

JibJab's Newest Video

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

President Bush Calls On Congress...

...Lift the Ban On Domestic Oil Drilling

World Domination in About a Month by...

...

Carlos Brito and InBev have gotten what they wanted; Anheuser-Busch has agreed to a buyout by the Belgian world beer distributor making the company the world's largest.

All it took was $52 billion, the company name on the new logo, the promise of Budweiser being the new flagship beer and some seats on the board of directors. Hitler should have had Brito on his advisory team as he is able to conquer the world, as quickly as he does beer bongs.

Hybrid Battery Life Span

The first hybrid on the road, the Honda Insight will reach its 10th birthday in 2009. Despite early fears about battery failure, Honda's hybrids have held up well.

Will Hybrid Batteries Last?
Nothing lasts forever, but hybrid batteries continue their charge.

iPhone 3G Goes on Sale Today

iPhone 3G Reviews: It's Fast, Hungry, and Still Pretty
By Tom Krazit, CNET news.com

The first iPhone 3G reviews have been released, and if you've been paying attention to the news for the past month, you won't be surprised.

Walt Mossberg of All Things Digital, David Pogue of The New York Times, and Edward Baig of USA Today were the chosen few selected to review the iPhone 3G ahead of its launch on Friday. There wasn't nearly as much suspense about the reviews this year, since we already knew the iPhone 3G was -- with the exception of the faster networks, GPS, and third-party applications -- essentially the same phone.

Still, some interesting details were revealed. Mossberg didn't seem very happy about the battery life. "In my tests, the iPhone 3G's battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks," he wrote. "In daily use, I found the battery indicator on the new 3G model slipping below 20% by early afternoon or midafternoon on some days, and it entirely ran out of juice on one day."

Pogue didn't address battery life, but Baig thought the iPhone 3G consumed roughly the same amount of juice as its predecessor. "I started receiving low battery warnings toward the end of a busy workday; I found myself charging the device overnight, the same as with the older iPhone."

One big addition to the iPhone 3G was GPS, but according to Pogue, Apple has said the antenna is too small to permit useful things like turn-by-turn navigation. Baig, however, didn't think it was that bad: "I was pretty impressed by the accuracy on the new device as I drove along in my car, searched for nearby pizza places, and requested directions," he wrote.

As far as nits go, that was about it. The outstanding issues remain: The touchscreen keyboard doesn't work for everybody, the cost of operating an iPhone has risen despite the drop in the starting price, and it doesn't have things like voice-dialing or MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

On the plus side, all three reviewers thought Apple dramatically improved the audio quality of the iPhone 3G, both in terms of the built-in iPod and the phone. All were enthused about the new applications that would be coming to the phone; Pogue wrote, "Above all, the iPhone is about to become a dazzling hand-held game machine." And, of course, downloading Web pages over a 3G network is much faster than over an EDGE network, which you probably already knew.

So, what was the final verdict?

Pogue: "So the iPhone 3G is a nice upgrade. It more than keeps pace with advancing technology, and new buyers will generally be delighted. But it's not so much better that it turns all those original iPhones into has-beens. Indeed, the really big deal is the iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store, neither of which requires buying a new iPhone. That twist may come as a refreshing surprise to planned-obsolescence conspiracy theorists -- and everyone who stood in line last year."

Baig: "While not everything on my wish list made it onto the new device, Apple has raised the bar with iPhone 3G. To which I offer an enthusiastic thumbs up."

Mossberg: "If you've been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it's worth getting the new hardware."

OH YEAH!

Some movie called Hellboy II opens this weekend. What a handsome leading man. Too bad about those horns though. He could never be King with that appearance.

OH CRAP! Screw You King Evil Theo!

Lean Green Machines

Stingiest Sippers: The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles in the U.S.

Your leanest and greenest weapons in the battle against the $4 gallon.

Ladies & Gentlemen...

...Princella Smith

Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.

The G8's Green Plan Orchistrated by France...

Camouflage the problem

In 2005 the Group of 8 (G8) summit leaders made a promise to increase foreign aid, by $50 billion, by the year 2010. Half of those dollars were to go to Africa.

Activists, at this year's Japan summit, are protesting that the G8 nations are skimming on the proceeds for Africa. In particular France, Canada and Italy. Go figure. We're talking about France and Italy. Canada may as well be France and they were an after thought to the G8 to begin with. It was originally the G7. None of these nations have ever paid their debts to the world.

The truth is France, Italy and Canada have devised a new "Green Earth" initiative and will unveil it during this summit.

They have devised a plan to melt the polar ice caps and let them drain into Africa's great land mass. Problem solved.

The idea struck French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi while they were vacationing together in Indonesia in 2004. They were still working out the details during the 2005 summit, when they made the foreign aid promise, but they knew it might work before they had to fulfill it.

While frolicking together in the Sumatra surf on December 26, 2004, they all had a revelation. Why not flood Africa? Out of sight out of mind solves everything; doesn't it?

Thank a US Soldier and...

It's Now Time to Declare Independence From Foreign Oil

What's On Your Mind?

I've Got an Oscar Buzzzzzz.........

It's not your pervert uncle Pat's Speedo

Michael Phelps

I don't know if it's the swim suits, the training or both but the American swimmers are already impressive breaking world record after record. Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff, both of Baltimore, MD,are leading the pack.

Katie Hoff

The Fastskin FS-PRO, designed by Aqualab and sold by Speedo, is drawing tons of interest. Many countries going into next months Olympics, in China, are ditching their sponsors and switching to the Speedo. Check out this video about the suit:

Fight for the Cure

Riggo DNA

John Riggins is the man. He just put a half eaten apple up for sale, on ebay. As crazy as it sound, it is for charity and as of this posting the bid is up to $340.00. He even hopes someone makes a clone of him. Here is the description:

Hall of Famer John Riggins Authentic Half-Eaten Apple!!!!!!!
That's right fellas...you can own some of the Diesel's DNA. He's a Kansas State High School Track Champion, a Super Bowl MVP, and of course...a NFL Hall of Famer!
I mean this is an apple that John Riggins ate half of...John Riggins...the man who owns the most famous Super Bowl Moment of all time!!! Imagine the possibilities!...You can use this 1/2 man 1/2 beast's DNA to create a clone. We're talking mega millions in today's NFL!
We have plenty of pictures below to prove that Riggo did indeed take a couple of man-sized bites out of this apple during his radio show on 730AM, 92.7 FM, and 94.3 FM on Wednesday, June25th(MASN also has video). And...as you can see...the apple is being preserved in an air-tight bag...or close to an air-tight bag!
All proceeds go to the John Riggins Foundation that helps our service men and women!

The Old Dog Is Learning New Tricks

Come here son; let me show you how to throw a curve ball.

Modern Maturity?

By Michael Hirsh - Newsweek
June 26, 2008

John McCain, it is generally agreed, has something of an age problem. It's not just that he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated for the first time. McCain's criticisms of Barack Obama sometimes draw on events and cultural references that many Americans only dimly recall—the movie "Dr. No" (the first James Bond flick, from 1962), or Jimmy Carter's windfall tax from 30 years ago. Every time McCain has a moment of forgetfulness, the skeptics start whispering again—reminding one that, as a Pew Research Survey showed last year, "ageism" may be a bigger factor in the election than racism.

But now, in a neat bit of campaign jiujitsu, the McCainiacs are trying to change a liability into a strength. McCain's 71 years have given him not only vastly more experience than Obama, the new thinking goes, they have ensured that America will have, once again, an "adult" president in the mold of an Eisenhower or a Truman. And there is no better evidence than McCain's energy plan, which the candidate has laid out in a very, er, energetic series of appearances and speeches over the last week. "We wanted it to be a grown-up vision," said Mark Salter, McCain's chief speechwriter and alter ego, who in a Newsweek interview reiterated several times that McCain's approach is that of an "adult." This evidence of mature judgment specifically includes McCain's decision to reverse himself—grown-ups adjust, after all, to changed circumstances—by calling for offshore oil drilling. "We wanted to show that McCain would view the presidency as a problem solver—a bipartisan problem solver," says Salter.

The McCain energy plan has left the Obama-ites sputtering that their candidate laid out a comprehensive energy plan last October. "You have it exactly backward!" Jason Furman, an advisor to Obama on energy, told me when I suggested that Obama was on the defensive. "John McCain is responding to Barack Obama, who has put forward a major and ambitious plan on energy.'' Frankly, however, no one really cares what Obama said last October. And there's no question that McCain's flurry of concrete proposals—including a call for 45 more nuclear power plants, a $300 million prize to the designer of a new electric car battery, overturning the 27-year ban on offshore drilling and a $5,000 tax credit for people who buy "zero-emissions" cars—prompted Obama to spend most of his own energy speech this week knocking those ideas down. That in turn generated a GOP Web video declaring that "Obama is Dr. No," complete with a Bond-like theme song.

Something of a role-reversal is going on here. Most pundits think Obama's had the advantage so far in offering a "vision" and in taking the offensive. Now it's McCain who has laid out a clear—if questionably feasible—energy vision for the future, while the Obama-ites are still rushing to put together a comprehensive paper gathering all his ideas on the current gas crisis and the long-term energy crisis. Compare: McCain, in a speech on Wednesday (his fifth), launched his so-called Lexington Project—"named for the town where Americans asserted their independence once before." "Let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025," he said. What does "strategic independence" mean? It's not quite clear. But the phrase sounds pretty good, and rather more inspiring than Obama's narrower proposal to "reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce oil consumption overall by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels, by 2030," or to "reduce the energy intensity of our economy by 50 percent" by the same year. True, Obama has called for an investment of $150 billion over 10 years, dwarfing McCain's incentive plan, as Furman points out. But he hasn't spelled out how that would be used.

Like McCain's embrace of global warming as a national-security issue, his new stance on energy is a studied repudiation of the Bush administration. It is one of the ways he is seeking to neutralize Obama's relentless efforts to define a McCain presidency as a "third Bush term." "Some in Washington seem to think that we can still persuade OPEC to lower prices—as if reason or cajolery had never been tried before," McCain said mockingly in another speech this week. "But America is not going to meet this great challenge as a supplicant or a plaintiff." He was, of course, mocking Bush himself—who twice in the last six months has gone to Riyadh pleading for more oil production.

And, while no one's quite saying this, McCain's new "grown-up" theme may be a put-down of Bush as well. It is a way of reminding voters that, while the antic Prince Hal never quite matured into King Henry V—and could never control the infighting between ideologues and realists in his administration—John McCain is already a well-rounded man in full, with a set program.

Neither of the two candidates, by his own admission, knows how to dramatically reverse the most immediate problem on Americans' minds: $4.50-a-gallon gasoline. But acknowledging that is also an act of adulthood, Salter says. "There are very few things—and every grown-up recognizes it—you can do today to lower prices," he says, adding that halting additions to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or perhaps lifting tariffs on ethanol might help. (Obama, for his part, has resorted to offering a tax rebate that has nothing to do with altering the economics of energy; he has also called for more regulation of oil speculators.) The latest polls show McCain well behind, but his campaign believes it has found its footing now, Salter says. The candidate is well-aged. The question is, will voters see him as in his prime?

This Buds for Who?

European InBev Targets American Anheuser-Busch

Why would InBev want Anheuser-Busch, other than for the marketing engine that it is? The beers suck, as do most American lagers, ales and pilsners (with the exception of micro brews) and couldn't possibly sell well in Europe, where the best beers in the world are made.

The maker of Bass Ale, Stella Artois and other very good European brews believe that it will not only benefit InBev but it will benefit Anheuser-Busch as well. InBev chief Carlos Brito who proposed the $46 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch foresees higher profits for InBev in part by helping his company sell Budweiser in French bistros, German beer gardens, Chinese nightclubs and similar spots around the globe. "We have operations in 130 countries ... and that would be a great platform to develop that brand."

This picture says it all

I can't see any Anheuser-Busch products fitting in with European brands, at all.

They will like the marketing though.

One of my favorite posters from college

Doesn't Europe already have a Budweiser, of their own, made in the Czech Republic?

George Carlin Passes Away at 71

Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, and Tits

Incredible

I saw the Incredible Hulk today and it was awesome. Marvel should re-boot the Fantastic Four and Daredevil next. This movie was just as good as Iron Man and I can't wait for the next Marvel film.

The picture paid a tremendous amount of respect to the TV series. in one scene, Edward Norton as Bruce Banner is watching the Courtship of Eddie's Father with Bill Bixby and later Lou Ferrigno has an actual speaking cameo. There is a college reporter named Jack McGee. Even the experiment that turns Banner into the Hulk is reminiscent of the TV show. The best though was a small scene when Banner is down on his luck and the old piano theme from the show starts playing in the background.

The action was fantastic with some great chase scenes and tremendous fight scenes. It was gritty, violent and loud. The humor was subtle and genuine and the characters were all well written. The cast made the film though.

Norton is great as Banner, Tim Roth's character is just like a Wolverine wannabe; and then he gets powers that turn him into Abomination; very cool. William Hurt plays General "Thunderbolt" Ross as if it were created for him. If there is any disappointment it's with Liv Tyler. She was not as dynamic as the rest of the cast. I think they should have brought back Jennifer Connolly, from the first film. She was the only thing good about it.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the flick and I bet you will be too. I can't wait for the Avengers film the are setting up. Nuff said.

Avengers Assemble

Don't make me angry; You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

Giant Feet

Coast to Coast w/ George "Forrest Gump" Martin

George Martin was a co-captain of the 1987 Super Bowl champion, New York Giants. The Giants crushed John Elway and the Denver Broncos 39-20, if you don't remember. Not quite the lopsided victory the Redskins had over the Horse faced lead team a year later in 1988, 42-10, but still memorable.

I digress...

Anyway, Martin played 14 seasons in the NFL and also became head of the NFL Players Association. He is currently an executive at the financial services firm AXA Equitable, however, until today he has been on leave for 9 months.

Martin, completed a 9 month trek across country today. He started his long "walk about", a total 3003 miles across 13 states, on September 16. The reason; to bring attention to the plight of 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who developed respiratory problems, after working in the dusty ruins of the World Trade Center.

The trip began on the George Washington Bridge in Manhattan to Hackensack, N.J., on his way to a halftime appearance at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. Martin walked south to Tennessee, west through Texas and across the high plains and desert to California.

Martin, who is 6'5" and 55 years old, walked through brutal weather that included rain, ice and extreme heat, and the trip took five months longer than expected. He lost 40 lbs. and went through 24 pairs of shoes and 80 pairs of socks over this journey. He collected $2 million dollars in cash donations, however, that will be matched dollar to dollar in medical services from Hackensack University Medical Center, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems and Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan.

Along the way, Martin talked to several congressmen about securing funding for 9/11 health care programs and visited schools, firehouses and police stations. He averaged about 22 miles a day and only took 1 side journey in February; Phoenix AZ for the Superbowl to watch his Giants beat the New England Patriots.

That's one Giant that I have to admire. Great job George.

Congratulations to the Boston Celtics

For Winning the 2008 NBA Championship

OH YEAH! and to Tiger for winning the US Open

It may have to do for a while

HA HA HA HA...

...HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.

Below are 3 videos from Newt Gingrich and AmericanSolutions.com that outline a plan to improve our economy, improve our environment, improve national security and better our children's future by allowing them to afford one.

I think Gingrich is on to something and really needs to be heard. He encourages the nation to change laws forbidding us to be dependant on our own resources. He encourages us to let our Congressmen know that we want to drill for our own oil and develop our own resources and alternative power sources and let foreign dictators and the Saudis be dammed, with their strong hold on our economy.

I like this course of action especially since it is not a plan to keep using fossil fuel long term but an idea to shore up our economy now so that we can invest in the necessary alternatives for our future and most importantly our children's future.

Gingrich encourages that we give less money to bureaucrats and more money to entrepreneurs that are working on alternative fuel solutions. He also says that we need to do away with the red tape politics and develop more energy production and the only way to do that is to let our Congressmen know what we think, in record numbers. He says, "let them know that you want a chance to have more energy now, ...cleaner energy over time, ...programs that are good for the economy and good for the environment and good for national security."

Anyway, whatever you think about this solution, you have to admit its better than the status quot.

Vote no for Warner/Liberman.

Happy Fathers Day

More from Tim Russert...

Tim Russert Passes Away

Tim Russert was knowledgeable, inquisitive, respectful and respected, serious, jovial, personable and real. He was one of the most informed men who's job it is to know politics and he shared his knowledge with us.

Tim Russert was quite simply one of my favorite journalists and I will miss seeing him on Sunday mornings.

Happy Friday the 13th

Ah ah ah ah chi chi chi chi...

Boy Scouts Triumph Over Tragedy

"Be Prepared"

Say what you will about state of The Boy Scouts of America these days but the tornado that touchdown directly on a group of Scouts, in Iowa yesterday, left tragedy and an indelible reminder about what the organization is really about.

The tragedy of seeing four of your young friends die in front of you by such a horrific force of nature known as an "Act of God" would leave many youths shocked and incapacitated. For the 93 Scouts gathered for a week long leadership training session it became a call to action.

As they waited for rescuers to literally cut their way through a mile of felled trees the able Scouts formed triage areas to provide First Aid to their fellow injured friends. They dug them out of debris and rubble, mended wounds and comforted them until they could be seen by professional first responders and transported to hospitals where many are in intensive care. Ironically, the day before, these same Scouts had gone through a mock scenario of a tragedy and learned how to do this.

Say what you will about The Boy Scouts of America these days but it's still about building leaders with character and instilling them with bravery and preparedness.