Carmichael's Position

Empowering Thugs

Thugs and predators actively seek the path of least resistance in their assault on individuals and our society at large.  Nice to see they have allies in the US House of Representatives.

“The Treyvon Amendment” seeks to withhold federal funding to states that have and enable “Self Defense” laws.

From the Washington Times

House Democrats said Tuesday they will offer an amendment to push to overturn stand-your-ground self-defense laws in states like Florida.

The amendment, which would withhold some grants from states that have such laws, will come as part of the House's debate on the Commerce Department spending bill.

"'Shoot-first' laws have already cost too many lives. In Florida alone, deaths due to self-defense have tripled since the law was enacted…

Who’s death?  The perpetrator?  The one who used to have a free pass on assault, rape, battery?  Of course no one will properly identify all other instances as “Death due to non-self-defense” oh yeah, that’d be murder…

Federal money shouldn't be spent supporting states with laws that endanger their own people," said Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the two Democrats who are offering the legislation. "This is no different than withholding transportation funds from states that don't enforce seat-belt laws."

My Gawd, talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater!  So let me get this right, Democrats want to remove people’s right to self defense, if not overtly, then subtlety through one of the two most motivational methods available to the Federal Government as it relates to manipulating State Policy.  (Grant funding & Tax Incentives).

Most states will issue a concealed carry permit to whomever petitions for one and can pass the requisite background checks (and in some states dexterity tests to prove you know how to use the firearm).   This is an onerous and intrusive process.  And if you fail, you don’t get a license to carry.  And later if you are found with a concealed weapon on your possession without that permit you have, in most states, committed a felony.

Oddly enough the state with the most Liberal (real meaning of the word) Concealed Carry Laws enjoys some of the lowest Crime Rates per Capita!  Vermont!  By the way the Vermont law is basically… you want to carry a concealed weapon?  Go ahead…

This is the law… So why would someone want a concealed carry permit?  To go play John Wayne as many would want you to believe?  No.  It is to insure one’s security in arbitrary instances when one’s life, the life of a loved one, or property is threatened.   It serves as a chance to level the field.  I do not say “Playing Field” because this is not a game!  Taking a life is never to be treated lightly!  But in cases when individuals or groups of individuals choose to not play by the rules of our society and prey on whom they perceive as vulnerable or weak with life threatening intent or perceived intent, if they choose a target who has a weapon, and the right to protect themselves… well… tough shit, choose an easier target next time!  Hopefully there won’t be a “next time”.

If you are a thug, and are looking for easy marks, might I suggest starting in Berkley, or Boulder, Westchester, Southern Arizona, or Urban Minnesota apparently the representatives in these areas would much rather you be a victim than be allowed to see your loved ones tomorrow. 

Don’t want to die at the hands of who you thought was your victim?  Don’t attack them… I promise you they won’t shoot you for the fun of it!  That’s reserved for the Thugs.  Not the law abiding citizen!

Agendas

People have agendas, knowing what these agendas are help us filter the content and intent of their message, especially when that message is meant to be persuasive. 

One of the oldest “tricks” in persuasive rhetoric is to obfuscate the intent to persuade by representing the context as simply informative.  Our current news media is guilty of this tactic to the n^th degree!  In Classical Rhetorical Theory, this practice is considered as unethical, but our media cannot be burdened.

It boils down to Agendas, which agency or organization has what agenda?  Some are as plain as the nose on your face and very clearly represent themselves in such a fashion.  Everyone knows where Code Pink’s loyalties are and what their agenda is… Same holds true with organizations like the National Rifle association.  Where a fog develops is when organizations make public facing claims of neutrality (no agenda) in delivering a message, “Oh, I’m just the messenger, I’m not responsible for the content”.

News organizations are growing in this unethical behavior.  NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, BBC, New York Times, Investors Business Daily, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, USA Today… will all claim truth and neutrality in their reporting of the News… “We Report, You Decide…” or “The most trusted name in news”, “All the news that’s fit to print”.  Which causes many of us, who actually have cognitive reason, to snicker a bit every time we hear or read these slogans.  We all know there is a bias, not only in what is reported and how it is reported but also, in what is NOT reported (also known as omission bias). But we have to come to that conclusion through exercise of our Cognitive Reasoning skills!  A skill set I suspect is painfully lacking in our population at large (and you do to…) examples of brain dead individuals pollute our path every day, go to a McDonalds, a Safeway, a Starbucks, a freeway, a Wal-Mart, any roundabout or any Wholefoods market… or you could simply watch “the Jersey Shore” or anything else on MTV… Hell I’ll even include “Finding Bigfoot” in that fray too! and the proof will be apparent.

Unfortunately, we who would like to think ourselves as “Enlightened” and “Intellectually Honest” are contributing to this problem, by allowing its practice without recourse or consequence.  We as a Republic need to know facts!  Not opinions!  We need to know the substance of what is happening in the world around us to allow us, the voting populace, to make INFORMED decisions.  When the information is represented as simple facts, but in reality the delivery methodology does not match the agenda based intent, it gives the appearance of malfeasance, an intentional act we need to not sit idly by and laugh off.

In these past few days there are two glaring examples of where we are left to question an agenda, both regard the much to much overheated Trayvon Martin™ case and the Media’s reporting.  We have all seen a very disturbing tendency of Racial Opportunists taking advantage of situations and running very loose and very fast with facts often even resorting to outright fabrications!  This is regularly the modus operandi of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, The New Black Panthers, Sheila Jackson Lee and the like… we know their Agenda, and this reaction is expected, if not misguided.  It is important that in these stressful times that “Cooler Heads” prevail and manage with facts, and share those facts with we the electorate, not simply carry the water of the loudest.  But apparently when the “Facts” don’t support an agenda they are either omitted in the story, or manipulated. 

ABC News recently bragged about scoring a coup in the Trayvon Martin™ case by obtaining the raw police station video of George Zimmerman’s detainment.  In the story, ABC’s Good Morning America was so eager to manipulate the discussion that the Headline even read…"Trayvon Martin Video Shows No Blood or Bruises on George Zimmerman"  [link].

The associated article, written by Matt Gutman goes on to self-righteously proclaim (contrary to police reports) [bold rendering mine]…

A police surveillance video taken the night that Trayvon Martin was shot dead shows no blood or bruises on George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who says he shot Martin after he was punched in the nose, knocked down and had his head slammed into the ground.

The surveillance video, which was obtained exclusively by ABC News, shows Zimmerman arriving in a police cruiser. As he exits the car, his hands are cuffed behind his back. Zimmerman is frisked and then led down a series of hallways, still cuffed.

Breitbart (another organization with an Agenda) challenged this assertion the day the original “Scoop” was posted by ABC news highlighting specific frames of the video (without the need of enhancement) that seemed to indicate a gash and a wound on George Zimmerman’s head, a wound that would support his “Self-Defense” claim.  But no… ABC News couldn’t be bothered with these inconvenient facts in their rush to get it to air first! (Who gives a damn about accuracy? We have an agenda to advance!!!  Wait… Shhhhhh).

Now, 5 days later, ABC News themselves are now stating that, through THEIR research and processing the footage through legally approved enhancement, that “oh… yeah… hmmmm… yeah, it does look like George Zimmerman has a gash and wound on his head… Hmmm what???… oh yeah… as Zimmerman… and the Police Report claimed.”

What’s even more disgusting is that in ABC’s not-a-retraction-revision, the same Matt Gutman goes on air in a joyous proclamation of how great we are at ABC News!!! We got this video first (no mention of editorializing about no blood or apparent wounds) and now… We’ve ENHANCED it!  WOW!  Look! a head wound!…

Enhanced video footage of George Zimmerman being taken into custody less than 30 minutes after he shot and killed Florida teen Trayvon Martin shows the neighborhood watch captain with what could be an injury to the back of his head.

The never-before-seen evidence of an injury to Zimmerman, in this case a gash or mark to his head, would appear to back his claim that he was in an altercation with Martin on the night of Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman says he shot the teen in self defense after he was attacked.

Hallelujah! aren’t we just great?… Dudes seriously, in your rush to publish and editorialize you poured gasoline on an already raging Race Fire!  And now, now that you have done your job, you’re trying to pee the fire out while whistling, hoping no one will remember your original accusatory inference.

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.
~ Buddha

Next page… Not to be outdone by ABC news and Good Morning America in misrepresenting the facts, NBC news published a segment on their Today Show where they played an edited version of George Zimmerman’s 911 call to police that fateful day.  The way NBC edited the recording, made it sound like Zimmerman volunteered that Treyvon was Black, thus making it part of the motive.  NBC originally aired the recording to make it sound like George Zimmerman said the following:

Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good…  He looks black.

The transcript of the real 911 call is:

Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.

Dispatcher: OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?

Zimmerman: He looks black.

Obviously, again the facts didn’t fit with NBC’s Today Show Agenda… So they altered the facts (by omission) to make Zimmerman appear more racist.  But, they don’t tell you their agenda, you have to guess at it… work at it… discover the obfuscation.  So, is the media biased?   No… they are as neutral as they come! 

I CALL BULLSHIT!  And so should all of us!  Damn it, whistling in the graveyard pretending this is not happening is inexcusable, especially for those of whom we are to rely on to provide us with the facts to better run our Republic!

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.

~Albert Einstein

Maybe it is about race!

This whole Trayvon Martin™ thing has me more than a little queasy lately.

If viewed from a higher Macrosocioracial point of view, a few observations are taken from this whole disgusting incident.

Never let a Racial Crisis go to waste!  Or in this case… Damn, the economy is in the tank, our foreign policy is a fools errand, we need something to polarize Americans immediately!!!  Something that shows how truly compassionate we in the media and government are in relation to Race Issues!  Y’know, because those Republicans are racist, we all know it.

Hey, there's this case in Florida where this Neighborhood Watch Nazi shot an innocent black teen… simply walking in a neighborhood before he was to help elderly folks across the road!

What?… Whaddya mean the shooter identifies himself as Hispanic?  Oh… Damn… Wait!  His dad was white!  That makes him WHITE!  and a RACIST!

What?… Whaddya mean Zimmerman a registered Democrat?… Hmmm that’s a bit inconvenient… He’s still white right?  Ok, he’s a token Democrat!  Racist!

What?… Whaddya mean Zimmerman has physical wounds indicating he was assaulted, punched, and had his head being bounced on the ground?… Before he shot Trayvon™?   Hmmm, well that’s because he assaulted Trayvon™ first by observing him and asking what he was up to in a neighborhood where he had not been seen before!  Racist stereotyper!

What?… Whaddya mean witnesses account that Zimmerman was heading back to his SUV after being advised by the Police Dispatcher not to continue following the suspicious character when he was then assaulted by Trayvon™? … Hmmmm… damn… Zimmerman is still WHITE right?  He’s a liar then!

This unfortunately seems to be the message being perpetuated by the Media and the Administration… “If I had a son he’d look like Trayvon™!”  --- Really??? Would he also have the attitude and vocabulary Trayvon™ apparently possessed? [Link to Trayvon’s™ tweets under the handle “No Limit Nigga” (his words not mine…)] ---

Granted Zimmerman had no knowledge of these character traits of this particular youth, but honestly I don’t think George Zimmerman gave a rat’s ass about this kid’s past as he lay on his back, bleeding from his nose, having his head pounded on the pavement.  He didn’t know the kid’s past, but was well aware of Trayvon’s™ “present” and in a decisive moment was about to determine the kid’s future.

Had the outcome been different and George Zimmerman been the one remaining on the ground in a pool of his own blood, what would the headline read? “Profiled Persecuted Warm Hearted African American Youth Kills Oppressor in Self Defense”?

Without having all the facts in yet, I may be leaping to conclusions… but why are my leaps (based on pretty substantial circumstantial evidence) any more heinous than the leaps being made by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, The New Black Panther Party, MSNBC and to a degree the sitting administration and water carriers in congress?

This whole incident seems nothing more that racial opportunists run amok! The more time passes the more it is beginning to look like the facts do not support the claims by the emotionalism excelling to the point of lunacy!

The point is, investigations are continuing and now that we have meandered so far down this dirty road, what is to be the outcome when Eric Holder and his Feds are left with no choice based on REAL evidence to declare that, no civil liberties were violated, no racial motivation was present, and it is indeed under the law, a case of self defense! 

But then again, maybe that would be the best outcome… Only Nixon could go to China.

Whitney was doing Coke???!

CAUTION!  Cold-hearted-SOB commentary follows…

This just in…

Coroner: Houston drowned after cocaine use

NO!!!! Can’t be!

“[In addition to cocaine] The toxicology tests found other drugs in her body, including marijuana, the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril and the allergy medicine Benadryl, the report said. But these drugs "did not contribute to the death,"

Nah, the veritable Twinkie full of medications and narcotics she had onboard didn’t contribute to her death… Noooo…  Obviously it was her inability to swim!

I am so tired of Superstar Apologists!  Y’know, she destroyed her life, God gave her talent and opportunity and she turned it into a soup sandwich!  I have no sympathy to those who choose this path and end up exactly where the route map said it would.

I found it an interesting irony that on the same day the Coroner released this news, the LA City council passed a symbolic resolution “Urging Media to Curb Racist & Sexist slurs”…

What was the onus of this?  You ask…  No, not Rush Limbaugh’s insensitive “Slut” remarks, but rather because two LA radio hosts had the gall to call Whitney a “Crack Ho”!  … Obviously a slur! 

As she said to Diane Sawyer, Whitney don’t do Crack! “Crack is cheap! I make too much money to do Crack!”… “Crack is Whack!” … no really… she said this:

Now if that’s not sad hilarious enough for you… There was a fantastic MAD TV parody of this interview that followed shortly after… A parody, that today under the censorship muzzles the LA City Council would like to impose, would never be aired. 

I miss shows like MAD TV and In Living Color, these shows did not follow the safe and secure meme of only bash Conservatives and Christian White folks… they picked on everyone… equally!  And most (like Whitney) deserved the ridicule!

How did we get to this point?

I read two exceptionally disturbing articles today, that both to a degree revolve around our decreasing sense of self responsibility.

Article 1: (http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/30349192/detail.html)

5-Year-Old Seriously Injured After Swallowing Buckyballs

Mom Warns Parents: Powerful Magnets Not For Children

Buckyballs are powerful little magnets you can form into any shape.

But a Colorado mom learned the hard way the powerful magnets can also be life-threatening…

…"It could have been dire. Really dire," said Stephanie Thompson.

In September, her 5-year-old son, Finn, had emergency surgery. The scar on his stomach is healing, but for his mom, the emotional wound still fresh

Thompson said she popped into a Boulder toy and novelty store and instantly saw the display for Buckyballs.

"It's pretty front and center in the store. There's a video and a demo. I was watching the video for a while and thought I'd love to buy them and they said, 'OK, they are behind the counter.' I told them they are for my son who is 5 and they said, 'He'll love them,'"

Thompson said she never saw the warnings that say, "Keep away from all children."  (JC note here: Which by the way are posted all over the package, and re-stated in the instructions pamphlet)

Long story short here… The kid thought the magnets (even after having played with them) were just like those bakers BB’s that are edible… so the kid… ate 4 of them!  Erp Derp… The Boulder Soccer Mom went on to continue off the deep end…

Even after Finn's emergency surgery, his mom told Marchetta that one of his little friends got Buckballs as a birthday gift.

"What was your reaction?" asked Marchetta [local news reporter].

"I just started shaking and I went right up to his parents and said, 'I don't know if you know the story and I told them. They were shocked," said Thompson.

Since returning home from the hospital, Finn and his mom have posted an online video warning to other families. In it, Finn's message is clear…

…Now it's other kids his mom worries about.

"I don't think these should be sold in a toy store and I think that it should be on everyone's mind that these are extremely dangerous," said Thompson.

I feel for the kid, I do… it sucks bad enough to do something stupid, I know (and so do you yon gentle reader!) we’ve all been there!  But more embarrassing is that the kid’s “I have to find someone else to blame” over zealous mother then uses his erp derp moment to serve him up as a poster child for irresponsibility! That’s right, Mom is pissed that there is anything out there that when used inappropriately might harm her precious!…

• “The WARNING SHOULD HAVE BEEN LARGER!!!”
• “It was the CLERK’s responsibility to throw himself on the Buckyballs thus preventing me from buying them for my apparently ball bearing deficient son!” 
• “The display was too alluring, I couldn’t help myself! The Horror!!!”

So the cry goes out that someone ought to do something about it!  It is not my job to be responsible!  Which is how it all begins… the key in the lock of pandora’s nanny state box!

Don’t believe me… I’m sure someone, innocently enough said,

“Ya know, that Michelle Obama chick is right, our kids today are not getting the nutrition they need in their daily lunches.  We should force the schools to serve properly balanced meals to all of our kids.”

You: “But what about those kids who bring their own lunch?”

Soccer Mom Commie Sympathizer Concerned mother:  “Well there should be an inspection of those lunches to be sure they have the proper Government Recommended Nutritional value.”

You:  “Like who is going to stoop so low to take on the job of ‘5 year olds lunch bag inspector?’ Talk about a crappy business card.”

Socialist Zealot Concerned Mother: “It’s a recession, I’m sure there are a number of people who couldn’t qualify for a TSA job who’d jump at the chance!  Besides will be sure they are issued a badge.”

You: “And if Barney finds little Becky’s lunch to be sub par?”

Stalinist Concerned Occupy Cafeteria Mom: “We’ll then force Becky to eat the Government mandated food, and bill the negligent dolt of a mom who is so stuck in the past that she even thought to prepare a homemade lunch in the first place!”

You: “What kinda Government Mandated food we talking about here?  Turkey and cheese sandwiches?  Bananas? Apple juice?”

Nose Ringed Lemming Concerned Mom: “Of course not that clabber!  We’re talking wholesome foods… y’know like Chicken Nugget parts and ketchup!”

Face-palm-smack!

Don’t believe me?  Read for yourself… can’t make this stuff up… [Link]

State Inspectors Searching Children’s Lunch Boxes:

…A mother in Hoke County complains her daughter was forced to eat a school lunch because a government inspector determined her home-made lunch did not meet nutrition requirements. In fact, all of the students in the NC Pre-K program classroom at West Hoke Elementary School in Raeford had to accept a school lunch in addition to their lunches brought from home.

The mother, who doesn’t wish to be identified at this time, says she made her daughter a lunch that contained a turkey and cheese sandwich, a banana, apple juice and potato chips. A state inspector assessing the pre-K program at the school said the girl also needed a vegetable, so the inspector ordered a full school lunch tray for her. While the four-year-old was still allowed to eat her home lunch, the girl was forced to take a helping of chicken nuggets, milk, a fruit and a vegetable to supplement her sack lunch.

The mother says the girl was so intimidated by the inspection process that she was too scared to eat all of her homemade lunch. The girl ate only the chicken nuggets provided to her by the school, so she still didn’t eat a vegetable.

My gawd!  How did I ever live to be 30?  I ate a Mom prepared bag lunch, every day of my school career!  Consisting of 2 sandwiches (one meat, and one usually peanut butter an jelly) a sandwich bag of chips, a sandwich bag of carrots, a cookie or two, and a dime to buy a milk! (later became a quarter thanks to that Jimmy Carter Inflationary pinhead).  I also played tag on monkeybars, on the asphalt playground, while Timmy ate bottle caps that Nathan dared him to… Not the candied bottle caps either!

Seriously people… stop!  People (that includes you!) will do dumb stuff, sometimes that will be painful (funny how god created pain as nature’s teaching headsmack)… quit looking for someone to blame for your stupidity!!!  Or, for that matter, the stupidity of the seed from your loins… never falls to far from the tree huh?

Why Newt Won South Carolina

Two days before the South Carolina Primary, one of the big media outlets scores what it thinks is a coup sure to devastate the campaign of one Newt Gingrich!

“Let’s Air Newt’s Dirty Laundry relating to his previous marriage!”…  “Yeah! That’ll show him to be the despicable dirtbag we all want him to be!”

Well… the voting populace in South Carolina is… well… Southern!  And one thing that Southerners know how to do is… Not Air Their Dirty Laundry in Public!  Southerners know damn good and well that taboos are regularly crossed behind closed doors (and by the way all good southerners also know that if you are going to cross a taboo line that it is best done “Behind Closed Doors”!) Liberal Yankees are of the opposite extreme, they are of the opinion that the concepts of Taboos are archaic and therefore all behaviors, no matter how distasteful, no matter how immoral (by any favorite standard), no matter how harmful, should be not just tolerated but accepted if not celebrated!

Southerner’s hate when Yankees try to rub their noses in anything!  So when a perceived Liberal Media Outlet, decides it is going to “Out” a Southern Republican for “Immoral” behavior… the Southern Voting base isn’t repulsed, as ABC executives thought they would be… The voting populace becomes Defensive!

We’ve all had experiences where a good friend, or relative experiences a divorce.  Divorces by nature are not pretty!  The two parties involved do not get along any more!  What at first, many years prior, looked like the land of Beer and Skittles, later turned into the land of sweatpants and curlers with an attitude!  Now many couples try to stay together for the sake of whatever… be it the kids, public reputation, you name it.  Divorces are public acknowledgement of failure!  And many, in a fit of misguided pride try to make internal adjustments to the private relationship while still having outward appearances remain intact. It is especially true in the south. Southerner’s are all about appearances.  “Never let them see you sweat” is definitely a Southern Term! 

Eventually, it all collapses and indeed the divorce becomes public.  It’s tough!  But you know something, shit happens!  Ok… that’s that!  And that is how Southerners see it.  What happened behind closed doors that caused the rift, or what behavior agreements were aired in an effort to keep public appearances, are none of my damn business!  But it doesn’t mean we won’t gossip about it!  Remember, you’ll never hear one of us repeating gossip!… so you better be sure and listen close the first time!

We’ve all heard the rumors of Newt’s breakups, and through the rumor mill how terrible he treated his former wives (a claim that eventually was repudiated by the very wife he was supposed to be such a jerk to!  A repudiation supported by his and her daughters as well).

And once we Southerners realized again that the stories weren’t necessarily true… we then took the rest of the blather with a grain of salt.

Newt may well have tried to broker an agreement with his wife where he could sleep with another while still maintaining outward appearances of a stable marriage. Happens all the time!  The pompous Yankee asses at ABC made the mistake of assuming that Southerners are too naïve to even think this could happen.  So, ABC News, high in their Ivory tower, thinks that they will be exposing Newt for what he really is, and in so doing illustrating the hypocrisy of these pesky Republicans in all of their Moral Stances.   Heh!  Jokes on them!

In the south we know there are disturbances in the moral force that binds us. What we do not tolerate is spitefulness!  Back-stabbing is unbecoming, and southern empathy will immediately be directed toward the perceived victim!  That who is being back stabbed in public!  You just don’t' do that.  So when Newt’s Ex went on National Television to air her laundry, she violated the Southern Code!  And therefor became immediately petty and irrelevant!  Southerners saw a fellow southerner now under attack by those damn Yankees, supported by fodder from a jilted turncoat former wife (who, after this display… Southerners thought, “No wonder Newt wanted to sleep with someone else!”)  So what does the south do?  Protect their own!  And damned if they will vote for that Republican from that Yankee Bastion Massachusetts!

And when CNN, not realizing all they were doing is throwing Newt into the Briar Patch, carried ABC’s water and asked about the Succubus's claim… Newt, a true Southerner, knew he had the advantage and attacked the Liberal Media for stooping so low as to bring this type of issue up at something so dignified as a PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE!  Remember CNN, ABC, CBS, NYT… Southerners don’t give a shit if you wear boxers or briefs either… as long as they’re clean!

Paucity of Posts

Visitors to this space may not help but notice the growing rarity of literary wit or prose on these here virtual pages.  I could obviously cite any number of convenient excuses, much in the same way I can concoct reasons for not dragging my growing figure to the gym.  But the reason lies more in frustration than apathy or inconvenience.

In the case of Carmichael’s Position I don’t really attribute the growing dearth of cognitive essays, to laziness but more to lack of motivation.  It is this motivation I intend to change.  Of late I have been more reticent to express my opinion, choosing to hold my tongue (or fingers in the case of CP) in a misinterpreted impression I was being more balanced, or understanding.  The proverbial “Don’t speak unless you can improve the silence".  I find without outlet, my mind stirs with each absurdity our world seems to generate in the way a nauseated goose creates flatulent fertilizer! 

My trouble lies in my lack of self assuredness.  I know, to many who know me personally describing me as anything remotely close to insecure would be like accusing Obama of being humble!  No, follow me here, I have been reading excellent prose from spectacular writers and thinkers, ranging from George Will, Peggy Noonan, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Sun Tzu, Stockdale and his motivative mentor Epictetus.  When I compare my composition, or syllogistic methods I come up painfully short.  Who wouldn’t?  I know.  It would be like me comparing my photographic works to the likes of Ansel Adams, or Charlie Waite.  Which is what got me to thinking… Like in my photography, I use the works of these paragons to better challenge my own quality.  I know I will never be Ansel Adams… but then again the world has already had one.  So I can simply be John Carmichael, aspiring photographer, writer, commentator.  Maybe my words will raise the discourse, or maybe not, they may just land like the feces of the sick goose… but they will be my words and thoughts, and once again… CARMICHAEL’s POSITION!  My words may not “Improve the Silence” but they certainly cannot harm the din!

More to come… fortunately it’s an election year, and I suspect there will be no shortage of idiots regurgitating bromides and platitudes in an effort to sway an electorate! 

I will not sit on the sidelines any more. 

Not to worry there will be a continuing smattering of my more tame, artistic impressions on these pages as well, just because I plan to expand one facet does not mean I plan to curtail the other… besides I am going to the gym again too!  … new leaf and all that…

So Long as it is on Someone Else’s Back!

I get disgusted every time I read a poll taken that says Americans want the wealthy taxed more and Businesses taxed more. 

Well they didn’t ask this American’s opinion!

A CNN/ORC poll reportedly found the following:

Most Americans want a special congressional committee tasked with drafting a long-term solution to the nation's mounting federal deficits to include tax hikes for the wealthy and businesses and deep cuts in domestic spending, according to a new national survey.

… [it] also indicates that the public doesn't want the super committee to propose major changes to Social Security and Medicare or increase taxes on middle class and lower-income Americans.

My gawd… Did they take a poll of 3rd graders?

Little lesson for you here folks, we need to stop with this “Wealthy need to pay their share!” bovine scatology!  They contribute way more than their fair share!  Yes they have nice houses, yes they live a life of luxury, yes they may not suffer as much as the local McDonalds worker with 4 kids.  SO WHAT?!

Once he is content in his personal interest he has to do something with all that money!  Usually this excess is invested!!!  Look it up!

That wealthy bastard, more than likely owns a business or two that hires any number of employees who earn and contribute to the economy!  He buys capital items for his business with the funds his business earns!  Those capital items come from other companies who hire workers to manufacture them.  If the Wealthy isn’t a direct business owner/runner he more than likely owns shares in companies, these shares are offered to people like you and me to help fund the operations of said businesses!  Want to feel the power of ownership?  Buy a stock!

If we tax these so called wealthy more, that is mathematically less money that employer will have to hire someone.  Look, lets say we tax multi-millionaires another $500,000.00 per year… would that make you feel better that they didn’t have it and the government did?

Why? … Because the government will be so much more efficient with those funds? 

Think about it.  That’s 10 people that employer cannot hire!  That’s 10 more people in the unemployment line, that’s 10 more people taking from the government for literally doing NOTHING!  Except maybe for looking for a job that is not out there because we’ve taxed the wealthy more!

Seriously get off your stupidity horse!

Second part… Let’s tax business more!  Face-Palm-Smack!

There is NO SUCH THING AS BUSINESS!!!  It is PEOPLE!  By taxing business more, we are taxing people more!  Whether they be the consumer of or the employee of that business!  Again for every $30,000 in taxes levied on a “BUSINESS” that is one less employee to be hired!  One less piece of equipment purchased.  That OR the business has to raise prices of goods or services to compensate for the tax increase.  (Ergo a tax on the consumer!)  The monies to pay these taxes don’t magically appear like a fart from a pixie!  They HAVE to come from hard working Americans! 

Now as for… “the public doesn't want the super committee to propose major changes to Social Security and Medicare or increase taxes on middle class and lower-income Americans.”

It is precisely these entitlements that have the “Government” in the pickle its in.  But noooo we can’t touch these because they are so… What?…  effective????   Obviously you are giving the donkey one of your patented cranial enemas!

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid absolutely need to be re-visited!  Increase the tax on EVERYONE if this is supposed to be for everyone!!! Raise the age of receiving these benefits!!! We’re living longer damn it!  It should ALWAYS be a function of the average lifespan!  And should be revisited every 10 years!  Whoever is born in “X” year is eligible for benefits in “Y” year!

“Don’t tax the Middle class or lower-income Americans…” Why not?  Do they not benefit from government services more than anyone?  Shouldn’t they be called upon to contribute their “Fair Share” too?

I say TAX EVERYONE EQUALLY!  Either a 20% income tax on everyone period!  No deductions!  or… let’s really simplify the tax code and institute a 9% sales tax on all goods sold to an end user (wholesale is exempt).  You pay a tax on that which you can afford!  Also we capture that missing trillion dollars in uncollected revenue from under-the-table employees and illegal aliens.

Also… this method greatly reduces the cost and the size of the IRS!  We could save 100’s of Billions in that alone!

Some good videos from a guy named Milton Freidman follow… good food for thought, if you’re willing to eat it.

The Free Lunch Myth--

Soak the Rich --

There you go…

Knee… Meet Jerk

Sometimes I think Shelia Jackson Lee simply cannot help herself.  Matters of truly debatable substance on how to best get our fiscal house in order become a reason to challenge the loyal opposition by baselessly accusing them of being racist!

"I do not understand what I think is the maligning and maliciousness [toward] this president,” said Jackson Lee, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. “Why is he different? And in my community, that is the question that we raise. In the minority community that is question that is being raised. Why is this president being treated so disrespectfully? …”

Yeah that will rally the party faithful to the cause!

"I am particularly sensitive to the fact that only this president — only this one, only this one — has received the kind of attacks and disagreement and inability to work, only this one," said Jackson Lee from the House floor.

Because Democrats were Oh So Willing to work with the previous administration in a non-confrontational fashion.  What Sheila?…  If you simply say it… it must be true?  SDASTFU!

"Read between the lines," she continued. "What is different about this president that should put him in a position that he should not receive the same kind of respectful treatment of when it is necessary to raise the debt limit in order to pay our bills, something required by both statute and the 14th amendment?"

Ummm, yeah… Its because he’s a minority.  That’s the sole reason intelligent, thoughtful people disagree with this President’s desire to increase our Debt Limit and our Tax burden even further.

Look, I’m tired of this kind of drivel… it serves no purpose to the national discourse!  This is a serious matter before the people, and yes it should be debated by serious adults in a mature manner.  Not that I expect our elected officials to meet any of these expectations, but to instantaneously reduce the structure of the debate to a function of RACE!  Plllleeeaaaassssse!

Sheila does nothing to advance the very real issue of racism in this argument, if anything she belittles it!  By constantly claiming racism any time someone of a color other than our president’s disagrees with him is ludicrous and insulting. 

I am curious, when then Senator Obama actually voted “Nay” and not his usual “Present” on a similar resolution to raise the debt ceiling during the Bush Administration, was it because the President at the time was… uh… I don’t know… maybe… White?

Now on to the real topic at hand… Why do we have a debt ceiling at all?  If all we are going to do is continue to raise it to accommodate our irresponsible spend to the limit (and beyond) , fiscal policies?  When is enough enough?  Sheila’s argument appears to be… Well hell, like all Americans, when we spend beyond our means, we simply go to our credit card agency and request a higher limit!  ~ and of course are always awarded with said higher limit!  “Because, ya know… if they don’t… they are obviously RACIST!”

Isn’t it that kind of thinking that got us here in the first place?  It is time to CUT!  Not tax more! Not spend more!  The teet of the American people has run dry, we’re sick and tired of paying for our Government’s entitlements (read re-election bribes) and some of us are drawing a line.  Others want to continue business as usual and keep milking that cow until she is dry!  Then what?  Seriously it is high time we cut off the spending, reign in federal government’s recklessness in the name of providing for…

The next vote!

At What Point Is Enough, Enough?

“Politically Correct” are two diametrically opposed words forced into grammatical copulation!

Every day we are faced with more and more incidences of our Overly Sensitized – Oprah Worshiping – Bravo Channel Watching – Pacifist Celebrating – Fairness Focused – Macramé Wearing, Medical Hemp Tote’n, Rainbow Wearing,  un-informed public declaring indignation over some perceived wrong and demanding immediate JUSTICE be served!  And like lemmings our knee jerk reaction is to kowtow these pansies and comply with what we perceive THESE Twits would like to have happen!

The latest installment in this is the sacking of US Navy Capt. Owen Honors, the Commanding Officer of the USS Enterprise.

I’ve been holding off on publishing my opinion on this subject due to what I thought initially to be proper temperance on my part.  Better to understand the whole picture before I go off in defense of the Captain or join the lynching.  But the more I restrained my contempt for the situation at large the more frustrated I became.

Honestly… I don’t give a RAT’s ASS what the good Captain said or did in this video production on board OUR most historic warship of the line!  And… NEITHER SHOULD YOU!!! 

We’ve all seen worse on the Tonight Show, The Daily Show, or Comedy Central and we sure as shit didn’t give a crap then!  Actually we probably laughed and told a friend about it the next day at work!

Grow Up!  Sometimes, just sometimes… lewd, demeaning, humorous references about almost every special interest and repressed group are made for the cause of humor, entertainment, and just plain salaciousness.  And you know what?  Sometimes it’s DAMN FRIGG’N FUNNY! (ever watch South Park? and laugh?)  And other times it is a bit embarrassing!  Don’t believe me?  Watch MTV for 7 minutes!  Watch Comedy Central! Watch Cinemax after 10:00pm! Watch Bravo… EVAH!  Or “The 700 club” for that matter too!  It is all Offensive!  To Someone! Somewhere!  That is their (the producers’ the investors’ the corporations’) intent!

Why are we (and I don’t really know who the “WE” is in this scenario) eager to call for the head of a well served, highly decorated, well worth our tax money for the task’s we’ve asked, man, and yet we immediately turn around and ignore much more heinous actions of people like… John Murtha, David Letterman, Tiger Woods, John Edwards, Charlie Rangel… and quite frankly 70% of the sitting elected officials in that cesspool Washington DC!

Here’s what we as TAX PAYERS should demand of our NAVY and those investigating this Oh My God – High Crime!  Find something better to do with your time!!!  Slap this man on the wrist!  (Which was already done 3 years ago!) and let him learn from a VERY SMALL mistake in judgment and get on with carrying out his assigned and well earned duties as a caring CO of a Nuclear Aircraft Carrier!  And if any of the offended SWO’s, Female Sailors, or other wuss’s who can’t take some ribbing would like to… They can leave the boat!  Preferably after she’s cleared the marker!

That is all…