Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Congratulations President McCain



And you think these are good things?????

I stole this from Ace who stole it from someone...

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Liberal Compassion, Acceptance and Tolerance

While I admire Warren Buffet for his investment geneous, I have always personally had issues with certain things about how he lives his life. Being more libertarian socially, it is not really any of my business what he does in his life. On the other hand, when he comes out and speaks in ways intended to change tax policy, that is fair game. The next time Warren Buffet talks about how he pays less in tax than his secretary, someone please, please ask him 2 questions, 1) how much did you pay accountants and tax professionals to get your tax that low and 2) what is keeping you from paying more? There is not a law limiting how much you can voluntarily pay.

All that being said, I recently stumbled across something that makes me think less of the guy, a lot less. An article about an heir to the Johnson and Johnson fortune made a movie about the rich and interviewed Warren Buffet's grand daughter. She is the adopted daughter of Warren's son Peter.

Here is the sidebar about how Warren Buffet treats family members.
In Jamie Johnson's film "The One Percent," Nicole Buffett talks about how lucky she is to be a Buffett. "I feel very fulfilled and happy in my life," says Nicole, the adopted daughter of Peter Buffett, Warren Buffett's son.

Warren Buffett, however, wasn't pleased. Shortly after Nicole appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to talk about the film, Mr. Buffett sent her a letter saying that, while he was proud of Nicole and her achievements, "...I have not legally or emotionally adopted you as a grandchild, nor have the rest of my family adopted you as a niece or a cousin."

Nicole is the biological daughter of Mary Buffett (with another man), who married Peter when Nicole was 4 years old. Peter and Mary divorced but Peter adopted Nicole when she was 18. Warren Buffett declined to comment.

Nicole says she spent almost every Christmas with Warren Buffett between the ages of 4 and 11 and often went to his home in Omaha for spring break. Susan Buffett, Warren's first wife, who died in 2004, named Nicole in her will as one of her "adored grandchildren" and left her $100,000. She added that Nicole "shall have the same status and benefits ... as if they were children of my son, Peter A. Buffett."

A source close to the family says Nicole spent "very little time" with Warren Buffett over the years but that he paid for Nicole's school and living expenses until she was 28. Nicole says that Mr. Buffett's reaction may have reflected his philosophy about wealth. "Sharing my experience as a Buffett was stepping outside the box," she says.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Obama's "Accomplishments"

And by accomplishments, I mean stuff that never went anyplace...

Just name one of his legislative accomplishments...


Of course give an Obama supporter 24 hours and he can come up with all sorts of things that were never turned into law...

Senator Obama’s fight for universal children’s health care in Illinois.

His success bringing Republicans and Democrats together (a huge selling point for me in general) on bills such as the one in Illinois requiring police interrogations and confessions to be videotaped.

His leadership on ethics reform in Washington (the bill that lobbyists and special interests are complaining about right now has his name on it).

His bill to make the federal budget far more transparent and accessible to Americans via the Internet – we could use that openness in Texas.

And his vital work with Republicans to lock down nuclear weapons around the world.
Cuba looks ahead

In the recent Seattle Times love letter editorial to Comrade Fidel, they use the phrase "government-paid health insurance".

So what exactly is the source of income that allows the Cuban government to be able to pay for health insurance. What industry are they in where they make a profit?

Oh... that is right, oppressing its citizens.