Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

How ironic would it be if Jeffrey Epstein was actually murdered by Harry Reid because Epstein had proof that Reid really was a pedophile... Two things: first you know he turns the channel when Jeopardy! comes on because "that's a smart person's show" and second how scary is it that this easily could be a real picture?... Speaking of TV shows - here's a TV show idea. A take-off on Cash Cab but contestants get into a van/cab with Snoop Dogg in back and after 10 minutes of being hotboxed they win money if they can answer questions - including what their original destination was... Interesting perspective from Steve Jobs from 1994... The name Manhattan started out as "Manahatchtaniek" which is Lenape Indian for "the island where we all became intoxicated" after the Indians were made totally drunk by the Dutch...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

How ironic would it be if Jeffrey Epstein was actually murdered by Harry Reid because Epstein had proof that Reid really was a pedophile... I would love to watch a show or listen to a podcast where a Dalek (from Doctor Who) asks scientists and writers questions in his Dalek voice. That would be awesome!... Old time baseball... The name Manhattan started out as Manahatchtaniek which is Lenape Indian for "the island where we all became intoxicated" after the Indians were made totally drunk by the Dutch... And speaking of Manhattan - can someone remind me what the point or goals of the Occupy Movement were? Seriously - what was the f*cking point?... If you watch porn backwards - it tells the story of a woman who gives her man sex so he will clean the pool, hook up the cable or deliver some pizzas...  Laws for the Navigation of Life. These are phenomenal. Peter Josef Safar was a remarkable man... I'm surprised nobody has come out with a Tickle-Me Michael Jackson Doll. That would be one of the great gag gifts of all-time...

Money in Politics

For years I've heard that we need to get big money out of the political process. I guess each party doxxing the other party's major donors would be one way to accomplish this goal.

Though I think the people trying to shame Trump donors haven't thought this through.

If that's OK then I'm guessing it's perfectly fine for the ADL to publicly dox anyone who gave money to Ilhan Omar's campaign and portray them as people who are actively supporting anti-Semitism and Sharia Law.

Or for an opponent of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to publicly dox anyone who donated to AOC's campaign as being complicit is driving away Amazon's proposed headquarters from the district and costing 25,000 much needed jobs.

Under these new rules all that is fine - right?

This reminds me of when Harry Reid used the "nuclear option" to eliminate filibusters on executive branch appointments and federal judicial appointments. How's that short term thinking working for the Democrats as Mitch McConnell uses the new rules of the game Reid implemented to help President Trump install more Federal (Republican) judges than any President in history.

I would also be perfectly fine with taking away the tax deduction status of all political donations. It's nobody's business if I buy a large Hawaiian pizza from Dominos. When Dominos reports their earnings as required by law - they don't publicly report individual purchases by customer. So I don't have to worry about people doxxing me because I happen to like the combination of pineapple and ham (which I know some people view as an abomination in the eyes of the Lord). Likewise politicians would report how much money they raised but not from which individuals.

The big drawback to this suggestion could be the unfettered influx of foreign money.

Of course the simple solution would be for EVERYONE to just stop giving money to these assholes altogether (or all together which may fit better). Then maybe, just maybe, elected officials would have to run on their accomplishments and how they've helped their constituents and not on attack ads and much of the crap we deal with today.

Just a thought.

Just Saying

I'm just saying but if you Google "Jeffrey Dahmer cannibal" you get about 128,000 hits.

If you Google "Harry Reid pedophile" you get about the same number of hits (if you include "Harry Reid pederast" it's over 141,500 hits).

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Patriots are now a 7 point favorite over Baltimore next Saturday. The line opened at New England -8.5 - at that many points I would have been tempted to take the Ravens too... Those were the days - FDR's 52nd birthday celebration was a toga party... Just a reminder of the needle and the damage done - in 2007 when Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi took leadership over Congress the unemployment rate was 4.6% and the national debt was $8.6 trillion... I just love this photo... "Too Big to Fail" would have been a great title for an Andre the Giant biography... No matter what happens Saturday - when Tom Brady finally hangs up his spikes his record of playoff wins will be untouchable. I can't foresee any team ever having the type of run of sustained greatness like the Patriots have had these past dozen years (and counting)...

Just Saying

I'm just saying but if you Google "Jeffrey Dahmer cannibal" you get about 95,000 hits.

If you Google "Harry Reid pedophile" you get about the same number of hits (if you include "Harry Reid pederast" it's over 120,000 hits).

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

It will be interesting to see what the NCAA does regarding UNC. They are much more tainted than UNLV ever was under Jerry Tarkanian. UMass had to vacate their Final Four appearance because of Marcus Camby who was just one player out of many.... Why is it we say "Slept like a lamb"? Why a lamb? Why not a sloth or a welfare recipient?... This is awesome! Jets fan spends five hours walking around Manhattan... This quote really hit home, "We live two lives. The second one begins when we realize we only have one life to live," Steven Sotloff... Heh heh - Masturbatory Rampage would be a good name for a fantasy football team... Before anyone asks - no I am not related to Loretta Lynch the new choice for AG... The mid-term elections in a nutshell...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Ragu tries to explain the ad where the kid walks in on his parents. It would have been better if they lied and said that Gary Larson wrote the copy and David Lynch filmed the commercial.

Obama has 22 days to drop Joe Biden from the ticket. He should have done this months ago and blamed it on Biden's health - that way Joe would be an object of sympathy not an object of derision. Too late now.

Does pouring water over your head while exercising on hot days help? Here comes the science.

How did Harry Reid get so rich?

Interesting article from 2006 - regarding how the Internet is uncovering long dead plagiarists.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Olympics stopped having motor boating as an official event back in 1908. That's too bad because I think that's one activity I could excel at! I think if they brought back motor boating that the TV ratings would be huge... Heh heh - these photos do seem to indicate that Harry Reid is a pederast... Would anyone be surprised if the Red Sox went on a 10-game Morgan Magic style winning streak the day Bobby Valentine is fired? Too bad I think they are committed to him for the season as a way of hanging Larry Lucchino out to dry... I agree with Big Stupid Tommy - this photo of Prince Charles is hysterical... I wonder if Bobby Valentine's feud with Buster Olney will keep Bobby V from making a return to ESPN once he is fired from the Red Sox. My guess is he winds up with a sports show for some NYC station... Wait - what? Not that kind of motor boating? Never mind.

Harry Reid is Grima Wormtoungue

Harry Reid has made news once again for his perfidy. The man has no shame. Making unfounded accusations about Mitt Romney's taxes and even bringing Mitt's father into the slander would be a low water mark for most people but for Reid it seems to be par for the course.

Lost in some of his more recent slanders is the fact that these slanders by Reid have been going on for years. Remember 5-years ago Reid called Generals Pace and Petraeus incompetent? The man will say anything.

Pure craven scum.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Mitt Romney and the crowd handle some hecklers quite deftly... With Bill Polian now out with the Colts - will we finally learn the truth about him piping in crowd noise at the RCS Dome?... Who knew? There is a World Series of Beer Pong. It is being held this week (finals on Thursday) with the winner getting $50,000 first place cash. I would actually like to watch this on the Internet...  Jason Varitek is not coming back to the Red Sox no matter what Jon Heyman tries to throw up against the wall. Just like Coco Crisp is not signing with the Orioles (which was another Heyman bon mot)...  Interesting look at how St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke wants to rebuild his team in the Patriots mold. It is also interesting that he specifically mentions Michael Holley's War Room: The Legacy of Bill Belichick and the Art of Building the Perfect Team as his blueprint. Could there be a front office opening for Michael Holley? That would be a very interesting wrinkle... Just a reminder that in January 2007 when Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid took over Congress - the unemployment rate was 4.6% and the national debt was $8.6 trillion... According to Mental Floss "A 1913 New York Times article on portmanteaus includes the word 'alcoholiday' which describes leisure time spent drinking." With the NFL playoffs in the near future I may be taking a couple alcoholidays myself.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Jonathan Papelbon has 7 losses on the season of which 3 were against the Yankees. Rafael Soriano only has 2 losses for Rays. If Papelbon was as effective as Soriano then the Red Sox are still in it. If Daniel Bard was the closer then the Red Sox are still in it... Here's a girl spinning around in circles on an escalator . Admit it - after watching that you are thinking of trying it yourself... August was the 44th consecutive month in which Nevada led the nation in housing foreclosures. I'd blame Barney Frank and Harry Reid for that. I can't believe that one or both could be re-elected... Mike Cameron's and Adrian Beltre's seasons both ended so they could attend births of their children. Haven't they ever heard of family planning? Seriously - what if the Red Sox were still battling for a playoff spot?.... Unemployment in Nevada is 14.4 percent - how can voters in that state even think of re-electing Harry Reid?... The things you learn on the Internet - Joe Paterno still holds a share of Brown University's record for career interceptions with 14.... Barack Obama - more paranoid than Nixon and less competent than Carter... The coolest photo you will see all day... The death of Stephen J. Cannell brings up an old question - was the audience ever told why Jim Rockford went to jail? He was an ex-con turned private eye but what was his crime that made Jim Rockford an ex-con?... How about a Jonathan Papelbon for Carlos Beltran trade? Beltran could have 1-year rebirth just like Adrian Beltre just did.... The things you learn on the Internet - A single sperm has 37.5 MB of DNA information in it. That means a normal ejaculation represents a data transfer of 1,587.5 TB. Talk about TMI?.... Happy Birthday to Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The girl in the Progressive Insurance commercials is named Flo. I wonder if she has a sister or brother with kids?... This would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic - Harry Reid finally reads health care bill, discovers it hurts Nevada hospitals... It occurred to me how much Winona Ryder has fallen off the radar. When's the last time you heard about or thought about her?... If the Red Sox can't win the World Series - the Braves are my second choice to root for. I've always like the Braves and it is Bobby Cox's last season... Interesting look at lab rats and how they react to choices between sugar and cocaine. 15% of rats will get addicted to the cocaine - just about the same percentage of humans.... Cindy Brunson of ESPN has crazy eyes (and a grandmother's voice). I don't think I could handle a SportsCenter hosted by her and Stu Scott... Business term I hate most is "best effort". If not specified does that mean you're getting whatever effort the vendor feels like?....

Super Users and Pork Spending

There is a groundswell of what can only be termed disgust at the way the federal government is attempting to waste all the taxpayer money on pork projects and welfare state programs. Disgust!

The state of affairs reminds me of the story of cheating at the poker site UltimateBet.com. The poker site was designed with certain insider "super user" accounts that would be able to see all the cards being played in any hand. The idea was to have a couple of accounts able to make sure everything was running smoothly the way it was designed to do.

Things went wrong when the super users realized that they could use these accounts for their own benefit. It's impossible to lose at poker if you know what the other player's hole cards are. The people who played at UltimateBet probably never would have known they were being cheated if the super users didn't get greedy. I mean it would have been easy for a super user to just win a couple of big pots a night and live a rather lush lifestyle. Instead people who didn't understand the mechanics of poker got hold of a couple of super user accounts and they decided to try and win every hand. They got greedy and the players noticed. The players noticed and they got pissed off. Now anyone who knows anything about poker stays clear of UltimateBet.com.

Likewise the federal government has some super users. The President is the biggest super user of them all followed by the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader.

In the past the government super users didn't get greedy (often) but when they did it was viewed as scandal - think FDR trying to stuff the Supreme Court. None of the greed of the past can match today's naked grab for money though. What is trying to be done in the name of stimulus is just pure disgusting. I am glad that people have noticed. I'm glad people are pissed off. Just like how the super users who toppled Ultimatebet.com didn't understand the mechanics of how poker is played - today's governmental super users don't seem to have a clue on how the economy runs. That much is perfectly clear.

The legacy of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid may end up being that they turned the Democratic Party into the UltimateBet of political parties.

Harry Reid - Racist

I had to chuckle after reading this post on the defeat of an energy bill that did not include provisions for off-shore drilling. What I found amusing was Harry Reid's reaction which included this bit:

Another reporter explained she had watched the Senate proceedings and said it was not clear he was … offering separate amendments, to which [Harry] Reid asked the reporter if she “spoke English.”

This is the same Harry Reid who called making English the official language of the US a "racist" proposal. Harry Reid judging people by how good they speak English makes him a racist by his own standards.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I know that sometimes people make predictions purely to get the shock factor. I think this prediction of a Jaguars victory over the Patriots fits that bill. You would think that a guy with credentials like Jeremy Green wouldn't be so cavalier. The again - maybe there's a reason Green is writing about scouting instead of actually doing it... Interesting break down by Karl Rove on why Hillary won in New Hampshire. I'd take issue with this sentence though:

Despite Sen. Harry Reid's son serving as her Nevada chairman, she's likely to lose that state's caucuses on Jan. 19.

I'd argue that she may lose Nevada because Harry Reid son is her state chairman. Harry Reid isn't the most popular guy in his home state right now and if Reid was up for re-election this year he'd be a big underdog despite his years in office... I don't agree with Dan Shaughnessy often but I do agree with him that Jim Rice was a better hitter than Wade Boggs. Kudos for pointing out that 3 straight years with 35 HR and 200 hits tops 7 straight years with 200 hits. Wade Boggs was never even the best player on any team he ever played on yet he gets to be in the Hall of Fame while Jim Rice is still on the outside looking in... One stat to think about - Wade Boggs is considered a hitting machine but he only made the top 10 in the league in total bases 4 times in his career. Jim Rice meanwhile led the ENTIRE league in total bases 4 times (and was top 10 in 9 seasons)...

Is Harry Reid the Worst Democratic Majority Leader in History?

I started thinking about this tonight. We've been hearing a lot about Harry Reid and its usually not good whether its months ago saying we've already lost in Iraq or today blaming the fires in California on global warming. The more I thought about it the more I wondered if Harry Reid is the worst Senate Majority Leader in History.

In the interest in time - I decided to just look at the Democratic Party. Maybe in the future I'll look to see who was the worst on the other side of the aisle. The information is via Wikipedia.

- Joseph Taylor (1933-37) - the first Democratic Senate Majority Leader - one of only 4 people to have their face on a US coin while still alive. Better than Harry Reid.
- Alben Barkley (1937-47) - was effective enough to be named Vice President under Harry Truman when Truman took over for FDR. Made the news for marrying a widow half his age. Better than Harry Reid.
- Scott Lucas - (1948-50) - WW1 veteran who ended up losing his Senate seat in large part due to an active smear campaign by Joseph McCarthy. Better than Harry Reid.
- Ernest McFarland (1951-53) - known as the Father of the GI Bill and who left the Senate to become Governor of Arizona and then Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. Better than Harry Reid.
- Lyndon Johnson (1954-60) - was legendary in his control of the Senate. He was sought by JFK as his VP in the 1960 Presidential election because of his popularity. I doubt Harry Reid will be sought by any of the Democratic candidates as a running mate. Better than Harry Reid.
- Mike Mansfield (1961-77) - the longest serving Senate Majority Leader in history. Not enough time to go into all of Mansfield's accomplishments. I will note that he served in both the Navy and Marine Corps. Better than Harry Reid.
- Robert Byrd (1977-81 and 1987-89) - if Reid is to get competition as the worst Democratic Majority Leader in history the challenge will come from former member of the KKK Robert Byrd. Even though Byrd will be remembered for his racism and for being the "King of Pork" it has to be noted that he was very skilled at using parliamentary tactics and the fact that he held the position twice puts him above Harry Reid (who I doubt would be asked back). Better than Harry Reid.
- George Mitchell (1989-95) - still held in high regard on both sides of the aisle. Trusted as an honest broker for things like the Belfast Peace Agreements and the baseball steroids investigation. I doubt any would use Harry Reid as an "honest broker". Better than Harry Reid.
- Tom Daschle (2001-03) - say what you want about Daschle but his history is not riddled with personal financial scandals. Better than Harry Reid.

Well that's all of them and all of them were better at the job of Senate Majority Leader that Harry Reid. That makes Harry Reid the worst Democratic Senate Majority Leader in history. I think its telling that Harry Reid was the only person I looked at who needed special sections on their Wiki page - one for "Controversy" and another for "Criticism".

Harry Reid

Instapundit writes:

HARRY REID'S HOME-STATE APPROVAL RATINGS have plunged. Another Daschle in the making?

The Professor links to a poll showing Reid's ratings plunging like a Madonna neckline.

I just want to note that I predicted this very thing FIVE MONTHS ago. I also want to note this final paragraph:

So Harry Reid is probably secure in his job (unless he's arrested for ethics violations) until 2010 and Nancy Pelosi would be hard pressed to take positions that are too-far left for her Congressional District. However, the hard left turn of the Democratic Party and their Congressional leaders will probably cost them the Presidential election in 2008 and control of both houses of Congress in 2008 as well. For that - I guess we should be thankful to Harry Reid and his inability to control the things he spouts off about.

Harry Reid is Grima Wormtongue

The comparison between Harry Reid and Grima Wormtongue from The Lord of the Rings has been circling in my brain for several days. The more I think of it - the more I think that the comparison is fitting.

It was not just Reid calling Generals Pace and Petraeus incompetent - it was the way it was done. I'm sure Harry Reid never expected his comments to see the light of day. He was trying to pour syrupy words into the ears of a far left audience. He was telling them what he thought they wanted to hear to lull them into being on Reid's side. Who knows what other craven words Reid has spoken to the darkness of partisan audiences in the bitter watches of the night?

Harry Reid calling General Pace incompetent is not much different than Grima Wormtongue trying to blame bad news on Gandalf. I wouldn't have been surprised if Reid had a slip of the tongue and called him General Lathspell instead of General Pace. Ill news can be an ill guest but you cannot blame the messenger for the message and you cannot ignore the truth as Reid is on record of doing (he said he wouldn't even listen to what General Petraeus had to say because he was already decided in his mind).

Grima Wormtongue was supposedly an advisor to King Theoden of Rohan but in instead he was working on behalf of Saruman. Really what Wormtongue was doing was working at feathering his own bed. Harry Reid is supposed to be public servant but other than Congressman William Jefferson no public official is seemingly more adept at making personal financial gains from what is supposed to be public service.

Google Harry Reid and "Las Vegas land deal" or Harry Reid and "condo gifts" or Harry Reid and "Laughlin bridge deal" to get a sampling of how Reid has enriched himself at the public's expense. And these are just a few of the deals that have seen the light of day.

When King Theoden was finally awoken to the realization of what Wormtongue was up to he said, "Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" If the country was to follow the callow advice of Harry Reid how long before the country would be crawling in defeat and despair?

I can't believe this guy has become the face of the Democratic Party.

Harry Reid as Tom Daschle

There have been some calls for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) to step aside due to some recent comments where he basically said that the US has lost the war in Iraq and that we should adopt the equivalent of a cut and run strategy to get out of Iraq. Some people have compared Reid's verbal gaffes to those which cost Republican Trent Lott his position of majority leader. Those comparisons don't work but I think comparisons between Harry Reid and Tom Daschle do work.

The defeatist views that Harry Reid has recently spouted aren't out of line with the far left of the current Democratic Party. The Code Pink wing of the Democratic Party and their ilk have Reid's back and will shout down the people who think Reid's comments are disgraceful (just read the comments to this post for proof of my statement) and thus effectively protect Reid from suffering any repercussions to his job status.

This far left wing of the Democratic Party is a Catch-22 for Democratic leaders. Just as in Presidential politics where the far left has to be appeased in order for candidates to win primaries but find that the candidates acceptable to the Kos-kids are usually unelectable in general election because their adopted positions are out of step with the general population - there are risks for any member of Congress in appeasing the left.

Take Tom Daschle as an example. He was once one of the most powerful men in the country but as he started adopting positions and views that he thought were popular to the inside-the-Beltway Washington cocktail party circuit crowd - he found himself further from the belief set of his constituents in South Dakota. The result was that when Tom Daschle faced re-election - he lost (even though his position of power could have helped the state much more than the power wielded by a freshman Senator). Now Tom Daschle is the invisible man. Really - when is the last time you heard about or thought about Tom Daschle? Likewise - do you think Harry Reid's Code Pink appeal extends to the average voter in Nevada?

The good news for Reid is that he's not up for re-election until 2010 and by that time he's sure to be a very rich man. Maybe no politician has en-riched themselves more while drawing a simple government salary. So it should be no real surprise that a Senator who long ago adopted the morals of a French politician is suddenly espousing the military strategy most often used when the French find themselves in battle (surrender).

So Harry Reid is probably secure in his job (unless he's arrested for ethics violations) until 2010 and Nancy Pelosi would be hard pressed to take positions that are too-far left for her Congressional District. However, the hard left turn of the Democratic Party and their Congressional leaders will probably cost them the Presidential election in 2008 and control of both houses of Congress in 2008 as well. For that - I guess we should be thankful to Harry Reid and his inability to control the things he spouts off about.