RIGHT NOW! - with Timothy Crawford

Yes, Things Are That Bad

 

You don't need me to tell you it's tough out there.  Go here to view a slider thing on MSNBC's website showing how far we fell in one year.

Scary stuff.

MSNBC's UNEMPLOYMENT SLIDER GRID THING

NY Post Degrades Obama with Chimp Pic

 

I'm having a real hard time NOT seeing this picture as offensive.  I know the NYPD shot a crazed Chimpanzee yesterday, but what does that have to do with the stimulus bill or President Obama?

Is the NY Post comparing President Obama to a monkey, or am I seeing things?   

Help me out America. Is there really any other way to call this one? 

This type of Humor isn't Humorous

Where I come from, this type of humor is fighting words.  What are these guys trying to do, start a friggin riot?  If this isn't a racist drawing, at the very least it's in very bad taste. 

Somebody Should Lose a Job Over This

If cartoonist Sean Delonas created this little do-dad to get attention, welp, he succeeded.  Along with some attention, Delonas might also get pushed down a flight of stairs on his way home tonight, not that I would support that type of thing happening to such an obvious racist, I'm just saying.

Obama Signs Stimulus

 

President Barack Obama signs the economic stimulus bill on February 17, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The $787 billion package will fund infrastructure projects, renewable energy projects, and health care, as well as increase unemployment benefits and provide for tax breaks.

The President doesn't expect the stimulus will fix all our problems, and boy, do we have alot of problems, but it is a step in the right direction.  It's obvious the market isn't going to rebound on its own.

So how will we know if it's working?

The president and economists say the biggest marker will be an improvement in the jobs picture.

"That's bottom-line number one, because if people are working, then they've got enough confidence to make purchases, to make investments," Obama said last week before the bill's passage. "Businesses start seeing that consumers are out there with a little more confidence, and they start making investments, which means they start hiring workers. So step number one, job creation."

The GOP Still Doesn't Get It

Can you believe the GOP sponsored a rally against the stimulus package this afternoon at the state Capitol building?  Yes they did.  The GOP claims the stimulus won't help. 

Question:  Just what does the GOP actually suggest the President do about the economy?

Bush doubled the deficit during his two-terms in office, leaving a hell-hole for the nation to climb out of it.  The stimulus is a step towards getting the bus out of the ditch.  This bill does create jobs, ask Michigan.  Michigan just saved/gained 190,000 jobs. Ask Tennessee.  Tennessee just saved/gained 70,000 jobs.

For a complete breakdown of where your moneys' going jump here:

http://www.recovery.gov/

Boss Man: Fake It To Make It

Someone sent me a link to this "Time Magazine" article, "Competence: Is Your Boss Faking It?"

If you want to improve how the world sees you, especially on the job, read this article and follow the advice.   Being seen as a leader isn't rocket science, but it is science.

Octuplet Mom Out of the Baby Making Business

I haven't blogged in a week, but don't worry people, fore I return to the blogosphere in the nick of time with some much smash-mouthed typeface straight from the fingers of realness. 

Hold onto your ovaries lady's, here's my take on that fruitcake mom with the 14 kids. 

It's slam time.

In an NBC "Dateline" interview aired Tuesday night, 33-year-old Nadya Suleman said the octuplets were a sign from God that she should stop having children."

A sign from God?  

Ha!

 

A rainbow is a sign from God.  A butterfly is a sign from God.  Being a single-mom with 14 kids is a sign from the nut-quarium that somebody is walking around without the aid of common sense.

Nadya Suleman is way pass crazy.  Words haven't  been invented to accurately describe your type of crazy so I'm forced to combine fictional nutcase movie characters to best capture your lunacy.

Nadya Suleman, you're a mix of Brad Pitt in the 12 Monkeys, Marlon Brando in the Island of Dr. Moreau and Kathy Bates in Misery.  

That aint all sister. 

My money says before too long "The People" will come and take all your kids away, toss your loopy tail in an Asylum and you're kids will be all the better because of it.    

I'm serious, how can you possibly defend being stupid enough to actually think you can support, raise and prepare 14 people for a productive life with all the necessities?  Nowadays, parents are having a hard time providing for the standard 2 or 3 kids without working nights as a stripper or something and you somehow think you can knock out food, diapers and clothing for 14 kids all on your own?  14 kids?  America needs to lock away and burn your HMO card.  For God's sake, 14 kids is like three Jackson Fives and I don't see no Joe Jackson in your life. 

Quick, someone shove Nadya "The Baby Machine" Suleman in a car with Chris Brown.  Someone needs to be slapped back into reality already!  Hey Chris, I know you can do it.  Take Her Down!

Buy a New Car, Get a Tax Break

Been eying a new car lately, but also eying your expenses?  The Senate passed a bill today giving consumers an incentive to ditch their old rides.  In an impressive win of 71-26, The Senate voted to allow many car buyers to claim an income tax deduction for the cost of automobile sales taxes and interest payments on car loans.

Who loves the bill?

Automakers

Consumers who need new cars

Autoworkers

Anyone whose job is connected to the automobile industry

Who hates the bill?

The GOP of course

I'm not suggesting this is a perfect solution to the financial crisis facing the country, but it's a step.  It's not a bailout.  It's a nudge.  Automakers would still face the need to make better fuel-efficient cars, but it might help alot of folks keep their jobs.  The bill is smart , forward-thinking and it kills more than two birds with one stone.

Read more about the bill here:

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=42957

Macy's Cuts Jobs and Retirement Funds

From Bad Times to Worse Times

What doesn't kill you makes you awfully worried.  Macy's just announced they're cutting 7,000 jobs.  They're also lowering retirement benefits for the employees that stay.  I don't think Macy's is one of those big, bulky, oldschool wastefull corporations, though I guess that's entirely possible.  What cannot be ignored are the numbers.  Macy's numbers have been down for the last six months straight. 

600 Jobs Lost in Miami Alone

Macy's is in the middle of a restructuring/reorganization/retooling, which means concentrated layoffs in one sector to save another.   Macy's eliminates 600 jobs in it's downtown Florida regional headquarters. 

I'm just not used to government officials sounding downright morbid.  Niesen Kasdin, the Vice Chairman of Miami's Downtown Development Authority had some grim words:

''The sad reality is this is completely due to the state of the economy,There is nothing that we could do.''

When the economy is weak people tend to shop at lower-end retailers if at all.  Many retailers had their hopes set on a uptick in sales over the holiday season, but that just didn't happen.  Now, economists predict the same grim fate that befell Macy's to befall several other upscale-overrated entities such as Neiman Marcus, SAKS Fifth Avenue and those skanky floozies on The Real House Wives of Orange County.

Tighten your belts people.  It's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

Read more about Macy's troubles here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28979842/

Super Bowl Win Tainted By Crybabies Crying Crocidile Tears

It was a close game.  Both teams played hard and it all came down to the last moments.  I love this game!

Check the blogosphere and you'll read paragraph after paragraph of folks crying about the officiating.  Sure, there were some calls that could've went either way, but in the end, it''s not up to the officials, it's up to the players getting it done.  The Steelers got it done.  The Cardinals played a hell of a game.  It was closer than I expected, but there can only be one.  That one today is the Pittsburgh Steelers.  And before you call me a sellout.  I'm a Redskins fan.  Die Hard.

The Officiating

Tonight's penalty pile up was the third most in Superbowl History, but hey, I'm not going to throw rocks about Harrison pummeling some guy in the back while he was on the ground, sure it looked dirty, but the guy probably had it coming, and I'm not going to pour salt in the wound over the no-booth review of Kurt Warner's sack and fumble in the waning seconds of the game that sealed it for the Steelers, sure it would've been entertaining to end on a hailmary, I mean this is the Superbowl, but it should've never came down to that.  The Cardinals deserved to lose, how are you going to let the same man beat you on back to back plays running he same route?  

Anyways,  I said I wasn't going to take it there and I'm not.  I'm a man of my word.   So instead of joining the choir of frustrated fans, I'd like to talk about Jennifer Hudson and her gutsy performance singing the National Anthem.  I was touched.  As Ms. Hudson hit those notes, pouring out her soul, I couldn't help but imagine what she's been enduring with the murder of her mother, brother and nephew.  Hudson is top shelf, top shelf.  And to think, American Idol said she didn't have what it took to be a star.  Pfftt..

So there you have it folks.  The Pittsburgh Steelers are the winning-est Super Bowl team ever with 6 bowl wins.  The better team won tonight.  There was no conspiracy.  No backroom deals.  Just hard-nose, smash-mouth football.  To all you complainers, let me quote football great Tony D'Amato  aka Al Pacino. He said it best.

".....But never forget on any give Sunday your either gonna win or lose. ~But can you win or lose like a man?

Obama Portrait Etch-A-Sketch Style

What Picasso said was true:

"If they took away my paints I’d use pastels. If they took away my pastels I’d use crayons. If they took away my crayons I’d use pencils. If they stripped me naked and threw me in prison I’d spit on my finger and paint on the walls".

Here's some artwork you won't see at the local gallery. This portrait of President Barack Obama was created by artist George Vlosich using an Etch-A-Sketch toy.

This picture took 80 hours to draw.

Who knew you could do that with an Etch A Sketch?  I had one of these things as a kid, trust me, my pictures never came out anywhere in the same galaxy as George's.  It's amazing what you can do when you actually have talent.

Here's another sketch by George Vlosich.  This one's an Election 2008 classic depicting Obama and McCain on the campaign trail:

Vlosich has more to ohh and ahh you with.  Check out the link below for some more examples of his work. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1127863/The-Etch-A-Sketch-President-Artist-uses-toy-draw-famous-faces.html

Like what you see? 

You too can be big like George Vlosich and learn to perfect an etch a sketch. 

Ohio Art Classic Etch A Sketch

 

Hold on to your knobs baby, there's even an "Etch A Sketch" community.  Blown away? I thought you'd be. Etch a Sketch is major. It reminds me of those "Electic Football" games I used to play growing up.  Did you know grown people still play electric football?  They even have leagues, tournaments and a superbowl?  I know it's too much to process right now, so lets stick with one flashback at a time. 

Go here to find support and inspiration for all your Etch A Sketch efforts.   

Etch a Sketch Group on Flickr

Blagojevich Loses Governorship, Self Respect, Bearings and Academy Award Nomination

Get a load of Rod Blagojevich

making an ass of himself as he denies doing what's he so obviously did. What a mouth on this guy.  Does he actually believe anyone on earth with an IQ above 17, actually believes this manure he's a-spewing?

I'd have more respect for Blago if he had the heart to throw some other politician's under the bus along with him.   Blagojevich should've told the nasty truth: Politics is a dirty business and though what he did was dead wrong, this is how it's done.  If a politician wants something he pays for it, either by supporting the other guys legislation or by way of campaign contributions. 

 

Heck, if Blago would've been honest it's possible many everyday American's may have rallied behind him making it harder for so many flaming hypocrites to pretend they never heard of "Pay to Play". 

 

I don't feel sorry for the former Governor, I'm simply saying, if you have to go out, which he most definitely did, don't go out looking for sympathy, go out making some furniture move around. 

 

Bye Blago, see you in criminal court.

 

Here's the video:

 

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