Author Archives: scottsoapbox

Al Qaeda Routed In Bagdad

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The New York Times didn’t give this story a great headline or much play since it ended up on page 19. But the Times supports the troops and wants victory…. right?

American forces have routed Al Qaeda… from every neighborhood of Baghdad, a top American general said today, allowing American troops involved in the “surge” to depart as planned… “Murder victims are down 80 percent from where they were at the peak”, and attacks involving improvised bombs are down 70 percent, [Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil Jr., commander of US forces in Baghdad] said. “The Iraqi people have just decided that they had it up to here with violence,” [General Fil] said,

Remember To Tip Those Three-Job-Workin’ Single Moms

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Hillary has stepped in it again. First she couldn’t come up with a good answer on illegals getting drivers licenses in her home state. Now, while she remembered to add her waitress’ sad story into her next speech, she forgot to leave her a tip. Waitress Esterday, has three jobs and works 12 hour shifts – and it was her first day. (abcnews.com) And if she’s elected president, Clinton promised, people like her waitress will have it better… (NPR) But apparently not until then. Since the Senator neglected to leave a tip amid her “Middle Class Express” political tour.

Sen. Clinton used Esterday’s life story to push her compassionate candidacy, but was caught off guard when the waitress pointed out the -uhm- irony, to the local press. Since this gaff, the Clinton Campaign has tried numerous angles to make the story go away. First it was that the meal was “on the house” (15% of 0 is 0). Next it was that the Senator doesn’t carry money (no need when you have an entourage to do it for you – it’s good to know she’ll be able to connect with us middle class folk). Then it was that they did leave a tip that was “improperly dispersed” (cash on the table – its a difficult process I guess). Most recently its that $129 was paid for the “on the house” meal PLUS $100 tip apparently dispersed to faceless stranger, since no one at the diner has confirmed the campaign’s claim.

How Big Is That Planet In The Window?

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Been doing a little star gazing lately (no not on E!), and found this helpful guide to planets apparent size. The chart breaks down how much magnification it would take to make each planet appear the same size as the moon to the naked eye. These numbers are “best case” since they are when the planet is in opposition to Earth (closest in relative orbits).

Mercury 250x
Venus 75x
Mars 100x (ave)
Jupiter 40x
Saturn 100x
Uranus 500x
Neptune 750x
Pluto 400x (just to be visible)

The Tyranny of the Positive Attitude

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Thank God.  Finally after years of tyranny, American optimism is going to be put in its place.  Complaining in groups and with song is really the better way to go.  The Complaints Choir started in Birmingham, England but have spread:

[To] choirs in Helsinki, where singers bemoaned boring dreams, and one in Budapest, Hungary, which ranted about a neighbor holding folk-dance practice in an upstairs apartment.

After starting more than 20 such choirs elsewhere, the Helsinki couple say they traveled here to end “the tyranny of the positive attitude in America.” …

“When everyone’s singing your complaint, it’s very cathartic,” the 38-year-old Chicagoan said after Saturday’s performance. “It’s as if you have a lot of support for your complaint.”

Democrats, Party of the Rich

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The demographic reality is that, in America, the Democratic party is the new “party of the rich”. More and more Democrats represent areas with a high concentration of wealthy households. Using Internal Revenue Service data, the Heritage Foundation identified two categories of taxpayers- single filers with incomes of more than $100,000 and married filers with incomes of more than $200,000 – and combined them to discern where the wealthiest Americans live and who represents them.

Democrats now control the majority of the nation’s wealthiest congressional jurisdictions. More than half of the wealthiest households are concentrated in the 18 states where Democrats control both Senate seats.

This new political demography holds true in the House of Representatives, where the leadership of each party hails from different worlds. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, represents one of America’s wealthiest regions. Her San Francisco district has more than 43,700 high-end households. Fewer than 7,000 households in the western Ohio district of House Republican leader John Boehner enjoy this level of affluence…

It should be noted that income and wealth are often confused.  Due to the fact that IRS income data is much easier to come by, but not a reflection of “wealth” or net worth. For instance, you could make $120,000 in southern California and be financially unable to purchase a home.  You could also have a net worth north $100 MILLION dollars, but show an IRS income of less than $100k. (Which is actually how we got saddled with the AMT).

Just a quick Fair Tax side note: focusing on and taxing income mainly hurts people trying to become rich; not the actual rich.