Random Thoughts

I’m just back from a business meeting in Las Vegas. I think I did better than most—I found a dime on the floor walking through the casino.

All that fake opulence in Vegas—built from the dollars spent by the losers. What is the upper limit on casinos and slot machines in America?

Wandering around the casinos, I was struck that someone should apply for federal dollars to do a research study to determine if—as I suspect—the average IQ of a woman with breast implants is inversely proportional to the size of the implants. Other than to correct a deformity caused by disease or accident, it strikes me as the most foolish surgery possible.

It used to be you tipped a bellman to take your luggage from the cab to the room. Now you tip one to take it from the cab and another one to take it to the room. This is better service how?

Even the casino profits are down 10%. I wonder if they’ll get a bailout, being in the home state of Harry Reid?

I think the Republicans and the media need to give President Obama a break. Yes, he’s had a rocky start. But he’s a rookie. He only has four years Washington experience (and most of that he was out running for president). And he has a lot less executive experience than, say a two-year governor. Especially if the governor was a mayor first. So with a couple of years of on-the-job training, I’m sure he’ll do better. Be patient.

Am I the only one who grows furious as soon as I hear, “Please listen carefully, as our menu has changed.” It’s because I know what I’m calling about will likely NOT be on the menu. No organization that has a machine answering incoming calls can claim to have good customer service.

Have you noticed that left-wing groups who claim to speak for “the people,” would never want “the people” to vote on things like affirmative action, or guns, or increased welfare spending, or funding for the arts or a lot of other things dear to their hearts? Here in Illinois, the Democrats have done back flips to avoid letting “the people” vote on a replacement for senator Obama.

And the same folks who speak of the people much prefer political decisions to be made by bureaucrats through regulations or by the courts, because they are protected from losing their jobs if “the people” don’t like the decisions and want to vote them out of office.

And have you noticed that “public” TV and “public” radio is mostly set up to use tax dollars to produce programs the elites love, but that the public wouldn’t pay for, if given the choice? That’s the same reason they have to use tax dollars to fund the arts. The elites like it, but “the people” wouldn’t pay to see it, if given free choice.

If the IRS audits me this year, how much can I claim on the “honest mistake exemption”? Or is that only available to Obama appointees?

As the desire of the left to ensure that every murderer gets every ounce of possible due process drags out court cases for years and year, neither the death penalty nor the threat of prison is a deterrent. And the clogged court system, thanks to the lawyers, has huge costs, in that many criminals walk or plea bargain out, to commit more crimes we all pay for, as victims or through insurance and higher costs for goods. These burdens fall most heavily on the poor and minorities, the folks the left claims to care so much about. I am surprised we don’t already have a lot more vigilantism. It’s coming.

Did you notice that it took President Obama longer to find a White House Dog than to line up most of his cabinet? I assume he was looking for a pup that had paid taxes. Maybe a vet should vet his appointments?

I’ve been hoping Europe would be the canary in the coal mine for us. Their social welfare programs are far larger, their unfunded liability makes Social Security look like a good investment, their native population is having children well below the replacement rate, their Muslim “guest worker” populations are growing rapidly (the most common baby boy’s name in many European cities is Muhammad) and much of it is on welfare. With their governments spending around 48% of the GDP, I think I may live to see the collapse. But the deficit and having the League of Leftwing Lawyers in charge here means we are catching up, and government spending here may soon reach 40% of GDP.

Have you noted how often people speak as though “Democracy” and “Freedom” were the same thing? But they aren’t. A majority can vote to send armed police to take away your home to build a shopping mall or your income to spread the wealth around, or can vote stop you from saying what you want by outlaying anything it considers “hate speech.” Hitler and Hamas both came to power through elections.

It doesn’t matter what your kids will pay for the bailout in twenty years, as long as your Congressman gets reelected in 2010 by spending your money. It’s why Obama was lying about stopping earmarks—he can’t and get the Congress to go along with his programs.

People talk about “public funding of campaigns.” But what, really, are earmarks but spending tax dollars to get Congresscritters re-elected?

If people really hated lawyers, would they have voted to put lawyers, and only lawyers, in complete charge of all branches of the federal government?

A last tip. If you are staying at a fancy hotel, they give you nice bars of soap. Take along a zip lock bag and bring them home when you leave. They throw used soap out. You’ll save money on soap and help protect the environment. I wonder if Al Gore does that on his trips? Or am I “Greener than Gore” in that way too?