Rebuttal: Why I Support Obama

Personally, I think this election in November will be the worst ever. The two party system has stifled genuine competition and basically made it so that you'll be either voting for a donkey or a jackass. And some people will say they are going to vote for the lesser of two evils. Well, how is voting for evil working for you?

Rarely do I write specific rebuttals, however, the text box in Facebook is rather too small for such a long list. Here is the picture in question. It is one of those annoying "written with a marker in different colors to seem more important than it really is" kind of posters. After reading the sign in this picture, my rebuttal is listed by a number which corresponds to the poster.

1. The Affordable Care Act
Lifting restrictions on pre-existing conditions and life time caps: good.

Raising the age for children being allowed to stay on their parents insurance: bad. At the age of 25, they are no longer children. Times are tough, but with a little better discipline or guidance on major life decisions from their parents, they could probably avoid needing this kind of help.

Affordable health care for small businesses - any business with over 5 employees is eligible to dump their private insurance (Blue Cross, for example) and force their employees on the government version of Blue Cross. Lower rate of care and benefits, but still technically "insurance" so it technically ensures they are covered for statistics reasons.

Insurance Executives are not the ones who would fight this bill. In fact they would welcome it. By mandating that everyone have insurance, Obama basically gave big business and the insurance industry a huge dose of money for now and forever. Think about it: if everone is required to get insurance, Obama is mandating that all 330 million people in this country go to a certain industry of business and put money into it. Make no mistake: this Affordable Care Act is a tax. With the option of businesses to dump their entire health insurance roster onto the government's roll, this tax will only go up. The exec's at Blue Cross and other health insurance companies don't really care if they take your company's money or our tax money, they are getting paid either way.

2. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan already had agreements to end by a certain date. He is simply fulfilling them by adding an extra two years in Iraq and Afghanistan than what Bush Jr had an agreement for.

3. So do I. I also think men should have this kind of access too. This is only an issue to the religious community who feels they have a religious right to tell you what to do but then hide behind religious freedom when someone trys to tell them what to do.

4. Since 1967, every President has signed an act that mandated fair pay based on race, color, creed or gender. Obama is no different. This kind of act or bill is usually signed somewhere in the late third year or early 4th year of the first term of a President. Oddly enough, between 1967 and 1986, every bill of this nature gradually grew into reverse discrimination type mandates i.e. hire more minorities and women than white men. Since 1986, the balance of these kinds of bills has gradually gotten better i.e. if you're going to build a road, make at least one contractor a minority. But still, race/color/creed/gender are emphasized above ability. That is wrong and disingenuous to the minority contractor who may or may not be the best for the job but instead was chosen because of his color.

5. This is true, as it has been for every president since Jimmy Carter. Between 2003 and 2010, green energy job growth has been the highest ever at 8.3% growth.

6. I agree that education should be more available to all of us and that for-profit education should be more heavily regulated in order to eliminate high interest rates on huge loan sums. Keep in mind that the more education a populace is, the higher percentage of menial jobs will not be filled except by illegal immigrants who will work for anything. For now, be smart and stay away from for-profit colleges. Also remember the children's programs we've had. We've gone from A Bridge To The Future to No Child Left Behind. Somewhere in between those programs, reality set in.

7. Millionaires and billionaires should pay their fair share of taxes and the tax code should eliminate loop holes for these people to hide their money off shore. However, just by paying the same tax rate as us, these people are already paying way more money than us in taxes. Put a flat tax of 15% on you and Warren Buffet or Bill Gates and I'll gaurantee you they are paying more than you in taxes ... by a huge margin. This is a worthy sentiment, however, like any idea embraced by a broad sector of people, there are wildly different interpretations of what this means. Come up with something solid (like a percentage or tax rate) and we'll talk.

8. Obama has inhereited one of the worst economic disasters since the Great Depression, however, he has not added 2.6 million jobs. In fact, he has only added a net gain of .1 million jobs. When you take private sector job gains and subtract public sector job gains (business created jobs minus government payroll created jobs) you get 100,000. To be fair, he has not completed a full term yet, but his numbers stacked up against every president since Truman are very dismal. Another factor to keep in mind is private vs public sector job growth. Early in his term, Obama added heavily to the public sector job rolls to offset the private sector not hiring. At an average of $39.25 per hour (required because of civil service union agreements) to staple papers or paper clip notes, that's a huge drain on the federal coffers. One last note, the economy is not slowly improving. It's slowly getting worse and better in spurts. Political devisiveness created by the paradoxial right vs left machinations have created an atmosphere of oppression and stifled free thinking in Washington D.C. If you don't belong to either the right or left way of thinking, your ideas are automatically struck down. Because neither side can get our tax and spend debt spending under control, in a few years, we will be a third world country because our money will be worthless.

IMDb Biography for Kim Kardashian

Hello folks! I've been gone for a while dealing with a series of issues, however, I'm back. This IMDb biography of Kim Kardashian by a long-time IMDb contributor caught my eye while I was gone and I wanted to (re)share it with you in case you missed it.

Birth Name: Kimberly Noel Kardashian

Height: 5' 2" (1.57 m)

Biography
Kim Kardashian is emblematic of the shallowness of American culture in the first two decades of the new millennium. While some cultural critics call her the prime avatar of the "famous for being famous" faux celebrity crowd, she along with Paris Hilton is a new breed of cat whose celebrity comes from the release of a sex tape and the canny exploitation of the resulting publicity. Like her good friend Miss Hilton (their relationship predates Kim's "celebrity"), Kardashian is possessed of photogenic good looks but is short of any other discernible talents outside of the bedroom. Both expanded their celebrity by becoming reality TV "stars".

Porn pioneer Harry Reems has commented how surprised he is at how porn stars like Jenna Jameson are accepted now in mainstream culture. His life was ruined by his participation in porn in its "Golden Years". As for Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, the release (accidental or not-so-accidental) of boudoir tapes didn't result in shame but celebration. America, like ancient Rome, seems to have shuffled off the moral coil of virtue of the Republic and is now enjoying its Imperial self in an orgy of ignominy. It's always more fun on the toboggan ride down the hill than it was schlepping up it in the first place.

The backlash against Kardashian has been ugly. Commenting on Kim and her family, the stars of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" (2007), English actor Daniel Craig told "GQ" magazine, "You see that and you think, 'What, you mean all I have to do is behave like a [expletive] idiot on television and then you'll pay me millions?'"

Madmen (2007) star 'Jon Hamm' was even more direct, saying in an "Elle" magazine interview, "Whether it's Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated. " He went on to say, "Being a [expletive] idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture. You're rewarded significantly."

In the wake of Kim and her family members signing a new four-year $40 million deal for their show, Jonah Hill joined in on the pile-up, saying that, "The fact that the Kardashians could be more popular than a show like 'Mad Men' is disgusting."

In the decadence that is America of the $15-trillion deficit and no serious plans from either party for a solution to the economic problems of the "Great Recession", Kim Kardashian is welcomed to her second White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. in 2012 and made fun of not only by host Jimmy Kimmel but by the President of the United States, Barack Obama, himself and laughs merrily at the merriment. That the women's fame rests on the February 2007 "leaking" of a four-year-old home sex (for which she ultimately received $5 million from Vivid Entertainment) is an apt metaphor for socio-economic-cultural malaise in Washington and the country beyond, where everything seems to be run by amoral prostitutes in bed with each other and merely out for a buck.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C. Hopwood

Spouse

Kris Humphries	(20 August 2011 - present) (filed for divorce - edit: marriage lasted 72 days)
Damon Thomas	(22 January 2000 - February 2004) (divorced)

Trade Mark: Her curvaceous figure and ability to take a large, black penis to the mouth.

Trivia
Daughter of Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Sister of Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Robert Kardashian Jr.. Half-sister of Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner. Granddaughter of Mary Houghton, and Arthur Kardashian.
Stepdaughter of Bruce Jenner.
Along with Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Tara Reid, Bijou Phillips, Kimberly Stewart, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie, is one of Hollywood's most famous party girls.
Step-sister of Brandon Jenner, Brody Jenner, and Casey Jenner.
Along with being Armenian, Kim is also German and Irish from her mother's side.
Was nominated in 2009 for the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her performance in Disaster Movie (2008). She mentioned it in her blog and rather than being insulted by it, she took it in good stride and was flattered by it. She wrote; "I'm having a really good laugh over the fact that I've been nominated for a Razzie this year. I had so much fun filming Disaster Movie (2008) and giggled the entire time during the shoot. There is steep competition in my 'worst supporting actress' category, I have to admit... including my fantastic costar Carmen Electra (you go girl!), Leelee Sobieski (what a surprise!), Jenny McCarthy (really?) and Paris Hilton (who could technically sweep this year's awards with a whopping three nominations!). It's an honor just being nominated! LOL!".
Good friend of Brittny Gastineau.
Ranked #9 on Maxim Magazine's Hot 100 Women of 2010 list.
Despite her party girl status she doesn't really like to drink alcoholic drinks.
Aunt of Mason Dash Disick.
Engaged to Kris Humphries of the NBA's New Jersey Nets [May 25, 2011].
Ex-daughter-in-law of William Humphries.
PETA named her as their Worst Dressed person of 2010 for wearing fur.
Filed for divorce from her second husband Kris Humphries after 2 months of marriage due "irreconcilable differences" [October 31, 2011].

Personal Quotes
I want to be a Bond Girl and film a love scene with Daniel Craig after he's rescued me.
I saw a recent poll of the top 10 best Playboy bunnies of all time and I came third, behind Marilyn Monroe [first] and Pamela Anderson - which was so cool.
The grass is always greener...where you water it! Not always on the other side.
Forensic Files is my favorite show! I am fascinated with forensics & this show really shows how crimes come to life & how forensics solve these crimes.

When Religion Gets In The Way

On 15 December, 1791, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified. With respect to religion, here is the exact wording:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

What ever court cases, legal decisions, state and/or federal laws have been made since 1791, they really do nothing that allows the federal or state legislatures establish, limit or regulate the practice of a faith. Except for marriage.

Marriage is rooted in religion and, conveniently, was adopted by state governments as a way to track who's shacking up with who. However, since there is a separation of church and state, the religious criteria of marriage pairing a man and woman exclusively should go out the window. I'm not sure if marriage is a right or freedom ... probably a right because governments are great at taking freedoms and limiting rights. As a right, it should be equally available to all, not limited because the word of a higher power interpreted by men seeking to control others says it should.

Another issue where religion is getting in the way is health care: specifically health care plans required to offer birth control to workers at religious institutions. Ok, I get it. Religion wants people to have kids so they can grow up and be the next generation of followers. What religion is really saying is that they don't want fairness and equality and they don't want people to have the freedom to choose. Time to roll the dice, Religion. If you taught your people well, what are you worried about? True followers won't choose birth control even if it is available to them for free. So you either trust your followers or you don't.

Religion is getting in the way of active political and national policy. Just recently, the House passed their defense budget with additional tack on amendments. Besides breaking the budget agreement Congress made last summer with the Obama administration by beefing up military spending billions beyond the agreed-upon limit instead of cutting military spending, the amendments add prohibitions to same sex marriage. Rep. Todd Akin, a Republican from  Missouri had this to say in a statement:

"Liberals ... should not be allowed to force members of our military to give up their religious beliefs. That is simply unacceptable and unconstitutional."

The writer of this blog, me, had this to say in a response statement:

"Religious conservatives should not be allowed to force their beliefs on the military or civilian sector. That is simply unacceptable and unconstitutional."

By enacting same sex marriage prohibitions, religion is imposing its standards on us de jure (that's "by law" or "concerning the law") which, last time I checked the First Amendment, was illegal to do. In the dark ages, religion helped unite the stupid masses. Today, we are all, more or less, intelligent people. Let's start acting like it and finally use the First Amendment to get religion out of the government

Finally, a note to my fellow Christians. If the male progenitor of you is your father and if God is the Father ("Our father, who art in Heaven ...") then you have two Dads and I'm pretty sure you turned out fine. Lighten up a little!

Gay Marriage - A Middle Class View

Through out the history of this country, nearly every group of people that does not encompass white lander owners has had to fight for equal rights. Women fought for the right to vote and then to be treated/paid as well as men. African Americans were freed and, not until 100 years later, were given equal rights. Today's group is the LGBT community.

We live in interesting times and one of the hot topics of today is gay marriage. Unless you have been living under a rock, everyone from President Obama to the Pope to Raul Castro, the leader of Cuba, has come out with their stance on gay marriage. In simple terms, the gay community is fighting for equal rights parallel to the heterosexual community i.e. the right to be married and all other tax/financial/civil benefits that go along with it.

I am decidedly middle class. Not sure what that means anymore, but for me, I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I'm all about equal rights and I'm all about fair treatment but I'm also all about not spending our next three generations into debt. In fact, I too support gay marriage, straight marriage, transexual marriage, and any other marriage you can think of. Just as words change meaning over time, so to does the word "marriage." The word "marriage" has religious roots but seeing as we are a non-theocratic country, I believe it should apply to any two people who want to be together for life. This means work-provided health insurance, death benefits, tax benefits and financial obligations should all be available to them. However, I also believe, indeed having served in the military to defend it, the right of majority rule. If a majority of people vote to not have gay marriage, then that's it: no gay marriage in that state.

Recently in North Carolina, the people of that good state voted to keep marriage a heterosexual institution. They voted their conscience to not allow gay marriage. But people who are masters of manipulating the media and masses have started a movement that essentially belittles and makes fun of the people of North Carolina for voting their conscience. Sure North Carolina allows straight people to marry their 1st cousin, but that's beside the point: they used the same democratic/republic machinations that elects our leaders and adopts/denies civil and social initiatives as everyone else.

Certain elements of the LGBT and social communities didn't get their way and, instead of redoubling their efforts, chose to use childish antics. And shame on them. You (the childish antics users) shot yourself in the foot when you did that and I no longer care to hear anything you have to say. Step aside to let someone else do the talking for a while.

These kind of antics and tactics are best reserved for running for president. Your community getting equal rights is much more important than electing an elephant or jackass.

Resolving Heartache via Stupid People

Earlier today, my mother & father made the difficult decision to euthanize our beloved family dog. Scooter was a very gentle soul, he loved food, and he lived a long, happy life. Though my father probably did more harm than good with kindness (i.e. table scraps), I did not think his own immune system would take him down. I'll spare you the technical name for it, but basically his immune system started targeting his own blood cells; it is what vets commonly call a compromised immune system. As expected, it is taking an emotional toll on us and I have some unresolved emotional distress from it.

This is a unique article for me. Typically, I bottle my emotions. Very few people have seen an emotional outburst from me other than random acts of kindness. I'll call myself a "divertist." I'm sure there is a more thorough, common or clinical name for it, but when I am being a divertist, it is because I'm dealing with something much larger or private and this is how I take out stress.

This article is a divertist article: a collection of the most discussion worthy or dumbest (or both) quotes by "important" people in our society in the last few weeks. Where possible, I have included either publication names and dates, a link to web article, or in the least, have noted the source. Without further ado, here is the list.

1. "There is no justification for the current gas prices. This is all about speculation by the people who are speculating on the price of oil and gas," he says. "We could shutdown excess speculation in commodity markets. This government should do that." former Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) - Yahoo Finance - 29 March 2012.

While I agree that the price of gasoline is atrocious, I do not believe the government should be regulating the free market excessively. What's excessive? I don't know, I'm not an economist. What I do know is that, contrary to public opinion, the government and President do NOT control the price of gas nor are they able to significantly alter it's price by any direct action. Since I mentioned capitalism earlier, let's get back to that: the greater the demand, the higher the price. Developing parts of the world like China are putting a huge strain on the oil market but that's not the whole picture.

We import about 10 million barrels of oil a day compared to China's 5 million per day. So if you want to ask questions about gas prices, perhaps we should be looking to the American public. Because we have money and CAN buy things doesn't necessarily mean we SHOULD buy things. If you want to point fingers, make sure you point them at all the pussy, macho-esque men and fat-ass house wives riding around in their precious SUVs and trucks and other gas guzzling vehicles. Because they did have money and could buy their Lincoln Navigator means everyone has to pay more at the gas pump. So there you go: selfishness causes financial trouble for the greater population. The trouble is, they can obviously afford it while you and I find it harder to swallow the gas prices.

2. "Well, first off, the idea of overpopulation is not accurate because really the entire population of the world, if they were stretched shoulder to shoulder, could fit within the city limits of Jacksonville." - Michelle Duggar, mother of 19 children, on over-population - Yahoo entertainment article - 31 March 2012.

Well, first off, I'm not sure if I should tackle the math or social idiocy of Michelle. Okay, let's start with facts. The land area of Jacksonville is about 810 square miles while the world population is little over 7 billion people. That would equal 8.5 million people per square mile. I'm not a mathematician, but she sounds like an idiot ... <cough> ... I mean, maybe her fundamentalist christian lifestyle did not teach her that theoretical math is not always applicable to real life scenarios.

So let's get to the social idiocy. I support her right to pro-create; however, just like getting fisted by a gorilla, there is a limit to what the body can handle and what should be socially acceptable. With the world wide population explosion approaching an exponential increase, I feel that people like Michelle and her husband are probably just fucking in the name of God. The only difference between these two and high school kids who get pregnant, is these adults should know better, but instead rely on God to limit their conceiving ability. Rising cost of living, rising gas prices, limited natural resources, increased pollution, rising sea levels, global warming; all of these issues are caused by an increase of people on our planet and the need to fuel the economy so these people can live. More people = lesser standard of living for everyone. Michelle Duggar and her husband are not living a happy life or the American Dream - they are contributing to an extinction level event caused by ourselves.

3. "Warren Buffett is paying a lower rate than his secretary." - President Obama a few weeks ago at a campaign rally when discussing increased taxes on the rich as supported by Warren Buffet.


President Obama is correct: Buffet IS paying a lower tax rate than his secretary. However, Obama is engaging in a lie of omission. Warren Buffet is probably paying 100 to 500 times more money in taxes than his secretary. If Obama wants attack a problem and use solid math, perhaps he should address the corporate tax code. Both parties are guilty of creating loop holes in the corporate tax code, which in the last 50 years, has allowed corporate tax revenue to the federal government to drop from 30% to just under 6%. And in effort to not commit the same lie of omission that Obama is, that drop in corporate tax revenue (from 30% to 6%) equals out to about the same amount of money collected now compared to the 1960s.

So why has personal income tax revenue increased dramatically to pay for a bloated federal government but corporate tax revenue has not? Because politicians are taking campaign contributions from said corporations to get elected. Why isn't the news media focusing on the rich paying more but completely ignoring the corporate tax issue? Hmmm ... because the mainstream news outlets ARE corporations. Looks like we're fucked in the 'truth, honesty and unbiased' reporting department from both sides of the political rhetoric spectrum. We've been on this trip for a while but have been too distracted by the 1% versus the 99% argument to notice the increasing speed we're moving as we circle closer towards the drain.

4. "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." - President Obama - Chicago Tribune 22 March 2012

The humorist in me wants to respond with, "why, because you're both black?" However, I'm guessing that may sound racist to some people. I certainly don't intend it to be, so please take my intent into account. The fact is, this situation has turned into a media frenzy. NBC has altered the 911 call dialogue to make Zimmerman appear to be a racist. I don't know that he is, and though it may be a central motivator to this case, it does not matter to me.

Allegedly this kid attacked Zimmerman, with corroborating medical proof of a scuffle, and Zimmerman "stood his ground." Whether we like it or not, Florida law allows something like "stand your ground" to be a legal defense in a shooting. Is it a legal way for the average citizen to be proactive in their physical defense instead of being a pussy and running away? Yes. Having been confronted with a situation like this myself, I can tell you it was more emotionally and psychologically damaging for me to run away than it would have been for me to dig my heels in and push back against an asshole that could have potentially killed me. I'm not sure if Obama did a hail mary public relations move in that statement or if someone actually prepared that statement for him. Either way, it sounds weak, non-committal and one of the most charged yet empty statements I've ever heard from another human being. Even after the media frenzy dies down, I'm still not sure we'll get the whole story.

5. "I mean I am a man. He was calling me a chicken.'' - Ubaldo Jimenez - pitcher for the Cleveland Indians after a bench clearing scuffle at a baseball game.

This quote from a Yahoo! Sports article about the incident is filled with immaturity. This man is making millions of dollars a years as a professional athlete. After hitting a former team mate during a game, the batter took a few steps towards the mound while Jimenez took a whole bunch of steps toward the batter as he yelled and gesticulated wildly. Either Jimenez is in the game to be an athlete and doesn't need a bloated salary for his marginal skills or he's in it for the money in which case being an asshole is uncalled for.  Grow up, pussy.

6. "There's no consensus about the relationship between ultraviolet light and skin cancer. The science isn't there." - John Overstreet, executive director of the Indoor Tanning Association - Chicago Tribune health article.

Get this man a job with Philip Morris! I'm not a scientist, so take this with a grain of salt: we either have a larger ozone layer hole than we thought or woman in first world countries are genetically prone to skin cancer. Both choices seem plausible, but I would like to submit a third choice using Occam's Razor: the substantial increase in tanning bed use by women is causing the ultraviolet light from the tanning beds to give women skin cancer.

Just a thought; I know it's a wild supposition. Mother Nature and Rah (Egyptian Sun god) either have a huge grudge against women in countries where tanning beds are used extensively or the tanning beds are a slow form of death that women are willing to deal with so they may visually fit in with their Hollywood "hero's." I mean, look at the picture on the left. This over-tanned woman, besides looking like someone tickled her funny bone via her urethra, has a fried and over-cooked look about her. Women in tanning beds are willing to risk deadly and disfiguring skin cancer so they can look like this societal icon. Besides looking unhealthy, it looks cheap. People who use tanning beds are risking death to look cheap. That's the societal pressure we are putting on the young people today.

In summary, thank you for allowing me to be a divertist. As you consider my words, I'll return to the emotional rawness about losing my pet.

Follow the Money Trail

Too often, we rely on the government to help protect us and the government responds in the only way they know how: more regulation, more oversight, more taxes. The biggest piece of regulation since the depression is currently under review by the United States Supreme Court: Obama-care. With the superficial intent of supplying "affordable" healthcare to some 40 million under-insured Americans, Obama-care is nothing but a carefully crafted law designed to ensure the insurance companies have a steady supply of customers they can make money from. What ever your views or beliefs on this legislation, it is surely an extension of government into our lives and one that will cost us money in the long run.

More detrimental than money, it also raises the question what else the government can compel us to do. "If the government can do this, what else can it do?" Supreme Court Justice Scalia asked, suggesting Congress might require Americans to buy broccoli or automobiles. It is a dangerous slope we are on with government mandates: taken individually, a chain link is not dangerous; but when taken together as a whole chain, we are each shackled by a government that is increasingly out of touch with the average American's daily life.

This debate has led me to examine a few other regulations that we take as everyday life. Why is car insurance mandated? Why are seat belts mandated? Why do major corporations like General Electric pay almost nothing in corporate taxes? Why is abortion continually challenged by religious fundamentalists? Why is gay marriage illegal? It comes down to money.

Car insurance is required because the insurance lobby paid a bunch of politicians (I mean, conrtibuted campaign donations) to make a law so the insurance companies can make more money. As a side effect, regular people are now financially protected when someone does something stupid with their vehicle.

Seat belts are a by-product of the mandated car insurance. If you get into an accident while not wearing your seat belt, the car insurance company is not obligated to pay your medical bills regardless of who is at fault. Again, it comes down to money. Not only does the insurance company get a free pass, but now the state/local government can fine you for not wearing one.

Major corporations have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the last 50 years to ensure the corporate tax loop holes get larger and larger. In 1945, corporate taxes were roughly equal to personal income taxes raising $16 billion and $18 billion, respectively. Today, the difference is tremendous. Personal income taxes in 2011 totaled $1.1 trillion, while corporate taxes brought in $181 billion -- a difference of sixfold. As a percentage of all federal taxes, corporate taxes fell from more than 30% in the 1950s to 6.6% in 2009. In this case, politicians received money for re-election to continue their life long political career and the corporations were given loop holes to hide income in.

Gay marriage and abortions are kind of tricky. It's hard to find the money trail, but it is there. For a moment, let's disregard all organized, fundamental religious beliefs. Really, you have to. According to all organized religion, all other organized religions are wrong and are going to hell, so there you go.

In my opinion, gay marriage is illegal because of tax breaks. When you file jointly, you have a possibility of claiming thousands of dollars in exemptions or deductions. When you file as single, those deductions are not available to you. If suddenly there existed the possibility that every adult aged 18 and older could suddenly claim the married exemptions, the government would lose hundreds of millions of dollars.

Abortion is an even more hidden money trail. For the most part, it does not even make money for the government; but for the religious institutions. If religion (and the government) can find something that galvanizes large sections of the population, that is where the money comes in. Religious associations battle against civil liberty and feminist organizations via advertising campaigns and sit/walk/chant-ins to garner more support for their side. All these things cost money. Never mind the left leaning donations: most of these civil rights oriented people will do things on principle. The right leaning religious institutions see things like gay marriage and abortion as a way to increase donations and manpower. On a side note, I've always been curious why organized religion opposed both gay marriage and abortion. What group of people better to never have an abortion?

The next time you are fined for speeding, jay walking or not purchasing mandatory health care, remember, it's not about you or public safety: it's about the money.

The Chicago Democratic Machine

I am angry. In fact, I'm fucking angry. Angry at Illinois State Rep. Derrick Smith; at the Illinois Democratic Party; and most of all, angry at the voters of the 10th District of Illinois.

Earlier in March, Rep. Smith was arrested and charged with taking $7,000 in bribes. According to FBI surveillance footage, Smith asked for $7,000 in cash so "there won't be no trace" to him. After helping the briber count the money, he asked the FBI undercover agent to "leave it the envelope". On March 20th, with the help of the Chicago and Democrat Machine, he easily won his primary bid by capturing 77% of the vote.

Which brings me to the next group I'm fucking angry at: the Illinois and Chicago Democratic machine. Recently, the Democrat controlled Illinois general assembly re-drew the district maps for state and congressional members, seemingly, to help the Democratic Party by forcing incumbent Republican law makers to run against each other. During the preliminary legal challenge to the new district maps, an email from members in the Democratic Party surfaced that urged lawmakers to do their best to "help in the national push to take back the U.S. House of Representatives" and retain state control. The Illinois Constitution charges law makers to make districts as contiguous and compact as possible to avoid gerry-mandering. If you have looked at the recent map of Illinois districts, then you'll see it looks like a monkey tried playing Tetris.

I'm also angry at those party officials that helped Smith win his primary: U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (Democrat) and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. After Smith lost his Chicago City Hall job for using public employees for private landscaping work, White backed him for the Legislature. After he was charged with accepting a bribe, the Illinois Democratic Party even came up with a new slogan for him: No defeat or retreat — keep the Dem seat. Danny Davis even tried defending him at a pre-election rally: "We know that our colleague is charged with criminal activity. But we also know that a charge is not a conviction."

I'll grant you that he is not convicted yet, but he's on tape ... accepting a bribe ... what more do you need? In the world of politics, who you associate with casts a reflection on you. Does that mean Danny Davis also accepts bribes? Or does Davis think accepting bribes is ok?

Lastly, I'm angry at the voters in Smith's district. Either they are unwilling or unable to use their brains. They are unwilling or unable to think for themselves. They are either stupid or idiots. If politicians are supposedly the best our society as to offer as leaders, then what does that say about our society when pieces of shit like this walk around thinking it's okay to accept bribes or kick backs? What does it say about the people in his district who vote for crooked politicians?

Most times, crooked politicians reveal themselves after they are elected. In this case, Smith unmasked himself before election and he still won his primary. I'm so fed up with the bullshit corruption in Chicago and at the state party level. On this day, I am not proud to be an Illinoisan or a Chicagoan. People like Davis, who only worry about keeping the party numbers, and Smith, who is only it in for himself seemingly, make a mockery of our right to vote. That state party leaders helped him win his primary only to ask Smith to resign so they can install another party member in the won primary slot is fucking insulting.

I'm God-damned fucking angry and I hope my fellow Illinoisans are fucking angry too. This is the kind of shit we have to put with. It's hard enough to shake the Illinois corruption image from outsiders, but what's the point if shit-bags like this are in office?