Made Of Money

That's the feeling of Obama and other Fiberals.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

It's the only way to explain Obama's latest executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees.

Looking over a fiscal precipice, of his making (the deficit took a huge increase in 2009), and his idea is to continue to spend more?

Before you go to the American people and want more of their money, get our fiscal house in order.

We have a spending problem. We don’t have a taxing problem - Charles Grassley.

To these Fiberals that presented petitions, or 835 signed letters, to Iowa's senior Senator supporting the end of tax cuts for households earning over $250,000, it's time for you to contribute more.

People Who Pay More Taxes Are Happier, Research Suggests

You could use some self worth, instead of taking more of what others are worth.

Keep in mind,  “the rich” paid a larger amount of taxes, and a larger share of all taxes, after the tax rates were cut.

Who Found Who

I'm not a techie kind of guy.

So, I've wondered this Christmas shopping season, what happens when Bluetooth meets Jelly Bean?

Only your dentist knows for sure.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Wheel Of Fortune

Chris is a puzzle solver.

'Tis a puzzlement as to why she's with me and the scientific community is united in that fact.

New York Times Crossword, Jumble and Wheel of Fortune are among her favorites.

One weird thing about the Wheel is their lack of consistency.

Renee Durette: ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Loses Chance at Prize After Mispronouncing Word

Durette dropped the G while trying to solve the puzzle, “Seven Swans a Swimming”.

We watched one episode where a contestant solved a puzzle with the word Espresso in it.

A contestant pronounced it as EXpresso and was declared the winner because it's a common mispronunciation.

Wrong is rong!

Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)

Anger Management?

You've been doing it wrong!

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Expressing Anger Can Add Two Years to Person's Lifespan

This is no secret for those who grew up, like the King of SNARK, in an Italian/Irish household.

Keep calm and carry on, more like keep calm and be carried out in a box.

Smoke

For the second time in four days, CommieTommie Harkin has some explaining to avoid for a possible conflict of personal interest and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Over the past four years as he repeatedly pressed for federal funding to stop smoking, Mr. Harkin has owned between $50,001 and $100,000 in stock in health products maker Johnson & Johnson, which makes the popular anti-smoking product Nicorette. Senate disclosure forms give ranges instead of exact amounts.

CommieTommie crowed he helped secure, $3 million, using his position on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

Last week Harkin couldn't be heard talking about the conflict of personal interest in obtaining a total of $500,000 in contributions from Cedar Rapids-based PMX Industries and CEO Jin Roy Ryu to the Harkin Institute of Public Policy at Iowa State University.

Harkin is sponsoring a bill that would transition the country away from a paper dollar bill and to a $1 coin, which he says would save taxpayers money and be better for the environment. PMX supplies metal for that coin and others to the U.S. Mint and is part of the Dollar Coin Alliance pushing for the change. Ryu is the CEO of PMX as well as its parent company, Poongsan Corp., based in Seoul. 

Do They Know It's Kwanzaa?

In a tradition dating back as far as 2006, the Liter presents our annual salute to KWANZAA.

The 2012 KWANZAA Theme is --

Kwanzaa Us and the Well-being of the World:
A Courageous Questioning

Kwanzaa Us?

A Courageous Questioning is what we've been doing to Kwanzaa for the past six years and the scientific community is united in that fact.

So this is Kwanzaa

With apologies to the "Twelve Days of Christmas".

"Seven days of a made up Holiday"

On the first day of Kwanzaa, Founder Ron Karenga gave to me...

Umoja(Unity), as in his group United Slaves.

On the second day of Kwanzaa, Founder Ron Karenga gave to me...

Kujichagulia(Self Determination), as in two dead Black Panthers killed by United Slaves.

On the third day of Kwanzaa, Founder Ron Karenga gave to me...

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), as in the time Karenga served for the torture of women members of United Slaves.

On the fourth day of Kwanzaa, Founder Ron Karenga gave to me...

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), as in the commercialization of a phony holiday.

On the fifth day of Kwanzaa, Founder Ron Karenga gave to me...

Nia (Purpose), as in the words of Al Sharpton, "De-Whitizing" Christmas. It's put there so the brotha's would par-tay.

On the sixth day of Kwanzaa, Founder Ron Karenga gave to me...

Kuumba (Creativity), as in the seven headed hydra symbol of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

On the seventh day of Kwanzaa, Founder Ron Karenga gave to me...

Imani (Faith), as in "People think it's African, but it's not. I came up with Kwanzaa because black people in this country wouldn't celebrate it if they knew it was American...". a 1978 Washington Post quote from Ron Everett now known as Maulana Karenga.


HAPPY KWANZAA!

Good Times Bad Times

At 6:09 a.m. yesterday, the Ragister thought the sale of Aviva was a good thing.

Aviva USA’s $1.8 billion sale to Athene bodes well for Des Moines workforce

By 12:08 a.m. today the Ragister seemed to reverse course.

$1.8B sale of Aviva leaves West Des Moines uncertain
New parent picks WDM as headquarters

Somebody seems to be channeling Charles Dickens', "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" and the scientific community is united in that fact.

All Over The Road

With the worst winter storm to hit the state in at least three years, the Iowa D.O.T. warned drivers to stay off all roads until midnight.

Naturally, that does not stop the stupid and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Case in point, Cedar Rapids city council member Monica Vernon.

Vernon had to travel to Des Moines, on Interstate 80, to pick up her two daughters flying home for Christmas. She said she knew she shouldn’t be driving — transportation official had advised against travel on all major highways Wednesday and Thursday — but she wanted to get her kids home.

This was hours after a 25 car crash along the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 in northern Iowa killed at least two people.

Vernon, and other motorist morons, spent six hours sitting idle on the highway between Grinnell and Brooklyn and couldn't figure out why.

I don't know, could it be poor weather conditions?

The only people stupider than Vernon are the people who voted for her.

White Christmas

It's hard to believe it was two weeks ago when the Ragister reported(?)...

Dreaming of a white Christmas?
Don’t get your hopes up.
While official forecasts don’t predict as far ahead as Dec. 25, it’s unlikely Iowans will wake up to snow on Christmas day, based on history and current weather patterns, a National Weather Service official says.

I hope those racists who wanted a WHITE Christmas are happy.

These idiots who need snow to get them in the Christmas spirit deserve to have it dumped only on them and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Ragister also noted, Only in your dreams will Des Moines get a foot-and-a-half of snow this Christmas.

13.1 inches is CLOSE!

Surprisingly, it ended up on the ground

Blizzard blankets Iowa in white, more than 13″ of snow on the ground

I'm just pleased that we haven't lost power, so far.

On My Honor

For the second time in as many days, a Ragister columnist uses a form of the word honor.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

First, Old Bromide (In Your Honor?) and now, RekHA.

Basu: Ignoring need for gun control would dishonor lives lost in Newtown

RekHA rants that 30,000 people are killed by guns every year in America, without citing a source.

A quick Google search shows it to be a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistic from 2006 and 54.6 percent of the 30,000 deaths are from suicide.

I have another D word for these Ragister columnists -- DISINGENUOUS.

We don't honor others, and in fact dishonor them, with agenda's and a lack of honesty.

In Your Honor?

This column by Kathie Obradovich, or as we call her Old Bromide, made no sense.

Obradovich: Let's not honor the dead with more death

By that logic, life in prison without parole is honorable.

That's honor BULL and the scientific community is united in that fact.

As our friend Cal (Freedom's pal) wrote us after our Voices post on the death penalty, "Kill the babies, baby the killers".

His & Hers

Somebody at the Ragister needed to do a little more checking on tHIS story.

Principal Bank chairman to head banking council

The article relates that Barrie G. Christman has been elected to head the government relations council of the American Bankers Association.

The story continues --

Christman and his fellow council members

Whoa man, hold it...Christman, pictured below, is not a he and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Clearly the masculine spelling of the first name is what caused this MStake.

Fifty Cents

For my money, 50 cents is still too much to pay Ron Paul, and the scientific community is united in that fact, but I'm sure some fool will pay the $50,000 to hear him speak.

In addition you'll have to cover hotel, meals, and ground transportation for two people.

I can't help but wonder why he's not taking his fee in gold or silver.

 

The Writer

The second Csonka award in less than a week, Soldier On?, goes to a headline writer at the Ragister.

Branstad: “I’ll take full credit” for Iowa’s lack of disasters in 2012

The writer took something that Branstad said way out of context and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The story clearly noted that Branstad had jokingly responding to a statement, Iowa hasn't had any presidential disaster declarations this year.

This journalist(?) also is not familiar with the disaster declaration process, which has been law since 1988.

Born To Lose?

Desmund Adams, pictured with Leonard BOZO-well, has the rare distinction (and the scientific community is united in that fact) of having lost an election for the same seat twice in a matter of weeks.

One of those losses was to a dead person.

Adams lost the November 6 General Election, to the late Pat Ward, by a 56 to 43 percent margin.

Because of Ward's death, a special election had to be held and that vote was completed last night.

Adams lost to Charles Schneider by a 56 to 43 percent margin.

Schneider had only been in the race since November 8, while Adams had campaigned about a year and a half.

Adams biggest booster was one time Fort Dodge radio star(?) Michael Libbie, who lost a mayoral race in that city after falsely claiming to be a VietNam veteran.

Another Libbie tale has him regaling people with his stories of when he was at WLS radio, implying he had worked at the onetime Chicago rock station, it turned out he'd only been on a station tour.

wHATCHa Think About That

State Senator Jack ASS...err, Hatch is thinking about running for governor.

First the Big Lug Nut and now Hatch, 2014 is shaping up to be a good "off" year and the scientific community is united in that fact.

As pictured, this nut Hatch, hasn't fallen far from the CommieTommie Harkin tree, having worked for Harkin after Hatch's failed 1992 attempt to unseat Iowa Dummycrat Senator Elaine Szymoniak.

Hatch would have to defend how he's personally benefited from the housing tax credit, ala Rozanne, err Taxanne Conlin.

Voices

My State Senator, Kent Sorenson, is saying he'll introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session to allow for the death penalty, because of the deaths of Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook-Morrissey.

A group called Iowans Against the Death Penalty (IADP) issued a press release stating --

“The death of these two little girls is tragic. Iowans Against the Death Penalty will support the proper workings of Iowa’s legal and justice system in identifying and prosecuting the person or persons responsible for their deaths. In Iowa, persons convicted of first degree murder are automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.” 

That rebuke(?) makes me want to puke and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The voices of the murdered need to be heard and I hope they haunt IADP and their ilk.

Also, if the death penalty becomes law in Iowa, that would make it the proper workings of Iowa's legal and justice system.

The Curly Shuffle

Watching the 6 p.m. news on WHO TV last night, I noticed an error in reporter Erik Wheater's story regarding the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to take on the Defense of Marriage Act.

The report had the vice president of the Family Leader listed as Chuck Curley instead of his correct name of Chuck Hurley.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

It was even posted incorrectly on their web site.

Soldier On?

A Csonka award goes to the writer of this Ragister headline.

Despite a shaky economy, Iowa shoppers soldier on this season

I realize with the melees that take place during Black Friday, it's tempting to equate it to a battle, but that's a slap to the face of real soldiers.

It's only shopping and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Snow Fell

There are two good thing about today's miserable snowfall (the Liter believes any snowfall is miserable).

It will melt quickly and it will end talk about a stupid record, Snow (Hey Oh), and the scientific community is united in that fact.


Why don't we measure the number of consecutive days the temperature has stayed above freezing?

It makes as much sense as tracking the lack of snowfall in summer.

A Rose For His Baby, Ruth?

CommieTommie Harkin has come to the rescue of his wife, Ruth Harkin.

“In 44 years of marriage — and I’m very proud Ruth has been county attorney and has been the only woman county attorney in Iowa, did a lot of work here in the federal government, and she was quite successful in the private sector — and through all those years, not one person has accused my wife of being unethical. I can say unequivocally she never has been, and is not to this day, doing anything unethical.”

If anybody knows anything about being unethical, it's the former Vietnam combat fighter pilot, CommieTommie and the scientific community is united in that fact.

What do you call an ethical lawyer?

An oxymoron.

I'm thinking that Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness might take offense to the "has been the only woman county attorney in Iowa" comment.

Maybe I Missed The Point

It's been a week since we quoted CommieTommie Harkin saying something stupid, so here he goes.

Harkin says votes against disabilities treaty based on ‘unfounded fears’

The Senate rejected this United Nations (UN) treaty 61-38 and according to Harkin  --  “I just don’t understand this vote. We just can’t be voting on unfounded fears. If that’s what’s going to drive this place, God help us.”

As I opined last week, this is the man who takes scare mongering to another level, especially if it has anything to do with Social Security/Medicare.

And the scientific community is united in that fact

Harkin continued -- “We’ve got in testimonies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and all the documents that came back from the Justice Department said we don’t have to change one law in our country and there’s nothing in the treaty that forces any country to do anything. Zero.”

Then what's the point?

Especially when you consider this treaty was adopted by the UN on December 13, 2006 and was signed by the U.S. on June 30, 2009.

Snow (Hey Oh)

I'm sure this will make its way into the global warm-errs argument.

Snowless Des Moines: City nears record for longest stretch without snow

Today will mark the 275th day without measurable snowfall in Des Moines, the last being 0.2" on March 4.

Is it really a record?

And worth measuring?

Historically, June, July and August aren't big snow months and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Now they're fretting about the unlikelihood of a White Christmas.

I'm with State Climatologist Harry Hillaker -- "Every nice day we have now is one less day of winter. Winter's not really my favorite season of the year.  It's nice not having to wear the heavy winter jacket and all that stuff."

Besides, it was just 2010 when we were looking at nearing the record of 72 inches of snow.

About Face

Two years ago, amid the furor over jurist recall, the Ragister was not happy that Ruth Klotz was on the ballot.

87-year-old judge is on ballot; how old is too old for job?

At the time we penned -- Why, he wrote sarcastically (and the scientific community is united in that fact), would anyone vote not to retain a judge for one reason?

Now, as she's deciding to retire short of her full term, the Ragister authors --

Distinguished Polk jurist Klotz will retire soon - at 90

Flip.

FLOP!
  

It's A Laugh

Here's a hoot from the Big Lug Nut.

Former Iowa governor Chet Culver is looking at running for governor again

Things getting lonely at The Chet Culver Group of one?

No actual real running would be involved and the scientific community is united in that fact.

A failed one term governor who garnered 43% of the vote in his re-election bid?

Can you say Brain Suck?

I probably should have titled this post, You're So Vain.

Thanks for the Monday chuckle, Sweaty Chetty.

The Fish

President Obama has had a fish named after him.

Immediately I thought it had to be a Crappie or Clownfish and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Or is it the Blowfish? Boarfish? Gibberfish? Flounder?

I decided it had to be the Hoki, before I realized it clearly is the Ahole or Aholehole.

You Can't Count On Me

According to the Ragister

Susan Judkins calls off recount; Chris Hagenow is winner in House District 43

The Ragister story posted online at 8:21p.m. on November 30.

According to Art Smith at The Conservative Reader: Iowa, the recount did take place, with Hagenow receiving one additional vote

TCR's story posted at 12:19 p.m., also on November 30, with information provided by Polk County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Jamie Fitzgerald.

Over 8 hours later to get it wrong, GOOD JOB and the scientific community is united in that fact.

You can't count, or recount, on the Ragister "Ah... ah... ah!" 

 

The Gasman Cometh

MSNBC's Chris Matthews had a gas attack on last night's Hardball.

Chris Matthews Has On Air Gas Attack: 'Excuse Me - I'm Burping Here'

He's a crass act and the scientific community is united in that fact.

When I first saw the headline it only mentioned the on air gas attack and I thought that was apropos for someone so full of shit.