Safehaven Pointe

The Talibaby

Evidence of an Al Kid'a link in Macon, GA. I present Ol' Sammy Bin Ladin.

Free Tibet!

O’Bama the Leprechaun Wishes You a Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Well, a few weeks ago, I had a concept for a new turn on Obama's name. With a well placed apostrophe, he is restyled "O'Bama the Leprechaun", here to wish everyone a happy St. Patrick’s Day.

This image, of course, makes one wonder what his "Lucky Charms" could be. The answer is simple, delegates. So, in that vein, here was attempt number two at the concept:

Notice the increased green content to add to the leprechaun effect. My next attempt might add cartoonish childish legs to the Clintons to add to the effect of them chasing O'Bama.

Is Clinton Truly the Weaker Candidate?

I know the consensus among Republicans and Democrats is that Obama would be the most electable candidate, but I really am beginning to think that Hillary deserves that label. To win, the Democrats have to win more than they lose to improve on last time.  I think Hillary wins Ohio and does well in Florida (assuming no racial backlash if she gets the nomination).   She may even pick up Arkansas.  I do not really see her obviously losing anything. 

Obama, I can see losing California, which would be the death knell for the Dems.  The Hispanic population is a huge part of the electorate, and although it is solid Dem right now, it is not like NY, MA, MN or VT.  If I remember correctly, CA even has a higher percentage of Republican congressmen than Alabama does, and also has a Republican governor.  Obama needs to make his case to Hispanics, which does not seem to be happening.  Coupled with the popularity of McCain among independents, Nov 3, 2008 could be a long night for Dems.

Personally, I like to see the contention in the race for any party's nomination because I think it is good for the system to have real races, as opposed to coronations.  However, I think Hillary getting the nomination would not be the blessing that many people claim it would be for the Republicans, if the Dems are able to maintain some semblance of unity with a Clinton nomination.  Could this mean Obama filling the VP spot?

Immigration Reform Means Attacking Demand

I originally wrote this as a response to someone who challenged me to come up with a better immigration proposal than John McCain.  It was first posted to Control Congress. 

For anything that attempts to alter human behavior to be successful, it must take into account basic human psychology.  People generally take the path of least perceived resistance, do more of what earns them rewards and perform less of what earns them punishment.  Illegals abuse the current system because it is the easiest route, has no real punishments and they get what they want (the reward).  A successful plan has to change each of those.

The Tax Man

The first step is to enforce the powerful array of law already in place.  That law is none other than the US Federal and State Tax Codes.  Each employer is required by Federal and State laws (in the states with income tax) to collect tax withholdings and pay those funds quarterly.  Even if the money is not paid, it is also a requirement to report all wages over $500 to the IRS.  One way in which illegals are able to find work is that they work under the table, cash only, with nothing reported to the IRS.  This is tax fraid on behalf of the business, as it is not only paying withholding, but is also not paying payroll taxes, unemployment compensation or Medicare.

Read the rest…

Coal, the once and future king

There has been a lot of talk about alternative sources of energy in recent days. Most of it has been due to the high price of petroleum based fuels. The problem with all of this talk is that is it mostly feel-goodery, and is light on practicalities. Everyone would love to stick it to the oil companies and save the environment at the same time, but ethanol, hydrogen and electricity just do not stand up to scrutiny when it comes to vehicular fuels.

Ethanol - the pipe dream

Ethanol sounds good on paper. Domestically grown corn or sugar beats can be turned into fuel with no reliance on outside sources. Unfortunately, the amount of fuel recovered from Ethanol is a arguably less than the energy it takes to produce it. It takes fuel to harvest corn, remove its leaves and waste, and convert it into alcohol. Then, that product must be distilled to remove the water content. The whole process is very expensive, and when subsidies are removed, it is not viable. Read the rest…