Archive for September 1st, 2009

Memories Are Longer

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

In Virginia, Republican candidate for Governor Bob McDonnell is rightly being lambasted for being as right-wing as can be.

Not that this should have surprised anyone, and especially those who adhere to Gorilla’s Iron Rule Of Youthful Indiscretion:

“Short of going to prison, you can be pretty much any kind of asshole you like until you’re 30, but if you persist thereafter then it’s Katie bar the door”.

In Slovakia, memory lasts longer.

Restricting human rights but not being genocidal, except when it’s completely and justifiably unnecessary, is the post-modern Eastern European’s right of passage.

A monument to yesterday’s persecution is built in every town, but not for Gypsies, because every minority and every majority can, if nothing else, agree about them.

Gorilla doesn’t make the rules: “30 or 300, nothing changes unless it has to, and then it plots revenge!”

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Buy Low On Credit

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Calculated Risk has another great analysis to demonstrate just how politically popular but largely ineffective tax cuts are as a form of economic stimulus.

Seems the tax credit for first-time home buyers, $8,000, will cost on the order of $16 billion, but only result in the purchase of 350,000 homes. Put differently, taxpayers are actually paying $45,000 for every home bought!!!

Gorilla thinks: “Next up: Cash For Debunkers, where we provide tax credits to send all the right-wing crazies to find Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora!!!”

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“Subsidized With Pride In The USA”

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Ridiculous ideas don’t always originate with ex-generals, but then again few ex-generals lately have had a more ridiculous idea than Wesley Clark.

Clark proposes that American gas stations provide country of origin information for the fuels they sell.

“Most Americans don’t want their paychecks going to Venezuela and other regimes that don’t agree with and support the U.S,” said retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, who co-chairs Growth Energy, the (ethanol) industry group behind the push.

Gorilla gushes: “Professor Marvel would be so proud of Wes! Patriotic Americans want our paychecks going to pay sky high subsidies to millionaire corn farmers in Iowa and billionaire sugar producers in Florida!!!”

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The Kids Aren’t All Right

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

How do American children fare in comparison to other countries?

The OECD has some answers
:

Low birth weight? 6th worst.
Infant mortality? 4th worst, topped only by Mexico, Turkey, and the Slovak Republic.
Child mortality? 5th worst.
Teenage pregnancy? Triple the OECD average, only Mexico tops us.
Child poverty? 21.6%, double the OECD average.
Educational achievement? 7th worst.

Interestingly, although we are among the highest spenders on children in the OECD, we spend a third less on younger children than the OECD average.

Gorilla’s verdict: “Our country is exceptional and so are our kids: without exception they’re worse off than almost anywhere else in the top tier of wealthy nations!”

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Ready To Talk

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Iran says it has a new nuclear proposal to discuss with the UN.

President Obama had given Iran a September deadline to respond to the UN Security Council.

Whether this goes anywhere is very much in question, because there’s little chance of further sanctions from Russia and China. Perhaps it will at last be time for the US to sit down with Tehran and cut a deal.

Gorilla is more optimistic: “Time to get busy on the horse trading, the empty threats aren’t working and Iran itself is a fifth-rate power. We’ll be talking turkey with the mullahs faster than you can say IAEA in an off year election!”

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Edison Begins Again

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

The European Union waives goodbye to the incandescent bulb!

As supplies of the old bulb dwindle, they will be replaced by more energy efficient lighting, intended to reduce consumption and tackle global warming. Predictably, some hoarding of the old technology is underway.

Gorilla says: “In America, unfortunately the light at the end of our profligate energy tunnel is still controlled by some very dim bulbs!”

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