Jan. 27, 2012 - Friday Funny - Mute Newt

This week's FRIDAY FUNNY comes from a former Newt Gingrich supporter.

I tend to agree with my friend. I like some of Newt's ideas, but I don't like the messenger.



Bottom line, Newt is NOT electable.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Jan. 24, 2012 - PPM - State of the (dis)-Union

This week PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) is about the State of the Union Address.

"Tonight's State of the Union was full of the same empty rhetoric the American people have come to expect from this President."

That was Senator Barrack Obama in on January 28, 2008 in response to then President Bush's State of the Union address.

After listening to PRESIDENT Obama's speech, I'm struck by his empty rhetoric, especially again, with the Class Warfare.

Obama should have used PowerPoint and put up the below slide.

This is the REAL record. Not the fiction nor revisionist history that he offered.

When did the State of the Union become a campaign stump speech?

It was established and designed to provide Congress with an actual update on what was going on in the Executive Branch of the government. Some Presidents would actually just send a letter.

I bet everyone misses those days.

Jan. 20, 2012 - Friday Funny - No Butts About It

This week's FRIDAY FUNNY came from a Jabberwocker in Virginia.

My friend was tired of the edicts coming from the She Wing of the White House about diets and exercise.

Every First Lady should pick a cause like Nancy Reagan with drugs or Laura Bush with literacy. However, Michelle Obama may have had an "out of body" experience when she picked childhood obesity.

Jan. 16, 2012 – PPM -Taxing My Patience

This week's PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) concerns tax returns. Everyone (read- media) is up in arms because Mitt Romney has not released his tax returns.

When I grew up, I was told you never asked about three things:

1 - Who you voted for
2 - A woman's age
3 - What someone made

After Bill Clinton, a 4^th, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was added, but that has since been rescinded. Congrats to Obama on keeping that all important campaign pledge.

Now it has become common place to discuss a candidate's taxes. We all know what sports and entertainment people are paid. WHY is this important? Is it ENVY?

I don't care if a third baseman makes $25M or $400K. Get the runner in from third with less than 2 out and don't scratch yourself on National TV.

The big difference between gross salary and the information on a tax return is the tax rate and the net income. Nobody pays the same tax rate because of the obscene complexity of the tax code. There are tax deductions for just about everything. There are loss carry forwards for years on end. There is active and passive income, capital gains, and depreciation. God, I love depreciation.

I have a degree in accounting and a MBA in Finance, but I wouldn't dare file my taxes without the guidance and signature of a CPA. I was audited several years ago. I countered with a 286 page response in a binder with 13 exhibits. The IRS saw my response and said, "We're good."

It is irrelevant what ANY politician made or paid in taxes (unless it was ILLEGAL - see Clinton, Whitewater). Bottom line (pun intended) - I don't need to know.

Will we feel better knowing Mitt Romney made $25M? Can he play third base?

I'd rather have a President that made $25M as a Venture Capitalist than one who made $25K as a Community Organizer.

I want a LEADER, not a READER. Just saying.

Jan. 13, 2012 - Friday Funny - Pull Up Your Pants

This week's FRIDAY FUNNY is about a current fashion trend.

I'm thinking about printing up cards with the below picture and handing them out at the local mall. However, I may wait until mall security includes metal detectors.

Jan. 9, 2012 - PPM - Bainfull Discharge of Envy

This week's PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) concerns the topic that has dominated the news and political ads this week: Mitt Romney's tenure at Bain Capital

Since when did capitalism or turning a profit become a negative?

Mitt Romney is under attack from the left, the right, and anyone wanting to be President, because of his management actions while running Bain Capital.

His task, was to maximize earnings and the return on stockholders equity. Yes, he bought distressed and undervalued companies. Yes, he may have broken up the companies, laid off people, and sold assets. But, he served a purpose. Would it have been better that a company go Chapter 11, or worse, Chapter 7?

Bain, and Romney by default, made lemonade out of lemons. Think of it as a doctor that keeps a terminal patient alive in order to harvest the organs that might save or extend 6 other lives.

I worked for a company that used to cap salespeople earnings at $150,000 a year. Quotas were the same for every salesperson each year. All of the best salesmen would "max-out" in March. With no incentive to record additional sales, they would spend the next 9 months holding orders, golfing, or vacationing until the next year.

Finally, the executives of the company lifted the earnings cap and decided to assign personal quotas based on prior performance. Sales, earnings, stockholder return, and, yes, salesman compensation soared.

Why cap potential or demonize success?

At what point does capitalism become obscene? At what point should it be "Capped"?

I want a President or CEO that is focused on the "Big Picture" and results. There should be nothing wrong with being the best.

To admonish or penalize Romney for being a business success only adds credence to the class warfare rhetoric that Obama has offered since his coronation.

Is it the taint of greed or just plain ENVY?

Well done, Mr. President. May we all be adequate, average, and unmotivated.

Jan. 6, 2012 - Friday Funny - NYT Correction

This week's FRIDAY FUNNY comes from the New York Times.

Apparently the "Futtershy" lobby did not appreciate the mis-characterization.

Jan. 5, 2012 - Happy New Year

As we enter into 2012, possibly the last year of our existence, there are so many things going on in the world.

The speed of information and automation has made blogging (as I intended) almost an arcane media. Now, all thoughts must be limited to 140 characters via Twitter.

Spelling, grammar, and a complex thoughts are secondary.

This will be my seventh year of blogging. If nothing else, it will allow my children a "journal" and timeline of my feelings, my beliefs, and my personal stands on the current events of the day.

They always ask, "Daddy, why don't you run for political office?" I always respond, it's all there in the Blog.

For those wishing a condensed view of my thoughts, you can follow me on Twitter, @RevJJLewis.