Jon Stewart tackles SOPA

Literally, Jon Stewart tackled, slam dunked, made SOPA understandable to the common person. It starts out sounding like he is slamming the "angry nerds" who were protesting. But then he just launches into a tirade that should make Congress embarrassed that they even THOUGHT about passing this "draconian" law. (Stewart's comment, so I guess SOPA would shut me down for repeating this copyrighted work on my website.)

Check out Stewart's video here.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
KO Computer
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Okay, maybe I took it too far. But The Daily Show actually has a "button" to embed this video. So I guess it is "fair use."

But seriously, Stewart, whom I find incredibly talented and funny as all get out, has a point. A real one. Congress should get - not the nerds, as Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) calls them - the "EXPERTS to enlighten you so your laws don't backfire" as Stewart recommends.

I mean, come on, this stuff is common sense. If you don't know what the hell you are talking about then get someone in who does. And then legislation won't sound as half-assed, half baked or completely inane as the laws Congress has passed in the last few years.

I have never been one for the whole Czar thing that Presidents feel they can appoint. But I think there should be an elected position, or maybe a position appointed by the minority party. Or something other than an appointment by the sitting person with more power than everyone else in the world. And this position would be something like the Reality-Check Czar (check czar, play on words, get it?) or the This Just Doesn't Make Sense Czar, or maybe just the Common Sense Czar. Someone to keep these lawmakers grounded in the real world so they don't do stupid things like write laws (like SOPA and PIPA) that on the surface seem like a good thing, but then get bogged down in the self interest of politicians.

SOPA and PIPA,. on the surface, seem like good ideas. Stopping piracy of someone's copyrighted material. Good thing. Shutting down internet sights, curtailing free speech, imposing "draconian" punishments for said infringements and the vague language of the law. BAD BAD thing!

And putting all this power kin the hands of one man. BAD BAD BAD BAD . . . well, I could go on for quite a while using BAD after BAD, but I hope you get the idea that it is a really bad idea.

I would suggest to Eric Holder and all those who would pass such legislation to look at it from the other side of the looking glass. If someone who was your ideological opposition and was in power tried to pass this law, would you support it? And don't answer that out loud. Answer it in your mind only. This way you won't feel compelled to say what others want to hear. Answer truthfully. Then think about if you really should do it.

If their answers are that they would . . . geez, its incredible how much they even lie to themselves.

Remember, SOPA and PIPA = BAD. Any legislator who would pass such crap = BAD and Anti-American.

Agree, disagree, I don't care. So long as I get you to think for yourself and see how stupid an idea these two pieces of drivel are, then I have done my job. BUT ASK YOURSELF . . . would you even be able to agree or disagree with me if internet censorship is allowed to go forward, will there be anyone out here to even agree or disagree with?? Think about it. Anyway, it doesn't matter to me how you think about it, so long as you think about it instead of listening to someone else, even me. Because,m as usual, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day. And an American day, where you still have freedoms.

Charles

People to defeat

Here's a rare thing for me to do. I am going to publicly thank Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Thank you, Nancy.

For providing us a list of those to make sure GET DEFEATED come November.

AN explanation, of course. Nancy sent out an email with this list on it that she wants to get elected in November to help them win the House for Democrats. this, of course, can never happen.

So here is Nancy's email, word for word.

"Charles --

Today, we are pleased to give you a sneak peek at our first round of Red to Blue candidates. These are the top races in the country that will help us to win a House Democratic Majority.

From teachers to doctors to even a NASA astronaut, these candidates are problem solvers who will help us to win in November and move our country forward.

Please watch this special Red to Blue video message and sign our pledge to commit to 2012 alongside our outstanding Democratic candidates.

Thank you for all you do and for always standing with us.

Onward to victory,

Nancy Pelosi"

Not one to be mean, but Nancy really looks a little "plastic" in this video. I sure hope she isn't sick or anything. I wouldn't want to see her leave the House because of illness. I just want to see her leave the House, period.

Anyway, as usual, you can agree or disagree with my desire to not see these Democrats get into the House of Representatives just to GIVE THE DEMOCRATS the majority. It doesn't matter to me. Just don't be SHEEP and simply vote them in. (Especially if its what you're being TOLD to do.) Check them out. Check out their records. Check out their intentions for America, and you, its citizens. If I can get you to think for yourself, I have done my job. Heck, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day. AND STOP SOPA and PIPA!!!!!!

Charles

Crazy man threatens while we are sleeping

Here we go. A leader of a small country, ranting and raving about the rights of his country to rule the world, er, rule their own destinies, threatening the security of the rest of the world and just plain making shit up. And the leaders of the rest of the world. Well, they're sitting around with their thumbs up their collective . . . anyway, not doing anything but 'talking' and 'discussing' the issue. Some are even agreeing with this lunatic. They call him a true leader, a patriot to his fellow countrymen, an inspiration for taking on the bigger countries and not being cowed by their 'superiority.' There's talk of sanctioning his country. There's talk of being 'stern' with him. Meanwhile, he threatens with military might and global destruction in order to secure his country's future. Damn the rest of the world. And what does the President of the United States do about it? Nothing, as usual.

You know who I am talking about.

Yea, that's right . . . Hitler.

What? You thought I was talking about Am-a-nut-job in Iran?

Actually I was talking about both. And in conjunction, I was talking about how the leaders of this world do not learn form the past. But the thing is, the leaders of the '30s when Hitler was rising didn't learn form the past would be conquerors such as Atilla, or Ceasar, or Wilhelm (yea, he was thew Prussian – or Germany – guy before Hitler in WWI). They didn't learn and even admired the fanatic for what he was doing in his own country. Ignoring what he was SAYING and what he was DOING and the rhetoric he was laying out there to rile up his countrymen.

True, back in the day when Hitler was doing his recapture of ancestral lands and and spouting his need for Germany to have “living space” to grow and breathe, there was no 24/7 news coverage of the world, there was no internet. But still, they knew and they did nothing, even when his Arayan race thing included the decimation of an entire people – which ironically or sadly enough (depending on your point of view) – is the same people.

Today, however, the world has no excuse for not seeing what this irresponsible, power mad, well, just plain crazy dictator is doing and saying and proposing. And they, especially our very our leaders, have no excuse for just dilly dallying around.

First, no one has aright to endanger the world at large with their bullshit beliefs. I don't care if you squeal that everyone has a right to do in their country what they want. Like Hitler, we are not talking about someone who wants to limit their beliefs and way of life to their own country. This madman wants to 'wipe out' another country and all its citizens. He wants to expand his religious and political beliefs into ALL countries of the world. He threatens all this with nuclear weaponry, which everyone YEARS and YEARS ago agreed are a BAD IDEA. Super powers around the globe have been dealing with how to responsibly and fairly deal with the REDUCTION of these potentially world altering AND world ending instruments. And along come this mush for brains who wants to make NEW ones.

And his expansionist agenda, backed by his threat of conventional and nuclear force, is being ignored by the powers that be. Instead of aiding those in his own country who SAW how bad this fruit cake is, we all did nothing. Our leaders did nothing. And our very own President, fresh off his “I am so sorry we are big and powerful” tour of the world, started a campaign to ignore him.

Now, like Hitler, he is just making shit up. A scientist and military member were 'murdered' by someone. I can't tell you if it was the US, Israel, another country or this madman himself. But he is using it to expand his agenda, to find an excuse to go on a global rampage. And justify it, even if it is just in his own mind.

And our leaders DO NOTHING, SAY NOTHING. Well, they did send a letter. Uh, yea, right. This is not leadership. This is, if not plain old cowardice (political or otherwise) or some subconscious need to be subservient to the outside world, it is really poor judgment and even poorer leadership.

But who can blame our leaders? They are so busy trying to prove to the rest of us that they deserve to lead the country for the next four years . . . oh wait, wouldn't their LACK of leadership prove just the opposite is true?

Not in the world, or minds, of politics. If they shake their left hand in the air over here you don't really notice or see the dog biting the right hand. Or more appropriately, the dog pissing on the right leg and sporting a nuclear missile adorned collar. If they spew their SPIN about the economy – its good, its bad, its not coming back, its coming back (when the truth is somewhere outside of all that) – you can stay distracted from their not being leaders. The election is the be all and end all of the thing for these losers. They don't even really care about the stuff they are talking about. All they care about is getting you to VOTE for them.

And don't think I'm just harping on the O-miester. The GOP side is just as guilty about talking about what they think will get you to VOTE for them.

None of these losers deserves to be the President of the United States because none of them are DOING anything deserving of the job.

You know, you can agree or disagree, or even act like our leadership and STICK YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND. It really doesn't matter to me if you do (except for the sticking your head in the sand – that just pisses me off), so long as you think long and hard on what the hell is going on around you and come to your own conclusions instead of listening to the SPIN of others. Think for yourselves and I will consider my job done. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Why don't you write more often?

Okay, I get this question from time to time. And it is a valid one. Because, heck, you know I have a lot to say.

But here is the thing. I have to make a living. That is part of the bottom line. The other part, which is pretty much related to the first part, is that I don't want this blog to get a rep as just some lame spouting off of gripes.

What I mean by that is, I want to not only let you know what is REALLY happening so you can make an informed decision without relying on all the SPIN that is out there, I want you to have ACCURATE information so you can make those truly informed decisions.

I am not one of those talking head types, that will spout off the latest and greatest SPIN from their side and TELL you what to think. I actually want you to think for yourself. In order to do that, I want to give you the real deal. I want to offer you sources to look stuff up yourself, and then THINK FOR YOURSELF, instead of just regurgitating what all the HIGHLY paid political consultants (i.e. THE SPIN DOCTORS). And that includes me. I don't want you to just take my word for things.

Which means I need to know what the hell I am talking about in the first place.

I did this with the old version of this blog (same name, different web location). And it is what I did when I published the book (Thinking Out Loud - The Book). I added, researched and made available all the resources I based my rants on. So you can look them up. Even four years later. Because I want you to avoid the SPIN this time around.

And all this takes time. Sometimes time I do not have since I am trying to make money to pay the bills. I have my Examiner articles to write. I am trying to write more for ImperfectParent.com so they don't fire me. I am working with clients in the real world doing media blitzes and PR and press releases and blog stuff associated with my business (Reynolds Publishing Company). Plus I am working on some more e-Books (Catharsis is now out in eBook-land - KOBO and soon Barnes & Noble), with fingers crossed people will actually buy them.

Anyway, not to leave this as all about me, me , me . . . but it is, you know. Just kidding. I will leave you with a few thoughts.

The lowering unemployment numbers the President, press and liberal SPIN miesters are all touting do not tell the true story about unemployment in America.

The truth is halfway between what they are saying and what the other side is saying. Jobs are slowly coming back. Mostly because business is getting tired of waiting for Washington to stop farting around with this legislation and that new tax schedule. They are doing what business does, taking a risk and expanding or re-hiring or whatever they need to do to succeed.

But also there is still millions out there without jobs going on three years now. Their unemployment benefits (which truly cannot last forever no matter what the Dems and libs want - and I know of what I speak because I am one who never even received unemployment all this time since Nov '09) are running out but still have no jobs. So they are turning to the next government option. They are applying for social security disability insurance. Like these people in Ohio. 21,200 claims this year. Even the Huffington Post has recognized this trend to use social security disability as the new unemployment benefits.

So all those people who tout the dropping numbers from the unemployment rolls are not telling you that the numbers filing claims (and over taxing a system not meant to handle this many claims) are on the rise.

Well, I was going to rant on about ENDORSEMENTS being nothing but a job application and not something you should take seriously, even if you like the person is making the endorsement. Because they are only doing it to INFLUENCE your vote and thus get themselves a new government job with the new President or whatever. Seriously, what should you care about who THEY are going to vote for? Voting is both a personal thing and BIG responsibility. You know, like Jim DeMint (R-SC) endorsing Newt or Mitt or whoever. None of the GOP candidates would fall into his acceptance (given his past record and public views). But if he endorses someone, then he is SELLING out for a new job. not for your benefit. So, if I were to talk about this ENDORSEMENT thing, I'd say DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!!!!

Anyway, as usual, agree or disagree with me. (But maybe buy my eBooks so I can spend more time here - I like it here.) It (the agreeing or disagreeing thing) doesn't matter to me either way. SO long as I get you to think for yourselves and AVOID THE SPIN, then I have done my job. Stop being sheep and following people who have no interest in YOUR best interest, only theirs. But heck, this is just me, Thinking out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

The President shows America the middle finger

The President of the United States just flipped us all off. In a time where jobs are needed, desparately, by many Americans, the President used a sneaky, underhanded ploy to get what he wants. He appointed three people to the NLRB that are so anti-business, so anti-American, so anti-jobs that their liberal agenda will stifle any growth possibility for the coming future.

And he has shown his true colors. He is anti-people. This move, however politically motivated or astute, is by far the most ludicrous action by a President who says he lsitens to the people and who says he cares about the peiople and who says he is pro-jobs - jobs are his number one concern.

But as he has lied to the American public in the past, he is lying to us again. And this time he is sending that middle finger loud and clear. All he cares about is protecting his own job. He wants to pander to as many groups as he possibly can, using his social agenda of spreading the wealth (among his labor cronies) and fair share (for his buds in DC and in liberal bastions everywhere) of things they never worked for.

He has appointed these union-friendly thugs to make sure his National Labor Relations Board,, which has proven itself in the Boeing case to be MEGA anti-business (which means anti-job), as the enforcement arm of power mad and money hungry union officials. The same union officials who want to do away with Americans rights to choose, in private, whether they want to be in a union or not.

These unions are anti-American. The NLRB is anti-American. And the President has just proven, once more, that HE IS ANTI-AMERICAN.

(I only say all this because unions don't care about jobs unless they are getting a cut from them. And with their union-friendly White House comrades, they can get things done to whittle the rights of the American worker, because it suits them.)

How much longer are Americans going to sit idly by while they are being insulted by their leaders? How much longer are we going to sit here, jobless, hungry, struggling, while this President sits down to fancy dinners with his "supporters" and, like a dictator of old, proclaims not only does he know what's best for you but he is going to do whatever he wants so his pals can get whatever they want . . . all the while screwing the people.

If he really cared, he wold not have made these controversial appointments, basically behind our backs. He would have waited and argued out the process of appointments. But since he knew we didn't want them, because he knew they were a sleazy deal, he did them when he would face no opposition. (And by the way, Congress may have been on recess, but the members of Congress have been holding meetings practically every few days. So it may have been "recess" but it was a working one.)

And in the background, while everyone is focused on recess appointments and GOP battles and claims of racism by America's top cop, they are slowly eroding even more of our rights. They want to "protect" intellectual property rights by giving themselves the power to arbitrarily shut down sections of the internet. (See SOPA and PIPA, which are - as usual with government legislation - not a bad idea but the wording goes BEYOND helping and delves dangerously toward censorship and not unlike what the Hitlers and Mussolinis of history did. The only people who are for it, are afraid of reprisals from the likes of that sleazy AG, Eric Holder.)

Obama and his ilk know nothing of Freedom, except when it refers to them having the freedom to strip away ours. They know nothing of jobs, except to figure out how to get power and money from those who want to control them. They know nothing about rights, except as a cause to hate.

I know I am coming on pretty strong here, but the rest of the media is not going to say anything about it. I know I am coming across as harsh, but it is the DUTY of a free press to stand as the fourth estate over government, to be the people's eyes and ears and express the people's outrage at corruption and injustices perpetrated by a government who's professed role is to govern the people by the WILL of the people.

So agree with me or disagree with me, it really doesn't matter. So long as you look at what I offer up with a reasoning mind and come to your own conclusions. Don't allow them to dictate to you what they are doing is right. Look at it and see the truth, determine the reality, avoid the SPIN. Stop being sheep. Anyway, this is just me, one man among several hundred million, Thinking Out Loud.

have a great day.

Charles

Not ANOTHER year in review article

Everyone has the traditional "year in review" articles. So many cars crashed and buildings burned. So many celebrities got married / divorce. So many of them went to rehab / jail / some third world country. Storms lashed parts of the country, earthquakes struck parts of the world, the moon was see in this or that phase. For every niche paper or magazine or news show or music insert, there is a "year in review."

But NOT here. For my regular readers, you have been keeping up with what the year has held. For those not so regular, the beauty of the internet is that you can go back and look things over.

(Which leads me to the shameless plug for my new book, Thinking out Loud - The Book. If you want to know what went on during the 2008 election cycle and the President's first year in office WITHOUT the spin and the lies and the misconceptions, just buy my new e-book. It is loaded with all kinds of links to references that will show you and tell you what REALLY happened, so you can make an INFORMED decision come November. Not a decision based on what others want to tell you happened. It is on Barnes & Nobel's Nook website.)

There is no need to do a year in review because you all lived through the disaster our government has created. You have dealt with the unemployment, the lack of basic understanding of business concepts by our governing body and the absolute disconnect between what the people want them to do and what the politicians think we want them to do.

So let us look to the future. Let us look to 2012 and decide what we are going to do moving forward. Obama thinks he doesn't need Congress. Since he already doesn't feel he needs the American people, this is not a good thing. He has already shown us that he thinks we are all imbeciles, whom he needs to lecture so that we "understand" what it is he is trying to do.

We KNOW what he is trying to do. And we don't want him to do it. (Some do, but these are either the misguided who can't tell the difference between someone out and giving them a handout - or they are the lazy who don't want to work for even the handouts.) But the American people are so disorganized, between political party rhetoric, losing focus on what the priorities should be and the sheep among us who keep confusing the conversation with the spin, we don't have a firm enough solidarity to stop the politicians from destroying what tenuous grasp we are holding onto now.

So here is what we do. STOP LISTENING TO THE SPIN! Stop listening to the politicians, they just want to keep their jobs - despite not really DOING their jobs. Stop listening to the talking heads because they ARE doing their jobs in order to KEEP their jobs. STOP BEING SHEEP!!

That should be the New Year's Resolution of EVERY American. In 2012, we will STOP BEING SHEEP! I want you to pass this along to every person you know. Have them read this. Or just TELL them to make this resolution. Repeat after me, "I WILL STOP BEING SHEEP!"

All you Occupy types, STOP BEING SHEEP!

All you Obama-nites, who can't see that he CAN do wrong, STOP BEING SHEEP!

All you Conservatives with the capital "C" STOP BEING SHEEP!

All you liberals who don't understand you can be helpful without being irresponsible, STOP BEING SHEEP!

Now you can, as usual, agree or disagree with me. That doesn't bother me either way. What I find most distressing is, after reading what I have to say here, you still listen to those out there who don't have YOUR best interest at heart. And I KNOW they don't because the only one who has YOUR best interest at heart is YOU. So, STOP BEING SHEEP, and I will consider my job done well. Start thinking for yourselves, and I will know I have done what I set out to do. Even one person. Just STOP BEING SHEEP! But, no matter, because this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have yourself a great day. A happy New Year! And be SAFE out there tonight (and every night).

Charles

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - The first ten people who comment on THIS blog post (with legitimate email addresses, will get a 50% off discount coupon for my new book, Thinking Out Loud - The Book!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to all

PC be damned. I'm going to say it.

Merry Christmas to all.

Happy Hanukah, too. But no one seems to get offended when you say that.

And I am going to do something that liberals would scream is so not conservative. But that is because they don't know what the heck they are talking about.

If you are in the northeast area of Pennsylvania (NW New Jersey or SW New York), stop by Calling All Angels Thrift Shoppe and donate or volunteer or simply shop for something. The proceeds go toward purchasing food for local food pantries.

Or if there is any place near you that is doing something for someone else, then go help out. And not just because it is Christmas (or Hanukah). Do it because it is the human thing to do, the American thing to do.

Why do I say liberals would scream that this idea is coming from a liberal? Because so many liberals scrunch their noses or snicker a little "ha ha ha" if I do charitable work. Because not only do they think that charity is the purview of the bleeding heart liberals of the world, they have a firm notion in their head that conservatives are heartless.

Truth is, the very foundation of this country and conservative beliefs everywhere is that it is our duty to help those in need. Conservatives, however, differentiate between those in real need and those who are just too lazy to do for themselves. And it is this act of differentiating that makes liberals everywhere decry the conservative as heartless.

Agree, disagree, whatever. Its the holidays and I am just doing my usual, Thinking Out Loud.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, whatever holiday event you are celebrating this time of year. And be safe out there.

Charles