If you spend any appreciable time in the South, and especially if you drive off of the interstates and on the US routes-you are more than likely to pass a barn looking like this:

Well, this weekend the S.O. and I did the circuit of the Tennessee mountains, covering 527 miles in two days and ending up back home-via Rock City.

First, however, we drove up to Tellico Plains-as I wanted to stake out the fly fishing if fate forces me to be here for another spring. We were slightly delayed, when we came across this huge flea market-and SOMEBODY-insisted we stop:

We lost at least a valuable hour of daylight there.

Getting back on the road we finally made it to Tellico Plains and the Tellico River-from which we began the ascent up the Cherohala Skyway.

Back in the time when I was a young boy and my father was taking me fishing on Tellico River-the road was just another mountain road. Then-some time in the 1980′s, someone seized on the idea that making it and the Tail of the Dragon a mecca for bikers was somehow a good thing.

As a result, bikers are every where on both roads:

Still, the scenery is nice:

Especially at Indian Boundary Lake:

Along the way back, we drove back down 129 and the Tail of the Dragon-fighting bikers all the way. Including having to wait a while -while a wrecked motorcycle was pulled away out of the ditch. ( The biker looked ok though).

We then stayed the night in Athens Tennessee-with the intent of exploring Chattanooga and Rock City the next day.

Stay tuned for Rock City pix.

But not, evidently, a teabagger.

Do simple arithmetic and revamp the federal budget to actually bring the deficit down in any type of meaningful way.

Over at this website, there is an interactive budget simulator that allows you to do puts and takes against the federal budget-with the goal of getting the projected proportion of the deficit down to below 60% of GDP by 2018. Right now, under reasonable assumptions, the public debt of the U.S. is projected to grow to 85% of GDP by 2018, 100% by 2022, and 200% in 2038.

As the committee for a Responsible Budget notes:

Drastic action now would threaten the already fragile economic recovery. But failing to convince markets and creditors that the U.S. is serious about reducing its debt in the longer term would cause interest rates to rise dramatically and likely trigger a fiscal crisis.

We need to establish a fiscal goal and commit as a nation to achieving it. The Peterson-Pew Commission recommends a goal of stabilizing the debt at 60% of GDP by 2018 in the report, Red Ink Rising. We must set an ambitious, yet attainable, goal that Americans can support. See more about the reasoning behind this goal on the FAQ page.

This simulation was designed to illustrate the tough budget choices that will have to be made and to promote a public dialogue on how we can set a sustainable fiscal course. How do your choices stack up? Good luck.

This thing is useful-because in a very visual and easy to understand method-it shows how simplistic the assertions made by the Tea Bag nation really are-and why they  are only focused on anger:  anger at the President, anger at anyone who does not think like them ( or actually thinks at all), anger at anyone who does not subscribe to their orthodoxy. Were they serious, they would understand that -without some means to enhance revenue generation-you simply cannot get there from here. No matter how many lies Glenn Beck or Saint Sarah tell you.

I did two simulations. The first I will refer to as “Teabagger lite”-meaning that it takes what are “concensus” positions from the aggregate of the Teabagger nation. This is tougher than it seems-especially given that they really have not voiced any solid positions, other than they think Obama is the spawn of the devil, and tax cuts are good-no matter how many wars we are condemned to fight for the next decade.

Under “Teabagger lite”  I:

Maintain Current Funding Levels and troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan

Renew All the Bush Tax Cuts

Grow Regular Discretionary Spending with Inflation (Revenue neutral)

Cut Foreign Economic Aid in Half

Expanded Veteran’s Income Security Benefits

Increased the size of the Army by 46,000

Canceled Unobligated ARRA Funds

Decreased highway funding by 25%

Froze unemployment benefits

Cut federal funding of K-12 legislation

Cut school lunch programs

Repealed health care

Canceled certain NASA missions

Eliminated outdated federal programs

Cut the corporate tax rate and left other misc tax cuts in place

Improved tax enforcement.

Sold Certain Federal assets.

The net result-the deficit percentage JUMPED from 69% of GDP to 81% of GDP. Most of that was due to three things: 1) Extending the Bush tax cuts which punched a big hole in the budget 2) Repeal of health care-which increased federal government costs overall and 3) left other tax cuts unfunded-just like all of their Lafferesque heros want.

IT     JUST    WON’T     WORK.    But then,  the Teabaggers know that already. They just don’t care-they will get what they want, and to hell with everyone else.

Now lets do it my way shall we?

Here are my options-my plan focused on revenue growth in the short term combined with realistic cuts that did not screw average Americans.

I:

Reduce Troops in Afghanistan to 30,000 by 2013. ( All troops in Iraq gone by the end of June 2011.)

Allow All the Bush Tax Cuts, Except for AMT Patches, to Expire.

Grow Regular Discretionary Spending with Inflation

Enact Administration’s Proposed Weapon System Cuts.

Increase Foreign Economic Aid by 50% (the better to not fight stupid wars with-especially in Africa).

Increase spending on homeland security

Increase the Army by 46000

Eliminate the New Markets Tax credit

Gradually reduce Social Security benefits for all people after 2050. Enact a central provident fund scheme and REQUIRE ALL EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES to participate-regardless of how big the business is.

Increase Medicare Cost Share

Establish a Public Option in the Health Insurance exchange

Enact Malpractice reform and Tort Reform

Eliminate outdate programs

Freeze all federal salaries for two years

Expand spending on High Speed Rail, Mass Transit and research and development.

Cut earmarks.

Sell certain government assets

Fully fund NASA’s Constellation program and all other manned Spaceflight programs

Impose Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee

Enact Cap and Trade legislation

Increase the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon.

Enact Five Percent VAT With Partial Rebate

Impose Surtax on Income above $1 million

Raise Social Security Payroll Cap to Cover 90% of Earnings

Improve Tax Collection

Limit Mortgage Interest and Other Itemized Deductions for High Earners

Curtail the State and Local Income tax deduction

Elminate subsidies for bio-fuels

Replace Employer Health Care Exclusion with a Flat Credit (In Place of Excise Tax.)

My results? The debt is reduced to 48% of GDP. The dollar is saved-we get needed investment in things that make jobs and we increase revenue for the purpose of balancing the federal budget.

Of course the problem is that very few of these ideas can survive in the current skewed political climate. So to achieve the success I know is possible-I would need to be free to rule with an iron hand. Which is just fine with me-as long its my hand doing the ruling.  My dream is to be strong enough and have enough power to tell the Teabaggers one simple statement, ” You will not get your way!”

And my plan does not even include the potential revenue streams that come from legalizing prostitution and marijuana…………………

Never going to happen-but remember,  Teabag solutions DON”T WORK. Friends don’t let friends think Teabag.

On the way home from our little jaunt we stopped at the world famous, Rock City!

Now interestingly enough, I was born two hours north of here-and in my youth my family never took me here-not once.

So now, some 40+ years later, I finally stopped to see what the barn signs are all about.

The first thing that shocked me more than a little was the admittance fee-$17.95-a little steep if you ask me for walking on a rock trail.

But hey-it’s only money right? So in we went:

Surprise, surprise-the trail starts and ends at the gift shop. But then it got better:

As luck would have it-they were having an Octoberfest ( which they called Rocktoberfest) right across from this. I had an hour an a half drive to make so, sigh, no beer for me!

But we did have a Bratwurst then continued following the trail across the swinging bridge.

Till you came to the point where you could see seven states:

Personally-I think that is a bit of stretch-the idea that you can see Virginia and Kentucky is a little bit hard. Georgia, NC, Tennessee, and S.C, I might buy.

After a good while gazing around we started the trek back.

So do what the sign says and go here to see all the pictures!

And I will be out of town for the next two weeks. Thank God for the DVR.

Because……

I am now totally hooked on the series………….

That October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Ladies-as a favor to me; and every other man who loves the feel, the curves, the softness, and the movement of a breast or two; please get regular mammograms and do monthly self examinations.

Speaking on behalf of the rest of us men-we do appreciate it.

Save the Tatas!

Because its just the right thing to do!

For yourself, as well as the man (men) in your life:

Sure, sure you have never done it!

Consider this an open thread. I’ve got things to do tonight.

I pointed this out before-one of the key elements of Teabag strategy, if it can be called that, is based on a numbers game. Getting all of their folks out-who really don’t represent a majority of Americans-and keeping the rest of us at home.  America has one of the most miserable voting percentages in the free world. It was what happened in Delaware-and in New York. And it will happen elsewhere if the “silent majority” does not stand up to this stupidity once and for all.

Plus-thanks to the Citizens United decision, they have access to an almost unlimited pool of resources. The result has been a five-fold increase in independent expenditures from the previous midterm elections in 2006 and a disclosure rate less than 50% for independent expenditures including a funding source. This has made following the trail of money in politics this year exceedingly difficult.

Its clear though,  that the money is being spent and lots of corporate money is being “laundered”-witness the flow of foreign money into the hands of the American Chamber of Commerce.

“Well, the Democrats did the same thing-what about George Soros?”

What about him? He’s being far outclassed by companies-who are using the resources of their shareholders, many of whom are invested via mutual funds for purposes that are  anything but “businesslike”. Does not matter which party does it-its not right. However please note that Republican donations are seven times those of Democratic ones:

Republican Third Party Groups — $43,664,661
Democratic Third Party Groups — $6,658,236

Colorado — Dems: $1.1 million / GOP: $7.6 million
Washington — Dems: $1.5 million / GOP: $4.2 million
Missouri — Dems: $794k / GOP: $7.2 million
Kentucky — Dems: $47k / GOP: $1.7 million

The reasonable man has to get off his ass this year and vote.

Borrowing a line from my Candian Counterpart,

 ”The selfish and stupid voters are largely to blame for that, but no one’s going out of their way to tell them what’s going to be necessary to educate them on what needs to be done, either.

If America’s going to go the way of the Soviet Union, it may as well have cute girls who can’t masturbate or balance a checkbook at the helm as it happens. If nothing else, it will make for great TV.”

Mornings like this are meant to be savored.

Clear blue sky outside?-check.

Fresh coffee ready?-check.

S.O. still asleep and its quiet in the house?-check.

Shopping Mall Times whining about Alabama losing?-check.

It’s a great day in the neighborhood. ( And I don’t even like South Carolina that much-but any port in a storm I guess).

This is who I will have to see when I go the psychiatrist.

Reading this reminded me how lucky I truly am. Here are some guys who have had real problems:

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile –  After more than two months trapped deep in a Chilean mine, 33 miners are enjoying Sunday tantalizingly close to rescue. Drillers have completed an escape shaft, and Chile’s mining minister says a video inspection shows the hole’s walls are firm enough to allow the men to be hoisted out as early as Wednesday.

Rumor has it that they are “discussing” among themselves-who should go first. No one wants to do it.

A tentative but secret list has been drafted regarding which miners should come out first when the extraction begins in a rescue capsule, probably on Wednesday.

Think about that the next time you turn the channel over to Hannity and his ilk.

The problem with a trip like this last one is that with “social” dinners thrown in-it leaves little time for booming or blogging. I opted for booming and let my blogging slide. I’m home for the weekend now and catching up.

A whole group of people are up in arms about the recent article by Mark Halperin about the Obama administration’s failure to communicate.

Now the douchebags writers of idiot conservative blogs are all agog saying “See? We told you so?”. I find that very laughable because they are conveniently forgetting that there was not a good alternative on the GOP side of the aisle in 2008. Sarah Palin? Please-she was a deal breaker from day one and still is. John McCain? Which John McCain-the guy we knew in 2000 or the useless asshole who has trashed everything he used to believe in to placate a noisy mob within his own party.

And it also ignores the fact that a lot has been accomplished-even though the President gets absolutely zero credit for it. If McCain had won we would still have over 100,000 troops in Iraq, for example.

Nonetheless-it would be well for key decision makers in Obama’s circle to pay heed to what Halperin is saying. Because Obama is losing the communications battle. If he has a message-no one is hearing it.

Part of that is the Teabag noise machine-aided and abetted by Fox News, but that is not all of it. Obama bears a lot of blame too-he has not been a good communicator, and he has picked his fights poorly.

As a result-Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are the symbols of the Democratic party and that’s not good for anyone.

In 2009 Obama missed a huge opportunity to slap both of them in the face by not vetoing the Omnibus spending bill. It was a no brainer and he could have made the case that he was hear to save the Democratic leadership from its worst impulses. He would have gone a long way towards building a bridge towards moderate Republicans.

But he did not-and then he dawdled while Glenn Beck and Saint Sarah made millions feeding the Teabagger beast. As Dick Armey fiddled, Rome burned. As the summer of 2009-he never made a case that could have been easily made-that the nations health care system is broke and real Americans are getting screwed at the drive through by insurance companies. Oh they made some noises-but they never bundled it up into a coherent message that today’s attention deficit afflicted, factually impaired, average American could understand.

So if the supposed GOP wave happens-as it appears it will, you can trace the beginnings of that wave back to August 2009. Because that is when the Teabag noise jammer first kicked into high gear and the Obama administration did not field any effective countermeasures-like shooting the jammer down.

The question now however, is whether, Obama will actually take an objective look at his past two years and make the required adjustments to allow the truth to be heard.

And that is where Halperin’s thesis should probably be examined closely. Because they actually have done a lot more than they are getting credit for-but its not being heard or acknowledged by the 65% of us who don’t smoke on the teabag crack pipe. If you don’t do something to change the perception-the perception, however flawed, becomes reality.

Time will tell if they actually do it or not-and I hope they do. There is too much at stake to simply lie down and allow the country to be steamrolled into the Hobbesian hell that your friendly neighborhood douchebag tea partier wants to cast you into.

The Galactic Empire goes on a recruiting drive:

Plus-Nine reasons why it sucks to be an EWOK:

Everyone knows Ewoks are evil miniature hellbears who enjoy nothing more than using their cute appearance to lure unsuspecting people into their forest traps and bludgeoning them to death using rudimentary tools before feasting on their tenderised flesh.

9. Height restrictions suck! Only allowed on the children’s rides at Disneyland. Also not allowed to operate most heavy machinery.

8. People occasionally confuse you for a koala, when you clearly descend from the drop bear family.

7. Difficult to get the girls – ladies don’t like dating guys who are shorter than them.

6. Even if you do get the girl, she will probably be an Ewok and, let’s be honest, they’re not great lookers.

5. C-3PO would be just about the shittiest god I could possibly imagine.

4. All that fur makes Summer a real bitch. Don’t even get me started on waxing that bikini line.

3. The language barrier makes it difficult for humans to distinguish between Ewok for “You look nice today” and “Holy fucking shit, watch out for that AT-ST!”

2. Tendency to be cast as comedy sidekicks in action sequences, even if you secretly have the ability to absolutely and inexplicably decimate the technically and numerically superior invading force using a couple of logs and some stones.

1. People find it difficult to take you seriously when your name is Wicket and you don’t wear pants.

More good stuff on The Death Star PR department can be found here.

When the baseball playoffs come into full swing. Let see who to root for?

Pirates and Cubs were  out of the running by April 30th. ( Sigh-what else is new?). Now it is down to Yankees, Phillies, Rangers and Giants. Add to that, the fact that in the American League they don’t play real baseball. Rangers? (You know who owned them right?). Giants? They stole Barry Bonds years ago. (And began paying large sums of money for steroid induced home runs).

Still- a  Phillies Rangers is a potential series. Because the alternative is just unthinkable. The Evil Empire must be stopped!

Oh, and it is Steelers Browns today too. So consider this an open thread. Give me some ideas for new things to write about. ( Richard, I have not forgotten your idea about the S.O. Like Christmas-its coming).

It is not often I agree with The Hill-so skewed and un-objective are most of their pieces;  but even a broken clock is right twice a day:

“I think attacking the outside money, and specifically attacking the Chamber, is of very limited value to the White House,” said former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas), who headed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). “I don’t think it makes much difference in the election.”

That point of view is probably pretty much spot on-and while the flow of money into campaigns is obscene, and unecessary-thanks again Justice Roberts for another piece of political pornography- the Citizens United decision-it would not be having such an impact if there were not a deeper issue that voters have coalesced around-the economy.

As I pointed out earlier, without an effective communications strategy-that pierces the incredible ignorance of the average American voter, “getting the policy right” matters not one bit.

The better path is to warn voter just how much the GOP and its new found “friends”, will fuck up things that matter to them-like Social Security, jobs, and just about everything else. Problem is-the voter, thanks to the Teabag noise machine already believes that Obama has fucked it up. Even when he hasn’t.

So there looks to be really no place to go-but to just let the wave flow over us. And then let the GOP own the continuing descent into the pit-begun for us by George W. Bush. The only silver lining-is that people will get to see these people for who they really are.

Enjoy war without end and a jobless recovery. It will be

Greetings from not so hot SFO. In fact-it is darn right cool here tonight. Another week-another trip. This is just the way I like it-like Ryan Bingam, I am one of those guys who enjoys the life and times in “Airworld”. In fact-I down loaded that particular book for my kindle and am reading it now.

But having watched the movie Up in the Air again this weekend-it struck me that a guy who lives in Omaha, probably would not be jetting between cities in the Midwest in rather comfortable airplanes with first class seats in them. No, he would have his ass packed  into a Canadair Jet like the rest of us poor bastards-leaving his bag on the jetway and hoping it shows up again. Funny, the movie really did  not show that side of the travel equation.  Living in Shopping Mall-I have come to despise the Bombadier corporation.

About halfway through the book now-thanks to the fact that United routed me to Dulles so I could catch the continuation of a flight from Paris to the West Coast. THAT is something I would prefer not to do again. Except for the fact it put me over the top for maintaining Elite Status with Star Alliance for another year. Like Bingam-that is important;  and since I have not been in Asia since June, it has been a lot tougher to attain.

All the things you probably hate about travelling -the recycled air, the artificial lighting, the digital juice dispensers, the cheap sushi- are warm reminders that I’m home .

And beer and sightseeing-don’t forget that.

Busy day tomorrow-and it will probably be a long one. So I am about to go to bed.

However the S.O. and I found a great place to have REAL chinese dumplings in San Francisco. Not Chinese food fashioned to American tastes-but real Shanghai style dumplings.

The place is over in Parkside-well south of Golden Gate Park on Tavaral Street. It is just a small, hole in the wall with only about 7 tables. But take it from the both of us-the dumplings are great.

It seems to be more of a local, Chinese favoring place-although they do consent to let Gweilo’s like me and the hated Japanese in as well. We were lucky and got a table right away. 15 minutes later we would have been waiting. We had Shanghai Soup Dumplings and what would be called in Japan sui-gyoza with shrimp and spinach in them. Both of us had the Chicken Wonton soup with wide rice noodles. All was good-along with some Anchor Steam Beer.

San Francisco I think, must be a lot like New York-lots of little restaraunts off the tourist path with excellent food, that only locals and select others know about. This place is one.

Kingdom of Dumpling

1713 Taraval Street

San Francisco.

It is not a bright shiny place-so if that is a downer for you give it a pass. But if you like a good place with good food (a hole in the wall, of which there are so many in Asia)-then go.

If you are going to be a darling of the Teabagger nation charged with defending the Constitution. You might want to actually read it:

WILMINGTON, Del. — Republican Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell of Delaware on Tuesday questioned whether the U.S. Constitution calls for a separation of church and state, appearing to disagree or not know that the First Amendment bars the government from establishing religion.

The exchange came in a debate before an audience of legal scholars and law students at Widener University Law School, as O’Donnell criticized Democratic nominee Chris Coons’ position that teaching creationism in public school would violate the First Amendment by promoting religious doctrine.

Coons said private and parochial schools are free to teach creationism but that “religious doctrine doesn’t belong in our public schools.”

“Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?” O’Donnell asked him.

When Coons responded that the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion, O’Donnell asked: “You’re telling me that’s in the First Amendment?”

Her comments, in a debate aired on radio station WDEL, generated a buzz in the audience.

“You actually audibly heard the crowd gasp,” Widener University political scientist Wesley Leckrone said after the debate, adding that it raised questions about O’Donnell’s grasp of the Constitution.

No time to post today. Jumping in the car and driving through Carmel and the Carmel Valley.

But just had to note this so you know where I stand on this-NPR got it wrong on Juan Williams. His statement was not bigoted, and represents how a lot of Americans feel. Whether Muslims and worthless Arabs like it. I don’t like gettting on planes with Arabs on them myself-sue me.  That Williams stoops to talk to idiots like O’Reilly and Hannity is not the issue-and I think was at the heart of the firing.

But that doesn’t make it right. NPR needs a reasonable man, and if they can allow other folks on the network-they can have Juan Williams on the network. I like him-and hate to see this happen.

More later-the beach is calling!

Then I could have seen all kinds of people go nuts because the S.F. Giants are going to the World Series.

And the Yankees are not.

So while its depressing as all get out to be back in Hicksville-there are at least a few things to be glad of.

H/T to Mark Warren.