So yea I've been gone for a good lil while but there's a perfectly good explanation for that. Ain't shit really going on (excuse my french). I mean eh, I'm pretty much back into the swing of things at work. Job is going great so far. Much more responsibility than I've ever had in past positions which is a great thing. So that's a bright spot.
My personal life is well, at this point non existant. Not tryna dwell on it na mean. It is what it is.
So another good thing about being back on my grind professionally is that I now have the income to fund some of the extracurricular activities I was accustomed to one of which being the gym. If ya'll remember most of last year I spent tryna get my body together to unveil this summer. Unfortunately stress from my previous job (Read: pergatory) and the subsequent parting of ways made it difficult to maintain what I had worked for. Although I am not fat or obese I clearly am not pleased wit my lil stomach. Further, others recently made comments about the tum tum that kinda cut like a knife. Having said all that I am back in the gym and I have been consulting all of my gym-o-holics as to what I should do to chisel out this temple of mines. So far the consensus has been that it's not the exercises or my diet, but it is my determination and work ethic. Yea my brain wants it, but the motivation to do it needs to surface. I agree. Oy vey...to be a cartoon character where someone can just come and paint a nice body on ya lol. Anyway, I'm fitna get up and head to the gym as we speak. Wish me luck folks.
Ummm nothing else to say besides that. I'll be in Atlanta next weekend so (if anyone actually still reads this) for those of you whom reside down there keep ya eyes open for tha kid. I'll holla!
~Damnit!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Just a few things...
Yo watz good blog fam. Just a couple things you may not have known about me...
- I'm very head strong (well yea you knew that)
- I love my country (God bless the USA)
- I've been unemployeed for the last 4 months
- Just got a new job that I'm excited to start in 2 wks. Wish me luck.
- I am dating this amazing dude n although he's not ready for a relationship we may end up together
- I've been bored n lonely but eh such is life.
- My boy Mr. Jones is one of my best friends and I adore him!
- I am extremely loyal to my peeps no matter what
So those are some things that you may have not gathered from reading my blogs. Love you all and I will try to be more diligent in updating this shit.
~Damnit!
- I'm very head strong (well yea you knew that)
- I love my country (God bless the USA)
- I've been unemployeed for the last 4 months
- Just got a new job that I'm excited to start in 2 wks. Wish me luck.
- I am dating this amazing dude n although he's not ready for a relationship we may end up together
- I've been bored n lonely but eh such is life.
- My boy Mr. Jones is one of my best friends and I adore him!
- I am extremely loyal to my peeps no matter what
So those are some things that you may have not gathered from reading my blogs. Love you all and I will try to be more diligent in updating this shit.
~Damnit!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Fascinating Article: American Thinker 6/25/09
I would be remiss if I did not share with you all an article that I read today on the AmericanThinker.com by L.E. Ikenga. It's extremely well written and is quite insightful. Take a moment to read below.
June 25, 2009
Obama, the African Colonial By L.E. Ikenga
Had Americans been able to stop obsessing over the color of Barack Obama's skin and instead paid more attention to his cultural identity, maybe he would not be in the White House today. The key to understanding him lies with his identification with his father, and his adoption of a cultural and political mindset rooted in postcolonial Africa.
Like many educated intellectuals in postcolonial Africa, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was enraged at the transformation of his native land by its colonial conqueror. But instead of embracing the traditional values of his own tribal cultural past, he embraced an imported Western ideology, Marxism. I call such frustrated and angry modern Africans who embrace various foreign "isms", instead of looking homeward for repair of societies that are broken, African Colonials. They are Africans who serve foreign ideas.
The tropes of America's racial history as a way of understanding all things black are useless in understanding the man who got his dreams from his father, a Kenyan exemplar of the African Colonial.
Before I continue, I need to say this: I am a first generation born West African-American woman whose parents emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970's from the country now called Nigeria. I travel to Nigeria frequently. I see myself as both a proud American and as a proud Igbo (the tribe that we come from -- also sometimes spelled Ibo). Politically, I have always been conservative (though it took this past election for me to commit to this once and for all!); my conservative values come from my Igbo heritage and my place of birth. Of course, none of this qualifies me to say what I am about to -- but at the same time it does.
My friends, despite what CNN and the rest are telling you, Barack Obama is nothing more than an old school African Colonial who is on his way to turning this country into one of the developing nations that you learn about on the National Geographic Channel. Many conservative (East, West, South, North) African-Americans like myself -- those of us who know our history -- have seen this movie before. Here are two main reasons why many Americans allowed Obama to slip through the cracks despite all of his glaring inconsistencies:
First, Obama has been living on American soil for most of his adult life. Therefore, he has been able to masquerade as one who understands and believes in American democratic ideals. But he does not. Barack Obama is intrinsically undemocratic and as his presidency plays out, this will become more obvious. Second, and most importantly, too many Americans know very little about Africa. The one-size-fits-all understanding that many Americans (both black and white) continue to have of Africa might end up bringing dire consequences for this country.
Contrary to the way it continues to be portrayed in mainstream Western culture, Africa is not a continent that can be solely defined by AIDS, ethnic rivalries, poverty and safaris. Africa, like any other continent, has an immense history defined by much diversity and complexity. Africa's long-standing relationship with Europe speaks especially to some of these complexities -- particularly the relationship that has existed between the two continents over the past two centuries. Europe's complete colonization of Africa during the nineteenth century, also known as the Scramble for Africa, produced many unfortunate consequences, the African colonial being one of them.
The African colonial (AC) is a person who by means of their birth or lineage has a direct connection with Africa. However, unlike Africans like me, their worldviews have been largely shaped not by the indigenous beliefs of a specific African tribe but by the ideals of the European imperialism that overwhelmed and dominated Africa during the colonial period. AC's have no real regard for their specific African traditions or histories. AC's use aspects of their African culture as one would use pieces of costume jewelry: things of little or no value that can be thoughtlessly discarded when they become a negative distraction, or used on a whim to decorate oneself in order to seem exotic. (Hint: Obama's Muslim heritage).
On the other hand, AC's strive to be the best at the culture that they inherited from Europe. Throughout the West, they are tops in their professions as lawyers, doctors, engineers, Ivy League professors and business moguls; this is all well and good. It's when they decide to engage us as politicians that things become messy and convoluted.
The African colonial politician (ACP) feigns repulsion towards the hegemonic paradigms of Western civilization. But at the same time, he is completely enamored of the trappings of its aristocracy or elite culture. The ACP blames and caricatures whitey to no end for all that has gone wrong in the world. He convinces the masses that various forms of African socialism are the best way for redressing the problems that European colonialism motivated in Africa. However, as opposed to really being a hard-core African Leftist who actually believes in something, the ACP uses socialist themes as a way to disguise his true ambitions: a complete power grab whereby the "will of the people" becomes completely irrelevant.
Barack Obama is all of the above. The only difference is that he is here playing (colonial) African politics as usual.
In his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father -- an eloquent piece of political propaganda -- Obama styles himself as a misunderstood intellectual who is deeply affected by the sufferings of black people, especially in America and Africa. In the book, Obama clearly sees himself as an African, not as a black American. And to prove this, he goes on a quest to understand his Kenyan roots. He is extremely thoughtful of his deceased father's legacy; this provides the main clue for understanding Barack Obama.
Barack Obama Sr. was an African colonial to the core; in his case, the apple did not fall far from the tree. All of the telltale signs of Obama's African colonialist attitudes are on full display in the book -- from his feigned antipathy towards Europeans to his view of African tribal associations as distracting elements that get in the way of "progress". (On p. 308 of Dreams From My Father, Obama says that African tribes should be viewed as an "ancient loyalties".)
Like imperialists of Old World Europe, the ACP sees their constituents not as free thinking individuals who best know how to go about achieving and creating their own means for success. Instead, the ACP sees his constituents as a flock of ignorant sheep that need to be led -- oftentimes to their own slaughter.
Like the European imperialist who spawned him, the ACP is a destroyer of all forms of democracy.
Here are a few examples of what the British did in order to create (in 1914) what is now called Nigeria and what Obama is doing to you:
1. Convince the people that "clinging" to any aspect of their cultural (tribal) identity or history is bad and regresses the process of "unity". British Imperialists deeply feared people who were loyal to anything other than the state. "Tribalism" made the imperialists have to work harder to get people to just fall in line. Imperialists pitted tribes against each other in order to create chaos that they then blamed on ethnic rivalry. Today many "educated" Nigerians, having believed that their traditions were irrelevant, remain completely ignorant of their ancestry and the history of their own tribes.
2. Confiscate the wealth and resources of the area that you govern by any means necessary in order to redistribute wealth. The British used this tactic to present themselves as empathetic and benevolent leaders who wanted everyone to have a "fair shake". Imperialists are not interested in equality for all. They are interested in controlling all.
3. Convince the masses that your upper-crust university education naturally puts you on an intellectual plane from which to understand everything even when you understand nothing. Imperialists were able to convince the people that their elite university educations allowed them to understand what Africa needed. Many of today's Nigerians-having followed that lead-hold all sorts of degrees and certificates-but what good are they if you can't find a job?
4. Lie to the people and tell them that progress is being made even though things are clearly becoming worse. One thing that the British forgot to mention to their Nigerian constituents was that one day, the resources that were being used to engineer "progress" (which the British had confiscated from the Africans to begin with!) would eventually run out. After WWII, Western Europe could no longer afford to hold on to their African colonies. So all of the counterfeit countries that the Europeans created were then left high-and-dry to fend for themselves. This was the main reason behind the African independence movements of the1950 and 60's. What will a post-Obama America look like?
5. Use every available media outlet to perpetuate the belief that you and your followers are the enlightened ones-and that those who refuse to support you are just barbaric, uncivilized, ignorant curmudgeons. This speaks for itself.
America, don't be fooled. The Igbos were once made up of a confederacy of clans that ascribed to various forms of democratic government. They took their eyes off the ball and before they knew it, the British were upon them. Also, understand this: the African colonial who is given too much political power can only become one thing: a despot.
**END**
~Damnit!
June 25, 2009
Obama, the African Colonial By L.E. Ikenga
Had Americans been able to stop obsessing over the color of Barack Obama's skin and instead paid more attention to his cultural identity, maybe he would not be in the White House today. The key to understanding him lies with his identification with his father, and his adoption of a cultural and political mindset rooted in postcolonial Africa.
Like many educated intellectuals in postcolonial Africa, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was enraged at the transformation of his native land by its colonial conqueror. But instead of embracing the traditional values of his own tribal cultural past, he embraced an imported Western ideology, Marxism. I call such frustrated and angry modern Africans who embrace various foreign "isms", instead of looking homeward for repair of societies that are broken, African Colonials. They are Africans who serve foreign ideas.
The tropes of America's racial history as a way of understanding all things black are useless in understanding the man who got his dreams from his father, a Kenyan exemplar of the African Colonial.
Before I continue, I need to say this: I am a first generation born West African-American woman whose parents emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970's from the country now called Nigeria. I travel to Nigeria frequently. I see myself as both a proud American and as a proud Igbo (the tribe that we come from -- also sometimes spelled Ibo). Politically, I have always been conservative (though it took this past election for me to commit to this once and for all!); my conservative values come from my Igbo heritage and my place of birth. Of course, none of this qualifies me to say what I am about to -- but at the same time it does.
My friends, despite what CNN and the rest are telling you, Barack Obama is nothing more than an old school African Colonial who is on his way to turning this country into one of the developing nations that you learn about on the National Geographic Channel. Many conservative (East, West, South, North) African-Americans like myself -- those of us who know our history -- have seen this movie before. Here are two main reasons why many Americans allowed Obama to slip through the cracks despite all of his glaring inconsistencies:
First, Obama has been living on American soil for most of his adult life. Therefore, he has been able to masquerade as one who understands and believes in American democratic ideals. But he does not. Barack Obama is intrinsically undemocratic and as his presidency plays out, this will become more obvious. Second, and most importantly, too many Americans know very little about Africa. The one-size-fits-all understanding that many Americans (both black and white) continue to have of Africa might end up bringing dire consequences for this country.
Contrary to the way it continues to be portrayed in mainstream Western culture, Africa is not a continent that can be solely defined by AIDS, ethnic rivalries, poverty and safaris. Africa, like any other continent, has an immense history defined by much diversity and complexity. Africa's long-standing relationship with Europe speaks especially to some of these complexities -- particularly the relationship that has existed between the two continents over the past two centuries. Europe's complete colonization of Africa during the nineteenth century, also known as the Scramble for Africa, produced many unfortunate consequences, the African colonial being one of them.
The African colonial (AC) is a person who by means of their birth or lineage has a direct connection with Africa. However, unlike Africans like me, their worldviews have been largely shaped not by the indigenous beliefs of a specific African tribe but by the ideals of the European imperialism that overwhelmed and dominated Africa during the colonial period. AC's have no real regard for their specific African traditions or histories. AC's use aspects of their African culture as one would use pieces of costume jewelry: things of little or no value that can be thoughtlessly discarded when they become a negative distraction, or used on a whim to decorate oneself in order to seem exotic. (Hint: Obama's Muslim heritage).
On the other hand, AC's strive to be the best at the culture that they inherited from Europe. Throughout the West, they are tops in their professions as lawyers, doctors, engineers, Ivy League professors and business moguls; this is all well and good. It's when they decide to engage us as politicians that things become messy and convoluted.
The African colonial politician (ACP) feigns repulsion towards the hegemonic paradigms of Western civilization. But at the same time, he is completely enamored of the trappings of its aristocracy or elite culture. The ACP blames and caricatures whitey to no end for all that has gone wrong in the world. He convinces the masses that various forms of African socialism are the best way for redressing the problems that European colonialism motivated in Africa. However, as opposed to really being a hard-core African Leftist who actually believes in something, the ACP uses socialist themes as a way to disguise his true ambitions: a complete power grab whereby the "will of the people" becomes completely irrelevant.
Barack Obama is all of the above. The only difference is that he is here playing (colonial) African politics as usual.
In his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father -- an eloquent piece of political propaganda -- Obama styles himself as a misunderstood intellectual who is deeply affected by the sufferings of black people, especially in America and Africa. In the book, Obama clearly sees himself as an African, not as a black American. And to prove this, he goes on a quest to understand his Kenyan roots. He is extremely thoughtful of his deceased father's legacy; this provides the main clue for understanding Barack Obama.
Barack Obama Sr. was an African colonial to the core; in his case, the apple did not fall far from the tree. All of the telltale signs of Obama's African colonialist attitudes are on full display in the book -- from his feigned antipathy towards Europeans to his view of African tribal associations as distracting elements that get in the way of "progress". (On p. 308 of Dreams From My Father, Obama says that African tribes should be viewed as an "ancient loyalties".)
Like imperialists of Old World Europe, the ACP sees their constituents not as free thinking individuals who best know how to go about achieving and creating their own means for success. Instead, the ACP sees his constituents as a flock of ignorant sheep that need to be led -- oftentimes to their own slaughter.
Like the European imperialist who spawned him, the ACP is a destroyer of all forms of democracy.
Here are a few examples of what the British did in order to create (in 1914) what is now called Nigeria and what Obama is doing to you:
1. Convince the people that "clinging" to any aspect of their cultural (tribal) identity or history is bad and regresses the process of "unity". British Imperialists deeply feared people who were loyal to anything other than the state. "Tribalism" made the imperialists have to work harder to get people to just fall in line. Imperialists pitted tribes against each other in order to create chaos that they then blamed on ethnic rivalry. Today many "educated" Nigerians, having believed that their traditions were irrelevant, remain completely ignorant of their ancestry and the history of their own tribes.
2. Confiscate the wealth and resources of the area that you govern by any means necessary in order to redistribute wealth. The British used this tactic to present themselves as empathetic and benevolent leaders who wanted everyone to have a "fair shake". Imperialists are not interested in equality for all. They are interested in controlling all.
3. Convince the masses that your upper-crust university education naturally puts you on an intellectual plane from which to understand everything even when you understand nothing. Imperialists were able to convince the people that their elite university educations allowed them to understand what Africa needed. Many of today's Nigerians-having followed that lead-hold all sorts of degrees and certificates-but what good are they if you can't find a job?
4. Lie to the people and tell them that progress is being made even though things are clearly becoming worse. One thing that the British forgot to mention to their Nigerian constituents was that one day, the resources that were being used to engineer "progress" (which the British had confiscated from the Africans to begin with!) would eventually run out. After WWII, Western Europe could no longer afford to hold on to their African colonies. So all of the counterfeit countries that the Europeans created were then left high-and-dry to fend for themselves. This was the main reason behind the African independence movements of the1950 and 60's. What will a post-Obama America look like?
5. Use every available media outlet to perpetuate the belief that you and your followers are the enlightened ones-and that those who refuse to support you are just barbaric, uncivilized, ignorant curmudgeons. This speaks for itself.
America, don't be fooled. The Igbos were once made up of a confederacy of clans that ascribed to various forms of democratic government. They took their eyes off the ball and before they knew it, the British were upon them. Also, understand this: the African colonial who is given too much political power can only become one thing: a despot.
**END**
~Damnit!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Congratz to my team.. The LA Lakers!!!!
Congratz to the LA Lakers for an outstanding season. Oh and before any of ya'll try to come at me saying that I'm not a true fan, know that I've been a LA fan since Kareem n Magic, thanks!
~Damnit!
Friday, May 22, 2009
NYC Fleet Week 2009
So yesterday I decided to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather up here in the NYC metropolitian area and what better time then Fleet Week. No not that kinda 'fleet' get your mind out the gutter guys n dolls. Fleet Week is a week long celebration leading up to memorial day which kicks off with the Parade of Ships into New York City Harbor. A stunning sight! On yesterday I went to Central Park to partake in Marine Day and below are some photo's I took.
I think they wanted her to hold 'it'. LoL.
Some of the gear some of our men n women in uniform wear.
Some band that was playin some kind of music lol
Take a look at these guns. Bang Bang!!!
I think they wanted her to hold 'it'. LoL.
Some of the gear some of our men n women in uniform wear.
Ya can't really see it but this camera man was sexy as all hell! LoL.
Here's some of the moves I learned
So if you come across a soldier this Memorial Day Weekend, extend a hand and thank them for their service and sacrifice to our great nation. God Bless!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
damn Damn DAMNIT, I DONE DID IT!!!
Aiight so I have succumb to the pressure of everyone around me joining this twitter thing. I tried to stand against the onslaught of individuals telling me that I am out of touch, old and not 'hip' (for lack of a better word) but to no avail. So the young kharismatic kat who has neither MySpace or Facebook has embarked upon a new venture. Yes folks ya boy ~Damnit! is now on twitter.
Come follow me and see the crazy shyt that only ~Damnit! can say from time to time. LoL.
~Damnit!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Mini Series II: FLLLYYY ME TO THA MOON...Or NYC
Ok, why in the world would some IDIOT authorize this photo-op fly over in Manhattan. I just don't get it. LoL. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the flights "ridiculous and poor judgement" but I could go further. This administration official, this Louis Caldera is a retarded lil twit that should be plucked from his office like the little tick he is. I mean look at the panic his poor decision caused...
Now, for my lil buddy YB&DL who seems to think that I walk lock step with Republicans on everything from abortion to drinking water, this may come as a shock to him. I truely don't think that OB had anything to do with this lil fly over photo-op shit for one reason. He's far too calculating and methodical and this 'mission' was far too sloppy and retarded to be approved by him. Although Sean Hanity alluded that OB was fully aware of the 'mission' (I keep putting that in quotes because it's laughable to call this a 'mission'. You wasted Jet fuel for a picture that could've easily been photo shopped by a 6th grader! Yet I MUST cut MY carbon footprint to stop Global Warming??? Riiiiiiiiiiiight...LoL), I don't agree. There, I said it. LoL.
**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE**
While watching the evening news, it's reported that the cost of this lil photo-op that unnerved so many here in the NYC metropolitian area was... *Drumroll* $56,508 per hour. LoL amazing!
~Damnit!
Now, for my lil buddy YB&DL who seems to think that I walk lock step with Republicans on everything from abortion to drinking water, this may come as a shock to him. I truely don't think that OB had anything to do with this lil fly over photo-op shit for one reason. He's far too calculating and methodical and this 'mission' was far too sloppy and retarded to be approved by him. Although Sean Hanity alluded that OB was fully aware of the 'mission' (I keep putting that in quotes because it's laughable to call this a 'mission'. You wasted Jet fuel for a picture that could've easily been photo shopped by a 6th grader! Yet I MUST cut MY carbon footprint to stop Global Warming??? Riiiiiiiiiiiight...LoL), I don't agree. There, I said it. LoL.
**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE**
While watching the evening news, it's reported that the cost of this lil photo-op that unnerved so many here in the NYC metropolitian area was... *Drumroll* $56,508 per hour. LoL amazing!
~Damnit!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Mini Series: He 2 We...
HE
Exudes confidence without uttering a single breathe
Magnificantly made tho not ashamed of the imperfections lurking within his depths
Takes every opportunity to attune himself with ones wants and desires
Is convinced that your happiness ignites his inner fire
Manages to make time for you through impossible odds
Enjoys the company cause with you he doesn't have to prod
Alone is many things, one of the best you've ever seen
Accepts that he is imperfect, but would be better with...
ME
Fiercely loyal for I know his heart is true
Assured, not conceited and he welcomes that through n through
Catering to him appears to be all I want to do
Yet he adores my independence
One of many things he's drawn to
Apparent are my flaws to him, no he is not aloof
For I realized long ago truth is far more attractive than spoof
A man in my own right, successful yes indeed
Still certain I am, that he n me would produce an unsurpassed...
WE
Form a magical unity many have never seen
If life were the Olympics, combined we are a Dream Team
A force to be reckoned with but please don't be deceived
For alone we're a handful, but united we are stronger than anything you could perceive
As sure as the sun rises n sets from east to west
Our bond will remain strong forever at best
We've steadily progressed transgressing he n me
Yes THIS is the story of how He became We
~Damnit!
Monday, March 30, 2009
I ALSO challenge YOU!!
I was perusing online some of the more popular papers around the country and came across this OP-ED in the LA Times. Made me chuckle because I issued the same challenge to YB&DL a couple post back in response to a comment he made. Eh, well now it seems that the challenge has been issued to the public via Op-ed by a Andrew Klavan. Hence, as bloggers seemingly ONLY Black gay Conservative Republican I give you the following link. Cheers!
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-klavan29-2009mar29,0,5456892.story
~Damnit!
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-klavan29-2009mar29,0,5456892.story
~Damnit!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
What If...
- I never spoke but you knew I was there...
- I always expressed that I actually cared...
- I didn't have a mind of my own and I just followed the crowd...
- I didn't smoke so many blaq~n~milds...
- I always agreed with everything you said n did...
- I continuously made bad decisions like I were a pre-pubescent kid...
- My mother n I didn't argue as much as we do...
- I thought less about me, n so much more about you...
- My happiness was in the hands of others...
- I sometimes didn't feel so GOT DAMN smothered...
- I sat quietly, wondering about what everyone did...
- I never experienced the things I did when I was that short lil kid...
- I knew the decisions I made would transform me into the man I am today...
- All these thoughts where w/held inside for another day...
~Damnit!
- I always expressed that I actually cared...
- I didn't have a mind of my own and I just followed the crowd...
- I didn't smoke so many blaq~n~milds...
- I always agreed with everything you said n did...
- I continuously made bad decisions like I were a pre-pubescent kid...
- My mother n I didn't argue as much as we do...
- I thought less about me, n so much more about you...
- My happiness was in the hands of others...
- I sometimes didn't feel so GOT DAMN smothered...
- I sat quietly, wondering about what everyone did...
- I never experienced the things I did when I was that short lil kid...
- I knew the decisions I made would transform me into the man I am today...
- All these thoughts where w/held inside for another day...
~Damnit!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The 2% Illusion - Wall Street Journal February 26th, 2009
There was an article in the Wall Street Journal (my favorite paper btw) on the date mentioned above that I found very interesting and I'd like to share with you all. Enjoy!
President Obama has laid out the most ambitious and expensive domestic agenda since LBJ, and now all he has to do is figure out how to pay for it. On Tuesday, he left the impression that we need merely end "tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans," and he promised that households earning less than $250,000 won't see their taxes increased by "one single dime." AP This is going to be some trick. Even the most basic inspection of the IRS income tax statistics shows that raising taxes on the salaries, dividends and capital gains of those making more than $250,000 can't possibly raise enough revenue to fund Mr. Obama's new spending ambitions.Consider the IRS data for 2006, the most recent year that such tax data are available and a good year for the economy and "the wealthiest 2%." Roughly 3.8 million filers had adjusted gross incomes above $200,000 in 2006. (That's about 7% of all returns; the data aren't broken down at the $250,000 point.) These people paid about $522 billion in income taxes, or roughly 62% of all federal individual income receipts. The richest 1% -- about 1.65 million filers making above $388,806 -- paid some $408 billion, or 39.9% of all income tax revenues, while earning about 22% of all reported U.S. income.Note that federal income taxes are already "progressive" with a 35% top marginal rate, and that Mr. Obama is (so far) proposing to raise it only to 39.6%, plus another two percentage points in hidden deduction phase-outs. He'd also raise capital gains and dividend rates, but those both yield far less revenue than the income tax. These combined increases won't come close to raising the hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue that Mr. Obama is going to need. But let's not stop at a 42% top rate; as a thought experiment, let's go all the way. A tax policy that confiscated 100% of the taxable income of everyone in America earning over $500,000 in 2006 would only have given Congress an extra $1.3 trillion in revenue. That's less than half the 2006 federal budget of $2.7 trillion and looks tiny compared to the more than $4 trillion Congress will spend in fiscal 2010. Even taking every taxable "dime" of everyone earning more than $75,000 in 2006 would have barely yielded enough to cover that $4 trillion.Fast forward to this year (and 2010) when the Wall Street meltdown and recession are going to mean far few taxpayers earning more than $500,000. Profits are plunging, businesses are cutting or eliminating dividends, hedge funds are rolling up, and, most of all, capital nationwide is on strike. Raising taxes now will thus yield far less revenue than it would have in 2006. Mr. Obama is of course counting on an economic recovery. And he's also assuming along with the new liberal economic consensus that taxes don't matter to growth or job creation. The truth, though, is that they do. Small- and medium-sized businesses are the nation's primary employers, and lower individual tax rates have induced thousands of them to shift from filing under the corporate tax system to the individual system, often as limited liability companies or Subchapter S corporations. The Tax Foundation calculates that merely restoring the higher, Clinton-era tax rates on the top two brackets would hit 45% to 55% of small-business income, depending on how inclusively "small business" is defined. These owners will find a way to declare less taxable income. The bottom line is that Mr. Obama is selling the country on a 2% illusion. Unwinding the U.S. commitment in Iraq and allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire can't possibly pay for his agenda. Taxes on the not-so-rich will need to rise as well. On that point, by the way, it's unclear why Mr. Obama thinks his climate-change scheme won't hit all Americans with higher taxes. Selling the right to emit greenhouse gases amounts to a steep new tax on most types of energy and, therefore, on all Americans who use energy. There's a reason that Charlie Rangel's Ways and Means panel, which writes tax law, is holding hearings this week on cap-and-trade regulation. Mr. Obama is very good at portraying his agenda as nothing more than center-left pragmatism. But pragmatists don't ignore the data. And the reality is that the only way to pay for Mr. Obama's ambitions is to reach ever deeper into the pockets of the American middle class.
THE 2% ILLUSION
President Obama has laid out the most ambitious and expensive domestic agenda since LBJ, and now all he has to do is figure out how to pay for it. On Tuesday, he left the impression that we need merely end "tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans," and he promised that households earning less than $250,000 won't see their taxes increased by "one single dime." AP This is going to be some trick. Even the most basic inspection of the IRS income tax statistics shows that raising taxes on the salaries, dividends and capital gains of those making more than $250,000 can't possibly raise enough revenue to fund Mr. Obama's new spending ambitions.Consider the IRS data for 2006, the most recent year that such tax data are available and a good year for the economy and "the wealthiest 2%." Roughly 3.8 million filers had adjusted gross incomes above $200,000 in 2006. (That's about 7% of all returns; the data aren't broken down at the $250,000 point.) These people paid about $522 billion in income taxes, or roughly 62% of all federal individual income receipts. The richest 1% -- about 1.65 million filers making above $388,806 -- paid some $408 billion, or 39.9% of all income tax revenues, while earning about 22% of all reported U.S. income.Note that federal income taxes are already "progressive" with a 35% top marginal rate, and that Mr. Obama is (so far) proposing to raise it only to 39.6%, plus another two percentage points in hidden deduction phase-outs. He'd also raise capital gains and dividend rates, but those both yield far less revenue than the income tax. These combined increases won't come close to raising the hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue that Mr. Obama is going to need. But let's not stop at a 42% top rate; as a thought experiment, let's go all the way. A tax policy that confiscated 100% of the taxable income of everyone in America earning over $500,000 in 2006 would only have given Congress an extra $1.3 trillion in revenue. That's less than half the 2006 federal budget of $2.7 trillion and looks tiny compared to the more than $4 trillion Congress will spend in fiscal 2010. Even taking every taxable "dime" of everyone earning more than $75,000 in 2006 would have barely yielded enough to cover that $4 trillion.Fast forward to this year (and 2010) when the Wall Street meltdown and recession are going to mean far few taxpayers earning more than $500,000. Profits are plunging, businesses are cutting or eliminating dividends, hedge funds are rolling up, and, most of all, capital nationwide is on strike. Raising taxes now will thus yield far less revenue than it would have in 2006. Mr. Obama is of course counting on an economic recovery. And he's also assuming along with the new liberal economic consensus that taxes don't matter to growth or job creation. The truth, though, is that they do. Small- and medium-sized businesses are the nation's primary employers, and lower individual tax rates have induced thousands of them to shift from filing under the corporate tax system to the individual system, often as limited liability companies or Subchapter S corporations. The Tax Foundation calculates that merely restoring the higher, Clinton-era tax rates on the top two brackets would hit 45% to 55% of small-business income, depending on how inclusively "small business" is defined. These owners will find a way to declare less taxable income. The bottom line is that Mr. Obama is selling the country on a 2% illusion. Unwinding the U.S. commitment in Iraq and allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire can't possibly pay for his agenda. Taxes on the not-so-rich will need to rise as well. On that point, by the way, it's unclear why Mr. Obama thinks his climate-change scheme won't hit all Americans with higher taxes. Selling the right to emit greenhouse gases amounts to a steep new tax on most types of energy and, therefore, on all Americans who use energy. There's a reason that Charlie Rangel's Ways and Means panel, which writes tax law, is holding hearings this week on cap-and-trade regulation. Mr. Obama is very good at portraying his agenda as nothing more than center-left pragmatism. But pragmatists don't ignore the data. And the reality is that the only way to pay for Mr. Obama's ambitions is to reach ever deeper into the pockets of the American middle class.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Ya gotta LOOVVVE the Media...
Now as many of you know I rarely get political on my little space in blog world, however, given the media's coverage I must speak out and for some educate seeing as the national media won't. It is not in my nature to listen to second hand information spun by others be it someone spewing gossip or the national media. I like to hear it from the horses mouth. Hence, I give you this clip of Rush Limbaugh from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
http://www.cspan.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-15919
Much has been made of Rush Limbaugh saying that "I hope the President fails", but many people do not know the context in which the comment was made. I for one agree whole heartedly with the statement and in this clip, Rush explains in great detail (as he's done numerous times including the first day he said it on his radio program of which I have been a faithful DAILY listener for 5 years now) the context in which he made the statement. The clip is rather long but if you have a little time, I implore you ALL to take some time to not only 'listen' to the speech, but to HEAR what it is that he is saying. This is not a time to rely on the drive-by media spin and play snippets of what ANY politician and or citizen says. Take the time to hear it from the source.
God Bless you all!
~Damnit!
http://www.cspan.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-15919
Much has been made of Rush Limbaugh saying that "I hope the President fails", but many people do not know the context in which the comment was made. I for one agree whole heartedly with the statement and in this clip, Rush explains in great detail (as he's done numerous times including the first day he said it on his radio program of which I have been a faithful DAILY listener for 5 years now) the context in which he made the statement. The clip is rather long but if you have a little time, I implore you ALL to take some time to not only 'listen' to the speech, but to HEAR what it is that he is saying. This is not a time to rely on the drive-by media spin and play snippets of what ANY politician and or citizen says. Take the time to hear it from the source.
God Bless you all!
~Damnit!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
~Damnit! Does Bmore (Not what ya'll think lol)!!
Aiight, so if ya'll have been by Mr. Jones spot on this here blog, ya'll know that I ventured south of the Mason Dixon line to kick it wit my lil homie and was not disappointed as expected. The semi-southern hospitality shown to ya boy ~Damnit! was well received and apprecaited. On Friday we fell into an Urban Arts Exhibition of sorts. It was a chill lil event and not to mention, it was FREE! Free food (YEEESS @ the lil dips for the chicken cabobs and for the veggies) and best of all for a lil lush such as I, free drinks since the event was sponsored by Jack Daniels! FAN-FUK'N-TASTIC! LoL.
The break dancers n backpack boyz were out in force too showing their stuff on tha floor. Ya know ya boy ~Damnit! would've been out on tha floor too but I ain't wanna steal tha show na mean lol. Naw but between this and other highlights that I won't bore ya'll with, I found that Bmore is a fantastic city rich in culture and history that stretches all the way back to Colonial days. Before this weekend Bmore was just a place I used to frequent ta check out the lil clubs downtown. Eh, you learn something new everyday...
"Yo bartender, put a drink in dat boyz hand!!" LoL. Naw but here's one of the pieces at the exhibit. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccceeeee...
The break dancers n backpack boyz were out in force too showing their stuff on tha floor. Ya know ya boy ~Damnit! would've been out on tha floor too but I ain't wanna steal tha show na mean lol. Naw but between this and other highlights that I won't bore ya'll with, I found that Bmore is a fantastic city rich in culture and history that stretches all the way back to Colonial days. Before this weekend Bmore was just a place I used to frequent ta check out the lil clubs downtown. Eh, you learn something new everyday...
All in all, it was a great weekend. Shouts out again to my boy Jones for having me and I will be back soon. Save my parking space yo!
~Damnit!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Lets do LUNCH!
Every now and again my FH and I take a hiatus from our usual lunch excursions to local salad shops and deli's and decide to have a nice sit down lunch. Yesterday just so happened to be one of those days. As we got to the lobby of our office building she says "Hey, you wanna go to this Japanese resturant? It's so nice. There's a grill at your table and you make your own food!"
The food was excellent and the total tab was $80 (Yes, $80 for lunch. Not our most expensive lunch outting by far and let's not EVEN get into how much I spent on lunch with my pops one day LoL). The food was well worth the cost even in 'this economy' as Mr. Jones would say.
~Dam - Bytch, I'm not cooking my food! That's why I'm paying them!
(laughing)
~FH - No seriously. It's really nice (insert gov't here). Come on. It's not too far from here.
I thought about it for a second as I was overcome with curiosity. I agreed and boy was I glad that I did! This place was awesome! The resturant is called Gyu-Kaku (http://www.gyu-kaku.com/) and they have two locations in Manhattan and several others around somewhere lol (hey, that's why I gave ya'll the website!). Honestly, I was so impressed by the ambiance of this resturant that I will definitely bring that special someone there for dinner and drinks. And their lil booths facing 3rd avenue are so conducive to such an occassion with bamboo draw down screnes at each to provide n element of privacy and scerenity (don't get any nasty thoughts ya'll. It's not 'total' privacy LoL). Below are some pix I took:
So how this works is you order what you want from the menu. The meats are marinated and brought out to your table shown above. Both me and the FH ordered a platter that had chicken, shrimp and steak and we also elected to have two lil steak cutlet appetizers.
Here's a table view
Time to throw some meat on tha grill!!!
Here's my FH n I showin our skillz on tha grill!
And after your meal, you even get a scoup of ice cream. Mmmmmmmm...
The food was excellent and the total tab was $80 (Yes, $80 for lunch. Not our most expensive lunch outting by far and let's not EVEN get into how much I spent on lunch with my pops one day LoL). The food was well worth the cost even in 'this economy' as Mr. Jones would say.
So if you're roaming thru the city and wanna grab a delicious meal, I would definitely recommend this spot. Your stomach will surely welcome the break from Applebee's, TGI Fridays, etc. :-)
~Damnit!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
THIS moment of clarity...
As bloggers seemingly unapologetic registered Republican, I believe it is necessary to clarify a few things for some people.
- The historic significance of todays' inauguration of our 44th President Barack H. Obama is not lost on me. As an African American I am extremely happy that we as Americans have to a great extent overcome the racial bigotry that has plagued this country for far too long! Granted, I may not agree with President Obama's platforms or policies, however, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the great pride that I was overcome with while viewing todays' events unfold.
- Even tho I disagree with many individuals on the direction this great Union should embark upon, I am overjoyed that the transition of power can be as seemless as it is. There are few countries on this planet where power can cede effortlessly from one individual to another in such a short period of time. Whether you are Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, all must marvel and appreciate the precedence established by our forefathers.
- After a spirited discussion with a very close friend of mines on last evening, I am happy that many of our citizens were inspired by President Obama's campaign, election and accendence to the Presidency and I hope that their interest in our political process will continue to sustain far into the future.
Having said that, I am delighted that I was able to witness this day in history and I look forward to debating the policies of our 44th President with you all. Good night, God Bless you all and may God Bless the United States of America!
Oh, and Michelle Obama looked STUNNING today. The epitomy of a strong BLACK woman! I LIVED for her!
~Damnit!
- The historic significance of todays' inauguration of our 44th President Barack H. Obama is not lost on me. As an African American I am extremely happy that we as Americans have to a great extent overcome the racial bigotry that has plagued this country for far too long! Granted, I may not agree with President Obama's platforms or policies, however, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the great pride that I was overcome with while viewing todays' events unfold.
- Even tho I disagree with many individuals on the direction this great Union should embark upon, I am overjoyed that the transition of power can be as seemless as it is. There are few countries on this planet where power can cede effortlessly from one individual to another in such a short period of time. Whether you are Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, all must marvel and appreciate the precedence established by our forefathers.
- After a spirited discussion with a very close friend of mines on last evening, I am happy that many of our citizens were inspired by President Obama's campaign, election and accendence to the Presidency and I hope that their interest in our political process will continue to sustain far into the future.
Having said that, I am delighted that I was able to witness this day in history and I look forward to debating the policies of our 44th President with you all. Good night, God Bless you all and may God Bless the United States of America!
Oh, and Michelle Obama looked STUNNING today. The epitomy of a strong BLACK woman! I LIVED for her!
~Damnit!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Lets Eat!!
So let's see...last time I made reference to my cooking, it was suggested that I take pictures so that you all could see my work. Well tonight while preparing dinner I said to myself "Self, why not let them see what you are preparing to consume for the nurishment of my body in Christ thy Lord, Amen (simple prayer but it works when you're alone lol)." Well here goes. Today's dinner consisted of Turkey wings and cabbage served over white rice. Now, I am my own worse critic when it comes to my cooking so I will say this. The cabbage was a tad bit salty for my taste but the white rice blended well which made it absolutely scrumptious! As for the turkey wings, no complaints. The only person in my immediate family that I think makes better turkey wings than I is my mother and even she can't throw SHADE at my work! 
Here's another view. Sorry, I'm not big on staging so please forgive tha kid but eh, ya'll get the idea. Ya hungry yet...?
Here, I made ya'll a plate. What would you like to drink with your meal? With Alcohol or w/out? Nothing hard just a lil mixed drink I concocted. :-)
N this here is the outcome when I combine meat, vegetables and spices to near perfection...empty plates and not because it ended up in the garbage like when your grandmother used to force feed Liver and onions to you in your pre-pubescent years (YUCK!). No sir, when you come to casa de ~Damnit!, your tastebuds will be pleased as some of you are aware. Ask about me! *Wink*
So that's all I have for ya'll today. Happy New Year!
~Damnit!
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