SubscribeTeabaggers lose again
Every year, lexicographers at Oxford University Press track words that pop up in the English language and bestow the honor of Word of the Year on one of these new words. For 2009, the word “unfriend” wins that honor:
unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.
Also making the list of finalists is the word “teabagger”:
teabagger – a person who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as “Tea Party” protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
Once again, the teabaggers are on the losing side. Usually they lose to Democrats. This is the first time they’ve lost to a word. For what it’s worth, I think they were robbed. Though I’ve heard the word “teabagger” used numerous times (I live in western Maryland), I’ve never heard the word “unfriend” used before.
2016 Summer Olympics wont be in Chicago
The International Olympic Committee voted today on what city would host the 2016 Summer Olympics and they eliminated Chicago from contention very quickly. In fact, the Windy City was eliminated in the very first round of voting. The IOC went on to award Rio de Janeiro with the privilege of hosting the 2016 Summer Games.
Though I’ve never been to Rio de Janeiro, I have been to Chicago. It’s because of this fact that I never really quite understood why Chicago was ever in the running to be a host city.
Who wants to go to Chicago?
It’s not a fun place to go. The traffic is terrible. Crime is high. The people there never seemed very interested in making strangers feel all that welcome. Back when I did a lot of traveling, Chicago ranked right up there with Detroit when it came to places I did not want to visit. Perhaps the voting members of the IOC agree with me.
I guess now President Obama can concentrate on his job and stop fooling around with which city will host the Olympics in 2016.
WHO raises pandemic alert to level 5
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the pandemic alert for the H1N1 virus, the so called “swine flu”, to phase 5, the second highest level possible. It means that people in at least two countries have been infected and that a pandemic is imminent. Phase 6, or a pandemic, means that at least two regions have the disease.
In Egypt, 300,000 pigs were slaughtered in a precaution against the swine flu. Who knew that Egypt, a predominate Muslim country, had so many pigs? It’s as if everything I ever learned about the Islamic world is wrong.
President Obama last night in his nationally televised press conference spoke about the swine flu and advised all Americans to wash their hands. He also told people that if they get sick, stay home. Do not go to work. I’m not sure if this will get people out of trouble with their employers if and when they call off from work. Many Americans do not get sick days from their employers and calling off sick can lead to disciplinary action.
Hagerstown Tea Party a raging success
It would seem that the Tea Party protest held in Hagerstown yesterday was a huge success. The Herald-Mail reports that there were “about” 300 people in attendance. The event’s organizers were hoping to attract 200 people.
I’m still not sure what the protest was actually about. I heard over and over again that it was a grass roots, non-partisan movement, but when you look at the people behind the movement, you only see Republicans.
Was it about wasteful government spending? Where have these people been for the past eight years?
Much of the angst coming from these Tea Party people seems to be directed to President Obama. Do they realize that he has only been in office for less than three months? Do they know that unless they make more than $250,000 a year, their taxes under Obama were cut? I hope these people compare their 2009 tax return to the one they filed yesterday. The amount of taxes they will be paying in 2009 will be less than what they are paying for 2008.
I hope those that stood in the rain yesterday in downtown Hagerstown throwing tea bags in that plastic wadding pool will compare their 2009 tax return to their 2008 tax return.
Unfortunately, I don’t think they will.
Tom Daschle rides his untaxed chauffeured limousine into the sunset
Former Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination to oversee the Health and Human Services Department. Reportedly it was because of the controversy surrounding his failure to pay all his taxes.
Personally, I think when the story came out that Daschle failed to pay $128,000 in taxes, President Obama should have withdrew the nomination and picked someone else to head the Health and Human Services. Someone who paid their taxes. He shouldn’t have allowed Daschle to eventually do it on his own.
This wasn’t a simple tax mistake. Since 2005, Tom Daschle has worked as a paid consultant and adviser to InterMedia Partners. One of the perks of the job was that he had full access to a limousine and chauffeur. He used this limousine and chauffeur for the next three years, yet he never declared it as income on his taxes. When your employer allows you to use a company vehicle for personal use, you are required to declare it as income and pay taxes on it accordingly.
Even if it’s a limousine with a chauffeur.
-
Recent Comments
-
Wildcat: and please don't be as redundant as me as me as me....
-
-
Ryan: You're not alone buddy. Sellin' like hot cakes. http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/12/apple-sells-50000-ipads-in-two-hours...
-
Rick: @Ryan, yes, I know what you mean. I grew up about five miles from Plant 42 where Lockheed, Boeing, and Northrup built all sorts of aerospace. ...
-
-
-
Books I Am Reading
-
Music I Am Listening To
-
- Peter Graves has died - http://bit.ly/blfTde #cnn
- Courage? Really? http://is.gd/axTwj
- I just ordered my iPad! http://is.gd/auerZ
Follow me @rickrottman