Paying Down The Debt Is Now Almost Mathematically Impossible

Paying Down The Debt Is Now Almost Mathematically Impossible | Zero Hedge
A lot of folks don’t realize that, since the end of World War II, the US government’s total tax revenue has been almost constant at roughly 17% of GDP.

In other words, even though the actual tax rates themselves rise and fall, the government’s ‘slice’ of the economic pie is almost always the same - 17%.

I’ve worked out a mathematical model which shows that, even with absurd assumptions (7%+ GDP growth for years at a time, low interest rates, etc.), it is simply not feasible for the US government to ‘grow’ its way out.

Default has become the only option. 
And that could mean a number of things.

They could default on their creditors (other governments like China who loaned money to the US government). But this would spark a global financial and banking crisis.

They could default on the Federal Reserve, which owns trillions of dollars of US debt. But this would create an epic currency crisis for the US dollar.

They could also default on their obligations to their citizens—primarily to future beneficiaries of Social Security (who collectively own trillions of dollars of US debt).

Or they could choose to default on their obligations to every human being alive who holds US dollars… and engineer rampant inflation.

None of these is a good option. And simply put, the US government has reached a point of no return.

I aim to demonstrate this to you in today’s video podcast episode. It’s a very sobering realization.

Join me to see it for yourself:

Despite Racking Up Three Consecutive Unanimous Votes, FOIA Reform Bill Killed Off By Rep. John Boehner

Despite Racking Up Three Consecutive Unanimous Votes, FOIA Reform Bill Killed Off By Rep. John Boehner | Techdirt
FOIA reform is now truly dead. Earlier this week, it looked as though Sen. Jay Rockefeller might be the one holding the murder weapon. 
Despite passing unanimously through the House and the Senate Judiciary Committee, (DEMOCRAT)Rockefeller placed a hold on the bill, citing nebulous concerns by two regulatory agencies (FTC, SEC -- neither of which were willing to go on the record about their problems with the bill) and something about "law enforcement agencies" being faced with "needless litigation" that would be a drain on their bottom lines. 
Of course, this ignores the fact that plenty of litigation involving law enforcement agencies is "needless" (because why be proactive about misconduct and abuse when you can just settle later?) and that any agency fighting the War on Drugs/Terror has generally been able to secure funding and equipment with a minimum of hassle.

Rockefeller's hold provoked a deluge pro-FOIA reform phone calls and emails, leading to Rockefeller releasing his hold and the bill moving on with unanimous Senate consent. This booted it back to the House where it ran headlong into Speaker of the House John Boehner, who immediately tabled it.

Newsweek's coverage of Boehner's "opaque" move concludes with this paragraph:

But these improvements may never see the light of day, as Boehner has tabled the bill. In a press conference on Thursday morning, a journalist asked Boehner about the fate of the FOIA reform bill to which he replied, “I have no knowledge of what the plan is for that bill.” If the bill does not make the House’s calendar by the end of the day, the bill dies.

The guy who made the plan for the bill (1. Do nothing) claimed he had no idea what the plan was. If the plan was to kill the reform bill, mission accomplished. Death by Rockefeller was narrowly averted only to result in Death by Boehner -- despite the fact that the FOIA reform sailed through the House earlier with a 410-0 vote. 

Tom Coburn Just Tried One Last Time to Fix the Broken Senate, and Here’s What Happened | TheBlaze.com

Tom Coburn Just Tried One Last Time to Fix the Broken Senate, and Here’s What Happened | TheBlaze.com:

"In one of this final acts in office, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Friday tried to undo a Senate rule imposed by Democrats that has prevented Republicans from offering amendments to legislation for the last several years.

But Coburn, nicknamed “Dr. No” for his opposition to legislation that expands the government without finding spending cuts, was told “No” by his Democratic Senate colleagues."

Simple common sense could fix a lot of thing in our country--------6 ways the government criminalizes economic activity

6 ways the government criminalizes economic activity - MarketWatch
Although many politicians say they support economic growth, the federal government goes out of its way to criminalize broad ranges of economic activity. 
It’s as simple as this:
A person or a company wants to provide a good or a service, and Uncle Sam says no.

Here are six examples, and there are many others.
As well as tax and entitlement reform, and passing an immigration bill, the 114th Congress could simply let people work.

Federal law criminalizes exports of oil and natural gas

North America’s oil and natural gas production is surging, but it is still unlawful to export it.
On Tuesday, Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican from Texas, introduced a bill to allow exports of oil, and the bill will be considered at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Thursday.
In addition, the United States could benefit from exporting some of its natural gas production. Companies in North Dakota waste about 33% of total gas production by flaring, or burning, it.

Exports stimulate the economy and result in more jobs because foreign customers buy U.S. products. Exports also lead to more innovation.
...The export bans were set up in the 1970s, at a time when America was highly dependent on OPEC for energy.

One of these plans sounds reasonable. Decide for yourself--------'Let's Make a Deal' Time on Road Funding?

'Let's Make a Deal' Time on Road Funding? [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
As the end of the legislative year draws near, motorists still wonder:
What sort of changes will the Legislature and governor make in the way the state funds its roads and highways?
Political observers in Michigan expect some sort of compromise among competing plans passed by the House and Senate, but the specifics are still lacking.

According to projections from the state and University of Michigan economists, under the House-passed road plan – which devotes $1 billion more to roads with no tax hike – school funding will increase from $11.5 billion in 2014 to $14.0 billion in 2023. 

With the Senate plan – which devotes $1 billion more to roads by doubling the state gas tax – the School Aid Fund would increase to $14.9 billion by 2023.

The Michigan Senate works out to 10 cents a gallon. 
The House alternative plan wouldn’t raise the price at the pump. 
The House plan gets rid of the sales tax that’s levied when motorists buy gas or diesel fuel and replaces it with one that would actually be used for roads.
Money from the current retail tax does not go toward road building or road maintenance.
Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Snyder wants a more aggressive gas tax hike than the House or Senate plans call for.
Snyder says the state needs to bring in $1.2 billion to fix the roads, and do so quicker than either plan would allow...

Imagine the media explosion if this socialist/progressive/democrat was a republican!-----Cops tell de Blasio: Stay away from our funerals

Cops tell de Blasio: Stay away from our funerals | New York Post:
"Not over their dead bodies.
​Cops are warning Mayor de Blasio and Council Speaker Melissa ​Mark-​Viverito to stay away from their funerals should they be ​killed in the line of duty.
The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association distributed a flier to members, blaring: “DON’T LET THEM INSULT YOUR SACRIFICE!” Cops were encouraged to sign and submit the “Don’t Insult My Sacrifice” waiver to ban the cop-bashing pols from their funerals.
“I, as a New York City police officer, request that Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito refrain from attending my funeral services in the event that I am killed in the line of duty,” the waiver states."

Here Are the 67 Republicans Who Voted Against the Massive ‘CRomnibus’ Spending Bill | TheBlaze.com

Here Are the 67 Republicans Who Voted Against the Massive ‘CRomnibus’ Spending Bill | TheBlaze.com:

"The massive $1 trillion “CRomnibus” spending bill squeaked through the U.S. House of Representatives with a 219-206 vote on Thursday night.

Among those voting against the unpopular spending bill were 67 Republicans, including conservative favorites like Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Dave Brat (R-Va.)"

And not one of our "representatives" read the 1600+ page bill--------Here Are the 67 Republicans Who Voted Against the Massive ‘CRomnibus’ Spending Bill

Here Are the 67 Republicans Who Voted Against the Massive ‘CRomnibus’ Spending Bill | TheBlaze.com:
"The massive $1 trillion “CRomnibus” spending bill squeaked through the U.S. House of Representatives with a 219-206 vote on Thursday night.
Among those voting against the unpopular spending bill were 67 Republicans, including conservative favorites like Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Dave Brat (R-Va.)"
Voting for the bill: "Spending Bill" Huizenga.

How they "think"------No matter what Jackie said, we should generally believe rape claims

No matter what Jackie said, we should generally believe rape claims - The Washington Post:
"In last month’s deep and damning Rolling Stone report about sexual assault at the University of Virginia, a reporter told the story of “Jackie,” who said she was gang raped at a fraternity party and then essentially ignored by the administration.
It helped dramatize what happens when the claims of victims are not taken seriously.
Now the narrative appears to be falling apart:
Her rapist wasn’t in the frat that she says he was a member of; the house held no party on the night of the assault; and other details are wobbly.
Many people (not least U-Va. administrators) will be tempted to see this as a reminder that officials, reporters and the general public should hear both sides of the story and collect all the evidence before coming to a conclusion in rape cases.
This is what we mean in America when we say someone is “innocent until proven guilty.”
After all, look what happened to the Duke lacrosse players.
In important ways, this is wrong.
We should believe, as a matter of default, what an accuser says. 
Ultimately, the costs of wrongly disbelieving a survivor far outweigh the costs of calling someone a rapist. 
Even if Jackie fabricated her account, U-Va. should have taken her word for it during the period while they endeavored to prove or disprove the accusation. 
This is not a legal argument about what standards we should use in the courts; it’s a moral one, about what happens outside the legal system."

How they "think"----Dem Lawmaker: CIA Should Apologize to Al-Qaeda (Video)

Dem Lawmaker: CIA Should Apologize to Al-Qaeda (Video) | The Gateway Pundit: 

Democrat Jackie Speier (D-CA) told MSNBC yesterday that the Central Intelligence Agency should apologize to Al-Qaeda terrorists.

Speier: Every single page had something in the executive summary that shocked me. Whether it was the rehydration anally or keeping them sleep deprived for one-hundred and eighty hours with their hands over their head in shackles. That is not what this country is about and we have got to shut this down.

MSNBC host: Should the agency issue an apology?

Speier: Absolutely.

Via The Electric Stove:

Jonathan Gruber Subpoenaed: How Much Did He Earn in Taxpayer-Funded Consulting Fees? | TheBlaze.com

Jonathan Gruber Subpoenaed: How Much Did He Earn in Taxpayer-Funded Consulting Fees? | TheBlaze.com:

"House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa has subpoenaed Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber, and is demanding that he hand over information on how much money he received from taxpayers to consult on and design Obamacare.

Gruber appeared before Issa’s committee on Tuesday, where he was grilled over his comment that the “stupidity of the American voter” helped Democrats pass Obamacare."

"Hillary for the Holidays":

"Hillary for the Holidays": I Wish I Had a Time Machine to Avoid Mrs. Clinton's Presidential Bid | Truthstream Media:
Can you imagine walking into someone’s house who has decked out their tree in “I’m Ready for Hillary” ornaments, is drinking out of “I’m Ready for Hillary” wine glasses and using Hillary quote napkins that say, “I really do hope that we have a woman president in my lifetime,” signed Hillary Clinton?

For me, it’d be a lot like walking into a serial killer’s house and finding his collection of body parts that have been turned into functional furniture items, complete with jars of his victim’s hair and toenail clippings.

*Shiver*

But look! There are so many options because “Baby, it’s cold outside!”

Once Again, Baltimore Police Arrest a Person For Recording Them

Once Again, Baltimore Police Arrest a Person For Recording Them - Slashdot
A lawsuit was filed yesterday over a case in which a woman was arrested for recording the police from her car while stopped in traffic.
Ars Technica writes, "Police erased the 135-second recording from the woman's phone, but it was recovered from her cloud account according to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City lawsuit, which seeks $7 million."
Baltimore police lost a similar case against Anthony Graber in 2010 and another against Christopher Sharp in 2014.
This is happening so often in Baltimore that in 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to the police reminding them that they cannot stop recordings, and most certainly cannot delete them.
Local awareness of this issue is high since the the Mayor and the City Council support requiring police body cameras.
The city council just passed a bill requiring them, but the mayor is delaying implementation until a task force determines how best to go about it.
The country is also focused on police behavior in light of the recent cases in Ferguson and New York, the latter of which involved a citizen recording.
So the mayor, city council, police department policies, courts, and federal government are all telling police officers to stop doing this.
Yet it continues to happen, and in a rather violent matter.
What can people do to curb this problem?

History for December 13

History for December 13 - On-This-Day.com
Dick Van Dyke 1925 - Actor, comedian, Christopher Plummer 1929 - Actor, John Davidson 1941 - Singer, actor, game show host ("That's Incredible," "Hollywood Squares") 


Ted Nugent 1948 - Musician, Steve Buscemi 1957 - Actor, Taylor Swift 1989 - Singer, songwriter 



1577 - Five ships under the command of Sir Francis Drake left Plymouth, England, to embark on Drake's circumnavigation of the globe. The journey took almost three years. 


1636 - The United States National Guard was created when militia regiments were organized by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 


1809 - The first abdominal surgical procedure was performed in Danville, KY, on Jane Todd Crawford. The operation was performed without an anesthetic. 


1862 - In America, an estimated 11,000 Northern soldiers were killed or wounded when Union forces were defeated by Confederates under General Robert E. Lee, at the Battle of Fredericksburg. 


1913 - The Federal Reserve System was established. 


1937 - Japanese forces took the Chinese city of Nanking (Nanjing). An estimated 200,000 Chinese were killed over the next six weeks. The event became known as the "Rape of Nanking." 


1978 - The Philadelphia Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony U.S. dollar. The coin began circulation the following July. 


1988 - A bankruptcy judge in Columbia, SC, ordered the assets of the troubled PTL television ministry sold to a Toronto real estate developer for $65 million. 

Cruz, Lee, Sessions Fight For Defund Amnesty Vote | The Daily Caller

Cruz, Lee, Sessions Fight For Defund Amnesty Vote | The Daily Caller:

"Republican Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Jeff Sessions are pushing for a vote to defund President Obama’s executive amnesty in the “Cromnibus” spending bill Friday night, The Daily Caller has learned.
The trio of conservative senators is hoping to get the defund vote onto the Senate floor as a “point of order,” which would force a procedural vote on the issue without Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid having to introduce it."

Congressman Wants FDIC to Pay for ‘Choking' Businesses

Congressman Wants FDIC to Pay for ‘Choking' Businesses:

"By “reputational risk,” Luetkemeyer was referring to a list originating within the FDIC that categorizing certain industries as risks to the banking industry. The goal, as part of Operation Choke Point, was to encourage banks to end relationships with customers engaged in those enterprises, choking them off from their financial life blood."

Google engineers: Renewables can't fix climate change

Google engineers: Renewables can't fix climate change « Watchdog.org
It hasn’t received much play in the media, but two Google engineers assigned by the company to show how renewable energy can tackle climate change each came to a blunt conclusion:

It can’t be done.“Trying to combat climate change exclusively with today’s renewable energy technologies simply won’t work; we need a fundamentally different approach,” engineers Ross Koningstein and David Fork said after analyzing a four-year project called “RE<C” — which means Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal.

The goal was to show that renewables — such as solar power and wind turbines — can generate electricity cheaper than a coal-fired power plant.
But they couldn’t pull it off.

....“My reaction was, ‘No kidding,’ ” Bryce told Watchdog.org.

The RE<C project showed renewables “could not provide the enormous quantities of energy that the world demands in anything that the time frame was required to help deal with the issue of climate change or at costs that people could afford,” Bryce said. “It’s a remarkable bit of truth-telling.”

“Unfortunately, most of today’s clean generation sources can’t provide power that is both distributed and dispatchable,” Koningstein and Fork wrote. “Solar panels, for example, can be put on every rooftop but can’t provide power if the sun isn’t shining.....”

Obama’s No Longer Hiding his Communist Nature; Look at What He Said!

Obama’s No Longer Hiding his Communist Nature; Look at What He Said!:

"As Obama spews communist talking points and invents biblical scriptures that don’t actually exist, we are reminded by Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”

If Barack Obama adhered to this ideology, the community agitator-in-chief would find himself out of a job and without his sycophantic followers."

Scariest video you will EVER see!!!!-----Muslim Demographics

Tim Skubick: The odds of raising (MI) taxes to fix roads just went up

And the leftist media wonks are doin' the Snoopy dance!
Tim Skubick: The odds of raising taxes to fix roads just went up | MLive.com

The odds of raising taxes to fix the roads have gone up as the anti-taxers saw one of their friends go rogue.

After steadfastly and earnestly opposing anything that even smelled like a tax boost, the GOP Speaker of the House is now “open” to exploring all “options” on the tax hike front.

Who’da thunk it?

It was one of the major developments this week in the continuing saga of “will they or won’t they” raise new road revenue?

For months Rep. Jase Bolger has been the odd-guy out in the meetings with the other three legislative leaders and Mr. Snyder. But during an interview this week, he raised the prospects of a possible tax boost.

Just to make sure the correspondent got the story right, this pointed question was asked and then answered.

“If we run the story tonight that the Speaker of the House is willing to raise new revenue through a tax increase, that would be accurate?”

Without blinking he said, “I’m open to that.”

Somewhat surprised at the revelation the reporter said, “That’s news.”
Now smiling the speaker noted, “You always make good news.”

Democrat majority (with submissive RINOs) vote for $$$ half-billion tax increase------Senate OKs tighter Internet sales tax collection

Senate OKs tighter Internet sales tax collection | Crain's Detroit Business
LANSING — Amazon and other online retailers with ties to Michigan would have to collect its 6 percent sales tax on purchases under legislation approved Thursday by a divided Senate.
Backers say the bills would level the playing field because brick-and-mortar businesses must assess the tax on customers.
The legislation was sent to the Republican-led House for its consideration in the waning days of the legislative session.
It won approval on a 21-16 vote in the GOP-controlled Senate, picking up support from 11 Democrats and 10 Republicans.
Wal-Mart and other stores in Michigan must collect the sales tax when selling goods over the Internet.
Shoppers currently are required to pay unpaid "use" taxes on online, catalog, mail- and telephone-order purchases when they file their state tax returns.
But few taxpayers comply, paying less than $6 million this year.
The state Treasury Department estimates that $482 million in revenue from remote sales went uncollected in the last fiscal year.
The bills could raise in the ballpark of $50 million a year from Amazon, Overstock, eBay and other Internet retailers with a "nexus" to the state.

Tea Party Representative: King Obama’s Amnesty is Turning America into a Lawless Open Borders Society

Tea Party Representative: King Obama’s Amnesty is Turning America into a Lawless Open Borders Society:

"By a razor-thin margin of 214-212, the House voted to advance the $1.1 trillion stop-gap spending deal, known as the “cromnibus,” despite the protests of many principled conservatives who view it as the job of Congress to thwart unconstitutional maneuvers by the president when they can."

New way to promote ObamaCare: 7-Eleven

New way to promote ObamaCare: 7-Eleven | TheHill:
"ObamaCare ads will now appear on 7-Eleven receipts at more than 7,000 stores nationwide as government health officials expand their outreach in the second year of healthcare sign-ups.
Information about ObamaCare sign-ups will appear on the bottom of receipts for anyone using an mobile payment company called PayNearMe, which allows bank-less customers to pay in stores like 7-Eleven and Family Dollar.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced the new partnership with the tech start-up PayNearMe on Thursday at a store in Washington, D.C.
“Putting these reminders at the bottom of PayNearMe receipts will help get health coverage information into the hands of traditionally hard-to-reach consumers,” HHS wrote in a statement.
The partnership will help HHS “reach financially underserved and other cash-preferring consumers,” the statement reads."

The IRS Scandal, Day 582

TaxProf Blog: The IRS Scandal, Day 582
Columbus Dispatch editorial: ‘Lost’ IRS Emails Might Reveal Truth:

It’s unsurprising that the “lost” email messages of former IRS official Lois Lerner, the disappearance of which conveniently coincided with her being investigated for the improper targeting of conservative groups, have been located by the Treasury Department’s inspector general.

Tech experts, as well as common sense, suggested from the outset that it was implausible that the emails just happened to vanish when they did, and were unrecoverable.

But that was the administration’s story, and it was sticking to it — at least until after the midterm elections.

The inspector general reported that 30,000 of Lerner’s emails have been recovered from the period of January 2009 to June 2011, the critical time when she and her colleagues were going after nonprofit groups whose ideology they didn’t like.

The content of the emails is unknown; investigators have said it might take months to sift through them.

For those who have lost track: Politically active conservative groups had their applications for nonprofit status delayed leading up to the 2012 elections and were asked improper questions about their affiliations, beliefs and even the content of their prayers. Some cried foul, but largely were ignored for months.

The Internal Revenue Service denied the targeting until after the election, and only when it became clear the issue wasn’t going away.

In May 2013, Lerner staged a limited confession in response to a planted question at a conference, in apparent attempt to limit the damage.

President Barack Obama at first expressed anger and vowed to get to the bottom of the issue ... until he felt it had blown over enough to dismiss the whole affair as a “phony scandal” without a “ smidgen” of corruption involved.

Meanwhile, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, appointed about a year ago, went before Congress insisting that the agency had bent over backward to recover Lerner’s emails, but “confirmed that backup tapes from 2011 no longer existed because they have been recycled, pursuant to the IRS normal policy.”

Not only would that have violated standard government records policy, according to testimony from the head of the National Archives, it turned out not to be true.

In light of all this, it’s alarming that after extracting the Lerner emails from the recovered files, the IG plans to send them to the IRS for redactions of confidential information. That would be the definition of allowing the fox to guard the henhouse.

It’s good news that the American public might finally get some answers in this investigation.

But it’s another dismaying example of how the administration that promised to be the “most transparent in history” has routinely misled, delayed and obfuscated in an effort to make its actions look better, especially before an election.

• Fox News, Fox News Poll: 70 Percent Want Congress to Keep Probing IRS

Protect yourself!!!------'I Slapped That Gun': Grandma Fights Off Three Carjackers

'I Slapped That Gun': Grandma Fights Off Three Carjackers:
"A group of carjackers may have thought this 67-year-old Indianapolis grandmother was an easy target.
They were wrong.
When one put a gun in Kay Kise's face and demanded the keys to her van, she slapped the pistol away and fought back.
“The next thing I know he's got a gun right in my face and he's telling me 'give me the keys to that van.'
I said, you're not getting my van and I slapped that gun to the side," she said.
In the ensuing struggle, she was pistol-whipped but her cries for help alerted a neighbor and the attackers fled when the woman ran outside.
Police believe the attackers were teenagers. Kise's left eye was swollen shut and she was treated at the hospital for broken bones in her face and bleeding in her brain.

More details from WISH-TV: 

According to an IMPD police report, the incident happened around 8 p.m. Sunday. Kay Kise, 67, said she had just finished Christmas shopping and was parked in front of her home in the 200 block of North Randolph Street.

She said three men approached her asking for directions, then one pulled out a gun and put it to her face. She said the men were demanding the keys to her van. Despite being outnumbered and unarmed, Kise didn’t back down.

...Kise’s granddaughters knew she was strong willed, but even they were surprised.

“Any other person would probably have kind of clammed up and gave up them the keys,” said granddaughter Ashley Howard.

Latest hate crime: Using the English language correctly

Latest hate crime: Using the English language correctly by Kevin Whiteman

Editorial: Latest hate crime: Using the English language correctly

"...Now that got me thinking, which hurt like hell … why am I quite often corrected AND admonished for using the English language correctly? I was “corrected” once by an oh-so-PC airhead because I referred to Orientals as … wait for it … Orientals. As this vacuous bird-brain sneered down her leathery-tanned nose as me, “Kevin, rugs are Oriental, my friend Kim is an Asian.” To wit, I retorted, “Do you even know what ‘Oriental’ means?”

Stunned silence. But I went on despite the irritating sound of the wind whistling through her head, “‘Oriental’ means ‘of the east.’ Just like ‘Occidental’ means ‘of the west.’ Kinda like Occidental College up in LA. You know, it’s on the West Coast, right? So if your friend Kim so desires to refer to my Dad’s European ancestors as ‘Occidentals,’ I could care less. Just don’t correct me for using the English language correctly.”

As time when by and by Western civilization furthered the process of slow suicide, now I’m told if I call the male of the species from China a Chinaman, I’m an evil person. Wait, is an Irishman no longer an Irishman? Scotsmen are no longer Scots nor men? But in all fairness, I can see the conundrum associated with the linguistic oxymoron that is Frenchman.

.......Yet the most idiotic knee-jerk reaction has been in regards to the word “niggardly.” My apologies to the perpetually outraged, but niggardly has absolutely no connection in any way, shape or form to either the color black or anything concerning the black race. The word is not rooted in the Latin word for black (the nominative neutral): Nigrum.

Niggardly actually comes to us from the Norsepersons-of-undetermined-gender, aka: (“The Vikings.”) Definition: “Niggardly” (noun: “niggard”) is an adjective meaning “stingy” or “miserly”, perhaps related to the Old Norse verb nigla = “to fuss about small matters”.[1] It is cognate with “niggling”, meaning “petty” or “unimportant”, as in “the niggling details.”

So with all that said, should I raise hell if someone ever utters within earshot of me “That’s not germane to the conversation”? Maybe someone just insulted my Bavarian heritage. I also demand that Tales of the South Pacific, Once Were Warriors, and Mutiny on the Bounty should all be taken out of all libraries and burned. I feeeeel they insult my Islander lineage.

Now doesn’t that sound silly?

Government wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in a fight with itself over food packaging safety | TheBlaze.com

Government wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in a fight with itself over food packaging safety | TheBlaze.com:

"Several conservative groups have asked incoming House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) to help end a fight within the federal government over food packaging safety — a fight that has already cost taxpayers more than $170 million.

Groups like Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government Waste, and the National Taxpayers Union wrote to Chaffetz Wednesday to say the National Institutes of Health has handed out $172 million in grants over the last 14 years to study the safety of bisphenol A, or BPA."

Students Demand Censorship of George Will, Won't Listen to Someone They Don't Like

Students Demand Censorship of George Will, Won't Listen to Someone They Don't Like - Hit & Run : Reason.com:
"Another day, another group of insolent students demanding that their university censor a prominent speaker and deprive the rest of campus of the opportunity to learn from him.
George Will is slated to give Michigan State University's fall semester commencement address on December 13th and receive an honorary degree from the university.
But because one of the thousands of columns he has written in his life was deemed controversial by those on the far-left side of the campus sexual assault issue, some students want him disinvited from campus
........Of course, whether one agrees with an invited speaker entirely, partly, or not at all is beside the point.
In fact, a strong case can be made that it is even more important to hear from notable people whose views differ from one's own—especially on campuses, where opportunities to hear opinions critical of liberalism are in short supply.
...More than 70,000 people signed the petition, started by the women’s rights advocacy group UltraViolet, which has called Will a “rape apologist.”
MSU President Lou Anna Simon, at least, has refused to disinvite Will.....
Indeed, "disinvitation season," as Foundation for Individual Rights in Education President Greg Lukianoff calls it, shows no sign of winding down.
The problem of universities cancelling speakers on behalf of censorship-inclined students may even be worsening.
If a liberal arts education has any purpose, it is to teach students the importance of Enlightenment values like free speech, tolerance, and rational debate.
When students demand that authorities silence dissenting views, they unintentionally demonstrate that they don't deserve the diplomas they are about to receive.

Feel-good funeral of the day!

(1) Venkata Ramesh:

Post by Venkata Ramesh.