Daily Duke for 2/9/09

NOTE

This is the first in what will hopefully be a daily set of updates on the state of the nation, world and or my sanity.  I have a problem in that I set unrealistic goals, but I think a modest post a day isn't too much to fucking ask myself.  We'll see.

These Daily Dukes will be a collection of links to different stories and posts across the Webs, mixed in with my pithy commentary and jokes.  Lots of terrible jokes.

The links will run the gamut from stories about foreign policy and economic drudgery to Bratz dolls and psychic warfare with Aliens. Anything is fair game, and each day will have a theme for the stories.

Also please note their are new links, both to some mainstream news sources that you already should be reading(if you still just check CNN.com for news, stop.  They rarely put forth a story of any merit and even if they do, it's either better written or cross-posted some place else).  Their are also links to the latest post at a few Weirdo blogs like cryptogon and Pizza Seo that are definitely worth checking out.

Altogether, it's Duke 2.0 in the 09.  Their will be much more to come hopefully in the next few months.  Please check back often and tell your friends.  If you have any.

If the Economy Tanks, at least I don't have anymore about Carbon Emission Night-terrors

President Obama is spending today trying to sell the nation on his just-enough-to-argue-it's-under-a-trillion-dollar package to the American people by going to Elkhart Indiana for a big Infomercial.  Elkhart Indiana, is among other things, a shit-hole with an unemployment rate of 15%(it's probalby really closer to 25% but numbers lie).  Oh and the KKK started there.  No joke.

IF, like most people, you are kind of confused by this idea that we need to massively spend our way out of a deficit to stop our country from going more broke then congratulations financial elite, Mission Accomplished.  

This deficit spending concept is called Keynesian economics, and it is known to cause ulcers in conservatives. 

What it comes down to is this, our economy is based on entirely based on consumption, in other words the corner stone of our economy is people buying shit.

Now that about a 1/5 of the country is unemployed or under-employed, people have stopped buying shit at an alarming rate(Although Walmart did post a growth of over 1% last quarter, that aint good enough).  States are broke enough to where  California, which has the fifth largest economy in the World is forcing workers to take certain Fridays off, because the State literally can't pay them.

So in this stimulus their are billions of dollars that will end up going to state governments, and municpalities who are desperately broke now and facing shut-downs and the like.  Also, unemployment benefits and food stamps will get much needed increased funding under this package.  

But of course, the majority of this bill is going to "Tax-Cuts", and to "Distressed" banks, so I got 10 bucks that your Average American gets nothing more than a tax break and maybe another check that will get cashed at the liqour store.

I would hate to be in Obama's shoes right now.  He has inherited a shit sandwich that is over 30 years in the making.  The truth is aside from the fact that our economy is so intertwined that spillover effects now are so great that unpaid mortgages in Idaho can tank the entire economy of Iceland, this "crisis" is a direct product of over 30 years of both parties Greed and Incompetence.

In other words shiiiiit.  Good luck trying to plug the leak that Icerbeg has caused in our hull.   I won't hold my breath for the check.

In other news,

Florida sucks.  Like really sucks.  Fark has for a long time had a Florida Category.  Daily comic tragedy. 

And... 

This is just too fucking funny.  Fears over Global Warming and Climate Change are now so pronounced in certain Earth Cookies that they are literally being clinically diagnosed.  Wait for it.  Wait for it.   HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I want to meet the guy with the Medical Marijuana card, burning trees to help with his Climatephobia.

and finally 

Girls Jumping On Trampolines!!!