Our big turkey!

Our little pilgrim!

Sunday morning....

Sleepytime!

Avery's favorite song...

Jen taught her all her best table dancing moves...

Kade's first den meeting...

This was a lot of fun for the boys...lots of games...and they got to learn the secret handshake :-)

Kade's first cub scout pack meeting.

They got their tiger cub neckerchiefs and then they got to build spaghetti towers.  Fun...but hot and long for the parents...

Avery loving Glee...

Is it just me...or does that boy have a big melon?

It's toothpaste man!!

You have to see it to believe it...

Skinny is alive again!!!

JT flying an Apache???

I can just picture him with his new sunglasses (oh wait…he didn’t have any money left after his visit to Tiffany’s) …screaming like a madman….firing finger lickin’ good chicken from a Apache…

State Dept. planning to field a small army in Iraq

By Warren P. Strobel | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Can diplomats field their own army? The State Department is laying plans to do precisely that in Iraq, in an unprecedented experiment that U.S. officials and some nervous lawmakers say could be risky.

In little more than a year, State Department contractors in Iraq could be driving armored vehicles, flying aircraft, operating surveillance systems, even retrieving casualties if there are violent incidents and disposing of unexploded ordnance.

Under the terms of a 2008 status of forces agreement, all U.S. troops must be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, but they'll leave behind a sizable American civilian presence, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the largest in the world, and five consulate-like "Enduring Presence Posts" in the Iraqi hinterlands.

…. Already, however, the State Department's requests to the Pentagon for Black Hawk helicopters; 50 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles; fuel trucks; high-tech surveillance systems; and other military gear has encountered flak on Capitol Hill

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/21/97915/state-dept-planning-to-field-a.html

 

 

 

2010 Fireworks (6 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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Ice visit (22 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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This should cause a bit of a ruckus...

From CNS News:

 

Obama Administration Approves First Direct Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Through New High-Risk Insurance Pools

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

By Susan Jones, Senior Editor

 

(CNSNews.com) - If you want proof that President Obama's Executive Order on taxpayer-funded abortion was a sham, look no further than Pennsylvania, says House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio).

 

Boehner and other Republicans point to reports that the Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state.

…

President Obama pledged that under his health care plan “no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.” 

…

The conservative Family Research Council says the $160 million in taxpayer funds for Pennsylvania is the first known instance of direct federal funding of abortions through the new high-risk insurance pools.

….

 

We shall see how this one plays out over the next few weeks as more in the MSM pick up on it…

 

 

I love this for what it is....

Good old fashioned scientific research…demonstrating its ability to transcend the horrific race baiting that continues to plague our society.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100712/sc_afp/sciencesportusphysics_20100712165904

       

The biggest irony…now we get to watch everyone avoid reporting this news due to fear of being labeled a racist…

 

 

Kade's Star Wars Birthday (197 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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Something that most folks probably missed...but I am sure that the mainstream media will get to this sometime...

I happened to see an excerpt from Capt. K.A.’s oval office address which bothered me a great deal…for a whole host of reasons.  It is only 6 sentences long…but that was enough for me….  Here is the excerpt:

 

“{1} Instead, what has defined us as a nation since our founding is our capacity to shape our destiny – our determination to fight for the America we want for our children. {2} Even if we’re unsure exactly what that looks like. {3} Even if we don’t yet know precisely how to get there.   {4} We know we’ll get there.

 

{5} It is a faith in the future that sustains us as a people.   {6} It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now.”

 

• First sentence, no problemo.  I believe that there are a few other major factors that define us as a nation (like democracy and capitalism)…but at face value there is nothing terribly offensive here.

 

• Second and third sentences…uhhh…you are starting to lose me Cpt. KA.  I am rather certain that the Founders knew EXACTLY what “our destiny” looked like.  They may have disagreed on some of the smaller details and how to get there…but the big picture was pretty damned clear…and they articulated it pretty damn clearly in the founding documents.  Take for example the first sentence of the Constitution: 

 

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

 

Sounds like a pretty clear vision…and oh by the way…Mr. Constitutional Scholar…they proceed to define in specifics HOW to do this in the 7 articles that followed this sentence!  So does his verbiage in sentence 2 imply:  1.) that “HE doesn’t currently have a vision of the future” or 2.) that “America doesn’t understand HIS vision”?  You be the judge.

 

• Fourth sentence…very re-assuring stuff…”We know we’ll get there”.  Hope springs eternal from this font!  FYI - I always start every road trip this way:  “I’m not sure exactly where we are going kids…not sure exactly how to get there…but I know we’ll get there”.  I wonder if even a child would say…”uhh…but where is there dad?”.  I am pretty sure that the Mrs. wouldn’t let this one slide…but hey…he is THE ONE after all…

 

• Ok, the fifth sentence is where I start to get pretty agitated.  HIS assertion is that what sustains us as a people is our “faith in the future”.  Hmmm…does that resonate with you?  This is a very telling passage.  If someone were to ask ME “what sustains me”…I might be more inclined to say something like…oh…let me think…maybe “my Faith in GOD”…or my faith in “Good will triumph over Evil”…or my faith in “Truth always prevails”???  I find it really ironic that Capt. KickAss believes in our “faith in the future”…this from the same man who is putting up regulations left and right to protect us from “the greedy oil/banks/corporations”…so which is it…are we by nature good or by nature evil? 

 

• Last sentence…”that same faith (the faith in the future) that sustains” people affected by the oil spill.  I will let you be the judge of where this one lies on the Stupid scale.  Maybe you can ask some of the folks in the LA tourism industry or in the (non BP) oil drilling business what their future looks like….

 

I know what everyone will say:  Why bother deconstructing these things…he is just pontificating…trying to make a broader point….give “the small people” some HOPE… 

 

Yes – I agree…we reap that which we sow…

 

 

 

 

Cpt. Kick Arse

Good old Captain Kick Ass made an interesting pitch this weekend in his radio address...one that I am willing to bet will not get a lot of national media attention:

"Since 2003, Congress has acted to prevent these pay cuts from going into effect. These votes were largely bipartisan, and they succeeded when Democrats ran Congress and when Republicans ran Congress - which was most of the time.

This year, a majority of Congress is willing to prevent a pay cut of 21% - a pay cut that would undoubtedly force some doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients altogether. But this time, some Senate Republicans may even block a vote on this issue. After years of voting to defer these cuts, the other party is now willing to walk away from the needs of our doctors and our seniors."

Can anyone tell me why this is so interesting? Have you been paying attention?

The interesting twist here is that Cpt. K.A. is trying to frame the argument that keeping the Medicare Dr. Fix is now needed. Huh? Isn't this the same Cpt. K.A. (and Doogie over at CBO) who promised that ObamaCare would pay for itself (and realize net-savings) as it was written? If you remember...ObamaCare was written INCLUDING the 21% cut. The phrase..."you break it, you buy it" comes to mind.

So, as a hypothetical...let's assume I go to buy a car. The salesperson promises me that the Cadillac will save me money over the long-run because it consumes less gas than the Pinto. Then I ask, but don't the "oil changes" cost more and thus eliminate all the savings? To which the answer is...oh no...the "oil changes" will cost less. So I buy it. Then I find out that the oil changes do in fact cost more and do in fact make the total cost of ownership greater than the lowly Pinto still sitting in the corner.

In this hypothetical...who is the sucker and more importantly...Who should Cpt. Kick ass be going after???

Kade wanted to share this with all of you...

The pickle tree

The other night Payton and I were talking while she was getting settled into bed for the night.

Payton: "When we were going to plant the garden?"
Dad: "Tomorrow we are going to start planting the garden."
Payton: "I can't wait to grow some pickles"
Dad: "You mean cucumbers...cucumbers are what we grow and then they get turned into pickles."
Payton: "No dad, I want to grow a pickle tree...that would be awesome!"
Dad: "Well - cucumbers actually grow on the ground."
Payton: "Well, I am going to plant a pickle tree."
Dad: "Sounds great. Good night."

So naturally, being an Enginerd...I just had to see if there was something called a pickle tree. Voila. For $3.99 it may just be worth setting a 4 year-old's imagination on fire!

Payton's Dance Recital (23 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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Another gem from Santa Clara county

The news article failed to mention what the Live Oak High School mascot is … you guessed it …. the Acorn …and their home page has “Go Nuts” across the main screen.  How fitting!

 

 

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Students-Wearing-American-Flag-Shirts-Sent-Home-92945969.html

On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.

Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.

"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."

The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.

"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.

The boys really had no choice, and went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset, calling what happened to their children, "total nonsense."

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."

But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.

"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."

As for an apology, the boys and their families say, "fat chance."

"I'm not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong," Galli said. "I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I'm an American and I'm proud to be an American."

The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district released a statement saying it does not agree with how Live Oak High School administrators handled this incident.

The boys will not be suspended and they were told they can go back to school Thursday. They may even wear their red, white, and blue colors again, but this time, the day after Cinco de Mayo, there will be no controversy. 

 

 

The lawyers are coming...the lawyers are coming (part-II)

The first article I read about Holder sending DOJ to the gulf struck me as downright odd – so I posted it for all to provide more insight.  The part that struck me as the most odd was this part: “The Justice Department stands ready to make available every resource at our disposal to vigorously enforce the laws that protect the people who work and reside near the Gulf, the wildlife, the environment and the American taxpayers.”  Well, it appears that there really is more to the story than first appeared…from the most transparent administration evah. Read the article below which starts to point towards a slightly different story…one where the lawyers really would be needed.  I especially like the part where Congress wants to now modify the existing law (retroactively)…maybe they understand that the original $75M was stupid low.  It does raise an interesting question…did BP agree to pay for the damages so quickly knowing that the law may in fact change at a later date (thus locking in the $75M cap)?  Seriously…it is always about the money.

 

Google News/AP: …Take President Barack Obama's repeated claims that BP will be responsible for all the costs associated with the devastating spill that began after an oil rig operated by the company exploded April 20, killing 11 workers and later sinking.

 

"Let me be clear: BP is responsible for this leak; BP will be paying the bill," Obama said while touring the area Sunday.

 

While it's true that the federal Oil Pollution Act, enacted in 1990 in response to the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, makes BP responsible for cleanup costs, the law caps the company's liability for economic damages — such as lost wages, shortened fishing seasons or lagging tourism — at $75 million, a pittance compared to potential losses.

 

Administration officials insist BP will be held responsible anyway, noting that if the company is found negligent or criminally liable, the cap disappears. Claims also can potentially be made under other state or federal laws, officials said.

 

Yet the liability cap is problematic enough that a trio of Democratic senators introduced legislation Monday raising it to $10 billion, and the administration quickly announced its support. Sens. Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and Bill Nelson of Florida voiced concerns that unless the cap is raised, BP would avoid paying for the mess and leave small businesses, local government and fishermen with the bill.

 

"They're not going to want to pay any more than what the law says they have to," Nelson said.

 

That's not quite the seemingly ironclad guarantee heard from the president.

 

 

 

Hypocrisy

 

Payton's 4th Birthday (53 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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The Lawyers are coming...the Lawyers are coming!!!

Really?  Watch out for the red part below…implication:  the taxpayers will by default be paying for the cleanup…unless “the attorneys” save us from the evil oil companies!  Quick question….is BP too big to fail?

 

Attorney General Holder Dispatches Justice Department Team to Monitor British Petroleum Oil Spill

Apr 30 01:12 PM US/Eastern

 

WASHINGTON, April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that he is dispatching a team of attorneys from multiple divisions within the Justice Department to New Orleans to meet with the U.S. Attorney and response teams and to monitor the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The British Petroleum oil spill has already cost lives and created a major environmental incident," said Attorney General Holder. "The Justice Department stands ready to make available every resource at our disposal to vigorously enforce the laws that protect the people who work and reside near the Gulf, the wildlife, the environment and the American taxpayers."

The team will be led by Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, and will include relevant United States Attorneys. The combined group from the Department plans to make a site visit and meet with representatives from federal agencies working on the response.

A coordinated response continues with a comprehensive oil well intervention and spill-response plan following the April 22, 2010 sinking of the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig 130 miles southeast of New Orleans. More than 1,000 personnel from federal, state and local agencies are involved in the response effort both on and offshore, with additional resources being mobilized as needed.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

 

 

What could go wrong...

Really?  This is what we are heading towards?  Brought to you straight from California…coming to a Booger King near you!!

Santa Clara County says no to fast-food toys

Justin Berton, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

No toy for you, Junior.

Not if you live in unincorporated Santa Clara County, where the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to ban restaurants from giving away toys with children's meals that exceed set levels of calories, fat, salt and sugar.

The ordinance, which the board passed by a 3-2 vote, is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. The target is the fast-food industry and what critics call its practice of marketing unhealthful food to children and fueling an epidemic of obesity among the young.

"This ordinance breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes," said the law's author, Supervisor Ken Yeager. "Obviously, toys in and of themselves do not make children obese. But it is unfair to parents and children to use toys to capture the tastes of children when they are young and get them hooked on eating high-sugar, high-fat foods early in life."

$1,000 fine for violations

Representatives for the California Restaurant Association, whose members include chains that opposed the ordinance, have 90 days to offer an alternative to the legislation. Violations under the version the board approved Tuesday would be punishable by fines of as much as $1,000 for each meal sold with a toy.

Yeager said he hopes the law will inspire cities and counties across the country to follow suit like "ripples that create a wave."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/28/MNLA1D5QFV.DTL#ixzz0mWK8KRYF

 

Boston Marathon

One of the perks of living in Hopkinton is the fact you get to be one of the few people to watch the start of the Boston Marathon. They pretty much block all the roads leading into town about 5:30am ... which explains why I was not at work today ... there was no way for me to get to work.

Kade really enjoyed the whole thing. He was really into seeing the start and understanding everything. His school (Center School) is actually about 50 yards from the start line...so for the week leading up to the big race ... they teach the kids about Patriots' day (the race is always on Patriots day) and the Boston Marathon. They even have runners from Kenya and other places come int an talk about their home countries and why they race.

To be honest, it was really quite amazing to see. There were about 25,000 runners in the race this year and almost all of Hopkinton was on the Green. I think we ran into just about everyone we know in town over at the Fried Dough stand....yeah...that's right...we all celebrated the runners by wolfing down some Fried Dough at 10:30 in the morning! The worst part of it all...we showed up right at 10:00am when the elite men's field was starting...so we got to see the winner Kenyan (Robert Cheruiyot) head off down the hill towards Boston. By the time we were finished watching the next heat head out, eat our fried dough, play on the playground, walk back to the car, drive home and turn on the TV...Robert was just crossing the finish line in Boston (2hrs 5 mins later)! That was really amazing! Anyway, here are some pics...

Easter (78 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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Great Grandparents Visit (30 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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Bath time Surprise

Quick one:  Last night I was giving the kids a bath. 

 

Kade: “I am proud of my wiener!”

Mom: “Do you know what a wiener is?”

Kade: “A hot dog….I am proud of my hot dog!”

 

Jen is convinced that I coached him on this…but alas I cannot take credit. 

 

Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Chart...the best blog topic ever?

Seeing as how we are first time septic tank owners….I needed to do a little research to see how often one should pump out their septic tank (I know gripping stuff).  I found this chart on the web and it implies that for our needs (1,500g w/ 5ppl) we need to pump about every 3 years.  Anyone out there have experience and can help calibrate if this is about right?

 

Table I. Septic Tank Pumping Frequency in Years

.	Household size - Number of Occupants

.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Tank-Gallons

Septic Tank Pumping Frequency in Years

500*	5.8	2.6	1.5	1.0	0.7	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.1	--
750*	9.1	4.2	2.6	1.8	1.3	1.0	0.7	0.6	0.4	0.3
900	11.0	5.2	3.3	2.3	1.7	1.3	1.0	0.8	0.7	0.5
1000	12.4	5.9	3.7	2.6	2.0	1.5	1.2	1.0	0.8	0.7
1250	15.6	7.5	4.8	3.4	2.6	2.0	1.7	1.4	1.2	1.0
1500	18.9	9.1	5.9	4.2	3.3	2.6	2.1	1.8	1.5	1.3
1750	22.1	10.7	6.9	5.0	3.9	3.1	2.6	2.2	1.9	1.6
2000	25.4	12.4	8.0	5.9	4.5	3.7	3.1	2.6	2.2	2.0
2250	28.6	14.0	9.1	6.7	5.2	4.2	3.5	3.0	2.6	2.3
2500	30.9	15.6	10.2	7.5	5.9	4.8	4.0	3.5	3.0	2.6

 

 

Tax Day Conspiracy...probably not........but beneficial...absolutely!

1. Have you ever contemplated the reasoning behind choosing April 15^th as tax day?
2. Have you ever wondered why national elections are held on “the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November”?
3. Have you ever thought about these two things together (and wondered if having tax collection be ~6 months away of elections is really a “coincidence”)?

 

 

“Answer” to Question 1:

“Congress passed the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which allows for the implementation of personal income tax, on February 3, 1913, and chose March 1 of the following year as the filing deadline. The deadline was changed to March 15 in 1918, and, as we learned at Tax History Project, to April 15 in 1955. Moving back the date from the end of the tax year served two purposes -- it gave the IRS more time to handle the work and, more importantly, more time to hang on to your money before issuing you a refund.”

 

“Answer” Question 2:

“The Constitution does not stipulate the date of national elections, just that the Electoral College electors should be chosen on the same day throughout the United States. When the United States was first founded, Congress met in December and usually adjourned in March. This was largely because it was the only time farmers could be away from the land. A 1792 law established that presidential elections should be held sometime in November, which gave enough time to count the votes before the new congressional session started. But the dates of local, state, and congressional elections varied from state to state and year to year. In 1845, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November became the official presidential election date. And in 1872 the Apportionment Act added the election of members of the House. (In case you were absent from school for this: Senators were chosen by state legislature until 1913.) But why Tuesday? Many people had to travel to get to the polls, so Monday was allotted as a travel day because Sunday was a day of worship. Nov. 1 was out because it is a Catholic holy day of obligation, All Saints Day.”

 

 

Great advice for kids of all ages...

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your
 self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life.. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

 

USA Today Graphic outlining spending/revenue at Federal level since 1941

http://i.usatoday.net/news/graphics/2010/2010-04-13-deficit/deficit-va.jpg

Question for you...

Now the government runs the student loan program…yeah! It is supposed to save money because there is no more pesky middle-man (a.k.a., job producing private company)…well damn...that just makes sense (unless you work at that pesky middle man company).

1. According to staffordloan.com the current “subsidized rate” for a student loan is 5.6% and the “unsubsidized rate” is 6.8% (FYI – Stafford loans are amongst the cheapest around). Most folks end up with big PLUS loans which run about 8% today.
2. According to USTreas.gov the rate on a 3-month T-Bill is 0.16% (you know…where *they* are getting the money)

Question 1: If the US government is basically pocketing well over 5.5% on each dollar loaned out…where is the incentive to keep college affordable? The more you borrow…the more they make. Moral Hazard?

USAToday.com: The change, included in the health care overhaul bill that cleared Congress last week, has caused considerable turmoil in the banking industry, which stands to lose billions of dollars in federal subsidies. But for borrowers, the change will be much less drastic. Interest rates for federal student loans won't change, nor will the limits on how much you can borrow. And Uncle Sam is no pushover: If you fail to repay your loans after you graduate, you'll still face stiff penalties.

If the interest rates “won’t change” …and there is no middle man…the gov’t benefits…not the students. I just can’t fathom why saint Obama never thought to pass some of those savings along to the students. Gee, this kind-of-sort-of looks like a “working model” that can be replicated by Team Obama in the future à any lending extended through a private entity can be brought “inside” to boost Federal “returns”.

Question 2: Can you think of any other industry where this model may be applied???

Question 3: Can you think of any issues that may arise from the gov’t controlling who gets loans and at what rate?

In all fairness, the regulations imposed upon the “private lenders” basically made them an extension of the gov’t…but there is just something different about direct control vs. indirect control. And before everyone brings up the recent banking fiasco…just ask yourself…is it better to have “loved and lost” than to have “never loved at all”? Without creativity/risk there is no advancement. Entire industries have arisen from private lenders taking “good” risks (i.e., biotech, computers, green-tech, etc). The banking mess was in fact bad…very bad….but please don’t label ALL private investment as bad…

Rob's 35th Birthday (14 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

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A bit of humor...

For those of us who may be less than jubilant these days...check this story out...good stuff!

And a bonus cartoon for us losers!

Avery's 1st Birthday Party (45 photos), by Jennifer Cavagnaro

Update 3/22: I am so glad that Jen finally got to post these pictures of Avery's birthday! Unfortunately we are having "time" difficulties in the Cavagnaro house...it appears that 24 hours in a day just doesn't cut it anymore with three sets of kid wheels motoring around the house now. Avery being on the move is quite a change for all of us! As usual...all the great ideas came from Jen...I just did the cake! Happy birthday Avery!

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I don't even know what to title this one...

Things are getting ugly in the USA.... People are waking up and realizing that they need to participate in their government - but most don't really know how. This healthcare issue has become a pinnacle slap in the face to the masses. Memo to D.C. ... we only tolerate so much insolence. The last time I recall this much "heat" was before the Iraq war...but that was a different matter. That at least followed a somewhat "normal" course. This healthcare issue is so much more than that. All the deceit, all the back-room deals, all the shenanigans ... this really is the breaking point for many US citizens (note: I don't say Americans anymore as people in Costa Rica like to remind me that they are American's too...). I really do feel that this will end up in "revolt". Hopefully just the "vote the bums out" kind...but I am not so sure about that. The minority of folks that actually pay taxes these days are getting sick and tired of being told that they don't have a voice and/or that we are too dumb to understand. Believe me...we understand completely. Once >50% of the people are on the gov't gravy train...we are going to just get screwed faster and harder. We get it! We are effectively being told at every turn that the government is more capable of managing our lives than we are. Personally, I love that lie the most. A travesty of the gravest proportion. Here is the latest installment...you really need to read this one!

http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/03/19/the-heat-is-on-congressmans-office-says-constituent-calls-are-harassment/

If this bill passes....watch out. I do believe that there will be repercussions. Stir into the brew, the fact that states are delaying paying back YOUR tax refunds (yeah - just imagine the warm reception you would get if you were late paying your taxes because you don't have the money):

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/03/12/four-states-plan-to-delay-tax-refunds/

Then add a dash of immigration reform - to tip the D scales just a little bit farther:

http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2010/03/immigration-proposal-will-blow-out-all.html

What do you have? An eruption from the void!

Masscare

This would be funny - if I didn't just have to include in my MA tax returns, a form stating that I "met the minimum health coverage requirements" this year (don't worry...it's coming to a theater near you soon).

Happy 1st Birthday Avery Grace Cavagnaro!

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Hope 'n Change

So...let's hope that this is a hugely misguided trial balloon. According to Reuters...the new JOBS bill coming out of congress will likely carry a $80B price tag ($$ to be taken from those with jobs). If you read the details below...it reads EXACTLY like what you would expect when one attempts to create jobs....you know...stuff like extending "jobless payments and healthcare subsidies for the unemployed". Correct me if I am wrong...but how exactly does giving money to unemployed people create jobs (or incentive to find a job)? Oh, that's right...they are just following Doogie's guidance. Let's just hope that this will change...

Senate jobs bill extends Medicare payment rates -text

Tue Feb 9, 2010 2:44pm EST

Related News

• Factbox: Reconciling U.S. Senate, House healthcare bills
  Thu, Jan 21 2010

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A jobs-creation bill that could pass the Senate this week would delay a scheduled 20 percent reduction in doctor payments under the Medicare health-insurance program, according to a copy of the text obtained by Reuters.

BONDS

The bill also extends soon-to-expire jobless payments, healthcare subsidies for the unemployed and highway-funding programs, according to the text of the bill, which has not yet been introduced

And there she goes...

Table Talk

There is a standing tradition in our home...we eat dinner together and say a prayer together. But this is usually where all our allusions of great parenting stop. Tonight was no exception. You see...we have been having a particularly difficult time with Kade and Payton lately ... and their unending desire to make everyone laugh at the table through making bodily noises. We usually let the first offense go with just a warning but the second lands their butts in time-out. Tonight Kade fell victim to the 2-strike policy. Upon returning to the table from timeout:

Dad: "Kade, why did you go to time-out?"
Kade: "Because I burped at the table."
Dad: "What do you say?"
Kade: "Excuse me."
Dad: "I think you should say that you are sorry to the table."
Kade: Immediately looks down at the table and says with a straight
face...you guessed it..."I am sorry table"

Ahh...I should have known that was coming.

Kade is apparently an Evil Republican...

The past few weeks The Mrs. and I have been introducing Kade and Payton to the world of allowances. Now...seeing as how we are both well educated people who work honestly to put food on our table, we are vehemently opposed to the concept that our children are "Entitled" to an allowance. There are many people out there proffering advice on how to handle the whole allowance issue. One mainstream opinion seems to be that you should always give the allowance at regular intervals, like a paycheck. But...here is the rub that I have with this theory. That assumes that your child is as responsible at doing their chores as working adults (or...far yet worse, it simply assumes that your child is "Entitled" to an income because they walk the planet - something that far too many adults also currently believe). Reality is that a 3 year old and a 6 year old are not 100% dependable to do their chores every day. So...the Mrs. has fashioned nice chore charts which, when completed, can be redeemed for their allowance. I know...we are mean parents... expecting that they actually "do something" to earn some money....

Anyway, both Kade and Payton completed their first chore charts last night. This was the moment that they had been waiting for...they were very excited to be "getting their money". Coincidentally, Kade's school has been collecting $1 Haiti donations from students. So we asked Kade if he

would like to give $1 of his $5 allowance to Haiti. His response: "No........who is Haiti?" - [since his first response was "No", there is no question that he is an Evil Republican]. Jen took the time to explain that it was a place near Costa Rica that had a terrible earthquake, most of the houses and buildings collapsed and many people were hurt and even died. She then took him to the computer and showed him where it was on the map...and pulled up some pictures of the aftermath. At that point, she asked if he would like to help the people he saw on the computer by donating one of his hard earned dollars at school the next day. And being the Evil Republican that he is...he naturally said..."yes!". And thus, he just contributed 20% of his first paycheck to charity... very evil indeed (and don't forget to look at Obama's and Biden's charitable track records)!

Oh...on a separate note...in case you didn't catch Obama's pledge to "focus on Jobs and the economy" at the State of the Union...here is a great article about how his administration is "considering several steps that would review the legality of the controversial Bowl Championship Series". I am dying to hear how that is going to stimulate

the economy...unless they are planning to begin taxing collegiate sporting events. Oh wait...don't laugh...Doogie and the CBO are already working on it! (FYI - The CBO was asked to look at this by the Senate Finance Committee...chaired by...you guessed it...Max Baucus...who just happens to be trying to find revenue to fund...what was that...oh yeah...ObamaCare!! Hmmm...interesting...if you go all the way to the end you will see this (emphasis mine):

"Even reclassifying certain types of income might fail to be effective if the policy was intended to apply only to athletic departments. Unless the treatment of such income was consistent across the entire university, strong incentives would remain to shift income taxable to the athletic department to the nontaxed portion of the university. However, reclassifying certain types of income as unrelated, and therefore taxable, would have the advantage of focusing directly on the types of revenue that are associated with the relatively few highly commercial athletic departments rather than on the majority of athletic departments that engage in little commercial activity. "

Read that as...you need to make sure that you classify certain high income streams (from pg. 10: "such as corporate sponsorships or royalties from sales of branded merchandise") as taxable (and oh by the way...make sure there is a law preventing those slimy universities from unscrupulously shifting that revenue to other tax-exempt buckets)...and then bleed them dry. Wow - if that were the case...then why not double the fun by super concentrating those "high income streams" in something like...say...a prolonged playoff system where the highest grossing universities get to play...say...5 games instead of one??? Hmmm...now that sounds like an effort to tax universities...that should be good at lowering the cost of education. Ans as for all that new found revenue? It would obviously be immediately put to work generating JOBS! And there you have it. My 20 minute conspiracy for the night.

Just your ordinary trip to the SSA

Let me preface this entry by saying that this one is for senor J.T. (yes, Mr. Kentucky Royalty). I really hope a lion or tiger has not gotten him yet...

Yesterday I finally made the trip that I have been dreading. I needed to head on down to the local Social Security Administration branch to apply for a SS#/card for Avery (you see, it is kind of hard to do your taxes without it...well, at least correctly - unlike our Treasury Secretary...). To start...I had to sit in the waiting area for a little over an hour. That was an experience in and of itself. A couple of observations. First, there was the obligatory Purell dispenser at the door - which nobody used despite being in the grips of the worst epidemic of ALL time. Second, there were two beautiful portrait pictures of both Obama and Biden staring at me - as if they were personally there to re-assure me that this would be an efficient government operation. Third, there were about 20 signs on the walls telling people NOT to use their cellphones for security reasons - apparently the Framingham SSA office is a prime terrorist target in the making. Fourth, there was not a single sign in just one language...they were all in English and Spanish....go figure, no Mandarin or French. Fifth, there was a really annoying Chubby Checker sign staring at me ... I am very glad I can share that one with you. Lastly, there were a LOT of loud Latino ladies in the waiting area jibber-jabbing in Spanish as we waited. Their conversations were really interesting. Mainly stemming around how they were here to "get their money". Lovely. One even went so far as to tell the others that she needed to get into a car wreck so she could "get her money"...too bad she didn't buy a Toyota huh. Hmmm...knowing Spanish does have it's uses after all ;-)

But the real meat of the matter was what happened next when I was finally beckoned by the almighty SSA agent. I am sure that they saw me and thought...trouble! You could see it in the ladies eyes...she had me pegged as one of those folks trying to game the system. Don't worry...I had had over an hour with Chubby and Obama 2.0 to prepare ... I was ready for the fight!! (cue theme music from The Good, Bad and the Ugly):

Agent: She opens with a challenge. A flat toned statement of "What do you want?".

R: "A social security card for my daughter. She was born overseas and so I need to get one issued"

Agent: "How old?"

R: "11 months."

Agent: "She doesn't have one already?"

R: "Nope."

Agent: "Birth certificate."

R: "Well, here is her CRIBA..."

Agent: quizzical look...slight head tilt...

R: "Her Consular Report of Birth Abroad..."

Agent: Looks at CRIBA..."This is a birth certificate."

R: "Uh...ok." (I was tempted to ask her if it was the same kind of birth certificate that the fine gentleman with his picture on the wall also possesses ... you know...Obama 2.0's...but I didn't dare up the ante too fast here...)

Agent: "I will need a form of identification for her."

R: "Sure - here is her passport."

Agent: "No sir, I need a valid form of identification."

R: "I am pretty sure that a passport is valid identification, ma'am."

Agent: "Don't you have something like an immunization record?"

R: "Huh? You are aware that a passport is proof of citizenship and allows you to enter this country right? That is why we needed to get her a passport - issued by the very same government you work for - so we could come back to the US. Are you confused by the fact that she has a passport and not a SS#? "

Agent: "Yes. Are you sure she does not have a SS# already?"

R: "I am sure. You see, the state department is not in the business of issuing social security numbers. They are pretty busy making sure that the good guys get to come to the country and the bad guys stay away. They were focused on the CRIBA and the passport. The rest is your job."

Agent: "hold on please"...she goes to the back to check with here superior...comes back..."ok sir, you are right. A passport is an acceptable form of identification."

R: "Good to know."

Agent: I think she is starting to pick-up on some sarcasm at this point. "Sir, now I need to see your identification."

R: "Sure...here is my passport." I am pretty sure that she detected my delight as she looked into the big ass grin on my face when I said that!

Agent: "Ok, everything looks in order this should just take a minute."

Personally, the ignorance I can look past. I mean...come'on. How many times are they ever confronted with a situation like mine...you know...the kind where everything is actually done right? Judging from the Latino ladies conversations...I am betting it is a pretty rare occurrence. The piece that really grated me the wrong way was the fact that an immunization record was considered valid proof of identification. Are you kidding me? I am pretty sure I have a suggestion for my new state Senator...Senor Brown...maybe we should take a closer look at how easy it is to get on the Social Security gravy train???

Gotta love the good old SSA!