So -- Standard and Poors has become the first of the major lenders to officially downgrade the United States from its AAA to a AA credit rating.  No doubt others will shortly follow.  For the first time in its history, America is something less than a first rank debtor.

This will have an effect on the interest lenders will want to charge us for use of their money.  And the additional interest we will have to pay, will probably be enough to wipe out any benefit of the recently negotiated spending cuts negotiated by Congress and The White House.

I don't know what the complete impact will finally end up being, but of one thing I am certain.  This downgrading of our credit worthiness will all but guarantee that Barack Obama will go down in history as one of if not the most fiscally irresponsible presidents this nation has ever had.

Oh Well!  That's what happens when people elect a pretty voice to office.  He sounds good, has a great story, and good patter to go along with it, but he doesn't have any idea what he is doing, or the experience to get us out of this mess. 

"We're trying to save life on this planet as we know it " -  Nancy Pelosi in yesterday's Weekly Standard in response to proposed Republican budget proposals.

Even if the Republican budget effort is completely wrong, it is not something that will effect life on this planet.  She's crazy!  And so are the people who keep re-electing her!!

The administration has been making a lot of noise in recent months about increasing taxes, because so many people don't pay any income tax at all.  Rather than raising taxes for everyone, it would seem that a more reasoned approach would be to go after those who aren't paying any taxes at all.  At least so it seems on the face of it, but things are not always what they seem.

Yes, there are some very wealthy who figure out how to beat the system, but most do not cheat.  They stay within the rules and laws set forth by Congress and the IRS.  Perhaps some of those rules and laws need to be changed; but doing so in many cases would also affect the less well-to-do as well as the wealthy.  Deductions for property tax is an example; deductions for medical costs is another.  If the law is changed to eliminate such deductions, the average homeowner would suffer a lot more than the few wealthy people who might be required to pay a few more dollars to the IRS.  It would also have a drastic impact on real estate sales and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in the home building and sales industries.  The cure would be worse than the bite.

The President makes much of how anywhere from 47% to 51% of the American public doesn't pay any income tax at all, as if that is a really big deal.  But have you ever considered what lies behind that percentage?  How many of that number are homeless with no income at all?  How many are living below the poverty line, barely able to put a plate of beans on the table at the evening meal?  I can tell you that most of the Social Security receipitants in the country don't pay taxes just because they don't have enough income to qualify. 

Consider myself, for example.  My sole source of income is social security.  For starters, only 50% of my social security income is taxable because I paid income tax on the 1st 50% while I was working.  It can't be double taxed.  The half that is taxable is that portion which was paid into the fund by my employer over my working life.  The net effect of this fact is that if my check is $26,000 annually, the taxable portion is only $13,000.

Contrary to what some people may think, medicare in not free, as any social security receipant can tell you. It has to be paid for monthly and is taken from my benefit before I receive the check. In round figures, that's $1200 annually off the top.  I must also buy additional health insurance to cover those medical expenses and perscription costs that medicare does not cover.  The resultant IRS allowed medical deduction is roughly $2800 (cost of medicare + cost of supplemental insurance + cost of perscription insurance) when I prepare my tax return.  That brings my taxable income down to $10,200, and I have not yet itemized out of pocket medical and prescription costs not covered by my insurance.

The State in which I live bills me approximately $2500 each year for real property taxes.  This IRS allowed deduction further reduces by taxable income, bringing it down to $7700 annually.  Now reduce that number by my personal exemption.  What is it these days?  Let's say it's $3500, and I'm left with $4200 that might be taxed.  And it would be, except for the fact that it is well below what the government says the minimum annual income needs to be before it can be taxed.  So Whaaaa-La.  I don't pay any income tax at all! 

I'm just one person.  There are 60 million people receiving social security each month, and nearly all of them can provide the same or similar accounting stories.  They are not tax cheats.  They, like me, are living on the edge of poverty, within the IRS regulations, and praying that their car doesn't need any major repairs and that their clothing will last another year.

So the next time you hear the President or members of Corgress talk about all the people who don't pay any income tax at all, remember that while a few definitely have the means to pay taxes, and some may be out right cheats, and others don't pay because they are illegals who are working off the books, most of them are are honest people without the income required to allow taxation. They are living at or below the poverty line and shouldn't be used like footballs so that one political party or another can deceive the public for the purpose of stealing yet more food from our mouths. I'd rather that they just stick a gun in my face and demand my money. At least that would be honest.

I think I am strongly leaning toward voting for guilty of Aggravated Child Abuse (which leads to felony murder) because the State has not proved premeditation to my satisfaction, but there can be not doubt that Cayle was abused and not doubt that she died as a result of that abuse.  In addition, I am strongly motivated to believe that this is Casey's responsibility based on her access to the material evidence and on the fact that 1) her behavior immediately after the date of death is inconstant with what I would expect from a primary caregiver and 2) the fact that she clearly and intentionally lied to the police in an effort to obstruct their investigation. 

While I am generally in favor of the death penalty, I do not believe that it should be applied in this case, because there is no irrefutable evidence that Casey did it; only strong circumstantial evidence was presented in the case.

How do you feel about it? If you were on the jury, how would you vote? 

[UPDATE] The jury came back with a not guity verdict.  I find that unbelievable.  They clearly seemed to think that the absence of undispited proof precludes her guilt.  That's nuts!  There is almost always an absence of absolute proof.  No one actual saw Tim McVay actually blowup the federal building in Oklahoma City, but the circumstancial evidence was abundant.  So it was here also.  I think this jury has been watching too much CSI and wasn't able to separate a television version of perfect crime solving from real life.  They were looking for evidence beyond a shadow of a doubt rather than evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Here's a story to ring your bell. The article was written by Kelly Heffernan-Tabor for the Digtriad news organization.  It tells of a Florida couple who successfully foreclosed on a Bank of America property after BOA failed to pay a court ordered fine.  Enjoy. 

Collier County, Florida -- Have you heard the one about a homeowner foreclosing on a bank?

Well, it has happened in Florida and involves a North Carolina based bank.

Instead of BankofAmerica foreclosing on some Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank.

It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple, who didn't owe a dime on their home.

The couple said they paid cash for the house.

The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple never even had a mortgage bill to pay.

A Collier County Judge agreed and after the hearing, Bank of America was ordered, by the court to pay the legal fees of the homeowners', Maurenn Nyergers and her husband.

The Judge said the bank wrongfully tried to foreclose on the Nyergers' house.

So, how did it end with bank being foreclosed on? After more than 5 months of the judge's ruling, the bank still hadn't paid the legal fees, and the homeowner's attorney did exactly what the bank tried to do to the homeowners. He seized the bank's assets.

"They've ignored our calls, ignored our letters, legally this is the next step to get my clients compensated, " attorney Todd Allen told CBS.

Sheriff's deputies, movers, and the Nyergers' attorney went to the bank and foreclosed on it. The attorney gave instructions to to remove desks, computers, copiers, filing cabinets and any cash in the teller's drawers.

After about an hour of being locked out of the bank, the bank manager handed the attorney a check for the legal fees.

"As a foreclosure defense attorney this is sweet justice" says Allen.

Allen says this is something that he sees often in court, banks making errors because they didn't investigate the foreclosure and it becomes a lengthy and expensive battle for the homeowner.

CBS News

I recently asked Experian for a copy of my one free annual credit report.  Instead of the report, Experian said that "as a precautionary measure, to assure that your credit file is disclosed only to you," I need to "include all of the following information" with my written request:

• my full name, with middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR II, III, etc
• Social Security Number
• Date of birth
• Current mailing address
• Previous mailing address
• a copy of my driver's licence, passport, military ID card, or other government issued id
• a copy of a recent utility bill, bank statement, or insurance statement

I can appreciate wanting to ensure that requests are being sent to the proper person, but this seems a bit intrusive, and can only serve to ensure that I won't be asking for a copy of my credit report again.  I don't mind calling someone and providing my name, SSN, DOB, and address over the phone, but I certainly will not provide copies of my driver's license and bank statements by mail.  That is too much and too risky. 

I have long believed that battery manufactures, especially auto batterys, have made a science of draining a battery so that if it was rated for 24-months it would last exact 24-months and one day, or maybe a week, before dying.  Now I find that some manufactures of electronic products appear to have made some headway in doing the same.

On May 9th 2008, I purchased a brand new 42" 1080 HD LCD flat-screen television.  It had the standard 1-yr parts and labor warrantee from the manufacturer.  Since it was an expensive purchase of what was then a new technology, I protected myself with an extended warrantee that ran for 24-months from the end of the manufacturer's standard warrantee.  That being the case, the extended warrantee ran from May 9th 2009 through May 9th 2011. 

You know what's coming next.  Yep!  On May 11th 2011, 2-days after the warrantee expired, my expensive HDTV decided that it was time to quit.  I have not been able to get it to turn on since then.  Yes there is power at the plug; in fact, the red power standby LED on the television is lit.  And when I hit the power-on button on either the remote or on the set itself, the LED goes from red to green, indicating a power-up process in the works.  The trouble is that the LED immediately goes back to red.  It will not complete the power-up cycle.

Talk about being pissed!  I really don't want to have to buy a new television.  Has anyone else had this problem, and does any one have any idea how this "glitch" can be overcome.  I was thinking that maybe an accumulation of dust or cat hair inside the set might be shorting out the process.  Should I take the back off and try to dust the circut card -- after unplugging the set, of course, and letting any residual charge bleed off?

Obama, you still don't get it.  You're still too worried about the feelings of the bad guys.  What about the feelings of the good guys?  What about the feelings of the victims of Osama Bin Laden? 

Bin Laden killed murdered my family, my friends, my coworkers, my countrymen.   I had to see their bodies, weep over them, and bury them.  Bin Laden attacked my country, he attacked me, he changed my way of life forever, and now you presume to tell me that I don't have a right to see his body. 

You say you're concerned about the possibility of sparking more vengeance, and you don't think the life of even one more American is worth the risk. 

Bullshit!  There are times when you take the chance, when you run the risk.  In this case, after all that has happened and all the lives already given, most Americans would be willing to run that small risk and pay that price if necessary, and if you were the man you think you are, you would know that.  It is pure arrogance when you play the part of a modern day Carry Nation by thinking that you know what is good for everyone else. 

You stupid son-of-a-bitch.  Instead of showing some sensitivity to how the people of America feel, you throw away an opportunity to show yourself as someone who can be intune with their needs.  In so doing, you have completely squandered what goodwill you got from the initial killing of Bin Laden and hung yourself out to dry -- again.

The Obama Administration does something good and then manages to f**k it up royally.  I speak of course of the killing of Bin Laden - The Good -- and then like typical politicians, they begin to over think the thing instead of being in tune with the people of the nation.

• They grab the body -- good -- but then they quickly dispose of it out of fear of offending the Muslim world -- bad.
• They take pictures to prove Bin Laden is dead -- good -- but then they don't quickly release those pictures, opening the door for all kinds of conspircy theories to develop -- bad.  Too much concern again for the "possibility" of offending someone.  I have no doubt that they will eventually be forced to release photos, but I have a concern that they will try to clean them up so the damage doesn't look too bad.  If they do that, it will compound their initial mistake beyond measure.
• And then there's the matter of whether or not Bin Laden was armed when he was shot.  Frankly, I don't care if he was or he wasn't, and neither does the rest of the country.  If he was armed, he was resisting arrest; if he wasn't armed, he was executed.  Either way works for me and for just about everyone else in the country. 

Thus, even as the 2012 political season is beginning to ramp up, the Obama Administration is squandering its goodwill and the advantage it has at home.

Is it any wonder the American People don't have a very high regard for politicians?!  What a bunch of morons!!

May he rot in hell where he belongs.

I'm glad that the Son-of-a-Bitch was killed by ground troops as opposed to a drone strike.  That gave him time to realize he was in trouble before he died. Indeed, it gives me a certain pleasure to know that the last thing he ever saw in this life was the business end of an American rifle in the hands of an American military man.   It also raised the morale of U.S. Forces around the world and raises respect in that area for U.S. troops by demonstrating that we don't need to use drones all the time.  It also gave us his body, so it won't be hidden or quickly buried by his supporters.  No one will be able to deny that we got him when the DNA test results are published.

Tomorrow will be a time for the media to speculate about many things, but tonight is a time for celebration.