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    <channel>
        <title>Filibuster Soup</title>
        <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics</link>
        <description></description>
        <language>en</language>
        <copyright>Copyright 2012 Gear Live</copyright>
        <lastBuildDate>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 03:08:43 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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        <ttl>15</ttl>

        <item>
            <title>Jon Lovitz Uses Strong Language Toward President Obama</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;jon&#45;lovitz&#45;uses&#45;strong&#45;language&#45;for&#45;president&#45;obama</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;jon&#45;lovitz&#45;uses&#45;strong&#45;language&#45;for&#45;president&#45;obama</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:08:43 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Humor</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <description><![CDATA[
	I want to make a prediction. Former Saturday Night Live host and fellow Democrat Jon Lovitz will eventually apologize for the words he used for Barack Obama in a recent podcast interview with Kevin Smith.

	The two liberals were talking politics when Lovitz stated, &ldquo;This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don&rsquo;t pay their taxes is f**king bulls**t, and I voted for the guy and I&rsquo;m a Democrat. What a f**king a**hole.&rdquo; Lovitz went on to say, "First they say, &lsquo;You can do anything you want. Go for it.&rsquo; So then you go for it, and then you make it, and everyone&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;F**k you. Obama is the perfect example. He&rsquo;s amazing. He had nothing&hellip; and the guy ends up being at Harvard. He&rsquo;s the President of the United States. And now he&rsquo;s like,&nbsp; &lsquo;F**k me and everybody who made it like me.&rsquo;&rdquo;


Continue reading Jon Lovitz Uses Strong Language Toward President Obama: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-jon-lovitz-uses-strong-language-for-president-obama]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
	I want to make a prediction. Former Saturday Night Live host and fellow Democrat Jon Lovitz will eventually apologize for the words he used for <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/tag/barack+obama">Barack Obama</a> in a recent podcast interview with Kevin Smith.</p>
<p>
	The two liberals were talking politics when Lovitz stated, &ldquo;This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don&rsquo;t pay their taxes is f**king bulls**t, and I voted for the guy and I&rsquo;m a Democrat. What a f**king a**hole.&rdquo; Lovitz went on to say, "First they say, &lsquo;You can do anything you want. Go for it.&rsquo; So then you go for it, and then you make it, and everyone&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;F**k you. Obama is the perfect example. He&rsquo;s amazing. He had nothing&hellip; and the guy ends up being at Harvard. He&rsquo;s the President of the United States. And now he&rsquo;s like,&nbsp; &lsquo;F**k me and everybody who made it like me.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>


<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-jon-lovitz-uses-strong-language-for-president-obama">Continue reading Jon Lovitz Uses Strong Language Toward President Obama</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Are You Taking In Too Much Junk?</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;are&#45;you&#45;taking&#45;in&#45;too&#45;much&#45;junk</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;are&#45;you&#45;taking&#45;in&#45;too&#45;much&#45;junk</guid>
            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:27:57 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Media</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ While thinking about a recent physical I had, it led me to make an observation. I received a call from my doctor telling me I had higher than normal cholesterol. I work on the road a lot, and I eat a lot of fast food. There&#39;s no excuses because nobody has forced me to stuff my face with junk food.&nbsp; The same goes for the information you take in. The mainstream media serves up a menu high in misinformation, lies, and spin. Think of all the major news networks, newspapers, and magazines as the fast food restaurants of media. Just like the case of my poor food choices, we&#39;re not being forced to view or read this information. The doctor told me to stop eating foods riddled with fat, and to try more natural and organic foods. We can do the same for news intake.&nbsp; Like fast food restaurants, the mainstream media is manipulated and influenced by large corporations that don&#39;t have the public&#39;s best interest in mind. There&#39;s better alternatives than the major networks and news outlets. They&#39;re not hard to find. There&#39;s plenty of organic news sources entrenched within the &#39;new media.&#39; All you have to do is find which one is right for you. I&#39;m&#8230;]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">
	<img alt="Fast Food and the Mainstream Media" src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/mcdonalds.jpg" style="width: 375px; height: 280px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 1px;" /></p>
<p>
	While thinking about a recent physical I had, it led me to make an observation. I received a call from my doctor telling me I had higher than normal cholesterol. I work on the road a lot, and I eat a lot of fast food. There&#39;s no excuses because nobody has forced me to stuff my face with junk food.&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	The same goes for the information you take in. The mainstream media serves up a menu high in misinformation, lies, and spin. Think of all the major news networks, newspapers, and magazines as the fast food restaurants of media. Just like the case of my poor food choices, we&#39;re not being forced to view or read this information. The doctor told me to stop eating foods riddled with fat, and to try more natural and organic foods. We can do the same for news intake.&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Like fast food restaurants, the mainstream media is manipulated and influenced by large corporations that don&#39;t have the public&#39;s best interest in mind. There&#39;s better alternatives than the major networks and news outlets. They&#39;re not hard to find. There&#39;s plenty of organic news sources entrenched within the &#39;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media">new media</a>.&#39; All you have to do is find which one is right for you. I&#39;m not against fast food restaurants. I just need to eat it less. An occasional chicken nugget or milk shake won&#39;t hurt me because I&#39;m educating myself enough about alternatives. More people should do the same when it comes to where they get their news.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Barack Obama&#8217;s Approval Rating Below 50 Percent</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;barack&#45;obamas&#45;approval&#45;rating&#45;below&#45;50&#45;percent</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;barack&#45;obamas&#45;approval&#45;rating&#45;below&#45;50&#45;percent</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:28:29 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Dennis Velasco</dc:creator>


            <category>Domestic Policy</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Elections</category>

            <category>History</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>Wall Street</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ After enjoying a 63% approval rating after his 100 days in office, President Barack Obama&#8217;s rating has dipped below 50% to 48% after his first 500 days in office.&nbsp; It&#8217;s been a tougher road for Obama as his tenure as president continued, especially with polarizing issues such as economic bailouts, offshore drilling, and the big one, healthcare.&nbsp; While the stock market has slowly recovered, people still find themselves unemployed and obviously dissatisfied with the rate of speed the president is turning this around.&nbsp; So, how does Obama compare to previous presidents? George W. Bush&#8217;s approval rating stood 77 percent in late May 2002, just eight months after the September 11 attacks. Bill Clinton was at 51 percent in late May 1994. George H.W. Bush stood at 65 percent in May of 1990. Ronald Reagan&#8217;s approval rating was at 45 percent in May of 1982. Jimmy Carter stood at 43 percent in May of 1978 and Richard Nixon was at 59 percent in May of 1970. Luckily Obama&#8217;s administration isn&#8217;t judged only after 500 days, but they will need to start to win back the people&#8217;s administration before they know it in order for a successful&#8230;]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/barack-obama-approval.jpg" alt="Barack Obama approval rating below 50 percent" class="border" style="float: center; margin: 5px 5px;" width="450" height="281" /></p>

<p>After enjoying a 63% approval rating after his 100 days in office, President Barack Obama&#8217;s rating has dipped below 50% to 48% after his first 500 days in office.&nbsp; It&#8217;s been a tougher road for Obama as his tenure as president continued, especially with polarizing issues such as economic bailouts, offshore drilling, and the big one, healthcare.&nbsp; While the stock market has slowly recovered, people still find themselves unemployed and obviously dissatisfied with the rate of speed the president is turning this around.&nbsp; So, how does Obama compare to previous presidents?</p>

<blockquote><p>George W. Bush&#8217;s approval rating stood 77 percent in late May 2002, just eight months after the September 11 attacks. Bill Clinton was at 51 percent in late May 1994. George H.W. Bush stood at 65 percent in May of 1990. Ronald Reagan&#8217;s approval rating was at 45 percent in May of 1982. Jimmy Carter stood at 43 percent in May of 1978 and Richard Nixon was at 59 percent in May of 1970.</p></blockquote>

<p>Luckily Obama&#8217;s administration isn&#8217;t judged only after 500 days, but they will need to start to win back the people&#8217;s administration before they know it in order for a successful re-election in 2012.
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Al Gore and Tipper Gore announce separation</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;al&#45;gore&#45;and&#45;tipper&#45;gore&#45;announce&#45;separation</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;al&#45;gore&#45;and&#45;tipper&#45;gore&#45;announce&#45;separation</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:21:03 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Dennis Velasco</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

Former Vice President, Al Gore, and wife of 40 years, Tipper Gore, sent out an e-mail to family friends announcing their separation - &#8220;We are announcing today that after a great deal of thought and discussion, we have decided to separate.&#8221;&nbsp; Forty years is a long time to be married and major props should be given to the couple as living a political lifestyle is not an easy life to live.&nbsp; Look at all the scandals of infidelity and closeted sexual orientation that have reached the headlines in the recent past.&nbsp; And the thing about the Gores, never seemed to be putting on a show for the cameras, the 2000 election campaign excepted.&nbsp; In any case, it&#8217;s always a sad day when couples that have been together for so long decide to move on separately.&nbsp; Good luck to both, but the question remains, &#8220;Who gets the internet?&#8221; (QUEUE: rim shot).
]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/algoretippergore.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: center; margin: 5px 5px;" width="500" height="314" /></p>

<p>Former Vice President, Al Gore, and wife of 40 years, Tipper Gore, sent out an e-mail to family friends announcing their separation - &#8220;We are announcing today that after a great deal of thought and discussion, we have decided to separate.&#8221;&nbsp; Forty years is a long time to be married and major props should be given to the couple as living a political lifestyle is not an easy life to live.&nbsp; Look at all the scandals of infidelity and closeted sexual orientation that have reached the headlines in the recent past.&nbsp; And the thing about the Gores, never seemed to be putting on a show for the cameras, the 2000 election campaign excepted.&nbsp; In any case, it&#8217;s always a sad day when couples that have been together for so long decide to move on separately.&nbsp; Good luck to both, but the question remains, &#8220;Who gets the internet?&#8221; (QUEUE: rim shot).
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Video: Jesse Ventura talks waterboarding and Cheney on Larry King</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q209&#45;jesse&#45;ventura&#45;waterboarding&#45;cheney&#45;larry&#45;king</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q209&#45;jesse&#45;ventura&#45;waterboarding&#45;cheney&#45;larry&#45;king</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2009 15:31:52 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Andru Edwards</dc:creator>


            <category>Media</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <category>War</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

Former Governor Jesse Ventura made an appearance on The Larry King Show a few days ago, and is as outspoken as ever. In the clip above, Jesse talks about waterboarding as torture, and goes on to say &#8220;You give me a water board, Dick Cheney, and one hour, and I&#8217;ll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders.&#8221; Check out the video for more.
]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div align="center"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zoqmH49VBC0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zoqmH49VBC0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div>

<p>Former Governor Jesse Ventura made an appearance on The Larry King Show a few days ago, and is as outspoken as ever. In the clip above, Jesse talks about waterboarding as torture, and goes on to say &#8220;You give me a water board, Dick Cheney, and one hour, and I&#8217;ll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders.&#8221; Check out the video for more.
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Wanda Sykes roasts Obama, Bush, Cheney, and more</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q209&#45;wanda&#45;sykes&#45;roasts&#45;obama&#45;bush&#45;cheney&#45;more</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q209&#45;wanda&#45;sykes&#45;roasts&#45;obama&#45;bush&#45;cheney&#45;more</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2009 12:04:18 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Andru Edwards</dc:creator>


            <category>Humor</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

If you haven&#8217;t seen this one yet, be ready to laugh. Wanda Sykes kicked things off at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner last night with a comedy set that roasted Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, and many others. Heck, she even took Rush Limbaugh to task for saying that the hopes Obama fails, which Sykes said was outright &#8220;treason.&#8221;

The event was attended by many politicians, as well as celebrities like Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Whoopi Goldberg, Tyra Banks, and more.
]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div align="center"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zmyRog2w4DI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zmyRog2w4DI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div>

<p>If you haven&#8217;t seen this one yet, be ready to laugh. Wanda Sykes kicked things off at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner last night with a comedy set that roasted <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/tag/barack+obama" rel="tag">Barack Obama</a>, former President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/tag/sarah+palin" rel="tag">Sarah Palin</a>, and many others. Heck, she even took Rush Limbaugh to task for saying that the hopes Obama fails, which Sykes said was outright &#8220;treason.&#8221;</p>

<p>The event was attended by many politicians, as well as celebrities like <a href="http://celebrities.gearlive.com/vip/tag/tom+cruise" rel="tag">Tom Cruise</a>, <a href="http://celebrities.gearlive.com/vip/tag/katie+holmes" rel="tag">Katie Holmes</a>, <a href="http://television.gearlive.com/tvenvy/tag/whoopi+goldberg" rel="tag">Whoopi Goldberg</a>, <a href="http://television.gearlive.com/tvenvy/tag/tyra+banks" rel="tag">Tyra Banks</a>, and more.
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Senator Stormy &#45; Pornstar To Possibly Run For Senate</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;senator&#45;stormy&#45;pornstar&#45;to&#45;possibly&#45;run&#45;for&#45;senate</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;senator&#45;stormy&#45;pornstar&#45;to&#45;possibly&#45;run&#45;for&#45;senate</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2009 00:02:01 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Dennis Velasco</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Elections</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ Look out old boobs in the Senate, there might be a new pair, err, new senator coming your way!&nbsp; Stormy Daniels of, well, Stormy Daniels pornography fame is thinking about running for a Senate seat in 2010 representing her home state of Louisiana, going up against Republican senator, David Vitter.&nbsp; Unlike Vitter who had indiscretions of a sexual nature in private, but eventually made public, Daniels has been having sex for public consumption for several years now.&nbsp; She is practically scandal-free!&nbsp; Who couldn&#8217;t use that from a candidate?!?!&nbsp; All joking aside, Daniels did not even consider politics as a career choice until a group of fans decided to start a website named Draft Stormy and recruit her to run for the senate seat in 2010.&nbsp; Currently, she doesn&#8217;t seem to have any real political agenda, but is going on listening tours (whatever that means) to hear what the men and women of Louisiana have to say.&nbsp; Apparently, Daniels&#8217; candidacy isn&#8217;t a sure-fire thing, but it also doesn&#8217;t seem to be a publicity stunt as Mary Carey&#8217;s running for the governor of California was several years ago.&nbsp; Naturally, if you&#8230;]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/stormy-daniels-glamor-shot.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="575" height="362" /></p>

<p>Look out old boobs in the Senate, there might be a new pair, err, new senator coming your way!&nbsp; Stormy Daniels of, well, Stormy Daniels pornography fame is thinking about running for a Senate seat in 2010 representing her home state of Louisiana, going up against Republican senator, David Vitter.&nbsp; Unlike <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/09/AR2007070902030.html" title="Vitter who had indiscretions of a sexual nature">Vitter who had indiscretions of a sexual nature</a> in private, but eventually made public, Daniels has been having sex for public consumption for several years now.&nbsp; She is practically scandal-free!&nbsp; Who couldn&#8217;t use that from a candidate?!?!&nbsp; </p>

<p>All joking aside, Daniels did not even consider politics as a career choice until a group of fans decided to start a website named <a href="http://draftstormy.com/" title="Draft Stormy">Draft Stormy</a> and recruit her to run for the senate seat in 2010.&nbsp; Currently, she doesn&#8217;t seem to have any real political agenda, but is going on listening tours (whatever that means) to hear what the men and women of Louisiana have to say.&nbsp; Apparently, Daniels&#8217; candidacy isn&#8217;t a sure-fire thing, but it also doesn&#8217;t seem to be a publicity stunt as Mary Carey&#8217;s running for the governor of California was several years ago.&nbsp; Naturally, if you don&#8217;t live in the state of Louisiana, you can&#8217;t vote and can only watch&#8230; but that&#8217;s what you&#8217;ve been doing to Stormy Daniels anyway, right?</p>

<p>You can check her interview with CNN by clicking &#8220;Read More&#8221;.
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>The White House Joins Twitter</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;the&#45;white&#45;house&#45;joins&#45;twitter</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;the&#45;white&#45;house&#45;joins&#45;twitter</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 23:43:28 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Dennis Velasco</dc:creator>


            <category>Media</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

The White House has joined the wonderful world of status updates in 140 characters or less or as it&#8217;s more popularly known as, Twitter.&nbsp; Yes, the Obama Administration is joining the cool kids and getting down with the twitdiction of tweeting, which will be full of useful information and not what President Obama had for breakfast or what song he is currently listening to.&nbsp; If you&#8217;re on Twitter, feel free to follow the tweets at twitter.com/whitehouse.

Oh, and be sure to follow Filibuster Soup on Twitter as well!


]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div align="center"><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/white-house-twitter.jpg" alt="White House Twitter" class="border" style="margin: 5px 5px;" width="575" height="322" /></div>

<p>The White House has joined the wonderful world of status updates in 140 characters or less or as it&#8217;s more popularly known as, Twitter.&nbsp; Yes, the Obama Administration is joining the cool kids and getting down with the twitdiction of tweeting, which will be full of useful information and not what President Obama had for breakfast or what song he is currently listening to.&nbsp; If you&#8217;re on Twitter, feel free to follow the tweets at <a href="http://twitter.com/whitehouse" title="twitter.com/whitehouse">twitter.com/whitehouse</a>.</p>

<p>Oh, and be sure to <a href="http://twitter.com/filibustersoup">follow Filibuster Soup</a> on Twitter as well!</p>

<p>
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>To The People Surprised By Obama&#8217;s Radicalism</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;to&#45;the&#45;people&#45;surprised&#45;by&#45;obamas&#45;radicalism</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;to&#45;the&#45;people&#45;surprised&#45;by&#45;obamas&#45;radicalism</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:11:25 -0700</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Elections</category>

            <category>Media</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

It&#8217;s been a while since I posted here, but my past work is starting to seem pretty prophetic. I predicted the hard turn to the left, after President Obama pretended to be a moderate while campaigning. I also touched upon media bias, broken campaign promises, empty slogans, and radical ties, among other things. 

I&#8217;m glad a small number of people are starting to open their eyes and question this administration, but why did so many people not see what I saw coming this past fall? 



&nbsp;

Continue reading To The People Surprised By Obama&#8217;s Radicalism: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-to-the-people-surprised-by-obamas-radicalism]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/obama_thumb.jpg" alt="Obama" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="150" height="175" /></p>

<p>It&#8217;s been a while since I posted here, but my past work is starting to seem pretty prophetic. I predicted the hard turn to the left, after President Obama pretended to be a moderate while campaigning. I also touched upon media bias, broken campaign promises, empty slogans, and radical ties, among other things. </p>

<p>I&#8217;m glad a small number of people are starting to open their eyes and question this administration, but why did so many people not see what I saw coming this past fall? </p>



<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-to-the-people-surprised-by-obamas-radicalism">Continue reading To The People Surprised By Obama&#8217;s Radicalism</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Video: The Credit Crisis Simplified</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;video&#45;the&#45;credit&#45;crisis&#45;simplified</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;video&#45;the&#45;credit&#45;crisis&#45;simplified</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:37:43 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Andru Edwards</dc:creator>


            <category>Business</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <category>Wall Street</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

I think we can all admit that the current credit crisis can be a bit difficult to understand and grasp by the average person. That&#8217;s why we like this video by Jonathan Jarvis, The Crisis of Credit Visualized. He breaks it down into plain English surprisingly well. Check it out, and let us know what you think in the comments.
]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div align="center"><object width="575" height="323"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3261363&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00adef&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3261363&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00adef&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="575" height="323"></embed></object></div>

<p>I think we can all admit that the current credit crisis can be a bit difficult to understand and grasp by the average person. That&#8217;s why we like this video by Jonathan Jarvis, The Crisis of Credit Visualized. He breaks it down into plain English surprisingly well. Check it out, and let us know what you think in the comments.
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Global Cooling</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;global&#45;cooling</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;global&#45;cooling</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:45:04 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Taxes</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

Why do people believe politicians when they talk about things other than politics? Why are the only scientists that say the earth is warming, the only ones getting government grants? I wish people would realize that this &#8220;Global Warming&#8221; is nothing more than a scam to collect more taxes.


Continue reading Global Cooling: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-global-cooling]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/globull-warming-10x10-1_thumb.jpg" alt="Global Warming" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="177" height="177" /></p>

<p>Why do people believe politicians when they talk about things other than politics? Why are the only scientists that say the earth is warming, the only ones getting government grants? I wish people would realize that this &#8220;Global Warming&#8221; is nothing more than a scam to collect more taxes.
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-global-cooling">Continue reading Global Cooling</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>People Have Been Fooled By Radical Obama</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;people&#45;have&#45;been&#45;fooled&#45;by&#45;radical&#45;obama</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;people&#45;have&#45;been&#45;fooled&#45;by&#45;radical&#45;obama</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:03:49 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <description><![CDATA[


This is for the people who swear Barack Obama is for change, and &#8220;non-partisan&#8221; politics. In a past blog, I wrote about a letter President Obama submitted to the left wing site, The Daily Kos. In that letter, he calls out to fellow liberals to basically flush out any moderate Democrats, and take the &#8220;fight&#8221; to the Republicans. Where is the change? Where is this &#8220;end of childish&#8221; politics he&#8217;s talking about? I haven&#8217;t seen it yet. I see him keeping with what he wrote for the Kos&#8230;an ultra-partisan political ideology.

In one part, he writes:

In order to beat them(Republicans), it is necessary for Democrats to get some backbone, give as good as they get, brook no compromise, drive out Democrats who are interested in “appeasing” the right wing, and enforce a more clearly progressive agenda.

Continue reading People Have Been Fooled By Radical Obama: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-people-have-been-fooled-by-radical-obama]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/obama_thumb.jpg" alt="Obama" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="150" height="175" /></p>

<p><br />
This is for the people who swear Barack Obama is for change, and &#8220;non-partisan&#8221; politics. In a <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-people-wonder-why-obama-is-called-radical/" title="past blog">past blog</a>, I wrote about a letter President Obama submitted to the left wing site, The <a href="http://dailykos.com/" title="Daily Kos">Daily Kos</a>. In that letter, he calls out to fellow liberals to basically flush out any moderate Democrats, and take the &#8220;fight&#8221; to the Republicans. Where is the change? Where is this &#8220;end of childish&#8221; politics he&#8217;s talking about? I haven&#8217;t seen it yet. I see him keeping with what he wrote for the Kos&#8230;an ultra-partisan political ideology.</p>

<p>In one part, he writes:</p>

<blockquote><p>In order to beat them(Republicans), it is necessary for Democrats to get some backbone, give as good as they get, brook no compromise, drive out Democrats who are interested in “appeasing” the right wing, and enforce a more clearly progressive agenda.</p></blockquote>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-people-have-been-fooled-by-radical-obama">Continue reading People Have Been Fooled By Radical Obama</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>You Cannot Multiply Wealth By Dividing It</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:15:58 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Taxes</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <description><![CDATA[


How great does this quote by the late Baptist pastor, Adrian Rogers, relate to what our government is trying to do? I wish people weren&#8217;t so uninformed. 

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.


Continue reading You Cannot Multiply Wealth By Dividing It: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/arogers_thumb.jpg" alt="arogers" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="144" height="180" /></p>

<p><br />
How great does this quote by the late Baptist pastor, Adrian Rogers, relate to what our government is trying to do? I wish people weren&#8217;t so uninformed. </p>

<blockquote><p>You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-">Continue reading You Cannot Multiply Wealth By Dividing It</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>Obama&#8217;s Tax Plan Similar To 2001 Failed Plan</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;obamas&#45;tax&#45;plan&#45;similar&#45;to&#45;2001&#45;failed&#45;plan</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;obamas&#45;tax&#45;plan&#45;similar&#45;to&#45;2001&#45;failed&#45;plan</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:54:19 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>History</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the US&#8217;s economy took a big hit. At the time, then President George Bush thought a stimulus(tax rebate) would help the economy recover. After two years of analysis, the government decided that their plan to &#8220;inject&#8221; money to the economy did nothing to help it&#8217;s condition. It didn&#8217;t help.




Continue reading Obama&#8217;s Tax Plan Similar To 2001 Failed Plan: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-obamas-tax-plan-similar-to-2001-failed-plan]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/ObamaBush_thumb.jpg" alt="obamabush" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="110" height="166" /></p>

<p>After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the US&#8217;s economy took a big hit. At the time, then President George Bush thought a stimulus(tax rebate) would help the economy recover. After two years of analysis, the government decided that their plan to &#8220;inject&#8221; money to the economy did nothing to help it&#8217;s condition. It didn&#8217;t help.</p>

<p>
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-obamas-tax-plan-similar-to-2001-failed-plan">Continue reading Obama&#8217;s Tax Plan Similar To 2001 Failed Plan</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Feelings Over Facts</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;feelings&#45;over&#45;facts</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;feelings&#45;over&#45;facts</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:53:57 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Sal Traina</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Elections</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

This is for all of you &#8220;give Obama a chance&#8221; people. &#8220;He won, it&#8217;s time to support your president,&#8221; is what I keep hearing from his(President Barack Obama) drones&#8230;uh&#8230;I mean, supporters. It seems like they don&#8217;t realize he has his chance. He won, didn&#8217;t he?

I&#8217;m starting to get frustrated when I use real facts, and historical evidence to prove points when debating an Obama-maniac. The talking points I get from one of these people are empty, incoherent, rambling about hope, change, and, optimism. Liberals use emotions, conservatives use their brains. On one hand, it&#8217;s refreshing to see a lot of people with optimism, but it&#8217;s frustrating to see so many people living in ignorant bliss. Just because somebody is a great speaker (when standing in front of a teleprompter), looks and acts more intelligent than the last few Presidents, and has a nice smile, doesn&#8217;t mean you should just trust that they&#8217;ll do the right thing.


]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/ObamaSayzNothin_thumb.jpg" alt="obamasaysnothing" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="180" height="164" /></p>

<p>This is for all of you &#8220;give Obama a chance&#8221; people. &#8220;He won, it&#8217;s time to support your president,&#8221; is what I keep hearing from his(President Barack Obama) drones&#8230;uh&#8230;I mean, supporters. It seems like they don&#8217;t realize he has his chance. He won, didn&#8217;t he?</p>

<p>I&#8217;m starting to get frustrated when I use real facts, and historical evidence to prove points when debating an Obama-maniac. The talking points I get from one of these people are empty, incoherent, rambling about <i>hope</i>, <i>change</i>, and, <i>optimism</i>. Liberals use emotions, conservatives use their brains. On one hand, it&#8217;s refreshing to see a lot of people with optimism, but it&#8217;s frustrating to see so many people living in ignorant bliss. Just because somebody is a great speaker (when standing in front of a teleprompter), looks and acts more intelligent than the last few Presidents, and has a nice smile, doesn&#8217;t mean you should just trust that they&#8217;ll do the right thing.</p>

<p>
</p>]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>Video: President Barack Obama&#8217;s Inaugural Address</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;video&#45;president&#45;barack&#45;obamas&#45;inaugural&#45;address</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;video&#45;president&#45;barack&#45;obamas&#45;inaugural&#45;address</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:43:26 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Andru Edwards</dc:creator>


            <category>History</category>

            <category>Site Features</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <category>War</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

If you happened to miss this mornings festivities, here&#8217;s your chance to watch President Barack Obama&#8216;s inaugural address, in it&#8217;s entirety. President Obama gives a stirring speech on where he sees this country going, and what we all need to do to get there. You can also check out the full transcript of Obama&#8217;s address as well.
]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div align="center"><div><iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28738177#28738177" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>

<p>If you happened to miss this mornings festivities, here&#8217;s your chance to watch President <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/tag/barack+obama" rel="tag">Barack Obama</a>&#8216;s inaugural address, in it&#8217;s entirety. President Obama gives a stirring speech on where he sees this country going, and what we all need to do to get there. You can also check out the full <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q109-barack-obamas-inaugural-speech-transcript/">transcript of Obama&#8217;s address</a> as well.
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Barack Obama&#8217;s inaugural speech transcript</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;barack&#45;obamas&#45;inaugural&#45;speech&#45;transcript</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;barack&#45;obamas&#45;inaugural&#45;speech&#45;transcript</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:54 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Andru Edwards</dc:creator>


            <category>Elections</category>

            <category>History</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>War</category>

            <description><![CDATA[Barack Obama was sworn in on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, as the 44th president of the United States of America. He is also the country&#8217;s first (half) African-American president. He gave a stirring speech on this morning - here&#8217;s a transcript of that prepared speech:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.


Continue reading Barack Obama&#8217;s inaugural speech transcript: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109-barack-obamas-inaugural-speech-transcript]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/obama-sworn-in.jpg" alt="Barack Obama inauguration speech" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="320" height="240" /><a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/tag/barack+obama" rel="tag">Barack Obama</a> was sworn in on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, as the 44th president of the United States of America. He is also the country&#8217;s first (half) African-American president. He gave a stirring speech on this morning - here&#8217;s a transcript of that prepared speech:</p>

<p>My fellow citizens:</p>

<p>I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.</p>

<p>Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.</p>

<p>So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109-barack-obamas-inaugural-speech-transcript">Continue reading Barack Obama&#8217;s inaugural speech transcript</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration Live Coverage</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;barack&#45;obama&#45;presidential&#45;inauguration&#45;live&#45;coverage</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q109&#45;barack&#45;obama&#45;presidential&#45;inauguration&#45;live&#45;coverage</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:41:43 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Andru Edwards</dc:creator>


            <category>Elections</category>

            <category>History</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

Hulu has been doing a great job of providing live coverage of the 2009 Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. You can check out their coverage of all the events above.
]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div align="center"><object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/live/embed/kqDzjGqsvKQZKY1CUG_aDSkM_bxqboC5"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/live/embed/kqDzjGqsvKQZKY1CUG_aDSkM_bxqboC5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="296"></embed></object></div>

<p>Hulu has been doing a great job of providing live coverage of the 2009 Presidential Inauguration of <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/tag/barack+obama" rel="tag">Barack Obama</a>. You can check out their coverage of all the events above.
</p>]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>Like a Virgin, not so fast Mr. President Elect Obama</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;like&#45;a&#45;virgin&#45;not&#45;so&#45;fast&#45;mr.&#45;president&#45;elect&#45;obama</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;like&#45;a&#45;virgin&#45;not&#45;so&#45;fast&#45;mr.&#45;president&#45;elect&#45;obama</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:15:56 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Shawn Harris</dc:creator>


            <category>Domestic Policy</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Elections</category>

            <category>Foreign Policy</category>

            <category>Humor</category>

            <category>Media</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ “Depuceleler.” A term that was used quite often by one of my favorite authors of the late 1700’s, Marquis de Sade. “Depuceleler” is quite applicable in today’s political climate, especially dealing with the new administration and President-elect, B. Hussein Obama. As this new great hope of change was escorted on his magic carpet into the White House by the flirting and slobbering persistent media ushering him along the coital path to the most important office in the world, one must stand erect and take notice. Such a shame that our traditional center right country was forced into the longest voyeuristic courting phase that it has ever seen. You have Obama: the strapping, intelligent, slightly arrogant, fresh, eager bachelor thrown upon the dais running on inexperience and charm and then the pursuant experienced media: soliciting, confident, persistent, daddy fawning over every move and action. B. Hussein Obama at first didn’t seal the “depuceleler.” Like any good tease he rounded third base, but protected himself in lambskin, ultra thin boundaries capable withstanding any disease rattled attacks or overzealous fanatics that came in contact with his anointed&#8230;]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/obama-46-virgin_thumb.jpg" alt="Obama" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="250" height="320" /></p>

<p>“Depuceleler.” A term that was used quite often by one of my favorite authors of the late 1700’s, Marquis de Sade. “Depuceleler” is quite applicable in today’s political climate, especially dealing with the new administration and President-elect, B. Hussein Obama. As this new great hope of change was escorted on his magic carpet into the White House by the flirting and slobbering persistent media ushering him along the coital path to the most important office in the world, one must stand erect and take notice. Such a shame that our traditional center right country was forced into the longest voyeuristic courting phase that it has ever seen. You have Obama: the strapping, intelligent, slightly arrogant, fresh, eager bachelor thrown upon the dais running on inexperience and charm and then the pursuant experienced media: soliciting, confident, persistent, daddy fawning over every move and action.</p>

<p>B. Hussein Obama at first didn’t seal the “depuceleler.” Like any good tease he rounded third base, but protected himself in lambskin, ultra thin boundaries capable withstanding any disease rattled attacks or overzealous fanatics that came in contact with his anointed armor. </p>

<p>With constant pressure from the radical Left-wing sites (you know who they are) on the media, the President-elect is in a compromising position. Keeping his fly zipped and his hands firmly above the waist, caressing the outer area of the same bloc who voted him into office he treads the line with his recent nominations. Larry Summers (Economics Advisor), Robert Gates (Defense Secretary), Tom Daschle (Health and human Service), Hillary Clinton (Sec. of State) and the announcement of Rick Warren for his invocation threw his early pursuers into a dither and off their game. How dare their potential partner, the one they lavished their attention on, spent millions, the one they tirelessly courted and made into an iconography figure dare flirt with the traditional America that they so despise? This cat and mouse game is in the final three years of the foreplay phase. The first six months of his presidency will be the tell-tale sign if he can stay strong or finally after constant pressure, “give it” up. Let’s hope he/it doesn’t break because it will be a leak felt all across the world.</p>

]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>Werd: Bailout &#45; Part Five</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;five</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;five</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:43:56 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Taxes</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

The history of the word &#8220;bailout&#8221; is spotty at best.&nbsp; My handy not-quite-the-real-OED has no etymological definition.&nbsp; Merriam-Webster, who chose &#8220;bailout&#8221; as the word of 2008, gives a lame definition with a general reference to the year 1951:

Date: 1951
: a rescue from financial distress

So I went to the vast Google books resources and noticed that bailout in 1951 referred to pilots, bailing out of their cockpits [see also, Popular Mechanics in 1947 and 1956].

But what does that have to do with finance?


Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Five: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-five]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Friday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>The history of the word &#8220;bailout&#8221; is spotty at best.&nbsp; My handy <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=bailout&amp;searchmode=none" title="not-quite-the-real-OED">not-quite-the-real-OED</a> has no etymological definition.&nbsp; Merriam-Webster, <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/08words.htm" title="WOTY">who chose &#8220;bailout&#8221; as the word of 2008</a>, gives <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bailout" title="a lame definition">a lame definition</a> with a general reference to the year 1951:</p>

<blockquote><p>Date: 1951<br />
: a rescue from financial distress</p></blockquote>

<p>So I went to the vast Google books resources and noticed that bailout in 1951 <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=z3QPAAAAIAAJ&amp;q=bailout+date:1950-1960&amp;dq=bailout+date:1950-1960&amp;lr=&amp;as_brr=0&amp;as_pt=ALLTYPES&amp;client=firefox-a" title="Eject!">referred to pilots, bailing out of their cockpits</a> [see also, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=suADAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA145&amp;dq=bailout+date:1200-1960&amp;lr=&amp;as_brr=0&amp;as_pt=ALLTYPES&amp;client=firefox-a" title="Popular Mechanics in 1947">Popular Mechanics in 1947</a> and <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=OeEDAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA147&amp;dq=bailout+date:1900-1960&amp;lr=&amp;as_brr=0&amp;as_pt=ALLTYPES&amp;client=firefox-a" title="Popular Mechanics in 1956">1956</a>].</p>

<p>But what does that have to do with finance?<BR>
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-five">Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Five</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Werd: Bailout &#45; Part Four</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;four</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;four</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:03:42 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Domestic Policy</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <category>Wall Street</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

We&#8217;re bailing Thursday out with some videos.&nbsp; Sit back, listen, and we can explore inner and outer space together, forever.


&#8220;A working class hero is something to be.&#8221;



Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Four: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-four]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Thursday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>We&#8217;re bailing Thursday out with some videos.&nbsp; Sit back, listen, and we can explore inner and outer space together, forever.</p>

<p><CENTER></p><p>
&#8220;A working class hero is something to be.&#8221;<BR>
</p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/njG7p6CSbCU&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/njG7p6CSbCU&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><p><BR>
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-four">Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Four</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Werd: Bailout &#45; Part Three</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;three</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;three</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:55:26 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Business</category>

            <category>Domestic Policy</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ So the much belabored point of Part Two was that, in my opinion, we all realize that a bailout is needed. There are some dissenters that would argue that no taxpayer money should rescue financial organizations or our American auto makers.&nbsp; But anyone that seriously supports this philosophy is following the terrible advice that pushed us into the Great Depression: Even today, with an economy much less dependent on bank loans than it was in 1930, a wholesale failure of the banking system, together with an extended fall in prices, could have a devastating impact. The reason most economists discount this possibility is that they don’t believe policymakers will make the same disastrous mistakes their predecessors made in the 1920s and 1930s, when the authorities stood by as the financial system imploded and withering deflation developed.&nbsp; [Full article here.] The lesson learned from the Great Depression was that no government intervention at all is a sure-fire way to see the system collapse severely.&nbsp; There are many debates about what the government should specifically do, but all the debaters agree that doing nothing is the worst option of all. Nonetheless, many&#8230;

Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Three: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-three]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Wednesday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>So the much belabored point of <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-werd-baiout-part-two/" title="Part Two">Part Two</a> was that, in my opinion, we all realize that a bailout is needed.<BR></p>

<p>There are some dissenters that would argue that no taxpayer money should rescue financial organizations or our <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/do_auto_workers_really_make_more_than.html" title="Wage">American auto makers</a>.&nbsp; But anyone that seriously supports this philosophy is following the terrible advice that pushed us into the Great Depression:<BR></p>

<blockquote><p>Even today, with an economy much less dependent on bank loans than it was in 1930, a wholesale failure of the banking system, together with an extended fall in prices, could have a devastating impact. The reason most economists discount this possibility is that they don’t believe policymakers will make the same disastrous mistakes their predecessors made in the 1920s and 1930s, when the authorities stood by as the financial system imploded and withering deflation developed.&nbsp; [<a href="http://www.portfolio.com/views/columns/economics/2008/11/11/Economic-Predictions-for-2009?page=0" title="Economic Predictions for 2009">Full article here</a>.]</p></blockquote>

<p>The lesson learned from the Great Depression was that no government intervention at all is a sure-fire way to see the system collapse severely.&nbsp; There are many debates about what the government should specifically do, but all the debaters agree that doing nothing is the worst option of all. Nonetheless, many citizens seem to be opposed, in principle, to any bailouts at all that move taxpayer money towards rescuing banks or our automakers.<BR>
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-three">Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Three</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Werd: Bailout &#45; Part Two</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;two</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;two</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:04:47 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Domestic Policy</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>Wall Street</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

I am not a master of finance, to say the very least.&nbsp; [You can find my full opinion on debt and credit here.]&nbsp; 

While 80% of the freshman when I was a senior at the University of Richmond in 2000 would go on to earn a major or minor degree from our Business School, I never took a single class at the School, and only ever held disdain for those that did.

It should be no coincidence, then, that almost ten years later, I am still buried underneath school loans and have seen my best entrepreneurial ideas die quick deaths due to my ignorance in all areas involving money.&nbsp; My relationship to the American economy, to this point, has been adversarial: we both cared little for one another and worked towards the other&#8217;s hopeful demise.&nbsp; But it is not with joy that I witness the economy&#8217;s current unhealthy state, as its disappointment only furthers a lesser state of my personal economy.&nbsp; If the current American economy were to die, a part of my life would surely die with it.


Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Two: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-two]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Monday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>I am not a master of finance, to say the very least.&nbsp; [<a href="http://patrick.snajder.net/blog/index.php?/archives/136-Debt-Stunts-Growth.html" title="Poor folk">You can find my full opinion on debt and credit here</a>.]&nbsp; </p>

<p>While 80% of the freshman when I was a senior at the University of Richmond in 2000 would go on to earn a major or minor degree from our Business School, I never took a single class at the School, and only ever held disdain for those that did.</p>

<p>It should be no coincidence, then, that almost ten years later, I am still buried underneath school loans and have seen my best entrepreneurial ideas die quick deaths due to my ignorance in all areas involving money.&nbsp; My relationship to the American economy, to this point, has been adversarial: we both cared little for one another and worked towards the other&#8217;s hopeful demise.&nbsp; But it is not with joy that I witness the economy&#8217;s current unhealthy state, as its disappointment only furthers a lesser state of my personal economy.&nbsp; If the current American economy were to die, a part of my life would surely die with it.
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-bailout-part-two">Continue reading Werd: Bailout - Part Two</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Werd: Bailout &#45; Part One</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;one</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;bailout&#45;part&#45;one</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:38:56 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Domestic Policy</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Media</category>

            <category>Taxes</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>Wall Street</category>

            <description><![CDATA[

In honor of Merriam-Webster&#8217;s 2008 word of the year, bailout, we will focus this week&#8217;s efforts of The Werd on the big story of the year.&nbsp; 

To start the discussion, I will suggest these two great charts:

A Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis - Part One
A Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis - Part Two

Part One explains the many reasons for the financial crisis; Part Two suggests an alternative bailout that punishes those who benefitted from the bubbles without extracting social funds already marked for public programs such as social security or retirement funds (as the current bailouts do).&nbsp; This expert work shows how solutions to our problems are not beyond our ability, but merely beyond the imagination of our current leadership.

We&#8217;ll dig in on Tuesday with my precious take.&nbsp; 

BAILOUT SERIES
Bailout - Part One
Bailout - Part Two
Bailout - Part Three
Bailout - Part Four
Bailout - Part Five
]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Monday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>In honor of <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/08words.htm" title="Bailout">Merriam-Webster&#8217;s 2008 word of the year, <I>bailout</a></I>, we will focus this week&#8217;s efforts of The Werd on the big story of the year.&nbsp; </p>

<p>To start the discussion, I will suggest these two great charts:</p>

<p><a href="http://blog.mint.com/blog/finance-core/a-visual-guide-to-the-financial-crisis/" title="A Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis - Part One">A Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis - Part One</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.mint.com/blog/finance-core/a-visual-guide-to-the-financial-crisisthe-bailout/" title="A Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis - Part Two">A Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis - Part Two</a></p>

<p>Part One explains the many reasons for the financial crisis; Part Two suggests an alternative bailout that punishes those who benefitted from the bubbles without extracting social funds already marked for public programs such as social security or retirement funds (as the current bailouts do).&nbsp; This expert work shows how solutions to our problems are not beyond our ability, but merely beyond the imagination of our current leadership.</p>

<p>We&#8217;ll dig in on Tuesday with my precious take.&nbsp; </p>

<p><b>BAILOUT SERIES</b><br />
<a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-werd-baiout-part-one/" title="Bailout - Part One">Bailout - Part One</a><br />
<a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-werd-baiout-part-two/" title="Bailout - Part Two">Bailout - Part Two</a><br />
<a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-werd-baiout-part-three/" title="Bailout - Part Three">Bailout - Part Three</a><br />
<a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-werd-baiout-part-four/" title="Bailout - Part Three">Bailout - Part Four</a><br />
<a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-werd-baiout-part-five/" title="Bailout - Part Three">Bailout - Part Five</a>
</p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>The Gays and their Heirarchy</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;the&#45;gays&#45;their&#45;heirarchy</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;the&#45;gays&#45;their&#45;heirarchy</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:43:17 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Shawn Harris</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Humor</category>

            <category>Media</category>

            <category>Videos</category>

            <description><![CDATA[Oh gay, gay, gays. What to do with your wacky wacky ways?&nbsp; As much as you would like to consider yourself open and an accepting group of people, I beg to differ. Take a look at these two examples:



Where do I begin? How do you accept this?




Continue reading The Gays and their Heirarchy: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-the-gays-their-heirarchy]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Oh gay, gay, gays. What to do with your wacky wacky ways?&nbsp; As much as you would like to consider yourself open and an accepting group of people, I beg to differ. Take a look at these two examples:</p>

<div align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eidpOdDX8Qg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eidpOdDX8Qg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>

<p>Where do I begin? How do you accept this?</p>

<p>
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-the-gays-their-heirarchy">Continue reading The Gays and their Heirarchy</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Werd: Pirate &#45; Part Five</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;five</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;five</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:02:51 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>History</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ This week&#8217;s werd pirate, as told by the other OED: pirate (n.) &nbsp; 1254, from O.Fr. pirate, from L. pirata &#8220;sailor, sea robber,&#8221; from Gk. peirates &#8220;brigand, pirate,&#8221; lit. &#8220;one who attacks,&#8221; from peiran &#8220;to attack, make a hostile attempt on, try,&#8221; from peira &#8220;trial, an attempt, attack,&#8221; from PIE base *per- &#8220;try&#8221; (cf. L. peritus &#8220;experienced,&#8221; periculum &#8220;trial, experiment, risk, danger,&#8221; see peril). Meaning &#8220;one who takes another&#8217;s work without permission&#8221; first recorded 1701; sense of &#8220;unlicensed radio broadcaster&#8221; is from 1913. The verb is first recorded 1574. From its earliest roots, we can see that the word is based on the seafaring attack definition that we know very well and &#8220;one who attacks.&#8221;&nbsp; Then, in 1701, that very concrete definition gains an abstraction &ndash; it becomes the piracy of copyright, a taking of thought.&nbsp; You can say that 1701 marks the death of the singular pirate and welcomes a broader definition founded in the world of Gutenberg&#8217;s movable type. We should not find it ironic, then, that Captain&#8230;

Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Five: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-five]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Friday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>This week&#8217;s werd <I>pirate</I>, as told by the <a href="http://www.etymonline.com" title="Online Etymology Dictionary">other OED</a>:</p>

<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=pirate&amp;searchmode=none" title="pirate">pirate</a> (n.) <br />
&nbsp;   1254, from O.Fr. <I>pirate</I>, from L. <I>pirata</I> &#8220;sailor, sea robber,&#8221; from Gk. <I>peirates</I> &#8220;brigand, pirate,&#8221; lit. &#8220;one who attacks,&#8221; from <I>peiran</I> &#8220;to attack, make a hostile attempt on, try,&#8221; from <I>peira</I> &#8220;trial, an attempt, attack,&#8221; from PIE base *<I>per</I>- &#8220;try&#8221; (cf. L. <I>peritus</I> &#8220;experienced,&#8221; <I>periculum</I> &#8220;trial, experiment, risk, danger,&#8221; see <I>peril</I>). Meaning &#8220;one who takes another&#8217;s work without permission&#8221; first recorded 1701; sense of &#8220;unlicensed radio broadcaster&#8221; is from 1913. The verb is first recorded 1574.</p></blockquote>

<p>From its earliest roots, we can see that the word is based on the seafaring attack definition that we know very well and &#8220;one who attacks.&#8221;&nbsp; Then, in 1701, that very concrete definition gains an abstraction &ndash; it becomes the piracy of copyright, a taking of thought.&nbsp; You can say that 1701 marks the death of the singular pirate and welcomes a broader definition founded in the world of Gutenberg&#8217;s movable type.</p>

<p>We should not find it ironic, then, that Captain William Kidd was executed in 1701 for his act of piracy.
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-five">Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Five</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Werd: Pirate &#45; Part Four</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;four</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;four</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:56:29 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>History</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ So in case some of you didn&#8217;t get the subtle satire, Part Three of this week&#8217;s Werd said that pirates can&#8217;t exist without capitalists.&nbsp; If we want capitalism, we should expect pirates; if we want to rid ourselves of pirates, all of the laws and security in the world won&#8217;t ever get rid of them, so long as we still cling to capitalism.&nbsp; Today I received my copy of the January issue of Harper&#8217;s Magazine.&nbsp; The very first entry I read is by former Editor-in-Chief Lewis H. Lapham, who writes about the financial crisis, etc.&nbsp; Spurred by Thomas Friedman&#8217;s myopic quote that says Americans need to get back to their roots and &#8220;thinking about how&mdash;not just how much,&#8221; Lapham notes that the foundation of America&#8217;s independence from Britain was largely due to America&#8217;s embrace of privateers, who attacked British merchant ships and sold the profits of the booty to the French to support the revolution.&nbsp; Loathe as I am to include huge block quotes of pirated text, I can&#8217;t help but reprint part of Lapham&#8217;s opening editorial that relates directly to this week&#8217;s Werd and essentially proves the&#8230;

Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Four: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-four]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Thursday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>So in case some of you didn&#8217;t get the subtle satire, <a href="http://politics.gearlive.com/filibustersoup/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-three/" title="Contra">Part Three of this week&#8217;s Werd</a> said that pirates can&#8217;t exist without capitalists.&nbsp; If we want capitalism, we should expect pirates; if we want to rid ourselves of pirates, all of the laws and security in the world won&#8217;t ever get rid of them, so long as we still cling to capitalism.&nbsp; </p>

<p>Today I received my copy of the January issue of <I>Harper&#8217;s Magazine</I>.&nbsp; The very first entry I read is by former Editor-in-Chief <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_H._Lapham" title="Lewis H. Lapham">Lewis H. Lapham</a>, who writes about the financial crisis, etc.&nbsp; Spurred by Thomas Friedman&#8217;s myopic quote that says Americans need to get back to their roots and &#8220;thinking about how&mdash;not just how much,&#8221; Lapham notes that the foundation of America&#8217;s independence from Britain was largely due to America&#8217;s embrace of privateers, who attacked British merchant ships and sold the profits of the booty to the French to support the revolution.&nbsp; Loathe as I am to include huge block quotes of pirated text, I can&#8217;t help but reprint part of Lapham&#8217;s opening editorial that relates directly to this week&#8217;s Werd and essentially proves the subtle slants of arguments about pirates that I have been setting up all week.<SUP>[<a name="fn1"><a href="#backfn1">1</a></a>]</SUP> Lapham, better than I, writes my perfect and fitting conclusion.&nbsp; Here we go&#8230;:
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-four">Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Four</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
        </item>        <item>
            <title>Werd: Pirate &#45; Part Three</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;three</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;three</guid>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:58:47 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Business</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Humor</category>

            <category>US Economy</category>

            <category>Wall Street</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ Where, precisely, is the line crossed that separates Robin Hood, the hero to the lower class, from Robin Hood, terrorist? As usual, it seems to be a matter of perspective.&nbsp; If you were sending gilded coins to your dear mother by way of carriage to pay for her The Plague medicine and Robin Hood up and stole your ducats, surely you would see Hood as the terrorist.&nbsp; Even if the money Hood swiped was going to pay for the conspiracy to infect the lower class with The Plague, chances are that the sender would want Hood&#8217;s head on a platter.&nbsp; I guess the overriding feeling is that if people take things that belong to you, you tend to want revenge or at least want to call them a thief, hoping that they will be prosecuted so you can get back the money that rightfully belongs to you. But, if you are struggling to make ends meet as a cobbler and you can&#8217;t afford your child&#8217;s The Plague medicine, then when Hood arrives at your door with a burlap sack full of free money, surely you would sing his graces.&nbsp; Thanks to the beneficence of your green-suited savior, little Sally will live to see another day.&nbsp; So what if some highfalutin dingleberry lost the&#8230;

Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Three: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-three]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Wednesday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>Where, precisely, is the line crossed that separates Robin Hood, the hero to the lower class, from Robin Hood, terrorist?</p>

<p>As usual, it seems to be a matter of perspective.&nbsp; If you were sending gilded coins to your dear mother by way of carriage to pay for her The Plague medicine and Robin Hood up and stole your ducats, surely you would see Hood as the terrorist.&nbsp; Even if the money Hood swiped was going to pay for the conspiracy to infect the lower class with The Plague, chances are that the sender would want Hood&#8217;s head on a platter.&nbsp; I guess the overriding feeling is that if people take things that belong to you, you tend to want revenge or at least want to call them a thief, hoping that they will be prosecuted so you can get back the money that rightfully belongs to you.</p>

<p>But, if you are struggling to make ends meet as a cobbler and you can&#8217;t afford your child&#8217;s The Plague medicine, then when Hood arrives at your door with a burlap sack full of free money, surely you would sing his graces.&nbsp;  Thanks to the beneficence of your green-suited savior, little Sally will live to see another day.&nbsp; So what if some highfalutin dingleberry lost the spending money for his elaborate vacation?&nbsp; Is his happiness more important than little Sally&#8217;s health?&nbsp; From the viewpoint of the cobbler&#8217;s eye: Hood is a hero.</p>

<p>All of us have either found ourselves in moments of Hood-worship or Hood-hate.&nbsp; If we follow the genealogy of the dollar bills in our own accounts, surely we will find some dollars buried in our past that have known thievery <I>and</I> charity.&nbsp; Some times our lives are subsidized for our benefit and some times we subsidize others for their benefit.&nbsp; 
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-three">Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Three</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>Werd: Pirate &#45; Part Two</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;two</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;werd&#45;pirate&#45;part&#45;two</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:17:51 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Patrick Snajder</dc:creator>


            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Humor</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ I mean, c&#8217;mon, who doesn&#8217;t love pirates, right? Whether it&#8217;s their eye patches or their peg-legs, pirates are a beloved part of human history.&nbsp; So long as there have been valuable things moved over water and poor people with a taste for the sea, there be pirates trying to steal them some booty. And why not?&nbsp; Thievery on land is a naturally risky business.&nbsp; Most centers of wealth, private or otherwise, are located in densely populated areas.&nbsp; Banks are a good example.&nbsp; The feudal castle of yesteryear is another.&nbsp; Unfortunate for the thief, however, is that most people protect their banks and castles with thick walls and sentries, adding a layer of complication to the simple thief&#8217;s plan.&nbsp; And there are always the difficult problem of witnesses.&nbsp; Of course, you can go for petty crimes &ndash; stealing the purse or breaking the window of a some other lower/middle class citizen: but there is no great pride in that.&nbsp; The rule of thievery is that if you want to earn a lifetime of respect for your crimes, the crimes must be bold conquests that attain plentiful booty (e.g., Jesse James, Ocean&#8217;s 11-13,&#8230;

Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Two: https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-two]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/GL_Logo_-_Tuesday.jpg" alt="Description" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="400" height="131" /></p>

<p>I mean, c&#8217;mon, who doesn&#8217;t love <a href="http://maddox.xmission.com/images/pirate.html" title="Arrrrrrrrgh">pirates</a>, right?</p>

<p>Whether it&#8217;s their eye patches or their peg-legs, pirates are a beloved part of human history.&nbsp; So long as there have been valuable things moved over water and poor people with a taste for the sea, there be pirates trying to steal them some booty.</p>

<p>And why not?&nbsp; Thievery on land is a naturally risky business.&nbsp; Most centers of wealth, private or otherwise, are located in densely populated areas.&nbsp; Banks are a good example.&nbsp; The feudal castle of yesteryear is another.&nbsp; Unfortunate for the thief, however, is that most people protect their banks and castles with thick walls and sentries, adding a layer of complication to the simple thief&#8217;s plan.&nbsp; And there are always the difficult problem of witnesses.&nbsp; Of course, you can go for petty crimes &ndash; stealing the purse or breaking the window of a some other lower/middle class citizen: but there is no great pride in that.&nbsp; The rule of thievery is that if you want to earn a lifetime of respect for your crimes, the crimes must be bold conquests that attain plentiful booty (e.g., Jesse James, Ocean&#8217;s 11-13, Vikings).&nbsp; 
</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308-werd-pirate-part-two">Continue reading Werd: Pirate - Part Two</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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            <title>Who knew Abortion and Christmas fit together so nicely?</title>
            <link>https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;who&#45;knew&#45;abortion&#45;christmas&#45;fit&#45;together&#45;so&#45;nicely</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.gearlive.com/politics/article/q308&#45;who&#45;knew&#45;abortion&#45;christmas&#45;fit&#45;together&#45;so&#45;nicely</guid>
            <pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:29:12 -0800</pubDate>
            <dc:creator>Shawn Harris</dc:creator>


            <category>Domestic Policy</category>

            <category>Editorials</category>

            <category>Elections</category>

            <category>Humor</category>

            <description><![CDATA[ As the holiday season reaches a climactic dud, I thought - &#8220;What would be a couple of ideal gifts to give that &#8216;special&#8217; liberal in your life?&#8221;&nbsp; A sudden wave of cheer and warmth shuddered throughout my body and the first gift can be given to anyone, not just to those pesky elitist friends of yours. No worry about the recession as this gift is free of charge. I know this might seem like a radical thought and a bit passé, but wish them a “Merry Christmas.” Being from New York and saying Merry Christmas is like having HIV of the face. You get glares, threats and disgust. As the attacks on Christmas reach its fifth year of steady George Soros-backed attacks, I’m asking fellow Christmasians to stay strong and continue your Christmas cheer. Since this country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and traditions, it’s unfathomable to me that it’s getting flushed down the toilet by the same group of people that voted for B. Hussein Obama. In the New York City school system under current city policy, Jewish menorahs are allowed to be displayed for Hanukkah and the Islamic star and crescent can be shown during Ramadan, yet the nativity scene is not&#8230;]]></description>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://assets.gearlive.com/politics_v2/blogimages/christmas-tree-capitol.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree" class="border" style="float: right; margin: 5px 5px;" width="200" height="253" /></p>

<p>As the holiday season reaches a climactic dud, I thought - &#8220;What would be a couple of ideal gifts to give that &#8216;special&#8217; liberal in your life?&#8221;&nbsp; A sudden wave of cheer and warmth shuddered throughout my body and the first gift can be given to anyone, not just to those pesky elitist friends of yours. No worry about the recession as this gift is free of charge. I know this might seem like a radical thought and a bit passé, but wish them a “Merry Christmas.” Being from New York and saying Merry Christmas is like having HIV of the face. You get glares, threats and disgust. As the attacks on Christmas reach its fifth year of steady George Soros-backed attacks, I’m asking fellow Christmasians to stay strong and continue your Christmas cheer. </p>

<p>Since this country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and traditions, it’s unfathomable to me that it’s getting flushed down the toilet by the same group of people that voted for B. Hussein Obama. In the New York City school system under current city policy, Jewish menorahs are allowed to be displayed for Hanukkah and the Islamic star and crescent can be shown during Ramadan, yet the nativity scene is not allowed to be shown during Christmas. Huh? Christmas is a federal holiday signed in law by President U.S. Grant and it celebrates Jesus and Christianity and this is just one instance that must be addressed as we fight America’s culture war.&nbsp; </p>

<p>The second gift is slightly more, but it won’t break the bank. For only $25.00 or $100.00, you can buy that special lady in your life - be it your daughter, sister, niece or mother (if she’s young enough) - a gift certificate from Planned Parenthood of any abortion of your choice. First Trimester all the way up to Late Term it’s all up to you. What a great stocking stuffer! </p>

<p>I want to wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas!
</p>]]></content:encoded>
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