gdp's Comments

Big Hollywood : 'The Lorax' Review: Eco-Hypocrisy Leavened By Whimsical Creatures

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 22:30:59 +0000

Just think how wonderful the earth would be if there were no people exhaling CO2! We could have an in-the-dust eco-gasm just thinking about it!

Big Hollywood : 'The Lorax' Review: Eco-Hypocrisy Leavened By Whimsical Creatures

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 15:06:50 +0000

The trees? Where are all the trees? Trust me, if trees could not be planted and could not grow on a planet, humans wouldn't be there making movies talking about how there are no more trees. We would have a seriously FUBAR situation on our hands.

Big Hollywood : This Year's Academy Awards Show (Mostly) a Class Act

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:21:40 +0000

Rev. Miles, God bless you. You represent the older, virtuous, and morally sound wing of Hollywood. It is good to see it is still there. Most of your current contemporaries create films and videos outside of Hollywood and far from the Oscars. If you haven't noticed, we have two entertainment industries in the world today. Both can be vulgar and both can be successful. And both can appear proper and restrained. But one is focused on telling the truth and being honest with ourselves. The other is about selling a socialistic fantasy, a narrative, a utopia of nonsensical euphemisms. The latter Hollywood is winning, but my hope is that one day, the former might have a reemergence. When it does, I hope your virtuous wing has a solid home there. I'm sure it will as it can represent truth when done right.

Breitbart.tv : Dick Morris: Obama Will Lose

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:52:49 +0000

The GOP Nomination race is over. According to Dick in April of 2011, it will be a close fight between Gingrich and Huckabee, with Michele Bachmann a close third and possible contender. Romney got out after losing New Hampshire. Santorum wasn't even mentioned. Check it out-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=538OzmgQN7g

Breitbart.tv : Dick Morris: Obama Will Lose

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:39:23 +0000

I agree. I laughed at the "Obama will lose!" title. All I could think is that all of Dick's prognostications about the future have been wrong. I don't have time to do the research, but anyone could go back and look at his foretelling. I bet it is almost always wrong. Of course, in this case, I really hope he is right. His insights seems spot on, but maybe he is just cursed-- worse than a weatherman.

Big Government : Dems Launch Robo-Calls Supporting Santorum in Michigan

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:14:34 +0000

Agreed. It makes absolutely zero sense. We might as well not even have a party system.

Big Government : A History of Failed Brokered Conventions in 1924 and 1940

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:12:51 +0000

Actually, the fact that a brokered convention produced a winner in 1920 is quite reassuring in our time. The country had just endured the most progressive 8 years of its life through the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. A "Return to Normalcy" was the rallying cry they used to get back to American principles. The republicans could have run just about anyone that year and won over the democrats. Just like today, the internal fighting was whether to nominate a progressive or a conservative ticket. The conservatives won. The country had no more of an appetite for losing more liberties. My guess is that 2012 will show the same dynamic. As long as we stick together and support any of the remaining candidates, Obama will not have a second term-- brokered convention or not.

Big Hollywood : How Can HBO's 'Game Change' Be 'Fact-Based' When It's Based on Gossip and Lies?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:05:12 +0000

The reason that the book was lauded by both sides of the political spectrum is because there is plenty of interesting insights about the Obama and Clinton campaigns as well as McCain's. The FACT that HBO simply decided to not show all of the stuff in the book concerning the democrats' campaigns, tells us all we need to know about HBO and where their priorities lie.

Big Government : Wyoming Considers 'Alternative Currency' In the Event Of Economic Doomsday

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:14:01 +0000

We have only had a "stable" currency since about 1935. So the idea that our currency COULD fail in the near future is a very real possibility. Until a few years ago, I had never seen housing prices drop significantly. In my lifetime, housing had either increased or been flat. None of us remember currency failures in the US, but they have happened numerous times. Prior to the Fed, the failures were relatively small and isolated. Definitely a hardship, but the future was still bright for most people. However, today the fed continues to double down and continues to build our house of cards higher and higher, so if our currency does fail, it will be spectacular. Other states should look at this as well.

Big Hollywood : Sacha Baron Cohen, the Oscars and the Death of Propriety

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 02:58:00 +0000

Exactly! Once the precedent is set, then the floodgates will open. After a few years, the Oscars will begin to resemble this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3y1Y57iKwA I can't wait!

Big Hollywood : Sacha Baron Cohen, the Oscars and the Death of Propriety

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:57:16 +0000

Cohen played the Academy perfectly. He has gotten millions of dollars of free publicity in a no lose situation. If the academy ignores him, he shows up in the character. The more they tried to manage him, the more hay he can make, generating more publicity. I no longer watch TV. Got rid of cable and now use Netlix and other Roku channels. So I haven't seen one commercial on TV about The Dictator but have watched a bunch of Youtube videos and other alternative media content about this movie. Why? Because of their publicity approach. It is working. The funny thing is if the Academy lets him go to the show in costume, then the Oscars will turn into "Let's Make A Deal" in future years. Honestly, I can't wait.

Big Hollywood : Sacha Baron Cohen, the Oscars and the Death of Propriety

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:52:07 +0000

I'm shocked...Shocked I tell you. The audacity of this man! Just remember, Hollywood started this. Now they get to sit down in the steaming turd pile they shat in their living room years ago. What goes around comes around. If you want a "serious" awards show, then get serious and be serious.

Big Government : Romney Goes Occupy: The '1%' Need to Pay 'More'

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:52:10 +0000

The principle you are professing here is true, but what we don't really know is where our tax rates currently reside on the Laffer curve. We can't always say that if we cut rates, the tax revenue will go up. The theory is based on a bell curve, so you want to be the middle to maximize revenue at the lowest possible tax rate. What supply siders would say is that the tax rate where government revenues are highest is actually quite low. But how low? It isn't 0% or 1%. Based on your example from the 1930's it is definitely not 40% or 50%. But today with the Bush tax cuts in place the effective tax rate is about 18% with too few people on the low end not paying anything. I don't think Romney is sophisticated enough to actually understand and believe that the current rates are too low on the Laffer curve. But they seriously might be, which means that additional tax cuts could seriously impact the national deficit EVEN if the economy improves due to the lower rates. As much as I love lower taxes, we can't always simply say that a tax cut will increase gov't revenue. Our rates are quite low already. My best guess has been that it is regulation and Obamacare that is the bigger drag on the economy and not the actual current tax rates. In the past, we have had higher tax rates during economic booms. In a perfect world, we would use common sense to determine the lowest tax rate that provides the greatest tax revenue to the government. We would set that rate in concrete AND STOP MESSING WITH IT. This would create a tremendous amount of certainty and stability in the marketplace. Exactly what we need. It would also reduce the intensity and frequency of financial bubbles. The more we jack with tax rates-- both up and down-- the more bubbles and bursts we create. The government should be in the business of best practices and steady growth, not gimmicks and political candy.

Big Government : Oil Prices Nearly Triple Since January 2009: Is the Double-Dip Coming?

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:58:36 +0000

Questions: Where's Chucky Schumer? How many times during the Bush administration did he drag oil company execs, government officials, and Haliburton to Congressional hearings for the purpose of browbeating them over oil prices? How can democrat congressmen be so indignant about gas prices when a republican is in office and so silent when a democrat is? And why aren't the media calling them on it?

Breitbart.tv : Santorum: Ryan Budget Not Enough

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:02:10 +0000

I agree. In fact, the ONLY way Communism could ultimately work on a long-term basis is if everyone on the planet practiced it, so there was no way for someone of talent to pursue his dream. I think even Communists understand that they cannot compete with capitalism in the realm of productivity. China is a good example of that. They have basically given up communism. Politically they are still autocratic. But economically, they are as capitalistic as the US is today-- though they are not true believers in free enterprise. So the communism threat is real, but today it is more of an internal threat and less of an external one. Our communist adversaries in 2012 live in the US, not in China.

Breitbart.tv : Santorum: Ryan Budget Not Enough

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:49:05 +0000

You make excellent points. I have no time to really respond. (Job gets in the way sometimes). But I agree with 95% of what you are saying here. My only point is my original one which is to say that I wish Ron Paul had focused (in the debates) on national defense and protecting the country on the terms you have described here. Instead he played contrarian to the other 3 candidates to make a loose point and "educate" us all about how we got into this mess in the first place. How we got into this mess is a difficult historical question and is very debatable-- a political rat hole. He should have stuck with how we are going to get out of it and focused his answers on a strong national defense and saving ourselves economically. If he had done that, he would be at the top of the list today getting all kinds of exposure and the opportunity to dialogue with the media, instead of coming in 4th (or perhaps 3rd) out of 4 candidates and largely being ignored. I've been debating politics, not policy with you. Thanks for the conversation. I appreciate debating with seriously minded people in this forum and unfortunately, it happens none too often.

Breitbart.tv : Soldier's Dad Burns NJ Flag Over Christie's Half-Mast Whitney Homage

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:55:03 +0000

I see a big difference. But if once we start lowering flags for anyone, then where do we draw the line? Does the Governor have to get the results of the autopsy before he makes his decision? Why do we lower a flag at half mast? I was under the impression that its purpose was to communicate to the world that the People are grieving over the death of one of its citizens. It should be that simple. If we want to make a law that says only government employees can get this treatment. Fine. But it is OUR country,OUR state and OUR flag, so why can't we honor the death of a fellow citizen in spite of her problems? Last I checked, blacks were citizens too.

Breitbart.tv : Santorum: Ryan Budget Not Enough

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:24:58 +0000

When I said that "the motivation has nothing to do with money" I didn't mean that money isn't being used as a tactic. Clearly, that is the case. The WTC was targeted because it is a symbol of our financial and economic freedoms. Muslims do not believe in interest income. So Islamic fundamentalist is going to look at our economy as pure evil. OBL and the 9/11 attackers were mostly quite well off financially. So to my point, their motivation is not our money, but to prove that Islam is right and the only true religion in God's eyes. That is the point that you and Ron Paul are missing. Islamic fundamentalists attack us whenever and wherever they can. It just so happens that usually involves our embassies or our military because that is largely what they have access to today. So I believe that an incorrect corollary exists that suggests that Muslims only dislike our military intervention in the Middle East. Simply not true. As an experiment, have an American citizen, dressed as a tourist and draped in an American flag, walk down a street in Yemen and see how long he lasts. We have been dealing with Islamic terrorists well before the Persian Gulf war. And if we removed all military and personnel from the Middle East and stopped all funding and support of Israel, we would still be threatened by them. Why? Because in their hearts, they believe that they have to start an Armageddon to usher in the 12th Imam and begin the Second Coming and the millennium, where we will ALL become Muslim. Now, having said all that, I do believe that the US is very much like "George Constanza", in that, we want everyone to like us. And we will spend every dollar we have making sure that every citizen likes us, appreciates us, and has no ability to hurt us. I agree with you. It is very expensive and simply an impossible goal unless we wanted to become like the Roman Empire and not worry about our image and 24-hour news networks. As long as we care about civilians and innocents, we cannot afford to occupy these countries. So tactically we probably agree. We are going bankrupt and this was an objective of OBL. I agree with you 100% percent. I simply wish that you and Ron Paul gain a deeper understanding of the Islamic quest. This did not start in 1991. Ron Paul needs to recognize that some of these Muslims will not be happy until he bows down on his knees and accepts Allah as his God. Having said all that, I agree with most of Ron Paul's tactics concerning the Middle East, just not the attitude or lack of seriousness about the ultimate situation the world finds itself in.

Breitbart.tv : Santorum: Ryan Budget Not Enough

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:04:43 +0000

I agree with your assessment. And I believe I correctly understand his position on 9/11. And the argument is perhaps valid and definitely worthy of debate. But the bottom line is that the Islamic world has had it out for us for a very long time. The Ottoman Empire fought on the side of Germany in WWII. And there is a long history of violence towards the West (Crusades and invasion of Spain) well before we cared about any oil. Paul doesn't understand this complexity and it appears he leans toward the theory that Islamists are simply economically malnourished, but this is not the case. For them, it truly is a holy war. It has nothing to do with money. All-in-all, I like Ron Paul and I believe his foreign policy is more consistent with the Founding Fathers than any other politician. However, I am also not sure how they would have written the Constitution in a world where nuclear warheads exist. My guess is that they would have thought through the war powers differently. Regardless, I hope that a young Marco Rubio--like leader will soon emerge from the libertarian world with the leadership and nuance necessary to get elected and truly help us restore the country. This latest crop of GOP candidates will help, but I don't see any of them getting us all the way there. We had the opportunity with GWB and a Republican congress and they squandered the opportunity. I voted for Perot in 1992, so the national debt has been on my radar for many years. However, I too have learned much about the Constitution over the past 5 years. I wish we all had known more sooner, but they don't teach this stuff in college.

Breitbart.tv : Soldier's Dad Burns NJ Flag Over Christie's Half-Mast Whitney Homage

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:06:14 +0000

The man in the video is coming unplugged on this issue. Governors have done this for many years. I admire Christie for not backing down on this. If he did it for Clarence Clemmons, he had to do it for Houston. Her drug addiction has nothing to do with it. I am sure some of New Jersey's military and state troopers are hooked on pain killers. Regardless, Christie will lower the flag for their death as well.