Hard to believe but look it up on the Congressional website for HR 748 from 116th Congress.

 

American population: 330,483,530

Stimulus bill: $2,000,000,000,000 ($2 Trillion)

Dividing the cost by every in America is $6,051.74

The government could have given every person over $6,000,

but instead will give $1,200 to each adult under a certain income.

Wanna know where the missing 96% of your tax dollars went?

$300,000,000 for Migrant and Refugee Assistance pg 147

$10,000 per person for student loan bailout

$100,000,000 to NASA, because, who knows why.

$20,000,000,000 to the USPS, because why the hell not (That’s $20 Billion)

$300,000,000 to the Endowment for the Arts - because of it

$300,000,000 for the Endowment for the Humanities/ because no one even knew that was a thing

$15,000,000 for Veterans Employment Training / for when the GI Bill isn't enough

$435,000,000 for mental health support

$30,000,000,000 for the Department of Education stabilization fund/

because that will keep people employed (all those zeros can be confusing, that’s $30 BILLION)

$200,000,000 to Safe Schools Emergency Response to Violence Program

$300,000,000 to Public Broadcasting / NPR has to be bought by the Dems

$500,000,000 to Museums and Libraries / Who the hell knows how we are going to use it

$720,000,000 to Social Security Admin/but get this:  only 200,000,000

is to help people, and the rest is for admin costs

$25,000,000 for cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building...I kid you not it's on page 136

$7,500,000 to the Smithsonian for additional salaries

$35,000,000 to the JFK Center for Performing Arts

$25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives (You ARE kidding me)

$3,000,000,000 upgrade to the IT department at the VA - $3 Billion

$315,000,000 for State Department Diplomatic Programs

$95,000,000 for the Agency of International Development

$300,000,000 for International Disaster Assistance

$90,000,000 for the Peace Corp page 148

$13,000,000 to Howard University page 121

$ 9,000,000 Misc. Senate Expenses page 134

$100,000,000 to Essential Air carriers page 162 This of note because the Airlines are going

to need billions in loans to keep them afloat.   ($100,000,000 is chump change)

$40,000,000,000 goes to the Take Responsibility to Workers and Families

 

HotPot Tan

She was meeting him at Pyongyang II, North Korea’s version of food propaganda, their latest tool to subvert western thought though your taste buds. It may sound bizarre, but for North Koreans, bizarre is a way of life. They’d try the wi-fi network, she’d be the diversion, do all the talking, make a fuss and he’d see if the network was connected to the mainframe at the embassy. They were sure it would be, that’s how North Korean’s thought.

She’d known Tan for a few years but had never worked with him. He was pretty dull unless you got him talking about food or the inner workings of secure networks. Food could be interesting, networks were not her forte. She knew he’d been barred from the casinos in Macau. Hotel security had facial recognition software with his picture on their mainframe. The casinos didn’t know how many decks of cards he could count, no one did, not even Tan himself. It didn’t matter, by the time they’d counted the house was in a financial black hole. There were no tricks or gimmicks, just overwhelming brainpower. Tan thought it came from eating noodles, he loved spicy noodles. Five feet tall and two hundred pounds of fat and brainpower. Noodles for breakfast and dinner with several servings in between. He preferred them spicy but would eat them bland, it didn’t matter. There was always chili sauce close at hand. He ate more when they were hot and spicy. Spices caught his appetite and didn’t let go. His mother had made the best spicy hotpot. 

University had been a bore, the professors didn’t understand his questions and begrudgingly recognized his brilliance. One professor recognized this and knew where it would be put to good use. Professor Kan gave him a decryption exercise so difficult that it had taken weeks for an SIS team to decipher. Tan had it done in a few hours and termed the exercise – entertaining. Suddenly there were interviews on his political thoughts. He’s never thought about politics and told them so. He just loved Singapore. They searched his email, twitter and facebook accounts. There was nothing political, in fact there was very little of anything. One photo of him eating noodles on Facebook and he described himself as ‘male’, end of biography.

Ocassionally he got sent into the field, but never alone, he was too valuable to loose. 


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MING

He was on the balcony waiting. She’d arrive on a motorbike, it saved money. She was part Chinese, a creature of repetition. She was left handed but held her gun in her right hand and drew it from behind her back. He knew her every movement. It started to rain, a sudden deluge that became a torrent. He stepped back from the railing, there she was pulling up on the back of a motorbike. He put down his soda and walked to the exit. There were sixty three stairs down to the street, he’d get her halfway up the stairs. He got to the top of stairs and looked down, she was halfway up shaking her umbrella. He raised his gun to fire, she was twenty steps away when he heard the first shot. He thought he’d fired, but hadn’t pulled the trigger, he felt his knees buckle and his hand could no longer hold his gun. His arm felt limp. He fell forward and was dead as he tumbled past her on the stairs a trail of blood behind him down to the street. The moto drivers didn’t know whether to run for cover. Ming came down the stairs, gun in hand. The moto drivers were frozen, unsure if they’d be next. She knew he was dead, but it was always safer to check. She knelt beside him feeling his coat pockets and found it. She wanted his phone.

‘Call the police’. She called out to know one in particular, but three moto drivers had the number on their speed dial. They were relieved, whatever had happened, she’d stopped shooting.

She ruined a good umbrella, there was a burn hole where the nylon was torn by the bullets thrust. She’d wanted to play pool and relax for an hour, now she’d have to answer police questions, ‘what a way to start a Friday night’ she thought.

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THE JADE FALCON

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THE  JADE  FALCON

A Story set in

   

BANGKOK & PHNOM PENH

A NOVELLA

 

AIRPORT DIVERSION

We loaded our bags into the taxi and got into the back seat. I’d wrapped the falcon in plastic bubble wrap and covered it with my clothes. It fitted snugly into my carry-on suitcase. The narrow Soi lead to Sukhumvit, there was little traffic on a Sunday morning, and we were quickly at the toll booth entrance to the expressway. I wasn’t sure that our driver had been to bed yet, he looked disheveled and slightly strung out. He paid the toll and were quickly moving along at 140 k’s. I told him to slow down using my hands for emphasis. A Mercedes sped past and he was immediately trying to keep up with it. I tapped him on the shoulder and motioned to calm down. The repetitious sound of the tires hitting the concrete joints slowed. Ten minutes on the expressway and the light traffic had thinned to a few cars. I finally relaxed and looked at Ming. She smiled, although the speed of the taxi hadn’t bothered her. She touched my shoulder smiling, then suddenly pulled me down and forward toward her. In the same instant the rear window imploded sending glass into the taxi. In another second a motorcycle sped past us. I saw the pistol in the same instant the shot rang out shattering the rear window. A second shot rang out, and pinged off the taxi. The driver screamed and stopped the taxi in the shoulder lane. We could see the motorbike a hundred yards ahead. It stopped, saw that we had stopped, then turned  speeding toward us.

‘Get out, get out.’ Ming yelled, pushing the door open and pulling me behind the taxi. The driver was out in an instant beside us, the fear of death in his face. I saw the motorcyclist fifty yards away his outstretched hand holding a pistol pointed and ready. In the split second I had looked up the expressway,  Ming now had a small black baretta in her hand. Our heads were down and we heard the motorcycle getting closer, he must have been beside us. Ming pushed us around the side of the car, while the rider fired shots toward the rear. Ming moved us to  the front of the taxi as the rider got off the motorbike to finish the kill.

Ming stood up, took a step out from the car  and shouted. ‘Police, drop the gun.’

The rider ignored her warning and turned to fire. She let off two quick shots. The first shattered his helmet, the second his spinal chord. The gun fell from his hand as his knees buckled. He was dead before his head hit the concrete. Our driver let out another scream when he saw the motorcyclists blood, then got up and repeatedly thanked Ming for saving his life. The light traffic had slowed to see the commotion, most of the drivers thinking there had been an accident between the motorbike and the taxi.

Ming said, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ We got our bags from the trunk. A few cars passed and slowed for what they though had been an accident. Another taxi slowed and we waved him to stop.

‘Airport’, Ming said as she smiled.

The driver said, ‘Yes, yes, ok, ok.’

Inside the taxi he asked, ‘Bad accident? Driver ok?’

‘Yes, bad accident, driver ok.’ I replied.

OBAMA'S MILITARY

Obama Administration Says No US Military Retreat Despite Defense Cuts

We ask members of the United States Armed Forces to perform extraordinary services on behalf of the American people. They defend America with courage and dedication. These qualities must be backed with sufficient resources to enable our military to be an effective and lethal fighting force. Mere words do not deter tyrants and dictators.

The Obama administration says planned cuts in U.S. defense spending will not degrade American military capabilities or the nation’s ability to confront threats on the world stage. Tell that to Joints Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey, he's all smiles:

GOODBYE MICHELLE

Saying goodbye is never easy. Having a house guest that’s great company, has great moral and American values, is articulate, warm and inspiring is a wonderful experience. The thing about house guests is, you can always invite them back.

So, it’s goodbye Michelle, it was great having you in our house and we hope you find a way to visit us again.

NO CHANGE - LITTLE HOPE

President Obama inherited a bad economy and his policies have not improved the situation. All those new jobs created are in the low paying sectors of food service and health care, not in high tech or manufacturing.

Lack of jobs has forced 44 million Americans to accept government assistance. Forty four million people is greater than the population of California (37m). The money to pay for food stamps comes from  government borrowing. The national debt is now 100% of GDP. $15 trillion = $15 trillion.

While 200,000 new jobs a month may seem like a good number, we need to create over 400,000 per month to compensate for the increasing population and lack of job growth during the recession. It took ten years for the labor force participation rate to go from 67% to 64%. It will take at least another TEN years to get back to the levels of the year 2000.

We handed our economy over to the environmentalists and they gave us high gas prices.

ANOTHER 'DEAR LEADER' IS GONE

“He was a very outspoken person,” said Roh Moo-hyun, who as South Korea’s president met Mr. Kim in Pyongyang in 2007. “He was the most flexible man in North Korea.” 

In fact, he was the only flexible man in North Korea, all the others were in prison or dead.

Wendy Sherman, now the No. 3 official in the State Department, who served as counselor to Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and accompanied her to North Korea, said in 2008: “He was smart, engaged, knowledgeable, self-confident, sort of the master-director of all he surveyed.” 

She’s not talking about President Bush here, but no doubt this assessment would also apply to Stalin, Pol Pot, Gadaffi and all the other notable mass murderers of the 20^th century. It gives you a warm and fussy feeling about our State Department, they sure have a handle on diplomacy.                                                                                                                               

POLITICAL JELLO

Jello used to be one of my favorite foods, that was before the the Red Jello man started referring to our President's negotiating tactics. The most recent pre-Christmas affront to the jello loving electorate was uttered by the Blue Jello Schumer, talk about ruining my Christmas dessert.


Unfortunately jello is an apt analogy for the spineless wonders that inhabit Capital Hill. Extend unemployment insurance,(just a small serving please), cut spending (over 20 years), new pipelines (after an election).


What is it with these Neanderthals throwing jello at each other?

NEWT & FDR

Roland Reagan doesn't enter into Newt's world view of 'the greatest president of the 20th century'. Did Newt utter this comment once, twice or - you get the idea.

NEWT THE JANITOR

Newt has some great advise for young people, ‘get to work’ become an apprentice janitor.  This advise comes from real world experience, not Newt’s mind you but someone’s. While Newt was studying hard to get his college degree his wife worked hard supporting him – he was too busy for a part time job- and when it came to getting his Ph.D. – she kept on supporting him in his academic endeavors. That’s how he got to know that the Palestinian’s aren’t a ‘real’ people – they’re invented. Maybe like Newt, just invented from reading and writing too many books. But I don’t want to give books a bad rap.

Newt’s so smart he added an additional pledge to the American people, he’ll be faithful to his wife. I’m sure his wife will be pleased to hear that. Did Newt forget fidelity was included in the marriage vows? He was probably working too hard at the time. Newt recalled previous infidelities by explaining, “There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.” You couldn’t make this stuff up. Patriotism and hard work caused the infidelity?

Finally, ask yourself this – is Newt smart, clever, an excellent debater, possessed of hair brained ideas, given to grandiose statements and unearthly ideas? Yes to all of the above. Do I want Newt to be the next President of the United States? Not in my lifetime.

DRONE ON MR. PRESIDENT

Please give back my drone.

If you had the option of destroying secret infomation/weapons or allowing it to fall into Iranian hands, which would you choose?