Happy Tax Day Suckas!

Remember the Clintons paid some big bucks, but I'm not sure the amount is "fair." Being good Dems, I'm sure they are adding an extra gift in their check. The Clintons made $109 million last year. Yep, they're just like the rest of us bitter beer drinking, bowling, hunting, Jesus loving, racist freaks.

Oh, and has Obama released his tax records? Why, no, he has not. Hmmmmm...... Since we're on the topic of Obama, James Lileks synthesizes the deal here:

I’ve been trying to find the right words for a certain theory, and I can’t quite do it yet. It has to do with how a candidate feels about America – they have to be fundamentally, dispositionally comfortable with it. Not in a way that glosses over or excuses its flaws, but comfortable in the way a long-term married couple is comfortable. That includes not delighting in its flaws, or crowing them at every opportunity as proof of your love. I mean a simple quiet sense of awe and pride, its challenges and flaws and uniqueness and tragedies considered. You don’t win the office by being angry we’re not something else; you win by being enthused we can be something better. You can fake the latter. But people sense the former.

Obama wants to divorce America and trade her in for an old, wrinkled European former model. I don't get it. Or maybe he pines for the needy, superstitious, African type. Or maybe he kinda digs the authoritarian, Marxist efficiency of the big boned Russian. I could go all day making offensive generalizations. The bottom line is that Obama doesn't love the one he's with. And it shows.

John Hawkins snarkily notes Obama's major achievement thus far in his life:

Barack Obama is an ultra-liberal, phony, racialist snob who holds ordinary Americans in contempt and is running for a job he's unqualified to hold in the first place. However, there is one thing he has been able to accomplish that no one else ever has: he's the first person who has ever been able to make Republicans see any good in Hillary Clinton.

Now, getting back to taxes and the welfare they fund. Why do those dumb Pennsylvania hicks vote Republican when Democrats what to diaper their behinds and wipe it too? Megan McCardle has a theory:

On the other hand, perhaps some of the clusters aren't quite as unrelated as they seem. In small communities, economics can be a way to exert social control. And I don't mean that in necessarily a bad way. In many ways, communities are much better disbursers of charity than the government; they have the local information to determine who is needy and who needs some strong encouragement to get a job, take the baby to the doctor, and mow their lawn. As anyone who has had to move in with their parents after a financial reversal can attest, Mom is an excellent social worker--it's absolutely astonishing how fast you get your life back together when you have to sit down with her at the dinner table every night.

Small communities are also extremely attuned to property rights, because things like property lines matter to them in ways that they don't matter to city dwellers; conversely, they have a lot less shared space relative to private space. Those core beliefs about things like property rights and work arguably build up into something akin to the Republican economic agenda.

Maybe the hicks also know that Billy Bob who has been bitching about his lack of a job, has had trouble in good economies and bad and the workers aren't interested in floating his sorry ass. It's also called pride. Sheesh! Who wants to pay for groceries with food stamps? No one with any pride. In dire straights, maybe. But the Democrats need to extricate their craniums from their nether regions. America in 2008 is not America of 1930. People are not that bad off. It's tight. It's not starvation. They need to get some perspective.

Small town folks might call it "tightening the belt". Big city folks imagine their own beneficence--raising taxes to help the little people. They might have enough money that it won't hurt them, but the middle class and working stiffs will be squeezed harder. Maybe the dumb gun nuts aren't so dumb after all. Receiving help from the government is rarely the kind of help anyone wants.

Bottom line: Keep taxes low and stay out of my business.

Magnanimous Mugabe

Burning homes of the opposition to retain the power he lost in the election, Mugabe demonstrates his concern for the common man. That's just what dictators do.

Enjoying the Dating Game: Help for Women

You have all heard guys say,"I don't like playing games. I want to know right where I stand." To that I say a big, "Whatever!" If you believe that, you'll also believe men prefer concave-chested, stringy haired girls shaped like a pile of mashed potatoes. Please.

Men love games. Oh yes, they do. They enjoy all games--from cards to football, hunting to X-Box, boxing to chess. They love games. More importantly, men like winning games. But here's the thing: Do they like beating an easy opponent? Not so much. It's called a "hollow victory". Consider the notion of a "worthy foe". Men want a challenge and the bigger the challenge they conquer, the more triumphant the victory. Most sporting chaps prefer to give the prey a sporting chance and enjoy the pursuit and the hunt. And yes, I'm mixing my sporting metaphors.

So, don't tell me that men don't like games. They thrive on games. Games energize them. And dating is just one more game. Guys don't turn off their natural constitution in the female arena. It's still there, ladies, and in order to succeed, you need to understand the game and follow some rules. Just by being a woman, you are a formidable match for a man. You are mysterious and different, unpredictable and confounding. That is definitely to your favor. But all the mystery can be undone and quite easily, too.

One of the most important things to understand is that your definition of winning may not be his definition of winning. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's not. His goal will include, um, "scoring". This does not mean that he is interested in anything more. Women mistakenly believe that if he's interested in sex, he's interested in you. Not necessarily. A willing and able partner can be just fine with him and nothing more needs to come of it. For a woman, this reality can be distressing.

Here is a secret: It has been my experience that a guy who really digs a girl will tend to not want to rush the physical as quickly. (Don't confuse this with the conqueror who prides himself on his ability to bag any babe. He will hold out just to say he's done what other men have been afraid or unable to do.) Women should be very wary of jumping into the sack too soon with a guy. Just don't do it. Game over.

If a woman wants a relationship, she will understand a man's mindset. The guys who are just out for sex won't take long before bailing. Let. It. Go. They are not worth your time, no matter how long it's been since you've had a hug or meaningful human interaction. Spending a little time together without introducing sex might also give you valuable information about the guy. You can save yourself the misery by finding out he's a jackass before the deed is done. Which, to remind you, will mean that the game is over.

There are other ways to end the game. For example, women who rush down the relationship road too soon before they even meet a guy. Let me get concrete. A friend of mine is doing the online dating thing. A woman he met who he's semi-interested in, have chatted a couple times. Well, she mentioned, thrice in the span of a one hour chat, that she had calculated the distance between their homes and they could meet in the middle. She has done a couple things wrong. First, if a guy likes you that much, he'll come to you--certainly on the first date. If he can't muster up that much effort the first time, why even bother. Second, it freaks a guy out when you're already doing any sort of mental calculations such as that. Third, even if you've done the mental calculations, you feel the vibe, and you really like him, don't say anything. Good gravy, breathe, woman. You've talked once. Hold onto those wedding invites.

In the dance, a girl shows interest. She makes eye contact. She leans in. She laughs at a joke. She IMs. She emails back. The guy is encouraged. Hey, this chick seems to dig me. He tries to get her to do something--dance, talk more, go on a date. She gives him more encouragement. He pushes a little further--another date, more time, maybe a make-out session. Now, this is where it gets dicey. Too often, a woman complies too much for fear that she'll lose this really great guy. Maybe he gives her his phone number or email. And she takes it as an invitation to actually call or write.

Wrong.

It's an invitation to wait. If he knows that you dig him--and he must, you talked, clicked, touched, connected--he will call. He has your number. He has your email. If he cares, he will call. Wait. If he has said he will call, wait. Let him do what says he was going to do. Do not, under any circumstances (unless your grandma got sick and you'll be out of town, or something equally disastrous) call him first. Just. Don't.

A guy who is totally into you will not let the ball drop. He won't. So, you wait.

But here's the thing: You don't wait by the phone. You go. You do. You live your life. You should be doing this anyway. It is pathetic to stop everything for one stupid guy who may or may not have his crap together. It will not kill him to get the answering machine. It will not destroy a potential relationship if it takes a day to get back to him. Have some faith. If he is into you, he will wait, too.

So he calls. He asks you to do something and you already have plans for that day. What to do? Dumb women cancel plans. Smart women keep their plans, explain it to the guy and then say, "I would love to do something on this day......" Now, the guy will be disappointed, naturally. He will also be spurred on to try harder--if he digs you. If he doesn't really, a small disappointment will put him off. Fine. You've just learned something you needed to know. A guy who can't deal with a plan if it isn't exactly his way is a pain in the ass. Let. It. Go. A guy who digs you will be okay and suggest something else.

Women, why does every guy have to dig you?

Let's face it. We all want everyone to like us, but the reality is that there are just going to be people who we don't really like and who don't really like us. So what? Move along. There is a vast people ocean out there. One dud fish does not a disaster make. When there is pressure to turn every interaction into something meaningful, it smacks of desperation. This is a game, remember? Giving the ball to the opponent tends to lose the game. And women do this all the time even with men they don't like very much because they view a not-happening thing with a guy as rejection. It is not always going to happen. In fact, in shouldn't always happen. Working yourself into a pretzel isn't going to "make" it happen, but you might hurt your back, your dignity and your chances.

At the other extreme...there is the woman who only plays defense. She's the girl who "doesn't need a man to be happy". She is distant and busy and guys wonder if she even really likes men at all. This lady needs to realize that the game is give and take. You can't win the game playing defense non-stop. You have to make points and making points means proactively interacting. So when a guy does ask you out, and you want to go and you're interested, there's no crime in acting excited and interested. You're fueling the interaction a bit and encouraging the guy to give back. An indifferent attitude conveys a lack of caring and discourages even the most persistent fellows. These women should not wonder why they're alone. Thaw a bit, ice princess and you might meet your prince.

Some women complain about the game. They don't like what feels like goofing around when the desire is to just get to relationship. The relationship part won't come, though, if you're not willing to play the game and enjoy it, too. Patience, woman. Have some faith. If it is meant to happen, it will.

Rather than make this go on forever, I'll conclude tomorrow. The topic will be about continuing the game even when in a relationship. Play on!

Erase Bad Memories Before They're Made

I can think of all sorts of uses for an anesthesia that makes you not remember bad stuff while it's happening.

Obama and Polygamy

It's a deceiving headline, but hey! Why not emulate the MSM. It works for them.

I'm struggling here folks. It is absolutely gorgeous outside and I've got to post something. The Obama debacle is sucking the oxygen out of the blogosphere at the moment. I'm guessing that Obama is counting on the fact that inbred, red-neck, gun-totin', bitter middle-class people don't know how to read 'cuz the stink won't make it onto the NASCAR channel or Dirty Jobs, so he's safe!

Remember when I told you he was done? Well, it's more true now. He'll get the Dem nomination, sorry Hill they just dislike you that much more, but he won't win the general election.

Now that we have that settled.

The polygamists are interesting. The New York Times has an inadvertently funny piece about how other polygamists will go back into seclusion and no longer make connections with the government. Were they ever out and proud? But more than that, there's this subtle bias for tolerance for these weirdos. Deviance is the new normal. Embrace it. The Houston Chronicle reports on the legal mess the raid creates:

In court filings seeking termination of parental rights, CPS officials now say just being born into the sect ensures child abuse, describing "a widespread pattern and practice ... in which young, minor female residents are conditioned to expect and accept sexual activity with adult men at the ranch upon being spiritually married to them."

The state says it now has evidence that every child was either abused or at imminent risk of abuse.

Sect lawyers have filed pleadings claiming the comprehensive searches of the 1,700-acre compound violated First and Fourth Amendment protections as well as the Texas Constitution.

"The FLDS and its congregants enjoy the right under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution to exercise their religion and to assemble unhampered by government intrusion," wrote Cynthia Orr, complaining that the searches were intrusive, overly broad and were misrepresented to the judge who approved them.

But it's unlikely Orr's objections will prevail, one expert said.

"There are religious liberties issues here, but none that a judge is likely to take seriously: Laws about polygamy and underage sex apply to everyone. There is no right to an exemption for a religious group," said Douglas Laycock, a professor emeritus at the UT law school.

This is interesting, I'm no lawyer, but the cult's lawyers seem to be using the same argument for screwing young women as the Muslims are using for separate times for working out on college campuses.

My religion says that blow torches should be taken to religious extremists bent on inhibiting the rights of others to make their religion work. How's that? The constitution would protect me. It's my religion.

Cross-posted at Right Wing News.

Nutter Richard Falk Heads UN Human Rights Commission

Maxed Out Mama explains the significance:

Among Mr Falk's qualifications is that he was an international law professor at Princeton University. Of course! And he is distinguished for his openmindedness and critical thinking abilities, as demonstrated by this lovely quote:

On March 24 in an interview with a radio host and former University of Wisconsin instructor, Kevin Barrett, Mr. Falk said, "It is possibly true that especially the neoconservatives thought there was a situation in the country and in the world where something had to happen to wake up the American people. Whether they are innocent about the contention that they made that something happen or not, I don't think we can answer definitively at this point. All we can say is there is a lot of grounds for suspicion, there should be an official investigation of the sort the 9/11 commission did not engage in and that the failure to do these things is cheating the American people and in some sense the people of the world of a greater confidence in what really happened than they presently possess."

And also the manhunts, Mr Falk! Don't forget the North Carolina and Virginia manhunts! In 2004 Richard Falk wrote the foreword to Griffin's book claiming that the US attacked itself, so in fairness to Mr. Falk one would have to say that he did not adopt this theory as a UN Human Rights campaign strategy. He's been barmy for a while, to put it in Brit-speak. One would say that Mr. Falk has spent too much time sniffing the academic glue in extremely progressive Princeton University circles.

Great, just great. Why is the U.S. even in the UN? Move the whole blasted enterprise, to, say, Riyadh.

Obama: It's Not Skin Color, It's Snob Factor--UPDATED

Can we just leave race out of this stupid equation? I mean, really. It's not about skin color. It's about snob factor. And between Michelle and Barack, himself, they just come off as insufferable, out-of-touch, obnoxious very rich people. Dahum. Shut up! Here's an interpretation for all you tards too drunk on Bud Lite and gun lust to comprehend Obama's musings:

I asked around the area, to see how his obvious compassion for Pennsylvanians was viewed. This is just one story, from one man in West Deer Township, but I'm sure that it's typical.

"By cracky, it's like the man sees into my very soul!

"Thirty years ago, I had a good job in the mill in Pittsburgh. I was bringing in a good income, going to jazz clubs, discussing Proust over white wine and brie, with my gay friends of all colors. I was all for free trade, so that we could sell the steel overseas, and I never bothered to go to church, let alone actually believe in God.

"But then, the plant closed down, and I couldn't get another job. I went on unemployment, and found odd jobs here and there, but they barely paid the rent on the loft, and the payment on the Bimmer. I couldn't afford the wine and brie any more, and had to shift over to beer and brats.

"Of course, as a result, I started hanging out with the wrong crowd--the beer drinkers.

"And it wasn't just the beer. Some of them actually went out in the woods in the fall, and shot animals. And kilt 'em. With real guns!

Tom McGuire has a round-up.

I told you people before that Obama was done in the general election with his pastor Wright deal. I also told you that he would have to get the nomination or else the whole Left will implode. Obama is done. So is Hillary.

Good night! If you had told me that any Republican would have an ice-chip's chance in Hanoi, I'd have said you wuz crazy.

UPDATED:

The Anchoress has more:

Two great candidates the Democrats have brought us this year, aren’t they? Don’t y’all forgit to vote fer your’n betters, now! They’ll learn ya an’ tell ya anythin’ you wants ta hear, an’ they’ll laff n laff if’n it gets too serious, an’ they’ll take care all yer needs, too! so you don’t never have to be lovin’ that old time religion anymores, cuz yer govimint will be yer god, and y’all will be her people.

She reminds us of Clinton's "smug mug".

This is the end of both them. Can you say President McCain?

Around and About

Tigerhawk asks, "Is John McCain a cylon?" My only thing is this: Why'd they go and make a cylon with a faulty arm? Does it have some special fighting capability? Is the arm actually weaponized? That's my theory. It's not just an arm, it's a diversion and a weapon. Makes him look old, but he could kill you. I believe that anyway. McCain scares me.

If you don't know about the Canadian human rights commission crap, go here and here. This is important people. One of my favorite Canadian bloggers, Small Dead Animals, is being sued because he used speech that some dude in Canada didn't like. Imagine saying something a liberal didn't like and being hauled before a bureaucrat (this isn't a real court with a real judge, this is just some pencil pusher who is "following the rules") to defend yourself. Canada sucks.

The Pope is visiting New York. Catholics are happy (especially cult escapees). I'm not Catholic, but I have found myself warming to the Pontiff. He's an acquired taste. Pope John Paul was more approachable.

Glenn Reynolds needs a new phone soon but says that it won't be the iPhone. Too bad for you, is what I say. I love my iPhone. The direction GPS stuff is phenomenal (I got around San Antonio and upstate New York with it)--no more maps. I text and IM on it. I love the visual messages. I keep track of my schedule. I read the news. Hell, Instapundit is one of my saved pages. Really, this little machine is my life. It were to disappear. Aughhhh!

Advice for men giving women advice at the gun range: Back the frak off! Ditto advice at the gym. No joke, a girlfriend of mine is ripped, could be in body building competitions and she gets guys coming up to her in the gym explaining how to use the equipment. Same thing happens to me. When I say, I'm a chiropractor, yadda, yadda, guys will still press on advising. Sheesh! They would never do that with a guy, ever.

I am consistently impressed with Shiite cleric Ali Sistani over in Iraq. This man, who seems to live behind some mysterious shroud, has consistently put the best interests of Iraq first. It has to be life-threatening to be standing firm the way he does. It is also life-threatening to be one of al-Sadr's henchmen. C'est la vie mon cherie terrorist thug!

Have I told you people that I loath Keith Olbermann? If I have, I haven't said it enough.

Poor, poor Hillary! She's being hated on because she's a woman. If her hearty chortle, lack of humor, boorish behavior and leftist rhetoric were coming from a man, he would definitely be a shoo-in for president. Definitely.

Finally, egads! Mitt Romney won first place in a blogger poll as Veep to McCain. Heaven help us! I must be out of touch because who in sam hill is hot for Romney? He as inspiring as as....cordovan wing tips. What the hell? Michael Steele? Now, him, I like.

Pedophiles In Power

Did you hear about the polygamist freaks here in Texas? There is just something about claiming God-given authority and having complete power that goes with sexual deviance. It's a chicken-egg thing. The creepy freaks are drawn to places where authoritarianism is encouraged. Or is it, that dudes with an authoritarian bent get into an environment where freakyness is encouraged and they get progressively weird?

Doesn't really matter. There are just so many examples of this happening. A couple ingredients seem to make for sick fantasies becoming reality.

-Absolutist religious doctrine
-Male-dominated
-Women reduced to objects for man's pleasure
-Sex associated with shame
-Arbitrary rules to force submission
-Hierarchical structure strictly enforced

Why do we see sexual freaks in Congress, the Catholic church, polygamist cults, Islamofascist sects, Buddhist monk palaces, etc.? Because the men, drunk on power, get off on dominating others. It's about control. It's about indulging in weird sexual desires and making it sanctioned by God so there is no guilt and shame. Why must it be young people, often children, to exploit? Because they have no power and make no demands. These men don't do well with mature demands. They are insecure and infantile emotionally. They are perverts beyond rehabilitation.

Public hangings sound like a good solution to these problems when they arise. All sins are forgivable, true. I trust God can sort it out on the other side. This side needs to be rid of them.

Mullah Melissa Issues Some Fatwas

In Melissa's Perfect World, a Fatwa would be issued. In fact, like a good Mullah, many Fatwas would be ordered because many wrongs need to be righted. I mean what kind of Mullah would I be, hell, what kind of Grand Ayatollah would I be, if I didn't order copious edicts of magnificent importance? I know, right? So I have to get to work. I'll start with my personal pain and anguish, because like a Mullah who's a wife-short, my pain is paramount:

1. Henceforth, I decree that Allah hates all multi-headed zits and they shall be banished. In particular, zits that decide to reside along the border of the lower lip and the skin of the chin shall receive especially harsh punishment. Namely, excruciating bombing missions that destroy the invaders at the roots.

2. Egregious taxes (and all taxes are egregious) are a sin. In the future, all illegal immigrants will be forced to give all of their money as a tribute for having the privilege of having feet on this holy soil. Violators will be placed in super special sling shots and given a quick and efficient flight over the Rio Grande. Plus, I won't have to pay taxes anymore. That's what's really important. Mullahs ride camels and snort derisively at modern trappings of materialism like Mercedes.

3. Slow driving rises as stench to the nostrils of Allah. People who putt-putt on any street may legally be pushed out of the way, preferably by a gas-guzzling SUV.

4. Allah hates excessive hair. Lasering, plucking, sugaring, waxing, shaving will no longer be necessary. By fiat and Fatwa, hair will grow in the exact right places and eyebrows will magically be shaped according to the current style. Ditto bikini line hair. All men will be given perfect hair cuts. Even Simon Cowell.

5. Customer service representatives shall all die by order of Fatwa 5. Companies must get service right in the first place, so says Allah, the great and merciful, and therefore customer services representatives are moot.

6. Blog trolls consume Allah with zealous wrath and in His righteous anger He shall stomp them to death with stilettos. Ditto spammers. Ditto people who forward chain letters.

7. Whining instead of forming words and cogent thoughts shall be banished to hell with Mary Poppins. Until such time as whiner is reformed and/or grows up beyond age five, developmentally, whining is punishable by repeated lashings at the hands of Mary Poppins.

More decrees will be forthcoming. Mullah Melissa is too busy folding ten loads of laundry to continue at the moment, but feel free to add your own.

The Clintons As Thugs

With the way the press has turned on Hillary and the Clintons in general, one almost feels sorry for them. Almost. Stories like this, that go untold even in the hostile press, need to be remembered. We don't want these people back in power. They are ruthless and despicable.

Who's Right About the Recession?

So who is right? Are we in a recession or is it a figment of the Republican haters imagination? Can it be both?

Maxed Out Mama has laid out a compelling arguments for the last nine months that the economy is in trouble. My 401K would support that notion. The New Jersey housing market would support that notion. The Michigan jobs market would definitely support that notion. Houston? Is there a recession her? Not so much, but people do seem to be tightening up on their discretionary spending.

Now, The Anchoress makes this point:

It’s very tiresome, isn’t it? The agendas and double-standards of the press and the willingness of the American people to accept superficial analysis and headlines. Yes, things are more expensive right now, mostly because of oil prices and the soaring food prices that are part-and-parcel of the enviro-hysteria that has America held-hostage to foreign oil (rather than independently supplied by her own resources) and is content to starve the world to burn dubiously “clean” bio fuels. I am at a loss to understand - and a little worried by - America’s willingness to be led about by the nose on these issues.

And I am coming concerned about how easily some Americans digest rank antisemitism without discomfort. That’s chilling.

Many Americans - seemingly more and more - are so busy entertaining themselves - with their flip videos, ear-buds, increasingly balkanized personal lives - that they don’t really care about the details; they just wants to plug in, tune out and (increasingly) let whoever they assign to be “Mom & Dad” in the government take care of them while they stay in their rooms, chat online and try to do as little around the house as they can.

Ouch. But you know what? She's right. That's why you guys get an economy post weekly whether you want it or not. The world is interconnected. What happens in Japan matters to us here and vice versa. Economics drive politics which cause wars or peace. So, to be ignorant and plugged in but tuned out about the truth of the numbers and policies that cause them is to be utterly unaware not only about today but the future.

The network news is not giving unbiased information. A person must have the curiosity and desire to know more. But people are so busy and distracted, they don't have the time or inclination to carve out the time to know more.

There is a real sense that the government knows everything, sees everything and will solve everything--or they should solve everything. This takes the power from the people which suits the elite political class, the academics and the media just fine. A guy who opines on "hope" and "change" has legs because the message feels good. His underlying policies will rob a person of his money, and therefore, his autonomy. So economics matters. He knows that, which is why he'd like to control it.

I don't think people realize the full extent to which their lives are controlled. My in-laws in New York cannot make certain choices, simply cannot do it, because they cannot afford them. So much of their money goes to the government--federal, state, city, county, village and on and on--and they have so little money left over, that their choices are constricted and determined. So yes, the grocery and gas prices affect them. Their anxiety increases because what little they have to spare is eaten up. And, oh, by the way, Barack Obama considers them "rich" and their tax bills will go up with him in office.

So, it's worthwhile to pay attention. It's worthwhile to pick through the news and prove for yourself whats true or not. The Anchoress is worried. Maxed Out Mama is worried. They are paying attention.

Michelle Obama's Heart Speaketh Again

The democratic presidential hopefuls must endure assaults from the inside. Who do you like less? Michelle Obama, with her distrustful view of Americans or Bill Clinton with his pernicious narcissism? It's a toss up.

This post from Gateway Pundit might make you like Michelle Obama less:

Mrs. Obama discussed her party's socialist plans for America yesterday to a group of depressed women in Harrisburg, NC.
Charlotte.com reported:

Most Americans, she said, don't want much.

"They don't want the whole pie," she told the women. "There are some who do, but most Americans feel blessed just being able to thrive a little bit. But that is becoming even more out of reach."

After law school, she and Barack were beset by loans they'd still be paying had her husband not written two best-sellers, "The Audacity of Hope" and "Dreams From My Father."

Those debts early in their marriage, she said, equips her husband to better understand the problems many Americans face.

Should she become first lady, she said she'd focus on family issues.

"If we don't wake up as a nation with a new kind of leadership...for how we want this country to work, then we won't get universal health care," she said.

"The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more."

The pie argument is annoying. A friend of mine went down this Marxist road, trying to convince me that there is only one pie, only so many pieces and some people get short changed and never get the piece they deserve. The American Pie has steadily grown over the years to the point where even having a sliver of it is more than most people the world over have if they are given a big slab of the nothing pie they eat from in their country.

How has the collectivist impulse worked in Nigeria? How is it working for Venezuela? How did it work for Cuba? I'll tell you how it works: the leaders grab power and money and impoverish the common folk.

Michelle Obama has had every privilege and she talks like she's in touch with the common man. There has not been one common thing about her cushy life. She needs to acknowledge her blessings and be grateful for a country that made it possible instead of trying to stoke rage. She has nothing to complain about. Neither do most Americans.

General Betray Us, NOT!--UPDATED

Well, I haven't posted on General (or is that Admiral, snort) Petraeus' testimony. Not because it's not important, mind you, but because the outcome was foreordained. He would sound imminently reasonable, intelligent, and commanding and the Senators would sound unreasonable, stupid and vapid.

Predictably, the lefties hated the testimony. Ted Kennedy being the most inane, as usual. They are just in denial, plain and simple.

Some complex thoughts on the subject of Iraq here. More thoughts on that corpulent troll Muqtada al-Sadr. I've wanted him dead for so dang long. He needs to be expunged from Iraq's memory.

UPDATE: By the way, Iraq and Afghanistan has created heroes, brave men and women who have sacrificed for their comrades and saved lives by choice, knowing that they'd forfeit their own to do so. Mike Monsoor is one such soldier . Please read all about him.

Women Are Simpler Than Men Think--UPDATE

Yesterday, I tried to explain the male psyche to women. Today, I'll try to explain women to men.

You'd think that because I'm a woman, I'm more qualified to offer advice this way. Well, we'll see about that. It is certainly with more trepidation that I post these points. So ladies, same goes for you. If you think I'm missing something, add your perspective to the comments.

Since the points were ironic, I'm going to translate them into what women really mean. It's going to be a far cry from what men want, I can guarantee you that. Men and women would do well to recognize the differences. They really are beneficial and make life far more interesting.

1. Keep the mystery alive--Really Means: I'm worried. Translation: I don't like worrying that you're splattered on the pavement somewhere. I trust you. Just let me know you're OK.

2. Call rarely--Really Means: Touch base. Translation: When you reach out, I know that you're thinking about me or checking to see how I am. It makes me feel connected.

3. Retreat from conflict--Really Means: Let's work it out. Translation: When you retreat, it makes me feel like you don't care and the lack of resolution is stressful. Silence feels controlling.

4. Don't expect your spouse to meet your sexual needs--Really Means: It's called foreplay. Translation: Sex begins when you take out the trash--without being asked. I've heard "Mommy" 500 times today. I've changed diapers. I've cleaned the house. I don't feel like a sexy beast. I just feel like a beast. Help lighten the load. Let me take a shower in peace. Sex will sound a whole lot better.

5. Spend time cultivating interests that don't include your spouse--Really Means: I want your company. Translation: Let's figure out how to spend some time together that's fun.

6. Don't change--Really means: You've stopped trying. Translation: I wouldn't have married you if I had known that all the good behavior ended after we walked down the isle.

7 Don't apologize--Really means: You don't say you're sorry nearly as much as you think you do. Translation: It is too your fault.

8. Don't give tokens of affection--Really means: Thoughts count. Translation: When you buy something for me, small or big, I know you are thinking about me more often than the five minutes before we have sex.

9. Ignore special dates--Really means: At least a couple times a year, I know I can count on some TLC. Translation: It matters. Do it whether you feel like it or not. Love means stretching beyond the comfort zone.

10. Stop saying "I love you"--Really means: I never get tired of hearing it. Translation: When you tell me you love me at other times besides when we're having sex, it's like fuel to me. Say it often and mean it.

Mind you, some of these things will matter to the woman in your life more than others. You will have hopefully gotten to know her well enough by now to know which ones to emphasize.

Men, if you want an easy, no-fuss relationship, turn gay or move in with your drinking buddy. A good woman is not a high-maintenance woman, but some maintenance is necessary. A guy who wouldn't dream of not changing the oil, tires and filters on his truck will treat his wife or girlfriend with less regard. Dude, she's a person not a machine. She needs more attention, not less. If she tries to be a good companion, if you feel helped by her presence, let her know. Show her. And if you're still not sure how to do it, ask her. Tell her to make a very specific list of three things you can do so that she feels loved.

UPDATE: One of the biggest surprises, men, in talking to women in my practice is how many of them would like to have more sex. If you have low drive. If you can't get it up. If you have blood pressure problems. If you're diabetic. If you're gay. Very likely, you're just not that into sex. If you're gay or sexually ambivalent, do her a favor and get therapy or divorce her. It is bullshit for a woman to think it is her fault that you guys don't have a sex life and it's really your deal.

If you have a health problem, go to a doctor. It is not a sign of weakness to go get help. Good grief! I know, just the thought of being "examined" freaks you out. Too damn bad. Your body is not just your own, it's hers, too. And I know, it sucks having problems like this, but there are solutions. And the problems are not rare. Pride is a stupid reason to have a non-existent sex life. Not to mention, performance issues usually indicate an underlying health concern. People can have rich sex lives 'til the day they die. One of the biggest myths is that sex diminishes necessarily just due to age. It doesn't. It shouldn't.