This complete dumbass over in China was bitten while trying to hug an animal.  This is what the 20 year old named Liu said to the media:

“Yang Yang was so cute and I just wanted to cuddle him. I didn’t expect he would attack.”

The animal he climbed the fence to hug was a bear.  Look for Liu to make an appearance on a future Darwin Awards list…

The New York Times is reporting that Hillary has accepted the job as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. Everything old is…well, still old.

Obama is quickly becoming Clinton 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Our winner this week the large group of individuals (though seemingly not as large as the last time this concept won) who support the bailout of the auto industry. Don’t get us wrong, we love the auto industry, but their business model is antiquated and they’re being choked to death by the UAW.

Bankruptcy is the only answer here, and the only hope for the future of the US auto industry. If they don’t restructure, if they can’t reorganize and renegotiate their contracts, be they with the unions or their suppliers, we might as well set the $25 billion on fire because it won’t make a difference. More money won’t make back practices, bad marketing and bad deals good.

Union contracts should not be a suicide pact, but the UAW is using their influence with Democrats to pressure Congress to subsidize the failed business model rather than face the reality of concessions. They are doing a huge disservice to their membership by acting this way and their members will be the ones who suffer by losing their jobs.

There is also the added danger of the government getting involved in the running of a major US corporation. Democrats are calling for the “Big 3″ to submit their plans for the money for approval before a vote will take place. This effectively would give the government the power to tell them how to structure and run their businesses. While few could do a worse job than those in charge currently, the concept of government directly controlling industry should worry every freedom loving individual (though they indirectly control most industry through regulations, this would direct control).

Democrats want this control because they are statists, the Republicans that are going along with this are simply morons.

The auto industry is failing, pouring good money after bad won’t change that.  It isn’t their cash flow that has to change to make their business models work, it’s their business models that have to change in order to create some cash flow.  Anyone who thinks Congress has the collective wisdom to run these companies in an effective way simply has no concept of history or economics.  While government didn’t create the concepts of waste, fraud and abuse, they sure as hell have come as close to perfecting them as anyone ever has.  Putting these people in charge of any industry would be like hiring John Wayne Gasey to be the entertainment at a kid’s birthday party.  Not the smart play.

Ford, GM and Chrysler need to restructure, regroup and come up with a viable business plan, and the only way to do that is through the protections Chapter 11 afford them.

Anyone who supports this bailout, either elected officials or talking head pundits, you are a douchebag.  And this week, you are THE douchebag.  Congratulations.

Al-Qaida’s number 2 (in every sense of the term) has gone and insulted Barack Obama by using a racial term to describe him.  As a friend noted today, if al-Zawahri isn’t careful the people over at DailyKos will finally get around to hating him nearly as much as they do their fellow countrymen who dare disagree with them.  It’s a long-shot, but still possible.

Socialism Is Slavery. Walter Williams aptly summarizes the coercive nature of redistributionism.

Paulson’s Keystone-Cop Bailout Policy. President Bush has ceded economic policy to his Treasury Secretary, but Hank Paulson has a reverse-Midas touch. As John Stossel notes, the market seems to go down every time Paulson pipes up.

Subsidizing Reckless Behavior. Politicians specialize in bad law, but sometimes they go above and beyond in their search for foolish policy. The mortgage bailout is a good example. As a San Francisco news article explains, feckless government policy creates an incentive for people to default on their mortgages.

Not sure what’s going on here aside from an actor acting like a jackass or crazy person.

This is sad but not surprising.

Prosperity Caucus Job Seminar

Topic:

Networking

Tuesday, November 18, 2007

5:00 Doors Open

5:30 Talk Begins

6:00-7:00 Networking: Professionals, Recruiters, and Employers

Click Here to Attend Job Seminar

Hosted At:

The Heritage Foundation

214 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington DC 20002-4999
Directions

In conjunction with the Heritage Foundation the Job Group will give attendees resources to aid the job searching process by providing tips on refreshing resumes, providing job search tools, promoting high level networking, and providing an online environment for interaction and self promotion. We look forward to your participation and feedback.

Currently, we also provide an online resource at PoliticalBear.com.  PoliticalBear.com is hosting an online job forum, and resume bank.  As part of the job forum, registrants will be able to take part in a job searching peer group in which interview tips, resume and cover letter proofing, and even potential job leads can be shared. Visit the forum here, and submit your resume today, so it can be posted at Jobs.PoliticalBear.com.

Submit Your Resume Here

General Motors has seen better days...but not for a while now.

We applaud the fact that the proposed $25 billion auto bailout looks to be dead, for now.  But the fact that Chapter 11 is to only way for the former “Big Three” to actually reorganize in a way that could potentially be profitable again in the future, that hasn’t stopped General Motors from going elsewhere, with their hat in hand, begging for “help.”

GM has gone to the German government seeking loan guarantees to help keep their head above water. The fact of the matter is that they need to drown to be able to live on.

By filing for bankruptcy GM will be able to reopen contract negotiations with their suppliers and, more importantly, the UAW.  The UAW doesn’t like this idea because it would mean concessions from them to their employer.  They would seemingly rather completely ruin their employer, driving them out of business, than give one inch of common sense concessions that would benefit everyone in the long-term.  Seems the union contract has turned into a suicide pact.

If these companies were to go the way of the dodo, whom do you think would be out of work longer - the factory worker or the executive?  Which would be harder hit economically in the short-term?  Think about this when Card Check becomes an issue this January…

Thanks to everyone who came out to First Friday 2 weeks ago, hope you had as much fun as we did.

Here is a sampling of the pictures from First Friday. You can see a larger version of each of these by clicking on them and can see all the pics from Friday by going to our Flickr page here.

Also, we do have a Facebook group but there are only a few members because we don’t do much with it, frankly. But we do post some pictures from First Friday there a few days before we post all of them, and you can tag people, so there is a small benefit to joining. If you are so inclined you can join the group here. Considering some of the odd groups on Facebook people join, joining our group isn’t all that strange.

See the rest of the picture by clicking here.

You can hear the show on our homepage, http://www.itsfirstfriday.com/ (New shows every Tuesday, unless Monday is a holiday, then the new show is posted on Wednesdays.) You can download and play all our shows on your iPod or media player and have the ability to fast forward and rewind by going to the archives here. Or you can just cursor over here and press play on the window that pops up and be able to fast forward and rewind here. Or just click on it and it should open in a new window and play.

IF YOU LISTEN IN THE ARCHIVES YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FAST FORWARD AND REWIND ALL YOU WANT WITHOUT HAVING TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW. JUST MOVE YOUR CURSOR OVER THE LINK FOR THE SHOW YOU WANT TO HEAR AND CLICK PLAY IN THE WINDOW THAT POPS UP.

Obama Helmet Ad
Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before - The Smiths

Podcast theme
Fearless - The Bravery

Welcome, the Holiday Party list is coming together but we’re asking for you to send yours to us so we can add them to the crash list. Send them to contact@itsfirstfriday.com

The transition is under way. The cost of free tickets to the inauguration. Anything you can see there you can see better on TV. Houses for rent for insane prices.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bill’s secrets, the money he gets from overseas. RFK jr as head of FEMA or to replace Hillary in the Senate. When relatives take over congressional seats. Teddy Kennedy’s health care play. Senator Jesse Jackson jr? Can he win an election? Can Republicans field a candidate worth their weight in dog crap for the seat? RNC Chair election coming up - who is running and who will win? Michael Steele, Newt, Fred Thompson? Or one of the many state chairs, Michigan, California, South Carolina, who want it? What have these state chairs actually accomplished? Losing elections in Michigan, bad leadership?

Breaks at the time: Hillary accepts Secretary of State. She’s more hawkish than Obama. Now what is the purpose of Joe Biden? This stops Hillary from challenging Obama in the primary in 2012.

Thrills running up or down Chris Matthews’ legs in the next segment.

Bumper music
Legs - ZZ Top

I can’t believe it’s not socialism ad
Cocaine Socialism - Pulp

Bud Light - Real Men of Genius
Mr. Backyard Bug Zapper Inventor

Bumper Music
Tubthumping - Chumbawumba

A brief discussion of Chumbawumba. The media suddenly is worried about their credibility, except Chris Matthews. Seems Chris has a new job - making sure Obama succeeds. William Ayers resurfaces AFTER the election. Now media wants to tell people about who Obama is a week and a half too late. The media love fest and sellout continues. Chris Matthews clip talking about his new job. Great expectations that no one can live up to…with the spin of the media. Auto bailout and the failure of Hank Paulson. No more bailouts. What bankruptcy will mean for the “Big Three.” Senator Inhofe - Hero. You, too, can apply for bailout funds. It’s always the big, expensive bills that have to be passed immediately without review or debate. Bankruptcy is key to reopening union contracts that are killing the automakers.

Bumper Music
Drive my car - The Beatles

Hope Energy Drink Ad
I’ll buy - The Replacements

Bud Light - Real Men of Genius
Mr. Camouflage Suit Maker

Bumper Music
Mass Romantic - New Pornographers

In praise of Neko Case, upcoming global warming rally on a day when snow is expected.

News of the Weird, News of the World, News of…Whatever!

Norwegian police headquarters in Oslo robbed. Yes, you read that right. They broke a window and stole computers. Oslo police launch investigation…no one has any faith they will catch anyone.

Boy hits mom with saw, offers bribe for her not to call the police…she called the police. Now 11 year old facing battery charges. Mother and son of the year contests have yet to call.

Spam sales up, still tastes like crap!

Humanitarian Bob Geldof collects $65,000 for speech on poverty, will he beat people for speech on violence?

Nerdy, unattractive couple that met online playing “Second Life,” actually married in real life and the in the video game, are getting divorced because she caught him having sex with a virtual hooker in the video game. She says the marriage in the game is a serious as their real one. They are losers. She has found a new love through playing World of Warcraft. (this is not a joke.)

Goodbyes, etc.

Exit music
A Day in the Life - The Beatles

This article in Portfolio is very long, but well worth the read.  It details an insider’s view of the mortgage crisis from the Wall Street, not political, basis.  Check it out here.

Our winners this week are the Mainstream Media.  Why, you ask?  It’s because they are now slowly getting around to asking the questions they should have asked months ago, like who is Barack Obama?  Since they advocated for him in the election it’s a bit late to ask those questions since they won’t do any good, therefore this ex post facto mia culpa is an attempt to regain some semblance of credibility.  It will fail because they have failed.

ABC News gets special mention, and both credit and blame, for Good Morning America’s interview this morning with terrorist Bill Ayers.  If he wasn’t worth talking about during the campaign, why is he worth talking to now?  The questions asked by Chris Cuomo were good questions, just 6 months too late.

Ayers himself still doesn’t seem to get it, doesn’t seem to understand how planting bombs isn’t a good thing, being associated with murderers isn’t a good thing, but we wouldn’t expect anyone who did that to understand.

The amusing part is to watch Ayers try to explain how he barely knew a man he personally sought out to head the Annenberg Challenge, the $50 million leftist organization Ayers started to radicalize Chicago’s education system.  There aren’t many people on the planet who would create a $50 million organization and then simply hand control of it over to someone he barely knew and wasn’t sure was as radical as you wanted him to be.

As more time passes there will be a growing number of stories asking “Who is Barack Obama?” in the news, we may even find out how a failing student with a drug problem got into the colleges he attended and how they were paid for.  Who knows?  But it’s a day late and a dollar short on the part of the media, they sold out a long time ago and can’t buy back in after the game is over.

For this, for their attempt at regaining credibility (since attempting to regain it is an admission that it’s lost, something they were completely aware of at the time), the Mainstream Media is our Douchebag of the Week.

PS: Don’t expect MSNBC to attempt to regain credibility…you can’t regain what you never had.

Cigarettes are legal in the United States.  Hell, the growing of tobacco is even subsidized by our tax dollars.  So why is it illegal in so many places to engage in legal activities?  Why do people stand by quietly as private property rights are usurped by nanny-state fascists seeking to protect the catch-all for piece of garbage legislation, “the children”?  Sooner or later these do-gooders will come after something you do like and there won’t be anyone left to have your back.

You either love liberty and will defend the loss of it by anyone or you concede yours by proxy.

Watch this video from Reason TV and see the first few flakes of snow that could lead to an avalanche.

Christopher Dodd proves it's ok to be corrupt, as long as you're connected.

This would be a lot funnier if it were not true, and not our money his corruption cost us.  Why Senator Dodd has been dragged into the public square and flogged remains a mystery.

Give it a listen.

The dangers of bailing out one aspect of the economy is everyone lines up eventually like pigs at a trough.

How American Express qualifies as a bank remains a mystery.  If they can, maybe you could too.

Some people do, they

This op-ed in USA Today urges Barack and Michelle Obama to send their kids to Washington, DC public schools.  Recently Michelle Obama has been touring some of the country’s most exclusive private schools to find the best place to send their 2 children.

Why should they send their kids to public schools?  Because Obama has extolled the virtues of public school throughout the campaign, praising teachers and their union as only needing more money to be able to give us the results they have failed to give us hundreds of billions of dollars ago.  He also opposes school vouchers for parents who, unlike him, can’t afford the best private schools in the country.  Since DC spends more per student than any other school district in the country (with one of the worst results), the Obamas can put their theory to the test first hand.

That won’t happen.  They will claim security concerns, even though the Secret Service won’t have any.  Amy Carter went to public schools in DC, but no Presidential children since have.  Why not the Obamas?

The ultimate bit of hypocrisy is when you deny others the right to a choice you exercise yourself.  When it is announced that the Obama children will be attending Sidwell Friends the media will gloss over the fact that it is the highest form of elitism.

After all, if a child is a choice, why shouldn’t where a child is educated be one, too?

Remember global warming? The environmentalist wackos hope you don’t, because if you do their whole case falls apart.

Pope Goreus the IV, Al Gore, has led the fight in the new semantic argument, changing the term “global warming” to the new catch-all “climate change.”

Why the change? Well, the earth is cooling, which really throws a monkey wrench into the gears of the global warming. If the opposite of what you claim is happening people might start to question your motives. God forbid the people discover this is nothing more than a government power grab.

The truth is they changed the name to “climate change” because it doesn’t matter what happens now, it can all be blamed on humans. If the threat of an ice age returns, like it was “pressing” in the 1970’s, they’ve got it covered. Doesn’t matter what happens, storms, drought, floods, tsunami, earthquake, doesn’t matter, they’ve got it covered and government needs to do something - i.e. tax the hell out of you and steal your liberty.

Keep one eye on them and the other on your wallet.

You may ask yourself why Jesse Jackson is our Douchebag of the Week this week, what did he do?  Well, he’s done a lot, actually, but this award is granted to him for one of the least things he did - cry.

Just a few months ago, Jackson, a well-known race hustler, was complaining about how he wanted to basically turn Barack Obama from a rooster to a hen with one slice of a blade, as evidenced by video #1.  Flash to election night, and Jackson was crying like a baby when Obama won.  (See video #2)

We aren’t cynical…ok, we are, and you would probably have suspected we’d give the award to the much deserving Chris Matthews for his comments about working to make the Obama presidency work rather than simply report on whether or not it’s working.  But not, the current video of Jackson with the hindsight of the “nuts” video, really took Jesse up a notch.

Was Jackson crying because his life-long dream had been realized, or because his life’s work had just been ended?  Not really possible to run around complaining about racism when the country is led by a black man.  And race-baiting is bread and butter (and, as we all know, the good Reverend has some mouths to feed).

So we can’t tell why Jackson is crying, but we can guess…and it’s not pride.  And for that, Jesse Jackson is our Douchebag of the Week.  Be prepared to hear either less and less or even crazier things from him in the future as he either accepts that he’s done, or, most likely, gets desperate for camera time the way a heroin junkie jones for a hit.

Video #1

Video #2

Thank God for the First Amendment.  Sure, it’s allows jackasses to spew from the mouth conspiracy theories about 9/11, or liberals to spread their lies, but that’s the price you pay for the same courtesy being extended to you.  We would defend their right to be wrong or jerks because we love our right to say what we want.  (Though given their love of censorship of people on our side, we know they wouldn’t stand with us if the attack on liberty were against someone they disagreed with.  The cost of actually having principles.)  In England they have no right to free speech, hell, they don’t even have a Constitution.  So when someone dare to deviate from the liberal orthodoxy they are shunned like a hooker in church.

Meet David Bellamy, the hooker who tried to take communion.  Bellamy was a well-known TV host on the BBC, but he has since fallen out of favor and been effectively banned from the airwaves.  Why?  He reads scientific journals rather than headlines, looks at the evidence and realized the Holy Church of Global Warming was eerily similar to the Heaven’s Gate cult.

When I first stuck my head above the parapet to say I didn’t believe what we were being told about global warming I had no idea what the consequences would be.

I am a scientist and I have to ­follow the directions of science but when I see that the truth is being covered up I have to voice my ­opinions.

According to official data, in every year since 1998 world temperatures have been getting colder, and in 2002 Arctic ice actually increased. Why, then, do we not hear about that?

The sad fact is that since I said I didn’t believe human beings caused global warming I’ve not been allowed to make a TV programme.

What kind of a scientist looks at the data?  What a buffoon!

At least voters in this country are catching on to rouse and rejecting ballot initiatives designed as a government power-grab and tax scheme.

But as long at there are government grants to be gotten for advancing bogus arguments designed to steal more of our liberty for things that will have zero impact on the natural cycle of things, don’t expect to see David Ballamy on the BBC.  Pope Goreus the IV will be on there any time he has a new sham company to front for, but not a scientist with a track record of professionalism and ethical standards.

Self-proclaimed journalist Chris Matthews today proclaimed that it is his job to make sure the Obama presidency is a success.  This would explain the content of his show the past few years, and that of MSNBC.

It’s odd that he is so concerned that Obama be successful because “This country needs a successful presidency,” but showed no such concern in the previous 8 years.

Matthews and Olbermann have tainted the NBC News brand to the point that may never recover.

For all you liberals out there who vomit Media Matters talking points about Sean Hannity, let us just say this.  First off, you’re an idiot.  Second, Hannity is a hack, and he makes no bones about being a hack.  He readily admits he’s a commentator and not a journalist.  Matthews and Uberdouche make the opposite claim. A good journalist tells you what is happening, not what you should think about what is happening.  Matthews claims to be a journalist when it suits him, and as he does at the start of the video, but he’s a journalist, Michael Moore is a documentarian.

If you don’t know the difference, you simply can’t be helped.

Tucker and a woman we wish was also in the studio with us, but wasn't.

We went into the studio this morning with Tucker Carlson to get his perspective on Election ‘08, and we got it.

This is an abbreviated version of the show, no ads in this one (we couldn’t take the microphones into the bathroom to get the sound of a flushing toilet anyway), just a half hour conversation about what happens now and what needs to happen next, media bias, House and Senate results, his thoughts on Al Franken (good stuff, and what we always suspected) and the coining of a new way to say goodbye - Choke Keith Olbermann.

You can listen on the homepage, or by clicking here. The show is also in our archives here. Give it a whirl, it’s not like you’re doing any work this week anyway.

And remember, if you’re in DC and need a drink Friday, this Friday is First Friday. Still working on the special guest, but even if we can’t get anyone that will not change the fact that the drinks will be plentiful and necessary.

YOU GREEDY BASTARDS!!!   This is why 2010 will be 1994 all over again.

H/T to Jeff Poor.

It’s election day at 7:00 am, the polls are open, vote or don’t.  Either is a valid choice.  Though if you’re inclined toward freedom and liberty we’d prefer if you’d vote.

We’re spending the day working and the night at all the parties in DC, so essentially we’re taking Obama’s advice and taking election day off (from the “job” we don’t get paid for, anyway).  We’ll see you tomorrow.

By the way, if there’s any ambiguity as to where we stand and how we’d suggest you vote, you probably shouldn’t vote.

Barack Obama: change you have to sort of guess about which one he actually believes in.

This is what you get when dare defy liberal radicals, members of the party of tolerance.  This guy is a jackass, but hardly rare.  Go to Kos or Huffington and spend a couple of minutes reading the comments section.

This guy needs to be fired!  NOW!

If you only watched the mainstream media you’d think the election has already taken place, but the facts have yet to be determined.  Remember President Dewey?

Here is a story on how McCain can pull it out.  While it seems like a long-shot, it’s really not.  Nothing is impossible.

In the meantime, if Obama does win, Ron Hart is already preparing himself for some much needed down time.

I really do not want to be that “greedy” guy whom Obama so hates. “Greedy,” loosely defined in Obamanomics, is 49 percent of voters. For the record, if you make $249,000 per year or less you are fine; somewhere around $250,000 and above, you are officially evil and he is coming after you.

I want to appease the new administration and not be too productive. So, upon Obama’s passing his new redistribution plan, I will slow my work schedule, lay off a few people (Obama’s got their back) and let someone else bust his tail since I will now be able to get “redistributed wealth” from those poor fools who are ambitious, energetic, work hard and have made good decisions.

I cannot wait, as I need a break. And it will be nice to not be vilified by politicians. It will feel good to be liked again.

Wish me luck for the next few years. I am looking forward to a respite from hard work, taxes and creating jobs. It is a lot of responsibility that I will be able to “shrug.”

Read the whole thing.

The graphic speaks for itself.

Off script the guy speaks his mind and sticks his foot in his mouth non-stop.  If you or someone you know works in the coal industry, or if you simply enjoy the lights coming on when you flip the switch, watch the video all the way to the end.  What a nut!