Alexithymia

This is the first Bi-Daily Dump.  Anything of importance or interest I find I’ll post here, with some commentary, so you can be just as cool as me.  (See what I did there?  I assumed an air of false-ego so you’ll feel like you have to listen to my superior opinion, technique influenced by Stephen Colbert)

I Am Second (or click the banner above) is a movement inspiring others to live for God.  They feature videos of powerful testimonies, concerning victories over a variety of “struggles”, of people of all sorts.  What caught my attention were those of Brian Welch (former guitarist of Korn) and Josh Hamilton (current Left Fielder for the Rangers, formerly suspended from the MLB for his addiction).  Really, if you’re looking for an inspiration or are struggling with anything, or looking for an answer, check out the site.  If a video doesn’t work, they also have chat rooms and call lines to help you out.

“Trim”

Trim from Petey Boy on Vimeo.

This guy transforms into a hipster in less than 30 seconds.

DOW Mimicks Ronaldo and Dives

Follows the downgrade of the US credit rating to AA+ by S & P’s 500.  Though, the downgrade was based on political grid-lock over the debt controversy and not necessarily inability to pay back, this following the S&P being accused of making a $2trillion mistake in the analysis and forewarning their clients Friday (which caused that decline).  I don’t know enough to say who was right, just interesting how vulnerable the markets are to (feared) speculations I think.  Your thoughts?

UPDATE:  They’re on the rise again.

Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad only swims half the distance between Cuba and Florida over the course of 29 hours before calling it quits.  Oh wait, she’s 61 years old?  Maybe I should go for a run…

London Riots

The London riots continue on.  What started as a protest against the circumstances surrounding the police shooting of a guy named Mark Duggan has escalated into an apparently aimless bout of violence, reasons ranging from discontent with raised tuition fees to anarchy to just wanting get out and “**** **** up” (Step Brothers quote).  Anarchy in the UK anyone?

Tebow or Orton?

I’m all for Tebow getting the starting spot, but for sake of sports-etiquette, popularity or favoritism shouldn’t be a factor in who gets it.  (Here’s looking at you, old rec-ball coach in ‘05)

Darwin Award

Woman loses three fingers trying to wake up her bf with fireworks.  

How’s she going to make him a sandwich now? (ha)

Oh, the world is going to end…

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/923/081/NASA_Hiding_Approaching_Doomsday_Space_Event.html

A settlement of differences by mutual concessions.

So, the road to avoiding a national debt default has hit yet another obstruction, as the House rejected the Senate bill to raise the debt ceiling, continuing the ongoing volley of opposition that leads us closer to higher interest rates, lowered value of the US dollar, and other such consequences if such a default were to occur.

While I don’t claim to be an expert on current affairs or US history (relevance later), I want to say that I’m tired of the bi-partisan bickering that is preventing a solution from being reached and ratified.  Both parties hold a pride over politics attitude, and for good reason since the over turn in the House reflected support for a ‘never compromise’ attitude (CNN).  The left criticizes the right as favoring the rich too heavily, and the right criticizes the left as being out of touch with American principles of a free economy, and neither side it seems, until very recent, and in the face of the reality of a default, has made steps to bridge the gap between the two views.

Adamancy is a respectable quality, but it doesn’t fly in politics (which, coincidentally, is the art of compromise).  This country was built on compromise.  The three institutions responsible for composing and approving the budget are the direct results of compromise during the formation of our Constitution: 

The Great Compromise – at the Constitutional Convention, a concession was made between the Virginia plan (representation based on population) and the New Jersey plan (equal state representation) to form the bickering bicameral legislative body we see today.

Presidential Compromise – The original Articles of Confederation didn’t provide for a chief executive, and the process by which we elect the President today is a compromise between popular election and informed election.  So, today, we vote for electors (who, in actuality tend to just roll with the popular vote by state) who then vote for the Presidential nominees.

            In the American political system, policy can only be made if concessions are made by those who form it.  The right is correct (I think) in saying that too high of taxes or too much government involvement can cripple economic development. The left is correct in saying that raising the debt ceiling is necessary for avoiding default, but that just gives room for more spending that has been characterized by growing government in the past decade.  Every time the debt ceiling has been raised, it’s had to have been raised again.

            So?  We need to compromise.  President Obama calls for this, but at the same time piggybacks on Reid’s plan and says he will not pass Boehner’s (which includes a short-term debt ceiling increase), and doesn’t exactly have a proposition of his own other than critical rhetoric and appeals from an ‘American just like you’ (Address).

The Republicans need to agree to raise the debt ceiling (and they have) and also raise taxes a bit.  The thing is, taxes are low, but they may be too low.  We tax 13% of the GDP, but spend nearly a quarter of it (David Stockman).  So, the left needs to agree to cut more of spending, through entitlement reform perhaps.  And we need to let them.  Sure, the benefits may be a great aspiration, but they cost much more than they’re worth at the moment, and our fiscal plans can’t handle them at the moment.    OH, spending.  It has been a bi-partisan problem. 

So, when this is all over with, whether by a passed resolution or a default, work on passing the balanced budget amendment. It’s obvious that one can’t be held for long without some higher power, like the Constitution, demanding it.  Maybe we could take Warren Buffet’s advice.

That concludes my little rant, however you may see it.

In sum:

Quit whining about not getting your own way.  In a nation with 300 million people, and over 500 governing individuals, the best way for everybody is for everybody to give a little.  Find the middle road.

Cut spending drastically, increase revenue moderately, raise the debt ceiling temporarily, and work on long-term solutions to what has been a long-term problem.

It’s always nice to have a third point.