Ben Carson is Done: Campaign Manager and Spokesman both Resign

Well it seems that the short moment that Carson had as the potential President nominee is just about over.

The resignations of Barry Bennett, the campaign manager, and Doug Watts, his spokesman, came as they were about to be dismissed, the campaign said, and as Mr. Carson had been sliding in polls amid questions about his grasp of foreign policy and scrutiny of his own biographical narrative.

I think whoever it was who decided to leak his spotty grasp foreign policy pretty much torpedoed his campaign. I think showing that he was a neophyte when the world seems in turmoil is not something Americans need.

Actually needing marathon sessions to bone up on foreign policy was a serious red flag in my opinion. It really shows that Carson was not following foreign affairs at all and that is a huge part of the Presidents job. He needs to know that Hamas is not pronounced Hummus and know that fact from years of experience not from a cram session by some expert. We had an untested guy at President learning on the job for 8 years. We cannot have that again.

George Lucas Did Not like Star Wars:the Force Awakens; You had your crappy Prequels now Buzz Off

They only reason I decided to see Star Wars: the Force Awakens was because Lucas was not involved at all. Now he has the audacity to say anything.

“They looked at the stories, and they said, ‘We want to make something for the fans’….They decided they didn’t want to use those stories, they decided they were going to do their own thing,” Lucas explained. “They weren’t that keen to have me involved anyway — but if I get in there, I’m just going to cause trouble, because they’re not going to do what I want them to do. And I don’t have the control to do that anymore, and all I would do is muck everything up. And so I said, ‘Okay, I will go my way, and I’ll let them go their way.'”

Far be it anyone make anything for the fans. What an ignoramus. I bet there wasn't enough borderline racist characters like Boss Nass and Jar-jar Binks. Their hated green/tan-faced Minstrel Show. Or the offensive Italian stereotype that was Watto. Or the evil Asians that represented the Trade Federation. Or the 100 other irksome and idiotic things that were in the Prequels. All I have to say is Count Dooko and Younglings and that should suffice.

Force Awakens was actually good, had some pathos, had some great action scenes and had lead characters that were fairly decent actors. No wooden Hayden Christensen, or worse yet, terrible child actors like Jake Lloyd. It was a fun romp in the Star Wars universe and made me a fan again. So Lucas can just shut his fat face and we can look forward to other more skilled people giving it a try without his further "input." 

Muslims Respond to ISIS call for Recruits and its Super Funny

Well I guess he won't be getting too many recruits from Twitter.

@iyad_elbaghdadi I wanna wait until April and find out what happened to Jon Snow

That had me laughing out loud. I guess hiding in a terrible shit hole that is Rakkah and dodging coalition bombs all day long does not make for a fun time. Plus I would like to know what happens to Jon Snow as well. 

Mike Holmgren Wants to Coach the 49ers? Sign Him NOW and Give him all Football power that he needs

It seems this future Hall of Fame coach wants the job.

Holmgren's resume is impressive. As the coach of the Packers and Seahawks, Holmgren amassed a 161-111 record, winning a ring in 1996 and reaching the Super Bowl two more times later in his career, which ended after the 2008 season. Most recently, Holmgren served as the president of the Browns -- a job that didn't go as planned. In Holmgren's three years in Cleveland, the Browns went 14-34. Holmgren's tenure ended following the 2012 season and he admitted last year that he should've coached the Browns.

Have him pick the best QB they can get their hands on and rebuild the program from the ground up.

2015 Predictions: A Look Back

Well here is my vetting of my crystal ball for 2015:

Politics:

1. The GOP Congress will work with Obama to a lesser extant but there will be many battles between them on immigration and other issues. Obama will veto several bills and have a few of them overturned with some moderate Democrats on-board.

Partially right: This is pretty okay more or less. I was surprised that the Omnibus Spending Bill passed with little fanfair or threats to "shut down the government" etc. Also Obama vetoed 5 bills this year so that part is correct however none of the vetoes were overturned.


2. A Grand Bargain on Tax Reform will be passed with work from both parties.

Wrong: Hopefully deferred to 2016 with a new President and Congress working together.


3. The Obamacare exchange will be made illegal by the Supreme Court. The federal government will require all states to have a Healthcare exchange and lawsuits are generated by GOP controlled governors. It will not be resolved in 2015.

Wrong: Obamacare is still the law of the land but there have been unintended consquesces from insurers leaving the exchanges to co-pays going through the roof. It is still to be determined in 2016.


4. Obama will start to withdraw from politics and start to prepare for his time after office. He will play lots of golf and lead from behind and basically just ignore his job.  

Partially right: He seems to play lots of golf and goes on about the GOP not following him. Basically him not saying anything about the San Bernadino shooting until he watched cable news certainly shows he doesn't seem to care about the Consoler-and-Chief part of the job.

World: 

1. ISIS will be severely damaged by the end of the year. They will be attacked from many fronts and start to show signs of defeat.

Mostly right: It certianly seems that way after Iraq took back Ramadi and ISIS is having trouble recruiting. They don't look to be throwing in the towel anytime soon.

2. Islamic terror will start to ramp up as ISIS starts to feel the sting of airstrikes and Iraqi and Syrian resistance. They will take the fight out of the "Caliphate" and into the West. More attacks like Charlie Hebdo will be felt across Europe. The lone Islamic terrorist with a gun or bomb will be the new thing to fear in the Western world.

Exactly Right: Unfortunately.



3. China's economy will start to show cracks. Growth will slow and they will do everything they can to keep things going.


Exactly Right: Chinese GDP growth has slowed to below 7% for the first time since 2008



4. Russia will start to quiet down as oil prices stay low. They will rattle the sabre less and cooperate more in the wider world.

Mostly Right: they are attacking ISIS in Syria although they are propping up Assad in the process. Ukraine is still an issue but it seems to be ignored by the wider world.

5. Low oil prices will disrupt the governments of Venezuela and Nigeria. They will have massive disruptions by the end of the year.

Partially right: Oil prices are in the dumper but Venezuela and Nigeria are still holding on for the time being. If oil goes into the $20 range we might start to see serious cracks.


Economic Predictions:

(real numbers as of 12/28/15)
S&P 500: 2250 (2056)
Dow: 18700 (17528)
Nasdaq: 4700 (4621 kind of close)
Crude Oil: $71 ($36.74 way the hell off)
Gold: $1226 an ounce ($1074 way off)
EUR/Dollar: 1.09 (1.09 wow right on target!)
10 Yr Bond: 2.15% (2.21% not too bad)

Sports Predictions:
NFL: Seattle Seahawks (New England Patriots)
NBA: Golden State Warriors (Golden State Warriors; thank you Steph Curry)
MLB: St. Louis Cardinals (Kansas City Royals at long last)
NHL: NY Islanders (Chicago Blackhawks)
Premier League: Manchester City (Chelsea)
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich (Bayern Munich; this isn't too much of a stretch)
NCAA Football (played in 2015:) TCU Horned Frogs (Ohio State Buckeyes)
NCAA Basketball: Duke (Duke; also not a stretch)

Donald Trump is at War with Someone or Another: I can't Keep up with them Anymore. #DumpTrump

Yawn, the Donald is pissed at someone or another.

While many Americans are still in a holiday mood, Trump is locked in a multi-front war of words—with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Republican rivals Jeb Bush and Chris Christie,  a New Hampshire newspaper and the Republican party of Virginia.
It all comes as Trump is kicking off a busy week of campaign rallies, beginning Monday night in New Hampshire. 

You can go to the article to see why he is "fighting back twice as hard" against some imagined slight or another. He really is Biff from Back to the Future. All talk and a big mouth but cannot take even an ounce of criticism.

I Agree with Bob Dole: I Hate Ted Cruz as Well #LoseCruz

Well, Bob Dole isn't afraid to call it like he sees it.
  

In a question about what Dole makes of Trump, the former Senate leader quickly turned matters to Cruz. "He's not traditional Republican conservative," Dole said of the Texan. "Achievements are shutting down the government twice, and calling the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, a liar on the Senate floor. It violates the rules of the Senate.  And he doesn't have a single Senate supporter."

Later, Mitchell probed as to whether Dole could or would vote for Trump next November. Dole said he would because he can't bring himself to vote for Hillary Clinton. Then she asked about Cruz, and Dole joked, "I might oversleep that day," before adding: " 'Cause he used to make these speeches.  'Remember President Dole, do you remember President McCain.' The inference was that we were all a bunch of liberals, and only he is a true conservative.  And he uses the word 'conservative' more than he ever uses the word 'Republican.'  So, it would be difficult."

I will go on the record for voting for Hillary twice before I would vote for idiot Cruz or maybe I will oversleep on that day as well. I think President Cruz are the two most dangerous words in the English language right now.

It Seems ISIS is Losing is Starting to Bleed New Recruits

This is very encouraging news I think.

Interestingly, Neumann's research also suggested the pace of defections was growing, seeming to corroborate the defectors' testimony that ISIS is facing growing recruitment and retention problems.

"What we can say for sure, based on our data, is that the numbers [of defections] are increasing," he explained. "Two-thirds of all of the public defections happened this year; one-third alone happened in the last three months."

One thing that give me pause however is maybe the recruits would rather stay home and live with the comforts of the 1st world and plot Jihad like the San Bernadino attackers. That would be far more dangerous than rounding everyone up in a terribly poor "Caliphate" dodging bombs all day long.

Um Dump This Girl: Woman Turns Down Proposal After the Ring Wasn't 1 Carat

Wow this guy needs to find a new girl ASAP.

If he liked it he should’ve put a bigger ring on it. 

That’s the message one woman sent to her boyfriend after rejecting his elaborate proposal because the diamond on the engagement ring was too small. 

The poor anonymous guy was down on one knee, surrounded by dancers he’d hired specially and being watched by dozens of onlookers, when his girlfriend turned and walked off. 

Apparently it takes 1 carat or more to buy this girls love:

A screenshot of a WeChat conversation allegedly between her and a friend was later leaked online and was published alongside the story. 

In the message, the girlfriend reveals her insecurities about the proposal, saying that “he agreed to buy me a diamond ring as large as one carat. 

“Why was this one so small? Is he so careless or has he ever cared about me?" 

Hmm she may have misstated her intentions. As large as doesn't mean one carat. She should have told him larger than one carat. That's the "price for caring."

Saudi Arabia steps up While the Obama White House Sits Down: Forms Islamic NATO

The Saudi's look to grabbing the reigns when it comes to the "Great Game."

In a rare interview marking the establishment of what the Saudis themselves are describing as an "Islamic military alliance", the kingdom's Defence Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the aim would be to provide mutual anti-terrorism assistance "all over the Islamic world".

"Today, every Islamic country is fighting terrorism individually," Salman said. The new alliance, "emanates from the keenness of the Muslim world to fight this disease, which affected the Islamic world first, before the international community as a whole."

This is a real indictment of the Obama White House. The Saudi's have to step up because we have been such poor partners in the area after we cut-and-ran from Iraq. Now we are doing barely bombing ISIS and it is a matter of time before the Saudi's are directly attacked.

I Agree With O'Reilly: Trump is a Think-Skinned Whiner: No One is Treating Him "Fair!"

Yeah wait until he has to make decisions about ISIS or Putin and whines about them "not being fair."

Trump fires near-daily broadsides against various media outlets that he feels cover him unfairly. Ahead of the Tuesday-night debate, Trump furiously tweeted not only at CNN, but also at Fox News, which he said was "not fair" in its coverage. Trump further attacked Fox host Megyn Kelly, whom he called "dopey," and various Fox pundits.

"You want to be president," O'Reilly said. "Tweet about Putin. Tweet about ISIS. I mean, it looks petty. It looks petty. Don't you think it looks petty? Don't you think it looks petty?"
Trump disagreed with O'Reilly and said he was simply calling out inaccuracies in the media.

The media will soon be the least of his worries if he does by some miracle he becomes President. Also the constant bragging about his poll numbers is idiotic as well. He has such a fragile ego. 

Martin Shkreli, Greedy Biotech Idiot, Perp Walked for Securities Fraud

It couldn't have happened to a worse person.

Shkreli was charged in an indictment unconnected to the drug price hikes imposed by his company Turing Pharmaceuticals. The charges instead involve his actions at another pharmaceutical company, Retrophin, which he ran as CEO up until last year.

Prosecutors said that in a "Ponzi-like scheme" between 2009 and 2014, Shkreli lost hedge fund investors' money through bad trades, then raided Retrophin for $11 million in cash and stock to pay back his disgruntled clients.

Shkreli "engaged in multiple schemes to ensnare investors through a web of lies and deceit," U.S. Attorney Robert Capers said in a statement.

That is what you call instant Karma.

The Front Runners are Now Cruz and Trump: The One-Two Punch of Blow-hard Idiots

I guess I am going to seriously consider voting for Hillary if any of these knuckleheads become the GOP nominee.
  

Cruz’s momentum over the past month, as Ben Carson supporters migrated to his side, has led Trump to target the senator, branding him a “maniac” this past weekend. Cruz has tried to defuse the tension, but Trump’s improbable stretch as frontrunner has continued in part because of his willingness to attack opponents. Throughout the year, Trump has touted his dominance in polls and made it a key part of his brand. He will fight hard to avoid slipping into second place.

I am on record as saying that both of these guys would actually be worse for this country than Hillary, and that is saying a lot. The whole "no Muslims allowed" thing by Trump disqualifies him from being President. You cannot trade freedom for feigned safety. And Ted Cruz is totally insane so he cannot be allowed to have his finger on the button by any stretch of the imagination.

I Guess No More Shrimp for Me until Thailand can Clean up Their Act and Free its "Shrimp-peeling Slaves"

I love shrimp but this kind of thing is going far beyond the pale.

Hundreds of shrimp peeling sheds are hidden in plain sight on residential streets or behind walls with no signs in Samut Sakhon, a port town an hour outside Bangkok. The AP found one factory that was enslaving dozens of workers, and runaway migrants led rights groups to the Gig shed and a third facility. All three sheds held 50 to 100 people each, many locked inside.

And this part makes me not want to ever eat shrimp that came out of Thailand for cleanliness reasons alone.

Inside the large warehouse, toilets overflowed with feces, and the putrid smell of raw sewage wafted from an open gutter just outside the work area. Young children ran barefoot through suffocating dorm rooms. Entire families labored side-by-side at rows of stainless steel counters piled high with tubs of shrimp.

So that pretty much leaves Alaska shrimp and Kahuku shrimp. So no more restaurant shrimp until I can get some assurances. I shouldn't be thinking about slaves and sewage when I'm eating ebi gunkan.

Trump Wants to Ban Muslims from Entering the Country? Um "the Donald" They Could Just Lie. Ever heard of Taquiyya? #DumpTrump

The worst part is that this guy is the GOP Frontrunner.

“Something has to be done,” Trump said on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” one of several phone interviews the Republican frontrunner participated in Tuesday morning. “What I’m doing is I’m calling very simply for a shutdown of Muslims entering the United States — and here’s a key — until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

Trump’s plan, which was released Tuesday, calls for a “total and complete shutdown" of all Muslims entering the country in response to the recent terror attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Paris. I guess he would support a religious test then for people coming in the country. Hold up a picture of Mohammed and say "who is this guy?" 

Or Trump would ask "are you now or have you ever been a member of the Islamic religion?" Then the Muslim that Trump wants to bar from entering the country simply says "Nope I'm a Snake Handler" and his idiotic plan is thwarted. Also part of Muslim ideology is the idea of Taqiyya where they can strait-up lie to unbelievers and it is still fine under Sharia law. So they wouldn't even be breaking any religious laws.

Sorry Shkreli Express Scripts just Did an End-Around on $750 a Pill Price Hike

That is what happens when you don't have patent exclusivity. I guess this is why "me-too" drugs come to market.

Express Scripts, one of the leading prescription-benefits managers in the US, is partnering with a compounding pharmacy to provide a $1-per-pill version of the drug that Turing Pharmaceuticals charges $750 for.

The drug, which Turing sells under the name Daraprim, is used to treat toxoplasmosis, an infection that's harmful to people with weakened immune systems.

Express Scripts announced the partnership with Imprimis Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday, and said prescriptions could be filled as soon as this week. In October, Imprimis said it would provide a customizable formulation to compete with Daraprim.