It's Tea Time

-------------UPDATE 7/3/2010-----------------
Well, this officially blows. The Eagles have released an official statement regarding Vick. Long story short: they're keeping him barring any news of his involvement in the shooting incident.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, hoping the police turn up some evidence that puts him around at the time of the shooting. At this point I'm not confident that will happen. Even if he were around, it's likely any one else who was would cover for him at this point, other than the victim.

It's not carved in stone yet, but things are just looking worse and worse for the quarterback formerly known as Ron Mexico.

NBC Sports reports this morning that the police are taking a closer look at Vick and his potential involvement. Let's just quickly go over some of the information that has been coming out:

1) Vick and Quanis Phillips (guy who got shot) had issues with each other from the dog fighting days.

2) Quanis is on tape slapping Vick's girlfriends hand while trying to eat her cake (lol).

3) After that happens, Vick and Quanis have some words.

4) Vick leaves the club, three minutes later Quanis is shot in the direction Vick was heading leaving the club.

If this were a Law and Order episode, there would be some crazy twist and Vick would end up the victim of terrible circumstance. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and at the end he would be vindicated and we'd all have a feel good moment.

Unfortunately for Vick this is real life, where 99.99% of the time, a spade is a spade. IMHO, this spells the end of his career. As an Eagles fan, I'm planning a celebratory party as soon as it's made official that he's done.

The Eagles club has enough issues with their reputation, this trash has further tainted it for long enough.

So it's official, the tax is going through. The average price on a pack of cigarettes in New York state will now be close to $10 a pack, while in New York City it will be closer to $11.

It's obvious this "chasing money" plan for getting money from cigarette taxes will not work. As taxes increase, less people smoke, and as less people smoke, they are forced to further increase taxes. Believe it or not, eventually there really won't be enough people smoking to generate the funds our greedy government desires.

So here's the really important question that no one seems to be asking yet:

What comes next? NY state will obviously not do the intelligent thing, which would be balancing the budget without these revenues included. So how will they fill the gap moving forward?

The idea of a "sugar" tax has been floated, on things such as soda and candy bars. But honestly, people will just stop using them too.

The reason is less financial then it is societal. You see, to justify these taxes government needs to vilify the products being taxed. They need to convince people that they are bad parents if they allow their children to consume them. They need to put forth the idea that somehow you are less appealing or healthy as an individual if you consume them. Over time these silly notions have an effect, and eventually the societal pressures of your peers who have already conformed become so overbearing, or just plain annoying, that it becomes simpler for us to just find an alternative.

So even if sugar is the next target in the name of the public good, eventually a new target will need to be found. So let's think deeper here. What comes after that? It's important to consider all of this, because one thing I know for certain is that it won't end with either cigarettes or sugar.

Do you have a little guilty pleasure you enjoy, something that might be judged unhealthy or potentially damaging to the environment? You might want to start doing a personal audit of the things you enjoy in your life, and then start paying attention to politics, because you just might be the next one to sacrifice for the good of the whole.

I've read quite a few articles today on this subject, and one thing I noticed immediately was that the current length of time you can collect unemployment was omitted from nearly all of them.

I feel it is extremely important that people understand exactly how long you can collect unemployment at this point in time, and then think about whether or not you think these folks really could not find a job:

Unemployment insurance was intended as temporary relief for the jobless. Workers originally could collect benefits for up to 26 weeks, in most circumstances, and up to 39 weeks in areas of high unemployment.

But under multiple extensions already passed by Congress, workers can now collect payments for as long as 99 weeks — nearly two years — in states with the highest unemployment rates. Half of those on unemployment now have been receiving benefits for more than six months.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38990_Page2.html#ixzz0rs0ViyWS

It frustrates me that when telling such an important story, a story we all have a vested interest in, most leave out what is the most pertinent piece of information.

Now I don't want to devolve into a tirade on how many of these articles are back-handed swipes at Republican's. I am weary of such fights. I will however point out that in the articles which did not include the information above, one thing was included:

Washington Post

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) joined a united Republican caucus in voting to block the measure

Seattle Times

Republicans continue blockade of federal aid bill

Dallas News

Senate Republican's cite deficit, kill state fiscal aid

Associated Press

Stymied by GOP, Democrats at loss on jobs agenda

OzarksFirst.com

Republicans Block Extension of Unemployment Benefits

LA Times

Senate Republicans on Thursday once again blocked legislation to reinstate long-term unemployment benefits for people who have exhausted their aid, prolonging a stalemate that has left more than a million people without federal help.

Examiner

Unemployment benefits extension denied: Republicans defeat Democrats' jobs bill

New York Magazine

Republicans Kill Democrats’ Unemployment Relief Bill

I could go on, but it's Friday, and it's time to start enjoying the day!

No, seriously.

Amid the mounting frustration, UN chief Ban Ki-moon asked former US president Bill Clinton to "assume a leadership role" in coordinating the international aid, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told a press briefing.

"The aim... is to provide strategic guidance to the United Nations involvement at an international level," Nesirky said.
Clinton added: "The trick is to get the Haitian people back where they can stop living from day-to-day and start living from week-to-week or month-to-month and then start the long-term efforts.

"They, the leaders there, want to build a functioning, modern state for the first time, and I will do what I can to faithfully represent and work with all the agencies of the UN and help them get it done," he added.

Really Bill, is that the "trick"? Brilliant, glad you're on top of things.

Long story short: Haiti is screwed. The people who are acting like they care are only doing this for their ego and any political gain that might come from being involved. I am willing to bet that ten years from now, Haiti will still be an absolutely hellish place to live.

Why wouldn't it be. How many times do you think something to the effect of Clinton's comments have been uttered? Great, Haiti wants to build a "functioning, modern state". What did they want before, an ass backwards broken state? If so, well done on that front.

What a horrible state of being for the Haitian people, and with nothing but talk from bureaucrats to sustain them. Too bad they can't eat speeches, they'd be in good shape.