Darnell (Concise Opinions)

Taxing the rich excessively just doesn't work

darnell — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:43:38 -0500

Taxing the rich excessively just doesn't work:

A UK experiment gone bad? Maybe.

Either way if there is one thing I have observed in my short time on Earth it’s that wealthy individuals KNOW how to protect their wealth via tax loop holes.

It’s the reason why some of the brightest accountants work for them. Excessively taxing the rich isn’t going to work in the short or long term.

Perhaps encouraging them to invest money back into the economy (via incentives and tax cuts) is a better option.

China’s heir apparent seems to understand American culture...

darnell — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:15:40 -0500

China’s heir apparent seems to understand American culture a lot better than his predecessor. Not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing for America. (via Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping’s U.S. trip plays well back home - The Washington Post)

Iranian warships sail into the Mediterranean

darnell — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:14:01 -0500

Iranian warships sail into the Mediterranean:

I wonder if Iran’s strategy isn’t defeating the US in open sea conflict (which their admirals would admit is a near impossible task) but rather driving up the price of oil?

If the latter, then Iran is trying to cash in on the conflict in order to make up for being starved to death by the sanctions.

"Guns don’t kill people any more than spoons make people fat."

darnell — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:56:15 -0500

“Guns don’t kill people any more than spoons make people fat.”

- Pastor Tony Moore

Mitt has already apologized for this apathetic statement for the...

darnell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:19:00 -0500

Mitt has already apologized for this apathetic statement for the poor, but the fact that this is on video means it will be used against him in the general.

"Fannie Mae is an excellent example of a former government institution fulfilling its mandate while..."

darnell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:12:00 -0500

“Fannie Mae is an excellent example of a former government institution fulfilling its mandate while functioning in the market economy.”

- Newt Gingrich (1995)

staff: Introducing: Highlighted Posts Every now and then, a...

darnell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:35:13 -0500

staff:

Introducing: Highlighted Posts

Every now and then, a post comes along that’s meant for big things. It could be pulling the wraps off your new project, promoting your next show, raising awareness for a cause, or just sharing a truly incredible photo.

Today you’ll have a new option to Highlight those extra-important posts. For one dollar, your post will stand out in the Dashboard with a customizable sticker to make sure your followers take notice!

Tumblr should make this feature available as an in app payment for iOS users.

Mitt Romney apologizes for insulting the poor

darnell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:36:44 -0500

Mitt Romney apologizes for insulting the poor:

Truthfully I’m still kinda shocked he uttered his words before. Not only did it make him look heartless, but it reinforced a stereotype that the GOP doesn’t care about the poor.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Democrats use this in the general election.

European Union OFficials Says Debt-Ridden Greece Needs Extra $20 Billion

darnell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:30:31 -0500

European Union OFficials Says Debt-Ridden Greece Needs Extra $20 Billion:

How much money does Greece really need?!

Germany resists calls to give more to $657B eurozone bailout

darnell — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:41:56 -0500

Germany resists calls to give more to $657B eurozone bailout:

Finally a country that is not afraid to say “stand on your own 2 feet!” Bailouts are not the answer, as debt only leads to more debt.

Russia Reportedly Signs Deal to Deliver 36 Yak-130 Aircraft to Syria

darnell — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:57:41 -0500

Russia Reportedly Signs Deal to Deliver 36 Yak-130 Aircraft to Syria:

This is why many (if not most) sanctions fail. People will simply sell stuff to Russia to reach Syria.

Unless the US is willing to form another “coalition of the willing,” I doubt Syria’s government will collapse from within.

I wish @Gmail had an all inclusive anti-political filter feature available! I’m tired of...

darnell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:49:09 -0500

I wish @Gmail had an all inclusive anti-political filter feature available!

I’m tired of politicians and PAC’s emailing me why they think they’re awesome while everyone else sucks.

Worse, I haven’t signed up for ANY of their silly newsletters, yet they keep emailing me as of I was their greatest fan.

Yeah, I could create a filter for each one, but creating dozens of new filters every year for each national, state, and local campaign (not to mention PACs, political organizations and political endorsers) is not the answer.

If Google Voice can save me from annoying politicians, surely Gmail can do the same. At least I hope they can. :-/

staff: Two days ago, you guys stepped up once again to show the...

darnell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:37:07 -0500

staff:

Two days ago, you guys stepped up once again to show the world just how much we care about protecting the Internet. Together, we generated more than 140,000 calls to Senators, spent more than 4,200 hours on the phone with their staffers, and blacked out 650,000 of our blogs to make our point and inspire others to get involved. And what’s more, this was on top of the 90,000 calls we sent to members of the House of Representatives a month ago. Incredible.

It’s now becoming clear just how much impact our action is having. On January 18th, only 31 members of Congress opposed these bills. Just one day later, 101 members of Congress publicly stood with us in opposition. We are being heard.

And as of today, it looks like both the Senate PIPA and House SOPA bills have been shelved, for the moment. It seems pretty likely that the bills won’t pass as written—a big first win. We now hope that Internet companies, the creative community and the content industry join together to innovate and devise new partnerships to combat online piracy. We’re confident there are effective ways to do this without damaging the Internet or diminishing our freedoms.

You’ve made a big difference in keeping the Internet a safe and open place for creators. Thank you again.

Tumblr shuts down Congress. Awesome! Now we need to vote out those who still hold steadfast to SOPA & PIPA.

Prostitutes pimpin' for Ron Paul?

darnell — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:09:48 -0500

Prostitutes pimpin' for Ron Paul?:

I’ve officially seen it all now. At least their active in the political discussion (which is more than I can say about most people).

Anti-Romney "King of Bain" is full of misinformation?

darnell — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:33:44 -0500

Anti-Romney "King of Bain" is full of misinformation?:

The more the media looks into this, the more damage Newt (and his supporters) receive.

3 billionaires who'll drag out the race

darnell — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:57:26 -0500

3 billionaires who'll drag out the race:

They may drag out the race with their PAC’s, but if Romney wins in SC their candidates may drop out.

Report: Newt set to back off Bain attacks on Romney?

darnell — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:12:43 -0500

Report: Newt set to back off Bain attacks on Romney?:

Smart idea as the Mitt brigade turned this into a war against capitalism.

Ron Paul just had the best zinger against Newt!

darnell — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:30:50 -0500

Ron Paul just had the best zinger against Newt!

Watching the GOP debate and getting depressed. Wish the politicians would answer the fracking...

darnell — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:25:55 -0500

Watching the GOP debate and getting depressed. Wish the politicians would answer the fracking instead of giving mini stump speeches.

Perry bitter over Iowa loss?

darnell — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:31:32 -0500

Perry bitter over Iowa loss?:

Apparently he only likes “real Republicans” and blames his loss on a caucus full of…fake GOPers. (via the Blaze)

“This is a quirky place, a quirky process, to say the least, and we’re going to go into places where they have actual primaries and there are going to be real Republicans voting,” he told reporters. “Not that there aren’t real Republicans here in Iowa, but the fact is, it was a pretty loosey-goosey process, and you had a ton of people who were there that admitted they were Democrats voting in the caucuses last night.”

As much as I like Perry due to his record, his sore loser man attitude sucks (and that’s putting it here mildly). If Perry only values GOPers then libertarians like me can always find another candidate to support in the upcoming primaries. He needs to be a little bit more humble especially as he campaigns in South Carolina (whose governor has endorsed Mitt Romney).