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CommentsDisplaying @SoquelCreek's 10 most recent comments.

• A picture is worth 1,000 words: Obama’s photo-op of silence

  April 23, 2013 at 1:43pm

  I know that the photo was meant to be a solemn moment of silence in solidarity for the Boston Marathon bombing victims.

  However, the photo reminds me of an old joke. Doesn’t it look like President Obama was told to go urinate in the corner of the Oval Office?

• Do These Social Media Profiles, YouTube Videos Belong to the Boston Bombers?

  April 19, 2013 at 11:46am

  Here’s an interesting tidbit regarding Tamerlan Tsarnaev using the username “muazseyfullah.” The article claimes that “Mu’az is usually a name,” and “Sayf Allah means ‘Sword of God.’”

  The name Tamerlan is probably a variant of Tamerlane, who was a Turkik ruler from the 1400s. He was a devout Muslim who called himself “The Sword of Islam.”
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamerlane

  Maybe a coincidence but maybe not.

• Do These Social Media Profiles, YouTube Videos Belong to the Boston Bombers?

  April 19, 2013 at 11:37am

  This may have no bearing on anything other than being interesting, but lets take a look at their names.

  Tamerlan Tsarnaev: “Tamerlan” is likely a variation of Tamerlane, Tamerlane is also known as Timur. He was a Turkik ruler and a devout Muslim who called himself “The Sword of Islam.”
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamerlane

  Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: “Dzhokhar” is a name commonly used by Chechen-separatists for the city Grozny in the Chechen Republic. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is 19, meaning that he was likely born during the First Chechen War.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grozny#Etymology

• Boston Marathon Explosions Already Being Blamed on the Right

  April 15, 2013 at 5:03pm

  Let’s not forget that some attacks are specifically designed to blame other groups.

  Anybody remember the attempted bombing on Bank of America in the San Francisco Bay Area that was going to be blamed on right-wing groups with the goal of sparking a civil war?

  FBI: Calif. ex-con tried to bomb bank to start civil war
  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/08/fbi-bank-bomb-oakland-civil-war/1903121/

  There’s plenty of time now to wait for details. Stay calm. Stay informed. The truth will come out.

• Here Are the 5 Most Interesting Things in Obama’s & Biden’s Tax Returns

  April 12, 2013 at 6:19pm

  In reply to Baddoggy.

  While 18.4% is a bit low for his income level, it’s not outrageously so. This is his EFFECTIVE tax rate and not his MARGINAL tax rate, which will be much higher.

  At 18.4%, the President and Mr. Obama pay a higher effective tax rate than about 97% of all American taxpayers (using historical data from 2009). If the Obama’s were in the top 1%, they’d be paying closer to 20.5% on average.

  Here are various charts showing the effective federal tax rate by adjusted income and by taxpayer population.
  http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2012/12/us-federal-income-tax-charts.html

  I’d be curious how all the “freebies” of his White House position is treated by the IRS. Out here in Silicon Valley, the IRS wants to start treating free meals provided by companies to their employees as income to the employee.

• Here Are the 5 Most Interesting Things in Obama’s & Biden’s Tax Returns

  April 12, 2013 at 6:01pm

  If one looks at Schedule E of the Biden’s tax return, page 5, you’ll notice that the Biden’s received $26,400 in rental income. They wrote off $8,456 in rental expenses, given them a total rental income of $17,944 in taxable income.

  In the past, the Biden’s have charged the Secret Service rent for the protection that they provide to the family. Here are a few of the previous press reports.

  Biden collects rent from Secret Service
  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/31/biden-charging-secret-service-cottage-rental/?page=all

  Biden Earned $21,000 Last Year From the Secret Service
  http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2012/04/14/biden-earned-21000-year-secret-service/

  Is the property still rented out to the Secret Service. I’m sure that what Joe Biden is doing is completely legal. I’m just wondering why it’s not more widely covered.

• Dad Furious After Finding This Crayon-Written Paper in Florida 4th-Grader’s Backpack: ‘I Am Willing to Give Up Some of My Constitutional Rights…to Be Safer’

  April 12, 2013 at 12:19pm

  What a perfect opportunity to introduce these kids to the wisdom of America’s Founding Fathers.

  Class assignment:

  Benjamin Franklin once said, “People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.”

  What did Franklin mean when he said this? How will potentially giving up your rights, in the name of safety, potentially make you less safe?

• USC Prof. Caught on Camera Blasting ‘Stupid’ and ‘Racist’ Republican ‘Losers’

  April 11, 2013 at 12:07pm

  You think that’s crazy, you should hear the comments about Republicans made by California State Treasurer, Bill Lockyer. Lockyer is a career Democrat speaking to fellow Democrats in the California Legislature.

  “In an era when we aren’t going to have tax increases, give it up. Figure out how to be more efficient about spending the money we’ve got.
  …
  “And the Republicans can help you do that if they’ll get off the philosophical ‘can’t’ about stuff and help you make things more efficient. They actually, culturally know more, and occupationally know more, about efficiencies than Democrats typically do.”

  You can watch the entire video here.
  http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2010/02/california-treasurer-lockyer-scolds.html

• USC Prof. Caught on Camera Blasting ‘Stupid’ and ‘Racist’ Republican ‘Losers’

  April 10, 2013 at 9:22pm

  Indeed, California is now “the oasis of Democratic politics.” The Democrats control both houses of the California Legislature, as they have for most years since 1959. The Democrats now hold every major statewide office.

  But let’s be honest with ourselves. How does this “oasis” affect everyday Californians? See for yourself.

  “California: The Oasis of Democratic Politics”
  http://soquelbythecreek.blogspot.com/2012/10/california-oasis-of-democrat-politics.html

  So, if California doesn’t “need” me anymore, does that mean that I can stop paying my California taxes? After all, it’s the Democrats and the friends in the public sector unions who passed Proposition 30 tax hikes giving California the nation’s highest state sales tax rate and the nation’s 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd-, 5th-, and 7th-highest state income tax rates. No surprise, this also means that California has the nation’s highest unemployment rate (tied with MS and NV).

  Some days, I just don’t have enough middle fingers to fully express my scorn for some people.

• These Are The ‘Most’ & ‘Least’ Friendly States For Small Business

  April 10, 2013 at 4:23pm

  The five state with the lowest business friendliness are listed as …

  1. RHODE ISLAND
  2. Maine
  3. Hawaii
  4. CALIFORNIA
  5. ILLINOIS

  According to the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the states with the highest unenemployment rates are …

  1. CALIFORNIA (9.6%)
  1. Mississippi (9.6%)
  1. Nevada (9.6%)
  2. ILLINOIS (9.5%)
  3. RHODE ISLAND (9.4%)

  CHART: California February 2013 Unemployment Rate Compared to 49 Other States
  http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-iKaRh-hyw/UVYfdfAxP4I/AAAAAAAACaA/DWJ9e-fkTZg/s1600/State+Unemployment+Rate+(February+2013).png

  Maine’s and Hawaii’s unemployment rates are at or below the national average.

  Thanks to 2012′s Proposition 30 tax hikes, California now “enjoys” …

  * the nation’s highest state sales tax rate

  CHART: California State Sales Tax Rate Compared to 49 Other States
  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1tFhvxgWc28/UTDcc7ZmGfI/AAAAAAAACWs/03q2WBZ5rMA/s1600/ca_sales_tax_rate.png

  * the nation’s 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd, 5th, and 7th-highest state marginal income tax rates

  CHART: California State Income Tax Rates Compared to the MAXIMUM Tax Rates in 49 Other States
  http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfDdbETj8yw/UTDag68f8vI/AAAAAAAACWk/lDt1HbaSShs/s1600/State+Income+Tax+Rates+CA.png

  I’m sure that RAISING our already high taxes will bring the businesses flocking to California. No? Imagine that, elections really DO have consequences.