HEEP'S FLOGGINGS

2011-12-03T13:09:00.001-06:00

GET THIS…

Have you seen the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) Movement highlights on TV anytime in the last couple of months. (How could you not?) These are the folks that began protesting and camping out in Zuccotti Park on Wall Street in New York. The movement spread like wild fire across the country to many major cities and our media ate it up.

According to the OWS website," …the one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants."

Anyway, these socialistic folks are upset with the profits the establishments on Wall Street and the big banks are making. They believe that wealth should be shared more fairly…as long as they don't have to actually work like you and I do. OWS wants to bring down Wall Street and put an end to capitalism (and evidently, our retirement plans).

(Concerning that "non-violence" thing, I seem to recall that one person in Oakland was shot dead, and then there was that nasty little problem that so many women were getting raped in Zuccotti Park they had to set up a Women's Only Safe Haven Tent. Thank God, drugs and alcohol were readily available!)

But, do you recall the pictures of the squalor these folks lived in? People slept in tents or in sleeping bags under a tree for crying out loud. Shower and bathroom facilities were at a minimum, unless a tree or police car happened to be nearby. The garbage and litter was monumental. Cities spent millions (of our tax dollars) to clean up after this group. But OWS was allowed to continue to protest and deface our flag, as is their right.

Well, you will be relieved to know that all of the protestors did not have to sleep in squalor after all. One is Peter Dutro , who is actually on the Finance Committee for OWS. And lest we forget Brad Spitzer, who took part in the protests at the same time he was on a business trip for his employer, Deloitte, one of the largest financial services companies in the world! After an exhausting day of protesting against "the rich" these fine examples of American ingenuity and capitalism would then retire for the evening to their hotel room…

…at the five star Hotel W…at $700 per night!

GET THIS...

2011-11-27T14:40:00.004-06:00

According to his excellent book Throw Them All Out by Peter Schweizer, a study was made in the Journal of Fiancial and Quantitiative Analysis (I bet that was some interesting reading!) by his students about our "esteemed" US Senators:

* The average investor underperforms the market. (That would be the likes of...me.)

* The averge corporate insider, trading his own company's stock, beats the market by 7% a year. (Of course, this type of action could send one to prison.)

* The average hedge fund beats the marketby between 7% and 8% a year. (Except for mine!)

* The average US senator beats the market by 12% per year !

Now, is there anybody out there that really believes those miscreants are that much smarter than the rest of us, or could they be enriching and gorging themselves off the information they are privy to while deciding the laws that our governing the rest of us?

THROW THE BUMS OUT!

2009-05-09T23:39:00.005-05:00

For God’s sake America – read your history! While we’re watching Simon belittle people and voting on the next tattooed American Idol, our country is being stolen right out from underneath our collective gray mustaches. Our Federal government, as well as us poor souls who are unfortunate enough to live in Illinois – the Land of Capone, are stealing us blind. Congress, led by the female version of the Anti-Christ, Nancy Pelosi; her personal lap dog, Harry Reid; her evil henchman Barney Franks; and personal court jesters Chris Dodd and Charlie Rangle, have set themselves up as royalty on our dime, and then thrown the rest of our money brazenly at Wall Street and Detroit, while the rest of us lose our 401K’s, savings, and pensions. We are all working harder to try to hold on to a job longer that we may lose at any minute, while Congress plays grab ass with each other. Then many of YOU (and here I can humbly exclude myself) elected O.B.A.M.A., an acronym for One Big Ass Mistake America, and his Chicago thugs and tax cheats to take over at the White House.

Given the recent traitorous flip-flop, or more than likely big fat pay off, of Arlen Spector, which handed the Senate a filibuster-proof Democratic, (liberal) majority, combined with the upcoming retirement of that pseudo-conservative Justice Souter, a traitor in his own right to George Bush the senior, and the upcoming nomination of an undoubtedly even more liberal judge, we are now going to be governed by a den of thieves that is leading us down the road towards socialism boys and girls. And as somebody famous once said (or should have said) “the trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” That would be OUR money my fellow Americans. Or what we have left. It doesn’t work folks – it’s been tried all over the world through all of history, and guess what sports fans, it fails. It fails miserably. Recall the great words by Winston Churchill, “we contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” We need to either throw the bums out of office in 2010, or outsource Congress. And it needs to start right here, right now.

Bailout this...

2008-11-23T12:55:00.002-06:00

Is this still the United States of America or did I wake up in a cheap Peking hotel with a coyote ugly woman and a bad hangover after a night of partying at a Socialist International convention? What the hell are we taxpayers doing even considering allowing those incompetent bastards from Washington to hand out our money like Halloween candy to those gluttonous bastards from Wall Street and Detroit? Adam Smith must be rolling over in his grave over our apathy. Karl Marx must be dancing in his.

So let me get this straight, while we Americans are losing our shirts in our retirement funds, Congress has managed to give billions of our dollars to the likes of AIG, who parties at our expense with all the capriciousness of a frat house, and are poised to pay themselves breathtaking bonuses this Christmas. Now our Congressional brain trust is actually considering throwing another twenty-five billion more of our hard-earned bucks to “The Big Three.” That would be the same American auto industry that thumbed their noses and snickered at the onslaught of their Japanese competitors for years, cowered from the United Auto Workers for decades, and then boarded private jets to fly to Washington with their collective grubby hands held out. So in a feigned act of fiscal sanity, Congress told them to go back and work on their business plan and come back later on a commercial airline – in other words, grovel a little bit more, let the American public swallow it whole, then come back and we’ll give you your money in exchange for the government owning your companies. And if you can’t pay it back we’ll just print more money.

And then there is Arnold Schwarzenegger using his considerable bulk to wedge his way to the front of line so that we might hand out even more money to that bowl of granola we call California – you know, what ain’t fruits is nuts. He just doesn’t know how he can continue to pay for everything without a bailout from Congress.

And all the while we, the American populace, just keeps fiddling away while our country burns around us. How did that work out for Nero? Why don’t we just outsource Congress?

Does it ever occur to any of you morons asking for bailouts to consider cutting something? Rather than more, how about doing with less for awhile? Doesn’t anybody have the moral fiber to stand up, show some common sense, and say “NO – let them go broke if they can’t manage their businesses?” Does it ever come to your feeble minds that if you don’t have the money, you go without? Stop paying the considerable expenses of illegal aliens Arnold! Ford CEO “Big Al” Mullaly, you don’t deserve a $30 million salary when running your company in the ground and asking for our money. “Fast Eddy” Liddy at AIG – reel in the parties and massages on our dime dude, you’re broke! Hey, Ronnie Gettelfinger at the UAW, the gutless leadership at the Big Three can’t afford your wage demands and irresponsible rules – back off buddy! Could all of you put your greed and avarice aside to think of our country and grand children long enough to ride out this storm?

And finally, let’s not forget Chris Dodd and Barney Frank – the two headed trolls of fiscal irresponsibility. There will be a day of reckoning for you two meatheads (dead from the neck up). Through bluster and bullying, you may very well successfully hide from your culpability in your lifetimes, but just as Herbert Hoover is historically linked to the Great Depression, your descendants will forever be saddled with your responsibility in this fiasco boys.

For the record...

2008-11-13T19:51:00.002-06:00

Just for the record, if you scroll down, you will notice that the staff at Heep has left on the blog our 2008 Presidential endorsement. By doing so, we have established a lasting record if you will, and consequently our vote, when America starts to tire of the Socialistic ideals and imposed tax burdens of President Obama. (Also for the record, we cringe at writing those last words.)

Don't get us wrong, Barrack Obama is OUR President too, and we sincerely hope he does a fantastic job. As Dennis Miller recently said, "I hope that I am salivating at the chance to vote for Obama next time around." After all, we believe in our country first. But we just don't believe the communalist couple that is Obama and Biden is up to the task of running the Big Slurpy counter at a 7-11, leave alone this great country. The editorial staff at Heeps Floggings (that would be me) just wanted the endorsement for McCain on the record.

Anybody but Obama for President

2008-10-26T15:28:00.003-05:00

Acorn, Ayers, Rezko, Wealth Redistribution, Wright...the list goes on and on. Barack Obama is part and parcel of Chicago Machine Politics and all it's creepy corruptness. Throw in a large cup of racial overtones and a pinch or two of Socialistic ideals, and we have a recipe for disaster, at a time when the American economy is reeling. Who in their right mind could vote for such a candidate? As a populace, have we become so dependent on the government that we are willing to surrender our hard fought freedoms that are the envy of the world?

Could the Republican party have come up with a better candidate than John McCain - absolutely. (But at least Palin is hot!) Could the Democratic party come up with a worse candidate - probably, but Barney Frank didn't want to take the pay cut and Nancy Pelosi was busy.

Sadly, this endorsement is not so much for McCain as it is an anti-endorsement against Obama.

In Defense of Jessie Jackson

2008-07-20T12:37:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe I’m doing this. Say it ain’t so… Clarence. I’m standing up for Jessie Jackson. Me, the guy who ardently believes that Jessie’s picture should be found in Webster under the word “charlatan” or possibly in every Post Office across the country.

My support has nothing to do with Jessie’s particular choice of “n-words,” however reprehensible as they may seem rattling around in the ear of the listener/reader. It has everything to do with the man’s freedom of speech. (For anyone not old enough to know about this particular freedom, it is called the 1st Amendment Right and was bestowed upon us by George, Tom, Ben and the boys over 230 years ago, but subsequently stolen right out from underneath our noses circa 1990.) My support also comes from being fed up with the media vultures and politically-correct-Gestapo cults pouncing on any perceived slip of the tongue by people in the public spotlight.

Jessie’s only mistake, in this particular instance, is in lacking intelligent vocabulary to express a perceived displeasure at Obama. Contrary to the belief of the predominately liberal media, unintelligent remarks are not a crime in this country. (If it were, we would never again be “treated” to what falls out of the mouths of people like Rosie O’Donnell, Michael Moore, or most of Hollywood, as they would all be locked up for life in their local gulag.) There have been countless soldiers who died in order for Jessie, Don Imus, or Michael Richards to make their remarks, regardless if someone likes it or not. The subsequent media circus, commentary, and wringing of hands over Jessie’s remarks inches this country closer to socialism. As I recall my junior high history, one couldn’t say what they wanted in Stalinist Russia either.

Obama and Gay Marriage

2008-05-18T13:48:00.000-05:00

Mr. Page;

Well said! While you have more than likely come to the realization that I don't agree with your recurring spin on a certain candidate...I have to give one credit where due. You could not have been more correct in your column today sir, particularly the last paragraph, and especially your last line..."But, Obama could hardly find a more worthy topic for a national conversation."

Mr. Obama, along with his presidential competitors, should use their bully pulpit to couple government action with the promotion of marriage and other personal responsibility, as you adroitly point out. They could start by blasting the absurd California Supreme Court decision for allowing same sex couples to marry, and point out what should be the obvious potential to further erode the hole in a kid's soul.

Ted Kennedy Hell Bound?

2008-05-18T13:45:00.001-05:00

Ms. Zuckman;

Perhaps you did not write the headline for your report of Ted Kennedy. And it occurs to me you may not have been born at the time, but one wonders...how do you suppose the family of Mary Jo Kapeckney feels about the "wave of concern" for Kennedy's hospitalization?

To some, that "wave of concern" is in actuality only anticipation that the "icon" is closer to taking his rightful place in Hell.

The Rock Star Obama

2008-04-27T13:59:00.001-05:00

For those that don’t follow politics closely, and who could blame them, or appreciate the beliefs of Conservatism versus Liberalism, an obsession with Barack Obama can almost be considered logical. After all, he is young and good looking by politician standards, or at least compared to Barney Franks, highly educated, clean (to borrow the words of a certain senator from Delaware), and speaks through pearly whites just about as articulately as they come. In other words, the dude knows how to speak. This kind of individual is going to be a natural magnet to a) black people in general - because he is evidently one of “us” according to Sherry Shepherd, as opposed I guess to just a fellow-American; b) women who hate Hillary; c) college students duped by the 87% liberal professors; d) the millennial generation (simply because BO is cool, but who aren’t going to vote anyway, and e) middle-aged men who vote the way their fathers did, because dear old dad was around for FDR. This might also be considered the Democratic base to some.

OK, the American voter is entitled to their choice of candidate, regardless of what this writer thinks. In fact, it is their right, and good people have died to give them that right. But can anyone explain the media’s school-girl-like infatuation with BO? I realize journalists are just naturally liberal. (I don’t understand why, but I have come to a certain awareness that the vast majority spin their craft decidedly to the dark side.) It is presumed that most of the media have been educated in journalism at most of our countries finest universities. And they have certainly been out of school long enough to discern that the utopia their afternoon Starbucks forums dreamed about exists only in their professors head. They all have had to go to work, stomach over-bearing bosses, pay taxes, take out the garbage, and attend to the same mundane affairs as the rest of us. So one would think that by now at least half of them would be moderate or conservative, mirroring the rest of the country, instead of only the 20% that have actually “grown up.”

For fourteen years, Hillary could do absolutely no wrong from a media point-of-view. Every one of her many flaws were entirely overlooked. It didn’t matter if she was berating her minions, meddling in her then-President husband’s affairs, being greedily opportunistic with her status, lying through her teeth, or even stealing anything not nailed down in the White House, the press would look the other way. And don’t forget that she received a tremendous amount of sympathy for her husbands shameful diddling.

Then Barack “the Rock Star” Obama burst on to the presidential-wanna-be arena. With a fervor that could make even Pamela Des Barres blush, journalists flocked to throw their underwear and hotel keys at the junior senator from Illinois, fawning for the next opportunity to flatter and be flattered. (I guess it could be worse – it could have been the senior senator from Illinois!) In the process they pulled the rug out from underneath poor old Hillary, flipping her head-over- appetite, leaving little journalistic foot prints on her chest in a mad dash to rush the stage. Reporters gush, news anchors swoon, and newspapers dispense column space as freely as air. (You remember free air – the one thing Democrats haven’t figured out how to tax…yet.)

This was before we knew of BO’s relationships with the Reverend Wrong or the Weathermen. (Sounds like the name of a rock band, doesn’t it?) This was before his “bitter Midwestern” comments or his wife’s prior disgraced feelings of her country. And the media’s reaction has been one of lukewarm concern. A yawn and an attitude of “Well, I suppose we better look into this and give him a chance to explain himself. But we will blend it in subtly with our raves of his many accomplishments. ”

Could you imagine the furor, wringing of hands, and gnashing of teeth if Hillary had complained about debate moderators being unfair at a debate, or her refusing to debate again? (For those of you that have been in a coma, I’m referring to that noted Dynamic Ultra-Conservative Duo of ABC moderators Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.) Hillary’s refusal to debate would make for front page, albeit bottom, news in most papers across the continent. It would be the leading national news story for the 10:00 o’clock news after we find out who murdered who. And if McCain were actually in a race and he had had the audacity to defer all future debates – the New York Times would have to run a special edition. The Chicago Tribune would assign six reporters and devote three pages over four days to this gigantic devious disregard of the American publics’ right to know. There would be breaks in major television programs such as “American Idol” or “ER” for the bubble-headed bleach blondes to inform us of McCain’s blatant disrespect of the political system. Clarence “Jesse-Al” Page would have editorial fodder for weeks to whine about the inhumanity of it all. Daryl Cagle’s political cartoon index would be over loaded. But BO gets a pass on this news…again.

It just seems that the media, for whatever reason, has decided upon their candidate this year – the aforementioned BO, and by the sheer force of their blathering, they intend to affect the outcome of the next election, as if they know better than the American public. This worked for the first act of the Clinton partnership, (assisted by Bush 41’s famous “read my lips” debacle) but despite the media’s best efforts has failed since. It will fail again this year.

Retiring Favre's Number 4

2008-04-19T18:38:00.002-05:00

I see where the Packer brass had announced they are going to retire Brett Favre's #4 jersey during the season opener at Lambeau Field against the Vikings on September 8.

The initial report at the time of the Favre retirement announcement was that they were not sure when they would officially retire the number. Makes one wonder if the Packer brain trust of Murphy, Thompson, and McCarthy got together and decided if they got the ceremony over with right away then it would be harder for Favre to come back. This way, Thompson could get on with his "Jerry Krause" plan. (For those of you who don't know Krause, he was the "genius" who thought the Chicago Bulls could actually be something resembing a proffessional basketball team without the servics of Jordan, and we all see how that worked out. I hope this does not cause Mr. Favre to wear another teams colors. The Packers stood a better chance of going to the Super Bowl in '08 with Favre then they do with Rogers.

Don't get me wrong, I like Aaron Rogers and hope he steps right into Mr. Favre's giagantic spikes. But I am willing to bet the kid doesn't last 4 games before he misses a couple with some sort of bobo. Then who is going to be quarterback? (The answer will be some other rookie that Thompson picks in the 4th or 5th round this year that none of us has ever heard of.)

Rebuttal to Clarence Page Concerning the Olympics

2008-04-13T15:01:00.009-05:00

In respose to your article, even when you are right-on about a subject, you just can't help yourself. What a great thought and finishing paragraph to your commentary today..."That's why we should support the Olympics and our athletes. Let the politicians stay home." I couldn't agree with you more sir.

But as usual, upon closer, and in my case - rare inspection of your entire commentary, one can find the nugget that is racial stirring of the pot. "Yet, in the long run, what is most remembered from that Olympics are the four gold medals won by Jesse Owens, the black American track-and-field star who blew holes in Hitler's theories of Aryan supremacy."

I don't mean to diminish Mr. Owens' accomplishments, only to point out your spin. Just like Jackson and Sharp, the world can only be black and white and everything is a cause to whine - because it's economically beneficial to do so. There was no reason to play the race card in your commentary today. It couldn't just be that Mr. Owens was an American. No, he had to be a black-American, separating him from some of the rest of us. I will point out that Mr. Owens wasn't the only athlete on that 1936 Olympic team that won a gold medal, and by golly Mr. Page, some of them were even white. And concerning your remark about blowing holes in Hitler's theory, the so-called supreme Aryans did win more medals than any other country that year. But I don't imagine you will find anyone outside of a Klan meeting, or possibly Idaho, that feels the reason the Germans won more medals that year was solely because of their race.

I have no advertisers to worry about like Bill O'Reilly. I have every intention of pointing out when the king has no clothes. And I know that the Tribune will go right on ignoring me, pandering to the left and their personal rock star named Obama. But as I've said before Mr. Page, one cannot demand equality and expect a double standard.

Response to Steve Chapman - Tribune

2008-04-13T13:30:00.001-05:00

I don't know Steve (link) I have no dog in the fight, such as one of my kids, so I try not to get too opinionated about the Iraq war. (How about that - me without an opinion?) I don't know if you are right in your commentary, but it feels to me that you just may be wrong.

I know you and others that I regularly copy on my diatribes understand I am not a patient man. And I can't imagine a more monumental sacrifice to ones country than having a child or spouse return home in a flag draped coffin. But I keep asking myself, what possible reason would our government have to keep our soldiers in peril and our country so divided (and broke), but to protect the overall interests of our country. What is to be gained by George Bush or the Republican part by keeping us over there? Sadly, I have come to the realization that President Bush is more than likely in the pocket of Big Oil, but this "conflict" doesn't seem to be about oil either. It seems more to me to prevent another 9/11, and at the time those cowards struck us, Bush said it would be a long and drawn out affair to root out terrorism. It feels like it's the price we have to pay.

2008-04-12T16:00:00.001-05:00

Tribune Editorial Board: So now the entire page (25) on Saturday is devoted to printing the letters from the great unwashed, in the section known as Voice of the People. Exactly half (I measured) the page consisted of eleven letters sent concerning Barrack Obama and/or the Jeremiah Wright debacle. The word "debacle" would certainly apply, unless one happened to be drinking from the same kool-aid bottle as one Paula Hays from Evanston. The other half concerns China and is not the subject of this letter that you will chose to ignore.

Some of the comments concerning the tag-team of Obama-Wright were negative and others put somewhat of a positive spin on the situation. I particularly liked Tom Minota's quote though concerning Wright's multi-million dollar home and how he should have said God Bless America, and was shocked to see such sentiment actually printed in Obama's fan periodical known as the Tribune. But I surmise the ivory tower that makes up the editorial staff feels they were presenting fair and balanced journalism by publishing sentiments from both sides of that dirty little issue that just won't go away. Perhaps they even slapped each other on the back with a hearty guffaw because it appeared there were more negative comments than positive.

However, what was not lost on me was that once again, the Tribune chose to keep the name of their rock star, that would be Obama, splashed across their paper somehow - someway, free of charge. By November, not only will you have lost another bucket of money, but you are also going to look foolish for being a groupie to Obama, a man no more suited to even run your paper, leave alone our country. But hey, never fear, that will give Clarence Page some more fodder and complaining for you to publish.

A Double Standard and Equality Cannot Co-Exist - yet another rebuttal to Clarence Page

2008-04-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Two to three times per week I look forward to reading the commentary section of the Tribune. Not so much because I agree with it, but more as sport. That is what happens when one gets too fat and old to actually shoot hoops or it is too cold to golf.

While I more often than not disagree with the guest commentaries, as I find them usually somewhat liberal pursuant to Tribune policy, I do enjoy reading Mr. Chapman's commentaries. I sometimes don't agree with Mr. Chapman and have told him so. But he writes intelligently on a diverse array of subjects, such as the economy, oil, politics, race, foreign and domestic policy, etc. I have learned facts from him that I was unaware of before, although I am still having a hard time with that last Barney Franks statement. And unlike the rest of the Tribune staff and guest writers, he doesn't hide behind his commentaries like Oz and his curtain - Mr. Chapman will take the time to reply.

But can someone please explain to me why it has become mandatory that Mr. Chapman's commentaries have to be accompanied by yet another lecture (link), disguised as commentary, from Mr. Page regarding race relations? Every written word from that gentleman seems to be a constant drum beat on racial matters. And quite frankly Mr./Ms. Tribune board and Mr. Page, there are matters in today's world that are more important than race, or how everything makes the black man feel. (I don't use the term African-American and I don't want you calling me a Scottish/French American or a Mutt-American either - I am an American.) Most Americans, of all colors, are concerned about the economy, the election, the war, medical insurance, and the price of oil. And those matters are serious right now. So do we really need Mr. Page's constant shove of racial matters down our collective throats, never letting our tonsils heal? A reminder about any matter every once in awhile is healthy, but a constant force feeding only inflames issues from the black point of view, and turns away the heads of the white point of view. I notice you don't include the Asian or American Indian point of view also? Maybe the left-handers point of view should be included too.

As you have ignored my comment before, I will remind you once again, a double standard and equality cannot co-exist. That is an oxymoron folks.

2008-04-02T16:04:00.000-05:00

What a treat! Henrietta West, Clarence Page, and Garrison Keillor commentary all on the same day. Yet another wonderful job by the Tribune in the pursuit of fair and balanced journalism. That pursuit reminds one of OJ's frantic search for Nicole's murderer throughout all the golf courses of the country. Keep up the good work boys...you're special.

And you wonder why the Tribune is hemorrhaging money?