Tea Bagging......what's all the fuss?

Guess I haven't been paying attention - all this fuss about "tea baggers" and "tea bagging". I looked it up in Wikipedia and the first definition of "tea bagging" refers to a sexual technique (you can go look it up yourself) - which makes sense when you think about the GOP.........hmmmmm

The second definition refers to the current "populist" trend for "tea bag" parties to complain about taxes, creeping socialism, Obama, etc.

It's interesting to wonder about the origin of this trend......Fox News and Rush Limbaugh would be my guess. An optimist would consider that these "tea bag" parties are a form of civil disobedience - originating from the grass roots outrage over AIG - and that it's real and true and sincere.

The conspiracy theorist would assume that Rush and Fox News have taken this reasonable outrage - and twisted it to their own ends.

Recent polls show that ~48% of the American people think that their taxes are fair - that they pay their fair share.

I would like refer to the motto I adopted from Oliver Wendell Holmes ..."I like to pay taxes," said Oliver Wendell Holmes. "With them I buy civilization."

I wonder what Rush would buy? Well, he's not very civilized...is he - I wonder if he is housebroken? Seems unlikely somehow - I am sure it violates some freedom of his....or is creeping socialism.

Links of the day.....

Sun's Six Biggest MistakesThe company's high-end, high-margin business wasn't run by stupid people. They just acted that way.

Fear Potato Day....

What's with the wingnuts.....Apparently when the GOP wiretaps us, tortures, enters a war under false pretenses - it's fine, but when Obama wants health care - it's "tyranny"......Stewart has it right again. Fox News is ridiculous....

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Baracknophobia - Obey
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Tuesday Links......

Investors to Sun: We’ve Got Another Place for You to Put the Dot You Put in Dot-com: IBM threw Sun a rope and the company used it to make a noose. Shares of Sun–which fell nearly 27 percent Monday following the collapse this weekend of merger talks with IBM–are slipping again today on fears that the company has bollixed up what may have been its only chance at salvation.

Certainly, there are no other offers on the horizon. Nor are there likely to be.

Sun could be left facing some unpleasant options. “Sun will have to take alternatives by either splitting up or downsizing"......

Without IBM: Sun's plan B With a potential merger deal with IBM on the ropes, Sun Microsystems may have to face an unpleasant plan B: selling off pieces of itself to attract a suitor.

The leak of the disrupted negotiations between IBM and Sun, as well as talk that Sun went to as many as 20 different possible suitors, has already severely damaged the morale of investors, who sent the stock plummeting 24% on Monday.

Valley Buzz: Sun Blows the IBM Deal: There’s speculation that Scott McNealy, the firebrand founder of Sun who opposed the deal, may be retaking the CEO slot as a result. Having watched Jerry Yang, Michael Dell and other returning founders flounder, I can’t imagine that mollifies upset Sun shareholders. eWeek put things well when it wrote that Sun better have “a solid backup plan.”

Sun Stratergery.........

On the Arrogance of Fools.......

"Sun is now sort of damaged goods," says Falvey. "If IBM got under the covers and didn't like what they saw, what does that mean for other potential buyers?": Sun Pulls a Yahoo

'Splain it to me Lucy!...
IBM Talks Teeter as Sun Board Splits ... the Sun "board is going to have a lot of explaining to do if they turned down an offer of $9.40 a share,"..."In Silicon Valley, rivals poked fun at IBM for pursuing the fading company"

Sex at IBM and Sun

Looks as though Greed is behind it all: ......"IBM, meanwhile, had concerns about the size of payments that would be received by senior Sun executives and engineers under Sun's "change of control" agreements......"

Family Values........

Palin Family Values: Todd Palin’s half-sister was arrested Thursday after police say she broke into a Wasilla home for the second time this week to steal money.

Palin is the husband of Gov. Sarah Palin. He declined comment.

Diana Palin, 35, entered a home near Wasilla’s Multi-Use Sports Complex and attempted to steal cash from the owner’s bedroom, police said.

She also broke into the same house on Tuesday and stole $400, they said.

Friday Links......

Goodbye Solaris The fate of Sun's top 5 technologies

Awaiting the Big Bang As IBM Nears Sun, Tech Awaits Big Bang

Blood in the Water When titans collide, blood runs.

Uh...calling Cyberdyne Systems - the future is here: Computer Program Self-Discovers Laws of Physics

Walking School Bus Get the kids out of the car!