Are Your Shoes Wet?

Just 2 days left before the Federal Government's debt ceiling hits the wall. Talking about walls, there is a lot of shit thrown against the wall by the Republican Party, but that is to be expected. What I marvel at is that the Republican Party has so many followers. This party does not have the interest of 99% of the American people. Their policies take care of only 1% or possibly 2% of the population. The interesting thing is that they are able to convince a much larger percentage of the population, to think, they are trying to help them to a better life. Is it even possible for these Americans that have nothing to be gained from voting for the Republican Party, to wake up some morning and realize on what side of the bread their bread is buttered? When will people ask themselves why large corporations can pay no taxes and other large corporations receive tax breaks that the ordinary worker does not receive? I admit the Republican Party does a great job of presenting a plethora of social issues that distract people from the key economic issues that would give them and their children a better life. And yet they, the Republican Party, claims to want to reduce the size and reach of the Federal Government except when it is reaching into those homes and families that don't mirror their righteous leaders. Education is hardly enough, people need to be able to think and analyze what is being said. If someone is pissing on your shoe, don't let them tell you it is raining. For God's sakes, Wake up!

President Obama And A Lincoln Moment

I find it hard to believe that idiots are running the country. The debt ceiling crisis besides being a manufactured crisis is also not the big deal the peanut brain idiots of the Republican Party believe it is. Governments do 2 things: they collect taxes and they spend revenue. Raising a little more revenue is such a bitter pill that the idiots will in effect raise the cost of borrowing which of itself will be like a higher tax by putting the country into default. So, people that don't understand economics or the capital markets for that matter, or how to govern, are making decisions based on false assumptions. Yes, if I was a single old man, with no other responsibilities to anyone else, I would look into leaving and living in another country. The bird size brain idiots in Congress, with their faith based reasoning, has put western civilization back at least 500 years. In my opinion, I think in the end it will be up to President Obama to raise the debt ceiling by executive order and let the Supreme Court decide if he has the power to do so under the 14th amendment. I hope he has the courage to take the action if it is necessary.

Stay tuned. This is just the beginning.

Speaker Bonehead And The Debt Ceiling

Like many of you, I have been following this manufactured crisis over raising the debt limit. The misinformation that the Republicans have been throwing around along with their lies and distortions of historical facts is unfortunate. Raising the debt ceiling was no big deal under Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton, so why is it such a crisis for President Obama. My answer is that the Republicans on the extreme right believe that the election of our first black president was a fluke and that if enough shit is thrown at him the electorate will not elect him for a second term. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said from the beginning that his number one job is to see to it that President Obama is a one term president. But, the President isn't without his own party, as surely will be seen by the stupid exercise going on in the House of Representatives. Speaker Bonehead and Cantor think the American people will place all the blame for the debt raising fiasco on the President. I think the majority of American's sense of fair play will lead them to the correct conclusion about the debt ceiling debate. The Republicans, that control the House, have squandered valuable time by refusing to compromise, and thus placing the United States' triple-A credit rating at risk. Remember, credit ratings are based on two primary factors: the ability to pay interest on the debt and retire principal in a timely manner, and, the willingness to pay. The Republicans, by their refusal to raise the debt ceiling for this president, has placed our willingness to pay on past debt the main question. I would like to make mention of the fact that had President George W. Bush not taken us into Iraq based on the bogus claim of WMD, the United States would not have the debt that we are dealing with. Also, had the war in Iraq been paid for by not lowering taxes, the debt situation would not be where it is today. I certainly hope we get through this debt ceiling crisis before August 2, 2011, as 70 million Americans not receiving their checks could cause a break down in our society's willingness to live within the law. Think about it.

Stamp Update

This may be how the stamp will appear on a white t-shirt. Maybe.

Saturday Is For Art: Bush 43 Postage Stamp

Artists get their ideas from many places. I get a lot of my ideas for political satire from reading magazine articles and books. A few weeks ago I suggested that anyone interested in Bush 43 and the Saudi relationship surrounding 9/11 might like to read an article in the August issue of VANITY FAIR titled THE KINGDOM AND THE TOWERS. After reading the article and looking at the photos accompanying the article, this postage stamp came to me. The graphics I borrowed from a beautiful 1923, 14 cent U.S. postage stamp of an American Indian in blue. My Bush 43 stamp is still a work in progress as there is much yet to do before it has my seal of approval. But since I am not moving around very much these days with a leg brace strapped to my left leg, I thought I would share my progress report with my many fans of MONEYTHOUGHTS.

Take care and be well and drink plenty of liquids during this heat dome we are having in eastern half of the United States.

Bush 43 Postage Stamp by F.D. Zigler, in acrylic on canvas board, 2011.

Saturday Is For Art: New Political Satire Stamp

This week I have been working on a new stamp. (See last post.) I am enjoying working on this piece as there is little else I can do with my left leg in a brace. I enjoy creating my political satire stamps. Can you guess what this one is about? When I complete the drawing phase, I can beginning painting.

New Project: Postage Stamp

While I am healing from leg surgery, I came across an idea for another of my political satire postage stamps. Tuesday I was out and about with the help of my friend Stertmeyer, and I bought a piece of canvas board. I like to use canvas board or any other kind of board or plywood especially when I am doing a lot of mechanical drawing on my artwork. I also use cereal boxes to make patterns where I need to use a design more than once. When the drawing is complete, I will start painting with acrylics. So, besides sleeping in front of the TV while I am waiting for my left quad tendon to heal, I can do a little drawing. Here is what it looks like after one day's work. I got tired standing all morning and quit drawing and cutting patterns in the early afternoon. This old man got tired. The brace on my leg after a while feels like it weighs 50 pounds, so I took a nap. For the graphics of this postage stamp, I went back to an early 20TH century postage stamp design. More pics latter when the details are filled in.