Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Oh, they are REALLY loving us now in France!

Obama was to change our image in the world....hmmm....go figure....not working out too well....

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/world_agenda/article6098836.ece

Here are the first three paragraphs if you don't want to click away...

France has been cooing along with everyone else over the arrival of Bo Obama at the White House, but the master of America's new First Dog is no longer in good odour with President Sarkozy.

Mr Sarkozy is pouring cold water on President Obama's efforts to recast American leadership on the world stage, depicting them as unoriginal, unsubstantial and overrated. Behind leaks and briefings from the Elysée Palace lies Mr Sarkozy's irritation at the rock-star welcome that Europe gave Mr Obama on his Europan tour earlier this month.

The American President's call "to free the world of the menace of a nuclear nightmare" was hot air, Mr Sarkozy's diplomatic staff told him in a report. "It was rhetoric – not a speech on American security policy but an export model aimed at improving the image of the United States," they said. Most of Mr Obama's proposals had already been made by the Bush administration and Washington was dragging its feet on disarmament and treaties against nuclear proliferation, the leaked report said.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Tax Freedom Day

I have partial good news!

Today, April 13th is a tax freedom day for 2009. The Tax Foundation (http://www.taxfoundation.org/) reports that tax freedom day is 2 days before tax filing day! Tax freedom day is the number of days you have to work before you have earned enough (on average) to pay off your taxes. This day is 10 days earlier then last year.

I say this is partial good news because one of the reasons for an earlier tax freedom day is the bad economy which has reduced incomes. Ugh! The other reason is due to tax cuts -- which are always a good thing. Yea!

Anyway, enjoy it as much as you can. This is the last time we'll see it beating 15 April in a long, long time. It will go well into May or June by the end of this administration.