Spending $ on IRAQ - an alternative

Rather than playing Monday morning quarterback on how we could have spent the Iraq war funds more wisely, let's look forward, given that we are expecting to spend at least another $136 Billion over the coming year:

• 82 Billion approved in May
• An additional 45 Billion being debated by the house (and dumb'ya hasn't even asked for this $ yet!)
• Medal of Freedom winner Paul Bremer and his $9 Billion in Iraqi oil revenues courtesy of the Coalition Provisional Authoritay (shit , getting too serious about a war we were led into with false data, senators who are frigin MDs yet think that sharing a toilet seat can spread AIDS, and a clinically retarded president depresses me too much, so I am compelled to insert various movie or television references from time to time to pep things up a bit. The ‘authoritay’ misspelling is courtesy of Eric Cartman).

Ok, so let's tackle something kind of important, like, say, our dwindling engineering talent. The latest Forbes points out that only 3 percent of our college grads are obtaining engineering degrees in contrast to 30 (yes, THIRTY) percent of grads in India and China. Let's look at the basic consequences, too:

1. Lack of engineering talent = lack of manufacturing jobs = increase in trade deficit
2. Security = A good chunk of our military is now XBox-based. Innovation in our military branches results from good engineering practices (such as decision support tools, guidance systems, and tactical measures). Also, do you trust foreign governments with access to system source code for our defense systems?

Allright, so I won't go as far as tree hugging, but let's also look at a domestic issue that seems to get overlooked too often: homelessness. Specifically, homeless children. You know, the ones who are on the street not because they made stupid choices, or are mentally handicapped, or got laid off & missed a few rent payments, but because of other circumstances COMPLETELY beyond their control? I figure, hell, let's help some of our own innocent US CITIZENS who are in a desperate condition before we go and pour money into a government that will be torn apart by civil war in a year or two anyway (yes, I am of the opinion that the sweet smell of freedom and capitalism we keep hoping for will eventually blow away like a fart in the wind to the foul stench of tyranny and oppression).

There are approximately 1.35 Million children on our streets that are homeless. Why not give each of them a $100,000 voucher (Yes, Peter just said "voucher". You may now pick up the food you just spit out) to attend a private technical boarding school for 4 years? That covers room, board, and tuition, and even leaves a billion dollars to handle administrative costs and oversight.

But wait a second, Mr. Ghosh, a technical school (especially if it's a secondary school) does not equal an engineering degree.

Correct, but let's try this, and look at the results in two or three years. Then, if there are positive results, then we spend another 130-150 Billion for their 4-year university degree. Also, we gain from

• Fewer soldiers killed in action (who have families which will not get nearly enough compensation when their only "mission accomplished" is arriving home in a pine box, resulting in more people on the streets)
• Spending 136 Billion every two-three years instead of every year
• More people employed (two $50,000/year teachers vs. one $100,000/year Halliburton contractor)
• More engineers churned out

At the very least, we get street cred by claiming that we removed all kids off the street (albeit only until a new batch gets thrown in) .

Top 20 Movie Quotes of All Time (Forget the AFI)

Top 20 movie quotes of all time

1) "We came, we saw, we kicked it's ASS!" Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters

2) "Wendy, darling, light of my life, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just going to bash your brains in." Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, The Shining

3) "How much for the little girl? The women, how much for the women? I want to buy your women. . . the little girl. . . your daughters. Sell them to me. Sell me your children." John Belushi as Jake Blues, The Blues Brothers

4) "Then as of this moment, they are on double-secret probation" John Vernon as Dean Wormer, Animal House

5) "When Columbus reached the new world, he burned his ships. As a result, his men were well motivated.. . . . .Anatoly, you're afraid of our fleet. Well, you should be. Personally, I give us one chance in three. A little more tea anyone?" Sean Connery as Marco Ramius, The Hunt for Red October

6) "Look, strange women lying on their backs in ponds handing out swords . . . that's no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony. . . .You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you. . . .I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, people would put me away! ......Ah! NOW we see the violence inherent in the system.........Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help, help, I'm being repressed!" Michael Palin as Dennis, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

7) "C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czecheslovakia. It's like we're going to Wisconsin." Bill Murray as Pvt. John Winger, Stripes.

8) "I was born a poor black child" Steve Martin as Navin Johnson, The Jerk

9) "And I said, I don't care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time, then, then I'm, I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And, and I told Dom too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were merry, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire... " Stephen Root as Milton Waddams, Office Space

10) "You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be defended by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? YOU?! YOU, Lieutenant Weinberg?! I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives, and my existence, while grotesque, and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth, because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spend defending something. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the protection I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just say thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn, what you think you are entitled to!" Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan Jessup, A Few Good Men.

11) "What now? Well let me tell you what now. I'm gonna call a couple pipe-hittin' ni%$ers, who'll go to work on homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin' hillbilly boy?! I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'm gonna git medieval on your ass." Ving Rhames as Marcellus Wallace, Pulp Fiction.

12) "Sometimes I wonder if I've changed so much, my wife is even gonna recognize me whenever it is I get back to her, and how I'll ever be able to tell about days like today. Ryan? I don't know anything about Ryan, I don't care. The man means nothing to me; he's just a name. But you know, if going to Remal, and finding him so he can go home, if that earns me the right to get back to my wife, well then, then that's my mission." Tom Hanks as Captain Miller, Saving Private Ryan.

13) "Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events but we just got our asses kicked, pal!" Bill Paxton as Pvt. Hudson, Aliens.

14) "You know, we are sitting here, you and I, like a couple of regular fellas. You do what you do, and I do what I gotta do. And now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down." Al Pacino as Vincent Hanna, Heat.

15) "I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend." Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, The Shawshank Redemption

16) "If you're part of a crew, nobody ever tells you that they're going to kill you, doesn't happen that way. There weren't any arguments or curses like in the movies. See, your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who've cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you're at your weakest and most in need of their help." Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, Goodfellas.

17) "I... I don't know exactly how to put this, sir, but are you aware of what a serious breach of security that would be? I mean, he'll see everything, he'll... he'll see the Big Board!" George C. Scott as Gen. Buck Turgidson, Dr. Strangelove.

18) "I'm Sorry Wendy, but I don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die." Mr. Garrison, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.

19) "You just fulfilled the first rule of law enforcement: make sure when your shift is over you go home alive. Here endeth the lesson." Sean Connery as Officer Jim Malone, The Untouchables.

20) "Laugh while you can, monkey boy." John Lithgow as Lord John Worfin, The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension.

Origin of Drunken Manifesto

The drunken manifesto in name was created on Friday, February 4th, 2005. The Eagles were going to the Super Bowl, which made the annual Wing Bowl event in South Philly more special, so I took a 1/2 day off from work, joined some co-workers, and proceeded to drink for about 10 hours straight. After the first few hours of drinking, I visited the Black Sheep Pub and Restaurant to meet up with some old friends, and proceeded to lay out how I could solve all of the world's problems.