And you are here why?

"Where are you from?" "Chicago" "No, where are you really from?" <pause, while I explore my options> "Chicago. Really. " <-- What I really believe. I mean, I've lived in Chicago longer than anywhere else in my life. Also, when I think "Home", I think "Chicago" "Chicago dumbass"  <-- What I'd like to say, but won't "Chicago, but I lived in New York before I moved to Austin" <-- Its true, but kinda elides the point. "Where are we all really from when you get down to it..."  <-- If I'm just cheesed off, and want to avoid this whole conversation <decision made.  Go with -1-> "Chicago. Really ". <at this point one of a couple of things happens> "Oh."  <-- Increasingly common these days.  Which is good.  Unless I'm talking to a RealAmerican™, in which case, in some very very rare circumstances,  "...

@TBPInvictus pulls up a gorgeous comparison of the recent President's performance when it comes to Government Investment & Expenditure, indexed to 100 at inaugaration. Huh? Ok, in simple-ese, the size of the Gummint through the President's term, starting at 100 on day 0. Ah! So we all know exactly what to expect right? Under the Republicans (Reagan, Bush I, Bush II), Gummint size goes down, and under Clinton and that Evil Evil Obama, it goes up, right? Here you go. Oh wait, that can't be right, can it? Turns it it is - Clinton & Obama are, by a pretty huge margin, the presidents that have presided over the slowest growth in Gummint, with it actually shrinking under Obama . I think Invictus puts it best when he says So, it’s clear to see   what spendthrifts the Democrats have been and how fiscally responsible the Republicans are   what a canard it is to claim that Obama has been spending like a drunken sailor. In fact, Clinton and Obama have bee...