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A REAL CHOICE?

2008-08-28T07:27:00.002-04:00

This year's choices for a President presents a real quandary. I have been saying that we have the worst choice(s) I have ever seen for what will be my twelfth Presidential election.
Up until now, I have been loyal to the Democrat Party, but I'm disappointed that they are acting like Republicans. Voting for either candidate doesn't seem to be an option, and I've never seriously considered voting for a third party candidate, which would seem to be a futile gesture, as would a write in vote.
The average voter does not have a choice of who is picked to run for President. The Democrat Party has embraced blacks and now they are acceptable Presidential Candidates, but they still do not (like the Republicans) accept that a woman is capable of being President. I I think it was the power brokers of the Democratic Party, Te4d Kennedy, Howard Dean, et.al., that promoted Obama at the expense of the best candidate (Hillary Clinton). They are just like the power brokers of either party; they cannot accept that a woman can do the job from which they have been excluded for over 200 years. Look at other countries throughout the world, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Israel, India, Indonesia, The Philippine Islands, to name some who have had women leaders, and it doesn't seem to have hurt them at all, and may have even enriched them.
I have at times accused the Republican Party of having a mindset that is entrenched in the Nineteenth Century, but I realize that they are not the only ones. Sex is an accident of birth, and doesn't determine a person's capabilities. The little boys of both parties need to grow up!
And no, I am not a woman!

OPPORTUNITY MISSED!

2008-08-27T13:58:00.003-04:00

I have been less than excited about the choice the Democratic Party has made for their Presidential candidate.. Make no mistake, the decision for Obama to run for President came from the (Chauvinist) powers that be.
Ted Kennedy and that bunch will not allow a woman, any woman to run for President. It was OK for Geraldine Ferraro to run for vice President with Walter Mondale, when the Party knew they were just the sacrificial lambs, because it was a foregone conclusioon that Republicans would win that year. It says something about the flaws in Democratic leadership that they have embraced blacks, but still consider women inferior. Even Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is just a token, and the real power of the Democratic Party still belongs to a handful of the "Good Old Boys", such as Teddy Kennedy and Howard Dean
This must be some kind of rebellion, because all their lives men and boys have been dominated by women, their, mother, girlfriends, wives, daughters, and Mistresses, and until they (we) have the maturity to admit it, it will be the same old, same old.
Hillary's speech last night clinched it! THAT was a real President talking! Too bad that opportunity has been lost, and I can see nothing but confusion and chaos in the future.
There is, however, a higher power dominating all of this, and it may be that He is letting all this happen (is this theologically correct?) and has chosen not to intervene. There are some that will say that we are living in the last days according to the book of Revelation, because men's minds and actions have become confused.
I fear thisa action has cost the Democratic Party the chance to regain the Presidency. There may never be another opportunity as good as this one.

An Empty Life

2008-07-20T00:36:00.001-04:00

Anyone who has ever served in any branch of the military has a feeling that those who have not served will never have. We're not super patriots, and damn few of us are bona fide heroes. I don't believe any of us draftees or enlistees, entered service with the idea of becoming a hero, and at the same time would not shirk from their duty, and if part of that was to be a hero, it was something expected from him as part of his job.

Before I get too far into this, let me give you my qualifications and credibility for writing this.:

I enlisted and served eight years in the United States Army from June, 1955 to May 1963, The first three years active duty, and the remaining five in the reserves. I spent over two years of my active duty in the Federal Republic of Germany, not with occupation forces, since the occupation was ended a few months before I was assigned to Germany. We were part of the NATO Peacekeeping forces, which at this time was quite large, because of a still divided Germany, and the Cold War under so much tension it could have snapped at any time.

During this eight years, I saw Soviet forces go into Hungary to try to crush the Hungarian Revolt, British and French planes bombing the Suez Canal, and the construction of the Berlin Wall. Any of these events could have triggered another conflict, and possibly World War III Fortunately, (or maybe because we were there?), none of these events escalated to major conflict, and some twenty years later, the Berlin Wall came down, Germany was reunited, and the Soviet Union broke up. Truly, we who served during that period were eyewitnesses to a major part of world history.

Recently, I have been looking back and asking myself what my life would have been like had I not served in the military.. I really think that there would have been something missing from it. Maybe a hollow place.

I've never talked about this to anyone that I served with, but I feel reasonably sure they feel the same way. It's something that is to me priceless. It is not something that took those years out of my life, but something that added much more to living and enhancement to my life. I have a much better appreciation for and a strengthening of my love for my country, family, and friends. It still is so rewarding, and like learning and knowledge, it's something no one can take away from me.

The Army I served in was like nothing you can imagine. Hollywood makes good movies, but they have not yet captured the essence of what the Army (or any branch of the military) is like. It is not as portrayed in a John Wayne movie, or a Rogers and Hammerstein Musical, i.e., "South Pacific". As good as these movies and Musicals are, they do not capture the full essence of Military service. There is no intent to put down any of these attempts to capture the real military, but truly it has to be experienced before you really know.

Leadership Vacuum

2008-07-19T09:18:00.001-04:00

Did you see Anderson Cooper last evening on CNN? (7/18/2008) He had insightful articles about both McClone and Obamma. They just strengthened my contention that this year we undoubtedly have the worst choices for President that we have had in at least the past 50 years, and confirms my resolve to vote for neither.

They have no apparent leadership qualities or anything that distinguishes one from the other, and haven't shown that they have any ambition other than wanting the office.

This office is not a do it yourself as you go along. Do they have any specific ideas what they will do? They both have lists of the standard generalized mouthings politicians are wont to do, What are they going to do their first full day in office? It wouldn't surprise me if they (either one) took a "vacation' to recover from the rigors of the campaign.

Neither has given any indication they can fill the leadership vacuum we have experienced the past seven and one half years. Will theirs be a leadership of folding under pressure and knee jerk reaction to the crisis of another September 4, 2001?

That day brought forth unneeded changes that this country doesn't want or need, and it will take many years to recover and return to some form of normalcy. We are not the same people that lived before 2001, but a quivering huddled mass of frightened beings who are wandering around without the benefit lf any leadership and no direction to our lives.

Consider your vote very carefully, and you're likely to come to the conclusion that there is no one running for the office of President of the United States that is qualified or capable of providing the kind of leadership that has been missing in recent years.

With inflation raging, and the specter of depression looming ever larger, it's imperative, if we are to survive as a nation, that we find the kind of leadership we need. The clock keeps running.

The Swift Boating of John Kerry

2008-07-04T13:45:00.001-04:00

Let's look at the intent of the so-called Swift Boat Veteran's. Their purpose WAS NOT to refute his testimony about the Vietnam War, but to DESTROY A HUMAN.
Very few wars have been fought without atrocities being committed by both sides. It's the nature of war. I'm not trying to justify it, but pointing out a fact.
Have you ever heard anyone use the expression "a fair fight", or "fight fair"? If you or I engage anyone in a fight, isn't our objective to win, and by using any means at our disposal?
To a lesser extent, and most especially in Vietnam, we didn't know at times who we were fighting, and did what we had to do. I don't think Kerry was wrong by pointing this out, and that the SBVT's were wrong in trying to suppress the truth, and vilifying and attempting to destroy the messenger.
Are we not mature enough to acknowledge that when it comes to warfare, we're no different than anyone else in our desire for survival.
Of course these are war crimes just as sure as the treatment of prisoners at Abu Garib was.
We did what we had to do.
Wars are futile, and in the long run do not solve anything. Isn't this what the man we call "The Prince of Peace" was trying to teach? It is a lesson that so many of us that claim to follow his teachings still have to learn.
On this July Fourth, the anniversary of our independence, shouldn't we be turning our eyes toward the goal of freedom and indepencence for all people?

Drilling for Oil and other harmful practices

2008-07-02T08:25:00.002-04:00

Electrical Power plants do not have to be hydrocarbon consuming monsters that belch great clouds of pollutants into the atmosphere. The majority of our power generation comes from burning hydrocarbons such as coal, natural gas, and fuel oil.
Two sources of electrical energy which have thus far proven to have a low level of pollutants, and nearly zero hydrocarbon emissions are wind power and solar power. Another that seemed to have possibilities was using ocean currents and coastal rise and fall of tides to generate electricity.
In the U.S, it takes 10 years or better to bring a nuclear power plant on line. Why can't we take a cue from the French, which generates the greater part of their electricity from nuclear power plants? Their success comes from the fact that they have a standard design for all plants, so that they are not starting over every time they construct a power plant. We Americans tend to re-invent the wheel and all our nuclear power plants are developed and built from scratch. Surely we have learned enough about their construction that we shouldn't have to start over each time one is built. But then that's the American way with anything that requires government approval. Everyone that possibly can be involved is involved.
Look at schools and jails; the ones I am aware of are completely new from concept to design to construction. Is it any wonder that we are raising generations of lock step citizens that all think and act alike. If we have a future, where is our future leadership coming from?
Buildings that are made for the same purpose could be made with one design that is basically fixed although with some latitude for minor changes. I can envision a modular design of single units or classrooms. If you needed a school with 12 classrooms, you used twelve modules, 20 classrooms, 20 modules. These modules could be built at one site and transported to their final location and assembled there like building blocks. You might have the option of putting a different facade on the building so they didn't all look alike, but the basic engineering would be the same, and not require new approval every time a new school or jail was built. This could significantly cut costs, and get new buildings that are needed quicker. Instead of three to five years to build a new school or jail, it could be done in a third of the time for conventional construction, possibly less.
Politics and patronage builds more schools and jails than anything else. We need to change this. I have always maintained that schools and roads are not necessarily built where they are needed most, but where politicians want them. I think the same can be said for our power generating and oil refining businesses.
A recent catch phrase has been "think outside the box." I think to this we can add, yes, think outside the box, but think box - modular box(es).
One more question: How is it that a multi-million shopping center can be built from scratch, from preparing the land to occupancy and grand opening in several months instead of several years?
If drilling for oil is approved for these forbidden areas, take note of how long it takes to start pumping oil.

Do you Remember When?

2008-05-24T11:23:00.002-04:00

This is for you mature adults here. Mature like old, ripe, and maybe rotten (too mature).
Take a trip with me back to the 1959's and 1960's when life was less complicated than now. TV was in its early beginnings, black and white, that is, color was just a dream. We had only gotten color movies just before World War II. There were no computers, and jet planes were still military planes. Bell Labs had just announced the transistor, which they claimed would replace the vacuum tubes in radios, and change the radio and television industries.
Remington Rand, I believe it was, had just announced the worlds first computing machine, UniVac, and claimed blinding speed calculating great quantities of numbers.
Hard drive meant heavy traffic and rough roads getting to grandmother's house on Sundays. If someone had mentioned software, you might have thought it was a frilly nightgown.
When we drove up to a service station, we bought gasoline for our car, but got lots more than that. The words "service station" meant that an attendant would come out, pump our gas, raise the hood and check the oil, and water (radiator fluid wasn't called coolant then. We put water in the radiator in the summer, and added anti-freeze in the winter. The attendant also checked the air pressure in our tires, and added more air to them if needed. He would also wash your windshield if it needed it. All of this and more for a 30¢ gallon of gas. Actually, no one bought just a gallon of gas unless it was for their speedboat, and the gas was usually mixed with oil because many boats used two-cycle engines. This was the era of big, high powered, fast, gas guzzling cars. Why not? Gas was cheap, and the supply unlimited.
Even though the end of WWII did not bring an end to conflicts, and the Korean war, things were a lot different in the '50's. We did not have to commit all our domestic production to the war effort. We were having our cake and eating it, too, and letting the good times roll. Our economy was booming, with no end in sight.
But the end did come. In the LBJ Administration, we began to see rising inflation, coupled with higher prices and increasing wages. This was not leveling out, as wages and prices kept spiraling upward. Then, in the 70's duri9ng the Nixon administration, all of a sudden we began hearing reports of a gas shortage. Yep, here it came bigtime. I won't bore you with the details of waiting in line for hours for 5 gallons of gas, and the price had increased to over 40¢ per gallon! President Nixon invoked a wage price freeze. I won't debate the pros and cons of this, but just say it didn't work for me.
With the Carter Administration, came another gas shortage, and an increase in price to 60¢ a gallon.
Since then, gas has been generally available, but with ever increasing prices. One thing however, did disappear. The Service Station. Yes, gone were the owner-operator neighborhood station. The oil companies had been quietly closing them down, and replacing them with gas stations and food marts. The old 7-11 food marts were among the forerunners of this. The pumps were still out front, but no smiling, pimply-faced youngster came out and asked, "fill 'er up, mister?" You drove up to the pump, got out of your car, and pumped your own gas. Even members of the fairer sex who once would never have dreamed of doing so, have learned how to use a gas pump. It has now narrowed down to two methods of paying for your gas; either you pay before you pump, or pay with a debit or credit card. If you're filling up and pay cash, you may have to make more than one trip inside because you have over or under estimated the amount of gas you need.
This is the classic case of pay more and get less. You got a real bonus if your full service station also had someone available that knew a little more than average about cars. If you drove in with a broken fan belt, or busted radiator hose, someone could repair or replace that for you. Fixing flat tires was routine. To get most of this kind of service done now, you will have to go to a garage, or maybe learn to do it yourself.
Over the years, cars have become more complicated, and it's sometimes difficult to locate even fan belts. I'm sure those who grew up with with these nightmarish machines have no more problems with them than many of us did with the simpler cars of the 50's and 60's.
In some ways, I miss these earlier times, but I still contend that "The Good Old Days" are right now.
Consider these things:
Who ever heard of a lifetime warranty on an automobile? Used to be 90 days, tops. Tires that would last 50,000 miles or longer? 6,000 miles or longer between oil changes? Coolant (anti-freeze) good for 5 years? Engines running over 200,000 miles with no major problems. Many vehicles to choose from that get 30 miles to a gallon of gas. Safety features unheard of such as shoulder harness, air bags, better crash resistance, anti-lock brakes. If we had a seat belt, chances are we installed it ourselves, and felt like we were ready for the race track. Bodies that don't rust out in two or three years. GPS equipment so we know where we are at all times, and CD stereo music that rivals home theater systems, and with changers that will provide several hours of continuous music. TV or DVD for rear seat passengers, most common in vans and SUV's.
One thing more and I'll quit.
If you read "the funnies" as I did, you will likely remember the comic strip, Dick Tracy. He was a police detective who had all kinds of neat things. The one I remember the best was his two-way wrist radio, a cumbersome looking box that he wore on his wrist which gave him communications with headquarters. Real Buck Rogers stuff! Now what do we have?
The bane of many drivers. The Cell Phone! Instant communications with nearly anyone around the globe that we carry in our shirt pocket. The bane of many drivers? Yes, the person using his phone in high speed traffic and not concentrating on his driving. Some states are attempting to address this problem, and are requiring either hands free equipment, a speaker phone, or banning cell phone calls while driving altogether. Kind of interesting, but there is a need for some uniformity throughout the country, or the knowledge of what different states require.
Ok, take and read this, and reply if you are so inclined, or ignore it, whatever you wish to do, but have a go0od day, and may your next gas purchase be at a discounted price.

Hate Mongering America?

2008-04-10T11:13:00.001-04:00

Permit me to share with you one of the most hateful pieces I have seen anywhere concerning those still in the race for President. It was signed by someone who calls himself Senator Bob. That's all the identification on it. No doubt some of you have seen it, and maybe had some reaction to it.

His first paragraph gives lie to the rest of his statement. He says he always votes for the person and not the party. After reading it, tell me you don't know which party he belongs to.

However, the kind of hate he conveys in this statement is not limited to any one political party. This type of hate is cris-crossing the whole country. It seems the forces of evil have joined to spread their messages across the country in an attempt to destroy us. Is our hatred on the one hand and apathy on the other going to allow them to be successful?
We say that The United States was founded Under God on Christian principles. It seems to be foundering under all the hatred that we have for one another. Since the end of World War II there has been a steady decline in our principles and morals. During this same period we have enjoyed unprecedented prosperity which seems to be turning into greed, and every person for themself. Our churches and church attendance have declined, and many of the churches that are left have become little more than social outlets. They have "fellowship" events rather than spiritual worship of God. We put on our cloak of piety for about an hour a week, but our thoughts are will we get out in time to beat the crowds to our favorite restaurant for lunch? By the time we get home, our attention is directed to a sporting event or some entertainment, and God is put back in the box until the next week, if we are not playing golf, making a trip to the beach or mountains. During the week we are fighting for survival and trying to keep one step ahead of others who are doing the same thing.

This is the reality "Senator Bob" has so clearly defined for us. What has happened to that better reality conveyed in Christ's message called "The Sermon on the Mount?" Unfortunately this wave of hatred is not limited to this country, but has spread worldwide.

Please take the time to read what "Senator Bob" has said. I believe you will find it is an eye opener.

Senator Bob Tells it Like it is!

After long and serious thought, I have decided to endorse Senator John
McCain for President. I have always voted for the person and have not voted
for anyone because some political party was telling me who I should vote
for.

We all know the choices by now and, that said, I do believe that the process
of selecting a chief executive is deeply flawed. The words "money" and
"special intersts" come to mind, among many others.

Here's the way I see it:

Barack Obama, you are a fine public speaker. You are also an extremely
liberal Senator from the State of Illinois, which has a long and rich
history of political corruption of the first magnitude. You are indeed a
child of that system.

You have finally insulted my intelligence far beyond my capacity to tolerate
your insults. It has nothing at all to do with your skin color. As a matter
of fact, it would be so COOL to finally have an African-American for
President. What a great statement that would be to the entire world that we
are indeed the greatest country on earth!

But, unfortunately, General Colin Powell is not running, and YOU are NOT the
man for this job !

Barack baby, you want me to believe that you have never heard the sermons of
your own pastor, the Right Reverend "God Damn America" Jeremiah Wright. It
is a matter of record that this has been your church for over 20 years. It
is a matter of record that you were married there by this very pastor, and
that your children were baptized there.

The good Reverend saw fit to visit Khadafy in Libya with you and to give a
lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, of all people.

We have all now seen excerpts of his sermons all over the airwaves by now.
And you have publicly stated that this man IS your "spiritual mentor".

BUT, your pastor is NOT the reason I am NOT voting for you. His words were
disturbing enough, but it is your own HUGE church congregation, seen
jumping, hooting and howling to his words in the background that disturb me
the most. And please don't tell me you attended church there and never once
heard a "discouraging word" in the 20 years you attended there. Don't tell
me, that in addition to the good reverend, that you are now not having
anything to do with all those other people seen hooting and howling out in
the audience in the background of his fiery tirades.

Even Oprah Winfrey got disgusted and walked out. I am no Oprah fan, but
still she did the right thing.

Now YOU look me in the eye and ask me to believe that you never heard such
language in all the years you attended there ! This is like me telling you
that I attended dozens of Klan rallys and never once heard the "N" word.
Yep. And Bill Clinton "did not inhale".

Yes, Mr. Obama, we all have friends who have said stupid things that
embarrassed us, but NOW you have asked me to believe something that is so
incredibly stupid that you are telling me that I am just stupid enough to
believe you. THAT is the main reason that I will never vote for you. I am
deeply sorry, that in a county teeming with enormously talented African
Americans who would make a good President, that the political system has
chosen YOU. You are a pathetic and plastic excuse for an American, who will
not even salute the Flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. God forbid you
ever get near the Oval Office.

Now, did I mention Bill Clinton ?

AH YES ! This brings us to MRS. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, who this
candidate really is, in spite of all the other names she may care to call
herself. This "feminist" piece of work of course would like to be referred
to as MS. and we all know who wears the pant suit in that family.

MS. Clinton, (sugar), it is just as depressing to realize that there are
dozens of women who would also make great Presidents. But, fortunately, the
horrible state of the selection process has selected YOU. Ms. Clinton, I'm
sorry, but you could not tell the truth if we waterboarded your worthless
ass !

Still you play the role of the "embarrassed but dignified noble wife". What
utter malarky ! I am not voting for you for a world of reasons, but the main
one is the same as my not voting for Senator Obama. You persistently insult
my intelligence. It COULD be conceivably possible that you did not know
about Monica Lewinsky, extremely remote, but possible if we stretch our
imaginations a bit. But you turn around and then ask me to believe that you
also did not know about Paula Jones and the legion of other women who were
chewed up and spit out by your lecherous excuse for a husband. Puleese turn
off this broken record !!!

But let's set aside your hubby's flagrant pecadillos. The real reason I will
never vote for you is that I don't think the country can survive EIGHT MORE
YEARS of Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, Sandy Berger stuffing his socks
with classified intelligence, Janet Reno's goon squad, and the myriad other
corruptions that seem to stick to you like your ugly face. So our former
President can't keep his dick in his pants. The REAL issue is that he
committed perjury under oath when he lied about it and the
pathetically-attempted coverup that followed.

Like you, he is totally incapable of telling the truth. He could not do it
if you tortured him, and in voting for you, we would get the BOTH of you,
all over again. The same folks who could have taken out Osama Bin Laden over
3,000 dead Americans ago !

And please stop telling me that you have "8 years of experience" to lead us.
You were the freakin' first lady already, not the Commander in Chief. Jeez !
The sum of your "experience" is that of the most worrisome and incompetent
meddling in the history of the White House. You even cursed your pitiful
staff and the Secret Service agents who were and still are unfortunately
charged with risking their lives to protect your worthless, thieving hide,
and all at the expense of other people who have to work for a living.

Your single pathetic platform is to finance the illegal drugs, alcoholism
and bad habits of the very lowest and most irresponsible freeloaders in
America and to then "garnish the wages" (your own words) of every
law-abiding and hard-working American to pay for it. This disaster you refer
to as "Universal Health Care". Where have you been the last 30 years ? Did
you not see that socialism is a failure wherever it has been tried ? Did you
not notice that the Soviet Union has collapsed since it gave no reward to
those who worked the hardest for the fruits of their own labors to pay for
those who will not ??

It is interesting to see all the dead bodies that you and your hubby have
left in your wake. Suicides, mysterious deaths, cover-ups that make Richard
Nixon look like a rank amateur. The utter contempt and unbelievable
arrogance of some of your strongest supporters, most notably the recently
resigned and disgraced Governor Eliot Spitzer, the epitome of hypocritical
and malevolent arrogance gone wild, one of your most ardent, wealthy and
powerful political supporters. A man the news media refuses to admit IS a
"super delegate" in your own political machine, a fine example of your own
"adopted" state of New York. No wonder you moved there to run for Senator !
The environment there is perfect for the likes of you !

Yes, I would vote for a woman, but I will NOT vote for YOU !

Which leaves us with Senator John McCain.

John, you are a flawed man. You are a bit old, a bit looney, and you have a
notoriously bad temper. This perfectly qualifies you, in my humble opinion,
to lead us for the next eight years. I WANT your trembling hand on the
nuclear button.

Think about it.

We have Kim Jong IL, Chavez and Ahmadenijad all running around like
lunatics, threatening America and threatening to plunge the world into
nuclear Armageddon. We have Putin and the Chinese blustering and rattling
their sabres at us. I want John McCain in the Oval Office and I want him to
be really pissed off at all these other nut jobs around the planet.

John, once you are elected, I want you to go into the Oval Office and throw
one of your perfect FITS. Jump up and down and throw something through a
plate glass window. Rip the drapes down and foam at the mouth a bit. And I
want the whole thing on camera so that Ahmadinejad can see it. I want ALL of
these "world leaders" to lay awake at night and to break out in a cold sweat
every time they think of messing with the United States of America.

I want the nuclear button sitting right next to the alarm clock on your
night stand. I want pictures of this to be sent to Iran, Russia, China,
Venezuela, Cuba, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, and those other assholes in the
sheets, the Saudis.

On the domestic front, poor John did try and reach across the aisle to the
opposition in a desperate effort to compromise and to get the Congress to do
something. You may not agree with his efforts, but at least he TRIED. For
all his efforts, all he got handed to him was his head in a basket. The
liberals are pissed at him and the conservatives are pissed at him. Just my
kinda guy.

I predict that John will select Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate.
Good choice. I want a JEW whose memory of the Holocaust is still fresh in
his mind and who is royally pissed off at all of these towel-headed morons
in the Middle East to be the next in line if something should happen to
John. Shalom, Vice President Joe. One heartbeat from the Oval Office.

Finally. John McCain knows on a most personal level what it is to suffer
horrible torture for years and to see others die, right in front of you, for
their love of America. When you ask him about it, he will tell you that
what he did was "nothing special". Even more incredibly, he states that ANY
American who truly loves his country would do exactly the same as he did in
that situation. You and I will have a hard time believing that, but the real
point is that John McCain believes that about the "average American", and
that, dear friends and neighbors, is why I will cast my one poor ballot on
election day for John McCain -- warts and all.

God Bless America,
Senator Bob

Thank You Democrats

2008-02-22T05:41:00.002-05:00

Joe gets up at 6:00 am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure they are safe and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

Joe walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation days because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn't think he should loose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

It's noon time, Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposits are federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards.

Joe arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican's would still be sitting in the dark).

Joe is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

Joe turns on a radio talk show, the host's keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn't tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, "We don't need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I'm a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have".

I think this just about sums it up. Everything good that has ever come out of the government has been through the tireless work of Democrats, while all the hatred back biting, name calling, cheating lying and stealing from American Citizens has come from greedy Republicans who have always championed low wages, class discrimination and even class warfare., allowing corporations to run over whom they wish, lack of compassion, racism, poverty. It's all there, laid out for everyone to see.
What kind of fool does not want the very best of everything this country has to offer. Democrats have always presented it to everyone without any conditions. The Constitution of the United States is STILL a sacred document to Democrats, not something to use or ignore according to the situation.
We have to say NO to a party which has gutted the National Treasury, and borrowed the United States into Bankruptcy.
Only an imbecile or fool would ever vote for a Republican.

2008 - Welcome, I think

2008-01-08T10:42:00.000-05:00

Since the last entry, I have had a change in my e-mail address. My old service provider closed his doors on November 30, last year. my new address is yoderh@bellsouth.net. This is a DSL connection and should work lots faster than the old dial up I had.

If you thrive on a continuous diet of politics, this is your time. We can expect the media to be flooded for at least eight months more, and by then, I'm sure many of us will be ready for a diversion.

We still have the Middle East conflict going on, and it looks like it will be around for awhile yet. With the conflicting reports coming from there, what can we really believe? Somewhere back in some archives, someone said we would be in the Middle East a long time. Others have said we are making progress. It looks to me like it has been set up so that when those who are short on patience start complaining about it being prolonged, the other side can say, "we told you that it might be a long haul." Is this no fault planning, or what?

And why not?We've been in Europe and Japan over sixty years since the end of those conflicts, we still have troops in Korea.

Looking back home for a bit, what about all the religious hooplah surrounding the Presidential election? All my life I've heard that religion and politics don't mix, but it seems this election there are religious groups, and maybe some not so religious groups that want to drag religion right to the forefront. We have the making of the Scopes Monkey Trial all over again with the clash between the Creationists, and Evolutionists. But this time, to make it more acceptable, or do divert attention from it, Creationists are now calling it Intelligent Design. Is it the same song with a different verse, or is there any difference?

We continually hear calls for amendments to the Constitution, but so far all we have had is rhetoric. I think talking a proposal to death is far better than introducing some ill considered amendment that won't serve any useful purpose. It is not easy to undo something that was a mistake.

As usual. all the efforts and money is being spent on the Presidential election, and unnoticed are other elections throughout the country that in many ways, are more important than electing a President.

All 535 Congressional Representatives are up for reelection. These are the people that should be closer to the electors than anyone else. These are the people you most likely can get in touch with, and receive a reply. I know, because I have done it.

There's an old Chinese curse that says, "May you live in interesting times." 2008 is sure to provide some interesting times, and they can be blessings as well as curses.

A Belated happy New Year to all!

A different Direction

2007-08-24T09:36:00.001-04:00

Since this Blog was created several days ago, It seems to be just sitting here, waiting for something to happen. We all know that "things" don't just happen regardless what a popular T-shirt says. There has to be some force to overcome the inertia of a body at rest. Just what that force is, I haven't yet determined for this Blog. I started by laying down some ground rules, which, although not very many, may have been too restrictive, not only for someone responding, but for me as well. I still want to pick up on current events and comment on them, but not limit them to "safe" subjects. So many of the threads of current events are spun into the whole fabric of what is taking place in society and even the world. It's hard to pick out one small component and do a lot with it. What is needed here, is a lot of ideas going on at once, with readers and contributors having several choices of where to post or comment.
I did say at the beginning that this is a work in progress, and as such, may never be finished, but for right now, I want to turn it loose and see if it finds its own identity, like the author that has the characters in his writings taking over the story. It might be interesting, or it might bomb out.
Still there has to be some guidelines, those of good taste and treating others fair, but this is not to say that we can't have controversy, but let's agree to disagree, and we don't need crude gutter language, or personal attacks on anyone, and I still reserve the right to delete any post not in good taste. I will not delete one that disagrees with me as long it is done tastefully.
There's an ancient curse that says, "may you live in interesting times." OK, let's give some slack to the reins and see.

New Links

2007-08-07T00:57:00.000-04:00

I have just added several new links to web sites and Blogs I have found interesting. I did not check all of them, but to my knowledge, they are active links. If you find one that isn't working, please notify me at halbnc@netpath.net.

Product Recalls

2007-08-03T15:29:00.000-04:00

Mattel's announcement that it was recalling 1.5 million toys could force a reexamination of how the $22 billion toy industry is overseen by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which largely relies on companies to report problems themselves, consumer groups, analysts and lawmakers said yesterday.
Like the 1.5 million Thomas and Friends trains and accessories recalled by RC2 Corp. in June, the Chinese-manufactured toys in this recall contained too much lead, Mattel said.

See complete article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/02/AR2007080202216.html

Is this the legacy of "Outsourcing", the practice of setting up or engaging manufacturers in other countries which have large labor bases, working for wages considerably lower than those paid in the United States. Some of the reasons for outsourcing are, tax incentives from the United States Government, the above mentioned lower pay, and a resulting increase in profits.
I'm not against profits, but has the pursuit of profits placed our safety and that of our families in jeopardy? The cases of lead containing paints raises the question. Lead paints have not been used in the United States for several years now, although we are cautioned to check older houses for the presence of lead in the paint. There are inexpensive testing kits that can be used by a h0meowner, or potential home buyer to check for the presence of lead.

We sometimes hear people complain that we have too much government regulation, that the governments of other countries do not have so many restrictive laws. Knowing the hazards of lead and lead poisoning, and its long term effects on humans, would you really want to take a chance? This recall by Mattel of several million lead contaminated toys has been estimated to cost them over thirty million dollars, which will mean decreased profits in the short term, and increased toy prices in the long run.
Closer monitoring of their suppliers is needed by Mattel and others, to assure that our standards for imported goods be observed. In the short term, this will mean increases in prices, but in the long term, it should give us more assurance that the products we buy are safe.

Profile posted

2007-08-01T19:22:00.000-04:00

I now have the beginnings of a profile posted. Like this whole blog, it to, is a work in progress. Nothing is cast in stone, but is purposely kept flexible. At some point we may become a theme blog, but not in the foreseeable future. So post away, ask questions, answer questions, tell your favorite joke, remembering the rules of good taste and no profanity, share your experiences, favorite recipes, and so on.

Welcome; the birthing

2007-08-01T05:38:00.000-04:00

A new Blog is being born. It is the work of TrendsetterA. When this was being set up, I couldn't think of a name for it, and started to call it no name, but decided that The Orphan would be more eye catching. Being new at navigating Blogs, this is also my first attempt at creating one. The name may change as well as the theme. I'll just see how it goes.

There are a few rules I must insist you follow when posting. You may comment on my posts as well as those of others. Please refrain from using profanity, obscene language, or attacking any other poster. Such posts will be deleted immediately, and you will be blocked from posting here.
Posts will not be deleted because they don't agree with my philosophy, religion, or politics. Everyone may express their opinion about anything, providing it is, in my judgment, in good taste, and meets the criteria I have described above. This criteria is subject to being modified or changed at any time without notice, but following any changes, they will be posted here.
You may also post pictures and quotes from most source, provided you follow copyright laws. Pictures you have made are preferred, and if of another person, you must have their permission to post them. I cannot be responsible for the content of your posts, and will plead this warning in lieu of any other statements.
As this blog is being created, I will furnish an e mail address where you can contact me directly, and I reserve the right to quote or use any part of your e mail on The Orphan, and give you credit for it if you desire.
No profile of me has yet been posted.
Come on by, look us over, we're open to all comments and suggestions. Maybe this is the start of something, and maybe not.
Welcome one and all!