31 March 09 - 22:36Think for yourself, learn from history.....
The obvious way, the glorious way, the easy way, or even the seemingly compassionate way is not necessarily the way to get the job done.
Let me explain.
The first humans known to reach the South Pole were Norwegian Roald Amundsen and four others on December 14, 1911. There was an unintended race of sorts going on between the Amundson group and a British team, also, eventually consisting of five. The Brits were led by Royal Naval officer and explorer, Robert F. Scott. It was just over a month after the Norwegians that the British team arrived, on January 17, 1912.
Both teams had a plan, although different.
The British plan was a flexible, seemingly robust plan. They planned to follow a path from a previous expedition pioneered by Ernest Shackleton (a fellow Brit). Scott started with a large team consisting of motor vehicles, horses, men, and dog sleds. The plan was to progress to increasingly closer locations to the pole with part of the team peeling off and turning back until a final team would press on to the pole. Thus the team was well supplied on the way in.
As the Scott expedition progressed, the groups turned back according to this plan, leaving ever smaller groups to continue. Although Scott lost some horses along the way to the pole, he lost the lives of himself and the final South Pole team on the way back. He is still buried on the polar ice cap as far as I know. The story of the failed return was dramatic and is something you might like to look yourself.
Amundsen and the Norwegian team primarily traveled light and used dog sleds. They used a new route and left supplies for themselved along the way for use on the way back. Their planning was definitive and included the use of dog sleds as the primary means of travel as well as dogs for meals during the return trip.
The seemingly rigid, meticulously planned Norwegian expedition succeded due to the validity, though perhaps less than "tasteful" use of dogs as food on the return trip.
Remember this as you watch grandiose, well publisized plans from the administrative portion of your government. Sometimes the simple solution is the best solution. Sometimes the least glamorous solution is the best solution. Sometimes you need to do things that run contrary to your "ewwwww" reflex. Learn to be perceptive. Learn to trust your logic. The soft sweet liberal way is not always the best way. In my world it is often the wrong way.
Learn to understand and evaluate your world.
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31 March 09 - 06:06The last thing he heard!!
It's a joke, son!
An
elderly man lay dying in his bed. In death's agony, he suddenly smelled
the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies wafting up the stairs.
He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed.
Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom and
with even greater effort, forced himself down the stairs, gripping the
railing with both hands. With labored breath, he leaned against the
door frame, gazing into the kitchen.
Were
it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in
Heaven. There, spread out upon racks on the kitchen table and counters,
were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Was
it Heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted
wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one
great final effort, he threw himself toward the table, landing on his
knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste
of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to
life when he heard.
"Stay out of those," his wife snapped, "They're for the funeral."
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30 March 09 - 06:06Mind wars - Lawyers vs Engineers
This is a joke, although very realistic.
Three lawyers and three engineers were travelling by train to a conference. At the station, each lawyer bought a ticket whereas the engineers bought only one ticket between them.
"How are three engineers going to travel on a single ticket?" asked one of the lawyers.
"Watch and learn," answered one of the engineers.
When they had all boarded the train, the lawyers took their seats, but the three engineers crammed into a toilet and closed the door behind them. Shortly after the train started, the ticket collector arrived.
He knocked on the toilet door and asked, "Ticket please."
The door opened just a crack and a single arm emerged with a ticket in hand. The ticket collector took it and moved on.
Seeing this, the lawyers decided to the same thing on the return trip. So when they got to the station, they bought only one ticket. To their astonishment, the engineers didn't buy any.
"Now, hHow are you going to travel without a ticket?" asked another of the perplexed lawyers.
" Watch and learn," answered an engineer.
Later, as before, the three engineers crammed into a toilet and the three lawyers into another nearby. Soon after the train started, one of the engineers got out of the toilet and walked to one where the lawyers were hiding.
Knocking on the door he said, "Ticket, please."
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29 March 09 - 07:07The good doggies....
I am definately not the dog whisperer and our dogs are not the best behaved dogs, but damn it, they are nice doggies. As we are now living in a condominium we no longer have a back yard that the dogs can simply run out into. We must walk them on a leash and pick up their deposits along the way.
The deposits are not a problem. Walking is good since I could use a lot more excercise for my porky body. It is the behavior of Anabel and Rugby that is at issue here. They growl and yap at other dogs and don't seem to get over it fast. They are better, but not a lot.
Marla and I both noticed that other dog owners avoid our dogs. Embarrassing.... I will tell you, they are getting better, but the Armstrong broken rib method of dog behavior modification is not as sophisticated as the "Dog Whisperer" so I am sure they will need more time to learn, if not to heal.
Anyway, they are a cute couple of dogs, just poorly behaved. Yeh, I know that I should not call them "good doggies." but I do. They are getting better, really.
I wish that guy with the Brittany Spaniel wouldn't always sprint back to his house with his dog when he sees us. Really, they are getting better!!!
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28 March 09 - 00:20All the president's men
Bankers in the news - Obama straightens out the bankers!
I was looking at pictures today of the CEO types from major banks and lending institutions walking out of the white house. Did you see pictures of them walking out of the white house in single file with their blue suits and red ties?
Obama had a meeting with them, and it sounds like he told them to behave, don't spend a lot of money on employees, except for the proletariat. Being successful as an individual is not to be tolerated, the people are angry. Be humble, loan money, and serve your country
Obama is even toughing it out (Obama told the bankers) with George Bush's old furniture and his stained carpet. The bankers should follow his lead. What a man, he is (Obama)!
Since the "Porkulous Plan" is not really a stimulous package and since Obama and his flock have no idea what the driving forces are behind an economy or even the type of values that grew our country to greatness I expect nothing more from him. For an administration that is supposed to be very keen on "message" I am afraid either I did not get the message or it did not make sense to me.
Obama needs to realize he is the president now. He needs to lead and not talk trash the folks that can help him. I only base my humble opinion on what the news media reported today.
“Show that you get that this is a crisis and everybody has
to make sacrifices,” Obama said in an interview with CBS News today, then he followed with, “They agreed and they recognized
it. Now the proof of the pudding’s in the eating.”
What a man. Perhaps he needs to eat a bit of his own pudding.
At least Bush stained the carpet and not the blue dress.
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26 March 09 - 21:54Whew! What a relief!
Straight from the science blogosphere, plus, a link to a scientific article by a bunch of science guys. Thank God they are spending that grant money doing this type of good deed. From a blog article by Chris Rowan...
It's official: we really have saved the ozone layer
Posted on: March 23, 2009 7:13 PM, by Chris Rowan Blog Link in the blog Highly Allochthonous
"...Paul Newman (no, not that one) of NASA's Goddard Centre ... and his colleagues play[ed] a game of climatic what if: what if the discovery that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) destroyed stratospheric ozone had been ignored, and were not phased out in the decade following the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987? ...
To answer this question, Newman et al. ran two scenarios in the same climate model, and charted the evolution of stratospheric ozone in each. The first model was based on the current (low) emissions of ozone-destroying chemicals resulting from the implementation of the Montreal Protocol; in the second, rather poetically named "world avoided" model, CFC emissions increase by 3% a year ...
it seem pretty clear that we got our environmental act together just about in time to dodge a rather carcinogenic bullet."
P. A. Newman, L. D. Oman, A. R. Douglass, E. L. Fleming, S. M. Frith, M. M. Hurwitz, S. R. Kawa, H. Jackman, N. A. Krotkov, E. R. Nash, J. E. Nielsen, S. Pawson, R. S. Stolarski, & G. J. M. Velders (2009). What would have happened to the ozone layer if chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) had not been regulated? Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 9, 2113-2128. (http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/9/2113/2009)
If you think this is good science, you probably are right in there with the president and this blogger. Yessireee, Bob, this is really good news, and since there was a simulation involved, a bunch of science guys, probably government money, yup, its a fact, right?
According to the terminology of this blogger I would consider myself a "human caused global warming denialist".
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26 March 09 - 02:06Tuh is not a word. Stamp out illiteracy.
My Mother came from a large family, raised in the thirties in southern Illinois. Her family moved to Illinois from West Virginia, they were poor. Her parents were educated in public schools of the day. My mother went to grade and high school in Illinois and went on to attend college, earning a Bachelors degree. Many times as a child I met my grandparents and aunts and uncles from my mother's side of the family. My Mother (still going at 91 years old) has impeccable grammar which she taught us (myself and two brothers) daily as we grew up. She always said that good grammar was important. Her parents, brothers and sister, and all relatives I met through my childhood spoke with the same grammatical clarity as my mother. The ethnic origins of the family tree were German immigrant and possibly some West Virginia Native American influence.
My Father's family immigrated to this country from Canada, and further back from Scotland. Both sides of the family tree seem to be Scottish. These grandparents were both had some college. My Grandmother taught some school and my Grandfather had a life long job managing a grain elevator. My father was an educated professional, schooled in North Dakota schools, the US Navy, and a school for Mortuary Science in Chicago. My aunts and uncles on this side of the family also spoke with meticulous grammer.
Noting the influence of Illinois on both parents, why can they say the second shortest word in the English language "to" properly and our president (Barack Obama) who also has an Illinois influence cannot? He says "Tuh". "Tuh" is not a word. Get that? Can one of his handlers tell him that "Tuh" should be pronouced "too" just like the number two? Oooooo is an easy sound to make. Maybe the presidential speach therapist get on this one? That teacher would possibly be in the "Special Education" department of the White House.
Obama is hard enough to listen to with his spastic verbal timing without having to listen to mispronouced, two letter, single syllable words mispronounced such as "to."
Again. "Tuh" is not a word.
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25 March 09 - 00:10Just what I wanted!
It was wonderful listening to this woman on Jay Leno tonight. Her background reminds me of my own in some ways, not in others (obviously). She stands for what my parents raised me to understand America and my duty to country to be. When I was a boy I grew up in a home where both of my parents were veterans of World War II. Both had served in the Navy. Both were extremely patriotic and had a strong sense of nationalism. I was never in the service myself, but I remember very well the lessons I learned as a Cub Scout, something that was strongly recommended by the navy pair of parents.
As a Cub Scout I memorized the Cub Scout Promise:
"I, Lincoln Armstrong, promise to do my best. to do my duty to God and my Country. to help other people, and to obey the law of the pack."
I also learned the Law of the Pack and the Motto. These helped me in a miniature way understand the viewpoint of my parents which included service and support to my country. Condoleeza Rice brings back these memories and reinforce the beliefs of my parents in me when she said she was proud to have served, but happy to be done. What a citizen. What a patriot.
It makes me remember the Cub Scout Motto..... "Do your best!."
I guess we both grew up as Presbyteriansas well. Also, she was a minister's daughter. I dated one.
I took a lot of piano lessons, but she probably would beat the pants off me in a piano duel...
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23 March 09 - 23:58My favorite leader. Really!
Programming Note:
Set your DVRs for Jay Leno, March 23rd (Tuesday night). Condoleezza Rice is going to be on. I love Dr. Rice. She would have been my choice for first black and first woman president.
This woman is a leader and she uses her education well. Do I always agree with her? No. Is she impressive and deserving of being chosen by us (citizens of the USA) for a role of leadership? I think so. Anyway, I will be watching. You should too. See what a strong leader looks like.
This woman is a great human being and we could all benefit by seeing the circumspect nature of her existence. She is talented musically and has played with Yo Yo Ma. She is not a leader by her own choice as much as she is a leader by the choice of others.
Watch her yourself and prove me wrong. You won't be able to do it.
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22 March 09 - 20:42Value and perception
A man was jogging alongside the river one day where he observed a pair of fishermen. One was an old man, the other a boy who appeared to be the older man's grandson. Just as the two were out of the man's sight, a splash was heard.
Running back the jogger saw that the boy had fallen into the water. The older man, however, had jumped in after the lad and succeeded in getting him safely to the bank. As the man arrived back at the scene, the older man was watching the water drain from the boy's clothes.
it was at this moment that the gentleman lavished expressions of admiration for the old man's prompt rescue.
"That was great," the man declared, "the way you plunged into the water in that way, risking your life to save your grandson.
Turning to the boy he said, "You must be proud to have such a brave grandfather."
The boy looked at the man and shrugged, pulling a handfull of worms from his pocket,
"Actually, I think he was more worried about the bait."
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21 March 09 - 06:06When the squirrel went to church....
This is a joke, son.
There were four country churches in a small Texas town. The Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, and the Catholic Church.
Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels.
One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels. After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will .
In the Baptist Church the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.
The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free a few miles out side of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.
But -- The Catholic Church came up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.
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20 March 09 - 06:06Democrat, liberal, socialist, what's the difference
More news from the left!
AIG Firestorm Raises Alarm For Other Firms
By David Cho and Binyamin Appelbaum
Washington Post - 03/18/09 - The firestorm over bonuses paid by insurance giant American International Group has triggered alarm at other financial firms, threatening federal efforts to draw private investors into economic recovery programs.
It is a critical juncture for the Obama administration. Officials at the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department are increasingly worried that the controversy could discourage investors from joining a new government effort to revive consumer lending. . . . But lawmakers are outraged that many financiers continue to be rewarded despite their role in fueling the current crisis. Some on Capitol Hill say the financial industry should be smaller and its jobs less lucrative.
LINK
It's amateur hour. Pandering is king at the White House and among Democrats. It is easy to see why only luck will help us out of the economic mess we are in. These dopes are doing everything they can to tell business the government not only doesn't understand business, but they are dangerous when it comes to assisting business.
I continue to be scared as I watch these socialists tell us that "the financial industry should be smaller and its jobs less lucrative." Hey kids, go out there and succeed and let the government tell you you are a son of a gun. I am so glad this guy followed George W. Bush because it may be what thinking people (note that I exclude liberals) need to see the shortcomings of those who believe business should be milked, taxed, controlled, and burdened by government, and now even ridicule.
Now the president thinks he should go on a talk show and let everybody know he is more interested in celebrity than substance. Couldn't we see this coming?
Go Obama, your'e the man.
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19 March 09 - 06:00The Lion Sleeps Tonight.....
This is a joke, son!
One night, at the lodge of a hunting club, two new members were being introduced to other members and shown around. The man leading them around said, "See that old man asleep in the chair by the fireplace? He is our oldest member and can tell you some hunting stories you'll never forget." They awakened the old man and asked him to tell them a hunting story.
"Well, I remember back in 1944, we went on a lion hunting exposition in Africa. We were on foot and hunted for three days without seeing a thing. On the fourth day, I was so tired I had to rest my feet. I found a fallen tree, so I laid my gun down, propped my head on the tree, and fell asleep. I don't know how long I was asleep when I was awakened by a noise in the bushes. I was reaching for my gun when the biggest lion I ever seen jumped out of the bushes at me like this, ROOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!....... I tell you, I just shit my pants."
The young men looked astonished and one of them said, "I don't blame you, I would have shit my pants too if a lion jumped out at me."
The old man shook his head and said, "No, no, not then, just now when I said ROOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!"
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18 March 09 - 06:06You can't have it both ways...
At times the obvious doesn't hit you when it should. Since I am naturally suspicious of anything Obama does (he is a master of deception, using specific social issues to drive his broader agenda) I didn't think of this when Obama was talking about spending another billiion on the FDA.
My daughter mentioned that a friend's Dad wants to go to India to get a cancer treatment that is not available in the United States. We already have one of, if not, the most stringent drug qualification processes in the world. Our food supply is extremely safe, but there are some holes in it.
Does Mr. Obama have the balls to say, we need to eliminate the possibility of bacteria in our food by irradiating the food for our protection? It's science, right? He has a lot of rhetoric on science, but that is just it, rhetoric.
The real trick is to manage the science, but that would be intrusive and there would be disagreement and more money is a much better solution, it shows activity with anticipated results and the future provides no hard facts. Obama manages appearances, not science. He is a man of the mouth.
Hasn't anyone noticed that the preponderance of Obama's answers to problems are in the future, involve simply changing words or terminology around? Much like most other politicians....
Change just seems to be a change in the focus of deception, and lot more expensive. Maybe the reason people had such a problem with Bush is that he actually was honest and didn't have the ability to talk eloquently in circles. Hmmmmm... Control of the questions and answers makes fo a much more charismatic president that control of the beureaucracy and straightforward simple answers.
Naw, "we the people" can't be that gullible.
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17 March 09 - 06:06Another scam idea for those who are interested...
This is a scam I had never heard of this before... My friend Paul alerted me to this.
The scam is called the “jury duty” scam. In the reported incidents, the subject calls the victim, claiming to be a jury coordinator. They claim to be calling because you have not responded and a warrant has been issued for your arrest. If the victim protests that no summons for jury duty has arrived, the caller then asks for a Social Security number and date of birth. The scammer claims to be collecting the victim’s information so he or she can cancel the arrest warrant that had been issued for ailure to appear for jury duty.
This attempt to defraud is particularly effective because scammers use intimidation to convince victims to give out secure information by claiming to be affiliated with the court system. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued nationwide alerts, warning consumers about this scam. For more information on this particular scam, visit the FBI’s website at http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm.
I am not sure if this scam is still occuring, but it makes me ask, "What will they think of next?"
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16 March 09 - 23:25Pandering Alert - Do you know what pandering is?
Rage at AIG Swells As Bonuses Go Out [Fed Decided Payouts Couldn't Be Stopped]
Obama: AIG Can't Justify 'Outrage' of Bonuses
By Brady Dennis and David Cho
Washington Post - 2/17/09 - President Barack Obama declared Monday that insurance giant American International Group is in financial straits because of "recklessness and greed" and said he intends to stop it from paying out millions in executive bonuses.
A tidal wave of public outrage over bonus payments swamped American International Group yesterday....death threats and angry letters flooded e-mail inboxes. Irate callers lit up the phone lines. Senior managers submitted their resignations. Some employees didn't show up at all...."It's a mob effect," one senior executive said. "It's putting people's lives in danger."...
Thanks Obama, you dumb ass. Nice to have the stupid president inciting hate and riots for his own ill thought out gain. Did you get your diploma the same place you got your birth certificate? I am siock and tired of your pandering.
Let me tell you a personal story. After nine years of teaching school in North Dakota in 1983 , I decided it was time to get into the business world. My wife was making about $12,000 a year as a mathematics teacher and I was making $20,000 a year as atheletic director and principal in a small school in North Dakota.
To go back to school, we spent a large sum of money, borrowed money, paid high taxes on the annuity we withdrew and made it through additional courses in two years.
We made better money, $33,000 for my wife and $26,000 for me. We went from a family income of 32,000 as teachers to an income of nearly $60,000 as engineers and we were living in Dallas, Texas!! I was very energetic and worked very hard as an industrial engineer. My work was rewarded when my boss, the plant manager, said that I was being put on the bonus program. I worked even harder. I wanted that bonus.
Bad news. Even though I had done more in one year than I had in the previous two years and was to get a very large bonus, alas, I did not get it. i had a fantastic year, but the company did not. The president/CEO declared that since he was not getting a bonus, nobody was.
How disappointing. However, to me it appears either Obama does not understand the common man or is pandering to those who do not understand the nature of bonuses.
I voted for this guy in the primary elections, but had him figured out by the time the presidential elections came around. My son did not. He was impressed by the Obama website. He is 28 and I am 58. I have seen other Obama's before. If the pandering stops and action starts, I will be the first to telll you I was wrong, but this guy is more interested in how he looks than what he does. (IMHO)
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16 March 09 - 06:06More big government from the brain of Obama
More spending ideas from the idea man...
Obama Defends Agenda as More Than Recession
By PETER BAKER
New Yotk Times - WASHINGTON - March 12, 2009 - As many in both parties question his approach, Mr. Obama insisted that the only way to build a strong economy that will truly last was to address underlying problems in American society like unaffordable health care, dependence on foreign oil and underperforming schools....
Obama Taps Ex-NYC Health Commissioner to Lead FDA
President Invests in Food Safety, Names Margaret Hamburg to Oversee Agency
By KATE BARRETT
ABC News - March 14, 2009 - As he announced a new head of the Food and Drug Administration today, President Barack Obama laid out plans for an extensive overhaul of the agency, including a billion-dollar investment to keep tainted peanut butter and tomatoes out of the food supply and to protect patients from contaminated medications like the blood thinner heparin....
In Obama talk, "extensive overhaul" means to spend a buttload of money. I now can see the change, I thought government was spending too much before Obama, however, it is obvious that Obama thinks buereaucracy is the way to go. And not just any buereaucracy, larger, more expensive seems to be the way to go.
If Obama wants to make some change, figure out how to run a government without spending more. Now that would be change.
For now, fire up the presses and collect those taxes. Obama needs money to make our peanut butter safe. We need to raise enough tax money to not only pay for this massive buildup of government "waste to be", but we need to collect enough taxes to make up for the high percentage of well to do democrats that seem to wiggle out of paying theirs. Watching the parade of Obama appointees that claimed they were too dumb or lazy to pay the right amount of taxes, it makes it obvious to me why democrats don't worry about raising taxes, they only pay what they feel like paying.
If better peanut butter costs a billion, think what affordable healthcare and performing schools will cost!
Have a nice f---ing day. <==(I am trying to position myself as a vice presidential hopeful.)
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15 March 09 - 07:07Face toward the EPA when you pray.....
Here's an article that brings back memories of my hopes and dreams....
Ready for more corn in your tank?
By Sara Wyant
. . . In EPA's hands
High Plains Journal - 3/13/2009 - Last week, Growth Energy formally requested the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raise the "decades-old, arbitrary limit" for blending ethanol with gasoline from the current 10 percent (E10) up to 15 percent (E15). To approve the higher ethanol blend request, the EPA only needs to determine that ethanol blends up to 15 percent will not affect the emission control systems in vehicles. The EPA has 270 days to review, collect public comment, and make a decision....
Although not the thrust of Sara Wyant's article on Ethonal, her writing reminds me of one of the most poignant episodes in my life, and it involves the "out of control" EPA.
I worked for over two years for a friend on an ethanol related project and found the EPA to be out of control and unbalanced in their approach with respect to environmentalism. They were obviously on what I would call a "power trip" as and organization and there are no checks and balances in their operational systems. Further, the hierarchy and attitudes cause them to be a major deterrent to growth of industry in this country.
Production is one of the three pillars of an economy and the EPA is the single most destructive element behind the demise of industry in the United States. Careful now, I am not in any way saying that husbandry of the environment is not desirable or important, but I am saying that the people who set up the agency were not as wise as our forefathers. When they created government in the US, they created checks and balances. When the EPA was created, an uncontrollable bureaucracy that nobody, even the "President of Change" has the balls to address.
Sad, so sad, that the EPA can arbitrarily do things without the need of scientific backup or oversight of any kind in this or any area they deem, through their own choosing to be an environmental factor. The MPCA in Minnesota is particularly arrogant and misguided. The Ethanol group is the group I dealt with in Minnesota, but the group was all part of the same inbred culture.
I certainly do not want the EPA to die, only to make it accountable on terms other than the self determined standards they use to determine their own effectiveness. They are a branch of government that literally oversees themselves.
Show us your balls, Mr. Obama. Can you moderate the EPA? Can you make it balanced? How about it?
By the way, the EPA should get out of the fuel control business to whatever degree possible. This ruling as it stands is idiotic.
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14 March 09 - 22:38Such a sad story...
This is a joke, son....
Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside with only a pet dog for
company. One day the dog died.
Muldoon went to the parish priest
and asked, 'Father, my dog is dead. Could ya' be saying' a Mass for
the poor creature?'
Father Patrick replied, 'I'm afraid not; we cannot have services for
an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane,
and there's no tellin' what they believe. Maybe they'll do something
for the creature.'
Muldoon said, 'I'll go right away Father. Do ya think 5,000 Euro is enough to donate for the service?'
Father Patrick exclaimed, 'Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why didn't ya tell me the dog was Catholic?
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14 March 09 - 06:06No Sh-t Sherlock!!
A recent headline from Reuters blares;
Economists Give Obama Low Marks
Reuters - March 12, 2009 – President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner received failing grades for their efforts to revive the world's largest economy, according to participants in the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey. . . . On average, the economists gave the president a grade of 59 out of 100. . .
My opinion (you knew I had one) has been that our new president has been a bit less than honest in using current economic conditions to push through parts of his socialist agenda. He speaks of having pillars in place. The only pillars I see in place are pillars required for things like socialized medicine and the like.
I still call it the Pork-u-lus Package. That is as opposed to the regular pork barrel that just got passed. I see no change. I see politicians at work.
For example, shovel ready? Shovel ready projects in Houston don't qualify if they are in the budget. Even if the project is badly needed, but short of funds to proceed, the money required is a "no go". Shovel ready means a project that was at an advanced state of completion, but deemed not worthy of budgeting. The dregs, or "passed over" projects, I guess you would call them.
Low marks? No shit, Sherlock.
Rock on, Obama! Sometimes getting what you want is not the best thing afterall.
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13 March 09 - 08:08The "Three Pillars" - I found them!
Let's talk about my simple view of economics. The current economic situation brings me to thinking about this. For this first little foray into the subject, pardon me if I am a bit all over the place. Also, I apoligize for being simplistic, but I am not an economist, this is all stuff I learned in high scholl and by reading the news.
What do we mean when we say "the economy" with regard to our country? Here is a simple definition. The economy is the system of production, distribution and consumption. Since we citizens are the ones being effected by "economic conditions" lets keep this within the boundary of the United States for the most part.
I was talking about pillars in a previous post. I have been wondering what Obama means by pillars when he talks about the economy. This is the closest I can get. If the economy is defined as the system of production, distribution and consumption, then I am going to call these the main pillars. Now let's get down to the business of simply thinking about these three pillars and where we fit in.
Let's review, the pillars are:
- Production
- Distribution
- Consumption
In my humble opinion, we have been severly lacking in the first pillar. If we want our country to be strong and we want our economy to be strong, we need to have production. We need to make stuff. You do this in factories. I would call this the first pillar of the economy. It is where we are the weakest, it is where we need to get stronger. This will be important in later discussions, so for your homework, think about how we can encourage production of "stuff" which is the most important pillar.
What are the hindrances to making "stuff"? What government agencies help us to make "stuff"? What government agencies detract from our ability to make "stuff"?
This is very important. You must think about this and understand the importance of this underlying principle of a strong economy.
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12 March 09 - 08:08My big buddy, I have found you
Heart Warming Story (from Jerry - Be suspicious)
In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University.
On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Peter never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron were standing.. The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed his stupid ass against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
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11 March 09 - 08:08Lets play in the treehouse!!!
Obama's remarks while signing his latest presidential order to allow spending public funds on fetal stem cell research included this tidbit.
"Promoting science isn’t just about providing resources - it is also about protecting free and open inquiry, it is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs,... ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda - and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology."
This statement is, among other things, another of Obama's cracks at George W. Bush. Probably not so strangely I disagree with the statement. If I am hearing this correctly it would seem that Obama is espousing non-directed activity amount scientists who are being employed by the government. Sounds good to some, I suppose, but I have always believed that when you are in the employ of another you do so at their pleasure. In other words, you are there to do a job and if you are not doing that you should expect direction.
If a scientist who has been hired to do a job on my dime (the government's dime is your dime as well as mine) that scientist should be expected to do that job, not stray off into other areas and cry when they are redirected. If the government scientist is hired to simply get paid a salary and dabble at what ever they want, that is an entirely different matter of managerial incompetence.
To assume that scientists don't have a personal agenda or ideology is naive. To feel the need to dictate a politically laced announcement when issuing the latest executive order is nothing more that a different ideology. Personally, I like leaders who are strong, not leaders who pander. I may have disagreed with George, but he has great managerial skills and a strong internal compass. As a person of scientific education and training I am surprised that the spinning needle of Obama's internal compass isn't more noticeable to others.
By the way, I am in favor of embryonic stem cell research. If you thought otherwise you missed my point and need to read this again.
Anyway, those who think that government scientists should be able to do whatever they please, raise your left hand.
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10 March 09 - 08:08More on sniping
Reading about the young Georgia airman, Polly-Jan Bobseine, got me to thinking. The "might be true" story says she nailed the enemy in the butt from 725 yards. What kind of a shot is that? I ran across this picture taken from a marine website showing a "through the scope" picture of targets. The wags on the site seemed to think the target in the crosshairs to be about 500 yards away. A 725 yard shot would be quite a bit harder to see.
Then I remembered, I saw a television segment on snipers not so long ago. They showed how sniping equipment works, a bit about the physics of the bullet, and mention of the longest sniper shot on record. Time to hit Google and see what that shot was.
Part I of Military Channel Sniper Program
Holy, moly, we are talking about a shot of over 2500 yards, 5 times as far as the target in the picture. Who did this? Canadian forces sniper Rob Furlong did. He hit his target (an enemy militant) two of three shots from this distance. His first shot went wide. His second shot hit the knapsack on the militant's back. The third was the charm, a body shot, which killed the enemy. The distance was measured as 2,430 metres or 2,660 yds. A mile and a half, in other words.
That is quite a shot.
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10 March 09 - 00:05Obama is still out of touch
AP - Monday, March 09, 2009 - "...In December 2007, when the recession was just starting nearly 4 million openings existed....The number of unemployed Americans has soared, to 12.5 million last month, from 7 million when the recession began.
Broadly, jobs are being added in education, health care and the federal government, the Labor Department said, with the government adding 9,000 new jobs last month alone."
I keep remembering the Porkulous Package and the Pillars that are almost in place. Wow, the Porkulous Package added 9,000 jobs last month. That's 100,000 jobs a year. That is far short of what Obama promised for the next two years. Perhaps the number of jobs will accelerate. I guess when I read up on Obama's campaign promis of creating 2.5 million jobs by 2011 I didn't realize how easy it would be. The recession began about the time he took office and all of the facts were in front of him. Why would this president say he would create 2.5 million jobs by 2011 when we have lost 12.5 - 7 million or 5.5 million jobs since the election.
The Porkulous Package is creating jobs at the rate of 100,000 jobs a year...
What a joke. Mr. Obama, get your head out of your outline for the future or whatever you are following and get to work on the problem at hand. You are failing and failing fast. It looks to me like Rush will get his wish bigtime.
Show me what you have Obama... Porkulous is not working, it won't work, it was a lie to start with.
What is "Plan B"????
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09 March 09 - 06:06Almost right this time - Jerry strikes again
My friend Jerry is always sending me emails forwarded to him and then to me with information that may or may not be true. That is exactly what this one is. Here is the text of it:
This nineteen-year-old ex-cheerleader (now an Air Force Security Forces Sniper) was watching a road that led to a NATO military base when she observed a man digging by the road. She engaged the target (i.e., she shot him). Turned out he was a bomb maker for the Taliban and he was burying an IED that was to be detonated when a US patrol walked by 30 minutes later. It would have certainly killed and wounded several soldiers.
The interesting fact of this story is the shot was measured at 725 yards. She shot him as he was bent over burying the bomb. The shot went through his butt and into the bomb which detonated; he was blown to pieces. The Air Force made a motivational poster of her:
(Folks, that's a shot 25 yards longer than seven football fields!)
And the last thing that came out of his mouth..was..his ass!
Although this makes a great story, it is not entirely true. The picture in the "motivational poster" is from an Air Force website, but the motivational poster is not a creation of the Air Force or anyone other than someone with a creative streak and a dry sense of humor. Is the story true? Probably not. The lady is (or was), in fact, a special forces Air Force specialist. Since she was home schooled, it is unlikely she was a cheerleader, although she appears pretty enough to be one. Here is her official Air Force bio:
Senior Airman Polly-Jan Bobseine is a Security Forces Journeyman assigned to the 823d Security Forces Squadron as a Fire Team Member, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. She is 21 years old. Airman Bobseine was born in Chadwick Bay, New York, on 21 October 1984. She was home schooled and graduated in June 2000. She competed in state and regional High-Power Rifle shooting, achieved New York State’s 2000 Junior Trap Champion title, taught skiing, snowboarding, and lettered in swimming. After graduating high school, Airman Bobseine moved to Wyoming where she was employed as a horse wrangler until relocating to Tennessee to train horses professionally before enlisting in the United States Air Force, leaving in March 2003 for Lackland Air Force Base, Texas for basic training. Upon graduation, she volunteered for a special duty assignment to the 823d Security Forces Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia, arriving in August 2003. Since serving in the unit, Airman Bobseine has completed Army Airborne Training, Air Force Physical Fitness Leadership School, and Army Combat Lifesaver Training. Airman Bobseine was recently selected as the 2005 Air Combat Command Outstanding Flight Level Airman of the Year. She is an active member of the National Cancer Research Organization and volunteer children’s swimming instructor. Airman Bobseine’s military awards include the Air Force Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, Meritorious Unit Award, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle and Pistol). She is currently pursuing her private pilot license and enrolled in Park University, working towards an associates degree in Criminal Justice.
Did she really shoot that guy in the butt? Don't know for sure, but she certainly has the credentials to carry out the task. People like her make me proud to be American. A tip of my hat to Jerry for getting me on to this story, either the right one or the not so right one.
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07 March 09 - 23:09Still frightened after all these weeks
Here is a Quote from the AFP (Agence France Presse)
Obama sees 'pillars' of recovery in place this year: report
WASHINGTON 3/7/2009 - President Barack Obama expects to have "all the pillars in place" this year for a US economic recovery while avoiding the need for new bailout funds for struggling financial firms, he said in an interview published Saturday.
"Our belief and expectation is that we will get all the pillars in place for recovery this year.... We have confidence that working with Congress we can get the pillars of recovery in place,"....
What are these economic pillars? I Googled the term and find that in Boston it is contracting for the government. In the Puget Sound area it is Boeing and Microsoft, maybe Starbucks and the like. I found five pillars of investing during economic downturns (1. Understand The Business Cycle, 2. Perform an Internal Audit Before Buying Anything, 3. Invest in Evergreen Industries, 4. Invest in Long-Term, Proven Winners, and 5. Look for Deep Value Stocks) There seem to be pillars everywhere, but I could not find anywhere what Obama's ecomomic pillars are.
This worries me. Every day, the economy is becoming a little more Obama's economy. So far the big two items, other than reversing any little Bush thing he can think of are the "Pork-u-lous" Package and a fight with Rush Limbaugh.
Remember Obama's plan expoused during the campaign? It was to create 2.5 million jobs by 2011.
As of today more than 4 million jobs have disappeared since December 2007 (14 months ago) and about half of these disappeared in the last three months. In the years 1999 to 2007 the average number of people entering the workforce (increase in people wanting to work) was 1.7 million per year. Pardon me all to hell, but Obama's numbers don't make any sense and I still can't find those damn pillars.....
Stocks have fallen to levels last seen 10 years ago, and there has been a 20 percent drop since Obama took office. All of this and no talk from the administration of sustainable research or industries that can be expanded.
To top it off, I just read a headline that sends chills down my spine regarding the coal industry. Everywhere I turn I see (or more precisely hear) a lot of rhetoric, but there is nary a plan to cope with the ecomomy from Obama. He shot his wad with pushing through the pork-u-lous package and soon this pork will start to stink to high heaven.
I might take a crack at my ideas for stimulous. Obviously it isn't roclet science if what Obama and the Democrats slammed through is considered a well thought out and targeted approach. I will call my ideas the Link-u-lous plan.
As for myself? I need to wait until the stock market hits bottom, probably in late 2010, about the time those 2 million jobs are coming on line.
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07 March 09 - 00:59Here is what I mean
Quoted Article on Stimulus Plan
Quote
COLUMBUS, Ohio (3/7/09) - While acknowledging an "astounding" number of job losses, President Obama told critics of his $787 billion economic recovery plan yesterday that it is saving jobs.
He suggested that critics who called the stimulus plan "unwise and unnecessary" should talk to 25 police recruits in Ohio's capital city who owe their jobs to stimulus spending. And "talk to the teachers who are still able to teach our children because we passed this plan," he said.
End of quote.
Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost 4.4 million jobs, Obama is talking about a small portion of his pork barrel bill that gave money to hire policemen!!!
I am truely scared that this man is as out of touch as I expected him to be. This is very scary. Along with his thinking that making a few roads would kindle demand for big Caterpillar products. I am not an economist or an expert at any of the areas needed to restructure our economy. That is what scares me. With my shortcomings clearly in mind, it is not at all a problem (challenge for you newbies to reality) to see the error of his understanding of the economy.
This is the first president in my life that has scared me. I am 58 years old.
Those of you with your heads in the sand, leave them there. It is a great place to be.
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07 March 09 - 00:06Obama seems to be a bit out of touch
I am waiting for the stimulus to kick in. That's a joke, son. This plan isn't going to stimulate anything because as a "stimulus plan" it doesn't exist. If you think a stimulus plan has been passed by congress and signed by the president, you have been duped. This is not a stimulus package, and the television networks who are easily fooled by any liberal were predictably fooled by the new president (who seems to actually cause orgasmic reactions from the liberal news folks).
In case it escaped you (as it did with our aforementioned news corps) the stimulus bill was $800 billion in special interest funding (pork) with very little of the infrastructure funding that was touted when it was summarized for you in "sound bites". There was very little stimulus in the bill that made up this porposal.
Our new President Obama has strong majorities in both houses which assisted in his push to get the "so-called" stimulus bill through. However, media naivety gave him another advantage, this is the same news media that helped him get elected and then covered his "bold stimulus plan" in a very favorable manner. From what I read, ABC and NBC showed support for Obama's barrel of pork by slanting more than 2-to-1 in their reports in favor of the package. The actual number I read was 139 to 56.
This brings us to the strange story of Aaron Schock and Jim Owens. Rep. Aaron Schock, a Republican, represents the 18th Congressional District of Illinois, the district where Caterpillar's main plant is located. This is where my Uncle (Mother's brother) worked until retirement. I have not been to the plant, but it was a topic of conversations when I was a kid. Jim Owens, the CEO of Caterpillar, has a Ph.D. from Wharton School of Finance. There is evidence he feels the president misread and mispoke when describing positive effects of the so-called "stimulus package" in terms of its effect on demand for the Caterpillar plant's products.
According to Schock, Owens said the president called him up and asked him what it would take for him to rehire people at Caterpillar. Schock said Owens explained to him that he told Obama he could rehire people if a “responsible stimulus bill is passed and the economy gets going again”.
After that phone call was when Obama made his announcement in Springfield, Va. that Owens would rehire some of the laid off employees. This announcement seems to be a bit disingenuous. According to Schock, the president made a couple of assumptions. As follow up Schock stated that, first one would need to assume that the stimulus bill was responsible and second, it was going to get the economy going again, which it didn’t, and it won't.
In a few short months, the term “stimulus” went from a $175-billion campaign promise to the most-expensive law ever passed by Congress. Nearly $800 billion of special interest funding, healthcare plans and precious little infrastructure made up the final agreement. Now it looks to me like a REAL stimulus plan will be required.
I am very concerned with the new administration and their apparent inability to see reality. Maybe its me, don't let me sway you. In reality, unemployment may be going down.... Please remember that I asked the question in a previous blog as to "why does this new president project such a small effect from his stimulus package."
He obviously does not understand the magnitude of the problem (challenge for you politically correct folks) of the collapse of our economy. There is so much to say and so little space.
Have a nice day, America.
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01 March 09 - 12:51Windows Genuine Bullshit
While waiting for the stimulus to kick in or Obama to realize the stimulus package was really a barrel of pork, I have been trying to get my computer to behave.
For the past month I had trouble with issues that started after installing a camera that I pretty much had resolved. Resolving involved reinstalling Windows, downloading registry patches, and other stuff I would have rather not have been doing.
Anyway, the camera is installed, but has an issue or two. Today I was trying to move files from my C: drive to my F: drive and amid finding a file that was locked up, I get accused by my operating system of not paying for it. My own operating system is calling me a criminal. I paid $300 dollars for this software, Windows XP Professional. 
Windows XP started out by telling me that it had decided that my hardware had changed significantly (The camera? Who the hell knows.) and that this made my own operating system suspicious of me. What a pile of crap!!
It kept telling me I could buy it again at a reduced price. Perhaps Best Buy had sold me counterfeit software (since that is where I bought it), the operating system suggested. So now this $300 Microsoft software is impuning me as well as Best Buy.
I have never ever had a product I have purchased accuse me or the place I purchased it as being a criminal. This product, Microsoft Windows, did both!! Finally I managed to get some sort of Beta software (they don't even have real software to do this, they use baby software) decided I (and I presume Best Buy) were not really criminals and that it was OK to just go back to the way things were.
Microsoft my pants are off to you and I am bending over to show you what I really think of a company that has such nerve. I really think my operating system should be spending more time running my computer and less time worrying about spying on me. It is just me or is this really silly!
Later.
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