I am a die hard BeeGees fan and with the tragedies the family has suffered, I have been thinking more about them lately. In fact, it was learning that Barry Gibb has dual citizenship (the US and England) that prompted this post. I have been thinking about dual citizenship. Dual citizenship is being the citizen of two countries at one time. Many countries allow this. The US has no laws specifically prohibiting dual citizenship. But I think it should have. Yes, I think Barry should have to give up his British citizenship if he wants to keep his US citizenship. He should choose one or the other, but should not be allowed both.
A person may be a citizen of the US and another country if his parents are US citizens and he is born in a foreign country. And if two foreign nationals have a kid in the US, that kid automatically gets US citizenship. (This should not be allowed if the parents are illegally in this country when the child is born!) Also a US citizen can obtain dual citizenship by marrying a foreign national. Only if a US citizen actually applies for citizenship somewhere else does he risk losing his US citizenship.
I see some real problems with dual citizenship. How can a person pledge allegiance to two countries and maintain such allegiance in the event the interests of those two countries should be in conflict? This is no place for fence straddling. You are either an American or you are not.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Play Ball
I just found out I have to pay a Spring Training and Cactus League baseball tax to rent a car in Arizona. This is about $8 bucks on a small car for five days. This merely adds to the already outrageous taxes on car rentals in AZ. Who does this ball tax benefit? The cost of a seat at a spring training or Cactus League game is pretty high for the average working schmuck. (I think I read it is now up to about thirty bucks to sit on the grass in some stadiums!) So he probably cannot afford to go anyway.
Okay, baseball brings in lots of money to the state and private businesses in AZ. Lots of tourists visit there to see games. But my guess is very little of that actually benefits most Arizonians. If a restaurant gets more business due to increased tourism, will it pay its waiter or other worker better? Are the tips he gets going to make a huge increase in his take home pay? Perhaps in some venues but certainly not in most, although I am sure the waiter can use anything extra he gets. Is the guy cleaning the stadiums going to make more money? I doubt it, although you might argue he would not have a job at all if there were no tourists to come to the games. That would not hold water, though because the tourists come to see the games and do not come because they benefit by the tax. In other words, the tourists would be there regardless of the tax and so the tax does not provide the person cleaning the stadium with a job. He would be needed anyway.
So tourists are picking up the tab for a private enterprise--Major League Baseball in AZ. How is this tax levied? Is it just on certain items like car rentals, or is it included on most things? Is everyone paying it or mostly just tourists and people visiting AZ on business? I don't know. I like baseball but think it should pay for itself like most businesses have to do. The Cactus League clubs, like most other major league clubs, seem intent on pricing themselves out of reach of the average person. Who, besides players, owners and investors benefit from that extra money? I have a feeling it is not anyone I know. But of course, this is private enterprise so whatever people are willing to pay determines price. But for the state to add a tax to an already too high cost of a game charged by the clubs, seems like gouging. Just where does the income earned by the state via this tax go? It may be that it is put to really good use, say, education or securing the border. That would certainly make the tax seem less odious. If anyone can tell me, I would like to know. It seems to me there could be other ways to encourage baseball in AZ besides this tax. I realize you have to spend money to make money and I have no problem with that as long as everyone who spends it is also making it.
Here is a article on another aspect of baseball and taxes: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-jock-tax/
Okay, baseball brings in lots of money to the state and private businesses in AZ. Lots of tourists visit there to see games. But my guess is very little of that actually benefits most Arizonians. If a restaurant gets more business due to increased tourism, will it pay its waiter or other worker better? Are the tips he gets going to make a huge increase in his take home pay? Perhaps in some venues but certainly not in most, although I am sure the waiter can use anything extra he gets. Is the guy cleaning the stadiums going to make more money? I doubt it, although you might argue he would not have a job at all if there were no tourists to come to the games. That would not hold water, though because the tourists come to see the games and do not come because they benefit by the tax. In other words, the tourists would be there regardless of the tax and so the tax does not provide the person cleaning the stadium with a job. He would be needed anyway.
So tourists are picking up the tab for a private enterprise--Major League Baseball in AZ. How is this tax levied? Is it just on certain items like car rentals, or is it included on most things? Is everyone paying it or mostly just tourists and people visiting AZ on business? I don't know. I like baseball but think it should pay for itself like most businesses have to do. The Cactus League clubs, like most other major league clubs, seem intent on pricing themselves out of reach of the average person. Who, besides players, owners and investors benefit from that extra money? I have a feeling it is not anyone I know. But of course, this is private enterprise so whatever people are willing to pay determines price. But for the state to add a tax to an already too high cost of a game charged by the clubs, seems like gouging. Just where does the income earned by the state via this tax go? It may be that it is put to really good use, say, education or securing the border. That would certainly make the tax seem less odious. If anyone can tell me, I would like to know. It seems to me there could be other ways to encourage baseball in AZ besides this tax. I realize you have to spend money to make money and I have no problem with that as long as everyone who spends it is also making it.
Here is a article on another aspect of baseball and taxes: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-jock-tax/
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Reading a friend's Facebook post reminded me there will be some disappointed kiddies who will not be able to trick or treat tomorrow due to the weather or flooding in areas hit by the big storm. This may seem minor to us adults, considering all the damage and loss of lives caused by Hurricane Sandy, but most little ones will not be looking at the big picture. I hope the places where the weather or flooding makes it impractical for the little ones to go out, have made other arrangements. I know that to me as a child, and to my grandkids, Halloween is one of the most fun things of the year.
I am sure the damage to property will have longer term affects and will also ruin the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for many people. The holidays are probably the least of their worries if their homes or places of business have been damaged or destroyed. That is obvious. But, still, it is another disruption of usual family life and one that perhaps the little ones will notice most.
For all U.S. citizens registered and intending to vote, there remains the question of whether or not people in the affected areas will be able to cast their ballots a week from today. States depend upon electronic voting and some areas may still be without electric power Tuesday or transportation my be impossible due to flooding, fallen trees or wires, road damage, snow, etc. caused by Hurricane Sandy. And yet U.S. law based upon constitutional and other issues, determines voting day. To change it, even temporarily, would require Congressional action. And we know how quickly and efficiently Congress acts. But if problems from the storm keep large groups of people from being able to participate in voting, something should and must be done to rectify that situation. So here is hoping one of two things happen: either road and power conditions do not present obstacles to the vast majority of people in areas affected by the storm, or Congress has in place a plan which it will put immediately into action if the need arises.
I also have been considering how mail will be affected by Sandy. Despite the old Postal Service motto, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.", it is logical to assume mail delivery, not just in the areas hit by the storm, will be interrupted. As mail originates as well as gets delivered to the storm area, surely we shall be affected nationwide by interruptions.
Also transportation of needed goods across the country will be affected. This could conceivably impact just about everything from food on grocery shelves to manufacturing. The extent of the effect will depend on how quickly things get back to normal in the areas of the storm. And already, flights in and out of some major airports have been cancelled. I can only imagine how that will affect many people. Just think how many things depend upon meeting deadlines and reaching destinations.
I am sure there will be books, television shows and at least one movie about "The Great Storm of The Century"--or at least let's hope this is the storm of the century and it is not outranked by another. One thing is for sure, there will be millions of stories about the storm and there will be many lives forever changed by it. I realize most people have it within them to overcome monumental adversity. But, all the same, my heart goes out to those who suffer because of this latest disaster. And I am grateful my family and friends appear to be coming through it pretty much unscathed.
I am sure the damage to property will have longer term affects and will also ruin the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for many people. The holidays are probably the least of their worries if their homes or places of business have been damaged or destroyed. That is obvious. But, still, it is another disruption of usual family life and one that perhaps the little ones will notice most.
For all U.S. citizens registered and intending to vote, there remains the question of whether or not people in the affected areas will be able to cast their ballots a week from today. States depend upon electronic voting and some areas may still be without electric power Tuesday or transportation my be impossible due to flooding, fallen trees or wires, road damage, snow, etc. caused by Hurricane Sandy. And yet U.S. law based upon constitutional and other issues, determines voting day. To change it, even temporarily, would require Congressional action. And we know how quickly and efficiently Congress acts. But if problems from the storm keep large groups of people from being able to participate in voting, something should and must be done to rectify that situation. So here is hoping one of two things happen: either road and power conditions do not present obstacles to the vast majority of people in areas affected by the storm, or Congress has in place a plan which it will put immediately into action if the need arises.
I also have been considering how mail will be affected by Sandy. Despite the old Postal Service motto, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.", it is logical to assume mail delivery, not just in the areas hit by the storm, will be interrupted. As mail originates as well as gets delivered to the storm area, surely we shall be affected nationwide by interruptions.
Also transportation of needed goods across the country will be affected. This could conceivably impact just about everything from food on grocery shelves to manufacturing. The extent of the effect will depend on how quickly things get back to normal in the areas of the storm. And already, flights in and out of some major airports have been cancelled. I can only imagine how that will affect many people. Just think how many things depend upon meeting deadlines and reaching destinations.
I am sure there will be books, television shows and at least one movie about "The Great Storm of The Century"--or at least let's hope this is the storm of the century and it is not outranked by another. One thing is for sure, there will be millions of stories about the storm and there will be many lives forever changed by it. I realize most people have it within them to overcome monumental adversity. But, all the same, my heart goes out to those who suffer because of this latest disaster. And I am grateful my family and friends appear to be coming through it pretty much unscathed.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Trying to Type a Post for a Blog
I have noticed that for some reason, what I input here does not always read the same when published. For example, if I use an ampersand, it appears followed by "amp;" and then the next word. And sometimes I will see obvious typos or parts of things I wrote and deleted even though I have gone back and edited and eliminated them. Now I am not saying I never make typos, leave out words, etc. But it would be nice if what I write appeared the way I wrote it and if editing worked. I think this problem is related to the same thing that caused a bunch of posts to disappear from my blog. I wrote about that problem earlier. Apparently Google has issues here as it does with FaceBook. FB is so unstable. As large as Google is, you would think they would have people who could fix these problems.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Good morning, Starshine
My husband, who I fondly refer to as DB (Dearly Beloved), has the most remarkable ability to come out of a dead sleep in a cheerful mood. He often wakes up joking. In fact, once, coming out of an anesthetic after surgery, the first words out of his mouth were a joke. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the joke, I just remember the nurse being surprised by it.
I have been sleeping with him within the bounds of holy wedlock for almost forty-six years. In all that time, I have only known him to wake up in a grumpy mood once. And once is enough. There is nothing pleasant about a big, burly guy waking up in a bad mood and growling at you.
Many times his morning disposition has served to change my morning mood from blah to good. I have never heard of anything like it. He will be sound asleep and perhaps my moving around the room will awaken him and he immediately, without skipping a beat, makes some joke.
This carries over into other times also. Just yesterday, he was in the shower and I went in to tell him I was going to the gym. I opened the shower door without saying a word, and without missing a beat he spits a mouthful of shower water at me!! Of course, I quickly shut and reopened the door only to be spattered once again by another mouthful of shower water.
My oldest grandchild once told his teacher that his grandfather was the funniest man in the world. I have to say I tend to agree with him. Perhaps that is how we have stayed married all these years. I know that it is one reason I am still crazy about him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw3oxJvSRj0
I have been sleeping with him within the bounds of holy wedlock for almost forty-six years. In all that time, I have only known him to wake up in a grumpy mood once. And once is enough. There is nothing pleasant about a big, burly guy waking up in a bad mood and growling at you.
Many times his morning disposition has served to change my morning mood from blah to good. I have never heard of anything like it. He will be sound asleep and perhaps my moving around the room will awaken him and he immediately, without skipping a beat, makes some joke.
This carries over into other times also. Just yesterday, he was in the shower and I went in to tell him I was going to the gym. I opened the shower door without saying a word, and without missing a beat he spits a mouthful of shower water at me!! Of course, I quickly shut and reopened the door only to be spattered once again by another mouthful of shower water.
My oldest grandchild once told his teacher that his grandfather was the funniest man in the world. I have to say I tend to agree with him. Perhaps that is how we have stayed married all these years. I know that it is one reason I am still crazy about him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw3oxJvSRj0
Justified
DB and I are enjoying season 2 of "Justified". Timothy Olyphant does a "bang up" job as Raylan Givens, but Walton Goggins (Boyd Crowder) does amazing work. I have seen him before in bit parts and never paid much attention, but he really is good. Actually all the actors do a good job. Margo Martindale's character, Mags Bennett, was introduced in an episode we viewed last night and she stole the show. We had never heard of the show before a friend gave us these discs. Now we are hooked.
I am sure the locale of the story adds to its appeal to us. The stories center mostly around Harlan, Kentucky. My parents were born in Woodbine, KY and raised in Corbin, KY. When I was a kid and my family used to drive from Cincinnati to Florida, my dad would always talk about how rough Harlan and Jellico were. He said a lot of folks there would just as soon kill you as not. With my mother and aunt now living in Corbin, we are pretty familiar with the area, but I have always avoided Harlan and Jellico . So it is fun when the show refers to places we know. So many movies take place in big cities like LA, NYC or Chicago. I wonder if residents of those cities say things like, "Oh, I know that place!" when they watch movies which are set in their city, or does it become old hat.
I think a few years back Corbin voted to allow liquor to be sold by the drink. It sits within two dry counties (Whitley and Knox)--three if you count North Corbin which is in Laurel County, also dry--well, moist now. Corbin just this year voted to allow retail liquor sales. About time. For a dry city, Corbin always had its share of drunks and I doubt they all left Whitley, Knox and Laurel counties to get their booze. Harlan County is a moist county. No wonder moonshine was so popular. Anyway, the alcohol situation in the area adds to the story line of "Justified". Besides illegal liquor, the series covers just about every other type of crimes. In fact, "Justified" often features stories about the illegal drug trade in the area. For quite a few years, Kentucky's number one crop was marijuana, not tobacco. Now other illegal drugs, especially oxycodone (oxycontin) outsell marijuana there, I think. It is a huge problem.
This series has sex, violence, drugs, and bad language along with interesting characters and story lines, as well as fine acting. I even like the catchy music that is played, but not overdone, as the theme to the series.
I am sure the locale of the story adds to its appeal to us. The stories center mostly around Harlan, Kentucky. My parents were born in Woodbine, KY and raised in Corbin, KY. When I was a kid and my family used to drive from Cincinnati to Florida, my dad would always talk about how rough Harlan and Jellico were. He said a lot of folks there would just as soon kill you as not. With my mother and aunt now living in Corbin, we are pretty familiar with the area, but I have always avoided Harlan and Jellico . So it is fun when the show refers to places we know. So many movies take place in big cities like LA, NYC or Chicago. I wonder if residents of those cities say things like, "Oh, I know that place!" when they watch movies which are set in their city, or does it become old hat.
I think a few years back Corbin voted to allow liquor to be sold by the drink. It sits within two dry counties (Whitley and Knox)--three if you count North Corbin which is in Laurel County, also dry--well, moist now. Corbin just this year voted to allow retail liquor sales. About time. For a dry city, Corbin always had its share of drunks and I doubt they all left Whitley, Knox and Laurel counties to get their booze. Harlan County is a moist county. No wonder moonshine was so popular. Anyway, the alcohol situation in the area adds to the story line of "Justified". Besides illegal liquor, the series covers just about every other type of crimes. In fact, "Justified" often features stories about the illegal drug trade in the area. For quite a few years, Kentucky's number one crop was marijuana, not tobacco. Now other illegal drugs, especially oxycodone (oxycontin) outsell marijuana there, I think. It is a huge problem.
This series has sex, violence, drugs, and bad language along with interesting characters and story lines, as well as fine acting. I even like the catchy music that is played, but not overdone, as the theme to the series.
Friday, October 19, 2012
I am sorry if my political posts offend any of my FB friends and others. If you want, unfriend me. Or do not read my blog. I will still like you personally even if I do not agree with your politics. You have the right to your opinions and I have the right to mine.
I believe we are at a very critical time in our nation's history. We are at a crossroads and stand to lose much of what has made us a world leader and great country. Not that the country is perfect but it has always been the best the world has known. I think the time has come for me to speak out a bit more about the damage that has been done by this President. I fear for the future of the country if we do not get rid of Obama and his cohorts. Not that I think Romney is a great choice, but he is a far cry better than Obama (which is not saying much) and would be a step closer to bringing us back to where we should be as a country, and farther from the socialist nanny state Obama is trying to create. On the other hand, I do not want the government to be run by far right religious zealots who I think are as screwy as left wing liberals. I still want to mainly use this blog and FB for other, non-political reasons but no longer care about being PC (some would argue I have never been PC). If I want to say how I feel, I will. I will try to refrain from doing so on your blog or FB wall but not mine. I also will exercise my right to eliminate anything you say that I might not want to see on my blog or FB wall. You, I assume will do the same with my posts you do not like.
I created this blog as a place to put down my thoughts on many things. And so, this morning I am thinking about many things,such as Libya, the economy, etc.. You know, how Obama and the Dems have screwed things up and want to screw things up even more. The first thing I thought about was the liberal move to deprive the military of an early vote and/or absentee voting. What kind of people would do this? Ungrateful, selfish bastards is who. If anyone should have the right to vote absentee or early, it is our military members. They alone have earned that right. We all have the right to select our form of government and elect our representatives. That is a natural right. But the military have earned the right and privilege to absentee and early voting above any other people. This effort to eliminate their early vote was a ploy by the left who know the majority of military members are conservatives. Just like during the Gore-Bush election, they claimed absentee ballots from military members aboard military ships could not count because they lacked a zipcode. Never mind those ballots were from the state in which the military member was registered so could easily be counted. This also shows just how little esteem the left really has for the very people who protect their rights to be such assholes. And probably many of them would never be willing to serve in the military themselves.
My second beef today is with Obamacare. This is also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There is a reason most people do not know it by the latter title. That is because it neither protects patients and is anything but affordable or caring. The Government Accounting Office even says it will drain Medicare and do away with Tri Care, which is the best coverage the military has ever had. This will be done over time and options seniors and the military now have about their health care will be eliminated as we move to a one-size-fits none type of health care system. If you think defense is costly, just wait. This will be a ball breaker. Not to mention it probably is unconstitutional. But then, Obama is well practiced at circumventing the Constitution.
My biggest irritation today concerns Libya again. Copies of communications between Ambassador Chris Stevens and the State Department have been disclosed (http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/10/19/documents-newly-released-information-reveals-ambassador-stevens-worried-about-security-threats-in-libya-prior-to-terror-attack/). In these the late Ambassador talks about the organized attacks on Western targets in Libya, including an attempted bombing of the embassy. He states the need for more security. Repeatedly. Even on the day he died he was still laying out the situation in clear terms to the State Department. These communications, along with intelligence on the ground in Libya, along with the coming of the 9/11/2001 anniversary, should have warranted an effort to beef up the protection of our embassy personnel all over the world, not just in Benghazi. Anyone with common sense would have known what could and did happen at the embassy in Libya on 9/11/2012. But our State Dept., under the leadership of Hilary Clinton, failed to act. And then, after the death of four Americans in Libya, she and our dearly beloved President, played the blame shifting game for days on end, blaming some guy who produced some lame video. (The guy obviously was an idiot but not responsible for the planned attack on the embassy.) Once again, we heard Obama laying the blame for a terrorist attack on the US, reminiscent of his apology tour of Europe early in his administration. I am sure that after the public airing of the communications sent by Stevens, the administration will come up with another scape goat. That is the one thing they are good at---not accepting responsibility. If indeed, neither Obama nor Clinton knew about the situation in Libya before the attack, then they are at the very least, totally incompetent. It is Obama's responsibility to know and Clinton's responsibility to know and to keep the President informed. Any embassy can come under attack and if attacked by enough terrorists, there would likely be injury and/or death. But to have all the clear signs that an attack is likely and to fail to act to prevent it is gross negligence. I have absolutely no confidence in Obama as far as our security is concerned. He takes credit for finding Osama Bin Laden, but indeed, Bin Laden was found due to efforts by our military and intelligence that were put into place by George Bush. Of course, Obama had to approve the mission. What President would not? Well, maybe Bill Clinton.
These things, along with the Fast and Furious cover up, the pouring of taxpayer money into failing green companies(http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2012/10/updated-list-of-obamas-green-energy-failures-36-of-them-2506484.html ), the Acorn scandal, the unemployment rate, the pouring of money into other failing industries and the unions, the state of the economy (especially our debt to China), his policies on illegal immigration (including the lie he told about AZ law during the debate), are just a few of the reasons to dump the incompetent and dangerous Obama.
I believe we are at a very critical time in our nation's history. We are at a crossroads and stand to lose much of what has made us a world leader and great country. Not that the country is perfect but it has always been the best the world has known. I think the time has come for me to speak out a bit more about the damage that has been done by this President. I fear for the future of the country if we do not get rid of Obama and his cohorts. Not that I think Romney is a great choice, but he is a far cry better than Obama (which is not saying much) and would be a step closer to bringing us back to where we should be as a country, and farther from the socialist nanny state Obama is trying to create. On the other hand, I do not want the government to be run by far right religious zealots who I think are as screwy as left wing liberals. I still want to mainly use this blog and FB for other, non-political reasons but no longer care about being PC (some would argue I have never been PC). If I want to say how I feel, I will. I will try to refrain from doing so on your blog or FB wall but not mine. I also will exercise my right to eliminate anything you say that I might not want to see on my blog or FB wall. You, I assume will do the same with my posts you do not like.
I created this blog as a place to put down my thoughts on many things. And so, this morning I am thinking about many things,such as Libya, the economy, etc.. You know, how Obama and the Dems have screwed things up and want to screw things up even more. The first thing I thought about was the liberal move to deprive the military of an early vote and/or absentee voting. What kind of people would do this? Ungrateful, selfish bastards is who. If anyone should have the right to vote absentee or early, it is our military members. They alone have earned that right. We all have the right to select our form of government and elect our representatives. That is a natural right. But the military have earned the right and privilege to absentee and early voting above any other people. This effort to eliminate their early vote was a ploy by the left who know the majority of military members are conservatives. Just like during the Gore-Bush election, they claimed absentee ballots from military members aboard military ships could not count because they lacked a zipcode. Never mind those ballots were from the state in which the military member was registered so could easily be counted. This also shows just how little esteem the left really has for the very people who protect their rights to be such assholes. And probably many of them would never be willing to serve in the military themselves.
My second beef today is with Obamacare. This is also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There is a reason most people do not know it by the latter title. That is because it neither protects patients and is anything but affordable or caring. The Government Accounting Office even says it will drain Medicare and do away with Tri Care, which is the best coverage the military has ever had. This will be done over time and options seniors and the military now have about their health care will be eliminated as we move to a one-size-fits none type of health care system. If you think defense is costly, just wait. This will be a ball breaker. Not to mention it probably is unconstitutional. But then, Obama is well practiced at circumventing the Constitution.
My biggest irritation today concerns Libya again. Copies of communications between Ambassador Chris Stevens and the State Department have been disclosed (http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/10/19/documents-newly-released-information-reveals-ambassador-stevens-worried-about-security-threats-in-libya-prior-to-terror-attack/). In these the late Ambassador talks about the organized attacks on Western targets in Libya, including an attempted bombing of the embassy. He states the need for more security. Repeatedly. Even on the day he died he was still laying out the situation in clear terms to the State Department. These communications, along with intelligence on the ground in Libya, along with the coming of the 9/11/2001 anniversary, should have warranted an effort to beef up the protection of our embassy personnel all over the world, not just in Benghazi. Anyone with common sense would have known what could and did happen at the embassy in Libya on 9/11/2012. But our State Dept., under the leadership of Hilary Clinton, failed to act. And then, after the death of four Americans in Libya, she and our dearly beloved President, played the blame shifting game for days on end, blaming some guy who produced some lame video. (The guy obviously was an idiot but not responsible for the planned attack on the embassy.) Once again, we heard Obama laying the blame for a terrorist attack on the US, reminiscent of his apology tour of Europe early in his administration. I am sure that after the public airing of the communications sent by Stevens, the administration will come up with another scape goat. That is the one thing they are good at---not accepting responsibility. If indeed, neither Obama nor Clinton knew about the situation in Libya before the attack, then they are at the very least, totally incompetent. It is Obama's responsibility to know and Clinton's responsibility to know and to keep the President informed. Any embassy can come under attack and if attacked by enough terrorists, there would likely be injury and/or death. But to have all the clear signs that an attack is likely and to fail to act to prevent it is gross negligence. I have absolutely no confidence in Obama as far as our security is concerned. He takes credit for finding Osama Bin Laden, but indeed, Bin Laden was found due to efforts by our military and intelligence that were put into place by George Bush. Of course, Obama had to approve the mission. What President would not? Well, maybe Bill Clinton.
These things, along with the Fast and Furious cover up, the pouring of taxpayer money into failing green companies(http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2012/10/updated-list-of-obamas-green-energy-failures-36-of-them-2506484.html ), the Acorn scandal, the unemployment rate, the pouring of money into other failing industries and the unions, the state of the economy (especially our debt to China), his policies on illegal immigration (including the lie he told about AZ law during the debate), are just a few of the reasons to dump the incompetent and dangerous Obama.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
School Days
I thought I would share this story just in case any of you have ever been embarrassed by your parents as a child. DB and I were saying we were glad our grandkids liked school because neither of us ever looked forward to the start of school. He said one reason he disliked school was he was often humiliated by some of his teachers. He was a poor kid who just happened to fall into a school district full of children from well-to-do families. And some of his teachers seemed to enjoy embarrassing him. I don't know why I disliked school. Most of my teachers, with a few exceptions, were fine. Anyway, we eventually got around to most embarrassing moments in grade school. Here is mine:
My mother was always a very practical person. She was a product of the Great Depression. At Christmas, while we usually received a toy, and always received oranges, nuts and candy canes in our stockings plus a box of chocolate covered cherries and some hard candies, mostly we got pajamas, underwear and things we needed rather than anything we necessarily wanted. (The one exception to this being my microscope kit.) And she also was the world's worst secret keeper so she always managed to blab what our gifts were, taking the fun of surprise out of receiving gifts. She was loving and kind hearted but just terrible when it came to understanding certain things about kids and gifts. So one year, when I was in about the fourth or fifth grade, our class had a gift exchange and everyone had to buy a gift for someone else of the same sex. The price limit was a fifty cents or a dollar, I cannot remember exactly.
Well, my mother bought a gift for me to take. I must have known what it was ahead of time because I am sure I probably wrapped it. I always wrapped my own gifts, so it is doubtful my mother wrapped this one. It was in a flat white box like women's handkerchiefs used to come in. The significance of the gift apparently did not dawn on me ahead of time because I do not remember worrying about it until the time of the gift exchange.
The exchange took place and everyone opened their gift. I do not remember what I received but will never forget what I gave. I gave two pairs of nylon panties! I have no clue as to how the recipient reacted, because I was too busy trying to survive my own embarrassment over this gift which my mother, no doubt, thought was a pretty and practical present. She would have had no clue as to the embarrassment such a gift would cause.
This is the same lady who hung her own just laundered underwear in the basement to dry rather than have everyone in the neighborhood see them on the clothes line. Our backyard abutted a woods, so I am not sure who she thought would see them. I suppose only adults were allowed to be embarrassed over someone seeing their undies.
Yes, some things your parents do you remember for a long time. In retrospect, I know at least my parents were good people; did not abuse us; did not drink or act in inappropriate ways, so this was not such an awful thing. But you would never have convinced me of that during the gift exchange or for quite a few years while the gift exchange was part of a recurring dream.
My mother was always a very practical person. She was a product of the Great Depression. At Christmas, while we usually received a toy, and always received oranges, nuts and candy canes in our stockings plus a box of chocolate covered cherries and some hard candies, mostly we got pajamas, underwear and things we needed rather than anything we necessarily wanted. (The one exception to this being my microscope kit.) And she also was the world's worst secret keeper so she always managed to blab what our gifts were, taking the fun of surprise out of receiving gifts. She was loving and kind hearted but just terrible when it came to understanding certain things about kids and gifts. So one year, when I was in about the fourth or fifth grade, our class had a gift exchange and everyone had to buy a gift for someone else of the same sex. The price limit was a fifty cents or a dollar, I cannot remember exactly.
Well, my mother bought a gift for me to take. I must have known what it was ahead of time because I am sure I probably wrapped it. I always wrapped my own gifts, so it is doubtful my mother wrapped this one. It was in a flat white box like women's handkerchiefs used to come in. The significance of the gift apparently did not dawn on me ahead of time because I do not remember worrying about it until the time of the gift exchange.
The exchange took place and everyone opened their gift. I do not remember what I received but will never forget what I gave. I gave two pairs of nylon panties! I have no clue as to how the recipient reacted, because I was too busy trying to survive my own embarrassment over this gift which my mother, no doubt, thought was a pretty and practical present. She would have had no clue as to the embarrassment such a gift would cause.
This is the same lady who hung her own just laundered underwear in the basement to dry rather than have everyone in the neighborhood see them on the clothes line. Our backyard abutted a woods, so I am not sure who she thought would see them. I suppose only adults were allowed to be embarrassed over someone seeing their undies.
Yes, some things your parents do you remember for a long time. In retrospect, I know at least my parents were good people; did not abuse us; did not drink or act in inappropriate ways, so this was not such an awful thing. But you would never have convinced me of that during the gift exchange or for quite a few years while the gift exchange was part of a recurring dream.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Oh,No! Not Another Rant!
Originally posted on my Facebook page:
Okay, here I go ticking off people again. But I am going to rant anyway and this time I am not full of meds and it is not the middle of the night. I am not angry, I am just stating how I feel. This rant is the result of a couple recent posts and emails (emails from people I know but do not care for, by the way. People, in I my opinion, who live in a narrow little world even if they do get around a lot.
I hate messages that imply or outright state that if I do not repost them, somehow I either am heartless, ignorant, agree with the opposition or am guilty of a myriad of other things. I do not repost. I do not repost. I do not repost. If you want to do so, fine. That is your prerogative. But the quickest way to turn me off is to not only ask me to repost but to act like I must disagree with your message or assign some other negative, nefarious motivation to my not reposting.
If I want to use my feed as a sounding board for any cause, I will do so. I do not need anyone's help. I do not want to promote or support any organization or group on my newsfeed. (I am speaking of political, religious, business or social organizations. I do and always will openly support our military members. I do not think of them as a "group" for the purposes of this post.) I have been around the block a few times and know that not all groups are what they seem and supporting them publicly may come back and bite me on the ass. So I will do my own promoting of causes or not. Now if these are on your feed and I visit your page, I see what I see. But I really hate having these things sent to me. Email is the same. And by the way, I hate Obama and everything he stands for but when conservatives post stupid, inaccurate things about the man, they do all conservatives a disservice. There are plenty of reasons to find him the worst thing to happen to this country since the Civil War. Please do not make up crap. It just lessens your credibility. Leave that to the liberals. Check out your facts before passing stuff along.
I apologize to my liberal friends and relatives for this showing up on your newsfeed. Go ahead and delete this post. I probably would delete yours if you were praising Obama. Also, to my liberal friends and relatives, you can be just as guilty of ignorant actions as the rest of us. Stop saying "Tea Party" as if it is a political party. It is not. It is not a monolithic, racist, reactionary group. Conservatives are just as intelligent and as ignorant as liberals. We just approach things from opposite viewpoints. There are plenty of idiots on both sides. No one side has the monopoly on ignorance and bigotry.
This certainly holds for religion. If you are an atheist, you may be just as guilty of pushing your ideas and being blind to anyone else's views as a religious person. I get fed up with both the religious right and those who act like anyone who is religious has to be stupid. You can both be bigots. I am not a Christian and do not wish to be converted. But that does not mean I totally dismiss Christianity or any other religious views out of hand. If religion does not explain all the mysteries of the universe, neither does science. I do not pretend to know the answers to the creation and no one else does, either. Or if anyone does, he isn't talking, at least in this dimension. But I think there is room for both believers and non believers. I don't want either side pushing their beliefs on me. And quite honestly, if all you do is talk about your religion or lack thereof, I have to wonder who you are really trying to convince. The most truly religious people I have known in my 66 years really do not talk about it much, but do live it. And the most truly intelligent atheists I have known admit they do not know all the answers anymore than the religious zealots think they do. I don't like receiving emails that make out non believers as evil or religious people as ignorant. Keep these to yourself or whatever, but do not send them to me.
Now for my final rant---for those of you still reading, which I imagine is an exclusive group consisting of ---ME! Although most people I personally know are not guilty of this, sometimes I see stuff that is downright racist. Sometimes it is racist in general, and sometimes about Obama. Fortunately most people I know are not concerned about skin color. That is good because there are plenty of racists, of all colors, to go around. Everyone wants someone to look down upon, it seems. Blacks, browns, reds, yellows, whites, greens, blues, polka dotted, it does not matter. All groups are guilty. Sometimes I think people do not even understand what they post or email is racist. If it promotes hatred or denigration based on skin color it is racist. Same with ethnicity. Simple. So, think before you forward it in email or repost it. No one needs that crap. I don't want it. I delete it immediately if I see it and then think you are a dumbass. If you want to dislike a group, come up with a better reason for it than skin color. It makes you seem like an idiot. And yes, there are groups I detest. I dislike a lot of people and groups as a matter of fact. I am not bias free by any means. But I like to think I detest them for more important reasons than their skin color, who they are screwing, or what language they speak. If I speak against them it is because of their actions and beliefs. We all do that. It is called using judgment, not prejudice. We are supposed to use judgment. We do it all day long in many different ways. And no, this is not just me trying to excuse my own actions and beliefs as non-racist. I admit that occasionally I have racist thoughts, and then I try to take a look at what I am thinking and analyze it and if it is racist, I try to change it. If I can justify my thoughts based on facts and experience, I feel okay. Okay. End of rant. Again, you may feel free to disagree but that does not mean I want to hear about it. I probably should save my rants for my blog from now on. And will. Or will try to.
Okay, here I go ticking off people again. But I am going to rant anyway and this time I am not full of meds and it is not the middle of the night. I am not angry, I am just stating how I feel. This rant is the result of a couple recent posts and emails (emails from people I know but do not care for, by the way. People, in I my opinion, who live in a narrow little world even if they do get around a lot.
I hate messages that imply or outright state that if I do not repost them, somehow I either am heartless, ignorant, agree with the opposition or am guilty of a myriad of other things. I do not repost. I do not repost. I do not repost. If you want to do so, fine. That is your prerogative. But the quickest way to turn me off is to not only ask me to repost but to act like I must disagree with your message or assign some other negative, nefarious motivation to my not reposting.
If I want to use my feed as a sounding board for any cause, I will do so. I do not need anyone's help. I do not want to promote or support any organization or group on my newsfeed. (I am speaking of political, religious, business or social organizations. I do and always will openly support our military members. I do not think of them as a "group" for the purposes of this post.) I have been around the block a few times and know that not all groups are what they seem and supporting them publicly may come back and bite me on the ass. So I will do my own promoting of causes or not. Now if these are on your feed and I visit your page, I see what I see. But I really hate having these things sent to me. Email is the same. And by the way, I hate Obama and everything he stands for but when conservatives post stupid, inaccurate things about the man, they do all conservatives a disservice. There are plenty of reasons to find him the worst thing to happen to this country since the Civil War. Please do not make up crap. It just lessens your credibility. Leave that to the liberals. Check out your facts before passing stuff along.
I apologize to my liberal friends and relatives for this showing up on your newsfeed. Go ahead and delete this post. I probably would delete yours if you were praising Obama. Also, to my liberal friends and relatives, you can be just as guilty of ignorant actions as the rest of us. Stop saying "Tea Party" as if it is a political party. It is not. It is not a monolithic, racist, reactionary group. Conservatives are just as intelligent and as ignorant as liberals. We just approach things from opposite viewpoints. There are plenty of idiots on both sides. No one side has the monopoly on ignorance and bigotry.
This certainly holds for religion. If you are an atheist, you may be just as guilty of pushing your ideas and being blind to anyone else's views as a religious person. I get fed up with both the religious right and those who act like anyone who is religious has to be stupid. You can both be bigots. I am not a Christian and do not wish to be converted. But that does not mean I totally dismiss Christianity or any other religious views out of hand. If religion does not explain all the mysteries of the universe, neither does science. I do not pretend to know the answers to the creation and no one else does, either. Or if anyone does, he isn't talking, at least in this dimension. But I think there is room for both believers and non believers. I don't want either side pushing their beliefs on me. And quite honestly, if all you do is talk about your religion or lack thereof, I have to wonder who you are really trying to convince. The most truly religious people I have known in my 66 years really do not talk about it much, but do live it. And the most truly intelligent atheists I have known admit they do not know all the answers anymore than the religious zealots think they do. I don't like receiving emails that make out non believers as evil or religious people as ignorant. Keep these to yourself or whatever, but do not send them to me.
Now for my final rant---for those of you still reading, which I imagine is an exclusive group consisting of ---ME! Although most people I personally know are not guilty of this, sometimes I see stuff that is downright racist. Sometimes it is racist in general, and sometimes about Obama. Fortunately most people I know are not concerned about skin color. That is good because there are plenty of racists, of all colors, to go around. Everyone wants someone to look down upon, it seems. Blacks, browns, reds, yellows, whites, greens, blues, polka dotted, it does not matter. All groups are guilty. Sometimes I think people do not even understand what they post or email is racist. If it promotes hatred or denigration based on skin color it is racist. Same with ethnicity. Simple. So, think before you forward it in email or repost it. No one needs that crap. I don't want it. I delete it immediately if I see it and then think you are a dumbass. If you want to dislike a group, come up with a better reason for it than skin color. It makes you seem like an idiot. And yes, there are groups I detest. I dislike a lot of people and groups as a matter of fact. I am not bias free by any means. But I like to think I detest them for more important reasons than their skin color, who they are screwing, or what language they speak. If I speak against them it is because of their actions and beliefs. We all do that. It is called using judgment, not prejudice. We are supposed to use judgment. We do it all day long in many different ways. And no, this is not just me trying to excuse my own actions and beliefs as non-racist. I admit that occasionally I have racist thoughts, and then I try to take a look at what I am thinking and analyze it and if it is racist, I try to change it. If I can justify my thoughts based on facts and experience, I feel okay. Okay. End of rant. Again, you may feel free to disagree but that does not mean I want to hear about it. I probably should save my rants for my blog from now on. And will. Or will try to.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
WARNING: This is an Over-tired-woman-who-is-full-of- migraine-medication-so-is-wired- with-caffeine's very long rant:
It is beyond me why people get so hung up about homosexuality. (Here I used the term "homosexuality" to include both gays and lesbians. Sort of like we used to be able to say "man" or "mankind" meaning humans of both genders, without being considered sexists. I actually remember when the word "homosexual" usually included both men and women. Damn, I am old.) Like most heterosexuals, I find homosexuality a curiosity. Perhaps homosexuals feel that way about heterosexuality. But I do believe that it is a biologically based preference, just as is heterosexuality. (Of course there are those who would have sex with anyone regardless of gender, personal hygiene, respiration, etc. They are not the subject of this rant. Right or wrong, I just think of them as mindless horny bastards and not necessarily as hetero, bi or homosexual although some certainly may be.) If homosexuality is a biologically based preference, then one has to question if reproduction really is the main reason for our sex drives. I know it is not in my case or in the case of most people I know, but I am thinking more regarding evolution. You know, as old Charley Darwin would view it. But to me, as long as you have two (or more :-)) consenting and responsible adults, what they do in the bedroom is nobody's business but theirs.
I cannot understand why religious people who oppose homosexuality citing a biblical basis do not then take the rest of the Bible so literally. Personally, I think back when there were inheritance issues and extended families living under one roof, there probably was a need for really strict rules about homosexuality, adultery, incest, etc. I think that is probably the real reason women had to stay so covered up. The men in the household needed this to keep themselves from having adulterous and incestuous sex. Apparently they were incapable of practicing self-control. And there was the worry about who was having who's child because of inheritance. I imagine rules against homosexuality probably evolved around these sort of issues. Surely there were homosexuals back then, also. Reproduction meant survival of the group. No wasting of sperm that could be used to make more kids. But even more likely the tabu was to maintain order within families and more or less closed communities. I imagine incest, rape and all sorts of sexual issues arose considering the living arrangements. This is just my opinion and I don't know if it is credible or not. These issues generally are not valid anymore except perhaps in the Middle East or some other cultures where there are lots of extended families and property issues are so important. Of course, we know homosexuality does not exist in Iran, at least according to President Ahmadinejad!
I also suspect some people despise homosexuals because they have at one time harbored some of the same feelings as homosexuals even if they did not act upon them, nor want to admit them, and feel guilty or uncomfortable about having done so. I figure this may be natural. No one should feel threatened by homosexuals because of this.
On the other hand, I think it ridiculous to talk about amending the Constitution to protect homosexuals. They are citizens of the US so should already be granted equal rights and protections on both a federal and state level. Same with women. Same with any other minority. If the Constitution and laws are upheld, there is no need for special citations. If they are not, prosecute those who are violating anyone else's civil rights. We do not need to amend the Constitution or pass hate laws. We just need to apply the current law equitably.
All this being said, I also think Gay Rights Parades and other public celebrations for gays and lesbians stupid. To me it is as dumb as whores having a parade to flaunt the fact they are whores, or heterosexuals to flaunt their heterosexuality, or people who prefer S and M to promote that. I just think it stupid to celebrate your sexuality that publicly no matter how discriminated against you may feel you have been. I am just old fashioned enough to think sex is a private matter. Not that it shocks me or I am prudish. I just think, like going to the bathroom, picking your toenails or nose, or a myriad of other pleasant and unpleasant things, some things I just do not care to see publicly displayed.
Anyway, I think there are lots of valid reasons to hate people but sexual preference is not one of them. I do not understand how it hurts me if two people of the same gender want to have sex or enter into a legal relationship. With all the other crap there is to worry about, this just seems like a stupid waste of time. And it certainly should not be an issue in a Presidential campaign. And another thing is, I am sick to death of liberals who label all conservatives as homophobic. Most of the ones I know are not. Sometimes I think a lot of liberals are the real bigots. And so many just want to be PC. They rank right up there with the ultra right wingers who are bigots. I like to think most of us who fit in between these two groups are not.
I am a reasonably bright, educated conservative woman who has strong opinions about a lot of things and I do not give a damn about being politically correct. It is about four in the morning, and I have to "get up" in an hour; I have had a migraine since February; every other minute my keyboard freezes up so I am not about to proofread this; and I feel like ranting. Don't even get me going on illegal immigration, social welfare, Obamacare, Obama, the liberal agenda or a zillion other topics.
Oh, and I do not give a rat's ass if you agree or disagree with me. I just got ticked off about a few remarks I saw posted on FB on both sides of the issue and decided to state my own opinion. Feel free to keep your opinions to yourself. This is my blog and no one is making you read it. Oh, I forgot. No one reads this blog but me, anyway.
I cannot understand why religious people who oppose homosexuality citing a biblical basis do not then take the rest of the Bible so literally. Personally, I think back when there were inheritance issues and extended families living under one roof, there probably was a need for really strict rules about homosexuality, adultery, incest, etc. I think that is probably the real reason women had to stay so covered up. The men in the household needed this to keep themselves from having adulterous and incestuous sex. Apparently they were incapable of practicing self-control. And there was the worry about who was having who's child because of inheritance. I imagine rules against homosexuality probably evolved around these sort of issues. Surely there were homosexuals back then, also. Reproduction meant survival of the group. No wasting of sperm that could be used to make more kids. But even more likely the tabu was to maintain order within families and more or less closed communities. I imagine incest, rape and all sorts of sexual issues arose considering the living arrangements. This is just my opinion and I don't know if it is credible or not. These issues generally are not valid anymore except perhaps in the Middle East or some other cultures where there are lots of extended families and property issues are so important. Of course, we know homosexuality does not exist in Iran, at least according to President Ahmadinejad!
I also suspect some people despise homosexuals because they have at one time harbored some of the same feelings as homosexuals even if they did not act upon them, nor want to admit them, and feel guilty or uncomfortable about having done so. I figure this may be natural. No one should feel threatened by homosexuals because of this.
On the other hand, I think it ridiculous to talk about amending the Constitution to protect homosexuals. They are citizens of the US so should already be granted equal rights and protections on both a federal and state level. Same with women. Same with any other minority. If the Constitution and laws are upheld, there is no need for special citations. If they are not, prosecute those who are violating anyone else's civil rights. We do not need to amend the Constitution or pass hate laws. We just need to apply the current law equitably.
All this being said, I also think Gay Rights Parades and other public celebrations for gays and lesbians stupid. To me it is as dumb as whores having a parade to flaunt the fact they are whores, or heterosexuals to flaunt their heterosexuality, or people who prefer S and M to promote that. I just think it stupid to celebrate your sexuality that publicly no matter how discriminated against you may feel you have been. I am just old fashioned enough to think sex is a private matter. Not that it shocks me or I am prudish. I just think, like going to the bathroom, picking your toenails or nose, or a myriad of other pleasant and unpleasant things, some things I just do not care to see publicly displayed.
Anyway, I think there are lots of valid reasons to hate people but sexual preference is not one of them. I do not understand how it hurts me if two people of the same gender want to have sex or enter into a legal relationship. With all the other crap there is to worry about, this just seems like a stupid waste of time. And it certainly should not be an issue in a Presidential campaign. And another thing is, I am sick to death of liberals who label all conservatives as homophobic. Most of the ones I know are not. Sometimes I think a lot of liberals are the real bigots. And so many just want to be PC. They rank right up there with the ultra right wingers who are bigots. I like to think most of us who fit in between these two groups are not.
I am a reasonably bright, educated conservative woman who has strong opinions about a lot of things and I do not give a damn about being politically correct. It is about four in the morning, and I have to "get up" in an hour; I have had a migraine since February; every other minute my keyboard freezes up so I am not about to proofread this; and I feel like ranting. Don't even get me going on illegal immigration, social welfare, Obamacare, Obama, the liberal agenda or a zillion other topics.
Oh, and I do not give a rat's ass if you agree or disagree with me. I just got ticked off about a few remarks I saw posted on FB on both sides of the issue and decided to state my own opinion. Feel free to keep your opinions to yourself. This is my blog and no one is making you read it. Oh, I forgot. No one reads this blog but me, anyway.
Monday, July 16, 2012
What Was That You Were Trying To Say??
My nephew and I sort of discussed this same issue about misspellings on signs. What you have to say may have merit, but if you put up a sign about it and you have misspellings and your thoughts are poorly expressed, people will dismiss you as being not credible. I am not a grammar snob. I realize there is the common jargon and that we speak differently according to our purpose and our audience. On FB and emails, we do not always check our spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I am as guilty as most people. And I certainly do not always use proper grammar when I speak. That is okay in casual communications among friends. But, honestly, if I were putting my product and reputation out there for all to see, I would be very particular, as if my business depended upon it, because it just may. And if I were to advertise my product in a foreign country, I would be sure that the person I hire to write about the product is proficient in both speaking and writing in that language.
The reason I bring this up is that I was so irritated by the grammar on a site selling kitchen cabinets, that I actually began writing them to let them know the impression they were giving of their products and services. Then, upon second thought, I decided I may be a little anal about this so did not send my criticism. I am sure they would have made themselves clear in their response to "F*** off!". But still, I cannot help but wonder about why this problem is becoming so common. Is this part of the dumbing down of America?? Or is it part of more and more dependency upon foreign goods and ownership of companies? I don't know.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The Case of the Disappearing Post
I seldom add to this blog as the dates on my posts show. But I never have deleted a post until today when I found that some time since the new formatting Google put into place, some of my blog posts have disappeared and in one instance, only half disappeared but was saved as a draft. I am not responsible for this so I imagine it is due to the automatic format change. So I simply deleted the partial post and then deleted two others that made no sense without the posts that had disappeared. I have not had time to go through all my posts to see what condition they are in. This reminds me of FB. There my posts often disappear and then some reappear, even multiple times! Good old Google.
Sorry, That Item Is Out of Stock and Won't Be In Until The Foreign Manufacturer Reships or Hell Freezes Over
This morning as I pondered the slow delivery of a ceiling fan, my mind turned toward the economy in general. I have always considered myself a centrist politically but perhaps I lean more to the right. In fact, I am pretty sure I do in a lot of areas. I just think I have a common sense approach to politics. There is not much on the international and national level that when looked at on a smaller scale cannot be made easier to understand. I just apply what works on a personal level to how I think our government should work. You know, like in your personal finances, you cannot spend more than you earn or can pay back. You do it yourself if it costs too much to hire it done or else you do without. Do not borrow, but if you do, do not borrow from your enemies. Do not give money you need to support yourself to your neighbors so they do not have to work. Do not let uninvited people into your home and then give them all your goods while family members are in need. In fact, if they arrive uninvited and unwanted, kick them out on their asses. (If they won't go, call the cops. If the cops don't help, shoot the invaders and get new cops.) There is only so much food on the table. You take care of your family first. If you need more money, get a second job or cut back spending or both. Buying American is best if the availability, cost and quality of US goods and services meets your needs and wishes. Anyway, that is how I think, and perhaps that will help you understand why, when having to wait on the delivery of a ceiling fan from a foreign country, my mind turned to the economy in general. .
If any of you have ordered appliances of almost any sort lately, you may have noticed more and more how you have to wait on items to arrive because they are out of stock and the manufacturers are overseas. You have to wait for a new shipment to arrive. This to me is a very worrisome indicator of our dependency upon foreign imports. It seems to me that in a land with lots of natural resources and people needing jobs, we should be producing most of our own goods and using the profits to pay off our foreign debts so we can get rid of foreign influence on our economy and politics. I mean, we are so in debt and dependent upon a COMMUNIST government (China) for one. This is insane. I cannot help but think of scenarios where we become China's satellite country or where it becomes the capitalist state and we the socialist state. Sound far-fetched to you? I don't think so. Just try to buy something not made or assembled in another country anymore. And so many of those things are Chinese. And if you do not think the Chinese government is anything to worry about, you are totally ignorant of the Chinese government.
Sometimes our stupidity and lack of common sense appalls me. Obviously, we cannot become an isolationist country and we benefit from foreign trade. But we can cut down on our dependency on other countries, especially where infrastructure and energy is concerned. No foreign individual, company or country should be allowed to own any part of our infrastructure or any part of our defense industry. I think that is just common sense, a commodity we are short on. We are the hens giving the key to our henhouse to the foxes.
We could create, or recreate, an atmosphere where US manufacturers actually want to keep their plants in our own country without the US worker having to work for slave wages. Of course, this would also involve workers understanding that despite their historical importance, today's unions are nothing more than businesses that do not really give a damn about their membership and cause more harm than good. They are there to keep themselves in the money. And companies would have to have incentives to keep their business here. Americans may have to pay a bit more for goods but would end up making more and having a more stable economy.
Do away with NAFTA!! (You union types should like that.) Even back in the early 1980's when I was living in Europe, it was predictable what would happen to the European economy with its economic union. The wealthier states would be dragged down trying to give the poorer states a hand up. I see NAFTA being more of the same. I believe in working with poorer countries to give them a hand up, but we cannot support the entire western hemisphere. They do have to take on some responsibility for their own governments and economic and social structures.
That brings me to undocumented workers. Illegal immigrants. Send them home. It is that simple. I am not responsible for some kid who has lived here for ten years being sent back to his parents' homeland. And although I understand why they came here, his illegal immigrant parents are responsible for that and should have considered it before they came here illegally. And I do not care where they came from. There already is an appeals system in place for adults who arrived here illegally as babies or young kids and have only known the US as home. This new move by the Obama administration to offer these young people a way to stay is unnecessary and is intended as an election ploy.
I oppose giving citizenship to babies born here when their parents are here illegally. That is not only rewarding people for committing a crime but encourages more people to come here illegally.
And do not give illegals benefits. (Colorado just made it cheaper for an illegal who has attended at least three years of high school in CO to attend a CO state university than it is for an American citizen of another state to attend a CO state university. This is nuts and considering how expensive schooling is and the current economy, policies like these should infuriate every citizen of this country. You college students who are so hell bent on protesting American businesses, should be protesting this instead. ) Before any of you bleeding hearts start labeling me as a bigot, you should learn that opposing ILLEGAL immigration is not the same as opposing LEGAL immigration. We all recognize the benefits of controlled, legal immigration.
I am sick of hearing about how Mexico, Central and South America has been hurt by colonialism. That has not existed since the 1800s. Any rotten governments there since have been corrupt in their own right. Yes, the US has sometimes contributed to the establishment and maintenance of those corrupt governments. But if your kids keep getting into trouble, how long can you keep blaming the gang he runs around with? At some point, shouldn't he have to take responsibility for his own actions? Mexico, and Central and South America need to take care of their own problems and not just replace one dictatorship or corrupt ruler with another. Hmmm. Maybe we should follow the same advice the way our government is going. I am all for kicking the current administration out!
As for US citizens who claim they are put down because of race or economic class--oh, really? Well, considering all the scholarships and loans available to you, have you actually tried to get an education or training to improve yourself? This means, of course, you may have to put forth a little effort or make a few personal sacrifices along the way so that eventually you can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps like most of the rest of us had to do. Do not use race or social class as an excuse to wallow in your own mess. I am fed up with hearing it and paying for it. I see no reason why I have to work to pay my own way and you get a free ride with the taxes I pay. I washed dishes by hand and cooked for 200-300 kids in a child care facility to help pay my way through school because I could not qualify for Pell grants, all the while paying taxes so other people could get those grants. So I figure you can do the same. It took me eleven years to get a degree because I could not afford to go to school full time for a long time. There are not many government freebies out there for middle aged white women who are married without a cartload of kids. (By the way, Pell Grants should not be grants. Students should get them as interest free loans which must be paid back either monetarily or through teaching or service of some sort. I would think this could make them more widely available, too.) I could not attend college full time until I earned scholarships as a result of working really hard to get good grades. (Scholarships also are few and far between for middle aged white women who are married. In some ways, our society tends to reward women who divorce and/or who have children out of wedlock with men who refuse to support their kids.) Fortunately, my husband was willing to sacrifice so we could scrape together enough money to pay for what scholarships did not cover. And part of that time we were helping our kids through college, too. By the way, they also had to work more than one job, plus earn scholarships to get through school. And we were all A students. So you can get some training or schooling to improve your lot. If you have not done this, then don't tell me how rough you have it and do not expect me to support your whining butt. Oh, and I did not have more kids than I could afford to raise, plus I had mine within a marriage with a partner willing to help raise them---another economic plus based on good decision making and personal responsibility. The answer is not expanding hand-outs, but promoting personal responsiblity. I really am not whining because I could not get a government hand out. I am bitching because I had to pay so others could.
Don't misunderstand me, anyone can be temporarily unemployed, or have a legitimate physical and or mental disability. Anyone can have a disaster strike that is truly beyond their control. I have no problem helping these folks. I take issues with those who consider it the taxpayers' responsibility to help perpetuate their learned helplessness, irresponsibility and poor choices. If this was your own kid acting like this, how long would you support him and listen to him tell you how awful you treat him? Wouldn't you be an enabler? Well, our Uncle Sam is an enabler. And he enables at the expense of the taxpayer.
Well, I am coming to the end of my rant. Too bad that fan is not manufactured here in the US, with American made steel and made by American workers. Could have saved me a lot of time I wasted on this rant! I need that fan to cool down.
If any of you have ordered appliances of almost any sort lately, you may have noticed more and more how you have to wait on items to arrive because they are out of stock and the manufacturers are overseas. You have to wait for a new shipment to arrive. This to me is a very worrisome indicator of our dependency upon foreign imports. It seems to me that in a land with lots of natural resources and people needing jobs, we should be producing most of our own goods and using the profits to pay off our foreign debts so we can get rid of foreign influence on our economy and politics. I mean, we are so in debt and dependent upon a COMMUNIST government (China) for one. This is insane. I cannot help but think of scenarios where we become China's satellite country or where it becomes the capitalist state and we the socialist state. Sound far-fetched to you? I don't think so. Just try to buy something not made or assembled in another country anymore. And so many of those things are Chinese. And if you do not think the Chinese government is anything to worry about, you are totally ignorant of the Chinese government.
Sometimes our stupidity and lack of common sense appalls me. Obviously, we cannot become an isolationist country and we benefit from foreign trade. But we can cut down on our dependency on other countries, especially where infrastructure and energy is concerned. No foreign individual, company or country should be allowed to own any part of our infrastructure or any part of our defense industry. I think that is just common sense, a commodity we are short on. We are the hens giving the key to our henhouse to the foxes.
We could create, or recreate, an atmosphere where US manufacturers actually want to keep their plants in our own country without the US worker having to work for slave wages. Of course, this would also involve workers understanding that despite their historical importance, today's unions are nothing more than businesses that do not really give a damn about their membership and cause more harm than good. They are there to keep themselves in the money. And companies would have to have incentives to keep their business here. Americans may have to pay a bit more for goods but would end up making more and having a more stable economy.
Do away with NAFTA!! (You union types should like that.) Even back in the early 1980's when I was living in Europe, it was predictable what would happen to the European economy with its economic union. The wealthier states would be dragged down trying to give the poorer states a hand up. I see NAFTA being more of the same. I believe in working with poorer countries to give them a hand up, but we cannot support the entire western hemisphere. They do have to take on some responsibility for their own governments and economic and social structures.
That brings me to undocumented workers. Illegal immigrants. Send them home. It is that simple. I am not responsible for some kid who has lived here for ten years being sent back to his parents' homeland. And although I understand why they came here, his illegal immigrant parents are responsible for that and should have considered it before they came here illegally. And I do not care where they came from. There already is an appeals system in place for adults who arrived here illegally as babies or young kids and have only known the US as home. This new move by the Obama administration to offer these young people a way to stay is unnecessary and is intended as an election ploy.
I oppose giving citizenship to babies born here when their parents are here illegally. That is not only rewarding people for committing a crime but encourages more people to come here illegally.
And do not give illegals benefits. (Colorado just made it cheaper for an illegal who has attended at least three years of high school in CO to attend a CO state university than it is for an American citizen of another state to attend a CO state university. This is nuts and considering how expensive schooling is and the current economy, policies like these should infuriate every citizen of this country. You college students who are so hell bent on protesting American businesses, should be protesting this instead. ) Before any of you bleeding hearts start labeling me as a bigot, you should learn that opposing ILLEGAL immigration is not the same as opposing LEGAL immigration. We all recognize the benefits of controlled, legal immigration.
I am sick of hearing about how Mexico, Central and South America has been hurt by colonialism. That has not existed since the 1800s. Any rotten governments there since have been corrupt in their own right. Yes, the US has sometimes contributed to the establishment and maintenance of those corrupt governments. But if your kids keep getting into trouble, how long can you keep blaming the gang he runs around with? At some point, shouldn't he have to take responsibility for his own actions? Mexico, and Central and South America need to take care of their own problems and not just replace one dictatorship or corrupt ruler with another. Hmmm. Maybe we should follow the same advice the way our government is going. I am all for kicking the current administration out!
As for US citizens who claim they are put down because of race or economic class--oh, really? Well, considering all the scholarships and loans available to you, have you actually tried to get an education or training to improve yourself? This means, of course, you may have to put forth a little effort or make a few personal sacrifices along the way so that eventually you can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps like most of the rest of us had to do. Do not use race or social class as an excuse to wallow in your own mess. I am fed up with hearing it and paying for it. I see no reason why I have to work to pay my own way and you get a free ride with the taxes I pay. I washed dishes by hand and cooked for 200-300 kids in a child care facility to help pay my way through school because I could not qualify for Pell grants, all the while paying taxes so other people could get those grants. So I figure you can do the same. It took me eleven years to get a degree because I could not afford to go to school full time for a long time. There are not many government freebies out there for middle aged white women who are married without a cartload of kids. (By the way, Pell Grants should not be grants. Students should get them as interest free loans which must be paid back either monetarily or through teaching or service of some sort. I would think this could make them more widely available, too.) I could not attend college full time until I earned scholarships as a result of working really hard to get good grades. (Scholarships also are few and far between for middle aged white women who are married. In some ways, our society tends to reward women who divorce and/or who have children out of wedlock with men who refuse to support their kids.) Fortunately, my husband was willing to sacrifice so we could scrape together enough money to pay for what scholarships did not cover. And part of that time we were helping our kids through college, too. By the way, they also had to work more than one job, plus earn scholarships to get through school. And we were all A students. So you can get some training or schooling to improve your lot. If you have not done this, then don't tell me how rough you have it and do not expect me to support your whining butt. Oh, and I did not have more kids than I could afford to raise, plus I had mine within a marriage with a partner willing to help raise them---another economic plus based on good decision making and personal responsibility. The answer is not expanding hand-outs, but promoting personal responsiblity. I really am not whining because I could not get a government hand out. I am bitching because I had to pay so others could.
Don't misunderstand me, anyone can be temporarily unemployed, or have a legitimate physical and or mental disability. Anyone can have a disaster strike that is truly beyond their control. I have no problem helping these folks. I take issues with those who consider it the taxpayers' responsibility to help perpetuate their learned helplessness, irresponsibility and poor choices. If this was your own kid acting like this, how long would you support him and listen to him tell you how awful you treat him? Wouldn't you be an enabler? Well, our Uncle Sam is an enabler. And he enables at the expense of the taxpayer.
Well, I am coming to the end of my rant. Too bad that fan is not manufactured here in the US, with American made steel and made by American workers. Could have saved me a lot of time I wasted on this rant! I need that fan to cool down.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Not a Remote Chance of this Happening
Between the televisions, dvd players, cable boxes, and music systems in our home, there must be a dozen or more remote controls. Now I know remotes are available that supposedly handle all these electronics eliminating the need to have a dozen remotes sitting around. But one needs both a degree in engineering and the bank balance of Donald Trump to own one. So we are pretty much stuck with using three different remotes to play a dvd. This alone is enough to drive a person crazy. But on top of that, we have portable phones which also have a ton of buttons. I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to punch in phone numbers on a TV remote, or have become frustrated when the TV will not respond to my trying to change channels using the telephone! Now, as wonderfully unique a person as I am, I feel certain that I am not the only person to do this. Maybe just the only one to admit to it.
One would think that engineers could come up with an inexpensive, easy to use voice controlled one-remote-serves all. This would require the user to hit an on button, say the name of the electronic gadget (tv1, tv2, phone, microwave) and name a function (on, off, volume, dial) and then refine the job further (channel 618, 555-1212, heat high, etc.). This remote would work on radio waves so it could be used from any part of the house. And it would not be black but would be made some color that makes it easy to find and to read.
Ideally, the remote would be a tax deductible medical expense because it helps relieve stress and frustration.
One would think that engineers could come up with an inexpensive, easy to use voice controlled one-remote-serves all. This would require the user to hit an on button, say the name of the electronic gadget (tv1, tv2, phone, microwave) and name a function (on, off, volume, dial) and then refine the job further (channel 618, 555-1212, heat high, etc.). This remote would work on radio waves so it could be used from any part of the house. And it would not be black but would be made some color that makes it easy to find and to read.
Ideally, the remote would be a tax deductible medical expense because it helps relieve stress and frustration.
Friday, March 2, 2012
FaceBook Sucks
I hate FaceBook. I have had an account, closed the account, reopened the account and now am considering closing it again. I suppose FaceBook can serve useful purposes but for me, I feel as if I have to walk on eggshells while navigating my account. While I do not think FaceBook is the appropriate venue for hanging one's laundry out to dry, I do feel that if someone posts something that can call for varying opinions as a response, especially if it is posted on my wall, I should have a right to respectfully respond with my opinion even if it varies from the opinion of the person who placed the original post. If they do not want dissenting opinion, they should either block the post from me or not post. I gather it is okay for me to listen to their inane ideas, but how dare I disagree? There are a lot of people out there who seem to have this attitude. I don't have a desire to start an argument or offend anyone on Facebook, and I do not care to write anything I would not care if the world heard because heaven only knows who will end up seeing the comments I make. However, if Facebook is only for positive remarks that cause no dissention, why bother? I can use a greeting card for that. And while it is nice to be polite, I am sick to death of having to be politically or socially "correct" when that is not what I think. So once again, I can either just monitor FaceBook or drop out. I know I will probably not hear from people I like hearing from if I drop out, and that is the only reason I can think of to keep my account open. Maybe it is just me that thinks FaceBook sucks in so many ways, I don't know. But more and more, the little irritations associated with using it are beginning to outweigh the good aspects of FaceBook.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Chinese Imports
Why is it that so many things we import from China stink? I am not speaking of bug spray that is used on imports to make sure no strange bugs enter the country. I am talking about the smell of petroleum. Just about everything I buy that is made in China reeks of petroleum. I have had to throw out a laptop cooler, and a billfold which, despite airing and washing, continued to reek for months. I bought a bookcase that aired for a month and still reeked. I am now used to it but can still smell it when I stand very close. I have to wonder what that does to my health. Today I noticed the same smell on a electronic reader cover I bought. So what is it the Chinese do or do not do when producing goods that leaves them stinking? I can only imagine what a Chinese home or office must smell like. No wonder so many Chinese are getting cancer. It really worries me about all the toys made by the Chinese and how they may affect the health of the children who play with them.
Speaking of Chinese goods, I am reminded of Japanese goods we imported in the 1950s. Back then if it was made in Japan, it was junk. Once the Japanese developed transistor radios, it seemed as if there was a deluge of Japanese goods. Like Chinese goods today, most of those early Japanese goods were pretty junky. Over time, Japanese goods improved and often surpassed the quality of US goods. Of course the Japanese had the advantage of stealing a lot of American technology. They then improved upon it. Today, though, Japan is a leader in electronics and auto development and production. Perhaps the Chinese will go the same way. Lord knows they have stolen a lot of technology.
I hate to buy things made in China for a variety of reasons, quality and odor just being two of them. The Chinese government is another. I think it one of the most despicable governments. Not as irresponsibly unpredictable as Iran or North Korea, but still bad. Until it becomes a democracy and until a system of laws and procedures are in place that encourage and safeguard capitalism and free trade, I think it foolish to invest in China or buy Chinese if you have other options.
I don't see this happening any time soon. That is too bad for the Chinese people.
I also dislike the lack of human rights accorded the Chinese citizenry. I have friends who were lucky enough to leave China, some legally, some had to sneak out. They are now US citizens and are proof positive that the United States is still the land of opportunity if you are willing to work . Hearing their stories confirms my impression of the Chinese government.
Then of course there is the issue of the US being in debt to a communist country. That is our own fault, but I still do not like owing the Chinese.
I guess imported Chinese goods stink in a multitude of ways. I would rather spend more for US made goods than buy Chinese. But already that is sometimes impossible to do.
Speaking of Chinese goods, I am reminded of Japanese goods we imported in the 1950s. Back then if it was made in Japan, it was junk. Once the Japanese developed transistor radios, it seemed as if there was a deluge of Japanese goods. Like Chinese goods today, most of those early Japanese goods were pretty junky. Over time, Japanese goods improved and often surpassed the quality of US goods. Of course the Japanese had the advantage of stealing a lot of American technology. They then improved upon it. Today, though, Japan is a leader in electronics and auto development and production. Perhaps the Chinese will go the same way. Lord knows they have stolen a lot of technology.
I hate to buy things made in China for a variety of reasons, quality and odor just being two of them. The Chinese government is another. I think it one of the most despicable governments. Not as irresponsibly unpredictable as Iran or North Korea, but still bad. Until it becomes a democracy and until a system of laws and procedures are in place that encourage and safeguard capitalism and free trade, I think it foolish to invest in China or buy Chinese if you have other options.
I don't see this happening any time soon. That is too bad for the Chinese people.
I also dislike the lack of human rights accorded the Chinese citizenry. I have friends who were lucky enough to leave China, some legally, some had to sneak out. They are now US citizens and are proof positive that the United States is still the land of opportunity if you are willing to work . Hearing their stories confirms my impression of the Chinese government.
Then of course there is the issue of the US being in debt to a communist country. That is our own fault, but I still do not like owing the Chinese.
I guess imported Chinese goods stink in a multitude of ways. I would rather spend more for US made goods than buy Chinese. But already that is sometimes impossible to do.
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