You may not all agree, but please think about it. That's all I ask.
If you work too hard, there is never any time for her.
If you don't work enough, you're a good-for-nothing bum.
If she has a boring repetitive job with low pay, it's exploitation.
If you have a boring repetitive job with low pay, you should get off your butt and find something better.
If you get a promotion ahead of her, it's favoritism.
If she gets a job ahead of you, it's equal opportunity.
If you mention how nice she looks, it's sexual harassment.
If you keep quiet, it's male indifference.
If you cry, you're a wimp.
If you don't, you're insensitive.
If you make a decision without consulting her, you're a chauvinist.
If she makes a decision without consulting you, she's a liberated woman.
If you ask her to do something she doesn't enjoy, that's domination.
If she asks you, it's a favor.
If you try to keep yourself in shape, you're vain.
If you don't, you're a slob.
If you buy her flowers, you're after something.
If you don't, you're not thoughtful.
If you're proud of your achievements, you're an egotist.
If you're not, you're not ambitious.
If she has a headache, she's tired.
If you have a headache, you don't love her anymore
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
The World As We Know It Will Soon End (Part 4)
OK folks, to some of you this will come as a great joy. This is the final post on this subject. The list is down to the miscellaneous file now. The following really doesn't fit into categories or if they do, it would be on the outer fringe.
The first on my miscellaneous list is Stand Alone Bowling Alleys. For many years the local bowling alley has been raising prices in order to pay for the cost of up-keep and the mere fact that it stands empty for a lot of the time. Many of the newer bowling alleys are part of a larger family entertainment center where you have lots of different types of games from pool to video games and miniature golf, play areas for the little ones, even baby sitting in some. Lots of the newer gaming centers have rock walls to climb, paint ball army warfare games, go carts, laser tag, and many other entertainment interests. Soon going to the bowling alley will give you more choices than you probably really want.
In the United States only, Mumps and Measles will really vanish. In 1964 over 200,000 cases of mumps were reported in the U. S. By 1983 that number had dropped to only about 3,000 cases in the U. S. In 2005 only 66 cases of measles were reported and in 2006 only 55 cases were reported. Unfortunately, they both have recently been on the rise slightly because of a higher number of home schooled children that are not required to have a vaccination.
In 2001 over 70% of us paid our recurring bills with a check. By 2003 that had gone down to 60% and more recently that figure is at less than 50%. More and more we are paying our bill electronically or with a debit card. The amount of checks we write is shrinking rapidly and going paperless is the new way to do business and the best way to do family business. Checks will take a longer time to vanish, but I think it is coming within the next 20 years.
With that I have finished the list of things that our grand kids won't have to put up with. They will also probably marvel that we had the stamina to put up with them as long as we did.
If you liked this series, tell your friends. If you didn't like it, tell your enemies. But at the very least . . . have fun!
The first on my miscellaneous list is Stand Alone Bowling Alleys. For many years the local bowling alley has been raising prices in order to pay for the cost of up-keep and the mere fact that it stands empty for a lot of the time. Many of the newer bowling alleys are part of a larger family entertainment center where you have lots of different types of games from pool to video games and miniature golf, play areas for the little ones, even baby sitting in some. Lots of the newer gaming centers have rock walls to climb, paint ball army warfare games, go carts, laser tag, and many other entertainment interests. Soon going to the bowling alley will give you more choices than you probably really want.
In the United States only, Mumps and Measles will really vanish. In 1964 over 200,000 cases of mumps were reported in the U. S. By 1983 that number had dropped to only about 3,000 cases in the U. S. In 2005 only 66 cases of measles were reported and in 2006 only 55 cases were reported. Unfortunately, they both have recently been on the rise slightly because of a higher number of home schooled children that are not required to have a vaccination.
In 2001 over 70% of us paid our recurring bills with a check. By 2003 that had gone down to 60% and more recently that figure is at less than 50%. More and more we are paying our bill electronically or with a debit card. The amount of checks we write is shrinking rapidly and going paperless is the new way to do business and the best way to do family business. Checks will take a longer time to vanish, but I think it is coming within the next 20 years.
With that I have finished the list of things that our grand kids won't have to put up with. They will also probably marvel that we had the stamina to put up with them as long as we did.
If you liked this series, tell your friends. If you didn't like it, tell your enemies. But at the very least . . . have fun!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The World As We Know It Will Soon End (Part 3)
Well, we have looked at some of the institutions and things in nature that we probably see come to an end. Some of those natural things can be saved with a lot of help. But now we must go to things electrical and electronic.
Brick and Mortar video rental stores are on the endangered list. Netflix and the new Red Box as well as lots of online stores have taken their toll on the video rental business. Movie Gallery recently filed for bankruptcy for the second time and will be going strictly online soon. What is clear, however, is that the video rental market, at least in its current form, is on the way out. Blockbuster (BBI), America's top rental chain, has been facing ever-decreasing revenues and is in the process of closing 1,000 stores. Movie Gallery, which spent the 1980s and 1990s buying chains and opening stores, has spent the last three years closing them. In the process, it has demonstrated the dangers of being on the business end of a changing technology. Barnes and Noble (BKS) and Borders (BGP) might want to take note: It's no fun selling typewriters in a digital world. Which indicates that brick and mortar books stores are now going-going-about to be gone.
Next on the list is the VCRs. For the better part of 30 years the VCR has been a staple of the average household. In the past few years that market has been completely decimated by the DVD and now the Digital Video Recorder (DVR). About all that is left of the old VCR age at Wally World and Radio Shack is the blank VHS tapes. They did well for us but became only a transition to another technology.
I anticipate that it will soon be lights out on the incandescent light bulb. According to various reports, only about 10% to 18% of the energy used by the incandescent bulb goes to light, the rest goes to making heat. There has already been legislation introduced in Congress to do a changeover but that will probably take up to 10 years. Knowing full well it is coming, most manufacturers will reduce their making of incandescent bulb and expand on the newer, more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
Next we have a situation where electronics has taken over for an older technology. That would be in Cameras. Film cameras are about to come to an end. The classic photographer dealt with the technology of TAKING great pictures. Now that technology can be done on the computer to make an OK photo into a great picture worth framing. What with the digital ability of cropping, re tinting, sharpening, soft focusing backgrounds or foregrounds, lightening or darkening . . . it all can be done on your computer. Just take a gander at a well photo shopped pic and tell me you can tell. Nikon quit most of their film cameras in 2006 as did Minolta later. Some say that film cameras will never really go away and it took me a long time to buy one because of some of the features on a film camera that could not be found on a digital, but now that has been overcome so I take more digital pics than film.
News Magazines such as Newsweek, Time, and various other News type weekly or monthly magazines will be a thing of the past. Most of what you get from these magazines are "Old News." It happened a week or a month ago, that's not news. If it happened yesterday, most people know all about it and know about it from several viewpoints. Almost everyone gets news via their Cable connected TV, the radio, or their computer. Like newspapers, the news magazine will soon be a thing of the past.
The last one for today is the analog TV receivers. Eighty five percent of all homes get their signals from Cable or Satellite providers. That other 15% is dwindling rapidly and those converter boxes they got last year is only a stop gap move. The analog TV reception is about to be gone.
On my original list was Ham Radios. But in my investigation I have found that it had been slack for some years and now is on the rise . . . slowly . . . again. They have eliminated the need to learn morse code and that should help get a few more people interested, and it has.
Brick and Mortar video rental stores are on the endangered list. Netflix and the new Red Box as well as lots of online stores have taken their toll on the video rental business. Movie Gallery recently filed for bankruptcy for the second time and will be going strictly online soon. What is clear, however, is that the video rental market, at least in its current form, is on the way out. Blockbuster (BBI), America's top rental chain, has been facing ever-decreasing revenues and is in the process of closing 1,000 stores. Movie Gallery, which spent the 1980s and 1990s buying chains and opening stores, has spent the last three years closing them. In the process, it has demonstrated the dangers of being on the business end of a changing technology. Barnes and Noble (BKS) and Borders (BGP) might want to take note: It's no fun selling typewriters in a digital world. Which indicates that brick and mortar books stores are now going-going-about to be gone.
Next on the list is the VCRs. For the better part of 30 years the VCR has been a staple of the average household. In the past few years that market has been completely decimated by the DVD and now the Digital Video Recorder (DVR). About all that is left of the old VCR age at Wally World and Radio Shack is the blank VHS tapes. They did well for us but became only a transition to another technology.
I anticipate that it will soon be lights out on the incandescent light bulb. According to various reports, only about 10% to 18% of the energy used by the incandescent bulb goes to light, the rest goes to making heat. There has already been legislation introduced in Congress to do a changeover but that will probably take up to 10 years. Knowing full well it is coming, most manufacturers will reduce their making of incandescent bulb and expand on the newer, more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
Next we have a situation where electronics has taken over for an older technology. That would be in Cameras. Film cameras are about to come to an end. The classic photographer dealt with the technology of TAKING great pictures. Now that technology can be done on the computer to make an OK photo into a great picture worth framing. What with the digital ability of cropping, re tinting, sharpening, soft focusing backgrounds or foregrounds, lightening or darkening . . . it all can be done on your computer. Just take a gander at a well photo shopped pic and tell me you can tell. Nikon quit most of their film cameras in 2006 as did Minolta later. Some say that film cameras will never really go away and it took me a long time to buy one because of some of the features on a film camera that could not be found on a digital, but now that has been overcome so I take more digital pics than film.
News Magazines such as Newsweek, Time, and various other News type weekly or monthly magazines will be a thing of the past. Most of what you get from these magazines are "Old News." It happened a week or a month ago, that's not news. If it happened yesterday, most people know all about it and know about it from several viewpoints. Almost everyone gets news via their Cable connected TV, the radio, or their computer. Like newspapers, the news magazine will soon be a thing of the past.
The last one for today is the analog TV receivers. Eighty five percent of all homes get their signals from Cable or Satellite providers. That other 15% is dwindling rapidly and those converter boxes they got last year is only a stop gap move. The analog TV reception is about to be gone.
On my original list was Ham Radios. But in my investigation I have found that it had been slack for some years and now is on the rise . . . slowly . . . again. They have eliminated the need to learn morse code and that should help get a few more people interested, and it has.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The World As We Know It Will Soon End (Part 2)
As with the last post, this too will do with things that will be coming to an end. Unlike the last post, the tragedies of this list can be stopped with a little more care and insight. Some of this list requires more study to know the true nature of the problem.
Have you ever thought about the lowly Honey Bee. Being a gardener, I have. If you like apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, all kinds of citrus, strawberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, or peanuts, you had better learn more about that lowly honey bee and the scourge that is about to wipe it out, CCD. CCD is better known as Colony Collapse Disorder. That's what has hit the Worlds bee colonies. CCD has wiped out up to 80% of the bee colonies in some parts of Europe and approximately 1/3 of the colonies in the U. S. Honey bees are absolutely necessary to pollinate many fruits and vegetables that you have in your house right now or will have this summer. In the near future the U. S. could lose up to $15 billion worth of crops annually and totally change the way we eat if we lose any more of these little creatures. To say nothing of the price of things that we can get. The Dept. of Agriculture has allotted $20 million over 5 years for research, but more . . . much more is needed. What's appalling is that we don't even know for sure why this is happening. We must get a handle on this one soon or our collective diets will have to change. For more go to:
www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp?gclid=CI_MwZeX2qACFUlP2godxEYwAw
The next on my list of loses in nature is the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. This highly valuable crop is one of the best quality crabs in the U. S. and has been in decline for the past few years due to predation from invasive species, lose of habitat, pollution and climate changes. The 2007 harvest was 44.2 million pounds, down from 73million pound annual average and the lowest catch since 1943. Again the government doesn't seem to be able to put a finger on the solution but are working on it. For more go to: www.chesapeakebay.net/crabs.aspx?menuitem=14700
Next on my list of loses in nature is the Ash Tree. The north east has had a problem with the Emerald Ash Borer. This is a pest that seems to have hitched a ride on some lumber imported from Asia in the late 1990s. The EAB is threatening much of the ash trees in the north east and seems to be expanding their habitat. Fortunately, there are several solution to this one and the little pest is being eradicated as fast as it is discovered. For more information google/bing: Emerald Ash Borer
Now we come to our next lose . . . Wild Horses. Now let me explain to what I refer. There really is only one "Wild Horse," or a horse who's species have never been domesticated and is wild by nature. That is the Przewalski's Horse. This is not the kind of horse we in the U. S. have roaming around out west in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, parts of California, and Idaho. What we have are feral horses whose ancestors escaped from various farms, ranches, and Army forts, during the early frontier times out west. These feral horses once numbered 2,000,000 and now we might be lucky to have 20,000, or 1% of the original total. Many were killed, more were lost to disease, some recently were adopted to various private parties. But all these are no longer counted as being feral. There will always be some space to have feral horses but that space is rapidly becoming smaller. As soon as a feral horse is corralled for show it is no long a "Wild Horse." For more, go to:
www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/horse-cruelty/wild-horses.html
Next on our list is the Family Farm. Large Corporations have been dominating the market for some years now and driving the family farm out of business. The normal family farmer can only handle about three years of bad harvests or low prices before they have to fold. Large corporations that have farms in many parts of the country Can survive a bad harvest in Texas because they have farms in 18 other states and can absorb the small lose from a single area. The family farmer can't do that. If we aren't careful, the large corporations will dominate our food supply and can dictate the price we pay. The market will then have no effect. To really know the control a corporation can have over a food market, rent the movie "The Informer" about the inner workings of Archer Daniels Midland, a large worldwide agricultural corporation that can easily control the price of any thing they want. For more, go to:
www.showcase.netins.net/web/sarahb/farm/
Now to the lighter side of this list for today. Finally I've gotten to the local swimming hole. Like so many things these days, our litigious society has now run out of business so many small but meaningful little entertainments. You can't buy insurance on a rural swimming hole because if you could, it would cost a fortune. Just find out how much it cost in legal fees to defend yourself against a law suit for damages for a kid that broke their neck while jumping from a rope at the local swimming hole.
That is today's list. Tomorrow we will be looking at what will be missing from our future in the electronics and electrical industries.
Have you ever thought about the lowly Honey Bee. Being a gardener, I have. If you like apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, all kinds of citrus, strawberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, or peanuts, you had better learn more about that lowly honey bee and the scourge that is about to wipe it out, CCD. CCD is better known as Colony Collapse Disorder. That's what has hit the Worlds bee colonies. CCD has wiped out up to 80% of the bee colonies in some parts of Europe and approximately 1/3 of the colonies in the U. S. Honey bees are absolutely necessary to pollinate many fruits and vegetables that you have in your house right now or will have this summer. In the near future the U. S. could lose up to $15 billion worth of crops annually and totally change the way we eat if we lose any more of these little creatures. To say nothing of the price of things that we can get. The Dept. of Agriculture has allotted $20 million over 5 years for research, but more . . . much more is needed. What's appalling is that we don't even know for sure why this is happening. We must get a handle on this one soon or our collective diets will have to change. For more go to:
www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/bees.asp?gclid=CI_MwZeX2qACFUlP2godxEYwAw
The next on my list of loses in nature is the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. This highly valuable crop is one of the best quality crabs in the U. S. and has been in decline for the past few years due to predation from invasive species, lose of habitat, pollution and climate changes. The 2007 harvest was 44.2 million pounds, down from 73million pound annual average and the lowest catch since 1943. Again the government doesn't seem to be able to put a finger on the solution but are working on it. For more go to: www.chesapeakebay.net/crabs.aspx?menuitem=14700
Next on my list of loses in nature is the Ash Tree. The north east has had a problem with the Emerald Ash Borer. This is a pest that seems to have hitched a ride on some lumber imported from Asia in the late 1990s. The EAB is threatening much of the ash trees in the north east and seems to be expanding their habitat. Fortunately, there are several solution to this one and the little pest is being eradicated as fast as it is discovered. For more information google/bing: Emerald Ash Borer
Now we come to our next lose . . . Wild Horses. Now let me explain to what I refer. There really is only one "Wild Horse," or a horse who's species have never been domesticated and is wild by nature. That is the Przewalski's Horse. This is not the kind of horse we in the U. S. have roaming around out west in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, parts of California, and Idaho. What we have are feral horses whose ancestors escaped from various farms, ranches, and Army forts, during the early frontier times out west. These feral horses once numbered 2,000,000 and now we might be lucky to have 20,000, or 1% of the original total. Many were killed, more were lost to disease, some recently were adopted to various private parties. But all these are no longer counted as being feral. There will always be some space to have feral horses but that space is rapidly becoming smaller. As soon as a feral horse is corralled for show it is no long a "Wild Horse." For more, go to:
www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/horse-cruelty/wild-horses.html
Next on our list is the Family Farm. Large Corporations have been dominating the market for some years now and driving the family farm out of business. The normal family farmer can only handle about three years of bad harvests or low prices before they have to fold. Large corporations that have farms in many parts of the country Can survive a bad harvest in Texas because they have farms in 18 other states and can absorb the small lose from a single area. The family farmer can't do that. If we aren't careful, the large corporations will dominate our food supply and can dictate the price we pay. The market will then have no effect. To really know the control a corporation can have over a food market, rent the movie "The Informer" about the inner workings of Archer Daniels Midland, a large worldwide agricultural corporation that can easily control the price of any thing they want. For more, go to:
www.showcase.netins.net/web/sarahb/farm/
Now to the lighter side of this list for today. Finally I've gotten to the local swimming hole. Like so many things these days, our litigious society has now run out of business so many small but meaningful little entertainments. You can't buy insurance on a rural swimming hole because if you could, it would cost a fortune. Just find out how much it cost in legal fees to defend yourself against a law suit for damages for a kid that broke their neck while jumping from a rope at the local swimming hole.
That is today's list. Tomorrow we will be looking at what will be missing from our future in the electronics and electrical industries.
Friday, March 26, 2010
The World As We Know It Will Soon End (Part 1)
NO, NO . . . I'm not refering to the recent passage of the President's Health Care Reform Act. I'm saying that there are some things that we have had in the past that will not be there much longer. Some of these things might be saved, some will be saved, some shouldn't be saved, but only time will tell. Some will be gone in the next twenty years and with some it will take less time than that. Like 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM records, one day they were here and the next they were gone.
The first item is the Post Office. I don't know how long it will take or if it will ever really go away, but soon the price of mailing a letter will be so high that almost no one will do it anymore. I recently read in article in the paper stating that the PO will soon not be delivering mail on Saturday. Postal rates keep going up and service goes down and they expect to stay in business. In my opinion, that is not a good expectation. Soon the PO as we know it will be gone along with hand written letters.
The second item will be the Yellow Pages of the telephone book. The fact that more and more people are dropping their land lines in favor of the more convenient cell phones only will leave yellow pages and telephone books in general without much use. You might want to add dial-up internet service and answering machines in on the list of extinct services of the future having to do with owning a land line.
The third on my list is all things having to do with print news papers. They have been on the decline for several years now. Some have merged, some have just plain gone out of business but fewer people each month actually buy a newspaper. With that there will be almost no demand for classified adds in those newspapers, or newspaper advertising at all for that matter. And, without advertising there will be no more ink printed news.
Now most of what I've mentioned so far are things that were probably not much of a surprise, but there are more . . . much more to come. The next post will have to do with you doing without apples, apricots, grapes, plums, strawberries, olives, peanuts and soybeans. So make sure you follow my blog for the next post.
The first item is the Post Office. I don't know how long it will take or if it will ever really go away, but soon the price of mailing a letter will be so high that almost no one will do it anymore. I recently read in article in the paper stating that the PO will soon not be delivering mail on Saturday. Postal rates keep going up and service goes down and they expect to stay in business. In my opinion, that is not a good expectation. Soon the PO as we know it will be gone along with hand written letters.
The second item will be the Yellow Pages of the telephone book. The fact that more and more people are dropping their land lines in favor of the more convenient cell phones only will leave yellow pages and telephone books in general without much use. You might want to add dial-up internet service and answering machines in on the list of extinct services of the future having to do with owning a land line.
The third on my list is all things having to do with print news papers. They have been on the decline for several years now. Some have merged, some have just plain gone out of business but fewer people each month actually buy a newspaper. With that there will be almost no demand for classified adds in those newspapers, or newspaper advertising at all for that matter. And, without advertising there will be no more ink printed news.
Now most of what I've mentioned so far are things that were probably not much of a surprise, but there are more . . . much more to come. The next post will have to do with you doing without apples, apricots, grapes, plums, strawberries, olives, peanuts and soybeans. So make sure you follow my blog for the next post.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Republican Party is now one of Intimidation
In the past we, as a Nation, we went along with the laws that were passed. Even if we didn't like the laws, we dealt with them the best we could and hoped they might get changed in the future. After all, most laws passed by the House and Senate and compromise bills anyway. I don't remember ever that one party got everything they wanted in a bill.
Now, the minority party, wants rebellion and revolution over the passage of the Health Care Reform bill. They have advocated throwing bricks through the windows of law makers that had voted to pass the bill. Glenn Beck suggested today that picking up a gun might be a good idea. Glenn didn't explain what he would do with that gun, but you can use your imagination on that. Sarah Palin said that instead of repealing it, now might be a good time to "Reload." Again, she didn't elaborate but her plan is on her website with a map on which there are "Cross Hairs" on the states where she was "Targeting" members of Congress who voted for the Health Care Reform Bill.
Republicans have gone from the Party of NO to the Party of LIES and now to the Party of INTIMIDATION.
On their way back to the house on Monday, various groups of Democrats were spat on and called names and threatened with harm . . . these were Congressmen/women. And, all along, from a balcony above were Republican Congressmen/women getting the crowd inflamed with words of hate.
Michael Steele today stated that the Republicans were getting Nancy Pelosi ready for the "Firing Line." One Republican leader stated today that if you are represented by a Liberal Congressman you should go look him in the face because someday you may need to blow it off.
One Republican leader stated that all this intimidation is just "Isolated Incidents." Hell, that is all WAR is . . . just a bunch of little "Isolated Incidents" that gets people killed and things blown up.
The Republicans are becoming scary. Now fully understand that to me they have always been a bit on the frightening side, but now they have far exceeded that and maybe "Scary" isn't the word. OK, let's face it, the Republican Party of today is outright horrifying. And there are people out there that are attracted to that. Sane is not one of the words that come to mind when talking about these people.
Chuck Grassley of Iowa lied about the Health Care Bill many times saying that it had "Death Panels" that if you are too old you couldn't get any health care in England. Grassley voted totally against the Health Care Bill. Today he took credit in his state for getting it passed and getting various amendments into it.
In Congress today, all committee meetings were halted because the Republicans withdrew unanimous consent for the committees to meet. The Republicans are doing anything they can to intimidate and stall all proceedings in Congress.
Payday will be in November . . . I'm now wondering who it will be that pays the highest price. Will it be progress or intimidation that pays the price for what they do?
Now, the minority party, wants rebellion and revolution over the passage of the Health Care Reform bill. They have advocated throwing bricks through the windows of law makers that had voted to pass the bill. Glenn Beck suggested today that picking up a gun might be a good idea. Glenn didn't explain what he would do with that gun, but you can use your imagination on that. Sarah Palin said that instead of repealing it, now might be a good time to "Reload." Again, she didn't elaborate but her plan is on her website with a map on which there are "Cross Hairs" on the states where she was "Targeting" members of Congress who voted for the Health Care Reform Bill.
Republicans have gone from the Party of NO to the Party of LIES and now to the Party of INTIMIDATION.
On their way back to the house on Monday, various groups of Democrats were spat on and called names and threatened with harm . . . these were Congressmen/women. And, all along, from a balcony above were Republican Congressmen/women getting the crowd inflamed with words of hate.
Michael Steele today stated that the Republicans were getting Nancy Pelosi ready for the "Firing Line." One Republican leader stated today that if you are represented by a Liberal Congressman you should go look him in the face because someday you may need to blow it off.
One Republican leader stated that all this intimidation is just "Isolated Incidents." Hell, that is all WAR is . . . just a bunch of little "Isolated Incidents" that gets people killed and things blown up.
The Republicans are becoming scary. Now fully understand that to me they have always been a bit on the frightening side, but now they have far exceeded that and maybe "Scary" isn't the word. OK, let's face it, the Republican Party of today is outright horrifying. And there are people out there that are attracted to that. Sane is not one of the words that come to mind when talking about these people.
Chuck Grassley of Iowa lied about the Health Care Bill many times saying that it had "Death Panels" that if you are too old you couldn't get any health care in England. Grassley voted totally against the Health Care Bill. Today he took credit in his state for getting it passed and getting various amendments into it.
In Congress today, all committee meetings were halted because the Republicans withdrew unanimous consent for the committees to meet. The Republicans are doing anything they can to intimidate and stall all proceedings in Congress.
Payday will be in November . . . I'm now wondering who it will be that pays the highest price. Will it be progress or intimidation that pays the price for what they do?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Party of "NO" becomes the Party of Lies!
The Republicans, in the past 18 months or so, have become known as the party of "NO." More recently they have become the party of deception and lies.
There have been "Death Panels." There was, for a short time, rumors that Obama was going to take away your guns and tax ammunition to the point that no one could buy it anymore. People went out and bought guns and ammo by the case to hoard. Reminded me of Y2K and the hoarding of food and guns and gold because paper money wasn't going to exist after the year 2000.
Here are just a few of the things that have recently passed as "Fact."
John Boehner, one of the most abundant purveyors of false information, recently posted on his website, "Forcing Americans off of their current health coverage and onto a government-run plan isn't the answer, but that's exactly what the Democrats' plan would do."
I've been studying the health care reform proposals in both the House and the Senate for some time now. All the plans have rules that would prevent people from being "forced" off their current health coverage and into a government-run plan.
John Boehner has lied to you once again.
Nancy Pfotenhauer, a Republican operative and almost as prolific a liar as Boehner, recently stated, "The president's health care proposals will cause most Americans to have their premiums increased, not decreased, and hundreds of millions of people lose their current insurance coverage."
The fact is that Health care reform does not increase premiums and boot people out of their coverage. In an interesting display of chutzpah from a television pundit, Republican strategist Nancy Pfotenhauer claimed on CNN that she understood perfectly the president's health care proposals, then proceeded to distort them and openly lie about their meaning and purpose. When contacted to cite her sources on this claim, she never responded, and they are all false.
In a recent Republican Chain Email I received, it stated, "In the health care bill, 'The Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None."
The explanation is that people who don't get insurance through work or another group will go to the health care exchange; it's designed to help people who have to go off on their own to buy health insurance, and for small businesses with few employees. The reason for the exchange is that the government wants to regulate insurers to make sure that health plans clearly explain what they offer, can't refuse people for pre-existing conditions, and must offer basic levels of service.
"This is designed to protect consumers from plans that have outrageous cost-sharing or really limited benefits," said Jennifer Tolbert, an independent health care analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan foundation that studies health care reform.
On March 9th of this year, Rush Limbaugh stated, "because of Obama, people can't go fishing anymore."
Apparently, Rush had picked this up from some Right Wing Blogger and stated it as fact. Then Glen Beck got hold of it and repeated it on his evening TV show on FOX News. And so it goes.
And the beat goes on:
Scott Brown said, "The stimulus Bill didn't create one new job." WRONG
Virginia Foxx said, ""The economy began its nose dive when Democrats took control of
Congress in January 2007." WRONG
Rush Limbaugh stated, "There are "high administrative costs" when you donate to
Haiti relief through the White House Web site." WRONG
Rudy Giuliani told us, "We had no domestic attacks under Bush." WRONG
Glenn Beck reported, "In the health care bill, we're now offering insurance for dogs."
Rush Limbaugh once stated, "President Obama . . . wants to mandate circumcision."
Michael Steele said, "The Department of Veterans Affairs has a manual out there
telling our veterans stuff like, 'Are you really of value to your community?' You
know, encouraging them to commit suicide."
I just heard a Republican Representative ask for the House to "Stand With Us" against Heath Care because it is patriotic. Yet when they were in power, the Republicans passed tax cuts for the wealthy, and deregulation for the big banking interests. They did nothing for the working class!
All of these are not just lies, they are blatant lies! When you lie to the people enough, those people will no longer trust you. They will learn to pass you by and you will be left wondering, "What the hell happened?"
And so it has come to pass that the party of NO, has become the party of lies. Be careful out there. There are those out to get you and they are wrapped in the flag, they are holding a cross, and they swing a mean trunk!
There have been "Death Panels." There was, for a short time, rumors that Obama was going to take away your guns and tax ammunition to the point that no one could buy it anymore. People went out and bought guns and ammo by the case to hoard. Reminded me of Y2K and the hoarding of food and guns and gold because paper money wasn't going to exist after the year 2000.
Here are just a few of the things that have recently passed as "Fact."
John Boehner, one of the most abundant purveyors of false information, recently posted on his website, "Forcing Americans off of their current health coverage and onto a government-run plan isn't the answer, but that's exactly what the Democrats' plan would do."
I've been studying the health care reform proposals in both the House and the Senate for some time now. All the plans have rules that would prevent people from being "forced" off their current health coverage and into a government-run plan.
John Boehner has lied to you once again.
Nancy Pfotenhauer, a Republican operative and almost as prolific a liar as Boehner, recently stated, "The president's health care proposals will cause most Americans to have their premiums increased, not decreased, and hundreds of millions of people lose their current insurance coverage."
The fact is that Health care reform does not increase premiums and boot people out of their coverage. In an interesting display of chutzpah from a television pundit, Republican strategist Nancy Pfotenhauer claimed on CNN that she understood perfectly the president's health care proposals, then proceeded to distort them and openly lie about their meaning and purpose. When contacted to cite her sources on this claim, she never responded, and they are all false.
In a recent Republican Chain Email I received, it stated, "In the health care bill, 'The Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None."
The explanation is that people who don't get insurance through work or another group will go to the health care exchange; it's designed to help people who have to go off on their own to buy health insurance, and for small businesses with few employees. The reason for the exchange is that the government wants to regulate insurers to make sure that health plans clearly explain what they offer, can't refuse people for pre-existing conditions, and must offer basic levels of service.
"This is designed to protect consumers from plans that have outrageous cost-sharing or really limited benefits," said Jennifer Tolbert, an independent health care analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan foundation that studies health care reform.
On March 9th of this year, Rush Limbaugh stated, "because of Obama, people can't go fishing anymore."
Apparently, Rush had picked this up from some Right Wing Blogger and stated it as fact. Then Glen Beck got hold of it and repeated it on his evening TV show on FOX News. And so it goes.
And the beat goes on:
Scott Brown said, "The stimulus Bill didn't create one new job." WRONG
Virginia Foxx said, ""The economy began its nose dive when Democrats took control of
Congress in January 2007." WRONG
Rush Limbaugh stated, "There are "high administrative costs" when you donate to
Haiti relief through the White House Web site." WRONG
Rudy Giuliani told us, "We had no domestic attacks under Bush." WRONG
Glenn Beck reported, "In the health care bill, we're now offering insurance for dogs."
Rush Limbaugh once stated, "President Obama . . . wants to mandate circumcision."
Michael Steele said, "The Department of Veterans Affairs has a manual out there
telling our veterans stuff like, 'Are you really of value to your community?' You
know, encouraging them to commit suicide."
I just heard a Republican Representative ask for the House to "Stand With Us" against Heath Care because it is patriotic. Yet when they were in power, the Republicans passed tax cuts for the wealthy, and deregulation for the big banking interests. They did nothing for the working class!
All of these are not just lies, they are blatant lies! When you lie to the people enough, those people will no longer trust you. They will learn to pass you by and you will be left wondering, "What the hell happened?"
And so it has come to pass that the party of NO, has become the party of lies. Be careful out there. There are those out to get you and they are wrapped in the flag, they are holding a cross, and they swing a mean trunk!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Turning a Corner or a Minor Correction?
While government bailed out Bank of America, Citigroup, AIG, Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Auto Industry and enacted the troubled asset (TARP) program with almost $2 Trillion of our money, almost 3 Million people lost their homes. All this in late 2008 and all of 2009. That lose went to foreclosure or bank repossessions, that’s almost 8000 per day.
Last year, Wall Street has awarded itself over $20 Billion in bonuses, an average of $123,000 on top of their salary.
Right now about 17 Million people are jobless, Millions more are working part time when they need to be working full time. And, there are millions who are extremely underemployed, working at lesser jobs to make ends meet. There are Millions asking, “Would you like fries with that,” when they should be in technical positions that no longer exist.
There are about 40 lobbyists per elected member of the Legislative Branch of Government. A few, but very few, are working in your interest. Most are funded by big . . . WHATEVER! Big Pharma, Big Banking, Big Insurance, Big Health Care, Big Money that are trying to influence how their business can get away with more of your money while having to comply with the RULES less. Your protection is not what they are lobbying about. Those lobbyists are seeking protection for their sponsors, from you. All this so that you can’t sue them or so that they no longer have to tell you the WHOLE truth when selling you whatever they have.
It is a really silly system when to get things done you have to have a 60% majority and yet one Senator can stop unemployment and Medicare benefits from being paid to Millions. While this is going on, the U. S. Supreme Court decided that corporations now have a Constitutional right to interfere with elections by pouring money into races. Next thing we know, Corporations will be able to marry and have children, or start their own religion in order to escape taxes.
Our Department of Justice recently chose to not prosecute its own lawyers who illegally authorized torture, while the Pentagon chose to prosecute Navy SEALS for merely punching an Iraqi suspect.
Whose assets are being protected when the U.S. maintains 700 military bases worldwide and another 6000 in the U.S. and its territories. Whose assets are being protected when our young people join the military to protect the U.S. and get killed and maimed in elective wars and are used as the World’s Police.
The U.S does half of the military spending in the World.
Who’s assets are being protected when Private Companies and the U.S. Government put hidden cameras into private places, conduct phone intercepts, access personal computers, read and record personal and private emails, compile and collect records from credit card purchases, computer views and travel agendas.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that, “ . . . a time comes when silence is betrayal.” At that time he condemned the Viet Nam War and the system that created it and many more injustices that were clearly apparent. He stated, “We, as a Nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘Thing Oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property right are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
The tea party people think that the Republican Party has sold them out to big business. The Far Left thinks the Democrats have sold us all out to big business. I think we all need to take a closer look at what we have become. Is it time for another revolution? Has the time come?
Sometimes, on a journey from here to there, we need to correct our steering. Sometimes that correction only needs a small twist of the steering wheel, but sometime we need to turn a corner.
I believe the time has come at least to consider a glance at the map and check to see if a correction isn’t required in order to get where we are going.
Last year, Wall Street has awarded itself over $20 Billion in bonuses, an average of $123,000 on top of their salary.
Right now about 17 Million people are jobless, Millions more are working part time when they need to be working full time. And, there are millions who are extremely underemployed, working at lesser jobs to make ends meet. There are Millions asking, “Would you like fries with that,” when they should be in technical positions that no longer exist.
There are about 40 lobbyists per elected member of the Legislative Branch of Government. A few, but very few, are working in your interest. Most are funded by big . . . WHATEVER! Big Pharma, Big Banking, Big Insurance, Big Health Care, Big Money that are trying to influence how their business can get away with more of your money while having to comply with the RULES less. Your protection is not what they are lobbying about. Those lobbyists are seeking protection for their sponsors, from you. All this so that you can’t sue them or so that they no longer have to tell you the WHOLE truth when selling you whatever they have.
It is a really silly system when to get things done you have to have a 60% majority and yet one Senator can stop unemployment and Medicare benefits from being paid to Millions. While this is going on, the U. S. Supreme Court decided that corporations now have a Constitutional right to interfere with elections by pouring money into races. Next thing we know, Corporations will be able to marry and have children, or start their own religion in order to escape taxes.
Our Department of Justice recently chose to not prosecute its own lawyers who illegally authorized torture, while the Pentagon chose to prosecute Navy SEALS for merely punching an Iraqi suspect.
Whose assets are being protected when the U.S. maintains 700 military bases worldwide and another 6000 in the U.S. and its territories. Whose assets are being protected when our young people join the military to protect the U.S. and get killed and maimed in elective wars and are used as the World’s Police.
The U.S does half of the military spending in the World.
Who’s assets are being protected when Private Companies and the U.S. Government put hidden cameras into private places, conduct phone intercepts, access personal computers, read and record personal and private emails, compile and collect records from credit card purchases, computer views and travel agendas.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that, “ . . . a time comes when silence is betrayal.” At that time he condemned the Viet Nam War and the system that created it and many more injustices that were clearly apparent. He stated, “We, as a Nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘Thing Oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property right are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
The tea party people think that the Republican Party has sold them out to big business. The Far Left thinks the Democrats have sold us all out to big business. I think we all need to take a closer look at what we have become. Is it time for another revolution? Has the time come?
Sometimes, on a journey from here to there, we need to correct our steering. Sometimes that correction only needs a small twist of the steering wheel, but sometime we need to turn a corner.
I believe the time has come at least to consider a glance at the map and check to see if a correction isn’t required in order to get where we are going.
Friday, March 5, 2010
"Heretics Anonymous"
Hello! My name is "Snowyowl" and I’m a Heretic!
I have chosen to not follow the path that others want me to follow. I chose long ago to find out for myself, to seek and search for the truth. I actually found that the search was more important to me than the truth, whatever that is.
Actually, the process is what makes me a heretic. Seeking truth is what most organized religions want you to avoid. “Come with me and I’ll lead you through the Bible.” Some sprinkle, some immerse, some drink from one cup, some from many. Some don’t use musical instruments in the service. Some worship on Saturday, most worship on Sunday. But all want you to do it just one way, their way. They don’t want you to be exposed to other things and other ways. “Stay away from those “Bad Influences.” They will lead you astray. They will tempt you away from the flock.
Well, I’m not a sheep! I wanted to get the flock out of there.
So, as I’ve said, “I chose to follow another path.”
In fact, making that choice was what made me a heretic. That process of choice is what makes anyone a heretic. You see, the word heresy comes from the Greek root “Hairesis” which means “able to choose.”
You see, that is from what most of the Organized Religions want to keep you away. They want to make sure you don’t have a choice. They want to make sure you are not exposed to a choice.
Catholics want you to stay away from the Protestants. Those who follow Islam want to keep you away from the Jews. The Amish wants to keep you away from Machinery. And the Adventists want to keep you away from Sunday. All you have to do to be a heretic is to choose something different.
Now this is like Preaching to the Choir because most of you are here because you have chosen something different from that which you were raised. But you can continue to live your life in a heretical way. People constantly try to lead us. All you have to do is choose to not follow. Or, choose to ask questions. It may be that you will choose to go the way you are lead, but at least it is your choice. And since you have asked questions, you are choosing with more than a little information.
We all are faced with decisions every day. I encourage you to live your life the same way that you live you spiritual life. With all the information you can acquire and then by make well-informed choices.
I have found that a “Salesman” with an inferior product doesn’t want you to ask too many questions. They don’t want you to have a choice between their product and a better one.
But, a “Salesman” with a superior product is confident that with all the right information you will choose his product over an inferior one.
With Religion it is a bit different. There is no telling what is on the other side of the Rubicon. So it is a matter of comfort. Some are more comfortable being lead. Some are more comfortable seeking and searching on their own.
The biggest test of a person’s religion is, “Are you comfortable.” If you are, then that is where you belong. If not then you need to exercise you ability to choose. Trying to live your life according to your minister and their values diminishes your worth. It makes you a clone of the minister.
With a little searching, you can find spirituality that fits your life, and if you outgrow that one, you can move on into another choice.
Remember, “You are not free unless you have a choice.”
So, become well informed by asking the right questions. Then with all the information you have, do the best you can and make good choices.
I have chosen to not follow the path that others want me to follow. I chose long ago to find out for myself, to seek and search for the truth. I actually found that the search was more important to me than the truth, whatever that is.
Actually, the process is what makes me a heretic. Seeking truth is what most organized religions want you to avoid. “Come with me and I’ll lead you through the Bible.” Some sprinkle, some immerse, some drink from one cup, some from many. Some don’t use musical instruments in the service. Some worship on Saturday, most worship on Sunday. But all want you to do it just one way, their way. They don’t want you to be exposed to other things and other ways. “Stay away from those “Bad Influences.” They will lead you astray. They will tempt you away from the flock.
Well, I’m not a sheep! I wanted to get the flock out of there.
So, as I’ve said, “I chose to follow another path.”
In fact, making that choice was what made me a heretic. That process of choice is what makes anyone a heretic. You see, the word heresy comes from the Greek root “Hairesis” which means “able to choose.”
You see, that is from what most of the Organized Religions want to keep you away. They want to make sure you don’t have a choice. They want to make sure you are not exposed to a choice.
Catholics want you to stay away from the Protestants. Those who follow Islam want to keep you away from the Jews. The Amish wants to keep you away from Machinery. And the Adventists want to keep you away from Sunday. All you have to do to be a heretic is to choose something different.
Now this is like Preaching to the Choir because most of you are here because you have chosen something different from that which you were raised. But you can continue to live your life in a heretical way. People constantly try to lead us. All you have to do is choose to not follow. Or, choose to ask questions. It may be that you will choose to go the way you are lead, but at least it is your choice. And since you have asked questions, you are choosing with more than a little information.
We all are faced with decisions every day. I encourage you to live your life the same way that you live you spiritual life. With all the information you can acquire and then by make well-informed choices.
I have found that a “Salesman” with an inferior product doesn’t want you to ask too many questions. They don’t want you to have a choice between their product and a better one.
But, a “Salesman” with a superior product is confident that with all the right information you will choose his product over an inferior one.
With Religion it is a bit different. There is no telling what is on the other side of the Rubicon. So it is a matter of comfort. Some are more comfortable being lead. Some are more comfortable seeking and searching on their own.
The biggest test of a person’s religion is, “Are you comfortable.” If you are, then that is where you belong. If not then you need to exercise you ability to choose. Trying to live your life according to your minister and their values diminishes your worth. It makes you a clone of the minister.
With a little searching, you can find spirituality that fits your life, and if you outgrow that one, you can move on into another choice.
Remember, “You are not free unless you have a choice.”
So, become well informed by asking the right questions. Then with all the information you have, do the best you can and make good choices.
What in Hell did you expect?
An engineer dies and reports to the Pearly Gates. Saint Peter checks his dossier and, not seeing his name there, accidentally sends him to Hell.
It doesn’t take long before the engineer becomes rather dissatisfied with the level of comfort in Hell. He soon begins to design and build improvements. Shortly thereafter, Hell has air conditioning, flush toilets and escalators. Needless to say, the engineer is a pretty popular guy.
One day, God calls Satan and says with a sneer: "So, how are things in Hell?"
Satan replies: "Hey, things are going great. We’ve got air conditioning, flush toilets, and escalators. And there’s no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next."
"What!" God exclaims: "You’ve got an engineer? That’s a mistake -- he should never have been sent to Hell... send him to me."
"Not a chance," Satan replies: "I like having an engineer on the staff, and I’m keeping him!"
God insists: "Send him back or I’ll sue."
Satan laughs uproariously and answers: "Yeah, right. And where are you going to get a lawyer?"
It doesn’t take long before the engineer becomes rather dissatisfied with the level of comfort in Hell. He soon begins to design and build improvements. Shortly thereafter, Hell has air conditioning, flush toilets and escalators. Needless to say, the engineer is a pretty popular guy.
One day, God calls Satan and says with a sneer: "So, how are things in Hell?"
Satan replies: "Hey, things are going great. We’ve got air conditioning, flush toilets, and escalators. And there’s no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next."
"What!" God exclaims: "You’ve got an engineer? That’s a mistake -- he should never have been sent to Hell... send him to me."
"Not a chance," Satan replies: "I like having an engineer on the staff, and I’m keeping him!"
God insists: "Send him back or I’ll sue."
Satan laughs uproariously and answers: "Yeah, right. And where are you going to get a lawyer?"
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