I thought that in lieu of a Monday Morning QB feature, I would just put up a pre-game thread this week.
Here are my predictions for today's games:
Indianapolis at Cleveland: Indy.
I think the Colts will need to win this to stay in the driver's seat for a wild-card. They will need to establish themselves early offensively, and force Derek Anderson to score some points to keep Cleveland in the game. They need a running game to keep the defense off of the field once, they get the lead. Indy cannot look past this Browns team.
Baltimore at Cincinnati: Baltimore.
The Ravens cannot look past this team, being in the wild card hunt. Teams that play for pride late in the season, have nothing to lose and would love nothing more than to ruin someone else's chances, especially a division rival. But the Bengals just aren't good enough to score on the Ravens' defense, as a rule. So, I have to go with what looks good on paper here.
Miami at St. Louis: Miami.
St. Louis just plain stinks. Miami should roll on this one. It;s a dome game, so no weather factor. Plus - mediocre usually beats lousy, any day.
SF at Buffalo: Buffalo.
SF stinks too. The Niners are playing in the east at 1:00 PM, the weather is cold. Advantage is with the Bills.
Carolina at GB: Carolina.
This is a tough one that is very difficult to pick, because both teams need this one. Carolina is locked with TB for the NFC South lead and Atlanta is on their heels. The Pack is one game back, of Chicago and Minnesota. The only thing that could work in GB's favor is the weather. I still do not think Aaron Rodgers is that good of a QB and think he is capable of blowing this one.
NO at Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay
The Saints have been playing decent, but the Bucs are at home. They have been too good on defense and just good enough, on offense.; so, I do not think they can overcome the home crowd and the intangibles that TB is good at dominating. The Bucs do not get a lot of press because they aren;t a flashy, brash team. But people underestimate the coaching of Gruden and he has them playing well right now.
NYG at Washington: NYG
Sorry Rocket, only the best tasting tuna gets to be Starkist. This Giants team is a racking machine, and a well-oiled one at that. I think Manning has really gained some confidence, so the offense is not a problem. But the over-looked story here, is their defense. They make big plays when they need to and have a way of getting the opposing teams off of the field.
Atlanta at SD: Atlanta.
These Falcons have really turned some heads this year. Without Michael Vick, they are over-achieving and are on a roll. I think they can beat the Chargers on their home field, because Rivers is not that good and Turner finds ways to ruin seasons as a head coach.
Pittsburgh at NE: NE
I am picking NE on one condition - they must have a good defensive day. The Steeler defense is a good one and will cause some problems for Cassel in a big game like this. But that doesn't mean he can't/won't be able to find a way to win. The Pats defense must keep the ball in his hands and allow the offense a chance to score. They cannot let Roethlisberger get going. They must pressure him, they must get to him. It's hard to stop Hines Ward, but they must contain him as well. With Brady out, this is going to be the game of the day. Two good teams, but only one can win. And both need the win.
Denver at NYJ: NYJ
Home field. West team playing in the East. Denver is only mediocre. Jets are on a roll and getting used to Favre's style of play. People do not realize just how good of a playmaker the old man is. I put Favre in the same league as Marino and Elway.
KC at Oakland: Who Cares?
I used to be a Raider fan, but Al Davis is an embarrassment to himself, the team, the NFL, and the game of football. KC is just an embarrassment.
Chicago at Minnesota: Minnesota.
This will be a tough one to pick, either way you look at it. It's a big game for both teams. It's a division contest, with both tied for the lead. Minnesota is at home, so I would say the Vikings should have the advantage at this point in the season. This could go either way, though.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Another Blast From The Past
When the Beatles broke up, John, Paul, and George all worried if Ringo would make it; so, they all took turns writing songs for and playing with him, on his recordings.
This week we revisit the music of the often times forgotten Beatle, who elevated rock and roll drumming to a level of equality, with the rest of the instruments. His baritone and sometimes off-key voice was blended well with great musical compositions, to form a unique sound that has yet to be copied with any real resemblance, even until today.
Here is a tune from the Beatles - who always had one song on each album, written for Ringo, for him to sing. This one was written by Carl Perkins (who appears with Ringo in this performance) This is one I have always liked, one that is a real Memphis rockabilly beauty which captures the true essence of rock and roll. It's called, Honey Don't:
George Harrison's fingerprints were all over this next one and most Beatle aficionados will recognize that signature guitar sound as belonging to him. It was recorded in 1970 and released in 1971 and is my favorite Ringo Starr song, ever. It reached #4 on the US charts and is called It Don't Come Easy:
Ringo's second hit was produced by Harrison, but written entirely by Ringo. It was a silly little song that did well because of its catchy tune and silly refrain. It reached #9 on the American charts in 1972, it's called Back Off Boogaloo:
Still another strong Harrison presence can be found on this next song and it features one of the better brass and orchestral arrangements, in all of rock music. This one reached #1 on the US charts in 1973 and was performed in 2002's Concert For George Tribute. The song is Photograph:
Totally written by Ringo was a song that appeared on the B-Side of Photograph. It's a great little tune, not well known, but holds well to the tradition which the Beatles established long ago, of putting two quality songs on one 45-RPM. This one is titled, Down And Out:
Enjoy.
This week we revisit the music of the often times forgotten Beatle, who elevated rock and roll drumming to a level of equality, with the rest of the instruments. His baritone and sometimes off-key voice was blended well with great musical compositions, to form a unique sound that has yet to be copied with any real resemblance, even until today.
Here is a tune from the Beatles - who always had one song on each album, written for Ringo, for him to sing. This one was written by Carl Perkins (who appears with Ringo in this performance) This is one I have always liked, one that is a real Memphis rockabilly beauty which captures the true essence of rock and roll. It's called, Honey Don't:
George Harrison's fingerprints were all over this next one and most Beatle aficionados will recognize that signature guitar sound as belonging to him. It was recorded in 1970 and released in 1971 and is my favorite Ringo Starr song, ever. It reached #4 on the US charts and is called It Don't Come Easy:
Ringo's second hit was produced by Harrison, but written entirely by Ringo. It was a silly little song that did well because of its catchy tune and silly refrain. It reached #9 on the American charts in 1972, it's called Back Off Boogaloo:
Still another strong Harrison presence can be found on this next song and it features one of the better brass and orchestral arrangements, in all of rock music. This one reached #1 on the US charts in 1973 and was performed in 2002's Concert For George Tribute. The song is Photograph:
Totally written by Ringo was a song that appeared on the B-Side of Photograph. It's a great little tune, not well known, but holds well to the tradition which the Beatles established long ago, of putting two quality songs on one 45-RPM. This one is titled, Down And Out:
Enjoy.
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Mustang Chronicles - Day Two
(For those of you that may have missed Day One, click here to get caught up to speed.)
Day Two:
If you have a blog and a sitemeter, you have no doubt seen Mustang on your site in the middle of the night, around 0300 or so. I had often wondered why that was; on day two of my visit to Chesty Acres, I found out.
Around 3:15 AM, I was awakened to the sound of a stick hitting a garbage can. "What the hell?", I exclaimed. Mustang said, "get of that damned bunk, Mrs. Mustang cannot sleep and when that happens, I have to do grass drills until she gets tired watching me." "But what does that have to do with me?", I inquired. "If I have to do them, YOU have to do them, scumbag!!", he barked. It wasn't much of a rationale, but having a Marine colonel banging a trash can until I complied was no way to get any rest, either. So out we went.
About an hour later, Mrs. Mustang was tired. It was then I learned that if he was successful in getting her sleepy enough to go back to bed, he was allowed some computer time, and this was why he can be seen online at the earliest of morning hours.
The next morning was PT, police call, area beautification, vehicle maintenance, and breakfast (in that order). I had noticed Mustang drank a lot of coffee the entire morning and well into the afternoon, on the first day. And this day was no different.
However, there was one significant difference I DID notice: About 0900, I heard what sounded like a semi pulling up to the front of the house. Thinking that Saturdays are usually not trash pick-up days anywhere I have ever lived, I was puzzled. As I looked out front, I saw a skid of coffee being drop-shipped directly to Mustang's house. As the day wore on, I realized just how much coffee this guy can put away.
After breakfast, Mustang informed me that I had earned some recreation time at the beach. At least that was the plan.
During the morning TI inspection of the vehicle, it was noted that one of the tires was low. So off to the dealership we went. Once there, we looked around the showroom at some new cars while we were waiting and fended off several salespeople trying to sell us cars, in the interim. It was during this time where Mustang managed to turn the entire sales staff against me based on my preference for NFL teams. Getting 10-15 Jacksonville Jaguar fans (and one transplanted New England Patriot fan) angry at a Colts fan is not hard to do, especially after they found out I was not shopping for a car.
One by one, they would shake our hands and introduce themselves. Mustang would then say, "This is my friend LA, he is from Indianapolis and is an avid Colts fan." One by one their faces would turn sour and they would then say things that would indicate my parents were never married, my mother was an extremely temperamental woman, or that I had an unusual affinity for matriarchs of the family. Or any combination thereof.
After the tire was fixed and it was revealed that it was a nail which caused the low air pressure in the tire, naturally I had to hear for the next three hours how it was my fault that he picked up the nail. Had he not had to pick me up at the airport, it never would have happened. Ergo, I should feel ashamed of myself and should forever be indebted to him.
On the way to the beach, Mustang finally stopped blaming me for the nail long enough to inform me that before we got to the beach, he was going to stop at the Base Exchange and Commissary, at one of the Air Force Bases along the way. I enjoyed it. I got to look at countless bargain priced items that I was not authorized to buy. One such item was a state-of-the-art HD TV set.
He tried to get me to buy it and said he would buy it for me, if I would give him the money. Naturally, I had to explain that I couldn't get it into my luggage to get it home. "No problem", he said. "I will keep it for you, until you can come and get it later". I had to explain to him that I wouldn't be able to drive down anytime soon, but he kept pressuring. Finally, he gave up after calling me an "ungrateful little puke" and "a cheap bastard".
Just outside the Air Force Base, we stopped at a quaint little beach. It was good to smell the salt water air. As I shot some pictures, I noticed Mustang talking to a girl in a bikini, standing next to her ten-foot tall boyfriend. Everything went fuzzy after that.
When I pieced the events together later, I discovered that he had told the girl I wanted to take a picture of her. Naturally, she was flattered. Naturally, the boyfriend was not.
The last thing I remembered was seeing the boyfriend charge at me like an angry rhino, with Mustang smirking in the distance. After I came to, we resumed our journey up the coast.
As we approached Cocoa Beach, he went into this speech about how classy of a community it was. "Rich bastards live here", he would often say. And all the time he would be saying it, the most envious look would come over his face. "LA", he said at one point, "someday maybe even you can attain such classy status and live here in a beachfront town like this." It was at that point in time when I noticed a guy relieving himself on the wall that surrounded a million dollar home.
I tried to take a picture of it, but Mustang wouldn't slow the car down long enough. He said we have already wasted enough time because of me, and he didn't need me taking photos that could get him sued later.
Our last destination was a steakhouse. After a nice dinner and trying to ruin a new shirt with A1 Steak Sauce, we headed back to Chesty Acres. Once there, Mustang started to feel guilty about irritating the boyfriend of that girl. "No grass drills tonight LA", he said. "Tonight is Saturday night and Mrs. Mustang lets me watch a movie if I have been a good Marine", he went on to say. So we watched a movie, taps was played, the Marine prayer was recited, and all lights were extinguished.
What a day.
Next Friday: Day Three
Day Two:
If you have a blog and a sitemeter, you have no doubt seen Mustang on your site in the middle of the night, around 0300 or so. I had often wondered why that was; on day two of my visit to Chesty Acres, I found out.
Around 3:15 AM, I was awakened to the sound of a stick hitting a garbage can. "What the hell?", I exclaimed. Mustang said, "get of that damned bunk, Mrs. Mustang cannot sleep and when that happens, I have to do grass drills until she gets tired watching me." "But what does that have to do with me?", I inquired. "If I have to do them, YOU have to do them, scumbag!!", he barked. It wasn't much of a rationale, but having a Marine colonel banging a trash can until I complied was no way to get any rest, either. So out we went.
About an hour later, Mrs. Mustang was tired. It was then I learned that if he was successful in getting her sleepy enough to go back to bed, he was allowed some computer time, and this was why he can be seen online at the earliest of morning hours.
The next morning was PT, police call, area beautification, vehicle maintenance, and breakfast (in that order). I had noticed Mustang drank a lot of coffee the entire morning and well into the afternoon, on the first day. And this day was no different.
However, there was one significant difference I DID notice: About 0900, I heard what sounded like a semi pulling up to the front of the house. Thinking that Saturdays are usually not trash pick-up days anywhere I have ever lived, I was puzzled. As I looked out front, I saw a skid of coffee being drop-shipped directly to Mustang's house. As the day wore on, I realized just how much coffee this guy can put away.
After breakfast, Mustang informed me that I had earned some recreation time at the beach. At least that was the plan.
During the morning TI inspection of the vehicle, it was noted that one of the tires was low. So off to the dealership we went. Once there, we looked around the showroom at some new cars while we were waiting and fended off several salespeople trying to sell us cars, in the interim. It was during this time where Mustang managed to turn the entire sales staff against me based on my preference for NFL teams. Getting 10-15 Jacksonville Jaguar fans (and one transplanted New England Patriot fan) angry at a Colts fan is not hard to do, especially after they found out I was not shopping for a car.
One by one, they would shake our hands and introduce themselves. Mustang would then say, "This is my friend LA, he is from Indianapolis and is an avid Colts fan." One by one their faces would turn sour and they would then say things that would indicate my parents were never married, my mother was an extremely temperamental woman, or that I had an unusual affinity for matriarchs of the family. Or any combination thereof.
After the tire was fixed and it was revealed that it was a nail which caused the low air pressure in the tire, naturally I had to hear for the next three hours how it was my fault that he picked up the nail. Had he not had to pick me up at the airport, it never would have happened. Ergo, I should feel ashamed of myself and should forever be indebted to him.
On the way to the beach, Mustang finally stopped blaming me for the nail long enough to inform me that before we got to the beach, he was going to stop at the Base Exchange and Commissary, at one of the Air Force Bases along the way. I enjoyed it. I got to look at countless bargain priced items that I was not authorized to buy. One such item was a state-of-the-art HD TV set.
He tried to get me to buy it and said he would buy it for me, if I would give him the money. Naturally, I had to explain that I couldn't get it into my luggage to get it home. "No problem", he said. "I will keep it for you, until you can come and get it later". I had to explain to him that I wouldn't be able to drive down anytime soon, but he kept pressuring. Finally, he gave up after calling me an "ungrateful little puke" and "a cheap bastard".
Just outside the Air Force Base, we stopped at a quaint little beach. It was good to smell the salt water air. As I shot some pictures, I noticed Mustang talking to a girl in a bikini, standing next to her ten-foot tall boyfriend. Everything went fuzzy after that.
When I pieced the events together later, I discovered that he had told the girl I wanted to take a picture of her. Naturally, she was flattered. Naturally, the boyfriend was not.
The last thing I remembered was seeing the boyfriend charge at me like an angry rhino, with Mustang smirking in the distance. After I came to, we resumed our journey up the coast.
As we approached Cocoa Beach, he went into this speech about how classy of a community it was. "Rich bastards live here", he would often say. And all the time he would be saying it, the most envious look would come over his face. "LA", he said at one point, "someday maybe even you can attain such classy status and live here in a beachfront town like this." It was at that point in time when I noticed a guy relieving himself on the wall that surrounded a million dollar home.
I tried to take a picture of it, but Mustang wouldn't slow the car down long enough. He said we have already wasted enough time because of me, and he didn't need me taking photos that could get him sued later.
Our last destination was a steakhouse. After a nice dinner and trying to ruin a new shirt with A1 Steak Sauce, we headed back to Chesty Acres. Once there, Mustang started to feel guilty about irritating the boyfriend of that girl. "No grass drills tonight LA", he said. "Tonight is Saturday night and Mrs. Mustang lets me watch a movie if I have been a good Marine", he went on to say. So we watched a movie, taps was played, the Marine prayer was recited, and all lights were extinguished.
What a day.
Next Friday: Day Three
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
One of things I am thankful for is the fine group of people that come here to vent, reason, and share their thoughts and opinions. This is truly one the best groups of regulars on the internet and in the blogosphere, and I am not just saying it to be saying it.
I wish all of you the very best Thanksgiving Day, and I hope your coming holiday season is a great one. Who knows what we face ahead? But we will all face it and endure it together, we will persevere.
Thank you all again for your contributions here at PYY.
I wish all of you the very best Thanksgiving Day, and I hope your coming holiday season is a great one. Who knows what we face ahead? But we will all face it and endure it together, we will persevere.
Thank you all again for your contributions here at PYY.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The European Approach To International Law
I have always said that international law is such a misnomer, if there ever was one. No one follows it unless it advances their own interests.
Here is an article from the WSJ that supports what I have believed all along.
Europeans are some of the nicest people on a personal level, but can also be very hypocritical on issues of importance.
Here is an article from the WSJ that supports what I have believed all along.
Many of President-elect Barack Obama's supporters hope he will scrap the Bush administration's skeptical attitude toward international law and take a more European approach. This is presumably to bring us in line with what these supporters regard as more enlightened practices abroad.
In fact, Europe's commitment to international law is largely rhetorical. Like the Bush administration, Europeans obey international law when it advances their interests and discard it when it does not.
Europeans are some of the nicest people on a personal level, but can also be very hypocritical on issues of importance.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday AM QB
Honestly, I only watched a half a quarter of the Jets-Titans game, that's all the football I had time for yesterday. And the Jets were taking it to them. Like I have said in past posts, it's awfully hard to win out in the NFL and it's best to lose one earlier, than later. It will be interesting to see how Tennessee responds. Will they get right back on the bicycle or will they fold up?
Didn't see the Colts game, which I see they won, over the malevolent SD Chargers. It's always nice to see the Chargers lose, especially when it's against my team. At 4-7, mathematically they still have a chance in their weak division. But in reality, their season is a bust.
So, how about your team? We've seen the scores, how did they look?
Didn't see the Colts game, which I see they won, over the malevolent SD Chargers. It's always nice to see the Chargers lose, especially when it's against my team. At 4-7, mathematically they still have a chance in their weak division. But in reality, their season is a bust.
So, how about your team? We've seen the scores, how did they look?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Mark Cuban: Genius? Idiot? Both?
I have always admired Mark Cuban for his success as an entrepreneur. Here's a self-made man, who started with a bachelors degree in business administration, from Indiana University's School of Business. Along the way, he worked like every other industrious college student did, by tending bar and other odd jobs. So, when he moved to Dallas after his graduation, it only made sense that his first job there was bartending.
He soon became a salesman for one of the first software companies in Dallas, but was terminated after a short stint. This gave him the opportunity to venture out on his own. And so it goes, with a true innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, he founded his own company. Later, he sold it to CompuServe for $6 million, but he didn't stop there.
Being an alumni, Cuban was an avid fan of IU basketball. But in Dallas, his team did not get the TV coverage he would have liked. It was at this point that he, and a friend and former schoolmate named Todd Wagner, began to work on a software program, so they could watch their team play. The finished product was later bought by Yahoo, for almost $6 billion in Yahoo stock.
Today, Mark Cuban is the majority owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks franchise and Chairman of HDNet, an HD-TV cable company. One sale was $ 6 million, the other was for $6 billion, and his net worth right now is somewhere around $2 billion. Yet, he is still one of the best people to work for, primarily for his treatment of workers and the overall success of his endeavors. There isn't a player in the NBA who wouldn't want to play for him and the HD-TV market has made a fortune.
How can anyone deny this man is a genius?
Well, as is true with most geniuses, Mr. Cuban has made some poor judgments that many would lead many to believe, he is an idiot. His involvement with the films Loose Change and Redacted, certainly lead me to believe this guy has some issues with the world, and has a fundamental lack of knowledge of reality. But is has made him a hero of sorts, for conspiracy theorists we know affectionately call "truthers". This only goes to show that even the most intelligent of people, who dominate their industry or profession, can lose contact with reality when they overinflate their own sense of self-worth.
Recently-surfaced accusations, claiming that he could have engaged in insider trading, have now come to light. As you might guess, the truthers are claiming this is retribution for his role in the films and Cuban is strongly maintaining his innocence, albeit through his attorney. And while he is innocent until proven guilty, I do not find this too hard to believe based on what little we know about the case. If this turns out to be the case, how he conducts himself during this ordeal will tell the story of the outcome. If the evidence is strong and he becomes defiant like Martha Stewart, they will hit him hard.
But all of this aside, there is one instance of what I would call poor judgment, which he may already be regretting. In his blog, he states that he voted for Obama. In the very same post, he has indicates that he has noticed something peculiar about the President-Elect's economic team:
He goes on to list some of those names:
To Democrats, this is a "who's who" dreamlist in "tax and spend" economic logic. It amazes me that Mark Cuban could even look at these names and even think they would be good guest speakers, at a university. But the coup de grace in his sudden revelation, is this:
Yes, Mark. It is a huge problem, but what did you expect? The last period of the campaign was an indictment of Obama's socialist belief system. This was covered extensively by his opponent and his supporters and you didn't listen.
For those that are not able to understand why this is a problem, Cuban goes on to explain why:
These are some tough lessons to absorb. Mr. Cuban was one such budding entrepreneur once upon a time, and now he has fallen for the grandiose illusion/delusion that is Barack Obama. By his own words, one can conclude that he may one of the first of many who regret their decision at the polls.
So while Mark has had some problems with critical thinking on the foreign policy front, he certainly shows that he gets it on the domestic, specifically on making money. It's one thing to teach something, develop policy, accept large grants to do research, but risk nothing in the process. It quite another to live from job to job, account to account, day to day, risking everything all over again.
Obama would do well to listen to this guy, on the economic side. But somehow in my deep skepticism, I rather doubt that he will.
He soon became a salesman for one of the first software companies in Dallas, but was terminated after a short stint. This gave him the opportunity to venture out on his own. And so it goes, with a true innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, he founded his own company. Later, he sold it to CompuServe for $6 million, but he didn't stop there.
Being an alumni, Cuban was an avid fan of IU basketball. But in Dallas, his team did not get the TV coverage he would have liked. It was at this point that he, and a friend and former schoolmate named Todd Wagner, began to work on a software program, so they could watch their team play. The finished product was later bought by Yahoo, for almost $6 billion in Yahoo stock.
Today, Mark Cuban is the majority owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks franchise and Chairman of HDNet, an HD-TV cable company. One sale was $ 6 million, the other was for $6 billion, and his net worth right now is somewhere around $2 billion. Yet, he is still one of the best people to work for, primarily for his treatment of workers and the overall success of his endeavors. There isn't a player in the NBA who wouldn't want to play for him and the HD-TV market has made a fortune.
How can anyone deny this man is a genius?
Well, as is true with most geniuses, Mr. Cuban has made some poor judgments that many would lead many to believe, he is an idiot. His involvement with the films Loose Change and Redacted, certainly lead me to believe this guy has some issues with the world, and has a fundamental lack of knowledge of reality. But is has made him a hero of sorts, for conspiracy theorists we know affectionately call "truthers". This only goes to show that even the most intelligent of people, who dominate their industry or profession, can lose contact with reality when they overinflate their own sense of self-worth.
Recently-surfaced accusations, claiming that he could have engaged in insider trading, have now come to light. As you might guess, the truthers are claiming this is retribution for his role in the films and Cuban is strongly maintaining his innocence, albeit through his attorney. And while he is innocent until proven guilty, I do not find this too hard to believe based on what little we know about the case. If this turns out to be the case, how he conducts himself during this ordeal will tell the story of the outcome. If the evidence is strong and he becomes defiant like Martha Stewart, they will hit him hard.
But all of this aside, there is one instance of what I would call poor judgment, which he may already be regretting. In his blog, he states that he voted for Obama. In the very same post, he has indicates that he has noticed something peculiar about the President-Elect's economic team:
Its great to see President Elect Obama aggressively taking on the economy prior to his taking office. Unfortunately, the economic advisory team that he has put together looks more like a semester’s worth of great guest speakers for an MBA class than an economic advisory team that can truly help him.
He goes on to list some of those names:
“Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, Laura Tyson, who served as Clinton’s top economic adviser; former Fed Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson; Time Warner Inc. Chairman Richard Parsons; former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman William Donaldson and Xerox Corp. Chief Executive Officer Anne Mulcahy.
Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Roel Campos, an ex-SEC commissioner, and Warren Buffett are also on the advisory board.”
To Democrats, this is a "who's who" dreamlist in "tax and spend" economic logic. It amazes me that Mark Cuban could even look at these names and even think they would be good guest speakers, at a university. But the coup de grace in his sudden revelation, is this:
Notice anything missing ?
Not a single entrepreneur. Yes Warren Buffett started a business, but he will be the first to tell you that he “doesn’t do start ups”. Which means there isn’t a single person advising PE Obama that we know of that knows that its like to start and run a business in this or any economic climate. That’s a huge problem.
Yes, Mark. It is a huge problem, but what did you expect? The last period of the campaign was an indictment of Obama's socialist belief system. This was covered extensively by his opponent and his supporters and you didn't listen.
For those that are not able to understand why this is a problem, Cuban goes on to explain why:
If we are going to solve our current economic problems, our President needs to get first hand information on the impact his proposed policies will have on real Joe the Plumbers. People who are 1 person companies living job to job, hoping they get paid on time. We need to know what the impact of his policies will be on the individually owned Chrysler Dealership in Iowa. The bodego in Manhattan. The mobile phone software startup out of Carnegie Mellon. The event planner in Dallas. The barbershop in LA. The restaurant in Boston.
Entrepreneurs that start and run small businesses will be the propellant in this economy. PE Obama needs to have the counsel of those who will take the real risk inherent in creating companies and jobs. Those who put their money and lives on the line with their business.
Without it, the rules of unintended consequences of any economic policy could hit you in the mouth in ways you never expected. Things like forcing companies from being taxpayers to the underground cash economy, or forcing new hires to be independent contractors to avoid having to pay their insurance or higher matching social security amounts. Your current group has no one with 100pct of their networth on the line. I promise you that the possibility of losing it all will provide a completely different perspective than any of the “knowledge” the esteemed, learned members of his current advisory team offer.
These are some tough lessons to absorb. Mr. Cuban was one such budding entrepreneur once upon a time, and now he has fallen for the grandiose illusion/delusion that is Barack Obama. By his own words, one can conclude that he may one of the first of many who regret their decision at the polls.
So while Mark has had some problems with critical thinking on the foreign policy front, he certainly shows that he gets it on the domestic, specifically on making money. It's one thing to teach something, develop policy, accept large grants to do research, but risk nothing in the process. It quite another to live from job to job, account to account, day to day, risking everything all over again.
Obama would do well to listen to this guy, on the economic side. But somehow in my deep skepticism, I rather doubt that he will.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Another Blast From The Past
Here's a little something different from the rock and roll posts I usually do. This week's feature will bring back some memories with the older crowd, those who grew up watching westerns on TV and in the movies.
(Dedicated to my good friend Mustang, who complained that much of my music here on Another Blast From The Past is for communist heathens.)
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
The Virginian
Rawhide
Here is a medley. Most will guess the last melody, but see if you can guess the first three:
The Magnificent Seven
Enjoy.
(Dedicated to my good friend Mustang, who complained that much of my music here on Another Blast From The Past is for communist heathens.)
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
The Virginian
Rawhide
Here is a medley. Most will guess the last melody, but see if you can guess the first three:
The Magnificent Seven
Enjoy.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Mustang Chronicles - Day One
When one flies to see a friend using a major airline carrier, under normal circumstances, you would likely expect the person to fly into the closest international airport. Seems like common sense, right? It becomes even more likely, when you e-mail the flight itinerary to the friend well in advance so they have the information at their immediate disposal. But such was not the case on my journey to meet the prolific blogger, also known as, Mustang.
After arrival at the airport, you can imagine my surprise at having no one to greet me. I searched and searched, but to no avail. After asking countless airport workers and TSA agents if they had seen a fierce looking retired Marine watching the gates for an arrival, I began to wonder if this was a set-up.
“Come on down anytime“, he would often say. For years, I didn’t have the opportunity. But now with airfares at a peak season low, how could I resist? So after my long and exasperating search, a certain reality was starting to set in: There was a good chance this was just another sick game the man we know as Mustang, was trying to play. I even wondered if he had been watching undercover, from a distance, to get some cheap kick out of watching an out-of-towner look frustrated.
After a few hours had passed and I had smoked about a half of a pack of cigarettes, I was sitting on a bench in front of this huge international airport, staring at my shoes and wondering just what the hell I was going to do. Slated for a four-day visit in a city where I only knew him, with no car, no hotel reservations, and no idea how I could have fallen for such a sadistic prank, I was beginning to feel pretty low. Little did I know that it was then, the nightmare was about to begin.
As I stared at my shoes feeling sorry for myself, a pair of spit shined sneakers came into my line of sight in front of me. I started to slowly look upward, but before I could lift my head very high, the theme song from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly began to play in the distance. When I finally made eye contact with this tall menacing looking figure that was in front of me, he said, “Are you LA Sunset?” “Yes sir”, I replied. But before I could say anything else, he barked out in a commanding voice, “On your feet, scumbag!” He then proceeded to chew me out royally in front of hundreds of other poor saps, who were waiting for their rides to pick them up.
He went on to say, “I just spent hours waiting at the General Aviation Airport near my ranch, and your sorry ass wasn’t there!” I tried to ask him if he had received the itinerary via e-mail, but he went into this thing about how only sissies flew on luxury airliners, so I figured it was not a good time to try to reason with him and certainly not the time tell him how I upgraded to business class for only $69.
After the dress down in front of a now gathering crowd, he forced me to double-time with my luggage in my hands to his vehicle, while he sang risqué cadence not suitable for children. I was dropped twice for push-ups, because I wasn’t sounding off loud enough (but that’s not important, now).
Once we were on the road, he began to tell me how I was about to enter the world of a Marine and that I would not be permitted to do anything, without earning the privilege. He further stated that he didn’t want to hear any soft, Army stories. He reminded me that Army stood for “Ain’t Ready to be Marines, Yet". Once we got to the Mustang Grapefruit Farm and Alligator Ranch (Chesty Acres), I figured things would settle down some. But that was just wishful thinking on my part.
On arrival, he showed me to my quarters. Once I placed by luggage down, I turned around only to find Mustang with a toothbrush in his hand. I told him I had a toothbrush and thanked him anyway. But apparently, I had miscalculated the intended objective of this exercise. It was at that time, he gave me one of the famous Mustang glares and said, “It’s not for your mouth, scumbag. It’s for you to clean the latrine.” And then he went into another long speech about how that would be the last time, he would ever use the word, latrine. Henceforth, we would use Marine terms and the proper noun for it would be, “the head”.
Hours later after “the head” had finally passed inspection, he started to lay down more rules. “If you are tempted to try and flee the compound, it will be futile”, he exclaimed. “In addition to thousands of bears, there are many lakes around here that are home to millions of alligators, which eat Yankees for a living,” he forcefully warned. It was at that time he drove me around to view some of these lakes. Sure enough, the gators were there and salivating as we drove past. I didn’t see any bears, but Mustang simply observed, “They’re experts in camouflage, maggot.”
As the evening came, it was a welcome sight. I was totally spent and dead beat tired, so naturally I requested permission to prepare for "Taps". Initially, it was denied because Mustang said “We ain’t had our beer ration, yet.” So, for the next two hours, we drank a beer imported from the nearest Marine Corps PX called “Chesty Beer.” Mustang made a toast to every Marine who ever served in combat.
After six, or eight, or ten of these, Mrs. Mustang finally decided that enough was enough and signaled lights out. I was very grateful. "Taps" was played, the Marine prayer was recited, and all lights were extinguished.
What a day.
Next Friday: Day Two
After arrival at the airport, you can imagine my surprise at having no one to greet me. I searched and searched, but to no avail. After asking countless airport workers and TSA agents if they had seen a fierce looking retired Marine watching the gates for an arrival, I began to wonder if this was a set-up.
“Come on down anytime“, he would often say. For years, I didn’t have the opportunity. But now with airfares at a peak season low, how could I resist? So after my long and exasperating search, a certain reality was starting to set in: There was a good chance this was just another sick game the man we know as Mustang, was trying to play. I even wondered if he had been watching undercover, from a distance, to get some cheap kick out of watching an out-of-towner look frustrated.
After a few hours had passed and I had smoked about a half of a pack of cigarettes, I was sitting on a bench in front of this huge international airport, staring at my shoes and wondering just what the hell I was going to do. Slated for a four-day visit in a city where I only knew him, with no car, no hotel reservations, and no idea how I could have fallen for such a sadistic prank, I was beginning to feel pretty low. Little did I know that it was then, the nightmare was about to begin.
As I stared at my shoes feeling sorry for myself, a pair of spit shined sneakers came into my line of sight in front of me. I started to slowly look upward, but before I could lift my head very high, the theme song from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly began to play in the distance. When I finally made eye contact with this tall menacing looking figure that was in front of me, he said, “Are you LA Sunset?” “Yes sir”, I replied. But before I could say anything else, he barked out in a commanding voice, “On your feet, scumbag!” He then proceeded to chew me out royally in front of hundreds of other poor saps, who were waiting for their rides to pick them up.
He went on to say, “I just spent hours waiting at the General Aviation Airport near my ranch, and your sorry ass wasn’t there!” I tried to ask him if he had received the itinerary via e-mail, but he went into this thing about how only sissies flew on luxury airliners, so I figured it was not a good time to try to reason with him and certainly not the time tell him how I upgraded to business class for only $69.
After the dress down in front of a now gathering crowd, he forced me to double-time with my luggage in my hands to his vehicle, while he sang risqué cadence not suitable for children. I was dropped twice for push-ups, because I wasn’t sounding off loud enough (but that’s not important, now).
Once we were on the road, he began to tell me how I was about to enter the world of a Marine and that I would not be permitted to do anything, without earning the privilege. He further stated that he didn’t want to hear any soft, Army stories. He reminded me that Army stood for “Ain’t Ready to be Marines, Yet". Once we got to the Mustang Grapefruit Farm and Alligator Ranch (Chesty Acres), I figured things would settle down some. But that was just wishful thinking on my part.
On arrival, he showed me to my quarters. Once I placed by luggage down, I turned around only to find Mustang with a toothbrush in his hand. I told him I had a toothbrush and thanked him anyway. But apparently, I had miscalculated the intended objective of this exercise. It was at that time, he gave me one of the famous Mustang glares and said, “It’s not for your mouth, scumbag. It’s for you to clean the latrine.” And then he went into another long speech about how that would be the last time, he would ever use the word, latrine. Henceforth, we would use Marine terms and the proper noun for it would be, “the head”.
Hours later after “the head” had finally passed inspection, he started to lay down more rules. “If you are tempted to try and flee the compound, it will be futile”, he exclaimed. “In addition to thousands of bears, there are many lakes around here that are home to millions of alligators, which eat Yankees for a living,” he forcefully warned. It was at that time he drove me around to view some of these lakes. Sure enough, the gators were there and salivating as we drove past. I didn’t see any bears, but Mustang simply observed, “They’re experts in camouflage, maggot.”
As the evening came, it was a welcome sight. I was totally spent and dead beat tired, so naturally I requested permission to prepare for "Taps". Initially, it was denied because Mustang said “We ain’t had our beer ration, yet.” So, for the next two hours, we drank a beer imported from the nearest Marine Corps PX called “Chesty Beer.” Mustang made a toast to every Marine who ever served in combat.
After six, or eight, or ten of these, Mrs. Mustang finally decided that enough was enough and signaled lights out. I was very grateful. "Taps" was played, the Marine prayer was recited, and all lights were extinguished.
What a day.
Next Friday: Day Two
Thursday, November 20, 2008
News In Brief (And The Usual Opinionated Commentary)
Dow Continues To Drop
Stocks are mostly priced on speculation, with perceptions of the buyers as one of the driving forces. The prospect of an Obama presidency must not be setting well with speculators, right now. Not that the office of the President can single-handedly effect it, but confidence in the new economic policies can certainly stabilize things enough, at least for a period. But this doesn't appear to be happening right now.
Hillary Reportedly Still Weighing Sec'y Of State Opportunity
I am still having trouble believing she wants this. She surrenders an awful amount of autonomy, as a subordinate in an Obama cabinet. Senators answer to no one, except the people of the state they represent. (And even that is a joke, because the worst of them keep getting re-elected.)
Inauguration Could Break DC
At a time when the economy is not sound and costs of nearly everything have risen exponentially, one would think prudence would reign supreme. But apparently we must show the world how grand this occasion, by making a grandiose and histrionic statement. This says much, right here.
Stocks are mostly priced on speculation, with perceptions of the buyers as one of the driving forces. The prospect of an Obama presidency must not be setting well with speculators, right now. Not that the office of the President can single-handedly effect it, but confidence in the new economic policies can certainly stabilize things enough, at least for a period. But this doesn't appear to be happening right now.
Hillary Reportedly Still Weighing Sec'y Of State Opportunity
I am still having trouble believing she wants this. She surrenders an awful amount of autonomy, as a subordinate in an Obama cabinet. Senators answer to no one, except the people of the state they represent. (And even that is a joke, because the worst of them keep getting re-elected.)
Inauguration Could Break DC
At a time when the economy is not sound and costs of nearly everything have risen exponentially, one would think prudence would reign supreme. But apparently we must show the world how grand this occasion, by making a grandiose and histrionic statement. This says much, right here.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Honda To Roll Out Natural Gas Car
You can read the story here, in the Indy Star.
Basically, Honda is hedging its bets that oil prices will rise again. And we all know they will, in part because Americans will probably change their habits again, now that prices are lower.
So take a good look at this, because it may be one of the last real innovations based on choice. Here we have another choice offered by capitalism, but from here on out, I predict their will be mandates.
My concern right now is the lack of infrastructure to maintain such a vehicle. But that can be solved quickly, if the markets respond appropriately. The costs of regular maintenance and how many fueling stations can be built will be factors in how great of a deal this turns out to be. Another cause for concern: The response of the natural gas market, specifically, whether windmills can be implemented quickly enough to replace the existing need for energy. Will the new demand stress the the supply for people that use gas for heating? Most likely, yes.
This is also where I expect T. Boone to enter the scene on a golden horse.
But more than all of this, I think this is why Detroit is wanting a bailout right now. Maybe, just maybe, they are afraid this will catch like fire and they will be left in the dust.
GREENSBURG, Ind. -- Indiana's newest auto plant will make one of the cleanest and greenest Honda Civics in the world.
Civic GX is a $25,000 commuter car that runs only on natural gas -- going about 192 miles in city driving on an 8-gallon fuel tank that currently costs about $16 to refill at Indianapolis natural gas stations.
Basically, Honda is hedging its bets that oil prices will rise again. And we all know they will, in part because Americans will probably change their habits again, now that prices are lower.
So take a good look at this, because it may be one of the last real innovations based on choice. Here we have another choice offered by capitalism, but from here on out, I predict their will be mandates.
My concern right now is the lack of infrastructure to maintain such a vehicle. But that can be solved quickly, if the markets respond appropriately. The costs of regular maintenance and how many fueling stations can be built will be factors in how great of a deal this turns out to be. Another cause for concern: The response of the natural gas market, specifically, whether windmills can be implemented quickly enough to replace the existing need for energy. Will the new demand stress the the supply for people that use gas for heating? Most likely, yes.
This is also where I expect T. Boone to enter the scene on a golden horse.
But more than all of this, I think this is why Detroit is wanting a bailout right now. Maybe, just maybe, they are afraid this will catch like fire and they will be left in the dust.
Back Home Again
Having just returned from sunny Florida last evening, I have to say it was fun. But as it always is, it's good to be back home (in spite of temps here being in the 30s).
The trip was very interesting to say the least and you can expect some details to be forthcoming, soon.
Special thanks to all that left condolences on the previous post concerning Mrs. Sunsett's uncle. They were much appreciated and thanks for keeping the place warm while I was gone.
The trip was very interesting to say the least and you can expect some details to be forthcoming, soon.
Special thanks to all that left condolences on the previous post concerning Mrs. Sunsett's uncle. They were much appreciated and thanks for keeping the place warm while I was gone.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Special Notices
On the surface, it would appear that I have disengaged slightly on the blog this week, and I do apologize for it. I certainly haven't had the time to address the comments adequately and the posts have been a little less in-depth, this much is true. But the reason for this is, we had a death in Mrs. Sunsett's family this week and it has thrown things for a loop, somewhat. It's tough because this was Mrs. Sunsett's favorite uncle, one she was very close to. He was a proud Marine during the Korean Conflict and his son is a career Army Officer, serving in Afghanistan. From my perspective, it was an honor to know him and he will be missed by all.
If this isn't enough for one plate in one calendar week, this has come at a time when I have a trip to Florida planned. It's been on the calendar for a couple of months now.
Basically, I have invited myself to Mustang's grapefruit farm and alligator ranch (named Happy Acres), for some much needed R & R. It is situated directly in the middle of the lap of luxury and the world of retirement. After settling with his attorney on the monetary damages that he claimed he was owed to him, after the ill-fated and now notorious trip to Tijuana some years ago, he has graciously agreed to allow me to see how the other half lives.
So while I am soaking up some sunshine and warm air, I will not be at the computer as much. I will be at the beach, lake, or pool with alcoholic drinks (some may even be accompanied by umbrellas) as agents to facilitate relaxation. But I will have the weekly music post pre-scheduled to appear on Saturday and will leave this post as an open thread for whatever comments you may have, about whatever happens while I am away. (But don't think you can leave expletive laced comments here, just because you can't be in the warm weather, like me.)
While I am at the helm for a few, I would like to take a moment at call your attention to some new blogs you will find on the PYY Blogroll and highly encourage all PYY readers to take a look at them, when you get the chance:
1. Geeeez belongs to PYY regular Z, whom some of you have seen here on occasion. She writes about politics and her faith. LIke yours truly, she has spent time in Europe and still has a deep affection for it.
2. Palace For A Princess is run by PYY regular Jennifer, she also writes about politics and her faith. Like Z, she is building a very loyal following and posts on a variety of topics.
3. Robert at Conservative Commentary has just started coming around here. He and Jennifer have started a blog called Conservative Convictions.
4. Christopher Hamilton has a self-titled blog that I have been lurking around for a couple of weeks. I don't know a lot about him, but I like the way he thinks.
5. Tom at Tom's Place is always worth a look. I may have plugged him earlier, but on the chance I didn't here it is.
Give these a look, will you? I think most of you will like them, but be sure to tell them all you heard it here on Roller Derby.
Anyway, have a great weekend, I will be back at it next week, and as always, thanks for reading PYY.
Addendum: I apologize, but there will be no Another Blast From The Past post. I simply didn't get time to do it.
If this isn't enough for one plate in one calendar week, this has come at a time when I have a trip to Florida planned. It's been on the calendar for a couple of months now.
Basically, I have invited myself to Mustang's grapefruit farm and alligator ranch (named Happy Acres), for some much needed R & R. It is situated directly in the middle of the lap of luxury and the world of retirement. After settling with his attorney on the monetary damages that he claimed he was owed to him, after the ill-fated and now notorious trip to Tijuana some years ago, he has graciously agreed to allow me to see how the other half lives.
So while I am soaking up some sunshine and warm air, I will not be at the computer as much. I will be at the beach, lake, or pool with alcoholic drinks (some may even be accompanied by umbrellas) as agents to facilitate relaxation. But I will have the weekly music post pre-scheduled to appear on Saturday and will leave this post as an open thread for whatever comments you may have, about whatever happens while I am away. (But don't think you can leave expletive laced comments here, just because you can't be in the warm weather, like me.)
While I am at the helm for a few, I would like to take a moment at call your attention to some new blogs you will find on the PYY Blogroll and highly encourage all PYY readers to take a look at them, when you get the chance:
1. Geeeez belongs to PYY regular Z, whom some of you have seen here on occasion. She writes about politics and her faith. LIke yours truly, she has spent time in Europe and still has a deep affection for it.
2. Palace For A Princess is run by PYY regular Jennifer, she also writes about politics and her faith. Like Z, she is building a very loyal following and posts on a variety of topics.
3. Robert at Conservative Commentary has just started coming around here. He and Jennifer have started a blog called Conservative Convictions.
4. Christopher Hamilton has a self-titled blog that I have been lurking around for a couple of weeks. I don't know a lot about him, but I like the way he thinks.
5. Tom at Tom's Place is always worth a look. I may have plugged him earlier, but on the chance I didn't here it is.
Give these a look, will you? I think most of you will like them, but be sure to tell them all you heard it here on Roller Derby.
Anyway, have a great weekend, I will be back at it next week, and as always, thanks for reading PYY.
Addendum: I apologize, but there will be no Another Blast From The Past post. I simply didn't get time to do it.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Loose Lips Sink Ships
During the campaign, there was a discussion about the prospect of Obama's inability to pass a security clearance. So, who can be surprised when we learn that Obama's aides cannot keep their mouths shut, about a conversation which throughout history has has been understood, to be private?
What other things will these rookies leak? I shudder to think.
The amount of sensitive information that will be passed from the Bush White House to Obama's will be plentiful and, well, sensitive. And not just sensitive, seriously sensitive. Drudge thinks so too.
For those that are not familiar with security clearances, the first linked article explains it quite simply:
Some of you may already well know this. But for those that don't, let's think about this for a second.
The President-Elect's people are now thrust into the international limelight, but the situations are real, this is no game. And more than anything, this is not the place to be saying, "Look Ma, I'm a bigshot now". Many of these people are young, virile, and possess normal libidos, You can safely bet the need to look important will lead them right into situations that will be easy to compromise security, if they are not careful. This incident of compromising a simple discussion by leaking it to the Media, only validates my suspicions.
Yes, it was merely a discussion about economics, nothing sensitive and certainly nothing that damages national security. But that's not the real issue here. What happens down the road when loose lips leak other things, things that mean something very important?
The way the Obama camp has conducted itself in this situation does call into question the judgment of Obama and those that surround him. There is no more campaign, the election is over. They must now focus on a smooth transition and being a blabbermouth is not the mark of a professional "presidential" administration. Not in my book, it isn't.
President-Elect Obama needs to address this in front of the American people. Loose lips, sink ships. And in this day and age, they get buildings blown up.
What other things will these rookies leak? I shudder to think.
The amount of sensitive information that will be passed from the Bush White House to Obama's will be plentiful and, well, sensitive. And not just sensitive, seriously sensitive. Drudge thinks so too.
For those that are not familiar with security clearances, the first linked article explains it quite simply:
Confidential – Unauthorized disclosure could cause “damage to national security.”
Secret – Unauthorized disclosure could cause “serious damage to national security.”
Top Secret – Unauthorized disclosure could cause “exceptionally grave damage to national security.”
Each level of access requires a progressively more in-depth background investigation before the clearance is obtained. The President of the United States should be able to flawlessly pass the most extensive investigation and a polygraph test. Both are required for workers in some Special Access Programs classified Top Secret.
The purpose of the clearance is to determine an individual’s honesty, trustworthiness, reliability, financial responsibility, criminal activity, emotional stability, foreign influences, family associations, drug use, mental health, judicial proceedings, employment history, traits of character, and loyalty to the United States. This collective data is used to evaluate your ability and willingness to safeguard national secrets. Based on the facts about Barack Obama, he fails to satisfy the minimum requirements for even a basic secret clearance. His background investigation would have “Red Flags” shooting up in so many places; the issuing panel would deny him a clearance outright.
Some of you may already well know this. But for those that don't, let's think about this for a second.
The President-Elect's people are now thrust into the international limelight, but the situations are real, this is no game. And more than anything, this is not the place to be saying, "Look Ma, I'm a bigshot now". Many of these people are young, virile, and possess normal libidos, You can safely bet the need to look important will lead them right into situations that will be easy to compromise security, if they are not careful. This incident of compromising a simple discussion by leaking it to the Media, only validates my suspicions.
Yes, it was merely a discussion about economics, nothing sensitive and certainly nothing that damages national security. But that's not the real issue here. What happens down the road when loose lips leak other things, things that mean something very important?
The way the Obama camp has conducted itself in this situation does call into question the judgment of Obama and those that surround him. There is no more campaign, the election is over. They must now focus on a smooth transition and being a blabbermouth is not the mark of a professional "presidential" administration. Not in my book, it isn't.
President-Elect Obama needs to address this in front of the American people. Loose lips, sink ships. And in this day and age, they get buildings blown up.
Happy Veterans Day
To all that have served in any of the branches of the military, in war or peace, PYY thanks all of you for your service and wishes you the best on this day.
One can say many generic things about Veterans Day and what it means, and much of it will be said at ceremonies across the nation. But suffice it to say, we do appreciate the sacrifices of all individuals that put their lives on the line for the defense of this great nation. It is a noble calling and one that should never be forgotten.
So, a hearty crisp hand salute to all veterans that grace this blog with their presence.
One can say many generic things about Veterans Day and what it means, and much of it will be said at ceremonies across the nation. But suffice it to say, we do appreciate the sacrifices of all individuals that put their lives on the line for the defense of this great nation. It is a noble calling and one that should never be forgotten.
So, a hearty crisp hand salute to all veterans that grace this blog with their presence.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Look Boss, De Plane De Plane
Great article in the Weekly Standard on why the the prospect of a unified nation under Obama is nothing more than a fantasy.
If he hears the voices of those that are against socialist programs and still implements them anyway, how will that unify the nation?
Just asking.
"To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn--I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too."
--Barack Obama, November 4, 2008
If he hears the voices of those that are against socialist programs and still implements them anyway, how will that unify the nation?
Just asking.
Monday AM QB
Colts 24 - Steelers 20
The best game of the year for the Colts. Their defense made big plays when the game was on the line. The biggest was the goal line stand late in the game, forcing Pittsburgh to settle for a FG. Indy's offense made the plays when they had to, but they also had a lot of chances to make this a blowout. Dropped passes and some special teams penalties were the weakness, once again. But they kept them down to far less than when they played Green Bay.
I think they played gutsy like the old Colts, they never quit. They got into a groove when they had to and took advantage of the situations the Steeler defense presented them with. Manning's play calling was better at the line of scrimmage than at any other time in the season. Teams were good at knowing what the plays were going to be, there was no innovation at the start of the season. In short, they were getting predictable.
It was a needed win, because getting a wild card may not be easy this year.
Pats 20 - Bills 10
A big win, a much needed win, NE just keeps on ticking. They rebounded well from their loss and despite losing to Indy, they still have a better record and lead the East. The more Greg tells us they stink, the more they keep plugging along, with Cassel gaining some confidence as they go. (Maybe that's why Greg keeps downing them so much, reverse psychology.)
Titans 21 - Bears 14
Still perfect. The longer they go, the more the pressure will mount on them. They have Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and Indy left to go, and the rest are not the best of teams. I don't think they will go undefeated. But if they do, they will not make it to the Super Bowl. They also have Detroit on Thanksgiving and the Lions have a way of ruining the best of teams. So, it's just a matter of time. I always say, it's better to get the loss over with before it gets too late. It's always better to get on a run late.
Giants 36 - Eagles 31
The Giants keep on rolling up victories, Greg keeps on telling us how pathetically lucky they are. ;)
I still say, they are the champs until someone says they are not.
The best game of the year for the Colts. Their defense made big plays when the game was on the line. The biggest was the goal line stand late in the game, forcing Pittsburgh to settle for a FG. Indy's offense made the plays when they had to, but they also had a lot of chances to make this a blowout. Dropped passes and some special teams penalties were the weakness, once again. But they kept them down to far less than when they played Green Bay.
I think they played gutsy like the old Colts, they never quit. They got into a groove when they had to and took advantage of the situations the Steeler defense presented them with. Manning's play calling was better at the line of scrimmage than at any other time in the season. Teams were good at knowing what the plays were going to be, there was no innovation at the start of the season. In short, they were getting predictable.
It was a needed win, because getting a wild card may not be easy this year.
Pats 20 - Bills 10
A big win, a much needed win, NE just keeps on ticking. They rebounded well from their loss and despite losing to Indy, they still have a better record and lead the East. The more Greg tells us they stink, the more they keep plugging along, with Cassel gaining some confidence as they go. (Maybe that's why Greg keeps downing them so much, reverse psychology.)
Titans 21 - Bears 14
Still perfect. The longer they go, the more the pressure will mount on them. They have Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and Indy left to go, and the rest are not the best of teams. I don't think they will go undefeated. But if they do, they will not make it to the Super Bowl. They also have Detroit on Thanksgiving and the Lions have a way of ruining the best of teams. So, it's just a matter of time. I always say, it's better to get the loss over with before it gets too late. It's always better to get on a run late.
Giants 36 - Eagles 31
The Giants keep on rolling up victories, Greg keeps on telling us how pathetically lucky they are. ;)
I still say, they are the champs until someone says they are not.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Some Sunday Reflections
After a wild and emotional week that was no less than anti-climactic on Wednesday morning, I thought I'd take a moment and reflect on some things that have emerged from the recesses of my brain.
President-Elect Obama will be my president. I may not like his policies (which led me to vote and actively campaign against him), but he is the man the American people elected and he will treated as such. I will criticize every policy, every stance, which I do not think is right for America. But make no mistake, he will get a far better shake here than George Bush got at liberal blogs. If he does the right thing, I will applaud him for it. If he doesn't, then (metaphorically speaking) I will rip his head off and spit down his neck.
Every move he makes will be watched and studied closely. He has already made some bold moves in his short time as the victor and here is my take on those:
1. Appointed Rahm Emanuel as WH Chief Of Staff.
Some people do not like him because of his affiliation with the Clinton Administration. From WND (HT: AICS) comes this article.
During the campaign, one of my deep concerns was Obama's commitment to Israel. He said he would continue to support the nation, despite the fact Jesse Jackson opened his big mouth to the contrary.
Make no mistake here. Emanuel is a tax and spend liberal, when it comes to domestic policy and it is expected this will not change much. But from the WND article, it would appear Israel will still have a friend in the White House, at least during the opening days of the Obama Administration. This is good news.
2. Obama is committed to the auto industry bailout.
In one respect, I am against the government getting involved in any industry or company within that industry. I do not believe that government intervention is the answer to all issues pertaining to a free market economy. From this perspective, I am not pleased.
But this is the auto industry we are talking about. It is a key component to the industrial infrastructure of this nation. To allow this industry to suffer and even risk shutting down would be a major blow, economically and militarily. If all out war were to ever break out, we need to have the capabilities of manufacturing military vehicles on our own soil and it would be utterly foolish to job it out to foreign countries, which may oppose out efforts.
The one caveat I would bring to the discussion is simple enough. If the car companies get bailout money, they must restructure their management and fire all of the bastards that have mismanaged the situation, allowing us to get to this point. Like I said, I am not thrilled about this at all. But this is a necessary evil, at this point in time, not for union jobs as much as the other reason I have stated.
3. I will be watching how he approaches the Fairness Doctrine issue.
It is my hope that he considers this a background issue for now, with other things considered to be more important. But, being the skeptic I am, I have a feeling this will generate out of Congress and be forced upon him. The question will be, how will he receive it?
As a responsible blogger, I want to ensure that I do my part to act professionally, not like the Daily Kos and HuffPo did during GWB's term. But know this, I will hit hard on issues of freedom and liberty and this area I will consider a priority, if he takes the wrong side of this issue.
4. I believe his election is in some ways positive.
For many blacks it has been viewed as a redemption of sorts, for slavery and other abuses. No one alive today lived under enslavement, but is a fact that many still harbor resentment over it. With that said, there are many good decent (key word: many) black people alive today, who did live under unfair Jim Crow laws. I work with one such woman.
I have worked with this lady for over ten years and she is the sweetest person anyone would ever meet. She remembers being out with her parents and other family members as a little girl in Louisiana; she could not eat in certain restaurants and was relegated to sitting on the back of the bus.
On the day after the election, I felt a myriad of emotions just like the rest of us that worked so hard for Obama's defeat. Some disappointment, disillusionment, and profound sadness permeated my sensibilities on that day. And when I saw her at work that morning, she (knowing I had supported McCain) saw me and was slightly guarded in the first instance of eye contact.
I immediately walked over to her and put my arm around her (in a filial way) and spoke directly to her saying, "although I didn't vote for him because of his politics, for you and especially you, I am truly happy for you. She shed a little tear and looked so relieved and gave me the biggest hug.
Another older black gentleman who I have known and worked with for years, is usually quiet, humble, and overall the nicest guy you would ever want to be around. Never has his countenance shown anger and hostility, at least not that I have ever seen. Many times it has shown some measure of melancholy, with his gait slow, and his head looking at the ground while in the hallways. But when I saw him Friday, he had a spring in his step and a smile on his face; he was walking with meaning and purpose.
For him, I also am happy. But to the little snerts with their hands out, those who haven't had to endure what this man and woman experienced, I have little joy for them.
All it has done for me is confirm what I have already known and believed, for some time now. A black person can make it in America, if they work hard. Obama may not be where I think he ought to be and I may not like his background and teachings, but I cannot deny the fact that he has worked hard for what he has achieved. Running for township trustee is time-consuming in my eyes, I can only imagine how busy he has been for the last two years.
I hope that from this point forward, all blacks can truly believe they are welcome to contribute to this society and that hard work WILL get them somewhere. Dr. Bill Cosby has believed it, Herman Cain has believed it, and countless other success stories have proved this, years ago. And there is no one person in the world happier for these two and the many others, than I am.
So now, the election is over. It is done, it is finished. Now comes the time to govern and set the tone for the next election. President-Elect Obama will get fair treatment here, just as George Bush did. His actions will be assessed, evaluated, and intelligent conclusions will be drawn and communicated, based on merit or the lack thereof.
I am LASunsett and I approved this message.
President-Elect Obama will be my president. I may not like his policies (which led me to vote and actively campaign against him), but he is the man the American people elected and he will treated as such. I will criticize every policy, every stance, which I do not think is right for America. But make no mistake, he will get a far better shake here than George Bush got at liberal blogs. If he does the right thing, I will applaud him for it. If he doesn't, then (metaphorically speaking) I will rip his head off and spit down his neck.
Every move he makes will be watched and studied closely. He has already made some bold moves in his short time as the victor and here is my take on those:
1. Appointed Rahm Emanuel as WH Chief Of Staff.
Some people do not like him because of his affiliation with the Clinton Administration. From WND (HT: AICS) comes this article.
While President-elect Barack Obama and his pick for chief of staff see eye-to-eye on domestic policy, they may find themselves arguing over foreign policy, especially when it comes to Israel, Iraq and Iran.
Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., who served as a captain in the Israeli army, is surprisingly hawkish when it comes to fighting the war on Islamic terror.
And unlike his new boss, he supported the war in Iraq, although he criticized President Bush for missteps.
During the campaign, one of my deep concerns was Obama's commitment to Israel. He said he would continue to support the nation, despite the fact Jesse Jackson opened his big mouth to the contrary.
Make no mistake here. Emanuel is a tax and spend liberal, when it comes to domestic policy and it is expected this will not change much. But from the WND article, it would appear Israel will still have a friend in the White House, at least during the opening days of the Obama Administration. This is good news.
2. Obama is committed to the auto industry bailout.
US President-elect Barack Obama vowed swift moves to help the country's auto industry recover from an economic crisis that has brought car-making giants to their knees, after General Motors said on Friday it was on the brink of collapse.
In one respect, I am against the government getting involved in any industry or company within that industry. I do not believe that government intervention is the answer to all issues pertaining to a free market economy. From this perspective, I am not pleased.
But this is the auto industry we are talking about. It is a key component to the industrial infrastructure of this nation. To allow this industry to suffer and even risk shutting down would be a major blow, economically and militarily. If all out war were to ever break out, we need to have the capabilities of manufacturing military vehicles on our own soil and it would be utterly foolish to job it out to foreign countries, which may oppose out efforts.
The one caveat I would bring to the discussion is simple enough. If the car companies get bailout money, they must restructure their management and fire all of the bastards that have mismanaged the situation, allowing us to get to this point. Like I said, I am not thrilled about this at all. But this is a necessary evil, at this point in time, not for union jobs as much as the other reason I have stated.
3. I will be watching how he approaches the Fairness Doctrine issue.
It is my hope that he considers this a background issue for now, with other things considered to be more important. But, being the skeptic I am, I have a feeling this will generate out of Congress and be forced upon him. The question will be, how will he receive it?
As a responsible blogger, I want to ensure that I do my part to act professionally, not like the Daily Kos and HuffPo did during GWB's term. But know this, I will hit hard on issues of freedom and liberty and this area I will consider a priority, if he takes the wrong side of this issue.
4. I believe his election is in some ways positive.
For many blacks it has been viewed as a redemption of sorts, for slavery and other abuses. No one alive today lived under enslavement, but is a fact that many still harbor resentment over it. With that said, there are many good decent (key word: many) black people alive today, who did live under unfair Jim Crow laws. I work with one such woman.
I have worked with this lady for over ten years and she is the sweetest person anyone would ever meet. She remembers being out with her parents and other family members as a little girl in Louisiana; she could not eat in certain restaurants and was relegated to sitting on the back of the bus.
On the day after the election, I felt a myriad of emotions just like the rest of us that worked so hard for Obama's defeat. Some disappointment, disillusionment, and profound sadness permeated my sensibilities on that day. And when I saw her at work that morning, she (knowing I had supported McCain) saw me and was slightly guarded in the first instance of eye contact.
I immediately walked over to her and put my arm around her (in a filial way) and spoke directly to her saying, "although I didn't vote for him because of his politics, for you and especially you, I am truly happy for you. She shed a little tear and looked so relieved and gave me the biggest hug.
Another older black gentleman who I have known and worked with for years, is usually quiet, humble, and overall the nicest guy you would ever want to be around. Never has his countenance shown anger and hostility, at least not that I have ever seen. Many times it has shown some measure of melancholy, with his gait slow, and his head looking at the ground while in the hallways. But when I saw him Friday, he had a spring in his step and a smile on his face; he was walking with meaning and purpose.
For him, I also am happy. But to the little snerts with their hands out, those who haven't had to endure what this man and woman experienced, I have little joy for them.
All it has done for me is confirm what I have already known and believed, for some time now. A black person can make it in America, if they work hard. Obama may not be where I think he ought to be and I may not like his background and teachings, but I cannot deny the fact that he has worked hard for what he has achieved. Running for township trustee is time-consuming in my eyes, I can only imagine how busy he has been for the last two years.
I hope that from this point forward, all blacks can truly believe they are welcome to contribute to this society and that hard work WILL get them somewhere. Dr. Bill Cosby has believed it, Herman Cain has believed it, and countless other success stories have proved this, years ago. And there is no one person in the world happier for these two and the many others, than I am.
So now, the election is over. It is done, it is finished. Now comes the time to govern and set the tone for the next election. President-Elect Obama will get fair treatment here, just as George Bush did. His actions will be assessed, evaluated, and intelligent conclusions will be drawn and communicated, based on merit or the lack thereof.
I am LASunsett and I approved this message.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Seeking Direction?
For those of you that do not frequent Mustang's site, I swiped this from him:
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
If any of my readers find that you are parents of one of these poor lost souls, Sunset & Mustang Enterprises have a deprogramming service that is well within your budgets.
It's an eight-week course, results are guaranteed. They will pick up their rooms, make their beds, and will even get paying jobs afterward. Half of the graduates actually move out of their parents' homes, within six weeks after completion of this course. Call now, slots are still available for the next cycle.
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
If any of my readers find that you are parents of one of these poor lost souls, Sunset & Mustang Enterprises have a deprogramming service that is well within your budgets.
It's an eight-week course, results are guaranteed. They will pick up their rooms, make their beds, and will even get paying jobs afterward. Half of the graduates actually move out of their parents' homes, within six weeks after completion of this course. Call now, slots are still available for the next cycle.
Another Blast From The Past
Now that the election is over and the results known, I instantly thought of this weekend's featured artists as an appropriate tribute to the process. I have seen these guys in concert twice, once in Nuremburg (home of the famous trials) and once in Indy during the Quadrophenia tour a few years ago. This band is one of my top five favorite bands of all time. They are simply known as, The Who.
At this point in the process, the GOP has found itself in the same position the Democrats have, in the past two cycles. Forced to look inward and seek answers is normal. And at times, it becomes necessary to look deeper into the core principles and re-evaluate how well they are being adhered to. As anyone that has had a campaign rejected will tell us, sometimes you look into a mirror and ask: Who Are You?:
The games, the facades, the acts are always fun to watch in a campaign. Often times, it is the candidate that tells the people what they want to hear, as opposed to what they need to hear. This is once such song that has much to say about this aspect of the human experience in this dishonest world we often find ourselves in. As the lyrics so accurately point out:
Here is Eminence Front:
While others have chosen to hide behind their self-constructed masks, I have always been open and honest about the things that others need to hear. In short, I am blunt and to the point, but always with a certain level of compassion for the other person's feelings. I have never felt the need to hurt someone to get a point across, but have been able to communicate that point in a clear and concise way. The next song has a passage which illustrates my concrete belief that people need to be more self-reliant and proud of that particular quality:
Here is the immortal, Baba O'Riley:
Sometimes it can be a struggle to see injustices prevail and I guess it's only natural to feel some level of anger, when these things are so apparent. It makes a person mad, sad, and sometimes altogether confused. This next tune expresses all three of these emotions very well and it is one of my favorites, Behind Blue Eyes:
Frustration and disillusion are two themes from this last song.
The old saying goes: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I only wish more people could learn lessons like this, the first time around. Sadly, many in this world cannot and do not. It takes a lot to fool me at my age, but I can be fooled. Once.
In this finale, we can learn much, especially in the context of this election process. This passage says something that many people will see come to pass through their own personal experiences, something that my generation was forced to confront at this time in 1976.
Carter had beat Ford in a close election, the tides were turning toward a new era then, just as they have now. I was in in boot camp in Ft. Sill Oklahoma, my education in life was just beginning. And here comes the greenhorn upstart that would change the world. (I remember posters of Jimmy's photo, with beard and long hair superimposed. The caption read, JC is coming.)
I voted for him. Silly me. All of us that voted for him had to learn some hard lessons and come to fully recognize our folly. But more than anything else, we learned to spot BS better after this was all over. This passage from the song says it best:
Enjoy.
At this point in the process, the GOP has found itself in the same position the Democrats have, in the past two cycles. Forced to look inward and seek answers is normal. And at times, it becomes necessary to look deeper into the core principles and re-evaluate how well they are being adhered to. As anyone that has had a campaign rejected will tell us, sometimes you look into a mirror and ask: Who Are You?:
The games, the facades, the acts are always fun to watch in a campaign. Often times, it is the candidate that tells the people what they want to hear, as opposed to what they need to hear. This is once such song that has much to say about this aspect of the human experience in this dishonest world we often find ourselves in. As the lyrics so accurately point out:
The shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
Forget they're hiding.
Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - it's a put on
Here is Eminence Front:
While others have chosen to hide behind their self-constructed masks, I have always been open and honest about the things that others need to hear. In short, I am blunt and to the point, but always with a certain level of compassion for the other person's feelings. I have never felt the need to hurt someone to get a point across, but have been able to communicate that point in a clear and concise way. The next song has a passage which illustrates my concrete belief that people need to be more self-reliant and proud of that particular quality:
Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven
Here is the immortal, Baba O'Riley:
Sometimes it can be a struggle to see injustices prevail and I guess it's only natural to feel some level of anger, when these things are so apparent. It makes a person mad, sad, and sometimes altogether confused. This next tune expresses all three of these emotions very well and it is one of my favorites, Behind Blue Eyes:
Frustration and disillusion are two themes from this last song.
The old saying goes: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I only wish more people could learn lessons like this, the first time around. Sadly, many in this world cannot and do not. It takes a lot to fool me at my age, but I can be fooled. Once.
In this finale, we can learn much, especially in the context of this election process. This passage says something that many people will see come to pass through their own personal experiences, something that my generation was forced to confront at this time in 1976.
Carter had beat Ford in a close election, the tides were turning toward a new era then, just as they have now. I was in in boot camp in Ft. Sill Oklahoma, my education in life was just beginning. And here comes the greenhorn upstart that would change the world. (I remember posters of Jimmy's photo, with beard and long hair superimposed. The caption read, JC is coming.)
I voted for him. Silly me. All of us that voted for him had to learn some hard lessons and come to fully recognize our folly. But more than anything else, we learned to spot BS better after this was all over. This passage from the song says it best:
There's nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!
Meet the new boss,
Same as the old boss.
Enjoy.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
The Signs Of Things To Come
Some of you may have caught this story, which took place yesterday in Indianapolis.
I have worked on mayoral, State Representative, US Congressional, and Presidential campaigns. I even worked the polls for a local Justice Of The Peace race, when I was a young boy. I worked them because I believed in the candidate I was supporting, not for money.
I would think the thought of hope and change would have resonated more. I would think that these people would have been sincere enough in their beliefs that they would have gladly volunteered their services. But I guess I am of a different era.
But this story leads back to the prospect of a future with many broken promises from the President-Elect. He has made a lot of them. I cannot see how this man cannot help but send some people away empty handed.
And it's not just the poor masses (who were used to gain power) who are petitioning the new President for funds, as we see in this story.
Be ye not surprised folks - this man owes a lot of favors to a lot of people. Which ones get paid back and which ones won't, will be anyone's guess.
Now someone correct me if I am wrong, but didn't we just hear how this would be a different kind of presidency, one that would not cave in to special interests? In the minds of some people it will be, but in reality it is not. They won't pander to the same special interests as the GOP, but they will be beholden to their own. And this global warming cult might just be one of them.
Get the tree up. It looks like Santa Claus is coming early for some people, this year.
The Obama campaign says most of the payment issues that brought hundreds of upset campaign workers to the Indianapolis office Wednesday have been resolved.
Campaign spokesman Jonathan Swain says a few people showed up Thursday and made arrangements for payment by mail.
A few hundred people stood in line for several hours Wednesday waiting to get paid for working in the final days of the campaign. Many of those people said they were underpaid for the number of hours they worked.
I have worked on mayoral, State Representative, US Congressional, and Presidential campaigns. I even worked the polls for a local Justice Of The Peace race, when I was a young boy. I worked them because I believed in the candidate I was supporting, not for money.
I would think the thought of hope and change would have resonated more. I would think that these people would have been sincere enough in their beliefs that they would have gladly volunteered their services. But I guess I am of a different era.
But this story leads back to the prospect of a future with many broken promises from the President-Elect. He has made a lot of them. I cannot see how this man cannot help but send some people away empty handed.
And it's not just the poor masses (who were used to gain power) who are petitioning the new President for funds, as we see in this story.
Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection has some environmental advice for the incoming Obama administration: focus on energy efficiency and renewable resources, and create a unified U.S. power grid.
On Thursday, the group Gore founded rolled out a new media campaign to push for immediate investments in three energy areas it maintains would help meet Gore's previously announced challenge to produce 100 percent clean electricity in the United States in a decade.
Be ye not surprised folks - this man owes a lot of favors to a lot of people. Which ones get paid back and which ones won't, will be anyone's guess.
Now someone correct me if I am wrong, but didn't we just hear how this would be a different kind of presidency, one that would not cave in to special interests? In the minds of some people it will be, but in reality it is not. They won't pander to the same special interests as the GOP, but they will be beholden to their own. And this global warming cult might just be one of them.
Get the tree up. It looks like Santa Claus is coming early for some people, this year.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Congratulations To President-Elect Obama
I want to take a moment and join the stock market, Hamas, and Putin in congratulating the new President-Elect. It seems the Dow was down 5% or almost 500 points, in the wake of the Chosen One being anointed. Hamas sent 35 rockets into Israel and Putin stated he would base missiles at the Polish border. How much more of a welcome could anyone ask?
The time to test a new President is in his first term. Since we know Obama is one to appease and talk before flexing muscle, he has a lot meetings to schedule soon. It is not likely Obama will act decisively right away, if at any time at all.
But more than the obvious statements about his lack of foreign policy experience, I'd like to present a person that is no doubt very happy today:
Now let's imagine for a moment, the very moment when she gets a check for, let's say, $500. First of all, it is probably far more than she paid in, but that's not important now. The important thing to note is, $500 will not send her kids to college, will not make more than one car or mortgage payment, and will only buy three weeks of groceries. Can we imagine her anger when she figures out she has been hoodwinked?
Here is something President-Elect Obama should read. It's one of those internet things that get circulated through the e-mail channels, so who knows if this actually happened or not? But regardless of its validity issues, the story is not a far fetched one:
A lot of ice cream has been promised, now it must be bought and delivered. And guess who the cows are? Get ready to write the checks, America.
So in summary, I say congratulations to President-Elect Obama; and likewise to all of you that voted for the ice cream, over the one that said he could/would do the best job. You can really pick them.
The time to test a new President is in his first term. Since we know Obama is one to appease and talk before flexing muscle, he has a lot meetings to schedule soon. It is not likely Obama will act decisively right away, if at any time at all.
But more than the obvious statements about his lack of foreign policy experience, I'd like to present a person that is no doubt very happy today:
Now let's imagine for a moment, the very moment when she gets a check for, let's say, $500. First of all, it is probably far more than she paid in, but that's not important now. The important thing to note is, $500 will not send her kids to college, will not make more than one car or mortgage payment, and will only buy three weeks of groceries. Can we imagine her anger when she figures out she has been hoodwinked?
Here is something President-Elect Obama should read. It's one of those internet things that get circulated through the e-mail channels, so who knows if this actually happened or not? But regardless of its validity issues, the story is not a far fetched one:
I just had to say this. I am worried about "the cow" .....
It's all about the Ice Cream
The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third Grade in 2000. The presidential election was heating up and some of The children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election For a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make A campaign speech and the class would vote.
To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other Class members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these Students should have. We got many nominations and from those, Jamie And Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.
The class had done a great job in their selections. Both Candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage Because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia's Mother. The day arrived when they were to make their speeches Jamie Went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better Place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Every one Applauded. He sat down and Olivia came to the podium. Her speech was Concise. She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice Cream." She sat down. The class went wild. "Yes! Yes! We want ice Cream."
She surely would say more. She did not have to. A Discussion followed. How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn't sure. Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it. She didn't know. The class really didn't care. All they were Thinking About was ice cream. Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a land slide.
Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream, And fifty percent of America reacts like nine year olds. They want ice Cream. The other fifty percent know they're going to have to feed the Cow.
A lot of ice cream has been promised, now it must be bought and delivered. And guess who the cows are? Get ready to write the checks, America.
So in summary, I say congratulations to President-Elect Obama; and likewise to all of you that voted for the ice cream, over the one that said he could/would do the best job. You can really pick them.
Making A Bed
The easy part is over. Now, the monumental task of governing will begin. I hope Mr. Obama recognizes the fact that 47% of the people did not support him and to win their support in his endeavors, he will need to govern from the center. If he does not, he will age quickly, because the 47% that did not support him will swell to 57%, as quickly as he rose to fame.
From here on out, when I hear someone complain about the difficulties they face and the government that does nothing about it, I will be asking them who they voted for in this election. I do not want to hear whining about the state someone is in, when it was once in the power of their hands to do something about it.
So to all the leftists that are celebrating today, remember well that this is the bed you made. Now, you must sleep in it. The people will be watching, and his every move will be highly scrutinized.
From here on out, when I hear someone complain about the difficulties they face and the government that does nothing about it, I will be asking them who they voted for in this election. I do not want to hear whining about the state someone is in, when it was once in the power of their hands to do something about it.
So to all the leftists that are celebrating today, remember well that this is the bed you made. Now, you must sleep in it. The people will be watching, and his every move will be highly scrutinized.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
A Preponderance Of The Vote
I recently wrote a piece in which I tried to hypothesize about how I would feel, if Obama were to be elected President. There are some things I would like to say more accurately, maybe even clarify and expound a little deeper. And it's very possible, many of you will disagree with me for one reason or another. But all of us will be in similar boats, which means we must endure whatever hand is dealt when the votes are counted.
I am not thoroughly excited about McCain even though I respect him, like him, and think he's as genuine of a politician as one can find. He has earned the right to believe what he wants, he has earned the right to agree or disagree with anyone he sees fit. Despite this admiration, I don't get a "thrill" running up and down my legs, when I think about him as a candidate or even more importantly, as President.
Are their better people in America who are better for the job? Absolutely. But they are not running and he is the only viable candidate. He is the one that won't screw up the country nearly as fast. His background isn't pristine clean, very few politicians can claim this. But he has been tested. He has been tried. And he has been proven.
Obama has not. Neither has he been rightfully vetted, by the media or the Democratic Party. His background is highly questionable and his record has been sparse, at best. He has far less experience than John McCain, on the national or international level. He has a European-style socialist economic view, wants to redistribute wealth, and is proposing to spend us into oblivion while doing it.
For me this is a no-brainer. But as we all know, there are some that still think Obama is the best choice.
I suspect there are a good many reasons for people supporting Obama. Some think that it's just time for a black man. For black veterans that came back from Vietnam, Korea, and WWII and still couldn't get a seat at the lunch counter in some places, this is a momentous event and rightfully so. This is something they can have some pride in. I have known a few over the years and I am truly glad for them - but only in this aspect. But as happy I am for them, I am equally as puzzled as to why they would throw their lifelong value systems out the door, while supporting him.
Some people just want a Democrat. For all of the party hacks that have put partisan politics above country, shame on them. Some merely want a leftist, a Marxist, someone that realizes the dream of a United Socialist Republic of America. These are they that vehemently hate George Bush and want to undo anything he did, for some kind of righteous retribution.
But as for me, I don't want Obama.
It has nothing to do with his skin color and has everything to do with his political beliefs, stances on the issues, and overall vision for America. I do not believe socialist programs will work in this country, we've thrown money at problems for decades and the problems we have now are far worse than they ever were. I do not believe in penalizing hard work and killing incentives to work harder. I honestly believe that true freedom can only be realized with a free market system.
So what if my belief system proves to be in the minority this time around?
Will my life be ruined? I won't allow that to happen because I am a survivor.
Will I forsake my core principles? Never.
Will this country hit a road bump, will a President Obama do damage to the nation if he implements some of his agenda? Temporarily, yes.
We may have a tough road ahead. The nation may have to reacquaint itself with the Carter years. But make no mistake, they will not prevail. Conservatism will not die, moderation will not be compromised. The same morals, values, and core beliefs will only grow stronger within those of us that believe the way most of us do. And they will be planted in those that are now skeptical, once they have had the opportunity to see firsthand how social engineering and socialist economics fails a society.
Yes, the pendulum swings back hard. If they win, they will have to govern. They will have our eyes watching them, they will have our ears listening to them. We will call them out, whenever the situation warrants. They will have to give an account as to why the country is no better off, after trusting leftist philosophy to guide us out of our own entanglements.
And when they cannot give a reasonable account, it will give occasion for a new champion of the people, a new leader that will be a model standard bearer for America's future. The next Ronald Reagan must be born from the womb of adversity. He/she must rise out of the ineptitude that permeates the current political system in this country.
But before we must look at this scenario as a reality, we must know who wins this election. It really could be that McCain will pull off one of the biggest upsets in American political history.
It isn't over until the votes are counted. But it is now up to us to cast our votes, in good faith and good conscience. If we do not and we find ourselves learning to accept the results, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We will know who we are, we will know it was us who did not exercise our duty and our right to have a say. We can fool our neighbors, but we will know all of this, for the next four years.
Vote, if you haven't already, and do it like your job and livelihood depends on it. Because it just might.
I am not thoroughly excited about McCain even though I respect him, like him, and think he's as genuine of a politician as one can find. He has earned the right to believe what he wants, he has earned the right to agree or disagree with anyone he sees fit. Despite this admiration, I don't get a "thrill" running up and down my legs, when I think about him as a candidate or even more importantly, as President.
Are their better people in America who are better for the job? Absolutely. But they are not running and he is the only viable candidate. He is the one that won't screw up the country nearly as fast. His background isn't pristine clean, very few politicians can claim this. But he has been tested. He has been tried. And he has been proven.
Obama has not. Neither has he been rightfully vetted, by the media or the Democratic Party. His background is highly questionable and his record has been sparse, at best. He has far less experience than John McCain, on the national or international level. He has a European-style socialist economic view, wants to redistribute wealth, and is proposing to spend us into oblivion while doing it.
For me this is a no-brainer. But as we all know, there are some that still think Obama is the best choice.
I suspect there are a good many reasons for people supporting Obama. Some think that it's just time for a black man. For black veterans that came back from Vietnam, Korea, and WWII and still couldn't get a seat at the lunch counter in some places, this is a momentous event and rightfully so. This is something they can have some pride in. I have known a few over the years and I am truly glad for them - but only in this aspect. But as happy I am for them, I am equally as puzzled as to why they would throw their lifelong value systems out the door, while supporting him.
Some people just want a Democrat. For all of the party hacks that have put partisan politics above country, shame on them. Some merely want a leftist, a Marxist, someone that realizes the dream of a United Socialist Republic of America. These are they that vehemently hate George Bush and want to undo anything he did, for some kind of righteous retribution.
But as for me, I don't want Obama.
It has nothing to do with his skin color and has everything to do with his political beliefs, stances on the issues, and overall vision for America. I do not believe socialist programs will work in this country, we've thrown money at problems for decades and the problems we have now are far worse than they ever were. I do not believe in penalizing hard work and killing incentives to work harder. I honestly believe that true freedom can only be realized with a free market system.
So what if my belief system proves to be in the minority this time around?
Will my life be ruined? I won't allow that to happen because I am a survivor.
Will I forsake my core principles? Never.
Will this country hit a road bump, will a President Obama do damage to the nation if he implements some of his agenda? Temporarily, yes.
We may have a tough road ahead. The nation may have to reacquaint itself with the Carter years. But make no mistake, they will not prevail. Conservatism will not die, moderation will not be compromised. The same morals, values, and core beliefs will only grow stronger within those of us that believe the way most of us do. And they will be planted in those that are now skeptical, once they have had the opportunity to see firsthand how social engineering and socialist economics fails a society.
Yes, the pendulum swings back hard. If they win, they will have to govern. They will have our eyes watching them, they will have our ears listening to them. We will call them out, whenever the situation warrants. They will have to give an account as to why the country is no better off, after trusting leftist philosophy to guide us out of our own entanglements.
And when they cannot give a reasonable account, it will give occasion for a new champion of the people, a new leader that will be a model standard bearer for America's future. The next Ronald Reagan must be born from the womb of adversity. He/she must rise out of the ineptitude that permeates the current political system in this country.
But before we must look at this scenario as a reality, we must know who wins this election. It really could be that McCain will pull off one of the biggest upsets in American political history.
It isn't over until the votes are counted. But it is now up to us to cast our votes, in good faith and good conscience. If we do not and we find ourselves learning to accept the results, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We will know who we are, we will know it was us who did not exercise our duty and our right to have a say. We can fool our neighbors, but we will know all of this, for the next four years.
Vote, if you haven't already, and do it like your job and livelihood depends on it. Because it just might.
Monday, November 03, 2008
NObama 08 Blogburst
I am going against the grain for this week's NOBama Blogburst. I feel we have said all we can say on the matter and the decision is in the hands of the American people. But before you vote, take a look at this video:
Before you pull that lever, think about the next four years. Think about the unprecedented power you will be handing over to a greenhorn, an upstart with no resume. Think about the lack of checks and balances we will be missing, if the Democrats control Congress and the White House.
Who will be able to stop them from making more bad decisions?
Win or lose Tuesday, let me say, it has been my honor to participate in this blogburst with such a fine group of bloggers. And always, thank you for reading PYY.
Participants: Always on Watch; And Rightly So; Big Girl Pants; Cheese In My Shoe; Chuck Thinks Right; Confessions of a Closet Republican; Defending Crusader; Farmer’s Letters; Fore Left; GeeeeeZ; Has Everyone Gone Nuts?; Learn Something Today; Long Range; Palace for a Princess; Papa Frank; Mind of a Misfit; Paleocon Command Center; Political Yin and Yang; Pondering Penguin; Praesidium Respublicae; Right Truth; Social Sense; The Amboy Times; The Bitten Word; The Crank Files; The Jungle Hut; The Logic Lifeline; The Merry Widow; TSOFAH
Before you pull that lever, think about the next four years. Think about the unprecedented power you will be handing over to a greenhorn, an upstart with no resume. Think about the lack of checks and balances we will be missing, if the Democrats control Congress and the White House.
Who will be able to stop them from making more bad decisions?
Win or lose Tuesday, let me say, it has been my honor to participate in this blogburst with such a fine group of bloggers. And always, thank you for reading PYY.
Participants: Always on Watch; And Rightly So; Big Girl Pants; Cheese In My Shoe; Chuck Thinks Right; Confessions of a Closet Republican; Defending Crusader; Farmer’s Letters; Fore Left; GeeeeeZ; Has Everyone Gone Nuts?; Learn Something Today; Long Range; Palace for a Princess; Papa Frank; Mind of a Misfit; Paleocon Command Center; Political Yin and Yang; Pondering Penguin; Praesidium Respublicae; Right Truth; Social Sense; The Amboy Times; The Bitten Word; The Crank Files; The Jungle Hut; The Logic Lifeline; The Merry Widow; TSOFAH
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