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   Wally's Blog

Note: this is my blog about daily-life "stuff." Anything you find on this blog page is just my opinion or my thoughts on a subject...nothing more.

Page Contents
(3/3/2009) A New Comment On The Economy
(9/5/2010) A Prayer From America's Beginnings
(9/6/2010) Another Example of Sharia Law In Iran
(8/14/2010) Don't Be Evil? So Is Killing The Internet Evil?
(5/12/2010) Forming LanierUG
(8/17/2010) Here's A History Lesson For Our Liberals
(3/12/2009) Here's A Way To Really Help the Local Economy
(8/21/2010) How To Prevent A Depression?
(8/18/2010) How Intelligent (Or Stupid) Are These Islamics In NYC?
(8/19/2010) I Spoke To An Englishman About ObamaCare--Seems Sensitivity Is Necessary
(8/17/2010) It's Still The Economy!
(9/6/2010) Labor Day Holiday Sees New Economic News
(5/11/2009) Moving Woes -- No 1
(8/30/2010) Questions For Obama and His Administration
(9/4/2010) The Liberal Press Loves to Play The "Racist" Card--But Wait
(8/18/2010) The 9th U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals Just Doesn't Get It
(8/27/2010) USS Cole...Plays Into Another Question
(3/2/2009) Welcome To The Sunny South
(8/23/2010) What to do about Social Security
(8/15/2010) What's So Hard To Grasp About The Word "Illegal?"
(8/19/2010) Why WOULD People Say Obama is A Muslim?



Another Example of Sharia Law In Iran

(9/6/2010)  There's this woman whose husband died. After that, she was captured by the government, tried, and found guilty of having committed adulterous acts with two different men. Her punishment? She was condemned first to 99 lashes...and then to be stoned to death!

Stoned.

Wait. It gets better. While she was being held in an Iranian prison, a British newspaper ran a picture of her face. I mean how horrible can she get? So now she faces an additional 99 lashes...before they kill her by stoning. No, not kidding. After all, she wore no veil on her face in the picture. You could actually SEE her face!

That's in Iran and the woman's name is Ashtiani. She's the mother of two children.

So for all those who make apologies for the United States of America as if we were heinous, horrendous, animals; maybe you should move to Iran and live there. Then you can live under Sharia Law and their "Supreme Leader" can look after you. Won't that be great? So, go!

Please! That really will be change we can believe in.

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Labor Day Holiday Sees New Economic News

(9/6/2010)  Did you notice last week how the press was full of reports that things in our economy are getting better? Unemployment, they said in the liberal press, got better. Wall Street reacted by showing increases in all the major indices. There was no doubt that our "leaders" were going to crow about it...they wanted, nay, needed something, anything, to crow about!

So now we're coming up on the end of our Labor Day weekend and things are happening. First, you may or may not have noted that Friday, just before the official holiday weekend began and while most people were getting ready for their brief 3-day vacation from the everyday drudgery, we saw a new, higher unemployment figure admitted by the government. Now they admit to 9.6% unemployment and the loss of another 54,000 US jobs--since July. Of course, they aren't giving us the real figures because they are just too bad to talk about--best guesses range anywhere from 15%-19% unemployment. The real values rival and perhaps exceed those of the 1929 Great Depression. Maybe the liberal "journalists" will begin talking about it on Tuesday morning?

What the liberals will begin talking about--just watch those talking heads--is Hussein's newest plan to drive the federal government further into financial oblivion. (Have you noticed that his real name, not his Islamic handle, is Barry Soetoro?) Yep, our Islamic socialist wants to add another $50 billion to the federal debt. This time he's going to create jobs by spending money on infrastructure--roads, railways, airports, and, of course, high-speed railway.

How's that sound? Let's examine it. The two things the USA needs first are jobs and to cut back on the federal debt. Let's talk first about jobs. The people who build roads already have trained people, many of whom are already working thanks to the federal programs that already exist. We're going to see a few jobs from this part of the proposed new expenditures, but really. What we're going to see most will be the fat-cat buddies around the country who own and/or run road-building companies getting fatter and richer. However, we won't see massive creation of new jobs if Barry gets this latest "plan" into action.

Railways? Really? Well, let's ask just two questions before we talk about going deeper into debt for that. First, who built and who owns the existing railway system in our great nation? Last time I looked, it was the same companies who make money by running trains up and down those tracks--we call them railroad companies. That begs the second question. Why should the American tax pay begin building "railways" for the railroad companies?

Let's skip over the airports for a minute and stay with the railroads...just for a minute. There are probably some parts of the USA where high-speed railways are a good idea. But in almost every state in the Union, the local departments of transportation have looked at the possibility on at least one occasion. So how many states are busy building high-speed railway routes? Name one.

Of course, good old Barry, er...Barack, being a far, far, far-left liberal knows more about what we need than any local experts who are still "desperately clinging to their guns and religion." Heck, some of them are probably even Republicans! Right? I mean, if any of those DOT people had a brain they'd be busily constructing high-speed rail systems already. Right?

Yeah, so just how far do you think the entire $50 billion will go toward building roads, railways, airports, AND high-speed rail systems? Guess what one of the main objections to high-speed rail has been everywhere it's been looked at. Hint...the key word is cost.

So, after we've looked at building and paving all those roads, rails, and high-speed rails, we'll build new, modern regional air ports...all that on $50 billion and all on the taxpayer's back...and none of it actually paid for. Here's some bad news for Barry, Barack, Hussein, or whatever his name is this week. $50 billion won't get too far...maybe two really top-of-the line airports? Hey, let's be overly generous. Maybe four such airports if we skip the railway construction? So...where are you going to put them? Put it another way...who gets the pay-off, er...pork?

OK, let's just ignore all of these finer points and say we're going to go ahead and benefit the road-building lobby, the railroad companies, and the airlines. We'll create a few thousand jobs. We might even create as many jobs as we lost last month...maybe. If we're lucky. Compared to the number of jobs we need to create in this country, this "stimulus" program won't be more than a drop in the ocean.

And, of course, all of this federal "stimulus" spending totally ignores the fact that NO federal spending has EVER made a significant, long-lasting improvement in the overall US economy. That was true of FDR's New Deal and it is true today--the GDP never went up and stayed there until we entered WWII. Certain well-off groups get a financial boost--Wall Street financiers got one from our first Obama-stimulation windfall. Cash-for-Clunkers? The auto companies got a boost until the program ended. Now we're not only paying taxes for it, used cars cost us some 30% more than they would have without it. Home-buyer's stimulus? Sold some homes and helped home builders...until it ended and now the home-building industry is in free fall again. Now Hussein wants to give a stimulus to the road-building lobby, the railroads, and maybe some other as-yet unnamed large contracting companies. And he wants to be sure to raise all our taxes to do it. He's already made it so that our grandchildren will be paying taxes all their lives to pay for his spending spree.

This $50B program isn't going to help the people of this country. Not unless you're talking about a few fat cats who will get fatter. You have two choices. Pay for this latest "stimulus" program forever. Or...contact the people who supposedly represent you in the House and in the Senate and tell them, 'Enough, already. No more "stimulus" for the fat cats.'

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A Prayer From America's Beginnings

(9/5/2010)   ' Almighty God;
We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection;
that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government;
and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large.
And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice,
to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility,
and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion,
and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.
Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.'

                    --George Washington

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The Liberal Press Loves to Play The "Racist" Card--But Wait

(9/4/2010)  Ok, all you liberals can call those American citizens who think like me "ignorant, stupid," and of course, your worst accusation of all, "racist." That's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but there's still that old adage...actions DO speak louder than words.

I've noticed that liberals who can't answer an argument successfully always try to undercut their opponents by calling them names they think will discredit the opponents. Liberals like to use accusatory adjectives and terms like, "Ignorant," "Just plain stupid," and, of course, their best one of all, "Racist," to describe anyone who has the nerve to disagree with the liberal's obvious over-arching intelligence. The liberal press is the same, too...it's just that they're "journalists" when they do it because they do it for money...that's just my own opinion and I'm just as entitled to it as you are to yours. So check out a few arguments and questions so you'll have plenty of reason to call me those names.

First, let's revisit the question of a mosque, to be named Cordoba House--a name that symbolizes Islamic victory over the infidels (read Christians) of Spain, even if there has been a momentary setback--and located at Ground Zero in New York City. The liberals tell us we're just "dumb racists" if we don't want a mosque at Ground Zero. After all, they claim the mosque is to bring us all closer together.

Hey, what could do that faster than a group of Muslims standing on hallowed ground, reminding us of who and what struck us on 9-11 and thumbing their noses at the American people? After all, we're just infidels anyway...you'll need to actually read the Quran for a better understanding of what that means. Betcha most of you "journalists" haven't done that--lots of work and no money for it.

OK, if that's not what they're doing and we're all just "stupid, ignorant racists," let's really get closer together. I'll just ask them to show they mean it when you say they're moderate and only want to bring us all together in brotherly love. So, we'll swap. You build their mosque, but from now on, they let Americans build Christian Churches and Jewish Synagogues in Islamic countries so we can really come closer together. While we're at it, let us hand out copies of the Holy Bible written in their local language. We can happily start in Saudi Arabia. Then we can move to, let's say, Yemen, and then the United Arab Emirates. From there...

Oops! I'll bet that's a lot closer than they want us to get. Right? No Christian churches in Saudi Arabia--that's against the law. And a Holy Bible of any kind? Against the law again. Jewish Synagogue? Right... (You are laughing at that one, right?) The same can be said for all those other Islamic nations, too. (And it's also strange that these countries joined India as the only nations demanding RIM let them read everyone's email. Do YOU believe in coincidences? How about government censure outside the good old USA? The Patriot Act under former President George W. Bush was a horrible thing...right?) But if they do it over there, it's OK. It's not racism if they do it. Strange how that works isn't it? Wake up.

Let's talk about the "ignorant, stupid, racism" involved in trying to secure our borders and give the boot to those who are in our country illegally. Here's a simple thing we can do and it won't be "racist" at all. We'll use the immigration laws of the nation a person originally comes from to determine how we treat them. I think the American people will buy into it , too.

For example, if you're here illegally and you are a citizen of Mexico (70% of our illegals come from Mexico according to our government's reports and we know the federal government under Obama would NEVER lie to us), we'll use Mexican immigration laws to guide our treatment of you here in America. Now what could be fairer than that? I ask you, how can that be racist? Those laws are good enough for an American who risks his life to immigrate illegally to the other country, so they should be good enough for their people who come here illegally. Right?

So, if you're a Mexican who's here illegally, here are the rules of your own country that we'll be applying to your case:

1. There will be no special bilingual programs in any state-run schools.
2. All ballots will be in this nation's language. (This won't bother you. See number 4 below.)
3. All government business will be conducted in our language.
4. Non-residents will NOT have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.
5. Non-citizens will NEVER be able to hold any political office.
6. Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. This means you and your family will get no welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or other government assistance programs. Anyone who becomes a burden will be automatically deported--no questions asked.
7. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount at least equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.
8. If foreigners come here and buy land... options will be restricted. Certain parcels, including waterfront property, are reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.
9. Foreigners may hold no protests; no demonstrations, no waving of a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our government or its policies. These acts will lead to deportation.
10. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be actively hunted and, when caught, sent to jail until your deportation can be arranged. All assets will be taken from you.

Oops--we didn't see any of that in the liberal press did we? Tell me, does that sound racist to you? Since it's the laws they would apply to one of us who went there, it seems fair and certainly not racist. (Yeah, I know, no American other than a criminal on the run would ever risk dying to get into Mexico. I guess that's "stupid and racist" too. Say, why don't you go to Mexico to live away from all us "stupid, ignorant, racists." I promise you, we won't mind a bit.)

"Stupid, ignorant, racists?"

Ah, please, tell me why Barack Hussein Obama, who says he's a Christian, steadfastly maintains that collective salvation is the only salvation there is? Mr. Beck says it's liberation theology. That fits to a degree since Obama obviously favors redistributive justice (thumbnail explanation of redistributive justice for those not familiar with the term: take wealth from those who have it and give it to those who don't because their ancestors were badly and unfairly treated and that's obviously the only reason they don't have it. It's because your ancestors were heinous criminals, so you deserve to give up whatever you have. This also leads to apologies for America as a terrible nation--slavery, Indian mistreatment, and any other such things you can find to blame the "haves" over fit here.) It's also what "Rev." Wright, Obama's close personal friend and religious advisor for 20 years, seems to promote. (That's only my opinion, mind you. Say, did you hear Wright ask God to damn America? It fits into liberation theology just fine.) Of course, the problem with this so-called "theology" is that it does not agree with what our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, says over and over in the Holy Bible. It is not what the catholic Church has said for over 2,000 years...it's not orthodox Christian theology/teaching/belief. These are minor problems if you're a "journalist." You just ignore all of that. Right?

No! You try to discredit your opponent again. So...

Liberals are quick to say, "You must not judge anyone else." (See Matthew 7:1 among others.) That's a good point...to a point. One cannot exactly judge Mr. Obama or anyone else. God will do that. But a Christian must also seek to rightly discern the truth, the will of God, so that one does not blindly follow evil straight into the fires of hell itself.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.--NRSV
(See also 1Cor 2:15.)

Ah, and speaking of "racism" as our liberal press defines it, ask yourself why our great hope-and-change president doesn't take his wife to Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia where he bowed to the king and practically kissed his a...er...ring. Why do YOU think that is? Muslims will tell you that any orthodox Muslim male would NEVER take his wife along on a political trip to a Muslim country to meet that country's leader(s)...it's against their protocols. "Racism?" "Ignorance?" Tell me, please, which Christian church in Washington, DC, has our president joined? Where was he last Sunday morning at the worship hour? Why did he speak of America as one of the largest Muslim nations in the world (Really?) and downplay the fact that our great country really was founded as a Christian nation? (Did that frost ya?) Oh, and we might ask, why does Obama seem to go out of his way to denigrate and make problems with and for our only real ally in the Middle East, Israel? Why tell NASA to elevate the Islamic world's opinion of itself? And on and on it goes. Actions. Actions. Actions.

And while we're talking about things the liberal press won't talk about, Mr. Obama said in a recent speech, "My father served in WWII and when he came home he got the services he needed." Wow! Some folks took time to look it up. Obama's father was born in 1936. His step-father was born in 1935. In case you "journalists" don't remember, VJ day was just about in time for the older of the two men to be 10 years old...look it up. One wonders what Obama did to serve the country and what services Obama's dad received when he got home. Elementary schooling, perhaps?

Yeah, yeah, I know...merely asking about such things is "ignorant, stupid, and racist." Right? Especially since only "journalists" are allowed to ask any questions at all and they can only ask those that are blessed by the people paying them to do so. I guess you'll have to make up your own mind about that. I don't buy it, but that's just my own opinion--and maybe 70-75% of America's. I guess we'll see how many Americans are buying it when November rolls around. Me, I'm praying for America to survive the liberal, socialist/communist agenda long enough to get us through those elections.

By the way, here's one more thought for you. Check out what Jesus Christ, who is, according to orthodox Christian theology, God incarnate, says in John 14:6. That ought to really wad your liberal drawers! But be careful about calling Christ "ignorant, stupid, and a racist." It could be really warm where you wind up.

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Questions For Obama and His Administration

(8/30/2010)  First, Mr. President, you said today that if it's OK to put a Christian church, a Jewish Synagogue, or a Hindu chapel near Ground Zero, we have to look upon anIslamic mosque in exactly the same way--implying that it's OK, too. But here are questions for you and they are directed to bring out the error of your thinking. Did a Christian bomb the Towers in the name of Jesus Christ or Christianity? Were the people who killed so many innocent American citizens in the 9-11 attack Jewish people acting in the name of Yahweh? Did a group of Hindus bring down the Towers in the name of Krishna or some other god? No. So did a group of Muslims acting in the name of Allah do the deed? Surely, that difference didn't escape your monstrous liberal, Socialist intellect, Mr. President? In case you hadn't seen the difference, about 70% of Americans--those you called "desperatepeople clinging to their religion and their guns"--saw it, so why didn't you?

While we're asking such questions, why did you include Arizona in a list of human rights violations--to show how we handle disputes about human rights Hilary says, to demonstrate that we're a nation of laws, she adds. Well, so be it...can youname just one example of a real human rights violation that occurred in and was perpetrated by the state of Arizona? Just one example? Your court-room antics (which, by the way, defy the will of the majority of the American people) haven't referenced the 14th Amendment--just the 10th. So where is the human rights violation? If it's there, why haven't you argued it in court? You have insulted the American people with this accusation. Why?

And speaking of your approach to using our tax dollars against something the majority favors...again...did you ever actually read the 10th Amendment? "Illegal" means illegal. Yes, it is the responsibility of the Federal government to enforce our immigration laws. You're right about that. It's also the responsibility of the Federalgovernment to secure our borders and keep the American people safe. So why won't you enforce federal law? Let me put it another way. Why won't you do your job?

Oh, wait, you've sent National Guard troops to our southern border. So, why not give them the authority to actually make arrests? And why did you send so few? No one sees this as a real effort to prevent either the illegal immigrantsor the drug traffickers from coming into the US at will. This is justanother distraction, another effort to quell the tide of voices who speak against your Marxist policies, just another attempt to hide the fact that you refuse tostop the influx of drugs and illegals by enforcing the laws of the United States Federal government? Why don't you think we can see it for what it is? You really do think the American people are stupid, don't you?

By now I know how you and any other liberals who read this are reacting to my comments and questions. Any time liberals can't answer questions or arguments against their clear knowledge of what is best for everyone in the world, liberals resort to calling those who oppose them names and trying to discredit them. Sohere it is...I give you my permission to call me any name you choose. I don't care what people like you call me.

But there is one thing...I'm proud to be an American , Mr. Obama. Why aren't you? Why are you always talking America down? Why are you so anxious to bow to foreign kings, to talk about how we've done so many bad things? (Human rights violations?) So call me whatever you like, butplease, don't apologize for America, or for me, ever again.

I saw a bumper sticker that summed it up nicely. It said simply, "I'll keep my religion and my freedom. You keep the change." By the way, how's that "Summer of Recovery" thing working out for you? More change?

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USS Cole...Plays Into Another Question

(8/27/2010)  You'll remember the USS Cole? It was bombed 10 years ago--10 years ago!--and several US sailors were killed. Have the bombers who did this been punished? No. Let's repeat that...ten years and "No?"

And today Fox News is reporting that the Obama administration killed attempts aimed at prosecution of the alleged bombers of the USS Cole. You'll read all about it in the news--at least where it's fair and balanced news (though probably not where they're so liberal it smells.) The big news companies will have much to say about how the administration is playing politics with national security, and how by doing so they are torturing the families of those valiant young people who died when the Cole was hit by terrorists. My opinion...all of that is true and all of it is absolutely despicable.

Now, let's note one more question...just so it doesn't go without notice. Is Yemen an Islamic country? Of course? Can we chalk this up as one more straw on the camel's back when we talk about whether our illustrious president is a Muslim or not? Hey, you decide. All the liberals and "journalists" say folks like me are ignorant because we don't believe what they want us to...so, you decide.

By the way, where was our great leader last Sunday morning? Again.

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What to do about Social Security

(8/23/2010)  Here's another thought on things we can do to fix our government's ever-growing, out-of-control financial situation. If you study such questions, you're probably justlike me when it comes to Social Security. I hear a few lonely liberals saying that SS is not in trouble, that it's doing just fine. Unfortunately, I hear the OMB andalmost every independent economist who has looked at SS saying it's not so. These folks, who I tend to trust far more, say SS is in deep trouble and is headed toward financial failure. The only thing they seem to disagree on is how quickly it will fail completely. All agree something must be changed to prevent failure.

You may remember that SS was originally to be held in a special fund, an independent "Trust Fund" that couldn't be spent except to fund the SS retirement fund. Notice it was t o be a supplemental retirement fund, not a general fund for everyone in the country who might need a handout, and not your only retirement funding. Interestingly, it was Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democratic-party president who did away with that concept, moved the money to the general fund, an proceeded to administer getting rid of themoney. Then, just to recite a bit more history, it was the Democratic party that did away with the income tax deduction for SS withholding, thus hurting millionsof honest, hard-working, tax-paying Americans who were coerced to put their money into SS. (Remember the tax-paying part of that.) And it was the DemocraticParty that began taxation of SS annuities--the inventor of the internet, Mr. Green World himself, Al Gore, cast the tie-breaker, deciding vote during his term as VP. All of which was bad enough. But WAIT!

Here's the worst of it all. Jimmy Carter--you remember old visit Hamas and talk Israel down Jimmy Carter, one-term Democratic President. Under his watch we began giving SS payouts to illegalswhen they reached the age of 65, even though they had NEVER PAID A DIME into the SS fund. Great?

So here's my recommendation--a quick way to fix SS with just 2 steps. First, let's take the money we have earmarked--or what we SHOULD HAVE earmarked for SS and put it back into a special fund that our politicians can't get their pork-laden, greedy hands on it. Second, if you didn't pay into it, you don't get paid from the SS fund. Ever. Period. If there areothers who need financial support from the government, let's set up special funds for them and let's be sure to let the taxpayers vote to do it--not just our pork vendors.

That's it...just two quick steps that will ensure the life of SS and the care of our aging American-citizen population for a long, long time to come. Of course, there's a problem...we'll have to explain the word "illegal" to the Democrats and override what the politicians--both sets--want to do at every turn. But wouldn't it be great to know that ourretirement funds would actually be there when we need them?

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How To Prevent A Depression?

(8/21/2010)  One who only offers criticism should just shut up and go away. That's what I was taught as I was growing up so long ago. I believe it's a pretty good assessment of the situation. So let's talk. To begin with, this week saw Englishman David Blanchflower, a former Bank of England official, telling us that if we don't "act fast" a "plunge" into depression is a growing risk. And an economist at the US Chamber of Commerce, Martin Regalia, seconded that opinion. I've been in that camp for some time as I look for a bright spot, a reason to think the economy really is doing what the administration says, but can't find it.

Hence, one needs to look at what's going on and make suggestions--not that the socialists/communists will listen to anything that doesn't involve making the government "god." To begin with, all the stimulus money that our fearless anti-American leader, B. Hussein Obama, has managed to spend has been given to thebanking and financial industries. I'm not going to question at this moment the wisdom of that decision. I certainly could, but I'm not. Instead, I'm going to say thatit hasn't produced the great advantages and benefits Obama and Pelosi would have us believe. From unemployment, housing, retail, and any other standpoint I can find, things are worse than they were last year before the stimulus spending began.

It's time we take a different approach. It's time to stop trying toput government at the top of every heap and face the reality that small and mid-size businesses create jobs. Jobs create paychecks. Paychecks create the ability to purchase things, hence, they create demand. That's demand for everything from clothing to houses and cars--even demand for financial services. Then, you have an upward spiral as compared to the downward spiral we're in right now. Government can only remove money from the economy, thus giving us a downward spiral--admit it's taxes or call it fees, or whatever you like, a rose smells the same. Taxes take money away from the economy creating only the downward spiral we're already deep in. Period. So let's propose some real changes to the plans put forth by Obama and Pelosi.

First, let's extend, nay, let's increase tax cuts established under former President George W. Bush. We don't have to leave the increases in effect forever, just for 3 or 4 years until the economy regains its upward spiral and holds on to it for a while. The current intent of Obama and Pelosi, both of whom think the former President was, as Hugo Chavez said, "El Diablo," is to cut these tax cuts and put higher taxes not only on the wealthy, but also on the people who can least afford it. That, too,is un-American. It smacks of Karl Marx through and through.

Second, let's kill the Alternative Minimum Tax. This is NOT the time to put taxes on the middle-class consumers who just might help spend this economy back onto thereal road to recovery. The AMT was never meant to hit the middle class and now IS the time to kill it once and for all.

Next, let's kill estate taxes. The communists and socialists love the thought of these taxes because it lets them break up successful family-owned businesses, farms, etc. They see it as "distributive justice" because it takes away from those families who have worked so hard to build something and, via theirgovernment efforts, lets them give it to those who have not worked for anything. What will they do for us if we don't get them stopped? Whenever anyone at the helm of a successful family-owned business, farm, or whatever dies, the businesswill die with them because the family won't be able to pay the oppressive estate taxes. The socialists and communists see this as a good thing, but let's point out that when the business dies, so do the jobs it creates both directly and indirectly. Estate taxes are as un-American as calling for a Ground Zero mosque in NYC.

Next, instead of giving the money to Wall Street and the bankers who won't loan it out for fear they'll get in trouble and need it, let's turn loose direct-to-users Small Business Association interest-free loans for entrepreneurs who want to start new businesses. Let's require a thoroughly-developed business plan that includes hiring of at least 3 people who are currently unemployed for at least three years. It should include money for all the normal business expenses that the new businesses will incur, including such fixed expenses as utilities, rent, phone, insurances, goods/merchandise/services for sale, business licenses, accounting fees, etc. (Yes, that includes health insurance under Obamacare if we can't get rid of it.) We can give priorities to so-called "green" businesses, but we MUST NOT limit the grants to this type of business.

And here's a thought. NASA and the space program have given America a huge technological advantage. It's a fragile advantage that we're in danger of losing thanks to Obama and others' failure to see that we enjoy a great deal of national security and wealth because of it. To task NASA with binding closer ties with theIslamic world is not only un-American...it is pure stupidity. Anyone who knows anything knows engineers are not diplomats. So, let's task NASA with putting a large colony on the Lunar surface by 2020 and a manned mission on Mars by 2025. Oh, and let's give them the funding and support to get 'er done. How many jobs and how much demand will that put into our economy?

Here's another thought. Let's hire an additional 5,000 border patrol operatives. We can begin trying not only to secure our southern border, but also our ports and our northern border. Oh, and by the way we'll create a lot of jobs as we uniform, train, and equip those 5,000 people. In association with this effort, let's hireabout 5,000 more ICE agents and task them with catching and exporting illegals. Lots of jobs will be created as we train and equip this 5,000 people, too. Oh, andwhen we catch illegals in the US, let's not put them on a bus and take them to the border. Let's use federal tax dollars--at least for a year or ten--to purchase airlinetickets on US air lines like Delta, US Air, etc., and put these people on flights that take them directly to the capital city of their home country--be it Bogota or MexicoCity. Think of how much this will help the US air carriers' businesses.

Now, I don't want you to think I don't have a heart for those who truly want to come to America to live and become citizens, speak English, pay taxes, etc. They arewelcome in my book. So let's hire another 5,000 folks--bean counters and administrators all--to process properly-filed applications, review qualifications, and let inthe ones we want and/or need. They can come in legally and with a pathway to becoming American citizens. Of course, we'll need to hire another 10,000 law enforcement pros to keep up with these people and what they're doing and where they're living. We'll have to spend money to equip all those people, of course, so how many jobs will we create indirectly? All I can say is, it's a very large number.

While we're at it, let's make an admission that greatly increased production costs of any kind will do horrible damage to the US economy--too much to survive for thenext few years as we struggle to get out of our so-called "Great Recession." For that reason, we need the President to openly and vocally back away from his "Cap and Trade" plans. He has only to say that it needs to wait a few years until the global economy is back on track. It won't create too many jobs, but it will givebusiness a breath of solidity and planning ability they don't currently have and that will encourage them to hire people they might not otherwise have hired.

Speaking of uncertainty, Obama's healthcare insurance is going to displace millions of American workers as small businesses struggle to figure out how to pay forthe costs of ObamaCare. Already I've spoke with a number of people who tell me they have plans to let some of their not-so-necessary people go in order to pay forObamaCare for the employees they must keep to stay in business. It's not going to be the small business owners or the people at the top of their totem poles whopay for ObamaCare by standing in unemployment lines. It's going to be the receptionists and the grunts--the very people who can least afford it. Obama, Biden, Pelosi, and the rest need to get out and talk to real business people who are running scared about it. Obama and company's efforts at redistributive justice areabout to be a disaster and they should already be trying to find a way to quietly back out of it before millions of Americans are hurt by ObamaCare. (Yeah, I know that's not the message they want to hear in the Democratic camps, but it IS the truth.)

And still speaking of uncertainty and its deadly effect on the American business community, now is the time for Obama to declare that there will be not Value Added Tax for the foreseeable future. Only Obama can do this, but it needs to be done so that American business people know a VAT isn't hanging around their necks like an albatross. The same can be said for investors and others who fear this tax will be the end of our economy, which it almost certainly will be if it is enacted.

While we're at it and dealing with uncertainty, let's make our own future and security more certain. We have the finest military establishment anywhere in the worldand we own much of our security to that fact. But the American military has been strained for several years as we fought in Iraq--a subject for another time--and in Afghanistan--another time. Now, we need to rebuild and resupply our military. How many jobs can this create? My only answer is, a lot. It's time to announce andbegin this task. About January, 2009, would have been a good time to start.

For the longer run, let's start something new.One of the greatest advantages and best things that America ever had was a brain trust called Bell Labs. The Labs brought together some of the brightest minds the world had to offer and paid them for their efforts. Let's recreate that, away from academia and all its little strings. We can turn these people loose and see what wondrous inventions and new things they give us--let's take their inventions and fund entrepreneurs to build companies using them.

I have some other thoughts on these lines, but I'm just wasting my time anyway since the socialists and communists despise everything I'm saying. Hence, I'll hold some of my other thoughts for another time. At least, you can't say all I did was criticize. These recommendations are real and taken as a whole they would bringthe American economy out of its doldrums in a fairly short time.

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I Spoke To An Englishman About ObamaCare--Seems Sensitivity Is Necessary

(8/19/2010)  Recently, while attending a conference for geeks like me, I came across a young fellow from England who married a Texas girl and came here to live. I was curious to engage him in a conversation about ObamaCare: I wanted to get his views on healthcare here and there.

"The USA has the worst healthcare in the world," he flatly stated.

"Why do you say that?" I asked with bated breath while biting my tongue.

"The US spends more for healthcare than any other country," he told me. "That needs to stop," he continued.

As we talked further, I restrained myself because I wanted to hear more about his views--he having lived under the English system most of his life. I listened and considered carefully what he had to say. Frankly, it frightened me to listen to him. His take: we have to stop wasting money on drugs and healthcare for the long-tail groups of people, i.e., we need to spend all our money on the 80% of people who have curable problems and who can contribute the most to society. We must stop spending money for people who cannot be productive and/or who cannot be cured.

Where does that leave the older population of America? Who will decide whether you can be productive enough to warrant healthcare? (Answer: a government--appointed committee of qualified professionals.) Who will decide who's qualified? (Answer: After lots of smoke-screen is blown away, it will be politicians who fill the committee appointments.) If you need a treatment to keep you alive for 10-20 years, but you won't be as productive as SOMEONE thinks you should be, what happens? (Answer: you won't get the treatment...go away and die, thus saving the government lots of money they can use on those more productive, more curable people.)

If we could perhaps spend money and develop a cure for some of the diseases we don't know how to cure today, but it would cost lots of money, do we go for it, or do we save money? (Answer: "Clearly the UK and the USA are the two places developing new drugs today." Did that answer the question or not?I'm not sure, but I don't think I liked it.)

So...if you or someone you love is pushing 60, or perhaps is past 60; look for Obama's healthcare czar to come down to the European take--go away and die? (Answer: "I guess you could put it that way, though I would be more sensitive about it.")

Sensitive? Who wants that kind of sensitivity?

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Why WOULD People Say Obama is A Muslim?

(8/19/2010)  There's an old adage my grandparents gave me and my parents backed it up. It goes something like this. "It's not necessarily what you say...it's what you do." Put another way, "Actions speak louder than words."

We have a guy who ran for President of the United States of America, the most powerful position in the entire world even if he did apologize for that fact. And, like all politicians when they're running for office, he obviously said and did the things he thought would get him elected. And there was one thing he knew. Americans would not elect a professed Muslim. Not today with the pain of 9-11 attacks still smarting. Not today when we're embroiled in wars in not one, but two Islamic countries. Not today when we're known as the Great Infidel. No way. Not today! This wasn't limited to Islam, either--just to cut off that discussion before it starts. Americans also would not have elected an atheist, a Scientologist, a Hindu, or a Buddhist, among others, to be their president. Not today. No way. The political reality of the moment was this: if Obama wanted to win, he had one, and only one, choice. What a surprise! He claims to have converted to Christianity many years before? (And never mind about his "preacher" of 20 some odd years being what I personally consider to be a nut job who preached things not even closely akin to orthodox Christianity--just my own personal opinion about him being a nut job, mind you.)

Did Obama make anyone in America happy when he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia? How about when he hacked off and insulted our Israeli allies? And on and on it goes. There have been a number of things, some large, some small; all the way through his statements that seemed to favor building a mosque at Ground Zero in NYC. (Though in fairness, he did seem to question the wisdom of it after he'd had time for his handlers to talk to him about what to say.)

Another question: where are we likely to find this president on any given Sunday morning? Will he likely be in a church, his wife and daugher by his side, worshiping Jesus Christ? Sutdying the Holy Bible? Praying for divine guidance and help? Or are we more likely to find him on the golf course?

Ask yourself, how many film shots and sound bites have you seen lately of Obama with his family in the church of his choice? But don't let political spin fool you. You can look for some of those pictures within the next few days: that's because FOX News came out with survey results showing 20% of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, not a Christian. And FOX got a rabbi to write an article saying that the 20% are wrong--the implication, though strenuously avoided, is that the 20% are ignorant or crazy or something of the sort. (I guess they view getting a rabbi as having a neutral person write the article, but that didn't exactly work out.)

Here's a new and different thought for the folks at FOX--and for their rabbi contributor, too--maybe 20% of the American people also subscribe to that old adage I mentioned first. Maybe, just maybe, actions really DO speak louder than words. See ya' in church. Pray for our country.

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How Intelligent (Or Stupid) Are These Islamics In NYC?

(8/18/2010)  Sensitivity. Intelligence. Empathy. Sympathy.

These are words that go together. There are many places where they connect. Let me give you an example. Recently our local law enforcement folks--and they're great people by the way--caught a local petty crook stealing stolen scrap bronze metal. Crook. Bad-guy. right? Hardly worth notice in today's world?

The scrap metal he was selling was comprised of bronze vases and decorations he had removed from the headstones and footstones of local cemeteries. Imagine your loved ones were buried there and he stole bronze vases from their headstones.So now how do you feel about the guy. If you're like most folks, the words that now apply to this guy are not even words I want to use.

Here's another one. At one point I called the State of Alabama about a situation where I thought someone was stealing from a large corporation. I was right. He was and they arrested him in the very next week. What words would you use about a guy who stole several thousand dollars from that company? Thief? Crook? Bad-guy? Hardly worth notice in today's world?

Here's the rest of the story. The company ran a nursing home where my mother and a lot of other helpless elderly people who couldn't look after themselves were residents. The money was being stolen from the food accounts and its theft left these people just short of 2 tablespoons of something akin to canned dog food at every meal every day. Imagine it was your own mom. Now what words would you use for the guy?

Sensitivity. Intelligence. Empathy. Sympathy. Those words have meaning and they strike deep within us when they're ignored. So, yes, technically and legally the Islamics who want to build their mosque at Ground-zero have the right to do so. The real question is whether they have the intelligence to understand the way the people of this country feel about cemeteries, the emotions we feel about those we love, and so much more. Ground-zero is now "sacred ground" to Americans just like a cemetery where our loved ones rest, and that's something no Islamic, or anyone else, can get around or change no matter how they try.

Sensitivity. Intelligence. Empathy. Sympathy. I wonder how Islam, including these guys who are pursuing a mosque at Ground Zero, would react if we said we wanted to build a massive new Christian or Jewish religious compound in Israel--say, next door to their golden dome. Or somewhere in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, or Afghanistan. I can imagine those words would take on new meaning if the tables were reversed. Ha! There would be riots in the streets and Hamas, which naturallyfavors thumbing their noses at us about this mosque in NYC, would be leading the charge.

The only thing these Islamics can do is spread ill will in America toward their religion and toward the people who follow it. Basically, they're standing in one of our cemeteries and thumbing their noses at us all. They do have an alternative. At this point, they have the chance to gain a lot of good will and ease tensions. All they have to do is back away from that location and build their mosque somewhere else, almost anywhere else. To do otherwise is simply to strain relations and antagonize the American people.

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The 9th U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals Just Doesn't Get It

(8/18/2010)  Ah, where else but California? In a 2-1 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals there has ruled unconstitutional the 3-year-old Stolen Valor Act that made it illegal to falsely claim to have received military medals, to wear a medal you didn't earn. The Court says there's no harm in telling these lies, thus ignoring the long-standing tradition of the Supreme Court that lies don't have legal protection at all. Once more we see lawyers who've been elevated to a position of power making law and showing they just don't get it--they just don't understand what's going on in the real world. A friend of mine says something goes wrong with the brain when the elbows spend too much time on a desk--maybe that's their problem.

So now any good-for-nothing who wants to impress the girls, or his buddies, can pin on some kind of medal and claim they're heroes, thus sullying and belittling the reputation and bravery of the real heroes who actually did serve and protect our freedom.

So while our federal government is wasting time and taxpayer money harassing the state of Arizona and their elected leaders--against the wishes of most Americans--let's hope they spend a little of our money fighting this stupid--just my opinion of them--Court's ruling. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said they're still deciding whether to appeal it. Let's hope they have the intestinal fortitude to move forward to restore the Stolen Valor Act. Surely our young heroes--the real ones--deserve that much.

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It's Still The Economy!

(8/17/2010)  Let's take a fresh look at our economic situation. OK, I know the government says it's a recession and it's over. They tell us the economy is in recovery and things are doing much better. Yea! So let's take a look at some stats to see how they backup what the government says--especially after they put our grandchildren in debt spending all those billions of stimulus funds to help Wall Street's bankers and other fat cats.

Do you still remember when they told us that unemployment would top out at 8.5%? That was a long time ago, or so it seems, but we have to remember what they tell us so we can know when they've lied to us and when they've given us the truth, so we can know what's working and what's a massive failure. So how're we doing? Well the government admits that unemployment is riding at 9.5% and has been for months. Of course, one of the things you have to realize is that our government, and our Democratic leaders, just passed another $26 billion spending bill to extend unemployment because there's a record number of people who have been unemployed for 6 months or more--6.5 million by the same government's own estimates--and their benefits have run out. Many people have simply given up on finding a job or aren't applying for help any more with all this going on. The same government told us last Thursday that first-time unemployment claims went up yet again. Now, let's be honest about unemployment numbers. If the real number was known, i.e., if we allowed for all the people the government refuses to include in their count, most economists quietly say the number wouldn't be 9.5%, but something more like 14.5%. It might even exceed what we had during the Great Depression. Sound better?

In our country the housing industry is a major key to getting out of economic trouble, so how's it doing? Let's see a few more of those pesky statistics. We'll begin with foreclosures. They're already at all-time-record highs and the nasty little secret that's just keeps hiding in the wings is that by the end of December the mortgage industry expects a huge influx of new foreclosures. Meaning, there will be more cheap houses on the market...and more...and more. As of this moment 21% of home mortgages are "underwater" (they owe more than the home is worth). Various estimates say there are 24-48 months of housing inventory already either in or coming into the housing market. Polling of homebuilders and contractors show less confidence than ever before that we're in a recovery and things are on the uptick. We'll be getting data on new home starts today and you can expect they'll be down. OK, you get the picture, so that's enough about the home market itself, except to say that lots of people depend on it for employment, either directly or indirectly. Jobs ranging from fuel for trucking and vehicle sales through distributors and all the way to the realtor are watching their jobs and their incomes going down the tubes. This is better?

And that can be our segway into consumer confidence and spending: these are the other things that can pull our economy out of the ditch. So how's that "hopey, changey thing going there?" Well, read the previous two paragraphs and you can figure it out for yourself. A basic fact: people who are unemployed don't spend a lot of money if they have a brain and can avoid it. And despite what the fat cats believe, most Americans do have a brain. They're buying what they NEED and leaving a lot of the rest of the discretionary spending alone. Major department store chains including, for example, Kohl's and J.C. Penny, just lowered expectations on their stocks' performance...because they think things are getting better? They didn't do that because things are looking good in retail, now did they? Watch for others to join them. And remember that many retailers, especially small-business retailers, depend on the Christmas rush to produce much of their annual revenues and keep them in business. Remember, that means keeping their workers employed during the next year, too. Remember, too that we have a tradition in American business that December is when the lay-off slips are handed out--just in time for Christmas joy. So read the previous 2 paragraphs again and see how you think the retail marketplace looks, say, around the end of 2010 or the first quarter of 2011. I'll leave it to your imagination because I know you have a brain.

So our government is telling us how great it is and sure enough the bankers who flew their $50 million jets to Washington with tin cups in their hands are doing well. They got most of the stimulus money that's been spent--much of it never was. But did you notice that even Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, said that the recovery outlook is "unusually uncertain." That's because his political well being would be in jeopardy if he said something like, "It stinks." And did you notice that Cisco Systems, Inc., CEO John Chambers echoed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's sentiments last week? (Cisco is a bellwether for the tech sector.)

Now let's look forward and add one more wrinkle to our forecast for the end of 2010 as we move into 2011. Obama and the liberals want...too weak a word...they crave an end to President former President George W. Bush's tax cuts. Everyone knows the government knows better how to spend our money than we do because, well, there's that brain thing again. Washington can let these tax cuts run out and then, using the greatest of efforts not to laugh at the stupid masses of Americans, they can say, "We didn't increase taxes." They want you to believe that letting these tax cuts expire will only affect the rich. But the truth is very different. While Americans are desperately trying to find work and keep food on the table--you know, trivial things like that--ALL tax brackets are going to go up--a lot. For example, if you're a low-income, working, American citizen paying at the 10% rate, you will now pay not 10%, but 15%. Yes, that's right, a 50% rate increase. (Call your representatives and Senators and tell them not to let this happen or pay the price--your choice.)

In summary we can shout, "Yea for Wall Street! Yea for the bankers!" They have an economic recovery going on, but for Main street, for the rest of us who aren't able to afford to take vacations in Spain or even on the Gulf Coast (even without an entourage of taxpayer-funded federal security and support) we're in for a still worse time. So let Washington "leaders" tell you how good it is all they want, but our council is to save your money and don't go out and get into debt for a new anything. Remember the recovery they're bragging about really is "unusually uncertain." Call your Washington politicians and tell them to keep the former President George W. Bush tax cuts alive and if they tell you, "We'll have to pay for them somehow," tell them to cut spending...they can start with congressional, judicial, and executive-branch salaries in my book.

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Here's A History Lesson For Our Liberals

(8/17/2010)  You may have noticed that our current president (He looks like a way-too-far-left spend-and-tax-and-spend-and spend socialist liberal to me.) seems to relish talking down America. You may have also noted that for the first time ever he sent a US representative to Japan for the anniversary of our nuclear attacks there...that looks to a lot of us like just another way of apologizing for being Americans. Then he probably wonders why so many people doubt whether he's really an American citizen or not. He probably also wonders why so many of us despise the things he's doing. For anyone over 60, this latest move is abhorrent beyond words. Why? Because we haven't forgotten the truths of history no matter how hard the liberals try to rewrite them.

Mr. President, and I hope you won't have that title for very long, I know you and your liberal, socialist buds are way, way too busy what with tough duty like vacations, golfing, parties at the White House, and those forced trips to the Gulf Coast every so often; but you should take time to watch a semi-documentary movie called The Great Raid.

Since I know you're all too busy to do that let me take just a few sentences to tell you about what you could learn. First, there's December 7, 1941. Remember? That's when, without provocation or warning, theJaps, who were still negotiating peace at the time, bombed Pearl harbor and almost 3,000 American citizens were killed. Not illegals--they were US citizens. Americans. Oh, you already know about that? Well next you'd learn about how, some 10 days later, the Japsattacked the Philippine Islands, bombing unexpecting, unprepared civilian populations there and, eventually, taking over the islands. They captured some 70,000US and Philippine troops who had held out for several weeks without resupply: these men were weak, sick, and starving. The Japs weren't ready or interested in providing care for them and they looked down on them because they surrendered. Next you'd learn about the Batan Death march when 15,000 of these soldiers died on a grueling 60-mile forced march. Any man who fell was either shot or killed by the bayonet. We won't even mention how civilians were killed and mistreated by the Japs.

So far it doesn't fit your liberal ideals very well does it? Well, at a point later in the movie, you'd learn how, with American victory assured and Old Glory about to come ashore in the Islands again, the Japs put out an edict against surrender--their soldiers were to fight to the death to last man. Further, the Japs put out an edict that prisoners were to be, essentially, eradicated. In the Philippine Islands, American POWs were herded into underground bunkers, covered with gasoline, andburned to death. Thousands were killed. Others were starved to death, tortured to death, and killed. Thousands. The movie is about proud Americans who risked their own lives to save some of the prisoners from such heinous deaths.

And you might remember a guy named Franklin D. Roosevelt? (He was a Democrat if that matters to you.) He was our president during this war, and he ordered the atomic bomb to be built. He didn't actually live long enough to bring it to fruition, but he was ready to do so. His successor was faced with a terrible decision. Should he drop the atom bomb, killing lots of Japanese people, and force the Japs to give up, or should he continue to fight a long, drawn-out fight that would have cost many thousands more American lives? He chose to drop the bomb and force the Japs to give in. No shame here!

The movie won't tell you this, but history teaches us that the Japs were building atom bombs on the northern Korean Peninsula--that's where the Russians suddenly got their nuclear know-how and it's why North Korea is still a force against world peace today. The movie also won't tell you that while the Japs had air force or missiles to deliver their own atom bombs, they did have aplan to put them on submarines and sail them into San Diego, LA, or San Franciso. They also saw Seattle and Portland as prime targets. They were bent uponusing their bombs to force the USA to surrender to them. And if the Russkies had not captured the Japs' Korean development sites and stripped them, the Japs would havecarried through with their plans. We might be speaking Japanese today as a first language and looking up at a red-sun flag while we bowed to their little emperor.

So before you go kissing the Japanese emperor's rear, or bowing to him as you did to the Saudi King, please, reflect on what was going on in WWII in the Pacific. We have absolutely no need to apologize to the Japs for using those bombs. It's their precious emperor who should apologize to the Japanese people for forcing us to do it.

God Bless America and may Old Glory fly proudly forever.

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What's So Hard To Grasp About The Word "Illegal?"

(8/15/2010)  What is so hard to understand? "Illegal" means it's against the law...laws are broken by some action which means that action is "illegal." We are a nation and a society dependent upon our laws and adherence to them, backed up by negative consequences for those who break the laws. Geez. A 5-year-old can grasp it.

Many an American life has been put on hold, damaged, or lost by our citizens who fought to defend America's laws and keep Old Glory flying free and proud.

So when I read this past week that the head of Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE) said their record proves they're working successfully against the illegal immigration problem our country faces, a problemWashington has ignored for many years, a problem the Obama administration doesn't seem to want to admit even exists, I choked. The ICE man bragged that so far this year they've deported 136,000 illegals, many of whom were arrested as criminals.

136,000. Really?

I'm underwhelmed.

And, you need to know that another 15,000 individuals who were rounded up under Homeland Security's "Secure Communities" program, had already been guilty of serious crimes including murder and/or rape once before. More on that thought anon.

First, let's do some arithmetic. By all estimates there are from 12 to 14 million illegals in the USA right now. Let's be generous and say it's 12 million. Now 136K divided by 12M and then multiplied by 100% tells us that just over 1% of our illegals were deported so far this year. Since I believe the total number is closer to 14M than 12M, you'll excuse me if I call it 1% and be done with it. So 1% every 7 months proves they're doing their jobs?

1%? Really?

And how about those 15K serious criminals who were captured? Here's the simple, yet obvious question I have. Why were these people on our streets again?It's good we rounded them up. It's good we're going to take them off the streets...well maybe we are. But why were they there at all? Some of them will be driving with your children and grandchildren, not to mention with Roman Catholic nuns. Who knows what chaos they'll bring us next? And they're as "illegal" as you get.

The liberals are going to fuss and fume about the "Secure Communities" program, but my question for them is, why should we let these criminals live among us? Can't you understand what "illegal" means? Is it that hard to grasp?

One of my favorite liberals, a lady who has NEVER had to worry about how she would feed her children, make her rent payment, or get her child into a college, any college she chose; pointed to a Georgia State college student who was found out when she got a parking ticket. She's here in the USA illegally. Get it? Illegal!

"We shouldn't deport her," my liberal friend says.

"Why not?" I ask.

"She didn't have a say in coming here and she's not lived anywhere else since she was about 6 or 7 years old. She grew up here," she replies.

To which I respond, "Yes, she's enjoyed...probably tax free...the benefits of our food stamp programs and who knows what other welfare benefits. Almost certainly she's benefited from government-paid-for medical care at one time or another. She's gone through several years of K-12 education at taxpayerexpense. Now she's paying in-state tuition rates as if she were a state taxpayer and she's taking a college seat that should be available to a citizen whose family does pay taxes here. Her family is probably sending untaxed money out of the US every month, to boot. And at some point, they'll want to enjoy the benefits of Social Security, Medicare, and so forth. Deport her yesterday, I say, and send her family with her so she won't be lonesome. While we're at it, let's have her family prove they've paid taxes on any moneythey're sending out of the US and, if they can't, let's tax it at 25% Fed and 9% State (Georgia's rate) before we let it leave our economy forever."

Ah, but everything's OK.

We don't have to worry, because ICE is doing their job. I mean by their leader's estimates--and his own people voted no confidence in him and his Second in the last few days--they've managed to get rid of 1% of our illegals this year alone. If no new ones came in (fat chance) and none of the ones we drop off just over the border came back (with our Swiss-cheese border? Ha!), we'd soon be rid of all the illegals. Right?

It would only take around 55 years at this rate!

Still underwhelmed.

By all admissions, there's a ton of drug and gun money flowing across our Southern border and I've continued to say that much of that money is laundered and flowing straight to Washington, D.C. That kind of "support" can purchase a distinct inability to understand "illegal" and a determined unwillingness to do anything about securing our borders. I think it already has.

And, oh by the way, if you had waited and jumped through all the hoops to legally be in America, how would you feel at the site of all those illegals flying their Mexican flags, talking down our country, and thumbing their noses at our laws?

Personally, I hope Arizona's governor runs for president and their sheriff runs for vice president. I'll certainly vote for either or both of them if for no other reason than that they are smart enough to understand the meaning of the word, "illegal."

God bless America. Love it, or leave it. And whether or not you like it here, please, leave your flag in your country where it belongs and at least try to learn English.

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Don't Be Evil? So Is Killing The Internet Evil?

(8/14/2010)  Earlier this week when the artist known as Prince said, "The internet is dead," I laughed. But I'm not laughing now.

OK, the FCC has abdicated its duty to do public good and look after the American public by regulation of telephone services. That comes after our highest court said the FCC didn't have a right to regulate the internet going across telco and cable lines--keep the internet alive, well, and open to all, seems to mean nothing to the Supreme Court. Yep, once more that bunch of clowns sat in their closed, private, ivory-tower, make-believe world's offices and made law to suit their buddies' financial and political desires. Considering how much money the telecom and cable giants have spent to lobby for their "right" to take over the internet and make ever more exorbitant profits, that's not even a surprise to me...just my own opinions...I expected no less than such a sell-out by our government "leaders."

Indulge a brief political ramble, please. Because of my deep southern roots and my conservatism, I'm ashamed to say that Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama is one of the government leaders who sold us out so easily, but considering his position in Congress, all you can say is, "He did it." So I think Shelby deserves to be voted out when he runs again and if it were up to me, we'd watch his finances closely for several years to see how the telcos repay him...just my own opinions,of course.

To get back on topic, what I didn't expect when Prince pronounced, was to see the Big G with their motto of "Don't be evil" leading the retreat from network neutrality. You see, one of those big phone companies came up with the simplest idea of all: if you can't lick them, invite them to join you. And it worked like a dream. "Don't be evil" has to have "unless it makes a profit" appended to it unless theyback away from where they are today and since that won't make a profit, well...

Nicklas Lundblad spoke for Google and told reporters this is a "complex issue that deserves discussion." He implied that his company's agreement with the telecoms provides some protections and that's better than having no protections. Sure, it's better if you're the one being protected, but when we have two-tier(or more) pricing, you can bet those who can't pay--and that's just about every small business, charitable or civic group, and individual--won't be able to play. Google's big enough to pay and they've built quite a large following with their simple little motto, so they've worried the telecom and cable companies by opposing them, but I imagine they're looking to go to the bank with their new agreements and we're not as dumb as they think. We know who's protected.

What will it mean for you? Well, let's say you want to order something that you can't find at local stores. Today you can search for it on the web and you may see 100 or more companies selling what you're after. That's because the free internet creates an environment where you can afford to sell "long-tail" merchandise: that's fancy statistical language for stuff there's low demand for. You can check the merchants' prices, their reputations, and order what you need at a reasonable price. Now, let's also say you want to download drivers or technical information. Today that's free. Want to see what other people think about something going on in the news, political orotherwise? No problem today. But...all of this is possible because all data is treated equally going over the network--it's neutral. It's all "free" to use. I put that in quotes becausethose who have a site of any kind, even the simplest, know it's not really free. If you want faster upload times so your site visitors get reasonably quick downloads, you pay a price to the phone companies to do that. And it seems to me the telcos try to increase that price at every opportunity. And it's not freeon your end either. You pay each month for the ability to surf the web. It may be buried out of sight in your billing, but trust me, it's there.

So what will happen when telcos and cablecos charge you for the right to upload data to the net? Now let's stop and be clear. The existing costs on both ends are not going away...just up. You'll still pay. We'll still pay for our upload abilities. The difference will be new charges for the use of the network to send data over it. Small businesses, charitable organizations, individuals, and anyone else who can't afford to pay for that privilege won't be able to stay. So you'll put in a search for what you want to buy and you'll get back a very small number of hits--maybe as low as 2 or 3. And since they have to pay for the privilege of telling you they have it, your price for whatever it is you need will be higher. That tech information that's free today? You'll either pay for it when you buy the device or you'll pay for it when you download the drivers or information about it. Either way, you'll pay for it or it just won't be available to you because the company couldn't afford to pay the new net-usage charges.The cable companies and the newspaper companies are tightly interwoven, so they'll love seeing the bloggers go away. They're already in peril because peoplewould rather read their news and editorials on the web than get a bunch of panty-waste liberal crap rammed down their throats by "journalists" selling newspapers.So forget about learning what other people think about what's going on. Most of them will be forced out of the net.

So, Prince was right, I fear. But don't shed a tear. The phone companies and the cable companies will be laughing all the way to the bank and the FCC will become totally irrelevant if, indeed, they're not already. And who will pay and pay and pay and get screwed again?

We the people, of course.

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Forming LanierUG

(5/12/2010)  Well, as you can intimate below, we've been sweating through what turned out to be an awful move. We're almost settled in now--just putting final touches on our house and still trying to unpack stuff and get it in its place. Our house in B'ham is on the market--another full story or three there, and we're struggling/waiting for the government as we try to get all the paper work associated with moving here done. Moving is tough!

Among the more surprising things I've hit is that the only user groups in the area are quite an Atlanta-traffic drive away from Hall County, i.e., the Gainesville area. More than once, I've tried to get to one only to finally give up because of a wreck or some other hold-up on the highways. So, I've decided to try to start a UG for developers in the area. I'm not certain there's enough interest to do it, but that's what I'm currently trying to guage. Surely I'm not the only developer in the entire county...right!So, if you’re a software or web developer and you live close to the I-985 corridor from Buford north, please, read on.

If you're not familiar with a user group, one of the things you'll like is that it gives you a chance to meet, question, and learn from representatives of the big companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and others. You’ll be interested in the free training sessions, networking, news, give-a-ways, and other benefits you’ll derive from participation in such a group. Oh, and did I mention that it's good to meet friends who actually understand and speak the same language(s)?

To determine the amount of interest and start-up membership we could look forward to, we’re holding two preliminary networking and business meetings as follows:

1. At the BlackShear Place Hall County Library on Tuesday, 5/25/2010, 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM (About ½ miles south of I985 at exit 16 on left. Library phone is 770-532-3311, ext 151.)

2. At the Spout Springs Hall County Library on Thursday, 6/10/2010, 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM (About 6 miles south of I-985 at exit 12 on right. Library phone is 770-532-3311, ext 191.)

You’ll find driving directions and other information about these two venues at www.hall.public.lib.ga.us (Because we’re not sure how much turn out we’ll have, no food or beverages will be served at these two meetings, but plan on a brief outing at a nearby restaurant afterward if you’d like.)

Put one of these 2 meetings on your calendar today! We're looking forward to meeting you and you know we'll have some fun together in the future. If you’re interested, but unable to make either of these two meetings, please, send an email to LanierUG@ITSBITS.com to get in on the action. We need your support.

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Moving Woes -- No 1

(5/11/2009)  I'm sitting in my camping trailer thinking I haven't posted to my blog in some time...shame on me. So here goes.

OK, so we're moving our home and business interests to the NE Atlanta area. The move is the result of a "perfect storm" of influences all coming together at once. Family "stuff" mixed with economic and business "stuff" in our new de...er...recessionary economy.

Probably the last factor that seemed to come together was the home we stumbled upon without really looking for it. We both liked it instantly and though we did our due diligence--we looked at many others--we kept coming back to this one house as our fave. So we made arrangements to buy it. Of course, we followed the first law of acquisition--offering less than was being asked. We setup a budget for the entire undertaking and though we've had some surprises, it looks as if we will go through under budget, if not on time.

A number of details have been worked out already. I'll keep a fairly regular posting on it for you. We have a construction company working on some stuff we want done, which includes a new roof, I'll give a report on their work and whether I'd recommend them after I see it finished. Ditto for our plumber, a hardwood flooring guy, an HVAC guy, etc.

I'm planning on doing a bunch of painting and "stuff" myself--I grew up in a family of home builders--so that will take a good deal of my time over the next weeks.

My first surprise had nothing to do with moving, really. It could have happened on a trip to the beach or mountains. I hooked up my camping trailer behind my Ford F250 and on a Sunday afternoon I hauled it directly through beautiful downtown Atlanta on I-20. Everything worked fine until I backed into the new driveway. Then the Ford's transmission blew out its front seal and dumped transmission fluid everywhere. That little surprise cost me $2,494 dollars. But I was forced to search for a good auto repair shop nearby and I seem to have found one in Don Brown's Automotive (3292 McEver Rd, Buford, GA 30518...phone 770-945-9550.) Don seems to be a good fellow and his repairs have worked fine so far. I've pulled another heavy trailer from B'ham to Atlanta already and it performed perfectly. I had him install a heavy-haul converter rather than the stock one--$300 extra--and the truck actually performs better than it did before the problem. If you pull or carry heavy loads often and your 7.3L Ford diesel needs a transmission, you should look into it.

Another surprise I've already hit--I knew we were on a well, and that didn't bother me too much because I grew up on well water. What I didn't expect was to hear that the well water was probably better than what I'd have if I hooked up to the local county water supply. So I've had some tests run on it and it's true. The water's PH is way acidic, so I'm going to have to install a device to soften it--but that'll be less than tying to the county's water supply so we'll see how that plays out in the end.

It's all a little scary, but we're into it and looking forward to the time when the move is complete. And maybe the scariest part is that once I get us moved in, I've got to find a new job or business

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Here's A Way To Really Help the Local Economy

(3/12/2009)  The Florida Department of Transportation is bragging. They've contracted with ACS Infrasstructure Development of Spain to build and manage toll express lanes on a 10.5-mile section of Interstate 595 in South Florida. They're talking about how many jobs this will create and how it "promotes innovative contracting solutions."

Yeah...I guess. But let's ask a simple question. Wasn't there a company in Florida, Georgia, or Alabama that could have done the job? If there was--and you know there is--a contract with that company would have hired just as many people to build and manage their toll lanes. There would have been one big difference. Lots of money that will now flow out of Florida to Spain would have stayed here in the Southeastern economy. It would have resulted in higher tax income here in the southeast--new schools, water treatment, road projects, etc., anyone? It would probably have gone into local banks where it could have been loaned out--that's what bankers do--to let local businesses spring up, buy new equipment, merchandise, etc., thus creating still more jobs here in the southeast. That's here at home.

Want to help our economy? Let's not talk about "innovative contracting solutions" and blow a lot of political smoke about how great it is. Let's start asking these politicians why they can't give these contracts to local businesses or, at least, local-regional businesses. Let's start asking why they have to give them to foreign companies when we have so many good people who want their local governments' business and just can't get it. Then let's start asking our law enforcement people to investigate every one of these strange-looking deals to see if someone got a kick-back that put it through to a foreign company. When we find them, let's throw the book at them. That will help our economy at least as much as a "stimulus plan" floated on the backs of our children and grandchildren and it won't cost us anything to speak of. Now there's a real deal.

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A New Comment On The Economy

(3/3/2009)  I was talking with Scott, a friend who happens to be a lawyer. The conversation fell onto the current economic situation and how bad it is. His comment struck me as somehow hilarious when he said, "It's so bad people have quit suing each other."

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Welcome To The Sunny South

(3/2/2009)  In Alabama, the deep South, we aren't used to snow. So what the heck was this white stuff I saw when I looked out my window?

My dog had never seen snow before. The poor mutt went to the door and stopped cold (pun intended.) She threw her nose high in the air and sniffed for several seconds. She looked hard at the white stuff, but finally need won over wonder and she stepped out on the porch. From there, the steps were mercifully clear. At the edge of the concrete she stopped and carefully smelled the snow. She looked back at me as if to ask, "Is it OK?" I was laughing so hard by then it was hard to tell her to go ahead, but when I did she put a paw carefully on the snow--it reminded me of someone testing the water temperature before going into a pool. Finally she jumped in and did her business as quickly as possible. Then she ran for the door to get back in.

Then came the cat which had also never seen snow. But you know cats...they're way too cool to show doubt. Hence, knowing I was watching, the cat stopped in wonder, but then charged on out into the middle of it--for about 4 feet. Then the poor critter stopped, reversed course, and came back into the house as fast as possible. So much for "cool" cats. I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. You just had to see it to fully appreciate it.

Did you know cats hate to be laughed at?

Me? Oh, I've seen it before and lots more than we had. We were out of a few staples, so we made a quick trip to our convenience store, Publix, then we came back home. I fired up the TV and my computer and enjoyed a nice, warm day inside.

Welcome to the sunny South.

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